I'm Dating Dracula -Chap. 37-

Chapter 37

When Liz opened her eyes she could see nothing but blurs. She strained her eyes trying to see where she was. It only took a few seconds for her entire body to be overcome with intense pain. She cried out when it all hit her and the pain was so bad she started crying almost immediately. She then heard voices, and she instantly recognized them.
"She is awake." Dracula said, somewhere to Liz's left.
"Yes sir." The Librarian said in response.
The Librarian had been in charge of keeping an eye on Liz. He was to sit there next to her until she woke up.
Liz couldn't respond to the voices just yet. She was in so much awful pain all she could do was cry, and ask 'why' in her mind.
Dracula sat down on the bed next to her. He had been with some important vampire figures when he was notified, via his own telepathic abilities, that Liz had awoken.
"Elizabet...?" He asked her softly.
Liz looked in his direction. All she saw of Dracula was his colors, blurred into a fuzzy figure.
"Vlad?" She said weakly, tears still streaming down her face.
"Why do I hurt so much?" She asked with a beggars look.
Dracula sighed. Liz didn't remember what happened. He knew it. One look into her mind, and he saw all the events she kept in her memories. But she could not recall anything that happened just yet.
"About 2 and a half days ago, I came to rescue you from the Belmunds. I may have successfully defeated them but in turn, you were hit by a large tree. I am terribly sorry, but...I had to turn you. The tree crushed your rib cage, broke your back, and caused you to start bleeding severely internally. You would have died if I had not bitten you." Dracula admitted.
Liz wasn't sure if she comprehended correctly. She tried remembering the night Dracula came to get her from the Belmunds, but the only thing she could recollect from that night was when Dracula appeared to her, and threw Justen out of the house through one of its walls. Everything after that just diminished into blurs and fuzz until it was grey and black, and she couldn't remember anything at all.
"So...I'm a vampire now?" Liz asked, still in her low weak voice.
Dracula nodded to confirm.
"This is what happens when you turn into a vampire?" Liz asked again.
"Unfortunately yes. Vampires are not technically live beings. This is why we need blood. When you are turned every part of your body dies. Your lungs stop working, your heart, all of your organs and cells, they are all in the process of dying. The transformation normally only takes a day or two, especially if you begin taking in blood as soon as possible. However you have been unconscious since I bit you. You haven't been able to drink any blood at all."
Liz groaned at the thought of having to drink blood. She never liked the taste of it. In fact whenever she tasted blood before, it made her gag some. It wasn't that it was a bodily fluid that made her cringe at the thought of drinking it, but rather it was just it's taste alone. To Liz, blood tasted like an overdose of copper in liquid form.
Dracula turned and reached over for something. She couldn't see, as she could barely move her head. She tried moving any part of her body, but the only things she could move was her eyes. Her vision was still blurry as she watched Dracula take something in hands and hold it up in front of her. Though she couldn't see any detail at all, the color of what Dracula held was red, and Liz knew right then and there it was clear glass of blood.
"Here, drink this. It'll ease the pain." Dracula held the glass in front of Liz.
But she didn't take it. She wanted to reach out and grab it but the pain in her body was excruciating not to mention rigor mortis made her body as stiff a wooden board.
Liz let out a wine and let tears fall more from her eyes.
Dracula realized she couldn't move and scooted closer to her to help her drink the blood. He lifted her head and put the edge of the glass to her lips. Slowly Dracula let the blood slip into Liz's mouth. He saw her face cringe at the taste, but she did nothing to stop the bad taste from flowing into the back of her throat. Instead she drank it as best as she could. If it was going to help the pain she felt then she would gladly drink it.
Almost instantly she felt better. She felt like she was the tin man from "The Wizard of Oz" and after getting oil she could move, talk better, and the pain went away.
She felt relieved, although the stiffness and pain didn't completely go away.
"How do you feel now?" Dracula asked her.
"A lot better actually." Liz blinked several times as she started to see better.
"Try moving your arms and legs." He said.
She did so, and she found she could lift her arms up slightly, but her legs were still rather stiff. She also found that the feeling of her organs improved as well. Liz took in a deep breath and she realized it wasn't as painful to do so.
When she saw Dracula's face clear and focused she smiled.
"I love you." She said with a deep breath.
