Chapter 9: The Kiss

Lucy and Celeste sat still like that for a long time. Lucy felt almost as if her heart might pound out of her chest.

“Lucy,” Celeste whispered, “everyone has moments and times when they feel they won’t make it as a vampire. It must be harder for you since you didn’t actually choose this. But I promise, you can handle this. I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that. It’s just hard knowing I have no choice but to move forward,” Lucy whispered.

“I understand. Perhaps if we really tried to address this memory, I could help you let it go?” Celeste suggested. She was lightly rubbing her thumb against Lucy’s arms now causing a stronger tingling sensation but making it a bit difficult for Lucy to think as clearly.

“How do you suggest we do that?”

“Well, I was hoping we could try a hypnosis technique. I could hypnotize you and put you back in the memory…. I’ll be here every moment and help guide you through,” Celeste repeated. Lucy felt a strange panic rise in her.

“You want me to relive this memory again?” Lucy questioned, feeling more anxious by the moment.

“Honestly, I feel if you don't address this trauma, you won’t be able to move on from this experience. You’ll only keep having terrible memory flashbacks and it’ll hold you back from becoming your truest self, from really recognizing yourself in this world.”

Lucy sat quietly for a moment. The more logical and rational part of her knew that Celeste was right. The only way to conquer this painful experience was to walk through it again. But she wasn’t sure she could bear it. Suddenly, the tingling feeling on her arm started to grow and she realized Celeste was rubbing her arm with her whole hand. She looked up at Celeste and her beautiful, haunting eyes with a different realization. Maybe, just maybe, if she truly had Celeste here, calming her the whole time she could make it through this.

“Okay,” Lucy finally whispered after a long time. Celeste’s eyes brightened.

“Okay?” Celeste repeated, as if trying to make sure she heard correctly.

“Yes, okay as long as you promise to be here the whole time, hold me hand and wake me up if it becomes too much.” Lucy turned her head to the ground a bit afraid to lock eyes with Celeste again.

“Of course, of course I will. Shall we get started?” Celeste offered. Lucy kept her eyes down and nodded. Celeste stood up and pulled Lucy to her feet. Celeste guided her back through the dark office to a small couch that rested behind the desk. “Here, lay down and get comfortable.”

Lucy did as she was told and laid down quietly on the couch. For a moment, she struggled with where to put her arms until Celeste reached a hand out and helped her rest them gently across her chest.

“I’ll be honest, this is going to be a painful experience. I know you are scared, and this will be a scary experience, but I’ll be here with you, okay? I’ll guide you through, and we’ll overcome this together.”

Lucy nodded lightly and closed her eyes.

“Now, just relax and breathe. Think back to that night. Tell me what you were doing?” Celeste asked in a soothing voice.

“I was working late. We had a final project to finish. I was one of the last ones in the office. I went outside….” Lucy’s voice trailed off as she got small flashes of what came next.

“It’s okay, I’m here.”

“I–I went outside to get some fresh air. It had been a long night… and I heard a strange noise near me. It was like a growling wind that was kind of swirling around me. I felt like someone was there, so I called out. But there was nothing. The noise paused for a moment but then….” Lucy took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves that had started racing through her body. “Then he appeared out of nowhere. He was tall and covered in shadows. His eyes seemed… almost red, but maybe that was just the break lights of the car….”

Suddenly, the memories and images came more clearly through Lucy’s mind, more like watching a movie than reliving her tragic nightmare. She didn’t know if that was because she was sitting with it on purpose or because Celeste was holding her hand.

“Keep going, Lucy.”

“He stood over me for a while… like he was just… watching. He smiled, and I saw all his teeth. It looked like layers of teeth. He moved faster than my eyes could follow and bit my shoulder….” Lucy started breathing heavier, feeling the moment of the bite. Feeling the fear rushing through her again. Suddenly, she could feel it, the pleasurable sensation of his bite spreading through her shoulder and the edges of her collarbone. She could understand why now, if it hadn’t been such a horrifying attack, how someone might enjoy that feeling. But his growling never stopped. He didn’t listen to this body and stopped at the moment of capacity. “I can feel myself passing out. He’s–he’s taking too much.”

“Keep going,” Celeste cooed. Lucy tried to even her breath and could feel the fear and panic zooming through her body like a car on a race track.

“I want to scream, but I don’t have the energy. But I heard the door open to the side of the office. Jason came outside. He’s screaming… trying to get that guy off of me. But he--he sees the vampire and screams, running in the opposite direction. He, he left me.” Lucy could feel herself starting to hyperventilate again. Celeste squeezed her hand tighter to try to calm her.

“It’s okay, I’m here. You’re safe, you’re in a safe space,” Celeste reassured her.

“He–the vampire, he stopped. Something … else distracted him. He ran away and left me on the ground. I can feel the blood pouring down my body. Then, suddenly, he came back and covered my, he covered my mouth. I tasted something gross, like metal. I tried to spit it out but he growled more menacingly at me….”

Celeste held tightly to Lucy’s hand and Lucy tried to keep her nerves even. She could feel herself starting to lose control.

“It started to hurt. Everything in me started to hurt. I felt like my body was being torn apart. I don’t know what was happening. He disappeared, and I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t feel anything but the pain….” Lucy’s words broke up as screams started to escape her lips. Her body felt like it was convulsing as it started to relive the pain.

“Lucy! Lucy! Calm down! It’s okay, you’re here and safe with me! Nothing can hurt you!” Celeste tried to cry out, but her words were drowned out by the sounds of Lucy’s screams.

Abruptly, Lucy stopped as she felt something covering her mouth. Something soft and warm, with a slight taste of metal and honey. She focused on that feeling and let the horrifying memory of her transformation fade into the background of her mind. The moment seemed to last on through the night, but Lucy made no attempts to make it stop.

When she had finally come completely out of her memory illusion she recognized what was happening. The soft taste was Celeste’s lips pressed against hers. Everything within her started to spark and shine. Slowly, Lucy reached her arms up and pulled Celeste deeper into her.