Pitch-Fic (Vampire): Red Awakening #1 (Patreon)

Author's Note: In spite of... what's currently happening in my life, here's this. I'm aware it's late, as this is supposed to be for September. I still plan to do the one for October. Things are hard right now.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

[story] [horror]

_______________________________

‭“‬Yo,‭ ‬Zoey,‭ ‬you up for drinks tonight‭? ‬I’m gonna be heading over to the Corner with Bill and his brother later on.‭”

“His brother,‭” ‬I blank.‭ “‬The weird one,‭ ‬with the trenchcoat‭?”

“Yeah,‭ ‬him.‭ ‬Might have a couple other people from work there,‭ ‬too.‭” ‬Nina smiles at me,‭ ‬showing off her new dental braces,‭ ‬a glint of hope in her dark eyes.‭ ‬I know she doesn’t want to go without me,‭ ‬but...‭ ‬shit.

‭“‬Sorry,‭ ‬Ni,‭ ‬I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it.‭ ‬I still have a couple papers left I need to write and they’re taking forever.‭”

“For the CRNA position‭? ‬Fuck,‭ ‬Zo,‭ ‬that’s gonna be‭ ‬so much work.‭”

“I know,‭ ‬but...‭ ‬y’know.‭ ‬I gotta get started if I want a decent position,‭ ‬it takes so long just for a spot to open up anyway.‭” ‬I let out a sigh,‭ ‬squeezing my eyes shut for a second.‭ ‬They burn from being exposed to the harsh clinical lights of the hospital all day,‭ ‬not to mention the day before,‭ ‬and the day before,‭ ‬and the day before that.‭ ‬A night on the town does sound like the kind of break I could seriously use.

‭“‬Come on,‭ ‬Zo.‭ ‬I don’t think one night out will kill you,‭” ‬she frowns,‭ ‬touching one hand lightly to my shoulder,‭ ‬one that I gently overlap with my own.‭ “‬I can see the bags under your eyes.‭ ‬How good do you think your paper will end up if you never rest‭?”

I nod,‭ ‬slowly at first,‭ ‬looking at Nina.‭ ‬She hasn’t been burning the candle at both ends like I have,‭ ‬and it shows‭ ‬--‭ ‬her jet-black hair is still as lustrous as ever,‭ ‬her eyes filled with life,‭ ‬light brown skin still showing the healthy glow appropriate for her age.‭ ‬Maybe she’s got it right.‭ ‬If we can manage to have the same job with drastically different work outputs,‭ ‬maybe I‭ ‬am working too hard.‭ ‬And she’s got a point...‭ ‬one night won’t kill me.

I inhale deeply,‭ ‬and relent.‭ “‬Alright,‭ ‬fine,‭ ‬just a few drinks,‭ ‬okay‭? ‬And you’re paying for my cab home‭!”

“Deal‭!” ‬she grins widely,‭ “‬I’ll call the others and tell‭ ‘‬em you’re coming,‭ ‬they’re gonna be so excited‭!”

“Pshh,‭ ‬yeah right,‭” ‬I chuckle as she pulls out her phone.‭ ‬The papers can wait.‭ ‬I deserve a break.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Fear.

The fear of the hunted,‭ ‬the fear of prey.‭ ‬I run until my legs burn,‭ ‬until I am deafened by the throb of my own heartbeat.‭ ‬I am the rabbit to the fox,‭ ‬the deer to the wolf,‭ ‬the worm to the bird.‭ ‬I am nothing.‭ ‬I am alone.‭ ‬I am afraid.

‭“‬Fuck,‭ ‬haha,‭ ‬I’m so drunk.‭ ‬I knew I shouldn’t have let you talk me into coming out tonight....‭”

Pain.

I scream out into the darkness.‭ ‬Agony unlike any I’ve ever known explodes through my body,‭ ‬like I’m being ripped apart by it.‭ ‬The sharpness,‭ ‬hardness,‭ ‬piercing into me.‭ ‬Unholiness rushing through my veins,‭ ‬destroying me,‭ ‬rebuilding me.

‭“‬Don’t worry,‭ ‬I’m doing alright.‭ ‬I’ll give you a ride back to your apartment.‭”

Red.

