Garrett / Reader - Part 4
Garrett carried you into his car that was parked few blocks away from the apartment building. He put you down to stand on your two feet for a moment while he opened the passenger's front door for you. It took a little while to find the keys from the pocket of his coat and for a moment he silently suspected, or more like feared that he had lost them while fighting the vampires. However after a minute of searching for the keys almost frantically, although he didn't want you to notice that he was getting increasingly fearful of the possibility that he had indeed lost them during the fight, he managed to find them. You had already completely forgotten that your leg was injured because it had gotten slightly numb but when you shifted your weight on it without thinking about it any further, you gasped from pain, just barely managing to keep your voice down, and sought support from the side of the car. Garrett quickly took a shirt from the front seat, squatted down right in front of you and tied the piece of clothing around your leg, just above your knee to reduce the amount of blood that was going to get into your injured leg; the less there was circulation, the less you were going to bleed, he reasoned.
- This will stop the bleeding. he said and took another shirt which he swiftly tied on the long, deep wound. "I hope" he thought silently and furrowed his eyebrows. He tried to be as careful as he could but he knew he had to tie the bandage tightly, otherwise it wouldn't do any good. You fought the urge to scream from pain and this time you failed at your attempt; you covered your mouth with your hand let out a blood chilling cry.
- That's it, all done. he said, made sure that the knot was going to hold and you wouldn't sneakily bleed out while the drive. He stood up and took a look at the injury on the right side of your forehead. "What am I going to do about this?" he thought, but instead of letting his hesitation to show, he just smiled at you briefly.
Garrett placed his hand on your right cheek and then slowly and very carefully moved it higher to inspect the injury. Your hair as well as your face were partially sticky from the blood and to get a better idea of the damage, he had to feel it with his fingertips. When he traced the wound softly and accidentally touched an aching spot, making you turn your head away as an involuntary reaction. This sudden move made you feel dizzy, or actually even dizzier than you already felt and therefore Garrett decided not to continue the inspection. He had managed to determine that the wound was not bleeding that much anymore and since he really had nothing to tie it with, he decided that he would leave it be as it was for now. He took off his coat and put it on your shoulders to make you feel even a little bit warmer; it was obvious that you needed all warmth you could get since you were shivering constantly due to the blood loss and freezing weather.
- Let me help you to sit. he spoke and assisted you slowly as well as cautiously. Then he closed the door and walked without delays to the driver's side, opened the door and sat down. He shut the door, put the keys to the ignition and turned his head to look at you.
- Are you comfortable? Garrett asked with a soft, concerned tone. You did not look at him but just stared at the dark neighborhood in front of you. Your head hurt and you felt dizzy but still you had to keep your eyes fixed on the surroundings, just in case the creatures returned. There was no way they all could have been killed, no, they were still out there and sooner or later they would come after you and Garrett. "Hey?" Garrett asked because you didn't give him any response.
- I'm fine. you mumbled, not wanting to expose just how vulnerable and fragile you were right now, as you fought the exhaustion taking over your body. You had lost quite a lot of blood and you had hit your head as well, which had caused some kind of head injury, concussion at least, swelling of the brain and internal bleeding possibly. The head trauma made everything so confusing; you were not sure where you were, what had happened... if your life was in imminent danger still or were you allowed now to just close your eyes and fall asleep. Oh gosh, you seriously needed some rest! However you knew that perhaps falling asleep in your situation was not the smartest thing to do for two reasons; one, if Garrett had a sudden change of heart and decided that he didn't want to be on the same side anymore, he would be a serious threat, and two even if Garrett didn't turn evil, you could have been internally bleeding and if you slept, Garrett, your unexpected companion, wouldn't have any means to monitor your state and if it started to deteriorate.
- Right... Garrett commented, knowing that you were lying most likely to protect yourself by not admitting to the so-called-enemy that you were not fine. This made Garrett increasingly worried about your current state; you seemed to be somewhere far-far away, on a verge of slipping away. Garrett placed his hand under your chin and guided you to look at him, minding the injury on the right side of your head at all times. He searched clues from your eyes but you seemed to look right through him and therefore he was quite unsure whether you understood what had happened just a moment ago and what was happening right now. This was not good. He began with an assertive tone "That's it. The hospital is not far from her-"
- No hospital! you stated immediately and snapped back into reality.
- What? Are you insane? he asked, his expression changing from worried to confused and deeply troubled, he was clearly upset. "Why not?" he asked because you weren't making any sense.
- I just... you begun, took a deep breath and then said "...Just no." You had a good reason why going to the hospital was not a good idea but you did not want to tell your tragic story to Garrett, who was a vampire and that made him a possible, no, probable enemy. You had no idea why he was being this nice to you, why he had come back to save you and therefore you did not want him to know anything about you... otherwise he might use it against you at some point. Garrett rolled his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. He was silent for a moment and then nodded.
