After Dark

After Dark (19)

--chapter 19--

Crystal Turner

I'm staring at the white ceiling. And I'm bored. I look around the room. I'm laying down on the double bed, made of maple wood. The closet, desk, TV stand and chairs all have the same colour scheme as the bed. Black and white, but spots of blue around. Like blue pillows, blue and white curtains... just small accents. 

I reach over to the bedside table for the remote and put on the flat screen TV. I channel surf for a while. But for however I try to ignore it, I'm dieing for that liquid. I don't even know what it is, all I know is that I want it, but Brooke won't let me have it.

I'm in her hotel room right now. She told me not to leave. I think it's because I killed someone. 

***

It all started when my head was spinning. I could hear better, see better and had the strange urge to eat/drink a human.Then Brooke dragged me out of there. I tried to remove her grip but that girl sure is strong! So she dragged me further and further away from the lighted up city of Port Angeles, to the dark forest that surrounded Forks, La Push and bordered Port Angeles. We walked for quite a while until we were deep in the woods. That burning sensation in my throat was now gone, like it was never there.

"There we go. Its safe here." Brooke said.

I wondered  why it was so safe here. Was there something following us? Or watching us? But I couldn't ask the questions because there was a sudden overwhelming smell around us. I perked up. My senses went into overdrive. I could hear someone's long, heavy breaths. I could even see through the darkness without needing Brooke's mini green flashlight.

I followed the sounds. As I got closer the smell became worse and worse. I realised Brooke was following me, and asking where I was going for the past three minutes, but I was too keen on this strange urge to even concentrate on what she was saying.

We walked abit further to reveal a small wooden cabin. A middle aged man was inside and was packing his utensils (I could hear the soft click-clacking of pots and pans). He probably stayed here as a night retreat out in the woods. There was a black Jeep a few metres away. It blended perfectly into the darkness. As he walked out of the small house, he saw us.

"Hey! What are two young girls doing out here in the middle of the night?" He asked.

"We just got lost. We were looking for any civilization out here. Do you mind dropping us off at the main road?" Brooke asked.

"Uh... sure. Lemme just finish off packing." He replied.

A few minutes later we were in his Jeep, driving on the rough dirt road. Brooke sat in the front seat, and I was at the back. I was trying to think of other things rather than the extreme burning of my throat.

"So, why where are you two girls out here?"

"We were hiking, and we thought we could do a couple of more kilometres, but night fell too soon so we didn't know how to get back." Brooke lied.

"Oh. I'm Tom by the way." He said. "Which school do you go to?" Tom asked, clearly trying to make small talk.

"Forks High and I'm in university."

"And your names are...?"

"Oh! Right! My name is Brooke. This is Crystal."

I remember thinking I can't stand it anymore! This human is food and I want it now! I also remembered the old Dracula movies. He killed people by biting their necks, and drinking their blood. Is that what I wanted? Is that what was in that Coke bottle Gareth gave me? I stretched foward so I was inches away from his neck.

"Hey! What are y--" Tom started off.

I bit hard into his neck. I missed. So I tried again. This time I punctured a few veins. Warm, rich blood flowed into my mouth. It was much better than the one in the bottle. That one was stale and cold. This one was fresh. The car started swerving on the road. Brooke reached out and tried to control the car, but it was difficult on this rough narrow road.

"MOVE HIM TO THE BACK SEAT!" She screamed.

With his neck still at my mouth, I threw him over the seat and over to mine. Brooke jumped to the driver's seat and slammed on the brakes. There was a moment of silence. She looked back at me, then at the blood-stained body laying on the seat.

She sighed. "Put the body in the boot. We'll walk the rest of the way."

I did exactly that and we walked the rest of the way in silence. I found myself at La Foresta. Brooke booked me a room and that's where I am now. I haven't left my hotel room this whole week, except to go to her room when she needed to talk to me. It's now Friday. I tried to sleep a few times with no such luck. I keep thinking about Tom, the guy who we left in his car. Surely people will find it? Unless that was a private cabin. But his family might track him down using his phone or car. Oh no! I killed someone who has a family depending on him! Maybe I should target less important people, or animals...

I stood up and looked at the vanity mirror. My dark sunglasses were on the desk. My eyes were a bright crimson red. They were a bright blue before. I used to look so perky then. But now, I look ... evil. No wonder Brooke told me to keep my sunglasses on when I went to public places. Since there are also other vampires, they can tell if I'm one too.

 Brooke left two hours ago. She said it was important for some reason or the other. I kinda zoned out at that moment. But I did hear something about the Cullens.

*****