It gushes around me,‭ ‬from me,‭ ‬drained from me.‭ ‬Vision blurs and colors vanish.‭ ‬I drown in the all-consuming darkness of night,‭ ‬no moon to look down on me,‭ ‬no sun to be my savior.‭ ‬Nothing but the dark...‭ ‬and the red.‭ ‬The rage,‭ ‬the pain,‭ ‬ribbons of scarlet billowing free of me,‭ ‬bathing me.‭ ‬The rage,‭ ‬the pain,‭ ‬the red.

‭“‬What are you doing‭? ‬I don’t...‭ ‬I think I should go,‭ ‬please just...‭ ‬just pull over here,‭ ‬I can walk the rest of the way....‭”

Darkness.

No more pain,‭ ‬no more fear.‭ ‬The red drained from me,‭ ‬leaving only pale skin,‭ ‬empty veins.‭ ‬Eyes twitch and flutter and all there is is numbness.‭ ‬Numbness,‭ ‬and darkness.‭ ‬A helpless certainty that I cannot be saved.

‭“‬Stop,‭ ‬get away from me‭! ‬What do you think you’re--‭ ‬oh fuck...‭ ‬oh fuck,‭ ‬what are you...‭?”

Death.

Finally everything goes still.‭ ‬Numbness fades to emptiness and darkness fades to white.‭ ‬With my blood goes my body,‭ ‬with my body goes my soul.‭ ‬I can’t feel myself anymore.‭ ‬I can’t move.‭ ‬I can’t think,‭ ‬can’t feel.‭ ‬There is nothing left of me.

‭“‬Hold still...‭ ‬this can all be over so soon if you let it....‭”

Red.

My eyes snap open.‭ ‬Every nerve screams with pain‭ ‬--‭ ‬pain,‭ ‬and everything else.‭ ‬Pleasure,‭ ‬hunger,‭ ‬desire,‭ ‬every wicked and visceral thing,‭ ‬claiming my every thought,‭ ‬burying my mind in sensations.‭ ‬I’m awake.‭ ‬I may be nothing else,‭ ‬but I’m awake,‭ ‬and I’m aware.‭ ‬I’m alive.

I’m alive.

My muscles shriek with pain as I sit up,‭ ‬thoughts starting to return to me in fragments.‭ ‬The fragments,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬are quickly fading,‭ ‬replaced by distorted mirrors,‭ ‬a funhouse nightmare of my own personal history.‭ ‬The further back I try to remember,‭ ‬the more indistinct‭ ‬--‭ ‬memories of my parents are cracked and indistinct,‭ ‬their names lost to me,‭ ‬like my brain has been deep-fried.

I shift sideways and bump into cold metal,‭ ‬though the floor beneath me creaks and squishes beneath my light weight.‭ ‬I push at either side,‭ ‬arms flailing out blindly,‭ ‬finding metal on all sides of me.‭ ‬I try to stand,‭ ‬hitting my head‭ ‬--‭ ‬this time not against steel,‭ ‬but something softer.‭ ‬Plastic‭? ‬It shifts when I hit it,‭ ‬like...‭ ‬a lid,‭ ‬or seal.‭ ‬I push up with both arms,‭ ‬and feel the canopy above me fly up and away.‭ ‬Instantly,‭ ‬my eyes are burned by the dim twinkle of starlight,‭ ‬though I adjust after a few moments.‭ ‬There’s a brick wall opposite and behind me,‭ ‬and I....

I crawl over the metal rim of the container I’m in,‭ ‬toppling to the concrete with a heavy thud.‭ ‬The smell of piss and stale liquor stings my nostrils,‭ ‬but my eyes are already adjusting to the dark‭ ‬--‭ ‬far faster than they normally should.‭ ‬In moments,‭ ‬even the dim glow of the stars is like daylight to me,‭ ‬my senses sharpening,‭ ‬adapting to the dark,‭ ‬like a hunting cat.‭ ‬I’m in an alleyway...‭ ‬I‭ ‬had been in a dumpster.

The world swims around me as I pull myself to my feet,‭ ‬staggering sidelong into the wall,‭ ‬closing my eyes.‭ ‬There’s this...‭ ‬thrumming in my head,‭ ‬this pounding,‭ ‬as I try to regain my faculties.‭ ‬What happened last night‭? ‬What...‭ ‬happened to me‭?

