BLOOD AWAKENING CHAPTER 2: Fangs or Howl

BLOOD AWAKENING CHAPTER 2: Fangs or Howl

Her head is throbbing, burning like wildfire. Uncontrollable. Painful. Numerous time she had yelled, calling for an adequate help. No one seemed to hear. She continued braving her agony, coiling atop the bed she has been dreaming of last night. Her hand deepening in her bed that the blanket crinkled. Her back ached. Arms having visible purple bruises.

“Oh, thanks, you’re finally awake, Mari,” her Aunt Lily spoke fretfully, rushing to her bed. She was in the kitchen preparing their meals when she heard Mari’s miserable screams.

“What’s happening to me? It’s so painful for goodness sake! What’s happening to me? Can I have my medicine, Aunt Lily?”

“You came home last night showered in rain. When I opened the door, there I saw you and then you collapsed in front of me. Don’t you remember anything?”

Perfectly crafted lies. All lies. Lily knew more. However, she has to ask questions to assure what to keep will be secured.

“No. The pain has already gone. Probably, it’s the weather last night. But I’m not hot; it’s not fever,” she replied after checking her own temperature by her hand. She had rested her back against the headboard for additional support. The headache had weaken her.

“I’ll get your medicine. Stay here.”

She nodded in response knowing the pain will be suppressed the instance she administer the medicine. She’s certain it’s not fever nor a headache inflicted by the raindrops last night; this might be akin to what she has suffered many times ago. When she was younger, she remembered having the same kind of headache. She was tormented that she was afraid to sleep, go out or do anything to trigger her extreme headache. However, her Aunt Lily introduced a tincture. It somehow delivered her from pain.

“Here,” Lily came rushing, offering her a glass of tincture. “That might work. This might be the headaches similar to the ones you have before.”

“I think so, Aunt Lily. This still works. I’m feeling better now. Thank you.” Mari had consumed half of it.

“Better sleep again. I’ll buy you some food to eat,” commanded Lily. She then pulled the blanket covering half of Mari’s body.

“I will.” Mari slid underneath the blanket. It’s warmth had somehow assured her that everything’s gonna be all right.

Mari closed her eyes, exhaled few deep breaths yearning for the pain to never comeback. In between her breaths is fear. She remembered vividly the same scenario when she felt this traumatizing pain. This is the same reason she opted to study nursing. She thought that somehow her experiences could help people experiencing what she had been through; to make them feel they’re not alone in the battlefield of aches and illness; to make her more able in resonating with them. She’s been there, suffered, and had endured it, but to encounter it again, is something so familiar but still haunts her.

She heard the loud bang as the door closes. It was intentionally done to let her know Lily has left. She opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. She cannot sleep.

She rose from her bed, slightly feeling the itchiness of her throat. She had scratched it many times but didn’t work. Her throat is dry. She went to the kitchen to drink a lot of water. That didn’t do her any help. She’s craving for something…like blood. Abruptly, she snapped such thought. That cannot be.

Her attention was caught by the knife near the kitchen sink. Momentarily, her gaze was glued to it. She never know why till her ears began hearing sounds that normally she couldn’t hear without a stethoscope. She hear blood come rushing on her every veins and arteries. It is like a raging river after a strong rain or a flood. The beating of her heart is so loud like drums simultaneously used. Every pulse are ringing. And there it goes again. She scratched and scratch her throat that after few more scratches it left visible marks.

She reached for the knife and swiftly cut her wrist. Blood came flowing. She drink it, sipping in an attempt to quench the thirst. There she feel it. The itchiness is gone and for the first time came into her senses a different gratification that she never knew she could have.

Blood’s dripping from her wrist, from her mouth after consuming satisfactory amount of her own blood. She realized what she has done to herself. Right above the sink is a cabinet where she has stored an emergency kit. Hastily, she avail of its purpose. Its content spilled on the area. But she only need betadine and something to dress her wound. Or that is what she thinks. Her eyes dilated; shocked and confused at the same time. The wound closes itself like a zipper; it didn’t hurt at all. She was taken aback.

Not knowing what to do, indecisive whether to speak of it to her Aunt Lily, Mari went to her room, grabbed a hooded black jacket and clad herself.

She needs time to process everything. One place she could do the thinking without any trouble is the old tree near the lake. She went there.

The sun gets heavy on the west side of the horizon; dusk is approaching. And Mari haven’t figured it yet. She has a strange notion but she didn’t like it. It is very impossible thought of her transforming into a vampire. That is very ridiculous. Thinking of letting the event pass and a decision to bury it to oblivion, Mari strolled towards home.

On her way, a strange feeling is creeping in. The crowd had brought it. This time every conversation seemed to be within her earshot. Even the sound of cockroaches amplified. She can her every gossip, laughter, and worse—she had made up image of pulse on everyone’s neck. Remembering what she had on the kitchen awhile, she rushed escaping from the crowded street.

On the corner of a quiet street, Mari found an asylum. She sat wrapping her knees with her arms; like a child afraid of monsters. But to her mind, she is the real monster. She stayed there till almost midnight weeping for the lives she had taken. Her profession is supposed to make her help people live, but to her own cruelty and hands, they died. A while ago, she cannot control herself. She was thirsty and her body and senses had directed her to consume human blood. She tried to get away but there are just too many people—too many; the sound of blood is too loud; she’s tempted and submitted herself into temptation.

Tonight she had concluded, she’s turning into a vampire. Whatever the cause is, she doesn’t know; and she doesn’t like it. The fangs that had grown of her haven't retracted; it smell of demise, tasty sweet blood, aches and regrets. She’s certain of becoming one but for whatever reason, she doesn’t know.

Steadying her breaths, Mari’s determined to go home and then escape all of this. She’ll just bid goodbye to her Aunt and isolate herself to harm no one. However, the clock strucks twelve. Mari suddenly collapses on her knees, a hand squeezing on chest, and she feels like she’s been robbed of good oxygen. Her fangs slowly returned to what a normal tooth would look like. Furs started to exhibit on her arms and almost cover her face. And the next thing she knew she’s been howling.