A tutorial on life
None of Bridget's clothing fit her, the pair soon discovered. Shorter with fuller curves the pants were too tight across the hips, too long in the legs, and overall she looked like she had shrunk in the wash rather than the clothing. Bridget disappeared a few times to raid closets of other residents of the home.
In the end she ended up with a short khaki colored skirt in some type of lightweight cotton. Her top was a peasant blouse in soft blushing pink with floral embroidery in just a slightly darker pink along the square neckline and edges of the flared sleeves.
The outfit would have been cute, except finding an actual bra in her size had proven impossible so her chest was squeezed into the unrelenting grip of a sports bra.
Overall, the outfit was uncomfortable for the drape and shortness of the skirt, combined with the restriction along her ribs as the stretchy material squashed any hopes of cleavage; or a full breath for that matter. The best she could make of it was that it was better than the sheet.
"There was no saving you when I caught up. Human doctors couldn't have repaired your body with as much damage that had been done." Bridget explained calmly while she worked on Gabriela's hair into a fishtail braid.
"Bringing you over was the only option and even that was slim" The explanation continued as the length of her hair was lifted with each lock that was retrieved and worked into the braid.
"Wait…" Gabriela tried to track the conversation. Her attempts to follow where the trail of her friend turned captor's thoughts only confused her further.
"Human doctors? Are you implying there are non-human ones?" The question felt reasonable. Waking up in a damp basement clothed in only a sheet made anything short of declaring herself a frog and hopping around the room as a fairly sane reaction though.
"Oh, I forgot that part, didn't I?" Bridget continued. Her tone was cheerful and casual; as if she welcomed people everyday from her homemade dungeon. "You might not be human anymore…"
"What could I be, oh State Alchemist Tucker? A puppy-girl?" Gabriela couldn't help but interject with full annoyance and venom. Not human, what absurd statement was that?
She didn't feel any different, or look different, and she certainly hadn't grown a tail. The end of her braid fell against the back of neck as Bridget finished dressing her hair.
"Very funny.. Haha." Her friend rolled her eyes. Annoyance crossed the other woman's face before she sighed, flicking her fingers across her leather clad stomach. The noise of them grating to Gabriela who only wanted answers.
"No, you are you, just not human anymore." The woman paused as she thought of a way to state the truth of Gabriela's new state of being. Inwardly she cursed Hollywood's penchant for vampire and werewolf movies over the past few years.
"Oh don't look at me like that" Bridget snapped as Gabriela turned to shoot her an impatient look. Her lips pressed together with an eyebrow raised as she waited for Bridget to expand on her answer.
"You are a vampire," The confession burst out and instead of a long dramatic pause that Bridget expected Gabriela broke into laughter. The giggles turned to nearly manic half sobs as she continued to laugh at the ridiculous statement.
When Bridget didn't join her the laughter started to die out.
"Good one…" She wiped away the tears that had leaked from her eyes at the force of her laughter. Part of her tuned out the slight hint of pink that smeared along the back of her hand. Certainly a side effect from surviving a near fatal attack; or at least a theory Gabriela clung to. Her lips parted with each heaving breath as she tried to calm the small burbles of laughter that continued to escape her.
"Oh shit, you aren't joking…"
The ridiculous humor faded away as Bridget's expression remained stony and without indicating any hint of a joke. The women stared at each other, each one waiting for the other to do something. To say something, some other reaction than dead seriousness or inane laughter. Nothing came from either.
"No, I am not joking. It was the only way to save your life." Bridget sighed as she swiped her hand through her hair, pushing the raven-dark strands away from her face.
"Look, you are going to need to eat soon." She wasn't certain how to help impress the point on her friend. The younger woman's disbelief was palpable and she knew that nothing said would convince Gabriela outside of something tangible.
"Oh? We ordering Pizza? Just make certain it is the cute delivery guy from Dominos." Gabriela snapped. She wanted to demand to be let go home, but feared hearing the words that would confirm her fears. A strong no would send her spiraling and she barely was clinging to her calm.
"If I am going to be sucking on necks he should at least be cute." She forced herself to take calm breaths, to remain still even if every muscle in her body ached from the stiff posture held to prevent from attempting to claw her way out of the room.
Gabriela could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Hadn't she seen a story on the news like this? There was no way this could be real. Certainly it was a bad dream and she would wake up soon; she had to wake up and it would all be a nightmare.
"So funny Gabbie. Come on…" Bridget sighed as she motioned towards the door and raised an eyebrow as the other woman half jumped at the sound of the door unlatching.
Gabriela had shifted almost instantly, ready to try and fling herself down the hallway with a shrill scream. She could already feel it bubbling up behind her throat ready to escape.
Sheer willpower had her rising to placidly plod behind Bridget as they walked side by side down the hallway. Silent as a crypt outside for the faint strains of the intro to Angel, or some other CW special that was running that evening.
A house of self identified vampires watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the tortured Angel? The irony was not lost in her panicked mind. The CW would have too much fun with this whole scenario.
