Good Nite Dr Death

I awoke with a pounding headache.
I was back in my own room, the curtains still pulled back and it was dark outside. I had to take a moment as the memories of the night before came back, a confused jumble of excitement and a sense of horror. I felt that it was a sign that I really needed to cut back on the alcohol and wondered if Gerard had been forced to drop my drunken ass on the doorstep. He’d probably legged it, the thought giving me a spasm of pain almost as much as the effort of getting up.
Everything seemed slightly out of kilter and I felt more than a little feverish. Maybe I had got sick, looking in the mirror showed my normal face but pale and a little sweaty. This was more than alcohol and as I checked the time I realised that I was an entire day out. I had left the house at seven thirty pm and now the clock said seven fifteen again. Deciding I was definitely sick I tottered down the hall to the bathroom.
“You ok?”
“Uhhhh….yeah. I think I have flu coming on.”
I heard a disbelieving giggle and tried to smile. For some reason this provoked new pain and I had a flash of memory. Gerard and I on the sofa, kissing, him kissing down my neck….there was something more but I stopped thinking about it as the wall tiles flickered in and out of my vision. I splashed cold water onto my face and cleaned my teeth. My mouth had tasted funny, iron and something else that could be alcohol but maybe not. I frowned again at my face in the mirror.
“You blew it kiddo.”
I shivered violently and clung onto the sink as the world turned a little before deciding that water and bed was probably going to be the highlight of my day. I used the wall for support and struggled into the kitchen. My bag and mobile were on the table and I sat down heavily as Sally turned. Her face was full of sarcastic good humour until she caught sight of me, then it quickly turned to one of concern.
“You look like hell.”
“Yeah, it was going great till I got sick.”
Sally looked sympathetic and put a glass of water in front of me as I picked up my phone. There was a message with the one name I wanted to see and I clicked on it eagerly.

