Bex stumbled around the woods in pain. A pain she had never felt before. It was all over, engulfing her entire being. It came from within, but she didn’t know where from or why it hurt so much.

She fell to her knees and coughed, blood-spewing past her lips.

She was terrified. She had never experienced anything like this before, or maybe she had. She couldn’t remember. Everything in her head was all jumbled up and the more she tried to focus on it, the worse she felt.

Her body trembled as she struggled to deal with all this new pain. It just hurt so bad. Worse than begin stabbed with silver. She needed to get away, far away from the redhead who continued to hurt her.

She was acting on pure survival instinct now.

She needed food.

She needed the pain to stop.

She needed to get away.

Run.

So that she did. She ran as fast and as far as she could, not caring who or what saw her. She found herself back at Thorndale park, a familiar place to her. Except, this time, no one was there for her to feed on. Or rather only one person was there. Sitting on a bench with a newspaper. She quickly ran up behind them.

But it was a trap set by the slayers.

As Bex went to bite down a gunshot hit her in the back of the knee. The silver bullet ripping clean through her flesh.

She cried out and fell to the ground.

Slayers came out of hiding, several of them surrounding her.

“Well, well, well, look what we have here.” A big man with a bulbous nose said.

She felt like he was familiar but couldn’t place him.

“Should have known a bitch like you would wind up a vampire.”

“You know her?” another slayer asked.

“Know her, just a couple months ago this bitch was human. She runs with the red widow. She is the one who got Bruiser thrown in jail.”

“Damn, well she’s all yours then Yancy.” The other slayer said.

“Damn right she is.”

“Look at her, the poor thing doesn’t even know who you are.” Another slayer said.

“Poor thing, the change must not have taken all the way.” A slayer said.

“Damn shame.”

Bex felt cornered, her eyes darting around in fear. She did the only thing she knew how she attacked. She tackled the man in front of her, ripping his throat out with her teeth. He screamed as his blood spewed everywhere.

“Get her!” Yancy shouted.

Silver laced ropes were thrown on Bex, burning her skin.

She screamed in pain.

“Down bitch.” Yancy stomped on her with his silver-plated boots.

Bex once again cried out.

She didn’t know what was happening or why it was happening. Who were these people, why were they hurting her? What did they want? She was so scared.

Her eyes got wide with shock as Yancy rammed a stake through her back. Every fiber in her body felt like it was on fire. A familiar feeling, though she couldn’t place it. She fell limp to the floor, her blood staining the ground a dark rusted brown color.

“Get him to the hospital, I got this bitch.” Yancy said.

A couple of slayers grabbed the injured man, leaving Yancy and a couple others alone with Bex.

“Don’t worry darling, I’ll put you out of your misery very soon.” Yancy grabbed Bex by the hair and lifted her head up.

Then he pulled out some plyers from his back pocket. They looked well-worn and most of the silver plating was covered in dried blood. One of the other slayers forced Bex to open her mouth, revealing her fangs.

“Easy girl, easy,” Yancy said as he moved to yank her fangs out.

Bex lashed out at him, biting him hard in the hand and drinking his blood.

He cried out in pain.

The other slayer jammed the stake in deeper, slamming her head into the cement. While the other slayer wrapped the rope tighter around her neck, burning her even more.

“You little bitch!” Yancy stomped on her face, burning a shoe mark onto her cheek.

Bex whimpered in pain like a dog cries after being hit by a car. Just lying on the floor helpless and unable to do anything to change that fact.

The slayers forced her mouth open once more, once again revealing her teeth. Bex jerked around, but they held firm. The tool slowly moved closer to her, she could see it out of the corner of her eye.

Bex closed her eyes tight and wanted nothing more than to run away. Her whole body shuddered and began to convulse and right before the slayer's eyes, she transformed into a lion. A big tan lioness with sharp teeth and claws.

Bex let out a loud roar before tackling Yancy to the ground.

He screamed as the lion ripped into his face.

Someone shot Bex again, causing her to run away as fast as she could. The lion ran with a heavy limp as blood leaked out of her leg.

She ran without looking to where she was going, finding herself in the parking lot of a Walmart. She heard screams as people ran away all around her. It was all too much to take in. She ran towards the Walmart, knocking over all the gardening stuff. Then she ran past the Walmart into the road.

Someone honked loud before she got hit by a car and rolled to the side of the street.

The person got out of the car and screamed when he realized what he had hit.

Bex struggled to her feet and transformed back into a vampire. Her body bruised and battered. A hole in her chest and a couple of bullet holes in her legs. She ran away. Ran as far away as she could.

She found herself a town over, huddled up behind a dumpster as she shook and shivered. Her eyes were wide with fear and shock.

She didn’t understand what was happening or why she just wanted it all to stop.

She cried out loudly, heavy sobs as her trembling hands went to yank the stake from her chest. She couldn’t move it without screaming in pain. So she just left it there.

“Hello? Someone back here?” A woman called.

Bex quieted her sobs a curled up into a tighter ball, willing herself to be invisible.

“Hello?” The woman walked closer.

Bex got deathly silent, and when she heard the woman walking closer she turned to the wall and climbed up the brick building as if she was a lizard. This caused the woman to scream and run away. Which only made Bex freak out even more and made her run again.

She didn’t stop until she was sure she was alone. Finding herself in a small remote urban town. The town was quiet and only had a population of 700 people. She curled up in an abandoned post office and hid in the dark, shivering like a dog stuck out in the rain.

