“I’ve been thinking of a certain person..”

“Who is it?”

“He was the one who told me I had NtBM and brought me to the hospital.”

“Oh. So he paid attention to you then.”

“Yes, he probably paid attention to me.”

Why, though?

“But he doesn’t want to become my recipient.”

“You told him to become your recipient?” Nurse Nyill made an odd expression.

Lynda was isolated from the world. As someone who loved to move around, being forced to stay put in one place was difficult.

All she could do was sit and think. Even with technology, she found herself itching for human interactions. She wasn’t someone who could go days without talking with someone.

But somehow, she bore through it.

She managed to.

By holding onto that anticipation. That hope that she’ll get to meet him.

She had to be isolated, not even allowed to go to the common wards to prevent herself from endangering others.

“He saved me after all. I don’t know what would’ve happened if he didn’t call me out on it. Ah.. these days, the only thing I think of is him.”

He had the answers.

He could help her.

He was the person she could depend on.

As the day of her feeding grew closer, she found herself lusting for the nurse’s neck. The only person who knew how she felt, and the hard times she had to face.. and yet she wanted to turn hir into a vampire?

The thought terrified her.

She could hurt someone.

Why was she the one who had to get the disease?

Of all people in the world, she was less than point-one percent of the entire population.

By what leprechaun did she deserve this?

What would others think of her?

The repeated thoughts of it drove her inwards.

She didn’t even know that she was becoming an entirely different person.

That, the nano-virus was already altering her mind.

A month and a half passed.

And she was given her second pack of blood.

“So much..”

Unlike the last time, she was fully conscious.

“The amount you need to drink doubles from the 2nd time onwards.”

“H-Huh? This much..”

Blood.

It was disgusting.

But she knew she had to drink it.

She was afraid of it.

This was human blood.

Sticky, gooey.

It smelled amazing. Which only added to the horrificness.

The current amount was already as big as a juice pack.

“You’ve entered stage two of the disease progression.”

“S-Stage two? I thought.. it could be prevented if I drank blood from another patient..”

“That’s correct. I digress, back then, the risks involved in this procedure were too high. There were a lot of things we needed to arrange before we could safely cross-administer blood from other NtBM patients.”

“...”

“I understand your concerns. Please know that..”

The thought of having to drink blood for life now onwards.

So.

Much.

Blood.

If only Avner accepted her.

If only Avner visited her.

After all, he was the one who saved her.

There might’ve been a possibility that he was a vampire too, just like her.

Since he knows it all, shouldn’t he be the one to take responsibility? How could he just leave her half attended?

She needed him. He was the only one who could solve her situation.

He revolutionized NtBM treatment.

He knows the future.

Then he knows what’s best for her too.

So, why hadn’t he messaged? Why didn’t he ask about her condition?

She was lonely. She wanted to talk to him.

The thought ate at her.

He became an obsession.

And then, he came.

She couldn’t contain herself. All her fears, worries, pains. It all came pouring out to him.

She didn’t even know half of what she was trying to say.

“I’m weird aren’t I?” Lynda began tearing up, “I don’t even know why I’m saying all this. I’m happy and sad. I feel like my heart is going to break, are you going to go away again Avner? They say I have to take medication. If not I’ll feel like this, so I told them I won't eat it. I’m I going insane? Avner, you must have a way to solve this too right? Just like before?”

Avner turned around.

“I’ll call the nurse.”

“Don’t!!”

Lynda tried to get up, Cain stopped her.

“Teacher! Why?!”

“Calm down.”

“I don’t want him to go! Let me go!!”

Nurse Shelly came in.

Avner left with Cain and her sister.

The psychiatrist came in. Lynda was forced to take more medication.

“What is wrong with me..”

This sensation.

Lynda knew she was abnormal.

But this feeling? She couldn’t get her mind off him.

“I should apologize..”

Lynda brought up the messaging window.

It was the first time she felt this sort of unease. Her stomach was itchy. She was afraid to text him yet..

[“Avner, I’m sorry about this morning. I’m feeling better now.”]

He replied quickly.

[“It’s fine. How are you feeling?”]

[“Better. I still can’t get my head straight at times. I still feel like killing you. I wish you told me earlier.]

Lynda wanted him.

[“I really didn’t know that alright? I’m sorry. I’m not omnipotent.”]

[“Should I take the surgery, or not?”]

[“You shouldn’t necessarily follow my opinion, but I would say no.”]

[“Then become my recipient.”]

Then things would be simple. She could cut down the amount of blood she needed to drink.

[“You know I can’t right?”]

[“There’s no one else I can get blood from.”]

[“Shouldn’t there be blood packs in the hospital? You’re from a rich family too.”]

If he became her recipient, they would be dependent on one another.

They’ll be forced to interact with one another.

They’ll be forced to learn about each other.

And eventually, they’ll be forced to live together.

Yes. That’s it.

“Nobody said I couldn’t choose who I want to bite..”

[Lynda?]

“Yes Cuue?”

[I’m arranging another session with the psychiatrist.]

“Eh? Why?”

[You’re going to hurt someone at this rate. You know you don’t want that.]

“I’m not hurting anyone. He deserves it.”

[Lynda.. that’s not how love works.]

Her heart skipped a beat.

Her fingers trembled.

She lowered her face.

“Love..”

This feeling.

“That.. can’t be.. I..”

He was younger than her.

She didn’t even know him.

This is how love feels?

“What if..”

He planned all this.

He wanted her to fall for him.

“That.. sly.. fox..”

She was being toyed around.

– by her own mind.

===

dotturndot: yes. We get toyed with by our minds a lot, whether you believe it or not. An incident is how we perceive it to be. And just because we perceive the situation to be what we perceive it to be, it doesn’t necessarily mean our perception of it is the best way to perceive what we perceive.

We look at the world through rose-tinted glasses. And you can always swap out the rose-glass with hydrangea-tinted glass, chrysanthemum-tinted glass, edelweiss-tinted glass. etc. When you do, you realize that you’re flexible. You can be anyone you want– within the limits of the human mind of course.

And by the limit of the human mind.. I have no clue how one should even interpret that.

Lynda has fallen for Avner yahoo! (Or is it just some cognitive dissonance in her mind?) What will happen now? Stay tuned for the next volume! Muahahahahahahahaha!!

[TEddy bear for Lia’s move]

Cain, baker, cookie, hospital, Lynda,

Celadon plates, vases.

===