The Unsettling Proposition

I don't know how much time had passed, but when I regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar place, no longer in Kansas or my apartment. My eyes fluttered open to reveal a white ceiling adorned with a simple light fixture. I turned my head and discovered that I was in a room devoid of any distinctive features, except for the couch I was lying on, resembling those used in mental institutions. For a fleeting moment, I entertained the idea that it was all a dream and I was a patient in a psychiatric ward. However, Bat was sitting nearby in a chair, dispelling that notion. Behind him, there was a dresser, and to the right of that stood the room's exit door. The couch I lay on was positioned against the opposite wall, while in the opposite corner on the same wall stood a refrigerator.

I couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or disheartened upon seeing him. I had been rescued from the nightmare of my apartment only to be thrust back into the peculiar world that was Bat. I sat up and winced as my head protested against the movement. The blow I received against the chair had left me with a throbbing bump and a disoriented mind.

"Is there a physician present?" I mumbled.

Bat chuckled. "I possess several doctorates, but unfortunately, none of them hasten the healing process," he replied. "How are you feeling?"

I rubbed my tender head. "I felt as though the Werewolf Express had run over me.

"Yes, a werewolf experience usually renders one with a few aches and bruises", he agreed.

"And smudges," I interjected, glancing down at myself. My clothes were adorned with spots of the werewolf's blood. "Is there any way I can get a spare shirt?"

Bat rose from his seat and approached the dresser. Opening a drawer, he revealed a row of spare white shirts resembling the one he was wearing. "If you don't mind donning my size," he teased.

"I think I can manage," I replied. He tossed me a shirt and turned around, granting me some privacy. I discarded the bloodied garment and slipped into the clean shirt.

"What are your thoughts on my proposition now?" Bat spoke up.

I threw my shirt off the edge of the couch and faced him. "What proposition?" I inquired.

"Regarding transforming your life. Victor and I pledged to allow you to return to your former existence, but your adversaries won't be as forgiving."

"It would have been helpful to know that before I nearly got myself killed," I snapped. Pausing for a moment, I furrowed my brow. "Hold on a second. Who are these enemies? I haven't done anything to provoke them, unless they despise my mere existence."

"Existing with Ben's ring," he added. "That ring bestows immortality upon any mortal, and they prefer their mortals to remain mortal. It makes humans easier to control."

"Who exactly are they? It feels like we're discussing Voldemort here."

"The Consortium," Bat responded.

"The Consortium?" I received the impression that I had entered a horribly predictable horror story.

"A Crimson Consortium, to be precise. There are many such organizations in the world, but none as perilous as the one in this city. In conversations, we often abbreviate it to CC." I nearly choked on my saliva, and he smiled. "It's quite good to see you smile at my jokes. I was concerned that Ben had been replaced by someone devoid of Victor's sense of humor."

I scowled at him. "I'm nothing like th-that—"

"—vampire?" he finished on my behalf.

"Among other things," I concurred.

"From what little I have gathered about your disposition, I would say you and Victor are diametrically opposed in nature."

"Huh?"

"Your personalities clash," he clarified.

"Well, thanks, I guess." I swung my legs over the edge of the couch and sighed. "So, what do I do now that my apartment has been redecorated with crimson paint and couch stuffing?"

"You continue to live your life, but as a different person."

"That's definitely not an easy undertaking after being the same person for—oh, many years", I said.

"Nonsense. No one remains the same person they were at birth, or even a year ago. Everyone undergoes changes, but how many can claim to have the opportunity to completely transform their lives?"

"Serial killers with alter egos and individuals afflicted with dissociative identity disorder," I quipped.

"Those individuals, and you," he replied. "You have an unique chance to change who you are and probably discover the person you were actually meant to be."

"I'm very sure I was meant to be a secretary. It may not align with my art history degree, but I'm not complaining," I retorted.

"And you've never yearned to be someone else?"

"Does that other person, by any chance, have a dangerous job that requires working with a deadly vampire while avoiding even deadlier werewolves and armed attackers?"

"Yes."

"Then no, I haven't desired to be someone else." I glanced around the room, occupied solely by the two of us. "Well...Speaking of someone else, where's tall, gloomy, and macabre?"

