Reverse The Bite

• Emily Bush, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2021

He was shrouded in the darkness, and I did not see him until I heard weird noises coming from my front yard, as I was coming home. “Hey,” I say quietly, not wanting to wake anyone sleeping. Before I see him, I smell the smoke and approach closer to locate a boy who is smoking a cigarette. He had these shockingly brilliant blue eyes, and was deathly pale. His lips appeared to be colourless, but when viewed from a different angle, they were blood crimson. “You want a light?” he says, and I look at him, perplexed. “No thanks,” I say, blinking.

“Your decision” he replies, and shrugs. As the moon emerges in view, the wind blows ominously, “Aren't you cold?” I enquire of him. He shook his head and said, "I don't feel the cold," his voice tone was off. “Neither will you?” he mutters before diving. I scream, but he immediately covers my lips with his hand. I swear I hear a crunch and a suck. Then he is gone in the blink of an eye, like if he never was. I look down at my arm, puzzled; there was blood, but how did it get there? My memories were already fading. Sighing, I creeped back home, bandaged it up and eventually I was sound asleep.
My arm had two holes in it, I noticed the next morning. How had that happened?
Why was I struggling to remember? I did not switch on the light since, for once, my vision seemed to be fine. As I shut the door behind me, I began to hear noises. “Human” a female voice hisses, causing me to jump.
A girl leaps from the bushes, “Quickly human, the sun isn't too hot yet” she mutters. Her lips are bright, she is pale, slender, and tall, and she is stunning. Her golden hair is nearly gleaming. When I try to back away and see the teeth, my throat is unable to create the screaming sound. "I intend no harm, I vow on the honour of my clan,” she vows.
I open my mouth to speak but she cuts me off. “I am a vampire, but not from the same clan that attacked you the night before” she says. With a shock, I realised I had not even thought of last night, How could I have forgotten what had happened; I had not even considered what had transpired the night before.

“You have been bitten and if you want to stay human, you will need to embark on a journey to see Healer Abigail, you will have 14 days before the transformation is completed and during this journey, you will find yourself more and more attracted to the man who bit you” she explains. “Never” I reply. “War is coming soon, the fewer vampires I have to fight, the better,” she says. “Grab onto my arm” she commands and then I tumble into the unknown.