Chapter 14

UNEDITED-

She pushed it down into the dirt. Her canines grew sharp, her talons long and black as coal. She drove them across the big cats neck as quick as she could, almost severing its head completely, spraying blood all down her front and splattering over her face.

Sam had woken up and stumbled into this nightmare. Lucille with long fangs and talons for nails, covered in blood.. eyes shining bright purple. Lu rushed to him, in the time in took for him to take one step backwards she was there, holding his face down to her level with her hands on either side of it. "You and Ellie were attacked by a mountain lion.. you ran away.. you didn't see anything else."

"Me and Ellie were attacked by a mountain lion, I ran away, I didn't see anything else." He repeated slightly zombified. Luckily he already had some scratches on his arms so the blood smeared on his cheeks could be explained. Lucille struggled to resist the scent of his blood.

"Go tell them." Lucille spoke through her gritted teeth and let him go. He started running off back down the mountain, loosing his footing a few times as he went.

Lucille turned around and saw the mountain lion with its throat torn out.. that will look suspicious. She walked back over to it, picked it up by the back of its neck and hurled it eighty feet further up the mountain. "Such a waste of life." Lucille sighed.. "-You can come out now."

Ellie put her hands up and slowly stood from where she'd been crouched inside the crevice. "What are you?" She asked when she'd gotten a better look at Lucille, she'd only taken short peeks until this point.

"Vrykolakas, or maybe Strigoi.. at least that's what I think."

"You don't know?"

"Aren't you terrified?" Lucille asked.

"..Should I be?" Ellie asked.

"Well you can put your hands down at least. I'm not going to shoot you.."

Ellie slowly put her hands down.. "This, isn't real.. Is it?"

"Don't worry, you'll forget all about it soon." Lucille started walking to Ellie and as predicted Ellie moved further back into her hiding spot. "-I'm not going to hurt you.."

"You're going to make me forget so I won't remember even if you did."

"Exactly.. so it doesn't matter then does it?"

"Of course it matters!" Ellie shouted.

"Okay, it matters.." Lucille stopped walking a few feet away and put her hands up. "-I just mean, either way, soon you'll have nothing to fear."

"Is this why you cut yourself off? Why you never let anyone in? ..How long have you been like This?"

Lucille retracted her talons, her teeth and eyes remained the same. She didn't feel the need to conceal them as Ellie wouldn't remember this anyway. Might aswell entertain an honest conversation for once. "One year, eight months and six days."

"Have you been to a doctor?" Ellie asked.

"No. Humanity would see me as a way to make a profit.. as a key to power. They'd create more monsters, what good is that for anyone?"

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to keep feeding off the bad guy.. doing what I need to, to survive." Lu sighed, she'd been looking for a way out since this started, slowly giving up hope of finding a cure.

"Feeding?" Ellie looked slightly horrified.

"Our generation might call me a vampire, but I never liked that term."

"No wonder you look miserable all the time."

Lucille was surprised "Excuse me?"

"You just always have this look in your eye.. like you'd be anywhere else if you could."

"It doesn't matter where I go.. I'll still be this."

Lucille heard something in the distance, hunters coming up the mountain looking for the mountain lion.. Lu ran to Ellie and picked her up like a baby. In less than twenty seconds Lucille had ran them to the cliff edge half way up the mountain. Ellie pushed herself out of Lucilles arms, taking deep breaths as she hadn't been able to breathe the whole time they were traveling. "Why would, you do that?" Ellie asked still trying to gain control of her breathing.

"Your boyfriend must have got to the camp.. Useless prick." Lucille muttered the last part under her breath.

"I know he's not the nicest, or the smartest.. or funniest.. but he's mine." Ellie argued without much conviction.

"I'm pretty sure you share him with twenty other girls, who also think he's theirs."

"Stop Lucille.. I know he's made mistakes-"

"He is the mistake. You're a good person, you deserve a good person to spend your life with.. not some idiot who runs away and leaves you to get mauled by a fucking mountain lion." Lucille was unable to hide her genuine hatred for the boy as she spoke.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes closed. "I know you don't like him but-"

"The only reason he brought you up here is to see how far he could get with you."

