Carry Me Home Tonight

I woke up to Alex sitting up, ringing his hands over and over as his lips moved at a furious pace. I tried to figure out what he was mouthing to himself. That was when I heard his whispers.

“Come on,” he repeated over and over, “Feel it. Come on turn on you damn emotion. You’ve been off long enough.”

“Alex,” I finally alerted him that I was awake, “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get the love to come back,” he groaned and fell back onto his pillow, “I’ve been
trying all night and it hasn’t surfaced once.”

“Alex,” I rubbed his chest softly, “It takes time, I guess. You’ll feel it when it comes back.”

“I want it now,” he groaned and gritted his teeth, “I know you’re feeling it. I can see it in your eyes right now. But why can’t I?”

“Alex,” I frowned at seeing him so frustrated, “How can you tell I’m feeling it.”

“There’s a light in your eyes,” he murmured as he played with my hair, “It shines brighter when you look at me. I can feel it in your touch. I can hear it in your voice when you say my name.”

“You don’t feel it when you look at me,” I asked.

“I feel something,” he replied, “But’s only compassion. I remember feeling passion, compassion, and love in its purest form. But that’s not what I’m feeling now. And it’s making me so mad.”

I took Alex’s face in my hands and I kissed him softly. I knew he wouldn’t return it like I would have liked, but I had to just kiss him. He was trying to bring back the man I love, but he was struggling. It was like he was fighting so hard to roll a rock up a hill, but it’d break and fall back to the beginning and make him start all over again.

“I need to hunt,” Alex sat up and moved me to the side so he could leave the tent. I just sighed heavily and laid back on my pillow. I started to cry again and cried myself back into a dreamless sleep.
---
I woke up to someone throwing stuff around in the tent. I opened my eyes to find a stranger tossing our things around. The stranger stopped moving suddenly and then snapped their attention to me. I wanted to scream, but the stranger’s hand was over my mouth before I could start.

“You scream,” he warned, “And I will rip your heart out.”

I started crying all over again. Only this was in fear. The stranger must have heard something outside and he yanked me out of the tent. When I emerged out of the tent in the stranger’s arms, I saw Alex had just returned to the camp. He looked royally pissed.

“Let her go,” he growled.

“And what,” the stranger taunted him, “Ruin your dinner?”

“She is not dinner,” Alex growled.

“Oh so she’s dessert then,” he teased, “I think I’ll give her a taste.”

I felt his fangs pierce my shoulder. I screamed into his hand as I felt him suck out my blood. I was so afraid that he was going to kill me right in front of Alex. Then he’d shut his emotions off and never turn them on again.

The edge of my vision started to grey. Before I knew it, I was ripped free of the vampire that had bitten me and I heard the stranger groan in pain. I rolled over to find Alex’s hand in his chest. Alex was just radiating rage as he held the vampire’s heart in his hands.

“I warned you,” Alex whispered harshly into his ear before he ripped his heart out of his chest, killing him.

“A-Alex,” I groaned, feeling too weak to move. I could feel my grip on consciousness fading.

“Stay with me, Kenzie,” Alex rushed to wash the vampire’s blood off his hand before he scooped me up into his arms.

“I-it hurts,” I whimpered as more of my vision greyed. Alex bit into his wrist and brought it to my mouth.

“Drink,” he begged, “Please drink it, Kenzie.”

I started to drink from him. I had the need to drink. I wanted to drink. I grabbed at his arm greedily, wanting more.

“Kenzie stop,” Alex said softly as he stroked my hair.

I didn’t listen. I kept drinking from him, wanting more.

“Kenzie stop,” Alex sounded panicked, “That’s enough. Stop.”

Alex pried me off of him and was breathing heavily. I looked up at him with guilt in my eyes. He looked so weak in that moment. I felt terrible. I was so greedy and I nearly drained him of blood. I was the monster in that moment.

“I-I’m sorry,” I whispered shakily before I ran off into the woods.

I just kept on running. I was trying to escape from what I had done. I thought I was close to killing him. But I never stopped running. I didn’t even know if Alex chased after me. I just kept running.

I eventually tripped on a root and fell forward onto my hands. I screamed when I made contact with something. I lifted my head out of the dirt to find a branch had gone through my hand. I started to scream in agony. I didn’t dare to pull it out, but it just hurt like hell.

I looked around me, trying to figure out how far from camp I had ran. I needed to find Alex. I needed his help. I was scared. The daylight was fading. I was bleeding badly, the stick in my hand was only doing so much to keep me from bleeding out. I was scared I’d lose my hand to an infection.

“Alex,” I screamed, trying to get him to find. I was terrified and I was alone.

I wandered back the way I thought I came, hoping to find the camp. I felt dizzy. I needed water. I needed the stick out of my hand.

And above all, I needed Alex.

Notes