The Newborn Vampire (4 page)

  “113 and no I won’t suck all of your blood out. You are one of us and that is not allowed. If you had been a real human then it may have been a different matter,” laughed Tobias.

  Catherine realised her could read her mind and probably so could everyone else. She also felt deeply humiliated again realising that he probably was aware of the fact how handsome she found him. She quickly tried to stop thinking so her impure thoughts would not embarrass her any further.

  “You’re very beautiful” said Tobias, “So you are going to be a complete knockout once the change has taken place.”

  Catherine just smiled realising the compliment was for her benefit and he did not want her to feel embarrassed more than she did.

  “Don’t worry, not all of us can read minds. We are all unique in our own different ways,” reassured Tobias. I was very privileged to have been given this gift, but it doesn’t always work. Just when it needs too.”

“Come on.” Tobias said “Let’s get you back to your grandparents. They only have your best interests at heart, so don’t be cross with them. Plus, you are going to need their support once the change begins to happen, as it is not an easy process. If you want to talk though, just come and find me. I will know when you are here.”

  Tobias took Catherine’s hand and led the way back to Mathias’ caravan. Catherine was very unsteady on her feet, wobbling all over. She was not entirely convinced it was the shock of tonight’s events which had caused this or her being ill, but more of a case of the fact that Tobias was holding her hand. Never had she felt like this and never did she want it to stop. Her body ached for him and Catherine tried to tell herself to stop being so silly. She had literally met him moments before and she could not possibly feel this way. Could she?

  Before they got to the trailer door, it opened, as if they were expecting her, and her grandmother and Mathias stood waiting.

  Tobias said nothing, just nodded in their direction. He then turned to Catherine and wished her well before walking away. As he did he made sure his hand brushed against Catherine’s which sent a feeling like a shock of electricity through the both of them. Catherine was not sure how much more she could take in. Too much information and too much emotion really was beginning to take its toll and she increasingly began to feel ill. A strange ill she had never experienced before.

  Catherine walked up the steps and past her grandparents and slumped herself down on the sofa. Her head began to feel hot and she could feel herself becoming increasingly sick again. Her insides felt like they were on fire, her throat hurt, her eyes stung and even her teeth ached. The feeling was coming on stronger and stronger until Catherine became extremely scared.

  “Can we go home grandma, I’ve been really sick and want my bed,” begged Catherine.

  Mathias, as quick as lightening, was at her side and touching her head.

  “Stone cold,” he shouted and looked worriedly at Mary.

  “Stone cold?” argued Catherine, “No, I feel like I am on fire. Please grandma, take me home, I don’t feel well at all.”

  “Not possible, she is still only 16,” said Mary in disbelief.

  “Catherine, sweetheart, what colour was your sick?” asked Mathias in a firm but fair manner.

  “I don’t know.” said Catherine struggling to sit upright on the sofa “Red I guess.”

  “We need to prepare, she will be hungry when she wakes up. We need something to feed her on. I had not prepared for this so soon. She can’t go back with you Mary, not now until she has it under control.” said Mathias pacing the trailer and trying to put all the arrangements in place. Mary was fully aware of the consequences and relinquished all her responsibility for Catherine onto Mathias, knowing that she could not help her now. 

  A reign of people began to arrive at the trailer and Catherine watched from her helpless state as Mathias began to give order after order and the numerous people would dash off.

  Catherine began to feel terrible and Mary remarked that it was time she was moved.

Mathias lifted her body as it she was a rag doll and took her into another room and placed her on a gigantic oval bed. Mary knelt beside her and whispered soothingly to her.

  “ I know you don’t feel well now dear, but it won’t be for long. I am so sorry I never got to explain things to you sooner. But do you understand what is happening?”

  “I am changing” said Catherine, “Into a vampire.”

  “Yes my brave girl, you are.” replied a tear-filled Mary, knowing that this may be the last time she would see her granddaughter in her partially human state. “It wont be pleasant and it is going to hurt my love, but myself and Mathias will try to make it as comfortable as we can for you. You may not like what we do at first, but it will all be for your benefit. Trust me my dear.”

  “It’s ok.” said Catherine, “I trust …”

  She stopped mid-sentence and shot up in pain. Her insides felt like they were exploding, yet her body felt it had been placed inside an ice box. A blood curdling scream filled the trailer. Unable to control her pain, Catherine hit the wall and left in the place of contact a huge hole. She then threw herself back on the bed and wailed through her pain. Catherine had never experienced anything so excruciating during her entire life.

  “Mathias, Mathias!” screamed Mary.

  “He has gone out to get supplies,” said Tobias who suddenly appeared at the door.

“Let me help.”

  The look on Mary’s face was one of uncertainty, but Tobias was a good man, this she knew so she let him take her place whilst she just stood back and watched.

  “I am going to have to tie her down, Mary, in case she tries to get out before she has

finished and before she has eaten.” said Tobias firmly.

  Mary nodded and watched as Tobias pulled a chest from under the bed. From the chest he took out thick metal chain restraints which he placed on Catherine’s wrist and legs. Catherine initially screamed and resisted but would fall back on the bed exhausted before getting a second wind and resisting again. Tobias tried to hold her still and looked in her eyes but knew she no longer knew who he or anyone else was until this was all over.

  Screams continued to pour from Catherine whilst Mary slumped against a wall helpless, watching the suffering of her granddaughter going on before her eyes.

