Catherine woke with a start, bolting upright. Her head throbbed, and she rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to ease the ache.

She frowned, bewilderment consuming her when she glanced around. She was back in her room. Her cat, Buttons, laid beside her fast asleep. 

Moving to the edge of the bed, Catherine's frown and confusion only grew. She was in the dress she had been in when she was in the club. Her purse was next to the bed on the floor, and her phone was charging on the nightstand. 

Grabbing her cellphone, she unlocked it and scrolled through the messages. There were texts from her parents and Gina, and then her messaging them back saying she was fine and slept in. Her eyebrows furrowed, knitting together as she tried to remember if she even messaged them or not. She didn't recall talking to them after… What exactly happened?

More importantly, how did she get home and why was she back in the dress? None of it made sense, and she made a mental note to ask Vincent during her next shift on Monday.

It was currently Sunday, 9:38pm. Catherine was unsure how long she was asleep for, she couldn't even remember what time it was when she was at Vincent's house. 

Her stomach tightened into knots, nauseous as she remembered what transpired. Vampires, the thought ricocheted in her mind, and sounded preposterous. There was no way they could be a mythical creature. It made no sense, and wasn't logical. If Vampires truly walked Earth, it would be known by now. Surely there would be more mentions of sightings? 

Biting her bottom lip, Catherine stood up and made her way into the kitchen. After grabbing a cup and a teabag, she filled her kettle with water. While waiting for it to boil, she made her way into her living room. 

Turning on her laptop, which was placed on the coffee table, Catherine finished making the green tea and then sat on the couch. 

'Vampires,' She typed it in the search engine, scrolling through articles that might give her answers. There wasn't anything about sightings of them, or that they were even a real thing. Just as she was about to give up hope, a headline caught her eye: How To Tell If Someone You Know Is A Vampire. Clicking it immediately, she hoped it would give her some insight.

'Vampires, fact or myth? Many people believe them to be nothing but legend, but this article will prove to you that Vampire's walk among us. 

They say there's truth behind myths and legends. Many say a Vampire is a Demon, but that isn't entirely true. A being from Hell? Perhaps. We will never fully understand how or where they came from. 

If you suspect someone you know is a Vampire, ask yourself these questions: Are they aging? Do they react when they see blood? (And no, we're not talking about someone fainting when they see blood). Do they seem impossibly fast, strong, and unable to get hurt? If you answered yes to any of these, the chances of you knowing a Vampire are very high.

Vampires, while they can be beautiful, are not something you should mess around with. They are killers and monsters. Should you ever run into one, don't be fooled by their good looks. You are nothing but food to them.

Chewing her bottom lip nervously, she then typed in 'Vincent Kingsley.'

Thousands of articles about the billionaire popped up, but none proving he was a blood sucking monster. Closing the tab, she shook her head. What was she even doing? Even if something showed up, and confirmed he was, in fact, a Vampire, she wouldn't be able to do anything. There was no way she could go to the cops, her family or friends. If it was true, it would be her burden to bear.

Her only option was to act as if she knew nothing, go to work and pretend that there wasn't anything wrong. Save up her money so she could afford to move to a different neighborhood. She didn't feel safe in her home, not anymore. Vincent had to know where she lived to have them drop her off here, and that thought scared her. 

Taking a long, savoring sip of her tea she then continued to read on Vampire's. 

***

Catherine woke up the next morning feeling thoroughly dissatisfied. Her research the night prior turned out to be nothing helpful. Most articles said garlic, stakes, and crosses could kill or keep a Vampire away. How correct they were, she would find out. Being bitten by one would result into one being turned; at least, that was the answer that constantly popped up.

It was currently 5:30am on Monday, and her shift started at 7am. Gina offered to drive her to work again, but Catherine refused. She wanted to walk to work to clear her mind and figure out exactly how she was going to confirm.

Part of her felt foolish, as if she should already believe what was said. The glowing foreboding eyes and incredible speed should've been more than enough to have her believing he was a Vampire. Not only that, the fact that she was bitten by Julian and Vincent claimed to have given her his blood. The idea of it was so absurd though, she had a tough time wrapping her mind around it.

Curiously, she went into the bathroom. Since she had been bitten and fed his blood, she wondered if perhaps she was now a Vampire. She felt no different though. Less scared of the fact and more intrigued. Why her mind changed so quickly, she was unsure. Julia's calming tone had eased her anxiety of the matter, and Catherine didn't understand why that was. 

Lifting her upper lip and running her tongue over her teeth, she leaned in closer to the mirror. Everything appeared normal, no fangs. No red eyes. Maybe simply being bitten and given blood wasn't enough to turn one into a Vampire. 

Undressing herself and turning on the shower, she glanced in the mirror once more. She would confront him about what happened at the club, confirm what he said to be true, and ask if she would end up turning into one since she was bitten.

During her shift, she would test out how exactly he would react to her blood.