Ellie stood with her mouth open, completely shocked and hurt. "Why would you say that?"

"Because, it's true.. I heard him say it to one of his buddies. By the way.. your flies are undone." Lucille tried to say it respectfully.

Ellie's face lit up bright red.. She quickly zipped and buttoned her trousers. "You couldn't have told me that before?"

"I honestly hadn't noticed.. until that moment.. now I kinda wish I hadn't." Lucille tried to shake the image of Ellie and Sam out of her head.

"I meant what his plan was." Ellie frowned.

"I don't want to get involved with your relationship.. if you want to fuck douchebag that's your choice. You're not stupid or blind."

"Jeez Lu we didn't.. do 'that'.."

"Don't." Lucille held her hand up to stop Ellie from talking while she visibly cringed.. "-I don't want to know what you did or didn't do." Ellie felt exposed.. as though all her naked truths were laid bare for Lucille to judge.. "-Can we just get this over with?"

Ellie sighed and made a small nod, quite eager to escape this awkwardness herself. Lucille walked over and stood infront of Ellie. Placing her hands on the sides of Ellie's face to keep her looking straight.. "Will I remember anything from our conversation?" ..Lucille shook her head. Ellie sighed.. "Wait! Before I forget.. thank you for saving me Lucille.. you didn't have to."

"Of course I did." Her eyes glowed brighter as she spoke her next words.. "You an Sam were attacked by a mountain lion.. you didn't see anything else.. you just ran.."

"I.. Um.. Lucille?" Ellie asked..

Lu's eyes went wide and stopped glowing, she let go of Ellie and took a step back.. "Fuck."

"It didn't work?" Ellie asked confused.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck.." Lucille turned away, smacking the side of her head each time she cursed.

"Woah, stop." Ellie grabbed Lucille's hand and Lu snatched it back straight away.

"No, this is not supposed to happen! Come here, let me try again."

"I don't think-" As Ellie spoke Lucille stepped to her, firmly holding Ellie's head to face her.. Ellie grabbed Lucille's wrists to take the strain from her neck, as she was being held up on her tiptoes by her head.. for the first time Ellie felt scared of Lu. Lucille repeated herself but Ellie's only response was "-Lu You're hurting me." Lucille let her go once again where this time Ellie dropped onto her knees.

"I don't know what's happening.. I don't know what to do." Lucille glanced to Ellie, completely lost and scared, like she was about to burst into to tears any moment.

"Lu please calm down, I'm not going to say anything."

Lucille turned back again to face Ellie.. "What reason do you have to keep my secret?"

Ellie started to stand up.. "Because you care what happens to me.. and I care about what happens to you."

"Ellie don't you get it yet? I'm a monster.." .. Lucille sighed.."-half of me wishes I'd just stayed dead."

"Don't say that.. you have a good heart, better than most of the people I know." Lucille turned away shaking her head. "-You never really made any sense to me before, at least now I'm starting to understand why."

"How does any of this make sense to you?" Lucille was slightly dumbfounded.. no one is this calm after finding out what she is, not even Jen and that girl was there to witness Lu transform the first time.

"I wanted to know why you could be so warm, and welcoming. Yet you always find a way to keep everyone at a distance.. I see the toll it takes on you. I wondered why you'd do that yourself."

Lucille chuckled tiredly.. "It's not for me, it's for everyone else."

"What's funny?"

"You pity me.. that's why you kissed me." Lucille spoke as though she was almost at peace with that answer. It made sense.

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head.. "That's not why I did it."

"Then why?" Lucille was now more confused than before.

"Do we have to talk about this?" Ellie asked.

"No.." Lu sighed.. It really doesn't matter why Ellie had kissed her, she's a blood sucker and Ellie is a human. Also, Ellie has a boyfriend. "-You're right, this conversation is pointless."

"Lucille I don't think it's pointless, I just think, now's not best time."

"If you kissed me for any other reason Elizabeth then you should stay away from me."

Ellie looked slightly offended.. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I eat people?... Because I'm your best friends sister?.. Or maybe because you were just in the woods doing whatever with your boyfriend."

