This will be deleted soon - The Wrong Hope *Complete and Free*

41. A Beat.

Sally-Anne

Year:1983, 9th August, Tuesday, Evening, Summer.

Pain was what I expected but it wasn't what came first. Heat began to build behind my eye. Not a raging inferno, just a soft warmth that grew to feel like the glow of standing in the summer sun. The heat rolled over my muscles and I would have sighed contently if I could have. It didn’t last though.

The irritation started in my chest. Crackling static that leapt and jumped, it pinged down my ribs and zaged through my stomach. When it started licking down my legs and arms I realised that it was actually my nerves waking up because now I could feel Guy's hand in mine. His hand felt cold making me wonder exactly how hot I actually was.

Electricity radiated from my chest and shot down all my nerves making my body jerk involuntarily.

The first time was a surprise.

The second time was uncomfortable.

The third time was agony.

I was being burned from the inside out by forks of lightning. It felt like sandpaper made of boiling hot crushed glass being rubbed down each nerve. It made my muscles clench to the point that I thought my bones would snap under the pressure. While I didn’t think any of my bones broke, some of my teeth actually did. I heard them crack like a walnut smacked with a rolling pin, I could feel the splinters in my mouth, the exposed nerves sparking viciously. If I could have begged I would have, I would have begged for death but no matter how hard I tried Guy’s orders held. In my mind I could see the magic like I had that first night. My tongue was wrapped in chains and one was speared right through my throat.

“Almost there Doll.” Guy whispered, trying to comfort me. His voice sounded strained, pained even. A little pocket of my mind knew that I must have crushed his hand with my spasming. The monster that roamed my marred mind hissed that he deserved it.

The heat dialed up. I was sweltering, my skin feeling like it might split open just to let out the flames. Lightning didn’t shoot down my nerves this time, instead it was like Zeus had forged a bolt in the exact shape of my body and lay it on me to cool.

The lightning buzzed my nerves and my whole body shook. The pain was excruciating but still it built. I thought I would lose my mind. All my other experiences dwarfed in comparison. The shaking became more violent, my body slamming against the table, sounding like the drumroll in a buildup to a magic trick. In just the same way it stopped, making way for the big finale. When the shaking stopped and the lightning was sucked right into my heart I thought it was finally over but I was wrong.

It was horrific.

It was terrifying.

It was beautiful.

The lightning had squeezed itself into my heart, a tight white hot ball that felt like the sun was buried in my chest. Without warning it exploded within those, acute and agonizing, making my long silent heart pulse suddenly. An echo of my once human form. It was frightening because the instant my heart stilled once more, I knew I would do it all again right there and then just to feel that one solitary beat.

Guy got up from next to me, I heard him open the fridge before he came back.

“Sit up.” He told me, breaking the hold of his command. I moved quickly, ignoring the blood he was offering, so I could spit out my shattered teeth.

“Ah s**t, Doll. Let me see.” Guy said tenderly. I opened my mouth for him. He winced.

“Mate, you have lost your mind. You know you just put your hand in a Vamps mouth?” Bill sounded shocked.

“Shut up Bill.” Guy growled. I’d forgotten Bill was here. That he even existed. Now he was filling my thoughts. A low whine built in my throat. I tried to centre myself but my little alter ego had different ideas. ‘Bite him!’ she cried ‘Feed. He tried to kill us, we suffered.’ I tried to push her down but she grew louder. ‘Guy didn’t say we couldn’t.’ Her voice was seductive, making me pause. She wasn’t wrong. I turned to look at Bill. He smelt good but regardless of her persuasions I didn’t want to, even if it was my ‘nature’. Guy's hand carefully touched my jaw asking me to look back at him.

“I’d rather you didn’t eat Bill.” He chuckled and handed me the blood. "Try and hold some in your mouth before you swallow to heal your teeth." He tucked my hair behind my ear. He couldn't open it for me and I couldn't open it myself. A small desperate sob bubbled in my throat.

"Bill, do us a favour would ya?" Guy nodded at the bottle. I held it out to the side for Bill to take, not sure I could resist the allure of his arm if it was right in front of me. Bill didn’t take it, simply popping the top off while I held it. The moment it was open I rammed it to my lips gulping it down. So desperate to quench the thirst I couldn’t hold some in my mouth to help my teeth. Instead I suffered with that pain to quickly ease another. The bottle was empty too soon.

Bill surprised me, and Guy it seemed, by getting me another two from the fridge before acquiring a beer for himself. I drank them both down but took the last one slower letting it sit in my mouth soothing my shattered teeth. I looked at Guy's hand. It was totally crushed. With Bill watching, clearly he was both curious and apprehensive, I got down off of the table and reached for Guy's hunting knife. I cut between the thumb and forefinger of my right hand just like I'd seen him do before. Bill gasped when I held out my hand for Guy. Then when Guy supped the bead of blood Bill cursed under his breath.

"Right Bill. Now we are done with all that drama let's go talk business." Guy insisted.

"You stay here Doll." He told me softly. I grabbed his plaid shirt begging with my eyes. The experience has left me shaken, feeling weak and frightened to be alone.

"Please," I mumbled, "let me stay with you." He nodded and I clung to him, reassured by his presence as we went to the living room.

Bill took Guy’s recliner and Guy sat on the couch. I sat on the floor, the opposite side of Guy’s body to where Bill was sitting, hugging his leg like I was a child and not a Vampire. They shot the breeze for a bit catching up on nothing in particular, I wasn’t really listening. My vivid Vampire memory was on overdrive blaring that last horrific moment where my heart had squeezed but it lacked the elating physical reaction. Without the contrasting dynamic there was only terror.

“Shh Doll.” Guy stroked my hair. It was only then I realised I was whimpering and shaking. Bill watched without comment as Guy handed me his bottle of whisky from the side table next to him. I was mid swallow when he tapped me. Thinking he wanted it back I offered it up but he pushed it gently back offering me a lit cigarette instead. Grateful I took it. Shortly after Guy dropped the rest of the pack and some matches into my lap.

“Guy says you will not hear Bill and I’s conversation, until I tell you otherwise you will only hear when we address you directly.” My world became devoid of sound. The relief was palpable as the tension left my limbs, one less stimulus in my overly sensitized world.