- Well, an old friend of mine is a doctor, I'm sure he can help. he said with a slightly hopeful tone. "However we must drive the entire night to get there" he added.
- Alright. you sighed. You knew that you needed immediate medical care and if there indeed was someone who could be trusted and might be able to help you, you were willing to take a chance. "In the meanwhile I'll just bleed out on this fine leather seat" you joked, your voice barely audible. Garrett however did not seem to appreciate your joke, at least based on his confused, partially shocked expression. "Blood-red is your color anyway" you chuckled, sadly the chuckle turned into a coughing fit to which Garrett reacted with a deeply worried, almost horrified expression. He had seen you falling, he had feared for your life and he still feared that you had injuries that couldn't been seen without X-rays and scanners, yes, the internal ones.
- Okay, that's it! he said firmly. "If you're going to bleed out and you do not want to go to the hospital, I'll just turn you into a vampire" Garrett stated and added "Problem solved." In Garrett's opinion that was a good solution for a tricky situation; sure you were a vampire hunter and therefore being a vampire was not a lifelong dream of yours, but surely you rather continued your life as a vampire than... died.
- Haa-haa! you exclaimed, not quite sure if it had been a joke or not.
- I'm being serious! Garrett responded immediately with a somewhat offended tone. Life as a vampire was not THAT bad and he took it as a personal insult when you assumed that he was only kidding. Your mockery after he had risked his life, or "un-life" to save you was making the tall man upset.
- No. you said and took a quick breath. "You need to promise me" you said somewhat hesitantly; were you really going to ask favors from a vampire? What were you thinking! However you decided to swallow your pride and ask for this one thing anyway. "Whatever happens..." you said and paused for a moment. Were you really, seriously going to say that you rather DIED than continued living as a vampire? Were you insane? Dead was nothing, being a vampire was something at least. You took a deep breath, made up your mind and continued "...You will not turn me into a vampire and you will not let them to turn me either." Your voice was fragile, just barely audible, breaking time to time due to extreme exhaustion and making you seem defenseless as well as afraid. "But-" Garrett commented instantly but you cut him off with a simple gesture, a firm head shake.
- Alright? you gasped and swallowed your tears. "Promise me" you sighed when you had managed to breathe through the pain caused by the head movement.
- Alright. Garrett said, took your hand and lifted it onto his lips. He pressed a soft kiss on your knuckles and smiled a little although his expression was everything but happy; he looked sad, afraid and tired and his smile was just a thing to mask his real feelings.
- Thank you. you whispered and smiled in return. You smiled because you did not want to show how scared you actually were, especially now that you had given yourself a death-sentence. Garrett placed your hand on his cheek and held it there with his. He enjoyed the warmth, the soft touch of your hand and the calmness that it made him feel... but then he suddenly realized that your hand was not even that warm, sure it was warmer than his dead-cold skin but... not that he really focused his attention to you, the paleness of your face, the dark circles under your eyes, the lack of color on your lips, he realized that there was no time to waste if he wanted to keep you around.
- Okay, let's buckle you up. Garrett said and leaned closer to reach for the seat belt. When he did, he lingered longer than it was necessary, while staring into your eyes from a close distance. He had such beautiful eyes, such long lashes that made his eyes look mysterious and slightly melancholic, or emotional. You had no idea why but there was something about him that woke a longing inside you; a need to be held and taken care of, a need to be... loved. It had been ages since the last time you had even dared to dream about a possibility of ending the solitude where you had condemned yourself into. When your family had been killed you had decided that you did not deserve a family, you did not deserve anything else than loneliness and sorrow, but ironically, the man whom you had blamed for years for ruining your life, was now making you long for things that you had sworn to neither deserve nor need. The man you were supposed to hate was making you feel something quite opposite. The moment went on for quite some time, the outside world faded away, your the bruises on your body faded away, the aches and the fears. This moment felt like an eternity, going on and on while you stared into the eyes of that someone who understood you.
But it couldn't be real. Surely it was just your mind getting confused because of the man's charms, the dangerous situation and the head injury. Nothing less and nothing more.
- Uhm, Garrett... you said after shifting your eyes from his and focusing on your surroundings again. You saw shapes in the darkness... not just shapes but human-like forms... the creatures, standing and waiting. "You might want to hurry up" you spoke with deep fear in your voice. It took a moment for Garrett to respond, he was so deeply focused on you... your eyes, lips... but then he finally realized that the look in your eyes had changed from mesmerized to terrified, just like your breathing had changed from calm and slow into sharp gasps. You grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly as your entire body got all tensed up. Finally Garrett turned his head and saw the crowd standing right in front of the car, a bit further away from it.
