Nat paused, scanning over the corridor of the haunted house in awe. The damphirs senses were normally quite sharp but this was on another level.
She had never tasted blood, finding the entire prospect to be stomach churning. She wasn't a vampire, like her mother, she was human, a regular teenage girl with regular teenage problems. She thought she was too skinny, she thought her boobs were too small, she could swear she thought she saw a zit forming on her forehead this morning. The last thing she ever thought of herself was that she was a monster. Then, things changed.
Whatever this thing was had brought all her fears to the surface. The fears of her vampiric heritage being exposed. Nat feared that in spite of all the good she did, in spite of how nice she was, all anyone would see was a monster. Anger had overtaken her when confronted with this, the teenage damphir acting out and becoming what she feared everyone saw her as.
Talking with Duke Tepes, Nat had learned something about damphirs. They were naturally stronger than humans, almost as strong as actual vampires. The secret to damphirs though was their reaction to ingesting blood. Just a small amount would make them stronger than even the most elite vampire warrior. Duke had described the feeling as godlike. You felt invincible. He had described the feeling as an adrenalin rush tinged with fear.
Nat now found herself in the thralls of this experience. Her vision was sharper than ever, the dark and shadowy corridors illuminated like outside on a sunny, cloudless day, her hearing enhanced to such a degree she could hear the heart beats of her friends. Her sense of smell so acute that she could smell the detergent her mother used on her clothes. It was intoxicating, very much like Duke described it, and terrifying at the same time.
"Where are you," she growled. This thing must know it couldn't escape. Nat had been tracking it, listening as its breathing became more frantic, its heartbeat racing. Turning a corner, she now saw her mother. The vampire sporting a forlorn expression on her face. "How could you," Marisa cried. "How could you let yourself become a monster!"
Nat walked straight through her mother. Another trick, an illusion to throw her off. This things powers wouldn't work against her, she could now tell what was real and what wasn't. Another illusion appeared, this time her father looking frightened. Nat could hear him saying that she wasn't his daughter. That his little girl could never be such a creature. Nat passed through him as well, ignoring the apparition. She was getting closer.
As she began to reach the end of the haunted house, a sinister smirk spread across her face. Huddled in the shadows was the creature, Nat observing it to be human sized with leathery skin and pale yellow eyes. The demon crouched low, hoping to hide from Nat. The roles had been reversed, she was the predator while he was the prey.
"Found you," Nat growled, pouncing on top of the creature. The demon let out a shrill squeak like a small animal. Nat now slammed it into the wall, bearing her fangs like an otherworldly monstrosity.
"Whoa let me explain," the creature begged. Nat would hear none of it, unleashing a thunderous right hook that sent the demon soaring through the wall. Nat, for a moment, was stunned. She had never been in a real fight. She had never even thrown a punch before, at least in a serious way. Now though was different, she felt unstoppable, the power surging through. It was intoxicating, to feel like nothing could harm you.
Deep down though, she knew this was wrong. What was she doing? This wasn't her. The violence, the rage, she wasn't like this...was she? Nat watched as the demon groaned, slowly getting to its feet. It looked like it still wanted to fight, this time for its very survival. Nat winced, feeling as if her brain was on fire. The demon was trying to force her back into her nightmare so it could finish feeding.
With a roar, she charged, covering the distance between them so quickly that it took both of then by surprise. Delivering a punch to its stomach, she could hear the demon wheeze before grasping it by the throat. The demon gagged, Nat lifting it off the floor and dangling it with one arm. "What are you!"
"A shade," the demon choked. "A shadow demon that feeds on life energy." The shade now choked again, trying to free itself from Nats iron grip. "I didn't know the vampires were still here. Don't tell Lord Wyatt!"
"I don't even know who that is," Nat bellowed, her eyes glinting with murderous rage. "All I know is you won't hurt anyone else!"
"Okay fine I'll leave," the shade gasped. A malicious smirk now spread across Nats face. The damphir raising the shade higher before slamming it into the ground. Nat watched the demons eyes grow wide as she bared her fangs. "I didn't say you could leave."
"NAT!!!"
Nat paused, she had recognized the voice. Turning her head, she could see Rei now looking at her. At first she thought it anither illusion, until she smelled the air. It was Rei's scent, she recognized, a mixture a soft scented flowers pumpkin lattes. Rei had been drinking a pumpkin latte before they came.
Now she could hear her best friends heartbeat, it was racing. Rei was looking at her...and was scared. This wasn't an illusion, this was real. She had become the monster she had so feared. If Rei hadn't shown up...
Nat gagged, staggering backwards as she came to her senses. The bloodless was beginning to subside. Glancing first at the demon, she could see it was stunned. The shade wasn't going anywhere. "Rei," she asked, he mr eyes beginning to well up with tears.
Rei sprinted towards her girlfriend, gripping the teenage damphir in a tight hug as Nat began to cry. "Its okay I'm here," she soothed, feeling her best friends body now shake in fright. "We're all okay thanks to you. That thing can't hurt us anymore."
Nat raised her tear stained face, feelings if embarrassment, shame, relief, and terror mixing together. She didn't want her friends to see her like this but was grateful they seemed none the worse for wear.
"Watch out!"
Nat and Rei turned, the shade having recovered now appeared ready to attack. The two teens gasping as the demon lunged towards them with razor sharp claws if its own.
"Phoenix Flame, IGNITE!"
A roar like a furnace now engulfed the pair, Nat and Rei watching as a bird made of flames Sept passed them. The shade howled, writhing in the flame of the Phoenix before burning away to nothing. The two teens now gawking as they noticed Miranda standing in front of the group, a small plume of smoke emanating from the tip of her rapier.
"Holy shit," Amara whispered. "Nice shot."
Nat and Rei were silent, the Asian girl giving the damphir a warm smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Cmon Nat let's go check on Ms. McKinnon."