My Truth, Her Truth, Our Truth Part 2

It was like I was another person to her. In her eyes I wasn't Kingsly, I was Luther.
"You're like him! Exactly like him! You're a monster! You're not Kingsly!," she bellows in her towel.
With the nail still in my chest and lack of thirst, I start to feel a bit weak. The knife in my face just adds more pressure and sends my heart racing.
"Draven. Please understand I'm not like him at all. I..."
She interupts.
"How many people have you killed King...," her voice trailing off refusing to say my name,"you have to feed obvioulsy or you wouldn't be here."
I uncomfortably pause. The air was thick with tension.
"Oh my god. You're a murder!"
The knife then sliced through the air towards my throat.
Luckily, I saw it coming and slid to the side to take away the knife.
Distracted by cling that knife made when the knife hit the solid kitchen floor, Draven blindsided me and with a solid punch that met my left cheek bone and grabs the knife from the lenolium.
At that moment, everything went blurry.
I can't lose consciousness. She'll kill me.
With an agonizing plea,"Draven, please let me explain. You have no idea how much hell I've gone through. The hell I'm going through right now. You don't understand! I've spent teh last 6 months wondering how you've been to the point I would stare at you from the roof across the pond. Draven. I may be a damn monster, but I haven't changed how I feel about you. I haven't lost contact with reality yet because of you. You're keeping me going Draven. Please. Keep me safe... I lo..."
Black.

I woke up in a cold sweat. I felt around my body to make sure I was still alive and that I wasn't tied up. I looked to my right and there was Draven cleaning her bloody hands with a warm towel. A nail lay beside her on the table.
I felt my chest and I had been stitched, and cleaned from every wound. From the bullet that penetrated my shoulder, to the broken wrist, to the nail.
Draven had abided my wail.
"Thanks," I coughed grabbing her hand.
She flinced at first, but embraced my hand cautiously.
"You hit like a man. I honestly thought I had been punched by Vin Diesel."
There it was. Her smile that lit up the room.
"Kingsly...what's it like...being a vampire?," she asks through sympathetic, curious eyes.
"It's like hell frozen over in me. I have this burning passion within me, but all I feel is cold. I constantly fight the urge to kill. Some people say they were born to kill. That's how I feel...born to kill."
She looks away and wipes a tear from her face.
Her curiousity continues.
"Do you..want to kill me?"
I can't tell her that her blood smells like an orchard full of apples and that I just want to sink my teeth into every one. She would be even more scared. So, I painfully lie.
"I don't want to kill you Draven. I've been too focused on being with you that I haven't even thought about...killing," I say with a blanket over my eyes so she doesn't see my lie.
I remember why Luther wanted her.
This mysterious code.
"I have a few questions of my own. Why did Luther want you and what's this code that everyone wants from you?"
She looks deep into my dark pupils with excruiating pain.
"Do you remember that story that I told you about my dad and developing an antidote to cure vampirism?"
I nod as I ponder where this going.
"Kingsly, I've been helping to continue that work. Seth and I have found the antidote, but we don't know the order to mix the ingredients. One mix will make the cure, the other could create a syrum to produce vampire genes. It's taken us several years of testing and...money to do this."
The way she paused when she said money clicked in my head.
"You've been using the money...my hard earned money to do research on creating an antidote behind my back? Are you even studying to be a zoologist?"
The same tension that was in the air when she asked if I had murdered had returned in the air.
I continue with my rage.
"Why didn't you tell me Draven? We told eachother everything! The only reason I was working that pizza job was to help pay for your college. That was the motivation behind that job. I put up with the messed up orders, the rude customers, the long, boring drives, because I was helping you through college. If i would've known you were using ot for research, I would've been fine! I would've helped! But thanks to you, I am what I am today, a monster because I wanted to help you be successful!"
Through her sobs she cries,
"You don't understand! I couldn't tell you! I have people after me for that code. I was protecting you!"
Enraged at this point I open my lungs and roar,
"SAVING ME??! LOOK WHAT I'VE BECOME BECAUSE OF THAT PIZZA RUN!! LOOK AT WHAT SAVING ME DID"
All my anger that I've held in has finally been released from its chain. I was looking for someone to blame for what happened to me. My anger took residence in me long enough.
I feel my hand raise and see her flinch.
It took every ounce of life left in me to hold back.
"I'm out of here."
An intensified crying Draven wails,
"How dare you! GET OUT!"
Through clenched teeth, making sure she sees ,my fangs, I snarl,
"I'm gone."
the door slams knocking down the picture frame of our wedding day on the entertainment center.
Her sobs pierce my heart and I slide against our apartment door and start crying.
"I don't need this," I whisper to myself.
I walk down the hallway to the outside and I'm greeted by some stranger.
He had gray hair and thick glasses. He looked dead with his extremely white skin.
His eyes were about as blue as Draven's and his smile looked oddly familiar. I know I haven't seen his man before, but for some reason I feel like I can confide in him.
"Rough day?," the old man says concerned.
"You don't know the half of it. No offense."
"None takin. Wanna drink?"
The man extends a bottle of whiskey towards my direction.
He has to be a tough guy if he's drinking whiskey straight.
I look at him as he's shoving the temptation my way.
"Thanks," I say after forcing down the hot liquid.
"It's a beautful thing, alchohol. It's the one thing that you can always count on to make you feel better," the man says as he takes a huge swig.
"Who are you?" I ask.
"The name's Theodore, but I like to go by Teal...it's my favorite color. Who are you?"
"I'm Kinglsy. I don't know what they call me these days. The days just seem to be a blur."
Teal thrusts the remaining quarter of whiskey towards me and I swallow the rest.
"Does your mood have anything to do with Draven?"
I break the whiskey bottle and slam Teal onto the wall looking at him through fierce, fiery eyes.
"Who are you? And what do you know about Draven?!"
The broken whiskey bottle rests againts his adams apple as he whispers,
"I'm her father."
TO BE CONTINUED.....