Dracula smiled back at her. He was happy to see her face somewhat back to normal. She still had the look of discomfort and pain, but her smile made it seem like there was nothing wrong.
"I love you as well my sweet Elizabet." He said back to her.
He leaned in and kissed Liz on the forehead.
"So when will I get back to normal?" She asked.
"Unfortunately you cannot go back to being a human." Dracula said, knowing this might upset her.
Instead Liz actually laughed a little.
"No what I meant was when will the transformation be completedcompleted? I'm not gonna have to feel like this for a while am I?" She asked.
When Dracula understood he smirked himself, realizing she already knew there was no going back to human form. He was relieved to know she held no reservations for that.
"Well, If you keep drinking blood regularly you should be fully converted by tomorrow. As I said, you would have been by now, but this is the first time you have been able to drink any blood. I have a fresh supply on tap so you will not need to feed directly on humans for a while. At least not until you get used to the taste. Here drink a little more."
Dracula again helped Liz drink the blood from the glass, and she instantly felt even better than before.
In fact she felt so much better, she was able to sit up. She still hurt all over but it was much more bearable then.
When she sat up she got a better look around her and she realized exactly where she was. She was in Dracula's master bedroom, the same one she spent most of her time in when she was visiting the castle the previous summer. The room was exactly the same and so was the bed she laid in. She looked to her left and saw the Librarian sitting there in a chair reading.
Rubbing her eyes, Liz was happy to be there. It wasn't her home in America, but it was a hell of a lot better than a small tiny cold hut in the middle of nowhere.
"My sincere apologies Elizabet, but I was in a meeting before you awoke. I must return to it right away." Dracula looked genuinely sorry.
"Aw but I've missed you so much. Will you be back?" Liz asked, sad that Dracula had to depart once again.
"Of course I will. As soon as the meeting is over. I promise."
Then Dracula kissed Liz on the lips and smiled at her. He disappeared, teleporting back to his meeting.
Liz sighed. She looked over at the Librarian who still had his nose stuck in a book. He looked up from it, noticing her gaze out of the corner of his eyes.
"Hey." Liz said slouching back down into the bed.
"Hello." He said back with a smile.
"So I guess I'm a vampire now." She said shrugging, not knowing how to break the awkward silence.
"IndeedIndeed you are. Why don't you keep sipping on the blood. It'll keep you from reverting back to rigor mortis."
The Librarian handed Liz the glass of blood Dracula had been feeding to her.
"So I really have to drink this stuff all the time now?" She asked.
The Librarian nodded.
She sighed and took a sip of blood again. The taste was horrible and she didn't enjoy it. But she swallowed it along with her pride and took a couple more big gulps. She took it like she was drinking liquor out of a shot glass. One giant gulp, swallow it as fast as you can.
Liz was determined to speed up the transformation process, so she finished the cup, and then gave it back to the Librarian.
"Wow. You enjoy the taste of blood?" He asked.
"Not really." She said. "I just want all this pain to go away."
The Librarian chuckled some and said, "That I can understand."

Dracula returned about a half hour later. He dismissed the Librarian, informing him that there were no other engagements he had to attend to and could now watch over Liz for the rest of the night.
This made Liz very happy. She felt like she hadn't seen Dracula in ages. Which there was some truth to that. Prior to being kidnapped Liz had only seen Dracula once or twice a month since leaving Romania in the summer. And once she was rescued by Dracula, she only got to actually be with him for a few moments before he went into his heated battle with Justen.
"How are you feeling now?" Dracula asked Liz calmly.
She took in a deep breath and said, "Much much better."
"Well, since you are a vampire now, or almost, I suppose there are some things I should go over with you."
"Ok."
Liz was curious to know what all exactly came with being a vampire. She knew powers such as super strength, super hearing, lust for blood, and all sorts of things like that came with the transformation. But who knew of the little details that went into it.
"First of all, I am very sure you know of the basics of vampirism. Why don't you tell me of what you already know." Dracula said.
She thought for a second, then started naming off things she knew came with being a vampire.
"Well I know that I'll have powers like teleportation, super sensitive hearing, super strength, um...some other magickal abilities, and a lust for blood. But that's about all I really know."
