Shattered Illusions

"Did you say a...vampire? WHAT?"

Maria took a deep breath, bracing herself for Rachel's reaction. "Yes, Rachel, I'm a vampire. It's hard to believe, I know, but it's the truth."

Rachel stared at Maria in disbelief, trying to find either signs of sham and mockery or madness on her face. But there was only sincerity coming from Maria.

"Are you kidding me, Maria? This has to be some kind of sick joke."

Maria shook her head, her expression serious. "I wish I was joking, Rachel, but I'm not."

Sensing Maria was indeed believing her ludicrous claims, Rachel tried to recap the crazy story she just heard from her in order to bring her friend to her senses. "Let me just check I understood what you're telling me. You cheated on Steve with that guy from the club, Nikolai. Multiple times. And while you had sex with him he bit you, drank your blood and then for some reason you drank his blood and now you're a vampire? Am I getting this right?"

Maria rolled her eyes, getting tired by Rachel's obnoxious mockery, "yes, Rach, that's exactly what happened."

"Ok, for the sake of the argument let's say I believe you. Which I don't, by the way. Why didn't you tell me anything before?" Rachel probed.

Maria's tone softened, her voice filled with regret. "It wasn't the right moment, Rachel. But now with Ethan in the picture I had to. Plus, I knew you wouldn't believe me and I was afraid how it would affect us. I wanted to protect you, but I understand if you're angry and confused right now."

Rachel's disbelief slowly turned into anger and she stood up from the table. "Protect me? By lying to me? By making up some insane story about being a vampire? I have enough of this shit, Maria. You must be out of your mind. Have you been doing drugs with this Nikolai or something?"

Maria's patience wore thin, frustration seeping into her voice. "I haven't been doing drugs, Rachel. I'm telling you the truth. If you don't believe me, I'll show you something. Just don't freak out, ok?"

Maria opened her mouth and in an instant extended her fangs, sharp and glistening, right in front of Rachel's eyes. Rachel's breath hitched, and she stumbled backward in shock. Fear flashed across her face as the reality sank in.

"You...you're really a vampire," Rachel stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maria nodded, her expression a mix of sadness and determination. "Yes, Rachel. I am. But please, I would never hurt you. I promise you that. Please sit down and let's talk."

Rachel took a few deep breaths, her fear gradually subsiding. She sat catiously back at the table, this time on the opposite side from Maria. "Okay, okay. I...I believe you now. But I don't understand any of this. How is this possible? I thought vampires were made up...like unicorns."

Maria chuckled softly, "as did I less than two weeks ago, but here I am now. And there are more of them, well, more of us, but I haven't met any other yet. Besides Nikolai, of course."

Rachel, still trembling from the shock, suddenly felt cramped and uncomfortable. She looked around and whispered, "where is he? Nikolai?"

"Oh, don't worry about him, he's somewhere in Europe. We're alone here."

Comforted by that fact, Rachel finally calmed down a little. "Wow...I'm trying to process all this. Do you really need blood to survive? Can you go out in the sunlight? Can you still eat normal food?"

Maria gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll explain everything, Rachel. Yes, I need blood to survive, but I can control my cravings. I won't harm you or anyone you know. And as for sunlight, it weakens me, but it doesn't kill me. Not instantly. I haven't really tested it much. And yes, I can eat normal food, but it's completely tasteless and it can't sustain me anymore. There is only blood for me now."

Rachel gazed at her with amazement, her brain slowly but diligently processing this life-changing discovery; vampires do exist. And her best friend was one.

"How does it feel? Are you still...you?"

Maria chuckled at her innocent honesty, "yeah, it's still me, Rach. I'm different, my...priorities in life have changed, but I'm still Maria. And it feels amazing, to be honest. There's so much energy and power, it makes you feel like a god. But there's also constant hunger that you can never completely satiate, unless..."

"Unless what?"

Maria cursed herself for bringing it up but she had to tell her now, "unless you drink up the blood completely."

Rachel enthusiasm vanished instantly as she took in her words. "So you have to...kill to feel full?"

"Yes, but I don't have to. I've learned to control my hunger, to live with it."

The elephant in the room was getting impossible to ignore, Rachel had to ask, her eyes locked with Maria. "Have you killed anyone, Maria?"