My Truth, Her Truth, Our Truth Part 1

Hand in hand, we walk into the place that I once called my home. The sweet smell of cinnamon thinned out the air. Memories started consuming me: the video games, the long talks, the plans for the future, everything that was disrupted in one night.
It was a little awkward being with Draven at first because of the 6 month time lapse. What should I say to start conversation?

"So Draven...for the past 6 months I've been watching you cry through the window from the building across the street. Oh and I've killed two people. On top of that I can't stop thinking about how sweet your blood smells and how much I want to taste it."

Luckily, she wouldn't stop hugging me. I felt such a sensation hugging her back. Trying to ignore the want, I start to remember that I once lived for these embraces.
"I've missed you so much Kingsly. I thought you were dead."
I haven't yet told her what I am. She thinks this flesh is alive, but in reality it's just a walking constant hunger. I don't want her to know yet and I wish I could hide it, but the fangs, the constant bitter cold skin, the never aging, would be a problem and hard to cover. I want to be upfront with her because I know she's always been upfront with me.
I trust her.
As I'm rubbing her back, I swallow hard as I begin to tell her my curse.
"Draven...I...."
She interupts.
"Babe, I'm so happy you're back. I can't stop smiling now that you're here...with me again. I thought I lost you. I thought I was going to age without my true love. But here you are," her smile is brighter that fluorescent light in the apartment, “and here I am...dirty and unpresentable. I'm going to wash up and we are going to lay down so I can talk to you. OK?"
I nod, and with a close lipped smile so that I am not showing my sharpened murder tools, I reply,
"OK angel. Wash up. I'll be right here."
She walks away to the back room where the bathroom is and runs the bath water with the door closed.
I can't believe I'm back here with her. But nothing will be the same after I tell her what I am...what I've done...what I know.
I hear her step in the tub and slip in the steamy relaxant.
The cinnamon air draws me into our bedroom where curiosity then takes over. Looking in my old drawers, I see some of the clothes were thrown in there. Her aroma was drenched in the mess. I picked up my favorite black V-neck shirt and smelled it. Draven's scent filled my lungs. I take off my old, torn, blood stained shirt and replace it with the Draven scented V-neck. I felt new again. It's been 6 months since I felt any kind of new sensation worth smiling about. Under all the shirts, I find a photo of her and I in Hawaii on our honeymoon. It's obvious that Alchohol was our favorite guest that evening. We were posing with a massive tattooed Hawaiian. Her leg was across the protruding belly while I was on the other side holding it up. We had such a great time.
I miss it.
It will never be the same.
I stroll to the living room and find our ping pong table.
I was a beast at ping pong.
Her and I would bet who did dishes by playing a game to 21.
I would always win...but somehow she would always bat those crystal blue globes at me and I'd end up with the bejeweled gloves on, scrubbing dishes beside her.