"He's currently obliterating your tracks and bewildering other operatives of the Consortium with false leads," Bat informed me.

"How considerate of him," I commented.

"He prefers to remain alive. So would I", Bat replied.

"I'll share that thought, but 'my enemies' don't seem very anxious to fulfill it."

"You would be considerably safer with Victor," he suggested.

"Oh, really? Embracing the predetermined path for me?" I quipped.

"Yes, indeed. That is, unless you desire to return to your apartment," he cunningly remarked.

"You're aware of your villainous nature, right?"

"I've been called a lot of things, but I prefer eccentric."

"I'd prefer to reclaim my former life, but it seems neither of us will attain what we want."

"It's likely that you don't actually know what you really want, so a breath of refreshing existence would be good".

"You're not going to stop 'helping' me find my new life, are you? " I asked.

Bat grinned and shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

I exhaled deeply, my shoulders drooping. "How about we make a deal since I'm getting tired of the continual danger and near-death experiences? I'll approach this new life as I would a pre-owned pair of trousers. If I discover it doesn't suit me, then I'll return both the life and, hopefully, this ring to you as soon as I unravel the mystery of how Ben managed to remove it."

"I never had any control over your life", he said in response.

"Well, I'll still offer them to you. Deal?" I extended my hand, and he firmly grasped it. I would have never guessed he possessed such vigor.

"Deal, but how much longer are you going to permit me to do this experiment?"

"If I can hang on for a few more weeks, I'll give it a go", I said.

Bat grinned and rubbed his palms together. "Marvelous. Now we simply await the arrival of that undead imbecile, and then we can devise plans for the imminent future."

"You know, I have a feeling that you two don't get along. Care to enlighten me with the backstory so I'm not entirely in the dark?" I inquired.

He chuckled. "A woman and her curiosity are mutually exclusive, but I'm worried that telling the story would take too much time."

I motioned to the room and crossed my arms. "I have ample time."

Bat opened his mouth, then paused, glancing over his shoulder at the shut door. "It appears time is not on our side. Victor is here now. A little while later, the door opened, and Victor quietly walked through. I hadn't heard a sound.

"How on earth did you manage that?" I questioned Bat.

"Experience, and the putrid aroma emanating from his attire. He bathes once in every century." Amidst my moments of panic while in Victor's embrace, and the swiftness of the wind passing by, I hadn't noticed the stench. Now that it was brought to my attention, I fully absorbed the overwhelming fragrance. It was a blend of skunk and sulfur, with a hint of bovine flatulence to add some zest.

I gagged and swiftly covered my nose with my hand. "If we're going to be stuck together, you'll need to take a bath," I honked through my hand. Victor acknowledged my suggestion with his characteristic expression of indifference.

"It's almost sunrise," Bat informed us. "You'll need to hurry if you intend to present the delightful Miss Collins with her newfound abode."

Victor arched an eyebrow and glanced in my direction. I shrugged. "I don't have any preferable alternatives," I pointed out.

"Then it's settled. Tonight, you two shall embark on your fresh existence together," Bat declared. He turned to Victor. "Which location will you pick?"

"Park Place," he responded.

I thought it sounded acceptable, as it was one of the upscale Monopoly properties, but Bat frowned. "Isn't there a more favorable location?" he pondered.

"Yes."

Bat waited for an elaboration, but concluded that eternity was too long to wait. He cast Victor one final scowl before turning to me with a smile. "I'm certain you'll find it comfortable once you've had the opportunity to settle in." There was something in his tone that didn't bring me solace, but I had other pressing matters on my mind.

"Before I plunge headfirst into the depths of Weirdsville, is there anything else I should know about this ring situation? You both mentioned that I would acquire some of Victor's powers, but do I need to spend my days sleeping in a coffin?" I questioned the duo.

"No, but your dietary requirements have changed," Bat replied.

I narrowed my eyes. "How so?"

"Allow me to clarify: your sole sustenance is now hemoglobin."

"Huh?"

"Blood, Miss Collins. You now rely on blood for nourishment."

Blood drained from my face. "What?"