- Shit! Garrett exclaimed, fastened your seat belt and then turned the key in the ignition. "Hold on, I will run them over" he said and nodded at you as a reassurance. "Easily" he added. When he had turned the key and gotten the motor running, the headlights had been turned on and now you could see the crowd clearly. This was the first time you actually saw them; they were partially covered with blood, one of them had your stake on his chest, a confirmation that they couldn't be killed so easily.
- You can't! you cried and stared at the creatures just standing there. Garrett turned to look at you with an expression that made it clear that he couldn't believe his ears. "If-if the windshield breaks, the police will surely stop you-" you spoke and squeezed the leather seat. Garrett checked the rear mirror to make sure that there was nothing behind the car. He put on the reverse gear on with one fluid, firm motion and mumbled
- What's with you and hospitals, police-
- The less you know the better. you stated and stared in horror as the creatures started to walk closer. Their pace was slow at first but then their walking changed into light jogging which then turned into running.
- Fine. Garrett said and added "Lock your door" because he realized that he had not done so. He locked his door as well and reversed with great speed around a corner and then turned to a road that led to the direction of the highway.
It all happened so fast but even so, you couldn't get the image of the creature away from your mind; the sharp features that resembled slightly a bird or a wolf, the black eyes, the monstrous teeth, not made for just piercing the skin but also tear it apart, the grayish, dead skin... and your stake, deeply buried into the chest of the creature, blood dripping on his fancy suit, so much blood that the front of his navy blue suit had turned black... yet still the creature had been alive. You were silent, just staring out into the darkness and trying to forget the image. You felt the adrenaline rush wearing off and leaving you even more exhausted than you had been before. However this was something else than just tiredness hitting you hard, this was your consciousness slipping away from you.
- Hey-hey-hey... Garrett said when he noticed your head dipping every once in a while, these dips getting more frequent now. "Don't you pass out" he said, put his hand on your knee and rubbed his hand up and down on it. He had been so focused on driving safely, although he had been speeding quite fast to get to his friend before the sunrise, and therefore he had not seen how you had kept slipping in and out of this world. It was all the same to you; the road, the trees, nothing interesting enough to keep you on alert. You sometimes had glanced quickly at Garrett, admired his handsome and quite stoic, rather heroic form and the confident look on his face, then it had all faded away for a moment until the headlights of a car driving to the opposite direction had woken you up and brought you back to the reality. Now it had been four, maybe five hours since you had been awake the last time and you had no recollection of the time between getting into the car and this current moment.
- Good, you're awake. Garrett sighed when he heard you shifting yourself in the seat and clearing your throat.
- How late is it? you asked with a weak voice. Your throat was sore and your mouth so dry that it felt like you had eaten some sand. It had been over twenty four hours since you had eaten or had something to drink.
- I'm not sure. I am guessing perhaps around two-three AM. he answered and handed you a bottle of water as well as a snack bar. He had stopped two hours ago for some gasoline and bought you something small to eat. You thanked him with a barely audible, hoarse tone and took few gulps from the bottle. Oh, water had never tasted so good! You were in fact so thirsty that you didn't even stop to consider whether the water had been poisoned or not. Although if Garrett wanted you dead, there were easier ways to do it and most likely he would have done it already... unless, of course, this was just some kind of elaborate scheme, a game of winning your trust and then betraying you in some horrific, unthinkable way.
- So... you said and counted the hours in your head. "Four-five hours before the sunrise" you mumbled and then asked "Are we going to make it?"
- You shouldn't worry about that. Garrett replied casually, trying to sound as unworried as possible.
- Why not? you asked, your question sounded more like an attack than a question. "In few hours you will turn into a pile of ash and I will-" you said and turned your head away. Yes, if Garrett died, you would be stranded somewhere, in the middle of a forest, die from hypothermia if not bleed to death first... or if Garrett turned into ashes while the car was still speeding, it would cause an accident that would surely kill you. It would at least be a quick way to go, although possibly more painful.
- Yes, we will get there. Garrett replied, put his hand on your knee again and rubbed your thigh slowly to reassure you that it was going to be alright. He felt that you were shivering and therefore he adjusted the coat on your shoulders with one hand so it would provide as much cover as possible. He rubbed your arm few times and then tried if the heater in the car had started to work, but no, it was an old car with a broken heater and drafty windows. You pulled Garrett's coat around you a bit tighter so the cold air wouldn't get to your back and blew warm air on your hands to keep them from getting numb.
- Let's talk about something, yes? Garrett suggested suddenly after a long, depressing silence. "Your family..." he began and then continued with a semi-cheerful tone "...Tell me something about them."
- They're dead. you replied, your voice quite broken, yet eerily emotionless.