I will see you soon my love x

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, clearly Gerard must be a forgiving kind of guy and I was a lucky girl. I quickly replied, apologising again and suggesting we see each other once I got over whatever the hell was wrong with me. Putting the phone down I stared at the water and then grinned up at my friend who was running a brush through her hair. Sally was clearly just changed out of work clothes, the jeans and tee were the usual evening uniform and she told me about her day with an annoying client as I tried to focus.
The water wasn’t helping, it seemed to stick in my throat and I coughed hard as my eyes were drawn back to Sally. She was now making dinner, still chatting to me and I couldn’t stop staring. The water slopped over the edge of the glass as my hands shook and I tried to work out what the hell was going on. My mind was spinning, more images of the night before and teeth at my neck and…
“What the hell?”
Sally stared at me as I grabbed her, the almost scream cut off as one hand clamped over her mouth and I used the other to pull back her head and bare her neck. I could think of nothing, couldn’t remember even moving and it really wasn’t until I could taste the blood that I realised what I was doing. I couldn’t stop this, wouldn’t stop even as she tried to break free of me, even as I realised I was literally killing her, draining the very blood from her in some awful movie parody and the unbelievable madness of this. I could hear that last conversation in my head now, Gerard biting me and his friends talking about turning me. I opened my eyes and let Sally go, almost throwing myself away from my best and only friend.
We hit the floor at the same time, my back against the wall and Sally lying crumpled in the middle of the room. It was silent, only my ragged heaving breaths to be heard and I knew that she was dead. Her eyes stared blankly in reproach and I watched in wonder as the wounds on her neck healed over, my own hand touching the place on my neck too.
I am….a vampire?
A disbelieving snort broke from me as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. I had…bitten Sally and now she was dead and I felt a lot better than fifteen minutes before. Gerard had done something to me the previous night and now I concluded that he was the only answer to this sudden desire to feast on people. I scrambled across to the table, my eyes still fixed on the corpse and grabbed my phone as someone knocked at the door.
Panic flooded my system. Sitting on the floor and only just realising that I was spattered in blood. The knocking came again louder and I crawled towards the hallway, absent mindedly licking my fingers clean as I looked up at the door. It could be anyone, it could be the police or some random delivery man who was about to be confronted by a mad woman. I stared at the door, completely undecided on what to do now.
“Elise? It’s Claire, I’m a friend of Gerard’s.”
Claire. That name was familiar from last night.
“Open the door honey, I can help you.”
I blinked, pushing my damp hair from my face as something approaching relief flooded my system. I scrambled up and opened the door a crack. A young woman smiled at me, a vision in black but with vibrant red hair that tumbled down her shoulders. She looked me up and down as I pulled the door back.
“Umm..come in. I really think I need help.”
Claire giggled and walked in, closing and locking the door behind her. She pulled out a handkerchief from her coat pocket and dabbed at my face as I continued to stare, more than a little dumbfounded. I could see the fangs when she smiled and she looked over my shoulder into the kitchen before running her fingers down my face.
“I told him not to leave you. The first time you wake up and have to feed is terrifying if you are alone. Don’t worry, we can sort this out and then I will take you back to Gee.”
“He did this to me? He made me into a…no that’s crazy.”
Claire grabbed my hand and pulled me back to where Sally lay, her eyes still open and watching me. The pretty girl didn’t blink, merely reached into her other pocket and pulled out a flipbook of matches. In front of my disbelieving eyes she lit one and dropped it on Sally. There was a rush of air and oily smoke before I realised that Sally no longer existed. There was nothing on the floor but a small amount of dust. Claire turned back.
“He made you. That’s exactly the phrase. Gerard turned you into a vampire last night and now you have the need for blood as your unfortunate friend found out.”
I nodded slowly, the evidence was forcing the denial from my brain and I sat down on the nearest chair. Gerard had turned me into a thing from horror stories so why did the thought of seeing him again make my heart leap? I had wanted him yes, felt at home with him but Jesus fucking Christ I had figured that a one night stand would be the worst of my problems.
“Why?”
Claire was now seated opposite me and watching me closely.
“You have a connection yes? Something so deep and immediate that you wanted him and you felt safe and wanted by him?”
“Yes. I don’t understand.”
Claire reached across and took my hand. I found myself smiling back at her, there was such a warmth in that touch it was almost like I was back with Gerard. She smiled back, clearly glad that I was coping with the sudden swing into the supernatural.
“You are Gerard’s Other. His soul mate as Frank is mine. You will love each other for eternity if that’s what you both want.”
I blinked and couldn’t resist a sarcastic comment.
“So where the fuck is he?”
There was a burst of laughter and the redhead rolled her eyes.
“You know what men are like. He’s drinking himself stupid with Mikey because he thinks you will be angry with him.”
“I should be angry with him, I just ate my best friend.”
There was a pause and then we were both in fits of laughter, nearly hugging each other as Claire turned on all the gas taps and instructed me to take what I needed. Very soon I would be officially dead she said. Killed with Sally in a gas explosion. In truth I was concerned by the very lack of fear. I was now capable of killing it seemed, with no thought to what I had done and to someone who had loved me.
It was terrifying.
I had little to take and soon we were back in the street walking to the familiar sports car as Claire explained that daylight was a no go, churches and crosses were fine, fire bad but useful. I could now sleep in a coffin at night if I wanted but Gerard’s bed was probably more comfy. I could kill without mercy, just tidy up after myself and be careful of Ray and his porn collection. All of this went into my head as I nodded and Claire pulled away, neither of us hearing the explosion as my previous life went up in flames.
“Porn collection?”
“He likes human porn. Weird but he’s so sweet, you have to love him.”
I closed my eyes as the wind rushed through my hair. I could see and hear and feel like never before, the cold lighting in degrees on my skin as the wind rushed by in a myriad of colours. Gerard was waiting, I could feel it and I knew that Claire had been telling me the truth. I had found what my restlessness had been looking for.
All I had to do was reach out now and take him.

Notes