Chapter Text
Drift
I didn’t solve the case. I never would have. Because if I did I would have to lock up someone who only did the best they could.
So I ran, away from the town, from the case, from the perpetrator, the only one I can’t seem to run away from is the victim. They seem to haunt everything.
That’s ok. Oakhurst seems like a fine place to be haunted by a dead girl. Hardly the craziest thing to happen here, the craziest person to be here.
The town has settled if only slightly from the ruckus the first few days were so fraught with. Now most of the eclectic residents have made their homes found their places.
I’ve found home with Avid, the local vampire fanatic. Maybe fanatic is too dismissive, Avid is right. Scott, Owen and now likely Pyro are definitely vampires. The only issue with Avid is that he’s so passionate he over looks the obvious and alienates the average person.
“I don’t understand why the other can’t see it it’s obvious!” Avid rambles over dinner.
“The sky’s green.” I state cutting him off.
“What? No it isn’t.” He responds confused.
“How can you tell? You’re not looking out the window.” I gesture with my fork.
“Everyone knows the sky isn’t green!” He sighs exasperatedly.
“You’re so sure you’re not even going to check?” I ask with raised eyebrows.
Avid glares at me finally seeing what I’ve done.
“Driiiffftttt” He wines, “That’s not fair!”
“If you want people to believe those three are vampires you need to get them willing to check first.” I say before taking another bit of mashed potatoes. Avid sighs and keeps eating to.
He finally breaks the silence when we start to clear our dishes.
“Why do you believe me?” He asks quietly, I can tell he’s been mulling over the question for a while. I set my dishes in the basin and move to sit on the couch.
“You know I’m a detective,” I start, waiting for him to settle himself on the other side of the couch “Well my final case in my old town, it was bad.”
I lean back, pausing to make sure I’ll articulate myself carefully.
“The victim was a fellow detective, who had been closing in on a serial killer.”
Avid’s watching with warped attention.
“The detective got jumped in an ally, the killer was stalking them, knew how close they were to being found. The detective would have died if not for a bystander.”
“The bystander stopped the killer?” Avid asks.
“Yes and.” I say quietly, taking a deep breath before continuing, “The bystander was a vampire, they turned the detective to save them. They turned my friend.” I finish quietly despite my breath.
Avid is silent. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.
“So you’ve meet vampires.” Avid finally says. I nod. “I know this is a different topic but why leave? It sounds like you still have your friend even if they are different?”
I take a steading breath.
“I was the first to the scene I saw them being turned. If I had stayed in the town I would have been made to solve the case. Made to find the supposed murder of my friend. Made to detain their savior.” I rest my head on the back of the couch.
“It was all too confusing, too much. The vampire who turned them was wisking them away to their new life. I couldn’t disrupt it.” I finish sadly.
I can see Avid trying to make sense of all the pieces, he won’t be able to.
“I had a partner who I fought vampires with.” Avid begins, “Not all vampires just ones who lost themself to blood lust or we’re turning people against their will.” He clarifies. “One day it went wrong. I won’t bore your with the details.”
I don’t point out that I know he’s not mentioning the details so that he doesn’t cry. “She got turned, and when I went over to comfort her, she ran herself through the stake in my hand.” His voice waivers at the end. I shift down the couch to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
“We have to stop Owen and Scott. They can’t be allowed to turn people against their wills. And they won’t stop I heard them they’ve been asleep for 200 and 600 years and lived for centuries before that. Vampires that old, that powerful they don’t see humans as human.” He finishes rambling. I hum.
“We can set traps around the beacons.” I suggest. Avid hums back. “Not tonight, tonight we should sleep.” I declare, throwing a blanket over our legs. Avid laughs.
…
The dead girl is haunting me worse than usual. We set up traps- more like inconveniences- a few days ago. The dead girl is telling me to bring Avid to one. I’m too weak to ignore her.
“Yeah definitely set off.” I tell Avid as we walk towards the tomb in the hill.
“Well we can figure out why the trap didn’t capture them.” Avid says as he jumps down. I follow him, stepping out of the water a few paces behind.
“You said it was as set off?” He asks “Did you reset it, it looks pretty set?” He asks.
“I’m sorry.” I whisper
“Huh.” He turns towards me, “Sorry didn’t catch that.” I look at his nieve eyes. Trusting and trained on me.
“That story I told you about my friend the detective.” I start licking my lips to get rid of the dry cracks. “It wasn’t totally honest.”
Avid’s stare is more intense now.
“There was a detective chasing a serial killer, and they were attacked, and the saved by a vampire. But it wasn’t my friend.” I take a step forward as Avid steps back.
“What are you saying?” He says.
“It’s not bad,” I promise. “And we can be good. Think about all the bad vampires you could stop.” My mind is racing going too fast for rational thought. I’m to hungry for rational thought. “It doesn’t even hurt, at least not more than being attacked by a serial killer-“ I laugh. Avid steps back again.
“We can talk about this Drift, I know your a good person, I know your hungry we can get you blood.”
I whine, high pitched involuntary. I’m not just hungry there’s something wrong in my mind. A craving that blood can’t satisfy. I need Avid, I need Avid to be a vampire.
I see Avid look past me, gauging if he can make it past. He can’t. Not without using his stake and I know he won’t.
“Drift!” He yells with growing alarm. It’s too late, I’m in front of him. He moves to push me away but I grab his hands. He try’s to fight but even starving a vampire is stronger than a human. I push him back till he hits the stone wall. I can’t understand what he’s saying, I can’t make it out over his pulse.
I bite.
Sweet rich blood fills my mouth. He’s still speaking.
“It’s ok, it’s ok, I forgive you.” The words don’t make sense to me. I don’t need forgiveness, I’m giving him everything. I’m giving him the only important thing.
I feel the bond began to form.