- Oh, yeah, sorry. he commented and scolded himself for not remembering that. Now he recalled the conversation perfectly, even the detail that you blamed him for their deaths. "When did they die?" he asked cautiously. It was not the best topic but it had to do since he had to keep you awake and your mind sharp. You turned your head away and folded your arms defiantly. The question made you angry, Garrett's curiosity made you even angrier... but nothing made you more upset than the fact that your mind was hazy and you couldn't think clearly.
- I can't remember. you replied. Thinking about the whole thing with your family, the painful memory that you would have loved to forget, was making you exhausted and draining whatever little energy you had left in you. It was making you wish that you had died that night as well, then you wouldn't have to live with the constant guilt, the nightmares... and wouldn't have to battle for survival. You thought that you deserved every bit of hardship, every bad dream, even being tormented by the memories and therefore you were getting so ready to give up. Yes, letting go and drifting into the unconsciousness was a good plan, it was the easy way out and you were ready to take it. It had been a sucky life anyway so you wouldn't really lose anything. "Sure you can" Garrett said but his voice got muffled by the sound of your breathing, the painful, slow inhales and exhales.
- Oh no, don't close your eyes. Garrett said and grabbed your hand. He had a feeling that your will to live through this, to survive was fading away by every passing moment and this was making him increasingly nervous. "Stay with me" he repeated few times with a desperate tone that just echoed in your head, squeezing your hand tightly. It was obvious that whatever had happened to your family had been horrible and even recollection of that event put you into a very dark place. However Garrett had decided to get the truth out, he had to know so he could possibly understand you better. Garrett shifted his eyes to the wound on your leg; the shirt he had used as a bandage had turned black so it was obvious that you were still slowly bleeding out, making it more difficult for you to stay awake. Your head dipped again but this time you did not recoil from the sudden drop. Garrett stopped the car, got out, slammed the door shut and groaned at the darkness. There were few snowflakes floating down from the clouds and now that you had been driving north for the past hours, the frost had changed into a fresh coat of snow.
He turned to look at the car after walking a little and stretching his limbs; he was a tall man and sitting in a tight space for many hours was making his muscles feel stiff and numb. You were awake again, most likely the loud bang of the door getting slammed shut had woken you up. However this time you stared at him with wide eyes, clearly on alert and aware of your surroundings. Garrett walked to the passenger side of the car, opened the door and squatted down. He tightened the bandages on your leg and inspected the injury on your head silently.
- Why did we stop? you asked with a tone that was mixture of bitterness and confusion.
- Does it matter? You don't even want to survive. Garrett replied just as bitterly. "Would you like me to speed things up?" he asked and then added "I am getting hungry anyway."
- As long as you don't turn me into a vampire. you scoffed but your voice broke and turned into silent, yet helpless sobbing. Garrett put his hand under your chin and guided you to look at him but this time you protested and turned your head the other way as you kept swallowing your tears and fighting against the urge to seek comfort in the tall, strong vampire's arms.
- Fine, have it your way. Garrett said, stood up and slammed the door shut. You shook slightly from the aggressive gesture but you were too proud to let him close.
Garrett got back to the car and started driving again. You both were silent until you began with a hesitant tone
- It happened... two years... eight months and... three days ago.
Garrett was silent and nodded. You were both silent for a while again and then he asked
- And the reason why you do not want to go to the hospital-
- Do we have to talk about this? you asked instantly, cutting him off.
- Yes. Garrett replied. He explained to you that he had to know why he was driving hundreds of kilometers to get you to the hospital where his friend worked when there had been hospitals closer by. He wanted to know why he was risking not only your life but also his own life like this. The truth was that he wanted to understand you better and to be able to do so he had to know what had happened to your family since it seemed to define your life entirely; it was like a chain wrapped around your neck, not tight enough to kill you but not loose enough to let you breathe freely, just suffocating you slowly until one day you would be dead inside. However he decided to keep this real motive hidden from you and therefore he only explained the reasons that actually made sense to you. Fine, yes, you had to admit it; Garrett had a right to know why he was taking the risk of getting caught in the daylight. However still you hesitated.
- Do not worry. Garrett said and paused. You turned to look at him and waited for him to continue. "Whatever it is, believe me, I have done something worse" he stated. He had never felt particularly guilty for the lives he had taken but now that he was sitting in this car with you, he felt slightly guilty for the first time in his life. There was something else as well; a tiny amount of regret. Perhaps he could have chosen to live his life differently, perhaps your life would have been different if he had not killed your English teacher. Perhaps he was the one to blame for the cruel fate of your family. After all, one thing had led to another and this chain of things had eventually caused your family to suffer and die.
- Have you been accused for killing your own family? you asked bitterly. It was not a competition but if it was, you would totally win. Garrett did not comment; no, he had been blamed for many things but he had never been blamed for killing his own family. It was not a competition but if it was, you would have won, easily.
- Yeah, according to police, I did it. you stated and then added with a barely audible voice "Killed my own family."
- Why would they even think that? Garrett asked with a tone that communicated strong disbelief.
