DESI
I awoke in my bed,naked.
What happened last night?
I was groggy, but…
I was different. What was going on? Pulling on the pants I found on the floor, I went to my living room and froze. Everything was different. It was… clean. I flicked on the TV and went to the news. What day was it?
My mouth dropped open when the anchor told me it was October 24, 1994.
How?
I closed my eyes and tried to think. The last I remembered was my birthday, yes, but not ’94. It was ’93. I was twenty-six. How had I lost a year of memories?
How could that be?
I flew to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I nearly bolted out of my skin. My eyes weren’t red, but they weren’t blue anymore either. They were bright blue and green. The blue almost glowed.
I opened my mouth and found the fangs, and I began examining my body, looking for my scars from childhood, but they were all gone. I had turned, somehow, but not the way I should have.
I walked around my house aimlessly. I had no idea what was going on, but all my weed was gone and my memory of the last year was shot.
Had I hit my head or something?
Eventually, my throat began to dry. I needed… blood.
Something was itching the back of my brain. I didn’t want to be here anymore, in this house. I needed to leave forever. I grabbed my bags and threw everything I could find that felt valuable, which was only my clothes and tarot deck, and then froze at the door.
I couldn’t go outside. I had to wait until the night came.
I spent all day trying to piece together everything. My brain felt like it’d been gutted. I couldn’t remember large pieces of my past. It was as if something was being purposely blocked. What had gone wrong during my transformation? Night finally fell, and I picked up my bags to go. I wasn’t sure how I knew this was the last time I’d be here, but I was sure of it. I stepped out into the darkness and paused.
My car was gone. In its place was a plain black car, far less fun than my Mustang. Again, the itching came from my brain, telling me this was my car. I went to it and found it unlocked, with the keys in the seat. I grabbed them, climbed inside, and turned the car on.
I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I knew I wouldn’t be returning here.
Ten thousand souls of evil men, Desiderio, and you’ll get her back…
I blinked. What was that?
Ten thousand souls? Who? Get who back? Did that mean…
My throat screamed for relief. If I didn’t get blood soon, I’d—A loud rap on my window startled me. Outside my car was an angry-looking man, holding a knife.
“Get out before I slash your tires!” he snapped at me. I stared at him for a moment, the words echoing in the back of my head as my thirst grew louder and louder.
Ten thousand souls of evil men.
I stepped out of the car and grinned.
“What was that?” I asked.
He lunged at me with the knife. “Give me everything on you.”
“Or what?” I could smell his blood. It was warm and waiting for me.
“I’ll kill you, you idiot!” He thrust his knife out. It stabbed through my gut. It was a sharp pain, but I took it with stride. I snatched his wrist and twisted, breaking the bone. He screamed as I lurched his entire body forward, clamped my mouth down onto his neck, and bit.
