• CHAPTER 4 - VICTIM

    My breath was stolen from me completely and my body was paralyzed. My neck was engulfed in pain and it was only going to get worse. I'm a victim, but I'm not sure what of...

    I moaned at the pain that was pulsing through my whole body. Something pierced my neck...deep. I tried desperately to make myself wake up, I knew it was all going to be a dream. But this pain was too real. The hands on my wrist gripped tighter and I was sure they were going to shatter under pressure at any moment. I refused to struggle because I was afraid of starting the pain all over again. I could hear gulping at my neck and I could feel the blood trickle down to my chest and absorb into the nightgown from the wound on my neck. I breathed heavily as I realized I was able to again but I've just about had enough of this.

    "It hurts..." the drinking didn't stop. I tried and tried desperately to shake him off but it never worked. I felt him loosen up a little as I kept wriggling myself free, "It hurts!! Stop it!!"

    I elbowed my way out of his grasp and turned around right away and slammed my hands onto his chest to keep him away. He grabbed my left hand. I looked up and my breath was taken away from me once again. It felt like it took me forever to process the image; Kai?!

    Kai squeezed my hand angrily and glared at me, my blood all over his mouth and the collar of his shirt, "I'm not finished with you yet,"

    My heart skipped a beat. Kai grabbed my other wrist and slammed me against the wall again, this time, my back against the wall. Kai quickly leaned over and made his way to the wound on my neck again. By this time, I was petrified beyond belief. My head kept telling my whole body to just shut down, let him finish me off with whatever he's doing, but my body refused.

    I snapped back into my own thoughts after a sudden realization. Kai told me him and Kira were...Vampires. Is that what's going on? Kai is attacking me as a Vampire? It was the only thing I could come up with and I started hyperventilating. No, it's not true! Kira said he was lying! It was a joke! I continued to yell at myself in my head, trying to convince myself that Kai was lying about the whole Vampire thing. Maybe this is just a nightmare about the secret? I'm thinking too much of what they said and now it's haunting me? I clenched my fists and assumed that if Kira were a Vampire too, he would be able to sense these things, right?
    I gripped Kai's shirt, "Matsuda!!" I had enough. I didn't care if Kai killed me; I wasn't going to let this go unsolved.

    Kai backed away from me a little, still holding onto my right wrist. I swung at him with all my remaining strength but he caught it and glared at me again, "Get off!I" I continued to yell.

    I paused and glanced up at Kai's face, covered in even more blood. He angrily licked the blood off from around his mouth, his Vampire fangs gleaming in the moonlight that seeped through the window. His eyes were hungry and blood red. I gasped at the realization, he really is...a Vampire...I choked on my thought. I couldn't feel my face but I only assumed I made some sort of face that made Kai slip back into his normal consciousness and his glare lightened up a little, as did his grip. I thought...

    "You're...," Kai drifted off, staring at my petrified face.

    ...They were all lying. I started regretting that I didn't believe him earlier. If I'd have believed him, I would have been able to keep a watch over myself. I wanted so bad for the secret to be a big prank now, any prank would be better than this event.

    Kai released my wrists and I quickly covered the wound on my neck that continued to bleed. I didn't want to bleed anymore; I was afraid Kai would attack again and I backed into the wall, gripping the curtain that hung down from the tall window. He's a monster, I told myself in my head. A Vampire; he's not supposed to be real...ever. We stood and stared at each other for a long, long moment.

    "Arisa, I--"

    In an instant, the tall door burst open with high velocity and in the next instant, Kai was out of my sight and pinned up against the wall next to me by Matsuda. I sighed out of relief and pain and I wobbled off balance. Yeah, now my body shuts down. Kira caught me swiftly and gently sat me on the ground and leaned me against his cold chest and held me close to him. I refused to look over at Matsuda and Kai for a moment because I was afraid of how angry Matsuda's face would be. I didn't want to see him like that.

    "What the hell is your problem, Kai?!"

    "I already told you I haven't fed in a while!"

    "But you had to choose Arisa, although we specifically told you not to?!"

    I couldn't bear the sound of Matsuda's anger. Right now, it almost scared me more than when Kai attacked me. I buried my face into Kira's frozen chest. Kira rubbed my back and looked down at me frantically.

    "Arisa, are you okay?"