Maria swallowed, averting her gaze down, memory of Steve and a sense of guilt resurfacing. "Yes, when I turned. I couldn't control my hunger. But as I said, that's no longer an issue for me."

A moment of silence overtook the living room of Nikolai's mansion, tension rising between them again.

"Who was it, Maria?"

"I don't wanna talk about it now..."

Rachel stood up again, this time not out of fear but anger. She wanted to know the truth, sensing something was off.

"Tell me, who did you kill, Maria? I need to know!"

Just as Maria took a deep breath, ready to come forward with the terrible truth, a beeping sound of alarm caught their attention.

"What's that?" Rachel asked, looking for a source of the sound.

"I don't know...I think it might be a security alarm. Someone must be outside." Maria stood up and tried to remember Nikolai's instructions before he left. She walked to the wall monitor and checked camera footage, switching between them. Then she saw him, sneaking towards the house. Ethan.

"Fuck, it's Ethan!" Maria gasped, exchanging a worried look with Rachel. "How could he find us? He must have put some tracking device on you!"

"I swear I didn't know he was tracking me! But why is he following us?" Rachel worried.

"He's a vampire hunter, Rach! He's here to kill me!" Maria panicked, thinking of a way to escape.

But before anything could be done the abrupt sound of glass breaking caught their attention, caused by some object thrown in the room from the outside. As it landed on the floor, a terrible blinding light filled the room.

Rachel covered her eyes and screamed, but mostly out of surprise, she wasn't affected that much. Maria's scream, on the other hand, was harrowing. She collapsed to the floor, squirming and screeching in pain as the light from the flashbang blinded her and burned her skin.

Rachel noticed her friend's agony so she squinted her eyes as narrowly as possible and kicked the flashbang out of the room. Its light still illuminated the entire mansion like a second sun, but it didn't cause Maria such pain anymore.

Rachel rushed to help blind Maria, her skin burned and blistered, a lobster-like redness covering her once flawless complexion. "Maria! Are you alright?"

"Fuck! It burns so much! And I can't see! Get out of here, Rachel! Run!" Maria howled, disoriented, while clumsily trying to stand up.

Amidst the chaos, a commanding voice echoed through the room, "Move away from her, Rachel, or you'll die with her!" It was Ethan, standing at the door frame, an enormous and weird weapon in his arms. Rachel instinctively positioned herself in front of Maria, her protective instincts overriding her fear.

"I won't let you shoot her, Ethan!" Rachel declared, her voice filled with determination.

Ethan, his patience dwindling, pushed Rachel aside dismissively. "Get out of my way before she regains her senses." He aimed his weapon once again, firing a web of ropes that ensnared Maria, pinning her to the wall and rendering her immobile.

Lowering his weapon, Ethan breathed a sigh of satisfaction. "There, you're all mine now. Now, you're going to help me with something, and I'll make it quick for you. Refuse me, and you'll see the sun...for the last time. And we've all seen how well your skin takes UV rays. So, what's it going to be, slurpy?"

Rachel, undeterred by the threat, rose to her feet, her voice filled with defiance. "Why are you doing this? She's not going to harm anyone! Stop this madness!"

Ethan stared at Rachel with a mix of disbelief and anger. "Wait, you don't know what she is?"

"I know she's a vampire. But..." Rachel hesitated, trying to understand the situation.

"So why the bloody hell are you protecting her? She's a damn monster!" Ethan interrupted, his annoyance evident.

"No, Ethan, that's not true. She's my friend, and I won't let anyone hurt her, alright?" Rachel insisted, positioning herself between Ethan and Maria once more.

"What's wrong with you, woman? Can't you see she's nothing more than a bloodthirsty cadaver, a damn parasite, a killer?" Ethan scoffed, his expression turning cold and arrogant.

"No, Ethan, that's not who she is, she means a lot to me! She can control her hunger, she's no...killer. I trust her," Rachel countered, her voice filled with conviction, even if doubt lingered in the depths of her mind.

Ethan grinned, realizing that Maria hadn't revealed everything to Rachel. "Not a killer, huh? I suspect she's behind the disappearance of a Danish couple, but I know for a fact she drained at least one of her victims. And you knew that victim as well."

Maria lifted her weakened head, tears streaming down her face as she listened to the conversation unfold. Her sight returned, only to witness Rachel's heartbreaking disappointment.

