Fiona ushered me forward, tearing her eyes away from the deformed vampire. "Left, then right. Okay?"

I nodded, embracing the newly found freedom that flowed through my veins. Paying attention to my heightened senses, I blocked out the resonating alarm and reached for Fiona's arm. "Too late, her friends have arrived."

Two vampires stood at either end of the corridor, blocking us in. One was female because of the mould of her breasts but disfigured upon recognition. Their skin had melted over their facial features.

One glared at the injured vampire writhing along the floor and exposed its thin, sharp fangs like an Anglerfish.

Handing me the silver-plated knife, Fiona grabbed a grenade from the side pocket of the duffel bag. "Lead them to the end of the corridor."

I'd rather throw the grenade.

Standing behind me, she poised her finger, ready to pull out the safety pin.

Ignoring the overwhelming pressure, I charged for the vampire coming towards me and dodged to the side. They tugged on my clothing, halting me to a stop. Its scratches throbbed and nipped at my skin like an itchy rash. Swishing the knife in any direction, I tried to get a hit on the vampire dragging me backwards.

The other vampire wasn't buying the plan, whistling to its mate that we were up to something. It swiped its arm across Fiona's face, and the grenade fell to the floor, the pin still inside. Even with decent vampiric abilities, these creatures seemed faster, stronger and wiser.

A bright light shone directly in the creature's eyes, capturing their golden butterscotch irises. Shaking its head in turmoil, the vampires screeched in unison. Its grip loosened, shoving me to the side.

"Shoo!" Radella held a torch in her hand, shining the light in its face. "Get outta here."

The vampire was hesitant, trying to withhold from the light by closing their eyes.

After a second of whining, the creatures scurried off as silently as they came. Their animal-like cries resounded into the distance.

I helped Fiona onto her feet. The vampire had hit her hard, leaving a red streak across her face. It was hot to touch, and when you pressed lightly on the blemish, the skin bounced back like a burn.

A gash emerged on her chiffon blouse, staining the pale pink material. "They're afraid of the light."

"Seems like it." Radella took over, steadying Fiona's weight against her body. Raising her chin, she indicated to the left of the corridor. "Go on ahead. We'll be right behind you."

Her words added to the knot in my stomach, deepening with each twist.

Whenever somebody says, 'I'll be back,' you can guarantee that they won't.

My energy fluctuated, and my steps wavered, signalling that my time was fast approaching.

A sepia coloured door was at the end of the hallway with no plaque indicating if it was Samuel's office.

Should I knock?

Ethan was in a fragile state, and if I entered without warning, he might fight back, unaware that it was me. It was like walking into a lion's den, not knowing the outcome.

Knocking twice, I opened the door inches at a time. "Ethan?"

Nope. This is definitely Samuel's office.

The 'Vampires welcome' house mat was a great indication of Samuel's ironic style. He never liked humans much, unless you were a relative.

His office was small, giving off a cosy vibe. A standard table with two swirly chairs on either side and a neatly folded stack of papers said a lot about how Samuel was immaculate with his cleaning.

The AC hummed in the background, and an empty plastic cup laid on the floor near the water dispenser.

"Go away, Erika," Ethan said, coming out from the walk-in wardrobe. He squinted from the sunlight seeping in through the blinds, shielding his face with his hands. "Close the blinds."

"We need to stay in the light. The more lights on, the better." I pulled the cord, opening the blinds further.

The light was the only thing keeping those creatures away, and because they were afraid of the sun, they were stuck in the building.

"No. You don't get it." He tugged on his hair, squeezing his eyes shut and backed up against the bookshelf. The shelf wobbled, knocking a book onto the floor. "My eyes hurt so much. They sting, and I can't do anything about it."

Closing the blinds, I rummaged through the desk drawers looking for a candle or a torch. One drawer was locked, and the other had a stapler and cut-outs of newspaper articles. They were about the murders of teenagers that had gone missing in the past, passing it off as a vicious wolf attack from the neighbouring community. Kids who stepped over the border got killed, and those who were blind to the existence of vampires went missing.

I guess teenagers are the perfect victims; they're young, innocent and carefree. Why would Samuel have these articles in his drawer?

"My head feels like it's going to explode." He gnashed his teeth, inspecting the inside of his mouth with the tips of his fingers. "And my gums ache. Why do my teeth hurt?" Pacing back and forth, he mumbled to himself, disagreeing with whatever he had said.

He had to remain calm, but with his erratic behaviour, he could do something unforgettable at any moment.

Ethan spun around, directing his anger at me. "You did something to me, didn't you? That's why you brought me here."

Holding my hands up in defence, I created space between us. "No, Ethan. It wasn't like that. Alani used a spell, and you already had vampire venom in your system, remember?" My foot tingled as numbness surged through my limb and up my leg.

The ridges of his neck became pronounced as his frustration intensified. His breathing grew ragged, flaring his nostrils. "Don't lie to me!" He threw the mug from Samuel's desk towards me, shattering it against the wall.

I flinched, unable to get away from the loss of feeling in one leg.

Now I have to replace Samuel's mug, too.

"I'm hungry, Erika." His lustful stare lingered from my lips to my neck. Dismissing that thought with a shake of the head, he inched closer and delicately touched the inside of my wrist. "Scrap that. I'm starving."

I could tell from the way he bit down on his lip that he was restraining himself. He didn't want this, but something inside him drove him over the edge.

He's still the same Ethan, but this version of him is in turmoil.

Goosebumps spread across my arms from his close proximity. "You can resist it. You have to." My voice was thick and unsteady.

If he caved in, I didn't know if my blood would complete the transition or if his body would reject it like the others. I wasn't willing to take the risk.

He towered over me and pressed his forehead to mine. Closing his eyes, he locked in my scent. "I want you so fucking bad." His forehead glistened with sweat, drops trickling down past my brow.

"I will save you," I whispered, fighting the urge to break the distance.

A tranquilliser pierced Ethan's neck as he stumbled backwards, unaware of who pulled the trigger.

A/N

Word Count: 1,214

Do you think Ethan has fully transitioned?

Who shot Ethan with a tranquilliser?

Have a fantastic day!

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