Halfway to the Truth

“What do you want?” Eric asked out loud, coldly. He already knew that person was a vampire. Also, the evil smirk on the vampire’s face was a pretty visible clue. He flashed in front of Eric.

“What do I want? Well…let’s see…” He put a thinking face. “I want a new car –maybe a Mercedes CL class, freedom, blood, oh…and your little friend…” He licked his lips.

Eric punched the vampire so hard, he flew into two trees. He didn’t waste any time, he wanted to kill that bastard. The vampire just smirked.

“Leave her alone,” he said through greeted teeth.

“She’s beautiful. Even more than before, in the 1890’s. Stella Blanche, a vampire girl you could actually die for. From a pretty princess she transformed herself into a true devil.” His smirk grew. “I guess we should thank you for this.” Eric’s grip loosened, his head lowering. “It must be hard to be in your place right now. To be so close to the one you loved for centuries, yet so far. But, if I know the story correctly, you left Stella for her older sister, Rebeca.”

Eric turned around, his eyes closed tightly.
“I loved Stella.”

The vampire rolled his eyes.

“Sure, sure. And when an older, fiery vampire used her charm on you…” He flashed close to Eric’s ear. “You forgot her.”

Eric was very tense in that moment. His fist was stark white. “I never stopped loving her.”

The vampire raised his eyebrow.

“Really, Eric? Really? You blamed Stella when Rebeca died. I guess it was her fault. She made Nathan kill her. She couldn’t stand the idea of her adopted sister’s filthy blood on her hands. Nathan did it, of course. He loved Stella more than anything. He was and still is her brother.” He started walking in circles around a mad Eric. “She changed, she’s wiser now, but the love she had for you is still somewhere deep down…if it is anymore. Stella Blanche…I would bang her anytime.”

Eric’s eyes opened and glared daggers at the vampire.

He heard another chuckle from the vampire. “She’s not stupid, she’s feisty…” He licked his lips again. “I like it when they’re opposing. When they try to escape. When they struggle and scream, pleading to stay alive.”

He flashed behind Eric again. “Don’t you, Eric? Don’t you want to hear her screaming for help, to see her tasty blood running down her smooth legs…to bang her senseless…to tame the…leviathan.”

It was enough for Eric. His eyes changed from blue to fiery red and punched the vampire again and again. He found a small branch and thrust it through the vampire’s heart, killing him in an instant. He turned around and walked where he knew Stella was. While walking, he couldn’t stop thinking about what that filthy creature said. How right his words were, annoyingly.

He left Stella, he made her blow up from so much fury and hurt. It was his fault that Chris died and, most importantly, it was his fault that Stella suffered so much, and suffers even now, after more than 100 years.

In the tent Stella couldn’t believe how much Tracy could talk. She was sitting on her butt, a bored Nate leaning on her shoulder.

Stella’s POV

“Will she stop soon?” Nate mumbled loud enough just for me to hear. I chuckled. I couldn’t believe how many were there with us. The tent was a medium-sized, nine people occupying it. Beside me was Sami with her new crush, Shane, on Nate’s other side were Roy and Greg, opposite me and my brother were Tracy, Ana, who was pretty much gazing at Nate, Riley, a girl I just met, and Tracy’s best friend, Austin. It was weird, they all seemed so silent at school and too cool for anyone, yet they were friendly and nice.

“So, I told Jamie that we couldn’t be together anymore and he blamed Eric, but it wasn’t his fault.” I raised my head immediately.

“Eric? The Eric from school? The silent and…” She nodded.

“Yes, yes. Maybe it sounds impossible but Eric was a very out-going guy.” Riley nodded.

“True. He was a flirt. I think he had a few girlfriends just in that time.” Nate raised his eyebrow.

“What’s a ‘few’ for you?”

They all shrugged.

“10 or 12…more or less.” I was surprised, no, beyond that. Nate seemed to be too. We glanced at each other. After that moment people started talking, not letting Tracy interrupt much. She had too big of a mouth.

I stopped when I felt Nate tense up. I gave him a worried glance and he just gave me a reassuring smile. He got up and went outside.

Normal Narration

Nate was indeed a little tense, mostly after the number of weird flashbacks and all the events. He felt a presence, he felt Eric walking towards the tent. He had some questions and he wanted answers from the one who caused that mess.

“Eric…” He mumbled, narrowing his eyes at him. Eric knew that look very well and stopped. He sighed and leaned on a tree. Nate walked closer, until he was just a foot away. “You know what I want from you.”

“I…don’t remember everything. Let’s start with what you found out.” Nate was a little skeptical but he started talking.

“I went to the library, the woman there told me that you went there every day and stared at one picture of a girl. Stella Blanche. Who is she?”