"Who...who was it?" Rachel asked, her voice barely a whisper, fearing the answer.

"She killed the person she loved, the one that trusted her wholly." Ethan disclosed, unable to hide a smirk as the realization on Rachel's face formed.

Rachel froze as it hit her, glancing at Maria confused, seeking for confirmation. "Is it true you killed...?" She trailed, unable to say his name.

Maria, her voice filled with remorse, answered quietly, "Yes, Rachel...I killed him. I killed Steve."

A heavy silence fell upon the room, tension thick in the air. Ethan believed the matter was settled, preparing himself for the final act. Rachel stared at Maria, her emotions in turmoil - from disgust to pity. Maria's rising emotions from the past few days culminated, she was consumed by grief, self-loathing, and misery. She couldn't bring herself to meet Rachel's gaze, her eyes fixated on the floor as she quietly awaited what she believed to be her deserved end.

"So, I assume it's all settled then. Rachel, I need to interrogate...this woman, before I end her suffering. It would be best if you found somewhere else to be. You understand." Ethan tried to sound compassionate but his eagerness was too obvious.

Rachel finally realized who he was. Her eyes blazed with determination as she abruptly turned around, fixing Ethan with a chastising glare. "Yeah, and who gave you the authority to decide what happens to her? Are you a judge, jury, and executioner now?"

Ethan stared at her, perplexed by her defiance. "I saved you from her clutches, and this is how you repay me? I thought you would have realized by now that we're dealing with a true monster here. There's no place in this world for creatures like her, Rachel."

Rachel, her voice laced with conviction, walked towards Ethan, meeting him face to face. "You manipulated me to get to her, didn't you? All those dates, the false romance, it was all a ploy to lead up to this shitshow here. Well, let me tell you something. I've been with her several times, and she had countless opportunities to kill me, but she didn't. And I realize now she bit me while we had sex, and you know what? It felt incredible! Oh, don't act so surprised, Ethan. I enjoyed being with her, and I would do it again. She may have lost control with Steve, but she was in control with me. I still trust her, but I can't say the same for you. It's you who should leave this place, not me!"

Listening to her, anger gradually replaced Ethan's confused face, his blinding hate for vampires preventing him from accepting Rachel's position. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to the side, his muscular body way too strong for Rachel. She fell to the floor with a cry.

"Rachel! Leave her alone, you bastard!" Maria shouted from the wall.

Ethan towered above Rachel, his facade of compassion completely shattered. "You bloody fangbanger slut! I knew you weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, but I never expected you to be this foolish. Step in my way one more time, and you'll end up just like her."

With a swift motion, Ethan retrieved a menacing hatchet from his bag, his gaze fixed on Maria. "Now, let's be quick with this. I need information about your maker, Nikolai Konovalov, his whereabouts and his intentions. If you provide them, I'll end your existence in a second. If not, I'll tie you up on the roof and you'll die in the worst possible agony. So?"

Maria locked her eyes with him and spoke calmly, but with determination. "You know what? I don't really care about Nikolai, in some ways you even remind me of him. You're both assholes. But I would never, ever, rat on anyone to you, you piece of shit. Not even Hitler or Stalin. So, why don't you cut these ropes and take me to the roof then?"

Ethan's cold smile spread on his face and he said, "I was hoping you'd say that, in a way. But you must think I'm an idiot if you think I'd free you out of the web and give you a fighting chance. First, we'll start by severing your arms...or would you prefer legs first?"

Rachel's heart pounded in her chest as she assessed her options. She knew she couldn't overpower Ethan in close combat. He was stronger, faster, and far more skilled than her. Time seemed to slow as she racked her brain for a solution.

In a moment of desperation, Rachel remembered the taser gun she always carried for self-defense. She hoped it would still work, as she had never used it before. With swift, covert movements, she retrieved the taser from her purse, praying that it would give her the upper hand.

Ethan, his attention solely focused on Maria, raised the hatchet above his head, prepared to strike. Rachel seized the opportunity, unleashing the electric charge from the taser. Two metallic needles embedded themselves in Ethan's back, sending a powerful surge of electricity coursing through his body.

His muscles convulsed violently as he collapsed to the ground like a felled tree. Rachel's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the fallen figure before her, relief washing over her.