    I waited for a moment, trying to put together Kira's words. I was slipping into unconsciousness and I couldn't get anything straight. I removed my hand from my tender wound and I felt Kira's body flinch. I stared blankly at the blood on my hand, "It hurts, Kira...,"

    I summoned up my courage too look over in Kai and Matsuda'd direction just before I assumed my vision would go black. Matsuda was holding Kai against the wall by the collar of his blood-soaked shirt. Matsuda was glaring furiously at Kai. He told Kai to stay away from me before I even came here...but he attacked me anyways. Kai looked over in my direction and his eyes flashed to hunger again. I was too exhausted and too close to fainting to be angry or confused about all of this.

    I was sure I was going to die from blood loss. My vision was blurring and I could see Matsuda rushing over to me and immediately removing me from Kira's arms and he shielded me. It felt like a boulder had run into Matsuda's back as I could barely realize it was Kai who had dove at me, but Matsuda had shielded me. Kai was glaring over Matsuda's shoulder at me, bearing his teeth and growling unbelievably loud, trying to continue his feasting on my neck. Kira grabbed onto Kai by his throat and his arm and pulled him off of Matsuda. I glanced behind Matsuda with my last few seconds remaining.

    From the arms of my protector, I stared into the eyes of my attacker...

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    My head was a blur again and I moaned in pain. I was alive. Matsuda and Kira were able to save me before I would die. I don't know how serious my wound really was, but I just know that in the back of my head, it was probably the end. I opened my eyes slowly and I looked around at the bedroom I was still in since last night; Kai's room. I shivered at the thought of Kai's name and the pain in my neck started again. I reached my hand over to rub the wound but it was already massacred by bandages and gauze. I looked around on the bed just in case I have to apologize if my blood spilled on the bed but it was pretty clean. I glanced over warily at the window where the attack took place and I shivered again. A little bit of blood was smeared on the wall and there was still a few dried-up drops on the clean white carpet. I couldn't see it too incredibly well with the dimmed lights. I'll apologize about the carpet later since the bed was unaffected. I just wanted to apologize for some reason.

    I closed my eyes for a moment, wanting to slip back into my slumber and forget about everything, but I felt part of the bed next to me slump down slightly. I opened my eyes slowly and I was staring into the eyes of my attacker once again. My fear and anger built up in my chest. I bit my lip to keep from screaming at him and calling for Matsuda. I tried not to bite my lip too hard in case it would bleed again. I just stared at Kai, tears welling up in my eyes at the memory of last night.

    Kai was silent for a long moment before speaking up, "Hey,"

    I was dumbfounded and furious. He sinks his teeth into me the other night, inching me towards my death, tried to attack me again, and all he can say the day after is "Hey"? I put on my confident face, pushing back the tears from the fear and pain, and stared at him. His face seemed pained and regretful and apologetic. I managed to relax a little.

    "You don't have to worry. Matsuda and Kira have been keeping close watch."

    I figured that since the time I passed out, both Kai and I have been quarantined. It made me comfortable knowing Kira and Matsuda were watching Kai. I didn't understand why they let Kai in so soon, though.

    "It's been two days since I attacked you, Arisa,"

    I gasped lightly at hearing that. I've been unconscious for two days. It's no wonder Kai looked as though he were under more control. The last I remembered, his eyes were still red with starvation. He wasn't himself at all. His only intention when he was overtaken by his Vampire self was to kill me...suck me dry.

    "I would imagine you're pretty confused, aren't you?" Kai barely whispered to himself and he sighed sentimentally.

    "You were telling the truth," I choked out the words, still fearing Kai could hurt me again.

    Kai smiled weakly at his own pain. I knew what we were both thinking. We were both wishing there could have been some way that he could have told me his secret so that I would believe him...so that I would understand...instead of finding out the hard way.

    This was a softness of Kai I hadn't witnessed these past few days and it...comforted me. I knew things were going to be okay. He wasn't going to attack me again, whether Kira and Matsuda were watching over us or not. Kai didn't even have to speak anymore; I already knew what he was saying. It was written all over his face and his eyes. His eyes were back to blue, but they were a little lighter than the normal deep blue. I testified against the pain in my shoulder and sat myself up, propped up my pillows against the backboard, and leaned back against it. My back was stiff and it was killing me as well.

    "How much do you want to know?"

