The Monster That Is Me

Austin:



I was pacing furiously outside my bedroom door. I knew that was Eliza was on the other side. But she could be dead. I know I was told to stay outside but I just couldn’t stay away any longer “Is she okay? Is she alright? Is she…”

Vic interrupted me “She’s fine Austin. She’s just fine.”

“Are…..are you sure?” I whispered looking over her. Truthfully she looked sick, almost dead even. Her skin, that was once a bright caramel color, was now a pasty tan. I noticed she was ice cold to the touch as I caressed her cheek. “She doesn’t look fine.”

Vic walked over and stood beside me “She’s fine. No real harm was done. Aaron did do a number on her though, she lost about a third of her blood.” I shuddered at the thought of her blood everywhere. “But, she’s going to be fine.”

“Then why is she asleep?” I yelled. I could feel my skin start to heat up. “It’s like she’s in a….”

“Coma.” Vic stated. “Well she seems like she’s in a coma because she kind of is in one.” He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “She’s in a Revivalation Coma. It normally last between a couple hours to two days at the most.”

“Why?” my curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t help but ask it. “Why a coma?”

“She used a lot of magic last night. More than what she’s ever used before in her life.” Vic clasped his hand around hers rubbing three circles on he hand before dropping it. He picked himself up off the bed and carried himself out the door. “She fainted because she was just exhausted. Her body needs to recuperate.” He turned to me and giving me a warm smile “She’ll wake up soon, I promise.”

Outside the door we I was meet by Kellin and Chris. “How is he?” I asked referring to Aaron

“He’s……he’s ultimately going to be okay.” Kellin said not exactly making eye contact with me. I’m guessing he finally found his guts because he brought his blue pupils to meet mine “What in the hell did she do to him?”

Vic furrowed his eyebrows at Kellin “How bad is he?”

“Got first degree burns on a seventy-five percent of his body. I mean it’s just that, whatever she did to him, she did it good.” Chris added looking at me “But really, the thing that’s most damaged is his soul.” Kellin sighed sadly “He’s really sorry for doing what he did. He feels like he’s a monster.”

“Aren’t we all?” I stated earning a small chuckle from everyone “I don’t blame him. I told him that already.”

“Yeah, but he still feels like crap.” Chris challenged me. He leaned against the wall looking at me “You should go talk to him, just to reassure him that you don’t exactly blame him for what happened.”

I nodded in agreement. I walked into Aaron’s bedroom to see a sight to recon with. His whole right arm was covered in a puss-filled, dark purple scab. Aaron’s face was a plum like color and so was the rest of his body. They were right when they said she did a number to him.

“Hey buddy!” I whispered walking into the room

He looked up at me with sad eyes “Hey Austin.” His eyes dropped back down “I’m really sorry.”

“Hey! It’s okay. Really.” I reassured him

“No! It’s not okay!” He yelled “Why is everyone acting like everything is okay! I could have killed her!”

“But you didn’t kill her Aaron!” I gave him a small smile “If anything she almost killed you.”

A chuckle escaped his lips as his eyes scoped his body “She did fuck me up didn’t she.”

“Yeah! She can handle her own. So don’t worry….and don’t blame yourself, because I don’t blame you.” I gave him a pat on the back

He hissed slightly causing me to remove my hand. “Do you think…..do you think she’ll forgive me?”

I sat down at the edge of the bed. That was something that I was worried about too. Would Eliza understand why Aaron attacked her? Would she understand that he really tried to control himself? Would she know that he has a good heart? Would she forgive him? Or would this whole ordeal make her scared of us? All of us? Including me.

I smiled “Eliza has a kind heart and a gentle soul.” I was getting warm inside just thinking about her. I couldn’t help it, I really love this girl. “She will understand and I think that she would know you tried so hard to control yourself. I think she’ll forgive you and even try to help you.”

“Help? Me?” Aaron questioned obviously astonished “Why would she help someone who tried to kill her?”

I shook my head with a confused smile “That’s just the kind of person she is. She’ll…..”

“Austin!” A voice frantically called out. I turned around to see Kellin’s blue eyes “She’s up!”

I shot up out off the bed .I took off towards the door but stopped quickly. Shit, I’m just leaving Aaron like that. I turned around and gave him a sad look “Aaron I’m sorry I….”

“Go to her.” He said giving me an encouraging grin “Go!”