"That is good. You know quite a lot already. However a lot of those powers you just described to me are amplified. As with all of the powers, and even your lust for blood, are. Mind you, you weren't bitten by just any vampire. You were bitten by me, Count Vlad Tepes Dracula, and this means everything about you has been exaggerated!"
Liz shook her 'yes' to let Dracula know she was listening.
"For instance, there are different levels of vampires, different generations. I, of course, am at the top of these levels. Anyone bitten by me, and turned, will experience vampiric powers to the highest extent. An example is Carmelia. She is very powerful, yes. But she will never be as powerful as you. She was bitten by a vampire who was quite high on the generation scale. However it was not by me. Its actually kind of ironic because now you can push Carmelia around instead of vice versa."
She laughed some. She was amused by the thought of treating Carmelia like a little sister and ordering her to clean her room just because she was more powerful.
"Every ability you have is stronger, better, faster. If I were you I would consider it a great honor to be bitten by myself. Not very many get turned by yours truly." Dracula smirked.
He looked proud when he mentioned himself. And he looked even more proud when he mentioned being honored by his bite.
"Well I'm glad, if anyone was going to turn me, it was you." Liz leaned on Dracula's shoulders.
Sensing her gratitude, Dracula put an arm around Liz and held her close.
"Now, getting used these new found powers is an entirely different path. You won't just be able to teleport wherever you want right away. Honing your skills is important. That's why I have decided you will stay here with me until I feel your progress is satisfactory."
"Huh?! But what about Marie and my house, and all my stuff back in the U.S?! I at least want to let her know that I'm ok. She probably thinks I'm dead or something!" Liz exclaimed.
She thought for sure, once she was saved from captivity, that she would be able to go back to the United States.
"Now Elizabet, this is final. Your powers need to be fully functional and under control before you go back out into the world. I am very sorry but its for the best, trust me."
Dracula didn't want to have to keep Liz cooped up in the castle. But learning to cope with vampire abilities could and would be a long and arduous road. And Liz needed to be well versed in those abilities.
Liz sighed. There was no arguing with him. She figured it was best as well. If she tried teleporting back to the United States she could wind up teleporting somewhere she didn't want to be, or even wind up out in the sunlight and be vaporized. This was something she didn't want to happen.
"Ok fine. How long is this gonna take though?" Liz asked.
"You should be in completecomplete control within a year." Dracula said.
"A whole year?!" Liz shouted.
She was unaware and shocked that it would take an entire year.
"Elizabet, I am truly sorry, but you will have to stay here with me for a full 365 days, at least."
She wasn't upset about staying with Dracula, she just wanted to see Marie, and tell her friend that she was ok. Not to mention she had a family. Though she was never very close with them, they must have heard of her disappearance by now. She sighed heavily once more. She knew there was nothing she could do. As before, arguing would be futile and pointless. He was the King of Vampires, and no one could argue with him. Dracula's decisions were final, and that included this one.
She whined and let out a whimper.
"I apologize once more darling, but I promise, as soon as you are ready, you can go where you want freely, at your own will. Alright?"
Liz nodded, "Ok."
Suddenly Liz looked strange. She had a cross look on her face, and she seemed to be uncomfortable. A moment later the intense pain of her dying body came to her and it stiffened causing it gave out on her. She collapsed where she was sitting and started groaning with agony.
Dracula realized she was in need of some more blood. He had an entire pitcher of it, sitting on a small table nearby, along with the glass Liz drank out of earlier. He poured her a cup full of blood and helped Liz drink it.
When she was able to sit up again, she breathed heavily, having to come down from the anxiety of physical pain.
"Are you ok now?" Dracula asked looking at her directly in the eye.
Liz nodded and swallowed some more blood, her face still cringing at the taste.
She then had a sudden itch on her head, and when she scratched at it she remembered something. How long had it been since she took a real shower? She was able to take a bath when she was being held captive at the Belmund village, but it was limited. All she had was a bar of soap to bathe with, and there was very little hot water. Most of the bathing she did there was severely uncomfortable due the water constantly being ice cold. She didn't have any way to shave, she didn't have any shampoo or conditioner. The unexpected realization made Liz feel dirty and gross, and she quickly asked to take a shower. Luckily for her, Dracula had equipped the bathroom with everything she needed, knowing her routine while bathing was quite specific.