"I know all of those things should matter to me.. but they don't."

"That's easy to say up here.." Lucille walked to the edge. "-But when we're down there, when we return to real life you might come to feel that you're not safe around me.. and you'd be right, no human is." Lucille stayed looking off the edge of the cliff until she smelled blood. She turned to see what it was.. "STOP!" She shouted but it was already too late. "-What are you doing?!"

Ellie had sliced a line through her wrist using a tiny buck knife she'd brought on the trip. Lucille gritted her sharp teeth together.. trying to suppress her urges. "I'm proving that I'm safe with you." Ellie spoke holding her wrist infront of her as the blood dripped down onto the dirt.

Lucille walked to Ellie with a purpose.. Ellie had not exactly anticipated how this would go, she slowly walked backwards until Lucille sped up to a blur and grabbed her arm. Lu growled in a tone so deep it wasn't humanly possible. All of a sudden, Ellie felt a hint of regret creeping up her spine, her heart thumped in her chest and in her ears. Lucille grabbed the bottom of her own shirt and ripped a strip from it. She quickly tied it around Ellies wrist.. breathing heavily to focus herself. She looked more terrified than Ellie at this point.

When Lucille was done she took hands back and stood staring at the fresh coat human blood over them. Feeling guilty Ellie pulled a bottle of water from her small rucksack.. she poured it over Lucille's hands, gently wiping the blood away with her other hand. "You want me to tell you the truth?" Ellie nodded a reply.. "-I honestly don't know what's stopping me from tearing your throat out."

Ellie barely batted an eyelid.. as far as she was concerned her point had been proven.. "Maybe it's the same reason you can't hypnotise me."

Lucille made a small, tired laugh.. "That's what I've always called it... Maybe your right, guess I'd have to ask another strigoi to find out."

"There's more of you?"

"Did you think I alone miraculously changed into a creature of legend?"

"I don't know.. I guess I hadn't had time to think about it." Ellie shrugged as she continued wiping her blood from Lu's hands.. "-What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how nervous you usually act around me, and how calm you're acting now.. 'after' finding out what I am."

"I always thought you didn't like me." Ellie answered simply.

Lu scoffed.. "Why would I even talk to you if I didn't like you?"

"I don't know Lucille, you're pretty hard to read sometimes.." Ellie sighed.. "-..After I kissed you, you left.. and the next day you said you regretted it."

"I was giving you an easy way out. So you didn't have to worry about it. You agreed it was a mistake."

Ellie sighed a deep breath.. "Well what I should have said was.. I really like you Lucille.. I have since we met, even when I thought you were an arsehole."

"Seems you have a type." Lucille sighed.

"And you wonder why I thought you didn't like me?"

"None of it matters anyway-" Lucille turned back to face Ellie.

Ellie quickly cut her off.. "You can't shut me out after this.. not now."

"For fuck sake, you should be running." Lucille pointed down the mountain.

"I'm not scared of you." Ellie stood her ground.

"Well you should be." Lu could no longer stay totally calm while Ellie continues to be so accepting towards her. She grabbed Ellie by her undamaged forearm and dragged her to the edge of the cliff.

"Lu! Stop!.." Ellie argued and tried to peel Lucilles hand off in a slight panic but there was nothing she could do. She was easily pulled along, her feet slipped over the edge.. now the only thing stopping her from falling to her death was Lucille's grip around her wrist. "-I know you won't let me fall."

"No you don't!" Lucille called out angrily.. "-You don't because I don't.. letting you go is in my best interest."

Ellie looked down to the ground below and back up to Lu.. she clenched her jaw then spoke, "Fine.. then let me go."

"What?" Lu furrowed her eyebrows.

"Drop me, or don't Lucille.. my arm is aching."

Lu pulled Ellie back to safety and put her down at her side. She stood with her eyes on the forrest below. "I don't even know why I'm still wasting my time. I could be anywhere, instead I'm on a fucking school trip, hiding on a mountain because I was stupid enough to care."

Ellie took Lucille's hand in her own, just standing beside her in silence. Half a minute passed and Ellie decided she had to say something.. "If you wasn't here, if you weren't.. what you are, I'd probably be dead. I'm glad you can't make me forget."

