“Ay, Sofía. Look at you all grown up,” Maria cooed, looking Sofia over after practically tackling her in a hug. “You’re not hurt?” she asked sternly.

Sofia shook her head no resolutely.

“Hmm,” Maria hummed thoughtfully. She was taller and obviously older than Sofia but otherwise they looked very similar.

“Not only did she come out unscathed but I would have been way more injured if it wasn't for her,” Jackie offered awkwardly, leaning against the wall. Sofia could see she was tired but trying to hide it.

“Jackie, it’s good to see you again. We met momentarily when I dropped Sofia off. How are you doing?”

“I remember,” Jackie replied proudly. “I’m okay, tried but healing well.”

“Get lots of rest then, I will make chicken soup for dinner,” Maria decided.

“She’s not sick, Mamá,” Sofia groaned.

“And she won't be getting sick under this roof if I have anything to say about it,” Maria huffed.

Charles emerged from the entryway with Sofia’s belongings. “I got it, I got it,” I grumbled when Sofia tried to help. He disappeared downstairs a moment later.

“You two get to bed, we can visit more in the morning,” Maria encouraged with a yawn. “I should be off to bed. Te amo,” Maria added, pressing a kiss to Sofia’s head. “I will see you two tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” Sofia smiled as her mother headed upstairs. She was more than relieved she was warm enough to fool her family. She was slightly panicking about what she was going to do about food out here.

Sofia led Jackie downstairs and into the basement. It had been totally refurbished to be a sort of living room, then half of it turned into a bedroom. It was always freezing down there, good for the summer but bad for the winter. It hardly mattered to Sofia anymore. “Bathroom just down the hall,” Sofia explained as she led them into her room.

It was exactly how she had left it though freshly dusted, her bedding washed. Her mother had prepared for her arrival. Her bookshelves were covered with books on a variety of topics and decorated all of her childhood stuffed animals.

Jackie laughed as she looked around. “This is so very you.”

Sofia rolled her eyes and slid Jackie's suitcase into the corner before returning to the hall to get her stuff.

“Only one bed,” Jackie pointed out dramatically. “Whatever shall we do?”

“There's a couch down here too or an air mattress somewhere if you’d rather,” Sofia offered helpfully.

“No, no, I think this will do just fine,” Jackie reassured. “Though it does seem rather scandalous, we aren't even married. What would your mother say?”

“That you should go to bed,” Sofia replied without missing a beat.

“But I’m bored, I’ve done fuck all for days,” Jackie grumbled.

“You have a hole in your abdomen,” Sofia muttered, taking the childhood photograph of Sofia and the family dog away from Jackie and putting it back on her dresser.

“Fineee,” Jackie grumbled and pulled off her shirt.

After living with Jackie for the better part of a year she was fairly used to Jackie’s propensity for nudity. Still, Sofia couldn't shake the feeling her body wasn't responding quite as much as it should have. Or maybe it was just due to the large bandage and Jackie being obviously exhausted.

While Jackie got settled Sofia unpacked her things. She wracked her mind for the easiest way to get the blood of a cow without it dying or trampling her. Her best option was probably to hunt in the woods, hopefully she could find something bigger than a squirrel. It would give her a chance to practice her… shapeshifting or whatever she was doing when she got all misty.

“Do you need anything else?” Sofia asked as Jackie climbed into bed now in her pajamas.

“Uh, no. I’m good,” Jackie replied, adjusting herself under the covers.

“Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sofia said as she stood.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“You’re leaving?” Jackie frowned.

“You thought I would just lie there all night?” Sofia snorted. She immediately regretted her tone.

“Maybe just until I fell asleep,” Jackie replied, sounding genuinely hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Sofia sighed. “I’m… I need to hunt. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh, okay,” Jackie mumbled, turning over and pulling the blanket up. Sofia could tell she was upset, or at least disappointed.

Sofia flicked off the light and headed upstairs. She felt bad, Jackie was injured and somewhere totally unfamiliar. But Sofia had spent nights at Jackie’s side, days trapped inside. She was famished and felt backed into a corner.

Maybe there weren’t people out there to hunt but there were certainly animals. She needed to blow off some steam. She couldn’t stay, and Jackie was in no condition to come with her tonight. Sofia couldn’t be what she needed right now.

The forest behind her home felt entirely different. Physically it was the same. But Sofia could see so much more, smell and hear so much more.

She closed her eyes and let herself soak up the woods. She made herself lighter, her body beginning to be obscured by mist. She urged her body to go a little further, just a little more.

Then she was moving. A blur of white like an echo behind her as she ran. Silence was impossible, the leaves crunched beneath her feet. She jumped, soaring through the air before grabbing onto a tall tree and pulling herself up. She was getting better. Stronger.

She could make out a triangular shape not far from her, not too far from her house. An old cabin. Sofia vaguely remembered stumbling upon it years ago.

Sofia dropped to the ground or intended to. She practically floated down, her ankles didn’t even snap despite the height.

The cabin was filthy, the windows shattered long ago, the door off its hinges. Much of the wood was rotting but the ceiling seemed intact. Leaves and dirt filled the interior. An old chair, a bed frame, a creepy rocking horse. Pink tufts of… some kind of insulation were visible through several missing planks in the wall.

Maybe once the barn was done, her parents should see if they could fix this place up. Granted she didn’t think it was actually on their property, and it was too far away to be of any use. Out here no one would hear you scream.