Walking back to the bathroom, I see her naked body covered in the soapy oval of bubbles relaxed her. The steam was rising out of the water and all I could feel was ice.
Her head was tilted back, eyes closed, and I smiled.
The shampoo bottle that smelled like violets was sitting beside her. I take a seat on the floor and grab the bottle, squirting a quarter sized dollop in my hand.
"Are you going to wash my hair?" she asks with a bright grin on her face.
"Just close your eyes, sweetheart. I'm here to take care of you."
Rubbing the thick shampoo in her wet hair, the violet aroma replaces the steam. I take a deep breath and I feel my heart thump two times harder.
I have a conversation with myself.
I can do this. Ignore the fact that she smells like violet and that her blood smells just as sweet. Ignore it.
The other voice starts to talk. The demon.
"You know how hungry you are right now. It won't get any better. She would just be another meal. Just. Another. Meal."
I concentrate on thoroughly massaging the shampoo in her hair.
The moans she makes reminds me of the last time we made love.
The sounds she made. The curling of her toes. The flutter of her eyelids. Everything she was doing right now made me want to take her out and ravish her.
"Thanks baby. You haven't changed one bit," Draven whispers as I solomnly disagree.
"I'll always love you Draven."
The purple towel was just in reach for me to grab and dry off her hair. She rose out, with her silky skin exposed dripping. The dirt had been washed away and revealed a clean, sexy Draven. From her damp brunette hair to her smooth legs, she had stolen my heart all over again.
The purple towel was then used to cover up her nakedness...unfortunatley. I may be a monster, but a man at that. Someone that beautiful should be ashamed to wear clothes and hiding such magnificient glory.
I rub the towel on her in a dry off fashion and she tucks in the towel to get dressed.
Heaven is staring back me while I stare deep in her blue eyes. I can't take it.
My lips hit hers like a wrecking ball would hit an beautiful aged building. They press hot against her lips and her tongue starts moving around in my mouth as if she tasting a new flavor she's never tasted. My hand slides in the back of her neck to pull her closer. Our tounges meet and she curls hers making my lip curl up to her up lip to suck. After about a 5 minutes in my own heaven, I pull away slowly and kiss her forehead.
"You're going to wanna hug me for me to tell you this," I plea so she won't see my death weapons in my mouth when I tell her.
"Gladly," she exclaims.
Wrapping her arms around me, I swallow hard, and reveal my secret.
"Draven, you know that I always wanna be honest with you. The past 6 months have been literal hell for me. When I made the pizza run, I swerved off the road, almost hitting a man."
She gasps and I continue.
"I followed the guy in the guy in the woods and overheard him plotting to kill someone. He...smelled me...and he ran after me in the woods. Being stupid, I turned my head to see if he was behind me, and ran head first into an oak. He then finds me...drags me to the shack you were held hostage...and bit me."
Puzzled she asks, "Bit you? ...how?"
I grab her hand to rub over the scarred tissue where his teeth had penetrated. Her hand jerks away along with her whole body.
"I'm a vampire Draven." The words escape painfully.
And the look of shear pain and fear will forever be burned in my skull as Draven runs into the kitchen. I follow her and I'm faced with a dangerous Draven...with a butcher's knife reflecting in my direction.
TO BE CONTINUED.....