I nodded my head at him before running out the room. I snatched open the door literally pulling it off its hinges. I stared at the door that I was holding up in my hand “Oops!”

A giggled sounded from inside the room. I looked to see a grinning Eliza, sitting beside a laughing Vic. Chris was giving me an amused look, nothing that I’m not use too. Eliza shook her head at me “You should be a little more careful.”

“Yeah! I really should be!” I chuckled laying the door against the wall. I starred at it for a few seconds. I’ll have to fix that sometime later, as in never. I turned around to see the love of my life. “So….” A sigh left my lips as I looked at her. She’s so beautiful. I blinked myself out of my daze. “H-how are y-you feeling?”

“I’m fine. A little dizzy.” Her smile turned upside down. Her hands graced her temple “I have the worst headache ever.”

Vic laughed “Just a side effect. It should go away in a day or two.”

Eliza groaned flopping her head back down onto my pillow “Is this how a hang over feels?” A chorus of laughter rang though the room. I could see Eliza smile falter lightly. I wonder what’s wrong with her. She sat up and turned to face me. “Aaron! How…..how is he?”

“He’s……” Kellin whispered nervously shifted back and fourth on his feet. “He’s….”

“Fine!” I mutter interrupting him. I avoided Eliza’s eye contact “He’s just a little……down.”

“Is he bad?” She whispered looking between Vic, Kellin, Chris and I. I could see she was getting angry. “Somebody answer me. Is he fucking okay?”

Chris looked at me before looking back at Eliza “He’ll be okay eventually…..physically he’s a little battered up.” Chris sighed running his hand through his hair “But mentally….”

“Mentally?” She questioned swaying her feet over the side of the bed “But mentally what?”

“He’s just broken. He blames himself for you getting hurt.” I answered

“He blames himself.” She whispered looking down at her hands. She was silent for a while. “I have to see him!”

“No!” Vic, Chris, Kellin and I said at one time.

Eliza stood up and started towards the door “Yes, I am going.”

“No! I won’t let you!” I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards me “I can’ let you go in there. He may try to hurt you again.”

“He won’t. I promise.” She whispered looking into my eyes. “I have to help him escape his mind.”

‘Trust me Austin. I know what I’m doing. ‘She said to me telepathically.

I wanted to stop her. I wanted to tell her no, and too yank her back into my safe grasp. But something inside me said trusts her. That Eliza, though young, knows what she’s doing. With a grunt I let go of her arm.

“Thank you!” She smiled before walking out the door.

I followed closely behind her. I’m letting her do this for her own moral purpose, but I’m not stupid enough to let her do this alone. I’m not that crazy. I toppled over Eliza as she came to an abrupt stop.

“Oh my God!” she whispered throwing her hand over her mouth. “What have I done?”

I wrapped my arms around her waist “Hey! Don’t blame yourself. You were just trying to protect yourself.”

“But this….” She motioned to the purple colored Aaron “I didn’t know…..I didn’t know I was capable of something like this.”

I smiled placing a kiss on her cheek “Nobody knew that….”

“Austin is that you?” Aaron asked interrupting me.

I stepped in front of Eliza shielding her from Aaron’s sight “Yeah buddy it’s me.”

Who’s with you?” He questioned sitting up in bed and I noticed his wrinkled eyebrows. His facial features suddenly hardened “She’s with you.”

“She wanted to see you!” Chris stated walking in front of us “She wanted to help you.”

Aaron chuckled “Austin said she would want to do that. And I’m thankful.” His frowned looking at Eliza “But helping me is a lost cause. I’m a monster. Regardless of how much you try to help me I will always be one. I can’t be helped.” Aaron’s demeanor suddenly changed and he glared at me “Now get her out of here, she’s starting to make my blood boil.”

“You’re not a monster.” Eliza said taking a step forward “You have a gentle soul.”

A sarcastic laugh escaped Aaron’s mouth “Gentle? I’m nothing close to gentle. I’ve killed people, innocent people.” Aaron’s eyes closed as he took a breath “I’ve killed children.”

“You tried to save that little girl Aaron.” Eliza’s said causing Aaron’s eyes to pop open in surprise. Eliza kept walking forward “She was a little dhamphir girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes, really adorable. She…..wondered pass the Bathorian line. She was in danger and you….Aaron you knew this. So you picked her up and tried to carry her back.”