Lucille thought to the warm hand in her own.. a person who knows some of what she's going through. Tears welled in her eyes.. she held her eyes closed and let the tears fall. Ellie saw this and didn't know what to do, she just gently stroked the back of Lucille's hand with her thumb. "...Please don't tell Phoebe."

"I told you.. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Lucille nodded.. "..We should go back, I can hear the dogs."

"What dogs?"

"Hunting dogs.. they're probably following my trail, I'm covered in mountain lion."

"Okay.. wait, wait.." Ellie stepped back stopping Lucille from picking her up. "-You're not going to disappear are you? Or start ignoring me or something?" Ellie asked and Lu shook her head. "-Say it, promise me."

"Ellie if you think we could ever be anything more than friends, you need to get that out of your head now."

"I wish you knew what it feels like." Ellie sighed.

"What what feels like?" Lucille was confused.

"What knowing you feels like.. you're like a fuckin magnet. I can't turn it off no matter how much you want me to."

"You have to. I wish it could be different Elizabeth.. this is just the way it has to be."

"Says who? There's no one here but us." Ellie argued. "-Doesn't that mean we get to make the rules?"

"Think about your future.."

"No.. I'm alive today."

"And I'm not!.. not really."

"You're alive in all the ways that matter.. you have a good heart even if it hardly beats. I know you Lucille."

Lu was still thinking of obstacles to throw out there.. "You have a boyfriend Ellie.." The dogs were now close enough that Ellie could hear them too, she looked in their direction but couldn't see them yet. "Time to go." Lucille waited for Ellie to come to her, then easily picked her up like a baby and started running.. she slowed every ten seconds or so to let Elizabeth breathe. Soon enough they were at the river, a five minute walk from camp.. Lucille put Ellie down slowly. "You can head back, camp is that way." Lucille pointed before turning and walking towards the river.

"Wait what are you going to do?" Ellie asked with a concerned look in her eye..

"I'm covered in blood Ellie.. what do you think I'm gonna do?" By now Lucille was submerged up to her biceps, fully clothed in a bloody grey buttoned up shirt and black jeans. She began splashing her face and neck, washing the blood away. After ten minutes of trying to get all of the blood out of her shirt Lu gave up and stepped out of the water, she pushed her hair back out of her face. A hint of blood rushed to her nose and then she locked eyes with Ellie.. her arm was soaking through the strip around it. "You're still here?" Ellie nodded.. "-You still think I'm going to run? I'm not."

"Does anyone else know about you? What you are?"

"No.. only others that are like me."

"Has it always been that way?" Ellie asked and Lu shook her head as a reply.

"You made them forget too?"

"It was for the best." Lucille answered. "-The idea alone that there are creatures designed to survive on human blood, lurking in the night, is enough to give people nightmares. But knowing that it's a reality? Now that's a nightmare you can't wake up from."

"Well, at least I've got you.."

Lu couldn't exactly argue with that.. "What are you going to say about your wrist?"

"I don't know.. I'll just say I cut it when I was running or something."

"That won't work.."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a clean slice.. if you cut it on a rock or a branch, it wouldn't usually be just one slice."

"Then I'll say that it was an accident."

"Fuck it, I have an idea that might work.. let's go." They started walking.

"What will you say about the fact that you're soaked and your shirt is stained?"

"If they ask I'll say I came across you in the woods, we ran and I fell in the river."

"...Fair enough." After that the two just walked together in a comfortable silence.. looking back to each other every now and then. Once they reached the camp Ellie asked, "So what's the plan?"

"Tell them you need to see a doctor, someone who can stich your arm."

"I hate needles.." Ellie groaned.

"You're joking?"

"I'm not.." Ellie shook her head.. clearly not understanding the irony.

"You'll be alright. Just keep the story short and simple.. you were attacked, you ran, you bumped into me. Okay?"

Ellie nodded. Lucille sighed at the hypnotising failed again. She retracted her teeth and her eyes changed back to green, it was cloudy so at least her eyes wouldn't be in too much discomfort.

