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A huge part of me wants to take him up on that offer and delay the inevitable, but I can’t. I owe it to my friend to do everything in my power to help her get through this. It won’t be easy, but I’ve got to try. No more burying my head in the sand and pretending this world doesn’t exist. Vampires are real and my best friend is one of them.
“I have to do this. You’re here with me. I’ll be okay.”
Without another word, he leads me through the door. What I see has my stomach plummeting and bile springing up my throat. Through the barred cell doors, my eyes land on what can only be described as something out of a horror film. Red eyes peer at me, not an ounce of recognition present. What was once silky dark hair is now matted to her face, stringy and coated with dirt. But the most alarming change is her sunken cheekbones and the blood caked to her parted lips. This isn’t Shannon. This creature that leers from the mattress, teeth bared, can’t be my friend.
My legs give out and Julian’s strong arms catch me before I hit the concrete floor.
“I’ve got you,” he says, pulling me into his side.
What a fool I’d been. The naivety I’d shown in believing I was prepared for this is humiliating. The stake is further driven into my heart when my eyes meet Adèle’s, full of pity and concern.
Weak human.
The insecurities worm their way into my mind, trying to convince me that it would be best if I begged to be taken away from here. It takes every ounce of self-restraint to remain standing, looking at the creature who was once my closest friend.
It stands from the mattress and moves toward the cell door, dragging her leg behind her as though it’s broken. I take a step back, wanting to be far away from here. The bony fingers curl around the metal bar. “Who are you?”
The voice is unrecognizable. The pitch is too high and too throaty to be Shannon’s voice. Yet, it is, and if I don’t come to terms with that quickly, how can I hope to help her? Taking a deep breath, I summon my inner strength. I move toward the cell, making sure to keep enough distance that her arms can’t reach me.
“Shannon, it’s me, Marina.”
A slow, sinister smile forms. “I killed Marina.” She throws her head back and cackles. My nose scrunches in a mixture of disgust and confusion.
“During the transition, the new bites experience a sort of nightmare, where people important to them die. The images are typically of the person transitioning murdering them. It’s some twisted way the virus causes them to lose their humanity. The hallucinations are so horrific and real, they choose to essentially switch off their humanity to avoid the feelings that come with seeing it play out.”
“She truly believes she killed me? Even though I’m standing right here?”
“Shannon can’t tell what’s real or not at this point. She’s living out her own sort of hell. They all do.”
My heart aches for all the new bites. Being stripped of your humanity and forced to live out the deaths of those you love over and over is truly the worst kind of punishment. It’s no wonder they’re feral; who wouldn’t be?
My head snaps to Julian’s. “How do you help them?”
“By training their bodies to not crave the blood. It’s like fasting. We only need to eat when our energy is depleted. That happens much slower for us versus humans. Once a week, sometimes every other week, is sufficient.”
“So slowing down their cravings helps them to get their humanity back?”
“No. That’s a much slower process. Once we get their hunger under control, we start showing them movies and playing music. Anything to tap into their past.” He sighs. “That’s what takes so long. We don’t know anything about these vampires’ former lives. It can take weeks before we find something that triggers a memory. It’s too long.”
I sit with my legs underneath me on the concrete floor in front of Shannon’s cell and begin talking about our past together. Nights spent at The Shack, ordering pizza and salad. Andrea and Jill dancing to whatever song was popular at the time. Sleepovers, bonfires... everything and anything that can jar her memory and bring out her humanity.
She fights each and every memory, laughing maniacally and promising to end my life when she gets her hands on me. I never stop, and with each new story, I watch the crazed expression melt away, leaving a confused and scared girl in its wake.
“Shannon,” I whisper. “Do you know who I am?”
A tear slips down her cheek. “Marina.”
Chapter Fourteen
I move quickly toward the cell bars, wrapping my hands around hers.
“Marina. Stop,” Julian yells out, trying to pull me back, but I struggle against his pull. “It’s fine,” I say, looking over my shoulder at him. “She knows me. I’ll be fine.”
It’s clear that Julian wants to argue with me. Having just had the conversation about his needing to trust me, I don’t think he’s going to fight this. It’s not like I’m attempting to walk into the cell. I’m only going to talk to her. See if I can get through to her in a bigger way. Maybe Shannon can provide insight into how we can help the other new bites faster.
“Marina, what’s happening?” Shannon’s voice pitches in fright. “I... oh my God,” she cries out. “I remember doing horrible things. I murdered you.” Her tear-filled eyes bore into mine. “How is this possible that you’re okay?”
“You’ve been through a lot.” I keep my voice even, trying to not jar her. “Shannon, try to remember what happened.”