She sniffed the air. She had caught the scent of… something. Sofia exited the cabin as stealthily as she could. Something was sniffing around the underbrush not far from her.

She sniffed again. Oh no, fuck no, nope nope no fucking nope. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her in the opposite direction of the skunk.

----------------------------------------

Sofia pulled off her hoodie and jeans and slipped into bed beside Jackie. She had been careful not to get any blood on herself.

Jackie stirred, somehow always woken by Sofia’s presence no matter how hard she tried. “How was your hunt?”

“Fine,” Sofia offered hesitantly, unsure of if Jackie was still upset. She scooted closer to press their shoulders together. “I ran away from a skunk and then pounced on a chubby raccoon.”

An amused breath of air left Jackie as she rolled over to face Sofia. Warmth circled in Sofia’s veins. But…

“It wasn’t much of a hunt. It was just a raccoon and animal blood… lacks something,” Sofia sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay, I just… needed open space.”

“It’s alright, you spent your days at the hospital with me. Even vampires need to unwind sometimes,” Jackie snorted.

Sofia hummed. Unsure of what one would typically say to that. “The raccoon wasn’t enough,” she offered instead. “My stomach is full, and my body is warmed but… I’m not satisfied.”

“Does my little vampire need a midnight snack?” Jackie teased in a baby voice.

Much to Sofia’s own unease that wasn’t really what she was getting at. Eloise had said any mammal blood would do, which meant this desire was wholly on Sofia.

The raccoon's blood had tasted of fear and desperation, it had filled her veins with life but she couldn’t take pleasure in such cruelty.

“No, you’re still injured,” Sofia replied, trying to figure out how exactly to vocalize her desire. “I… I want to kill someone. What we did with those hockey players,” Sofia shuddered. “I want to do it again.”

Jackie’s eyebrows rose in surprise before a laugh bubbled out of her. “Holy shit, who are you and what have you done with Sofi?”

Sofia sighed. “I can’t… There’s no honour in harming the innocent, nothing good comes of it. Even animals. If I kill predators, my fellow monsters, maybe that evens out my debt.”

Jackie pursed her lips. “It won’t, Sofi. There is no debt, just your own conscience and a world that is our playground.”

Sofia shrugged half heartedly. It wouldn’t hurt to pretend that was the case.

Jackie sat up a little and took Sofia’s hand. “If you wanna kill people then revel in it, enjoy it, have fun… don’t just mope about trying to even some cosmic balance. Or don’t, be a vegetarian vampire or whatever, it’s your choice. But for the love of God, make an actual choice, just don’t just sit on the fence.”

Sofia sighed and let her fall back into the pillows.

“What do your philosophers say on murder?” Jackie asked.

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets,” Sofia offered, she couldn’t think of much else.

Jackie smirked. “So we should wage war then?”

“Maybe a subtle one between monsters,” Sofia hesitantly agreed.

Jackie smiled. “Whatever helps you sleep at night. Who around here tickles your fancy?”

Sofia snorted. “Half the townsfolk are assholes.”

“But not asshole-ish enough?” Jackie finished for her.

“Probably not,” Sofia agreed. “Maybe we will have to do some research.”

“Small town, people will notice if someone goes missing,” Jackie added. “We’re gonna have to pick our… meals carefully.”

“Ours?” Sofia frowned.

“It feeds my soul just as much as yours, and I drink them through you, don’t I?” Jackie shrugged. “Plus… it’s a team effort.”

“Fair enough,” Sofia offered. “You still need to recover. Which means you need to sleep.”

Jackie blew raspberries in annoyance but didn’t protest further. She snuggled up to Sofia, wrapping an arm around her. Jackie’s thumb traced Sofia’s hip.

Sofia felt herself flush, her body responding with desire entirely misplaced considering Jackie would be sleeping. Sofia relaxed and gently stoked Jackie’s hair, feeling the rise and fall of her chest.

“Ok, that’s really weird you don’t breathe,” Jackie said after a moment. “Wait… are you cursed to manually breathe for the rest of your life?”

“Go to sleep,” Sofia grumbled.

Jackie raised her head just to spite her. Though Sofia didn’t mind the peck on the lips Jackie gave her. Sofia wanted more, her body pulsed, Jackie’s warm skin on hers. So very alive in ways Sofia could never replicate.

But her own desire was a comfort, a mimicry of living flesh even if it was little more than a confused malfunction in her.. A misplaced response was still a response.

Jackie quickly fell asleep, Sofia was too comfortable to leave even if she was wasting the hours of her freedom.

They were going to kill someone again. So much for a farm of cows. She had debated sneaking over to the neighbours to figure out how feasible a steady supply of cow blood could be. But after the raccoon, she knew it weighed on her uncomfortably.

The hockey player’s death never haunted her even if that night sometimes did. Rejoining Jackie, and killing them had been the highlight. What utter insanity she had fallen into.

There was always some madness in love. But there was also always some reason in madness

Sofia had to admit descending down this rabbit hole together had a certain… beauty despite the horror of it all. Just as importantly, it would keep her well-fed and maybe make the world a better place if only marginally.

She could hunt animals out here, she was at no risk of starvation. So Sofia and Jackie could take their time. Make it worthwhile. And… maybe enjoy, just a little.