Once they entered the camp one of the teachers spotted them, he rushed over gaining the attention of others who also started making their way over. "Elizabeth are you alright? Lucille?" They hadn't even realised that Lu was also missing.

"We're fine" Ellie nodded.. she looked to Lu and back to the teacher. "Oh I have a, cut on my arm.. I should see a doctor or something."

"Of course, we'll get you both checked out."

The two girls were quickly whisked off to a tiny one story cabin that had a few hospital beds separated by white curtains. Trolleys of medical equipment beside each one. Inside the building were two medical staff. One person was already in a bed shielded from view by the curtain. The nurses were informed of what had happened, that Ellie had fallen and might need stitches. One nurses sat Ellie down on a bed with the curtain pulled, trying to gather more information while the other went into the back room to gather some extra supplies that aren't on the trolley, ready to clean, possibly stitch and put a dressing on the wound. While that happened Lucille went through with her plan.. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" The nurse asked.. Once he looked to her he couldn't look away.

"Elizabeth definetly cut her arm from a fall in the forrest."

The doctor repeated.. Then someone coughed. Lucille moved Ellie's curtain and walked to the one opposite. She pulled it back and saw Sam lying there.. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"What am I doing here?.. I'm making sure your fucking girlfriend is okay."

"She's here?" Sam was surprised.

"Luckily I ran into her, after you left her to die."

"No I didn't" Sam shook his head.

"Yes you did you coward. That girl has bigger balls than you."

"Shut up Lucille, you don't know what you're talking about."

An image crossed Lu's mind, one where she is sitting on Sam with her teeth sunk into his neck. The hatred for this boy building and building with every word that leaves his mouth. Lucille did a couple of controlled breaths, thinking of Ellie before she did something she'd regret.. "You're just an immature little boy, that may never become a man." Then she left the cabin to go back to her own one, eager to get a shower and some fresh clothes. Phoebe was inside, she asked Lu what had happened and Lucille told her the revised version. Phoebe went to find Ellie and Lu got her well deserved shower.

Afterwards Lucille got into bed and stayed there.. just staring at the ceiling. Dinner time was announced and Lucille still didn't move.. she was replaying everything over and over in her head.. unable to move past it. Why couldn't she hypnotise Ellie? She decided to go for a walk and call Bree.. "Hey Lu, what's up?"

"Hey uh, I have a question to ask.."

"Shoot."

"Have you ever... failed at hypnotising someone?"

"Yeah, once or twice, a long time ago." Bree was trying to remember.. "-Why? Did that happen to you?" ... "Your silence is telling."

"Is there a way to make it work?"

"Not if you don't want it to." Bree answered simply.

"What does that mean?" Lu asked confused.

"You have to feel what you're saying.. Maybe other feelings are getting in the way?"

"Fuck.." Lucille sighed.

"Do you think you love this person?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I've got to go Bree, thanks for your help."

"Any time, let me know when you figure it out."

"Yeah, I will, bye." Lucille hung up and put the phone to her forehead. Before she knew it she was calling Jen.

"Hey Lu, how's life going?"

"Honestly.. it's pretty confusing."

"Why what's up?" Jen asked in a concerned tone.

"Nothing for you to worry about.. just wanted to hear your voice that's all."

"The fact that we are even talking about it means that you want to tell me."

"Fine. Do you think I'm a good person?"

"Of course I do.. Lu where is this coming from?"

"I don't know.. forget I asked.. How's life up your end?"

"Uh, yeah life is.. it's fine. Lu you would tell me if I need to be worried about you wouldn't you?"

"You don't need to worry.. I'm just, trying to figure some things out.."

_______

NOTES

Thank you for reading everyone!! I hope you're still enjoying the story. I'd love to know what you think so far whether it's good, bad or neutral. There's a chance your opinion could help me become a better writer, and in turn make your experience better. If you don't say anything I'm just going to assume you love it😂.

To everyone sending power stones, Thank you so much! Last week this story got 20 and I have to say I was very surprised, I even screenshotted it haha. I'm honestly just glad that someone out there likes my story. Take care guys🙋‍♀️.

Love, love. Peace.