"Rachel! Shit, where did that come from?" Maria exclaimed with a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Quickly, cut me down. We have to deal with him before he regains consciousness."

Rachel's mind raced as she contemplated her next move. She had defended Maria, but could she truly trust her? And despite Ethan's fanaticism, there were moments when his words had resonated. Could Maria be left to roam freely in society, potentially posing a threat?

Despite all that was revealed about her, she felt her desire for Maria rising again. Unbeknownst to her, Maria's closeness was overpowering the waning effects of Ethan's cleansing "detox" juice he gave her, connecting with the dormant corrupting darkness Maria seeded in her. The act of protecting Maria only quickened the process.

Yet, the fact that she killed her own boyfriend, and probably others as well, was a huge red flag for Rachel in the way she regarded Maria now.

"Rachel, what are you waiting for? He's gonna kill us both if he wakes up, we've gotta tie him up! Please, cut me down."

"Cut you down? Are you sure I should?" Rachel hesitated, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"What?"

"Ethan was right about some things, you know. I defended you, so I didn't want to admit it to him, but...you really are dangerous in a way, you know." Rachel explained her hesitation.

Maria's voice wavered, tinged with a mix of desperation and understanding. "Rachel, I know it's a lot to take in, and I can't expect you to trust me blindly. But we've been through so much together. I need your help now, more than ever."

"If I let you down, how do I know you're not gonna kill him? Or me? Like you killed Steve..." Rachel pressed with determination.

Maria's eyes pleaded with Rachel, a mixture of desperation and hope. "Rachel, I know I've made terrible mistakes and I've hurt people, but I don't want to be a monster. I want to change, to find a way to... coexist peacefully. But if you find my past unforgivable, I'll accept whatever decision you make. I'll understand."

Rachel's grip on the hatchet tightened, her heart pounding in her chest. She remembered the moments they shared, the laughter, the tears, the bond they had, not the mention everything they shared in bed. Could she turn her back on Maria now?

Her voice quivered with determination as she made her decision. "Okay, Maria. I'll cut you down. But you have to prove to me that you won't... kill anymore. Promise me that you can control your hunger."

Maria nodded, her expression filled with gratitude. "I promise, Rachel. I won't harm anyone. You have my word."

With a swift motion, Rachel swung the hatchet, severing the ropes that bound Maria to the wall. Maria's body sagged momentarily before she regained her composure. They both turned their attention to the unconscious form of Ethan, lying on the floor.

"We need to make sure he doesn't wake up and come after us," Maria said, her voice filled with urgency. "Help me tie him up securely."

Rachel nodded, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Together, they bound Ethan's hands and feet, ensuring he was immobilized. Once satisfied, they stepped back, keeping a wary eye on him.

"What do we do now?" Rachel asked, her voice a mixture of concern and determination.

Maria's gaze hardened as she glanced at Ethan. A plan started forming in her mind. "We need to find a way to neutralize him as a threat, maybe we could also learn something from him. I think there's more to his story, and I can't let him go until I have answers. There's a basement in this mansion. We can lock him up there until we have a better understanding of the situation. It's the safest option for now."

Rachel nodded in agreement, her eyes darting back to Ethan. "Let's do it."

With their hearts pounding and a renewed sense of purpose, Maria and Rachel worked together to move Ethan's unconscious body to the basement, securing him in a makeshift cell.

After Maria and Rachel placed Ethan in a basement cell, they returned to the living room, both still processing what had transpired.

For Maria, a huge burden was released as the imminent threat had been neutralized and the truth was finally out. A sense of freedom washed over her as there was no more need for pretence. Granted, Rachel wasn't aware of everything that had happened, like the full extent of her betrayal of Steve and her debauchery with the Danish couple, but Maria felt Rachel got the main picture of what her best friend had become. She wanted to spare her overworked mind from all these details anyway. The main question now was, how to proceed? Maria knew that the decision lay in Rachel's hands. Would she distance herself from this newfound world of vampires, choosing to leave it all behind? It would be completely understandable, even logical if she did so. Or would curiosity and the bond they shared outweigh caution, pulling Rachel deeper into this dark existence?

Out of respect and love for Rachel, Maria decided to leave the decision solely to her and not influence her in any way. After all, she saved her life.