- No other suspects... you spoke and then continued regretfully "...And my fingerprints were all over the crime scene."
- What happened to the real killers? he asked after processing your answer for a moment in silence.
- Dust on the floor. you said and then started to tell Garrett how everything had happened.
You had been tracking a vampire couple for few days but they had always managed to escape, sneaky bastards. One morning they had followed you home without you knowing and then, the next night they had appeared to the front door of your family's house. They had pretended to be in need of help and gotten invited into the house. The vampires couldn't enter a house owned by a living person without an invitation, but your parents had not suspected anything and you had never actually warned or even told them about the monsters you hunted at night. When they had gotten in, they had instantly killed your father as well as your siblings. Your mother however had managed to run into the bathroom and called the emergency services.
- They must have suffered so much. you commented and wiped a tear off your cheek.
However the vampires had managed to break the door by the time the police had arrived. The police officers had entered the house from the open door, found blood stains and signs of struggle everywhere and then eventually they had found the dead bodies. Then the female vampire had attacked the older officer, the younger officer had had enough time to alert the other units that his partner was being attacked by a young woman.
- The police described the attacker… young, female. you said and then listed your old hair color and length, height and body type. These attributes had come very close to the vampire’s qualities. “And the details that didn’t match…” you said and scoffed before continuing. “…They just decided that the officer had mistaken” you commented bitterly.
After this the male vampire had attacked the younger officer and killed him. At this point you had arrived home because you had gotten a bad feeling that you had been unable to shake. You had walked in, found the vampires lounging on the sofa in the living room, covered in blood of your family and without thinking about it any further you had attacked them and avenged the deaths of your family members. It had been an automated reaction and at that point you had not thought about the fact that you were messing with the crime scene and making yourself look guilty.
- The truth is that I didn’t think. I just acted. you stated while looking away from Garrett. “On impulse” you added and chuckled. “And just like that, I had made myself the only suspect of the crime” you explained.
Four, perhaps as many as six, police cars had arrived to your home street within fifteen minutes from the alert. They however had been advised not to enter the house because the offender was clearly insane and capable of horrible things; she after all had already killed her family and possibly two policemen. The police had formed a roadblock and surrounded the house to which you had reacted by panicking and in that state of mind you had not made rational decisions. You had just wanted to escape the whole situation and to pretend that it wasn't real. You had convinced yourself that it all was nothing but a terrible nightmare that would go away if you managed to escape; it would only become real if you allowed it to become real. You had also told yourself that you had to look at your own life like an outsider, almost as if it was a bad movie and anything that happened was not really happening to you but someone else, you had to take mental distance to everything in order to survive.
- What happened that night, I can’t face it. you mumbled and then added “So I just… run.”
You had turned off the lights, locked the doors and collected some assets, credit cards, jewelry and such because you had known that you were fucked; the police had been talking to you like you were a criminal, telling you that they knew that you did it and there was no way to escape. The thing was that first of all no one believed that vampires existed so there was no point of telling the truth and second of all, this had not been the first time you were being linked to violent events but before that day, the day of your family’s brutal slaughter, the police had not been able to link you to the killings. Well, you had not killed anyone, except vampires, but since no one knew that vampires were actually real, they had always blamed the person who didn’t really seem to fit in, you.
However during the siege you had managed to run into the basement where there was a small hidden room that no outsider knew about; your father had once tried to expand the basement and turn the new space into a man-cave but then he had lost his interest and just hid the hole with a large bookshelf. Your mother had hated the whole project and therefore she had been very pleased to see that the bookshelf blocked the ugly hole entirely. It looked like there was nothing but a concrete wall behind the large, heavy shelf.
You had had just enough to take some things with you and hide yourself before the local “wannabe-swat-team” had arrived and barged in with bulletproof vests and heavy-duty guns. They however had not managed to locate any dangerous suspects, in other words they had not found you, so the crime scene team had come in, worked all night to get a picture of what had happened. They had come to a conclusion that the daughter had snapped and brutally murdered her family. You had been able to listen to the conversations through venting pipes and therefore you knew exactly what the police thought, what kind of monster they assumed you were. But once again, it had not been you whom they had been talking about, it had been just someone... the unfortunate role you had to play in the horror movie of your life.
- My life became… impersonal… empty and something that I didn’t want to be part of. you stated and paused for a moment. “It ended” you said and then mumbled “In a way” with a barely audible tone.
The bodies of your family had been carried away by the morning and the crime scene had been sealed off to wait for the crime scene cleaners to arrive. You had come out from your hiding place, sneaked around the house and forced yourself to take distance mentally; this was not your life, this was nothing personal, there was no reason to break down and cry! Then you had cut your hair and colored it, gotten dressed in clothes that did not stand out from the crowd and disappeared from the face of the earth.