I stand there for a long moment,‭ ‬slumped against the red brick,‭ ‬before I finally feel able to move around.‭ ‬I reach into my pocket for my phone,‭ ‬only to find the screen completely shattered.‭ ‬The fabric of my jeans is also torn in the same area,‭ ‬like I fell,‭ ‬or was dragged...‭ ‬maybe both.‭ ‬I stagger out of the alley,‭ ‬only to be blinded once again‭ ‬--‭ ‬this time not by starlight,‭ ‬but by the city.‭ ‬Streetlamps above,‭ ‬headlights zipping past from both directions,‭ ‬it feels like someone set off a firework in front of my face,‭ ‬pain and burning causing me to retreat back into the alley I’d come from.‭ ‬I need to get back to my apartment,‭ ‬need time to rest,‭ ‬relax,‭ ‬figure this out.

One hand shielding my eyes,‭ ‬I take off out from the alley’s other side,‭ ‬and find this area to be a bit darker,‭ ‬not next to the highway.‭ ‬I wander for a few steps,‭ ‬searching for a street sign,‭ ‬finally finding one.‭ ‬107th‭ ‬--‭ ‬I’m on the east side,‭ ‬I think,‭ ‬not terribly far from home.

‭“‬Yo,‭ ‬you doin‭’ ‬alright‭?” ‬I’m jarred from introspection by a voice from behind me,‭ ‬one accompanied by a thrumming,‭ ‬pulsing sound,‭ ‬like the sound of blood rushing through a thousand veins at once.‭ ‬I turn,‭ ‬squinting,‭ ‬to see a tall,‭ ‬sallow guy wearing a blue beanie,‭ ‬the early makings of a beard doing their best to sprout on his thin face.‭ “‬Oh,‭ ‬shit,‭” ‬he says,‭ ‬eyes widening when I turn to face him.‭ ‬He backs up a step out of what appears to be pure reflex.‭ “‬Do you,‭ ‬uh...‭ ‬need me to call someone,‭ ‬or...‭?”

“I...‭ ‬I’m not...‭” ‬I try to say,‭ ‬but my mouth feels...‭ ‬full,‭ ‬something getting in the way when I try to speak.‭ ‬I think he says something else,‭ ‬but the sound is drowning him out.‭ ‬That rushing sound,‭ ‬louder and louder,‭ ‬like white rapids on a raging‭ ‬river.‭ “‬I don’t...‭” ‬I feel my teeth clack together when I try to speak,‭ ‬like they’ve grown too long.‭ ‬Through the myriad of swelling sensations in my body,‭ ‬one becomes stronger than the others.‭ ‬More insistent.‭ ‬One I can’t ignore.

Hunger.

‭“‬Hey,‭ ‬miss,‭ ‬I’m gonna call‭ ‬911,‭ ‬alright‭? ‬I’m gonna try to get you some hel--‭”

He doesn’t get another word out.‭ ‬Instinct takes over,‭ ‬controls me,‭ ‬and I pounce like a feral cat.‭ ‬I open my mouth and latch onto him,‭ ‬fangs driving into his throat.‭ ‬There’s a hot splash of blood and then the rush of salt filling my mouth.‭ ‬Hot,‭ ‬crimson life.‭ ‬And it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

An hour later,‭ ‬I find myself in my apartment,‭ ‬sitting in the shower,‭ ‬arms clutching tight around my knees as the water pours down around me.‭ ‬I watch as it cascades down my pale form into the bottom of the tub,‭ ‬a very different color than it had been before it had touched me.‭ ‬Every inch of me is caked with that man’s blood,‭ ‬but for the first time since awakening I can think clearly.‭ ‬Many memories are still lost to me‭ ‬--‭ ‬a few fleeting names and faces.‭ ‬Information and skills seem to remain,‭ ‬and I find myself able to recall my practice as a registered nurse and the capabilities that demands.‭ ‬It’s my own history,‭ ‬the‭ ‬person I was,‭ ‬that seems to float away from me,‭ ‬like driftwood on a sea of red.

I’m not an idiot.‭ ‬I understand what’s happened to me,‭ ‬even if I don’t want to admit it to myself.‭ ‬I know what I am,‭ ‬what I’ve become.

