College Vamp

Buying Time (Part 1) (EDITED)

10:10pm

Seblia sat on her living room couch, holding her knees. She looked over to the kitchen. Hayley stood at the fridge, looking for something to drink. Robert sat at the kitchen island with his backpack and bat placed on top.

"You want anything, Rob?" Hayley asked, pulling out the water jug from the middle shelf.

"Water is fine." He said, opening his bag and shuffling through the contents.

The barista placed the jug on the counter and retrieved two cups from the cabinet. Robert pulled out a half-empty bag of trail mix, popping it open. He began to snack on it while Hayley poured their water. Seblia peered over her at the two, smiling wistfully.

"So."

She turned around to face Nick who sat across from her on a skinny, foldable chair. He rested his arms on his knees, twiddling his thumbs. Seblia slid her feet off the couch and turned to fully face him, resting her palms on the cushion.

"What's all that gray about?"

"...Well, I think it's best I get the big thing out of the way first," She began, rubbing her hands together. She looked off to her right at nothing before she shrugged. "Um, I'm a vampire."

She held her breath, studying Nick's face for any nonverbal cues. However, he showed very little and just blankly stared back.

"A vampire."

"Yes. Well... in our world, I'm what folks consider a Vamp." Seblia corrected, scratching the back of her head.

"And what does that mean?"

"Means she's got both a vampiric and human half to her," Robert called out, washing the dry trail mix down water.

Nick looked over at him. "I take it you're one as well?"

"Nah, full-on vampire."

"How does that work?"

"Its-its like how genetics work," Seblia piped up, getting Nick's attention again. "Robert and I came from a vampire father and a vamp mother. He ended up with both halves being vampiric."

"We can just flash our teeth, make the whole conversation quicker." Robert muttered with a mouthful of trail mix.

Nick titled his head, looking to Seblia inquisitively. She pursed her lips and gave a sheepish smile, revealing her fangs.

Nick's eyes went wide. "Woah."

Seblia tucked her teeth behind her lip, giving a small shrug. Nick rubbed the stubbled on his jaw, leaning back as he blew a puff of air out. Leaning forward again, he rested on his arms on his knees. He leaned forward and pointed at her hands. "Then, what's with the gray?"

"I-It's called the IRE. It's a condition that comes with being a vamp." She explained, clenching her fists. She brought them together to demonstrate. "But with the IRE," She uncurled a fist and wrapped her fingers around her other. "My vampiric half is...is consuming my human half. And that manifests as this."

She turned her hands over, showing how far the rash was up her arms. Nick's eyes wandered to her legs, seeing they sported a few patches that wrapped around her ankles.

He looked back up at her. "...what happens if it takes over?"

Seblia felt goosebumps erupt all over her. The static came back ever so faintly. The pulse reared its ugly head, drowning out the world around her. She stared off as her face twitched.

"Seblia?"

The maddening sensory input disappeared. She looked up, blinking at Nick. His question still hung in the air.