“Come on, over here,” she heard a girl’s voice say.

She curled up even smaller and hid as close to the shadows as possible.

When she heard the door open she didn’t want to take any chances. She lashed out at the first person she saw. Causing the small blond girl covered in freckles to scream. She sunk her teeth into her and only got to take one gulp before she felt someone punch her hard.

She flew back and broke the small wooden table in the corner.

She curled up and backed up to the wall in fear.

“Who’s there!” Someone shouted, red eyes looking for her.

The voice… the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. But somehow, she just knew that she knew that voice somewhere, that English accent.

“Anna are you okay?” Lyssa helped her up.

“What was that!?” Anna clung to Lyssa in fear.

Bex was trapped, the only way out was blocked by the two girls. One who was very strong, like her. Lyssa could smell death in the air, and when she looked at the ground a trail of blood led to the dark corner where red eyes stared at her in fear.

“Get behind me Anna,” Lyssa blocked her in a defensive stance.

“Lyssa, what’s going on?” Anna asked.

“I’ll explain later.” Lyssa slowly walked over to the corner.

Bex shivered and cowered as Lyssa walked closer, she couldn’t get a good look at Lyssa because of how much she was shaking and shivering. Her eyes constantly darting around for an exit.

“I didn’t know there was another here, If I’m intruding on your territory, I’m sorry,” Lyssa said.

“Lyssa let’s just go, I’m scared.” Anna said.

The closer Lyssa listened she could hear faint hissing sounds and dripping blood. Whoever was there was seriously hurt she realized.

Before Lyssa could make another move Bex tackled her to the ground baring her fangs. Lyssa saw the fangs in the moonlight. Her eyes trying to adjust to the dark.

“Ah!” Anna screamed.

Bex jumped from Lyssa to Anna and once again tackled her to the ground.

“Get away from her!” Lyssa grabbed Bex from behind and threw her outside.

Bex rolled on the floor the stake going in deeper. She whimpered, blood-spewing past her lips. She just laid there in defeat, unable to get up again.

“Anna, are you okay?” Lyssa once again helped her up.

“Holy cow, how did you do that?” Anna asked.

Lyssa slowly stepped outside to the vampire laying defeated on the ground. She inched closer, Anna on her tale.

“Stay back,” Lyssa warned Anna, but the girl didn’t listen.

Lyssa reached down to the vampire and turned them so she could see their face, just as the clouds in the sky moved past the moon shedding light on the situation. Lyssa let out a sharp gasp once she got a good look.

“Rebecca!” Lyssa said in shock.

“You know her!?” Anna said.

“Oh Rebecca, what has happened to you. No, no, no.” Lyssa quickly kneeled down to help her.

Bex curled up on herself and shivered, her eyes showing no signs of recognition to Lyssa. Lyssa moved to get the stake out, but Bex hissed in pain, got up, and ran away.

“Rebecca wait!” Lyssa called.

Lyssa was about to run after her when,

“How did she do that!? Did she just like use super speed!?” Anna said.

Lyssa cursed in French before turning back to Anna.

“Come on,” Lyssa grabbed Anna by picking her up in her arms and speeding off back to her house.

“Whoa! How did you do that!?”

“Stay here,” Lyssa instructed before she left Anna alone at her house, running off to find Rebecca.

It didn’t take her long. The newly turned vampire was badly injured and didn’t really know how to hide her trail. Lyssa found her hiding under the bleachers of the local high school.

“Rebecca,” Lyssa called.

Bex flinched and tucked herself farther back.

“It’s okay, it’s just me.” Lyssa said.

Bex hissed at her.

Lyssa eyed her in confusion.

“It’s me, Lyssa,” Lyssa said.

“Get away from me!” Bex moved farther back.

Lyssa stared at her, the wheels slowly turning in her head. Her hopeful expression quickly soured as she realized Rebecca had no idea who she was. 

The change didn’t take correctly.

“No, Rebecca, no.” Lyssa’s eyes watered.

Bex continued to hiss at Lyssa but couldn’t really run or fight back, her body hit its limit and Lyssa watched as the life faded from Bex’s eyes and she fell unconscious. Her body slumping to the floor as blood pooled around her.

Lyssa crawled over to Bex and pulled her into her arms,

“Oh Rebecca. I’m so sorry.” Lyssa began to cry as she held Bex tightly in her arms.

“Lyssa?” She heard Anna call.

“What are you doing, I told you to wait.” Lyssa hissed at her.

“I couldn’t, what if you got hurt because of me? Oh my goodness, is she okay?” Anna crawled over to Lyssa.

“No, she’s not. Come on.” Lyssa moved to get out of the crawl space, still holding Bex in her arms.”

“Where are we going?”

“I’m leaving town, you are going home.”

“But—”

“No buts, this is not something you need to be involved in.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

“No.” Lyssa said sternly.

“Then don’t go, please,” Anna begged.

Lyssa sighed and grabbed Anna’s hand, leading her back home. She carried Bex over her shoulder. When they got back to the house Lyssa led Anna inside to her own room, Anna’s mom asleep down the hall.

“Lyssa don’t go,” Anna begged.

“Shh, sleep.” Lyssa kissed Anna’s forehead.

Anna instantly fell asleep, her eyes slowly closing as she watched Lyssa vanish from her room.

Gone like a thief in the night.