“A young woman from 1890. She disappeared a long time ago and the citizens thought she’s died, as well as her brother, who went with her. But they didn’t, everyone was wrong because they didn’t know the truth.”

Nate glared at Eric.

“And what’s the truth?”

Eric smirked. “Vampires. Real vampires that can’t survive during the day and hunt for blood as night falls.”

While for Nate things couldn’t get any weirder, Eric’s eyes went red. He walked closer to Nate. “You want to know a secret, Nate? I am a vampire too.” He flashed behind Nate.

“It’s plain daylight and you are here. You said that vampires couldn’t survive the light of the sun.” Eric’s eyes went back to normal.

“Correct. But, vampires these days found a trick.” Nate was shocked when Eric took out a necklace from his pocket, with a weird stone on it. “This is a lapis lazuli stone. It was used in ancient Egypt to create seals. As long as we carry it after us, we can survive the light. But not many vampires have it. It’s a rare stone. Most of them have amethysts. Those were used by the ancient Greek people to prevent intoxication.

Also, European soldiers wore amethyst amulets as a protection in battles, believing that the stone could heal people and keep them cool-headed. It’s not as strong as Lapis Lazuli but it works. Amethysts have this power of keeping the vampires calm when they see blood. I also have one.” Nate was very intrigued by every little word Eric said. Also, the handsome vampire was a little skeptical as to telling Nathan the truth about him.

“Who is Eric Arche?”

“That’s me. I found the truth a year ago. I was so furious that I killed my father. That’s when I realized what I was and what I could do.”

“This also means you’re the Eric who broke Stella.”

Eric nodded slowly. “What’s the story behind that?”

Eric shrugged.

“I don’t know everything. I remember how I met you…Stella and Nathan, that I was a vampire even then and my family wanted me to marry Stella, but she was in love with someone else. I didn’t love her either but after our parents forced us to spend a lot of time together I started falling for her. I knew she was too…until her sister came back. She started flirting with me and toyed with my head. I was getting closer to Rebeca and far from Stella. I still remember the day I went over to the Blanche mansion. Stella thought I came to apologize…that’s when it happened…”

Eric was on his way to Blanche mansion, his mind going all the time to Rebeca. That vampire was incredible, charming and smart. She got Eric where she wanted just in a few days. He rang just once and Miss Blanche was at the door. She was smiling widely. She had always liked Eric.

“Eric, I’m so glad you’re here.” She invited him in, and started asking about his parents. He smiled and responded to every question, until Nate entered the room. When he saw the guest he glared, his eyes changing from green to red and back to green.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was so powerful and mad that anyone could get scared. Eric wasn’t an exception but he didn’t show it. Nathan ignored the curious glances his mother gave him and walked to Eric. “You’re going to destroy her. Piece by piece she’s falling and you did this. Don’t make things worse and leave.” Eric felt in like the most ashamed man in the world. Still, he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for Stella’s sister.

And there was Stella, still. She was a nice, lovely and innocent girl, but she was a vampire and she was nothing like one. She couldn’t even go and hunt! Rebeca was the opposite of Stella and he liked this.

“Eric!” The vampire turned to get in a tight hug from Rebeca. He smiled and returned the hug. Unfortunately, Stella came down too and saw the scene between the two. Her heart ached.

“Eric…” She mumbled. Nate glared at both vampires and went to his sister. Miss Blanche was already gone, searching for her husband. Eric’s eyes traveled to Stella’s sore ones. She looked beautiful outside even if she was horrible inside. Rebeca, like always, didn’t care about the younger vampire, but Eric’s heart ached too and for a moment he felt that love again. It disappeared when Rebeca tangled her fingers in Eric’s.

“I’m sorry.” These words Eric just couldn’t stop saying out-loud. These were also the words that made Stella completely broken.

“Sorry?! You’re sorry! That’s all you can say? Every single time? I’m sick of this, Eric!”

That was also when Eric broke too.
“It’s all about you, isn’t it? You’re the youngest member, the princess, and you always get what you want! Things aren’t always going to be easy like that, Stella. Grow up! You’re such a baby! Wake up! You are a vampire! Do you know what that means? Do you know what a vampire is?! A parasite, a hunter, a bloodsucker! You can’t even look at blood! I don’t know how you live! I bet you didn’t even know you drink blood!”

Stella’s head bent down. Eric was right. She was just a pussy, worse than a human.

“That’s when things changed, drastically. Stella wasn’t the Blanche princess anymore. She changed her way of living. She was different. That’s all I know.”

Nate was surprised.
“So it is your fault.”

Eric’s head bent down, the hair covering his eyes.