- But… you didn’t do it. Garrett stated after listening to the story of your life silently.
- No shit! you scoffed. “However there is literally nothing to prove otherwise” you commented and took a deep breath. “It is what it is and therefore I’ll never get to live a normal life” you added bitterly.
- Why not? What makes you so sure? Garrett asked. In his opinion you were being too hard on yourself. Sure, your actions had put your family into danger but surely it didn’t mean that you had to live your life like… this! It was clearly eating you alive and killing you slowly like damp and mold ruined fine, old buildings.
- Because the police are still trying to find me and I don’t blame them for that. you explained. “You should have seen the crime scene! It was horrible and therefore they think that I’m insane…” you spoke, took a quick inhale and added “…Or a member of a satanic group!” The statement made you laugh but your laughter was filled with bitterness and suppressed anger. Garrett didn’t know what to reply. What could he say anyway? That everything was going to be alright? He didn’t know that for sure, besides anything coming from the mouth of a vampire most likely wouldn’t sound too sincere to you. You laughed until the laughter turned into violent coughing that made your body twitch in the seat uncontrollably.
- They suspect, based on the brutality and gore, that it was some kind of ritual killing. you stated after you had stopped coughing.
- But… Garrett began. He rubbed his chin and then continued “Somewhere, elsewhere, far away-“
- No. you said firmly.
- Why “no”? he asked with a baffled tone, his voice carrying an undertone of defiance and perhaps he sounded even somewhat upset… but what had he to be upset about?
- I do not deserve it. you replied and turned your head slightly so you could see the expression on his face. He looked surprisingly emphatic and genuinely sorry as well as worried for you. This puzzled you deeply because it had been such a long time that you had received any sympathy from anyone. However you were not ready to accept it. No, you didn’t want Garrett’s pity, you didn’t want him to feel sorry for you.
- What do you mean? Garrett asked with a confused voice.
- I am partially to blame. you admitted silently, exhaled slowly, inhaled quickly and continued hesitantly, almost as if what you were about to say would change Garrett’s opinion about you and he would realize that you had really caused the deaths of your family. “I wasn’t careful enough, I didn’t warn my family” you spoke, rubbed your hands together nervously and continued. “They thought that I was attending some kind of… fight club… thing” you chuckled and added with a sad smile on your face “They didn’t judge, they just wanted me to find my own place and to be happy for once. I had such a troubled childhood anyway.”
- They sound like decent parents. Garrett commented. He kept his eyes on the road almost constantly but still he sometimes took quick glances at you while you spoke. It was easy to see why you had rather ignored this subject entirely, especially considering that a) Garrett was a total stranger and b) Garrett was a vampire himself.
- Yeah. They even took me back home after I got fired from work and lost my apartment. you spoke to which Garrett replied with a simple “Oh?”
- I had already moved out, had a job… my own place… you mumbled while staring at the road ahead with a blank look on your face. You cleared your throat, took a quick glance at the man and stated with a tone that he couldn’t read “But I got fired for being constantly tired at work-“
- Caused by the fact that you were hunting vampires during the nights, right? he asked.
- Yeah. When I lost my job, I lost my source of income. you summed up.
In Garrett’s opinion that was unfair because you had only tried to protect people around you. Who knew, perhaps you had even saved your boss’ life! You however understood the reasons behind your boss’ actions; no reasonable employer would keep paying salary for someone who performed poorly every day. So you had moved back home, tried to find another job but failed to do so and this temporary moment of unemployment had gotten longer and longer, putting you in a very difficult place both mentally and financially. You told Garrett that the atmosphere at home had grown tenser and your dad had started to demand to know where you went every night and what exactly you were doing.
- You didn’t tell them the truth? Garrett asked with a puzzled tone.
- No. I mean how do you tell someone that there are monsters in this world? you spoke, shifted yourself in the seat a little as you tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in. This sitting still for many hours without any breaks was really making your limbs numb. “That the urban myths and old stories are real” you added and gasped when you accidentally moved your injured leg.
During the next hour neither of you said anything. You were deep in your thoughts and so was Garrett. He most likely was going through in his mind what you had told him, every horrible detail, trying to form a picture, an opinion of you for himself. You did not dare to ask him what was going on in his mind because he seemed so focused on ignoring you and it was making you feel lonely in a totally new way. The thing was that you had gotten used to being alone from an early age; ever since you had witnessed the death of your English teacher you had changed from a happy young girl into a reserved, silent rebel who didn’t let anyone close.
You had gotten used to being an outsider and at some point you had started to consider it as strength and actually as long as you hunted vampires it was better that way. Having people around you, friends, relatives… someone special, it was a risk for you and it put those people into a risk as well so therefore you had just decided not to have people around. You had basically cut off your relations between you and your family when you had moved out to your own apartment but then you had been forced to crawl back after failing to manage everything on your own. Then your family had gotten killed and you had decided very firmly that you couldn’t let anyone close anymore and you had denied yourself a right to ever feel lonely again.