    I thought for a moment. Did I really want to know everything about Kai and everybody else here? I want to know...but I was afraid. Part of me wanted to tell him no and we could put this whole thing aside and I could live as if I handn't heard the secret or I hadn't been attacked. But I knew that was a happening I could never escape.

    I had no choice but to tell him, "Everything,"

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    It took Kai nearly an hour or more to explain everything. How he and Kira had been Vampires for 158 years and that they were born in 1832 and infected at age 18. How Kira had found Orihime during his transition and she was able to stop the infection before consuming him completely because she was a real Angel...as was Matsuda. Kira is a Vampire...but he's still human as well. He was half and half and will always be in great pain. Takeuchi was a Werewolf...the kind that transforms during the full moon which explained why he was staying with his girlfriend in the city; he knew I was coming and didn't want to take the chance of hurting me. He opted to be put in the city to see his girlfriend again and where he can have more control over himself during the times when the full moon is nigh. Orihime and Matsuda were nearly 400 years old and are immortal. Vampires and Werewolves had a lifespan of about 600-800 years. Every creature could read minds and teleport as well but Kira couldn't read minds since he's only half; he doesn't have all of the abilities a Vampire has.
    "If you're curious as to how you're not a Vampire after I've bitten you, then I'll tell you. We're not the exact same as the legends. It's our choice if we want to change the victim into a Vampire. We burn badly in the sun, but the reason I was able to follow around that one day was because Matsuda had made a pill that supresses sunlight from Vampires for about 12 hours."

    Then came the part that confused me the most...

    "Do you want to know why we're keeping you here?"

    I nodded silently. I felt that if I spoke I would break down from all the fear and confusion building up in me with every word Kai was explaining.

    "Your blood is...," Kai thought for a moment, flinching when he said "blood", "Your blood is...special,"

    There was a long pause. I assumed Kai was waiting for me to ask how but I still didn't want to speak. I nodded to him, encouraging him to go on.

    "Every 200-300 years, there is a girl born with precious blood. It tastes so much different than normal human blood does...it's so much better." Kai exhaled sharply, trying to stop himself before trailing off in his own words, "That girl that's born with the special blood every 200-300 years has a gift in her blood...but not a gift beneficial to her. Her blood grants immortality if a certain amount is consumed at once; you can't even have a breathing break." my heart skipped a beat as he continued, "You're that girl, Arisa."

    I inhaled sharply and felt as though a knife was forced down my throat. My blood...grants immortality?

    "We're keeping you here to protect you. Werewolves and Vampires are all after it. Werewolves despise blood more than humans but they're willing to forget that to attack you for their own greed." Kai looked as though he were in pain again, "No creature is going to stop themselves from attacking you. That's...that's what happened to me the other night,"

    "I...I don't understand,"

    "Before I attacked you, I was starving from the lack of feeding. I kept promising myself I would go out into the city and feed there, but something kept holding me back. When you were unconscious the night I took you away from the orphanage, I was close to biting you. Every time I would inhale, I would get a large sample of your scent. Your blood is easily detected; easier than any normal human blood.

    "By the time I had gotten you here, it was harder to convince myself to go into the city. I opted to starve myself until I could...sample your blood." Kai was in serious pain now, "I kept telling myself it was wrong. My Vampire self took over and attacked you as soon as I knew you were at your weakest and most defenseless point. The Vampire side of me continued to grow when I went at you again and luckily Matsuda was able to protect you.

    "I wanted immortality, but when I saw the petrified look on your face when you pushed me off, I couldn't do it anymore. The reason why I tried to attack again was because I was still starving."

    I tensed up and Kai smiled weakly again, "Don't worry, I went into the city and had as much as I could,"

    Kai studied my face closely during a long moment of silence. He seemed confused, "You're not scared?"

    I shook my head subtly and then shrugged, "Not entirely,"

    Kai burrowed his eyebrows closer together in greater confusion. I couldn't tell if he was confused at me...or himself. Then there came the unexpected. Kai slowly rose his hand and inched it towards my face. I tried to back up a little but the backboard was in the way so all I did was sit and stare at him. His hand glided closer and I could feel the cold radiating off his fingertips. He stoked my cheek in the lightest way, sending chills down my spine and churning my stomach and I exhaled as if I had been holding my breath for minutes. He kept the same confused face and continued to stroke with his fingertips. He stroked in little circles up and down my cheek and then cupped his whole hand on my cheek and under the lining of my jaw as well. I couldn't help but stare at him with as much confusion as there was on his face.