"Just stay clear of Vincent. Ok?" Bridget whispered into her ear. Gabriela flinched at the brush of air against her ear. The lack of warmth didn't register in that moment as they both silently made their way back down the stairs and towards the kitchen.
Their slow pace allowed her to pick up the small signs of use. Finger prints that hadn't been completely washed off the stainless steel fridge doors or dishwasher; a coffee mug sat in the sink unrinsed. Just small things that helped add a sense of normalcy to the setting.
The door from the basement broke that deceptive calm. A chain latch near the top of the door was fastened and the deadbolt flung into place only added to how narrowly she had escaped being trapped underground.
Further differences made themselves known. The window in the kitchen that peered out over the backyard was covered with an altered blackout curtain. The patio door had also been covered with a similarly thick curtain.
"Almost daylight. Let's get you fed then find a place for you to sleep." Bridget broke Gabriela's concentrated study of the room. The soft sound of the refrigerator opening caught her attention. Distracted, she barely noticed the soft thump of a cupboard being closed before the sluggish slosh of a thick liquid being poured before a hollow thump as the container was put on the counter.
The mug in question was thrust under her nose. Gabriela took it as she looked over the green cup with its silly cartoon people and text that read 'You turn my software into Hardware' in comic text.
Absently she swirled the liquid trying to ignore the disturbing viscous sloshing within. The scent of old pennies assaulted her nose and Gabriela found herself trapped between a sense of disgust and sudden unrelenting hunger.
She squeezed her eyes closed as she fought the impulse to gulp down the contents of the mug. Her hands tightened down as she fought the sudden burning need down her throat. The dryness that threatened to send her coughing unless the need to drink was abated.
'This isn't real, just a dream' she repeated in her mind as she tried to wake her sleeping self. Her control broke as she finally dipped the rim of the cup up to her lips as she gulped down each mouthful of the cold thick liquid. Her tongue darted out to lick out each drop.
She dropped the mug then as a moan of denial broke through her lips. The shattering crash of the mug against the tile seemed worlds away. Gabriela couldn't process what happened, couldn't figure out why she hadn't woken up from this nightmare.
She was stuck, something she blamed on whatever drugs being pumped into her in whatever hospital she was in. Certainly her brain was just filling in things, making things up to explain away the trauma that happened to her.
"Whoa, hey deep breaths there Gabbie." Bridget's hand rubbed between her shoulders. Gabriela could feel the pressure, heard the words, but she couldn't process it over the metallic taste that filled her mouth and coated her tongue. Delicious and vile all at the same time. "It will become normal in no time."
"What will? Drinking blood? I don't want it to be normal. I don't want to eat people. I wanted to be a nurse, not a freaking serial killer." She broke out with a hiss. Her lips pulled back in a feral snarl only to pause in horror as she felt the hard press of teeth against her bottom lip. Gabriela's hands flew to her mouth, probing to feel the elongated fangs.
"No, no no no no.." She started with a wail. "I need to wake up.. This isn't real. Vampires don't exist." A sobbing cry escaped her, countered by a mocking laugh from behind her. She whirled to look at the man behind her.
Vincent, she placed him from her escape attempt earlier. He raked his eyes over her, appraising her as she stood there fighting back a panic attack.
"Oh no Budgie bird, you broke another one." He tsked his tongue as his fangs flashed. Without preamble he stalked closer forcing Gabriela to back up until the small of her back pressed against the edge of the countertop.
"She is cute enough, would make a fun toy… Let me know when you give up trying to salvage her." His finger traced along the smooth curve of her cheek as he forced her chin upwards. Gabriela closed her eyes, refusing to look into his dead reptilian gaze.
"Back off Vincent or I will tell Eli." Bridget pushed her way between Vincent and Gabriela. So close against her, Gabriela could feel her friend's tiny little shivers. The little signs of fear as the other woman tried to hold her bravado against the man.
"One day you won't be his favorite Budgie bird. Just wait." He hissed before he stalked off towards the living room. A thump indicated his body dropping onto the couch before the theme music for a late night simulcast blared loudly.
"Now, upstairs." Bridget hissed as she half drug Gabriela out of the kitchen, leaving the mess on the floor to be dealt with later. She didn't bother this time to hide her pounding steps as she goaded Gabriela to move faster.
"Never get caught alone with him. Not until you are stronger." Bridget hissed as she pushed them into her room. Her panting breaths were at odds for the touch gothic look she spotted. Once inside the room she flicked the lock on the door before she flopped down on the plush bed, sending a Foamy the Squirrel pillow to half bounce off the bed.
"He is the worst of us, lives to be the cliché." Bridget continued.
"Now lay down and get some rest and I will introduce you to our house patriarch after sunset tonight." She patted the bed next to her and seeing no other alternative Gabriela joined the other woman. Silently she curled up on the furthest edge of the bed from Bridget, barely clinging to a sliver of a bed as sleep crashed over her with the first cresting rays of the sun.