However here you were, sitting in a car with a vampire and for the first time in such a long while you felt lonely and you could feel the loneliness growing in you, filling every corner of your mind and eating you alive. You were also worried… not for your safety, oh no, but for rejection. What if Garrett thought that you were a monster? What if he was now unable to look at you? He was clearly doing his very best to ignore you… so…perhaps he regretted that he had saved your life. Perhaps he cursed his poor luck that he had gotten stuck with you. Therefore you needed to know; you had to find out why he had turned back and come back for you, you had to hear whether he now regretted doing so… or not.
- I need to know. you said suddenly after almost two hours of undisturbed silence. “Why did you come back for me?” you asked with a somewhat fragile tone.
- What do you mean? Garrett asked and took a quick glance at you. He smiled briefly but the smile faded away when he saw the deeply sorrowful expression on your face.
- You left, but then came back. Why? you asked, still avoiding eye contact with him.
- I didn't leave you! Garrett exclaimed with a surprised tone. He had assumed that you had known it! “I tried to figure out how to escape” he explained.
- I find that hard to believe. you mumbled as a response and rolled your eyes.
- Did you feel sorry for me? you asked bitterly.
- I feel many things for you but pity is not one of them, (Y/N). Garrett replied. He chuckled in a way that sounded abnormally cheerful considering the circumstances and began with a hopeful tone “If you just knew...” However suddenly he stopped, cleared his throat and continued casually “I thought that my chances to survive will be increased significantly if you have my back...” he said and then added “…And other way around.”
- So... it was about survival. you clarified hesitantly.
- Yes. Garrett stated firmly.
- Sorry to disappoint you, Garrett, but I cannot have your back at the moment. you mumbled and turned your head to look the other way. “I don't even have mine” you stated, clearly feeling bothered and embarrassed about that matter as well as about your current pathetic state of being injured and vulnerable.
- Well, I wouldn't even be here if you had not saved my ass first. Garrett stated with a light chuckle.
- I suppose we're even then. you commented and looked at him quickly. Garrett happened to look at you at the same time and for the first time in hours your eyes met for a second.
- Yeah, I guess we are. Garrett mumbled with a barely audible tone. He shifted his gaze back to the road and a silence took over the tight space again.
You tried constantly figure out what the man was thinking about but his appearance did not really give any clues; he looked calm and almost emotionless, he was in control of the situation and he clearly enjoyed the solitude of his personal space, which at the current time, unfortunately, was being compromised by you. You had invaded his personal space and you did not know if he hated you for that, perhaps he did. However you were partially wrong; Garrett was actually a very sociable person who got along with new people quite easily and therefore it was no wonder that he had decided to come up with this “I’ll you’re your back and you’ll have mine” –plan of his. Yes, during the long years of his life Garrett had indeed gotten tired of being constantly alone and feeling… lonely and therefore he had seized this opportunity of having someone’s company, even for a moment. Sadly there was no way you could have know that and therefore you kept scolding yourself silently for being such a burden and nuisance.
Garrett was a rebel but he was also honest and amiable, he was a mixture of something wild as well as untamed and an old-fashioned gentleman. He was adventurous and curious, that was for certain, but there was also something else about him; against all odds, he felt… safe and reliable, almost like a long lost friend… or a lover from another life. This thought amused you and you scolded yourself for being so ridiculous. Most likely it was just the head trauma that was making you confused and causing these absurd as well as naïve fantasies!
- Tell me something. you said because the silence had gone on for too long again. You had started to feel dizzy as well as tired once more and therefore you had to keep yourself awake by concentrating on a conversation with Garrett.
- About? he asked curiously.
- Yourself. you said and then asked “How old are you?”
- I was born in mid 1700's... and turned... it was around 1780. he answered, taking some pauses while recalling the years and dates.
- You're old. you commented with a chuckle, careful not to laugh too much since you did not want to cough your lungs out once more. “Perhaps you should start thinking about retiring” you joked and smirked at him.
- Ha-ha! he laughed. His laughter made you feel less lonely, less scared and less like an outsider because he had such a wonderful, sincere and charming laughter. You wished you could laugh like that but nowadays your laughter was always stained by bitterness and undertone of sorrow, cynicism and sarcasm.
- You're very agile for someone over two hundred years old. you laughed and then started to cough terribly.
- I do not like that cough. Garrett commented and looked at you with a worried expression shadowing his handsome features.
- Just ignore it, please, go on. you said and then admitted hesitantly “Your voice distracts me from the pain.”