I reached for her arm “Eliza you’re getting too close.”

She looked at me before looking back at the now crying Aaron “When you were carrying her back that’s when your clan…..Jamie’s Elsewhere came. You tried to hid her and tell her to be quite. But…..she was young and naive and she started to laugh.”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Aaron yelled covering his ears “Stop!”

I’m so fucking confused right now. And looking at Chris, Vic and Kellin they looked just as confused as me. We’ve been in a clan with Aaron for at least a year and we have know idea about him killing Children. But some kind of way Eliza did.

Eliza cleared her throat “It’s against the clan rules for you to mingle with dhamphir. They are a source of food and that’s it. You don’t protect them, only hunt them am I right?” She questioned Aaron who silently sat on his bed rocking back and fourth “But you didn’t see them like that. You didn’t see her as food, but just a little girl who was lost. Just a scared little girl who wanted her momma. So you tried to help her, and for that there was a consequence.”

“P-please…….j-just s-stop!” Aaron cried out

“They made you kill her. Told you that if you didn’t drain her dry that they would kill you…….then kill her.” Eliza was now at Aaron’s bed side “Don’t you see Aaron, you aren’t a monster. They….they are the monsters.”

“I said shut the fuck up!” Aaron growled lowly causing the house to shake furiously.

He rose up at of bed as if he was no longer in pain. Those green veins started to pop out of his head. His eyes were a bright green. I started walking toward Eliza. I’m going to pull her out of this room right now.

“Stop!” Eliza said holding her hand up at me.

I uncontrollably halted in my place. I tried to move my feet but I couldn’t. Looking down I noticed my feet were surrounded by a bright purple orb. I looked up and noticed that Chris, Kellin, and Vic’s feet were also surrounded in a orb. What the fuck is going on?

Aaron took a step to Eliza “You should have left.”

“I can help you.” She offered

He grabbed Eliza’s neck and slammed her against the wall “I told you I can’t be helped.”

“I-it’s a-all…. up t-to you.” She gasped trying to get the words out “Y-you h-ave to want h-help.”

“I wish I could get help…..but it’s not possible.” He whispered

Eliza swiftly placed her hands on each side of Aaron’s face as purple electricity spurted out of them. Aaron’s hands fell from around her neck and he collapsed to the floor. Eliza got to her knees so that she was eye to eye with Aaron.

“You are not a monster Aaron.” She whispered “You are a angel in disguise.”

She let go of Aaron and stood up in front of him. Her caramel colored hand laid out in front of her, Aaron calmly took it and helped himself up. Eliza guided him to his bed and he sat down. The purple orbs that were around out feet disappeared finally allowing us to move freely.

“Why did you bind us like that?” I yell at her walking forward “he could have killed you.”

She looked at me in the corner of her eye “He didn’t…….and he won’t ever want to ever again.”

“How is that?” Vic questioned studying the surprisingly calm Aaron She smiled at him “ I cured him.”

“You can’t cure him….he was born wanting the blood of a dhamphir.” Chris stated shaking his head “It’s just not possible.”

“I can prove it.” Eliza stated walking over to the nightstand and grabbing a blade.

I shook my head “Don’t you dare.”

She placed the blade on her risk and swiftly flicked it across causing purple blood to spill out. Fear coursed through my veins as I saw the purple blood. It looked delicious to me, so I know Aaron is dying of hunger. Gazing at Aaron I notice…..nothing. He didn’t even looked fazed by the fact that she was bleeding so close to him.

Eliza took a step towards Aaron “Do you feel the hunger? Do you crave it?”

“No!” Aaron grabbed her arm and pulled it towards his face. He took in a big sniff and shook his head. “No! No craving! No hunger! No monster coming out!” He sat up and pulled Eliza into a big hug “You cured me! Thank you so much!”

I stared at him in shock. He doesn’t want her blood. He doesn’t even crave her blood anymore. How is that even possible? He’s a predator and dhamphir’s are his prey. That’s just how it works. There’s no changing it. It’s the circle of life, it can’t be changed. It can’t be altered. Only….adapted too.

But she just cured him.

“What in the hell just happened?” I asked Chris, the most knolegeable of us all

He shook his head giving me a flabbergasted look “I…I don’t even know.”

Notes

I feel this chapter is a bit confusing. If you don't understand it please comment and I'll explain. But I hope you like it. (it's pretty long ^_^)