After her shower, Liz drank some more blood and her and Dracula talked about a few more things regarding her transformation. He informed her that by the next day, the painful effects of going from human to vampire would be gone. She wouldn't have to deal with rigor mortis ever again.  
Also relating to the drinking of blood, Liz would be able to take as long she needed before she would feed directly on humans. She was uncomfortable, for the time being, with actually biting someone and drinking their blood. So Dracula told her he would let her drink from the supply he kept in storage. He always had a small bank of blood. It was mostly for things like parties, and meetings with other vampires. They would drink it like wine when they got together. And Liz was free to just drink the blood from a cup until she felt she could handle the truth of drinking a humans blood til they were dead.
Dracula talked to Liz about the trainingtraining regiment he had for her. Starting a week from then, every night he would train Liz on a certain power of hers. He would start with the basics, things like having her get used to her immense strength and how to control it. Then running with great speed and jumping to great heights. Then he would move on from there to things like flying and other gravity defying tricks. After that it was onto the harder stuff like teleportation, spells, and so on. Also Liz was expected, not right away, to attend vampire meetings. She was a part of the hierarchy now and she would become a diplomat. Though it would be hard to train Liz and manage his politics at the same time, Dracula was capable. After all the King of all Vampires can multitask amazingly well.
After the run down on what was in store for Liz for the next year, her and Dracula spent the rest of the night together. It filled Liz with a joy she had missed for so long. Being in his arms, feeling his body with hers. It all felt so right, to finally be back in her loved one's arms. And of course Dracula shared this feeling. To him, fighting, destroying, causing people misery, having people fear him was the best feeling in the world. But in secret, being there with Liz wrapped around him, depending on him for things other than guidance, orders, and rules was even better. She depended on him for a completely different reason. She needed his love, not his demands. Liz wanted his heart, not his head. Dracula had known the negative side of things all to well and all to long. And the feeling of having someone there for him, to give him support and love, was the greatest feeling he had ever felt. It let him know that the world wasn't as cruel and cold as it seemed. Underneath the dark black coal was a diamond more valuable than any material in the world. And it made Dracula feel at ease for once.

By the next night Liz was completely transformed. She had drank a sizable amount of blood for not enjoying the taste, and she entered an eternal life with a sour look on her face.
Dracula validated her completioncompletion and promised to spend the rest of the night with her. He needed to keep a close eye on Liz until she learned to cope with her powers. So for the next few nights Dracula would spend all his time with her. Which Liz of course didn't mind. She knew Dracula was a busy person but she also wanted to see him, at least until she was comfortable again with herself. Having not seen your loved one for a long time also makes you miss them and not want to let go again when they are finally there.
So Liz and Dracula cuddled with each other and he allowed Liz to vent about her experiences while being kidnapped. He promised her he wouldn't get upset at hearing her descriptions knowing that in the end she would be over it. All Liz needed to do was get out her frustrations and just have someone listening.
While Liz was explaining how terribly long and boring the boat trip to Romania was, there came a knock at the bedroom door. Dracula got up, carefully moving Liz to the side, and answered the knock.
When the door opened, it was Carmelia, still looking ragged and depleted. Of course this sight was new to Liz. She was shocked when she saw Carmelia standing there, looking years older, sad and miserable and Liz couldn't help but feel bad for the girl.
"Yes Carmelia?" Dracula looked down at her while she quivered.
"Sir, you know why I am here. Please and I promise, I will not do anything hurtful." Carmelia said in a sad and low tone.
Liz was curious to know what exactly she wanted. She had a feeling Carmelia wasn't there to insult her, or harm her. She looked too broken and depressed to try anything like that again, especially if Dracula was standing right there. Liz remembered that Carmelia had been cursed months ago, right before she left Romania in the summer, after throwing her into the lycan pits. It was a terrifying experience and Liz felt Carmelia deserved to be punished for it, but she figured the punishment would be over by then. So why was Carmelia at the door right then and there? And why did she look so horrible?
However Dracula knew what Carmelia wanted. It was time for that honest apology she owed Liz and in order for the curse to be lifted it had to look pretty damn real. So he stepped aside and nodded for Carmelia to enter. When she did, the heavy double wooden doors closed, and Dracula stood there, waiting for Carmelia to get it out.