  Her skin changed slowly into a marble colour, her hair grew thicker and glossier and her eyes changed from their deep brown to a tinge of red. Whilst in pain Mary could already see the noticeable differences in the girl, making her appear more beautiful and exotic than she already was.

  Catherine was so overtaken with pain she no longer knew who she was or where she was. Her mind was filled with images of fire, demons, Christ and blood. Her lips felt dry and her body craved the substance. Yet her body was in such agony all she could do was thrive and scream. She was not even aware of the things she was shouting but she knew she was as she would hear the occasional “hush.” At one point she thought she was hallucinating as she turned and saw who she thought to be Tobias kneeling at her bedside.

  “Help me!” Catherine screamed, “Help me!”

  Mary rushed forward and grabbed her granddaughter to embrace her, but the cold fever of her body burnt Marys flesh and forced her back immediately. Tobias saw the pain in Mary at being unable to comfort her granddaughter so he took Catherine in his arms the best as he could and held her tight. Mary was overcome with emotion and nodded at Tobias with gratitude, grateful that Catherine was not going through all of this alone.

  “How is she doing?” shouted Mathias as he ran back into the trailer.

  “Not good, it has taken hold of her quickly and strongly. I couldn’t touch her. She was so ice cold she burnt me. Tobias was able to make contact however. We also had to chain her down to stop her from escaping and harming herself … and others,” explained Mary.   Mathias nodded as he listened and understood. He watched in helpless agony as Catherine writhed on the bed in agonising pain. He had not seen a transformation like this for a long time. It had come on strong and it had come on quickly.

  “Mary, it may be best you are not here when she awakes just in case she tries to … harm you. You will not be strong enough to fight her off or protect yourself,” Mathias said, concerned.

  “No, absolutely not. I have never left her before and I will not leave her now. She didn’t understand fully what was happening to her and that’s my fault. I threw her in the deep end but one thing is for sure, I am not going to stand back and watch her drown,” said Mary, full of passion for her granddaughter.

  Tobias looked on in complete awe at these two people who had such a special bond and a special love but could never be together. He felt a sprang of jealousy wanting that connection and even more so when he turned back to look at Catherine. She truly was beautiful, he meant that, and as the transformation was working on her body she was becoming more so.  He had felt something for her tonight and he was hopeful she felt the same. He had roamed the Earth for years without mating successfully and he was convinced Catherine was the one. Never had he felt sparks the way he had this evening. If she felt the same he would never leave her side ever again.

  Catherine continued to writhe around the bed as the pain intensified yelling and screaming. She pulled her arms and legs apart trying to escape. Her top teeth slowly became more pointed and she gnarled and gnashed away, biting at imaginary figures in front of her which only she could see. The pillows and bedding were shredded to pieces and feathers fluttered around the room.  Tobias thought her reaction was particularly strong and this was confirmed when he looked at Mathias’ face and realised he was thinking the same. It was normally hours and hours into the transformation that a reaction like this took over.

  After what seemed like an eternity the time came when Catherine should have begun to calm down but the pain seemed to but intensify.

She pulled so much that suddenly the chains holding her down suddenly snapped.

  She flew across the room and straight for Mary who was in her line of direction, but just in time, Mathias flung out his arm and threw her back on the bed. Tobias jumped on top of Catherine’s body wrestling to keep her down whilst Mathias threw Mary out of the caravan for her own safety and slammed the door shut.

  Mathias ran back inside and helped Tobias control Catherine, who was so strong that the two of them could not believe it. After what seemed like hours she eventually began to calm and her eyes shut. The two men calmly chained her back up and stood back. They knew the minute that she opened her eyes, that would be it and she would be one of them.

  Mathias could not understand why his granddaughter had experienced such a strong reaction and thought it may be a sign of her powers that she had been given. Either way he could not help but feel sorry and that this should have been his daughter experiencing this who would have still been with him today if she had. Irrespective of that, Catherine was his responsibility and this made him only more determined than ever to protect her.

  Tobias had taken a seat by Catherine and was watching her whilst she had her eyes closed. He could not wait to see how pretty she would look once they opened.

  “Take these,” said Mathias, and threw a couple of bags of blood in Tobias’ direction.

“She should be out of it for a while,” he continued “But you keep hold of them just in case she awakes whilst I am gone. I need to check on Mary”.

  Tobias nodded in agreement and placed the blood at his side, his own thirst kicking it and wanting to have them. He was strong enough to resist, however, having just taken some blood from the virgin at tonight’s show.

  Mathias found Mary a few trailers down crying. She looked so fragile these days, but she was still his Mary, the mother of his child. He seated himself beside her and said nothing. She looked into his youthful face and thought how beautiful he looked, yet at the same time felt awful at how old she must look to him. She wished she could be young again and to rekindle that passion they both once had, but she knew he would want nothing to do with her now.

  Tears dripped down her face for her lost youth, her lost daughter and now her lost granddaughter. The reason for their loss was this community she was sat amongst right now but regardless of that, she still loved Mathias with all her heart. Mathias could do nothing but comfort her.

  Tobias stared into Catherine’s face and saw the first flicker. He stared and stared until she did it again.        He checked the chains to make sure she was restrained strongly enough. He watched with part anticipation and part terror, not sure what to expect from his new found mate. Slowly she opened her eyes. Bright red, but beautiful eyes. She stared ahead at first looking at nothing in particular but then slowly turned and stared deep into Tobias’ eyes. Then she smiled as calm as could be and simply said,