make?"
Robert seemed embarrassed; his head dropped down to the floor, and he refused to make eye contact. I had never seen Robert act like this before.
"Okay," Robert said. "I've known about something for a while now. If it is true, it will change everything." He turned and walked up the stairs and out of the basement, out of earshot of the poor creature in the cage. He gestured for me to follow him.
I was more confused than ever. My heart dropped. I felt a bit betrayed that he'd been keeping something from me. Not anything small enough to wipe under the rug, but something of importance. Something that, by the way he'd mentioned it, could be a game changer.
"Please? Tell me what it is." I pleaded in a soft, concerned tone.
"There might be a cure," he explained simply. He left it there a few moments, letting the bombshell sink in.
"To turn a vampire back into a human?” I asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”
"Oh, I'm very serious Leah, my dear girl, but it's not quite as easy as that," Robert continued. "It only works for a human in the transitioning stage, from human into vampire. If they feed during this time, they will complete the transition into vampire."
"You're saying if that kid down there doesn't feed, then he will turn back into a human?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said, his expression unreadable.
"What's the catch?" I asked, frowning. I had learned a long time ago that if it sounded too good to be true, it usually was.
"Yeah, well, a vampire transitioning is a very traumatic experience, a bit like a drug addict going through withdrawal. Most don't make it through the process."
"How long will it take?" I asked, my interest piqued.
"About a day, it’ll take that long for the for the vampire blood to leave the system."
"And you've done this before?" I asked suspiciously. I got the impression he was keeping something from me.
"Yeah, I've done this before," he answered, turning his back on me and stalking back to the basement. I followed him down.
"But why now?" I asked, hustling up behind him, the sounds of my footfalls echoing between our words. "Why are you only trying this now?" I said once reaching him.
He stopped. "Let's just say that the last time I tried this, it didn't work out too well. But when I came across this poor guy, I had to try it out again. I had to try and save him."
The snarling and hissing had returned. The creature now looked more vampire than human. It snarled and hissed at us as we approached, banging relentlessly against the steel bars of the cage. Taloned fingers reached through the bars, clawing at us as we neared. I was just beyond the cold grasp of Robert's captive. No, it wasn't his captive. The vamp was Robert's experiment. And the experiment was going haywire. Then, suddenly, his demeanour changed. He was no longer a snarling beast. He looked vulnerable and scared. He sank to his knees and started sobbing quietly.
"Please kill me," he begged.
"It's all right. We’re here to help you. The next few days won't be easy, but ..." I stopped mid-sentence. He had put his hands over his ears and screamed out in pain, writhing restlessly on the floor. I sent Robert a quizzical look.
"During the transition, their senses are heightened. Normal sounds will be deafening to them," he whispered.
I looked at the creature in front of me. He looked like he was in so much pain as he cringed away from the dull stream of light of the basement.
I trembled
Robert seemed embarrassed; his head dropped down to the floor, and he refused to make eye contact. I had never seen Robert act like this before.
"Okay," Robert said. "I've known about something for a while now. If it is true, it will change everything." He turned and walked up the stairs and out of the basement, out of earshot of the poor creature in the cage. He gestured for me to follow him.
I was more confused than ever. My heart dropped. I felt a bit betrayed that he'd been keeping something from me. Not anything small enough to wipe under the rug, but something of importance. Something that, by the way he'd mentioned it, could be a game changer.
"Please? Tell me what it is." I pleaded in a soft, concerned tone.
"There might be a cure," he explained simply. He left it there a few moments, letting the bombshell sink in.
"To turn a vampire back into a human?” I asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”
"Oh, I'm very serious Leah, my dear girl, but it's not quite as easy as that," Robert continued. "It only works for a human in the transitioning stage, from human into vampire. If they feed during this time, they will complete the transition into vampire."
"You're saying if that kid down there doesn't feed, then he will turn back into a human?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said, his expression unreadable.
"What's the catch?" I asked, frowning. I had learned a long time ago that if it sounded too good to be true, it usually was.
"Yeah, well, a vampire transitioning is a very traumatic experience, a bit like a drug addict going through withdrawal. Most don't make it through the process."
"How long will it take?" I asked, my interest piqued.
"About a day, it’ll take that long for the for the vampire blood to leave the system."
"And you've done this before?" I asked suspiciously. I got the impression he was keeping something from me.
"Yeah, I've done this before," he answered, turning his back on me and stalking back to the basement. I followed him down.
"But why now?" I asked, hustling up behind him, the sounds of my footfalls echoing between our words. "Why are you only trying this now?" I said once reaching him.
He stopped. "Let's just say that the last time I tried this, it didn't work out too well. But when I came across this poor guy, I had to try it out again. I had to try and save him."
The snarling and hissing had returned. The creature now looked more vampire than human. It snarled and hissed at us as we approached, banging relentlessly against the steel bars of the cage. Taloned fingers reached through the bars, clawing at us as we neared. I was just beyond the cold grasp of Robert's captive. No, it wasn't his captive. The vamp was Robert's experiment. And the experiment was going haywire. Then, suddenly, his demeanour changed. He was no longer a snarling beast. He looked vulnerable and scared. He sank to his knees and started sobbing quietly.
"Please kill me," he begged.
"It's all right. We’re here to help you. The next few days won't be easy, but ..." I stopped mid-sentence. He had put his hands over his ears and screamed out in pain, writhing restlessly on the floor. I sent Robert a quizzical look.
"During the transition, their senses are heightened. Normal sounds will be deafening to them," he whispered.
I looked at the creature in front of me. He looked like he was in so much pain as he cringed away from the dull stream of light of the basement.
I trembled
Similar Books