- Oh, does it? Garrett asked with a surprised tone. “Very well then” he said and started to tell you that he had been born in New England during American Revolution. He also told you something about his family and mentioned that he had fought in the war because he had believed in the cause. “Independence and freedom have always been dear values for me” he stated proudly. The statement made you smile, perhaps the vampire had a good heart after all even though he had saved your life just for his own gain and not because it had been the right thing to do.
- How were you turned into a vampire? you asked after going back and forth, trying to decide whether it was something that you could even ask someone.
- Well, there were ten of us, isolated… Garrett described to you and continued by telling that there had been a vampire who had attacked him and the other men, killed them all but accidentally turned him into a vampire by feeding on him but not finishing him off like the others. “I was accidentally left behind… not quite dead enough, so I changed” Garrett spoke and then added “After three days of laying in the ditch… I woke up.”
- And you were a vampire? you asked or more like stated.
- Yes. I wanted to understand what had happened to me so I investigated. he spoke calmly while he slowed down a little and exited the highway. “The truth was a shock at first but then later I came to realize that being inhumanly strong and fast…” he described, turned to a countryside road and continued casually “…It had it benefits in the battle.”
- Yeah, I can imagine. you commented. “Although you can’t really fight in the sunlight, can you?” you stated.
- No. I do have my limitations. Garrett admitted.
- And you consume human blood. you stated.
- That is what… we vampires do. he spoke slightly hesitantly. “However there are some of us who feed on animals” he said and after making a silent “uhm” he added “My friend, the doctor, for example.”
- Have you ever thought about living like that? you asked, trying to avoid sounding too hopeful. There was no way Garrett would actually do that for you. “For me? What are you thinking?” you thought and scolded yourself silently for even entertaining yourself with a thought like that.
- As a vegetarian? No, not really. Garrett stated with an amused tone. “However, our situation changes things. Perhaps I should try it” he said playfully. You chuckled a little and got lost into your thoughts again. The skyline was slowly turning from deep night-blue to pale morning-green and the clouds were fading away. The sight reminded you about the fact that you and Garrett were running out of time and you had no idea how far you still had to go. Therefore you had to tell Garrett before it was too late… you had to tell him that…
- I shouldn’t say this, but… you said and then added “…You’re a good man, Garrett.”
- Oh wow! That was… he said, paused to think about the right word. “…Unexpected” he added eventually with a surprised tone.
- Please do not tell anyone I said that. you mumbled with a somewhat embarrassed tone. “You know, saving a vampire is bad enough. Considering that I’m a vampire hunter” you continued with an awkward smirk.
- Well, for your defense, you did not know that I am a vampire. Garrett commented and chuckled.
- True. you admitted with a deep sigh. “So, what happens now?” you asked, still glancing at the eastern horizon every once in a while, hoping that the sky wouldn’t turn yellow anytime soon, however you could see the edges of the highest clouds turning orange and yellow. You were racing against the clock and soon you would lose the race.
- I suppose we’ll lay low and take one day at a time. Garrett replied, his tone was thoughtful and perhaps even slightly hopeful. You knew that he had noticed that the sun was about to come up soon but he managed to hide any traces of nervousness, although he kept constantly glancing at the eastern horizon.
- Yeah. you sighed. “Just a temporary solution. A day or two” you mumbled, not really capable of deciding whether the thought made you sad or relieved because your attitude towards it kept changing constantly.
- Yep and when the danger is over, we’ll walk into different directions. Garrett spoke, sounding disappointed and almost miserable. Although you convinced yourself that you were only imagining it.
- And never see each other again. you continued with an emotionless tone.
- Yeah, because if we do, we’ll be enemies… Garrett spoke and added “…Once more” silently. You swallowed as a reaction, let out a suppressed sharp gasp and scolded yourself for having such a strong reaction towards the thought. It was madness and ridiculous that you had gotten so attached to this person, this stranger… Garrett the vampire!
- It’s not like we could be friends. you mumbled and dropped your head, keeping your gaze fixed upon your hands that you were resting on your lap. Your hands were cold and you felt the life slipping away from you again, just like it had slipped away earlier tonight. You had been fighting the exhaustion for so many hours, trying to keep yourself warm and hopeful… but now that you were counting minutes to the sunrise you were getting increasingly angry at yourself for letting your life go like this… but the anger was swiftly replaced with numbness and silent acceptance.
- Or lovers. Garrett added with a tone that was supposed to sound sarcastic but ended up sounding just plain sad instead. He was equally trying to ignore the fact that you were slipping towards unconsciousness and the first rays of sun were already kissing the highest peaks of the mountains nearby.
- A couple of days… you stated, took a deep breath and perfected your posture. “…And then everything will get back to normal” you spoke, your voice breaking and turning into an inaudible whisper, while staring at a big street sign getting nearer… and nearer… your eyelids getting heavier… until you couldn’t open your eyes anymore and then everything faded into black, cold, silent void.
“The City of Forks Welcomes You” the sign had said.