"It's merely a minor side effect of the ring. You can still consume human food, but it won't satiate your hunger," Bat explained to me.

I threw my arms up in the air, and my voice reverberated through the walls of the unadorned room. "Just a minor side effect?" I yelled. "You just informed me that I have to take lives to survive!"

"I never made such a statement. I simply stated that you require blood for survival," he corrected me.

"It's essentially the same thing!"

"Not at all. You can extract blood from a human without causing their demise, or you can acquire a donation from the local blood repository," Bat calmly responded.

"Are you insane?" I screamed.

"That is a subjective judgment, but I have been referred to as such," he casually remarked.

"I refuse to consume blood to sustain myself! It's simply-" My words trailed off as Bat swiftly produced a lengthy, razor-sharp blade from within his shirt. The polished edge shimmered under the feeble illumination above, reflecting the glint in his eyes. Startled, I hastily retreated against the wall behind the couch. "W-What are you planning to do with that?" I stammered.

"Making a demonstration," he declared. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing his bare arm, and proceeded to run the blade across the skin on the underside. A slender trail of blood welled up, cascading over the edges of his limb. I recoiled, repulsed, as he extended his arm toward me. "Doesn't it look appetizing?" he teased.

"You're truly deranged, you know that?" I questioned him.

"Yes, but aren't you feeling a bit peckish?" A loud growl emitted from my stomach, providing an answer on my behalf. Bat chuckled. "That proves my point. Wouldn't you fancy a sip? Just a small amount to quell that incessant hunger within you?"

The scent of the blood reached my nostrils, causing them to flare. The fluid did possess an enticing aroma, but this was not a delightful raspberry-strawberry smoothie. He was offering me blood. I wanted to shut my eyes tightly, yet my stomach growled once more, and my gaze fixated on the clear, viscous liquid. Just a tiny sip wouldn't harm anyone. He had already inflicted the wound, so it would be a shame to let it go to waste—wait, what on earth was I contemplating?

"Indulge yourself. Willing donors are a rare find," Victor interjected.

I shot him a sharp glare, though my gaze inevitably returned to the blood. Bat inched closer, extending his arm further. "It's cooling down," he remarked.

Reluctantly, I had to admit that the sight was undeniably tempting. The glimmering blood beckoned to me, its allure irresistible. My tongue darted out, moistening my lips, but it grazed against my elongated canines. My excessively long canines. I clasped a hand over my mouth, my eyes widening as I felt the length of those sharp teeth. It wasn't normal, yet they proved to be quite useful.

Victor sneered at me. "You shouldn't waste any more blood on her," he instructed Bat. "She's too gullible to-" I surprised him and myself by lunging forward and biting into Bat's wound with my newly gained teeth. He didn't flinch as my teeth penetrated his skin, and I consumed a few pints before he gently but firmly disengaged me.

I coughed as the last drop of blood went down the wrong way, and a trembling hand reached up to my lips. My teeth retracted to their normal length, leaving only a smudge of blood on one side. The insatiable hunger within me subsided, replaced by a sense of contentment and lethargy.

Bat's complexion grew almost as pallid as Victor's, and his breath came out slightly ragged. Yet, he wore a gentle smile on his lips. "I believe that will suffice for now," he informed me. I stared at him, still bewildered by what had just occurred. Sensing my confusion, Bat retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and extended it to me. "You have good table manners," he jokingly replied.

Taking the handkerchief with my trembling hand, I hastily wiped away any traces of the feast. A mixture of sickness and satisfaction coursed through me. Victor stepped forward, reminding us, "If this pitiful spectacle is over, we must depart."

I was too shaken to move, and Bat shot Victor a scowl. "It's a good lesson, and one that you ought to have taught yourself if you'd been any good at all, he countered.

Victor offered no response, but strode towards me and effortlessly scooped me up in his arms. I let out a startled cry and clung tightly to him. "Don't you ever inquire?" I shouted at him.

"No."

"Now the two of you juveniles must conduct yourselves appropriately while residing in an apartment unaccompanied," Bat playfully admonished.

In the midst of my protest, Victor whisked us away from there and towards my new abode.