Walking up to Liz, it made her feel uncomfortable. Liz didn't know what was going to happen though she knew it would be anything bad. But it still left her with an awkward feeling.
"I...am sorry, for all the pain and troubles I have caused you. I cannot deny anymore that I don't honestly regret what I have done and said to you. Being...so human! Its awful!" Carmelia fell to her knees and started crying.
This made Liz feel even more strange. She was shocked to see Carmelia, the jealous and high strung female vampire of the castle, down on the ground looking so helpless.
"Truly you must have some kind of great strength to live so weakly yet continuecontinue the existence though its pointless. I had forgotten what it was like to be this way, to feel so consumed and vulnerable. How did you not beg to be turned?! I can't imagine being you, being with Dracula, and not wanting to feel powerful and so strong. If I have to live like this one more day I just might kill myself! How did you not think of ending your life for all the years you have lived?! How does any human live with being human?!"
Carmelia let it all out after she finished. She cried furiously and Liz didn't know if it was a rhetorical question or not she asked but she tried anyway to answer and it came out with a confession.
"Well, I don't know really. I mean I dunno how many times I tried killing myself because I didn't see the point of life, or I just couldn't take it. But after a while, I realized it doesn't matter whether I'm alive or in dead, time will go on, and I will dissappear and the world will forget about me no matter who I am or when I died. So I guess there is no living with being human. If you are, you are, and unfortunately we all have to accept that nature is a whore."
Carmelia looked up at her, confused by what she said. She didn't know if she was being given advice, or being ridiculed. So Carmelia gave a blank stare.
Liz realized she had baffled Carmelia somehow. The expression was no doubt that she didn't understand.
"Um...I guess what I'm saying is, I accept your apology." Liz gave an awkward look.
"You do?" Carmelia looked excited.
"Uh yea. I forgive you. Besides I went through some whole other shit recently so I'm pretty much over what you did to me. Water under the bridge." Liz gave Carmelia a promising smile.
She looked back at Dracula for approval. Carmelia knew that just Liz accepting her apology wasn't enough to lift the curse. Yes that was how she got the process started, but Dracula had to be satisfied with Carmelia. He narrowed his eyes at her, and searched in her mind for the sincerity.
A few seconds only passed, but it seemed to last a lifetime as Dracula stared at Carmelia.
Finally came the nod that she was waiting for.
Carmelia jumped up with excitement. But her happiness was crushed when Dracula narrowed his eyes at her again. That's when she remembered the other part of her bargain.
She whisked around quickly and looked at Liz again.
"And I also promise, and I swear to God almighty himself, that I will never say another condescending word to you and I will never lay another harmful finger on you." She said.
Then she turned around back to Dracula waiting again for his second and final approval of her apology.
When the nod came for the authorization Carmelia was overloaded with joy. She thanked Dracula as he let her out of the room.
"The curse will be lifted by the time you get back to your quarters." Dracula informed Carmelia as she walked out.
"Thank you sir. Thank you so much! I promise, never again."
Dracula gave her a serious look and Carmelia nodded to it, trying to put him at ease about her promise. But as Carmelia disappeared down the hall, he became confident she wouldn't defy him again. After all she knew the repercussions. Besides, Liz wasn't even human anymore. In fact she was a more powerful vampire than Carmelia now. So what could she possibly have to say that's bad about Liz? What could she do to her that Liz wouldn't come back with 10 fold on her? Nothing. At least not until Liz reached her full potential. But even so, whether Liz was too weak or not, Carmelia could do nothing to her that wouldn't cause a terrible consequence of some sort. Since Liz was a vampire now, making fun of her humanness was out of the question. Carmelia's demeanor towards her would change completely. It not only did, but it would have to.
Liz was over all surprised at Carmelia's apology. Now that there was nothing she could do to harm her in anyway, emotionally and or physically, and things around the castle were going to be a lot better. No more feeling anxious around Carmelia, afraid of what she might do or say. In fact, one power that comes with being a vampire she noticed that very moment. Fearlessness. She didn't fear Carmelia anymore. In fact, a lot of the things that gave her anxiety and fear disappeared. Certain things that gave her angst still remained. But all the distress she felt due to her anxiety disorder was gone. And it made Liz quite jubilant.