    "There's...something about you, Arisa...,"

    What? What could he see in me? He seemed completely defeated as he rubbed his thumb against my cheekbone under my right eye. He continued that for a couple of minutes in silence and then started running his hand through my hair, twirling locks around his graceful fingers. I closed my eyes and felt for once, confusingly, that his hand felt nice and comforting. I wanted him to stay next to me...like this. I reopened my eyes as I could feel his cool breath on my forehead. He wasn't breathing as though he were resisting. Just...normal. He hovered his lips back and forth across my forehead, just breathing on it. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and figured his hand would melt from the heat. As strange as it sounds, I felt I was melting under his touch...his frozen touch.

    "Kai?" I was nearly breathless. No guy has ever touched me like this before. No boy has ever been so...kind to me...

    "There's...something...about you...,"

    He was repeating himself. He sounded as though he were hesitating. What was so special about me that he would suddenly act this way? Why was he being so affecitonate? Hundreds of questions started spinning in my head as he gripped my hair a little tighter and gently rested his lips upon my hot forehead. His steady breathing moved around some of my bangs.

    "Kai...are you okay?"

    I felt Kai flinch slightly and he pulled back a little. He cupped his other hand on the other side of my jaw while still keeping his first hand entangled in my hair. He stared deep into my eyes with the same confused face that he had been wearing. He was trying to read inside my eyes. I didn't understand why he was trying to do that where he could just read my mind. His thumb rubbed against my cheek lightly.

    "There's some kind of...pull towards you,"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "It feels like you have some kind of...charm to you,"

    I almost laughed at what he said. A kind of "charm" huh? It's the blood, don't get your hopes up.

    "It's not the blood,"

    Crap. I forgot he could read minds. I'm gonna have to start trying to not think about obvious things from now on. I glared at Kai as he curled up his coy smirk again.

    "Good luck at that,"

    I was starting to feel relieved that Kai was getting back to his normal self. The parts of him I remembered the most were his Vampire side and now...his...tender side. What is the real Kai like? What was he like as a human?

    My thoughts were interrupted quickly as I could see Kai's face much closer to mine but this time, his lips were making their way...to mine?! I shook my head and pushed my hands against his chest. Kai blinked multiple times as if he were under some sort of trance. He pulled back a little and I could see a hint of blush in his cheeks as he removed his hands from my cheek and hair.

    "I'm sorry. It was nothing intended."

    Good God, he tried to kiss me! My heart beat loudly and I was more than positive that he could hear it.

    "I don't understand it either. For the short time you've been here, I'm not myself when I'm around you."

    "I-I've noticed that much!"

    Kai frowned. It made me relieved that he made a different face now rather than a completely clueless face. But still, no matter what face he would make, it'd still be astonishing. I would have tried to stop myself earlier from having that thought, but it was too late. Kai heard it and he started smirking that stupid smirk again. I turned over and buried myself in the blankets.

    "Let me sleep!"

    I felt my bed rise up again as Kai had removed himself from it. He rubbed my shoulder lightly, "You know how sorry I am, right?"

    I felt my face soften up a little bit. I nodded, not knowing if he could see me or not, "Yes. I do. And I accept your apology."

    From the back of my head, I could feel Kai smile weakly again, "Get some more rest, Arisa,"

    And he was gone. I uncovered my head from the blankets and propped myself on the backboard again and sighed deeply. I now knew Kai's secret...Kira's, Matsuda's, Takeuchi's, Orihime's...but...altogether I didn't feel any different towards them. Sure, I'm a little afraid of Takeuchi, Kira and Kai, but that's only natural. I knew Matsuda and Orihime could never harm me; they were Angels. No wonder they looked so perfect. This whole time, though, I had always thought Vampires were hideous and horrible creatures. I now know that they are far from hideous. They're beautiful. I was still happy at the fact that Takeuchi looked just as human as I did so I didn't have to feel so self-conscious.

    I thought long and hard about the other night. I wanted to make up my mind about something...something that could mean definite death to me, depending on the situation. Should I be able to give my blood to Kai if he would really need it? I wanted to help him, I really did, but I was afraid he would end up taking too much from me like he did during the attack. I was at a complete loss. Everybody would be so dissappointed in me, but I couldn't help myself.

    After a long time of waiting and thinking, I curled up in the bed and fell asleep, my decision still strong in my head.