I’m a vampire.‭ ‬What rules I follow I don’t know‭ ‬--‭ ‬from the way my body was dumped,‭ ‬I’m not sure the person who turned me knows they’ve done so.‭ ‬Fuck,‭ ‬I don’t know what happened to that man I drained on the street.‭ ‬All I know is that this explains everything:‭ ‬my aversion to light,‭ ‬my hunger for blood,‭ ‬the icy,‭ ‬undirected passion that pulses inside me.‭ ‬The lack of heartbeat or warmth.‭ ‬Suddenly,‭ ‬becoming a CRNA seems like the least of my concerns,‭ ‬but I find concern itself also melting away.‭ ‬As I lose memories of the people I love,‭ ‬the people I’m meant to care about,‭ ‬a sense of deep loneliness overcomes me,‭ ‬a sense of loneliness accompanied by a bitter disregard for those that don’t share my affliction.‭ ‬For the first time since birth,‭ ‬I am truly alone.

Questions rush through my head.‭ ‬What do I do,‭ ‬where do I go from here‭? ‬I can safely assume there’s no cure,‭ ‬and...‭ ‬the more I dwell on the topic,‭ ‬the more I feel myself rejecting it,‭ ‬like my own body doesn’t want it.‭ ‬Like it‭ ‬wants to be the way it is.‭ ‬There’s this deep,‭ ‬predatory buzz humming through my body,‭ ‬this sensation of...‭ ‬superiority.‭ ‬An instinct that my dynamic with the world has changed,‭ ‬that the things that mattered no longer do.

I finally get out of the shower,‭ ‬drying myself off,‭ ‬and taking a moment to look at myself in the mirror,‭ ‬now that all the blood’s been washed away.‭ ‬I’m different,‭ ‬visibly so,‭ ‬noticeably so.‭ ‬My crimson red hair‭ (‬dyed,‭ ‬but I still like it‭) ‬is untouched by the transformation,‭ ‬but the rest of me very much is.‭ ‬Light skin has faded to ghostly pale,‭ ‬dark circles under my eyes have grown even darker‭ ‬--‭ ‬standing out against my deathly milkiness and the piercing royal blue of my eyes.‭ ‬They almost glow in the dim,‭ ‬flickering light of my bathroom.‭ ‬A hunter’s eyes.

My body has changed as well,‭ ‬though less obviously.‭ ‬Natural blemishes and flaws seem to have disappeared,‭ ‬replaced by more creamy paleness,‭ ‬though no matter how transparent I become my veins are invisible against even the closest inspection.‭ ‬My breasts have lifted slightly,‭ ‬nipples permanently stiffened,‭ ‬my penis a little more handsome,‭ ‬even inert‭ ‬--‭ ‬softer,‭ ‬smoother.

It’s this myriad of emotions I have the most difficulty grappling.‭ ‬Part of me is who I was,‭ ‬regretful of what I’ve become,‭ ‬wondering what I’ve lost,‭ ‬determined to regain what existed of my life.‭ ‬Another part is overwhelmed by the red,‭ ‬by this sensation of being the dominant predator in a world I’ve struggled to be a part of.‭ ‬That part wants to feed,‭ ‬to fuck,‭ ‬to be astounding and terrifying.‭ ‬That part is a beast,‭ ‬with unknown abilities and unquenchable thirst for blood.‭ ‬And,‭ ‬hour by hour as I contemplate who I am and who I’ve become,‭ ‬she’s taking over.

I close the curtains over the windows when dawn finally breaks.‭ ‬Exhaustion overcomes me,‭ ‬but a sort of contented weariness,‭ ‬the kind you get after a hard workout or mind-blowing sex,‭ ‬where the ache in your muscles is a trophy rather than a punishment.‭ ‬Tonight I fed for the first time,‭ ‬and tonight,‭ ‬I’m full...‭ ‬but without a community to attach myself to,‭ ‬I find myself wondering where my next meal will come from.‭ ‬I was lucky enough not to be caught when my instincts overcame my sense of self-preservation,‭ ‬I may not be so lucky again.‭ ‬I need to be smart,‭ ‬need to blend in with a world no longer mine,‭ ‬if I’m going to find a dependable source of human blood.