Kept Promise

I felt like TNT in a dark room. Once Luther had slapped Draven, that fuse became lit, unsure when it would explode.
"Oh, I didn't see you there Kingsly. How are you? I see you managed to escape from Seth's house. I'll have a talk with him later. Wanna seat?"
Luther was testing my already short fuse. His yellow tinted fangs were those of a monster. A heartless, black hole. I looked past the dark hair that covered his glass eye and saw a demon. This asshole wanted me to "take a seat?" I'll humor him, but my eyes are still fixed on Draven. After getting past the busted lip, the brutally bruised cheeks, the puffed right eye and the bloody left, she was still beautiful. She was still the Draven I married and loved with all my heart. Luther looked like he had taken a beating as well. The goose egg on his head and the dried blood on his lower lip told me that Draven hadn't taken her beatings lightly.
After looking at her and looking back at Luther...
"FUCK TAKING A SEAT!"
The TNT inside me had let off an earthquake within me.
I lunge at Luther who moves quickly to the side, avoiding my thrust, and grabs my head and slams it to the ground like he had palmed a basketball and bounced it.
"Kingsly!" I hear Draven yell in her concerned voice. I see her scrambling to untie herself. What a fighter.
Luther takes a seat down to my level as I stare him in the eyes. His glass eye is filled with anger, deception, and murder.
"Hi Kingsly," he says through a smirk, "I'm glad you could see your wife like this. Wanna say hi?"
He picks my head up by the hair and forces me to see her in her bloody stupor.
A tear falls to the floor and it seems to burn the concrete.
It's not her tear...but mine.
She looks at me, and without words I can hear her say,"Here I am Kingsly. You have to fight. You have to continue...for me...for us."
She nodded her head as she knew that I caught the message I had received from her deep gaze.
I reached and grabbed Luther's wrist, hearing multiple satifying snaps.
With my head free, I had gathered up just enough energy to rise up and stomp on Luther's already broken wrist.
The floor of the shack was littered with rusted nails from previous carpenter's projects. I took advantage of these gifts left for me and nailed one straight through Luther's hand.
A satisfying howl came from the depths of Luther's diaphragm.
I smirked.
"Luther. Do you realize what you've made me? Do you realize what you've created for yourself? You've done this to me and by creating this you've shaped your tombstone."
Luther starts laughing.
"You know what Kingsly...how many people have you killed to get to me? How many husbands? I know what I've created. A brother."
He takes out the nail and throws it. It lands squarely in my chest as he runs off.
The nail penatrates to the point where only the flat end can be seen.
It doesn't matter. I turn to Draven.
Draven.
I didn't know how I felt. I felt light headed,ashamed, dirty...monsterous.
Through her sobs she looked at me, her brunette hair matted from days without
shower, and beckoned me over.
"Kingsly! Get over here and untie me damnit. You get over here."
My feet seem to be walking on ice as they slip and stutter over to her from the lack of equalibruim throuh my body.
Untying the thick ropes seemed like to take those 6 months that I lost with her.
The final knot had been untied and she was free.
Free to embrace me. Just like I remember.
I embrace her so tight that I can feel her feet being lifted off the ground.
She was really in my arms. After 6 months of watching her eat alone in the apartment and cry,wishing she had someone to talk back to her, she was finally in my arms again. I felt her grip tighten and I could feel her smile and tears through my black torn shirt. Each tear was a reminder...a reminder that I wasn't the same. As much as I missed her, the scent of her sweet blood ran through my veins and hardened my grip.
No.
Not now.
I let her go.
Our tears mix and create wet stains on eachother's clothes.
"I've...missed you so much Draven. Words can't....can't even describe."
I hold my chest where the nail lies hammered in.
"Baby...let's get out of here. Let's get you fixed up. We have catching up to do."
She grabs my hand, fingers interlaced;we walk in sync to the opening of the shack door.
"I promised myself I'd find you. I always keep my promises."
TO BE CONTINUED....