Fortunately,‭ ‬I’m a nurse.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Monday,‭ ‬Grand Meadow Medical Center

It took significant work to go through my effects,‭ ‬my identification,‭ ‬my schedule.‭ ‬To recreate the puzzle of my life from insignificant scraps.‭ ‬To my delight,‭ ‬I was already working the night shift,‭ ‬so it took little effort to avoid the final dappling sunrays of dusk on my way to the hospital.‭ ‬Certain things come from muscle memory,‭ ‬or sudden pangs of remembrance‭ ‬--‭ ‬take this turn here,‭ ‬sign in here,‭ ‬wave to the right people.‭ ‬Their faces are blurry to me,‭ ‬but the thrum of their blood in their veins is like a stampede of great red hooves against my enhanced senses.‭ ‬Against all odds,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬I begin to go about my initial chores,‭ ‬certain things returning to my memory,‭ ‬despite their tedium.‭ ‬It will all,‭ ‬eventually,‭ ‬be worth it...‭ ‬I need to blend in if I’m going to be the hunter I was reborn to be,‭ ‬and this place has all the free‭ (‬if not always fresh‭) ‬blood than I can drink.

‭“‬Zoey‭?”

Fuck.

I slowly turn,‭ ‬greeted by a friendly face emerging from the hallway to my left.‭ ‬At first,‭ ‬I don’t recognize her‭ ‬--‭ ‬dark skin and hair,‭ ‬beautiful dark eyes,‭ ‬braces in her bright smile.‭ ‬A lovely stranger.‭ ‬It’s her voice that jars something in my thoughts‭; ‬not who she is,‭ ‬merely that I should know her.‭ ‬Clearly,‭ ‬she knows me.‭ “‬Oh,‭ ‬heyyy,‭” ‬I retort,‭ ‬smiling without showing teeth.‭ ‬I don’t have as much control over my fangs as I’d like to,‭ ‬and I’d rather not be exposed so quickly.

‭“‬You get home the other night‭? ‬You got a ride with,‭ ‬uh...‭” ‬she pauses,‭ ‬thinking.‭ “‬Bill’s brother,‭ ‬right‭? ‬He didn’t try to pull anything,‭ ‬did he‭?”

Bill’s brother.‭ ‬Not much,‭ ‬but a lead.‭ ‬A hint as to who turned me,‭ ‬and where more like me might be.‭ ‬Despite doing my best to come to grips with undeath,‭ ‬I’m in desperate need of some kind of guidance,‭ ‬some kind of grounding.‭ “‬Oh,‭ ‬no,‭ ‬he was a perfect gentleman,‭” ‬I bluff.‭ “‬I think I lost his number,‭ ‬though.‭ ‬Do you think you can text it to me later‭?”

“Oh,‭ ‬yeah,‭ ‬well I can ask Bill if he’s got it,‭” ‬she smiles back.‭ ‬I still don’t remember her name.‭ ‬I steal a quick glance at her nametag‭ ‬--‭ ‬Nina.‭ ‬A spark of memory,‭ ‬but nothing concrete.

‭“‬Awesome,‭ ‬thanks so much,‭ ‬Nina‭!”

“Nina‭?” ‬she chuckles quizzically,‭ ‬tilting her head sidelong.

Fuck.‭ “‬You know,‭ ‬like...‭” ‬I point to her nametag,‭ ‬then put on a silly voice,‭ ‬hoping feigned sarcasm will get me out of an apparent faux pas.‭ “‬NinaAaAaa.‭ ‬Crazy.‭”

“Pff,‭ ‬yeah,‭ ‬sure,‭ ‬hah,‭” ‬she lets out a soft giggle.‭ “‬By the way,‭ ‬are you feelin‭’ ‬alright‭? ‬I know you were quiet yesterday and I figured you were just hungover or whatever,‭ ‬but you’re like,‭ ‬way pale.‭”

“Oh,‭ ‬yeah,‭ ‬it’s...‭” ‬my mind races for an answer.‭ ‬I find one comes quickly to me where it ordinarily would not have‭ ‬--‭ ‬like lies are natural to me,‭ ‬now.‭ “‬I was watching some makeup tutorials before I came in and tried something new.‭ ‬Too much‭?”

“I mean,‭ ‬if you’re into the like,‭ ‬goth,‭ ‬vampire thing it’s pretty hot,‭ ‬just don’t be surprised when the Dean tries to jump your bones,‭” ‬she chuckles again,‭ ‬a soft,‭ ‬sweet sound.‭ “‬Alright,‭ ‬I gotta grab a file and get back.‭ ‬I’m glad you decided to come out with us the other night‭!”

I watch her as she gets what she came for and makes her way back the way she came.‭ ‬My fake smile fades to a neutral expression,‭ ‬then one of hunger.‭ ‬She smells so...‭ ‬rich.‭ “‬Yeah,‭” ‬I whisper under my breath.‭ “‬So am I.‭”