Chapter Text
This was Essie's fourth tea of the evening.
Theine rarely worked, but with all the medication the girl already put in her system, taking melatonin would make her feel like some 80 year old woman. And she didn't need her self-image to be even lower than it already was.
The migraine had finally stopped after hours of pain, now the objective was to go to sleep.
But what then? more dreams? more visions? She wasn't Matt Fraser, but whenever her eyelids closed, her mind teleported her to a clear vision of the next day.
New mail? she had already read it the night before.
Her trash wasn't collected? no news to her, she had to deal with the disappointment of her neighborhood's poor service in her dream.
Her friend's dog died?...yeahh, she saw that coming already.
It seemed like a superpower at first. She felt like her third eye had opened.
It was far from that. She was paranoid all day if her brain couldn't remember what she had dreamed during the night; the migraines were making her feel like her skull was being drilled; the seizures and bloody noses.
However, the worst part was seeing the people she cared about suffer and not being able to do anything in time.
She was tired, so tired.
One night, she dreamt of long silky hair. Fangs. Low rise jeans. A girl...a vampire that had seen the first steam engine being invented.
She woke up in the middle of the night. That was never a good sign, but Essie had grown so tired of her situation, that when her dreams told her she was in danger, she felt somehow relieved.
The wind outside her window guided a branch to knock at the glass. The rain outside produces muffled sounds and almost a cozy ambience despite the tense anticipation. Essie put on her slippers and turned on the light. Was the vampire here?
A creak of her bedroom's door was confirmation that she was about to find out.
"Sit. I don't want to hurt you"
Essie's hands shot up at her shoulders' height.
"Who are you??"
Essie wasn't scared or really cared for her life. But dying a horrible death wasn't on her wish list either.
VAMPIRE'S POV.
I had searched for the psychic for a long while. It wasn't normal that everytime I had to feed, this girl knew which pet I had chosen to eat. I don't like eating family pets, but they're the ones carrying less diseases.
"I said sit." The curly haired girl looked nothing like mediums I have met in the past.
Well, over the centuries the styles changed a lot but she didn't look like a professional. The girl reluctantly sat down on her bed.
"Good. now-" but then, she interrupted me.
"Yeah. I was aware of your arrival. I know you're not a burglar but a vampire.
Please don't play with your food. make this quick."
"Excuse me?" I was flabbergasted. what was this girl on about?
"well, I find it insulting that you think that all vampires drink human blood. I turned- vegan- let's say. I feed on animals, thank you very much!" The human looked shocked, not sure what to do, her visions and premonitions seemed to not be as clear as I expected. “I’m not here to kill you- unless I have to of course- I’m here because you keep blowing my cover, make my plans harder.
“What are you on about??”
I had to take a deep breath.
“My…meals. You’ve been warning families about their cat’s ‘disappearance’ or about their dog falling into a pit. Not helpful. I’ll be honest.” The girl shook her head “Alright, I guess it’s admirable that you’re not snacking on humans, but family pets are- family. Can’t you catch a racoon? Or a deer?” I had to hold myself back. “Would YOU rather eat a racoon that eats out of the trash or an animal that receives medical check ups and doesn’t have rabies?”
The psychic shrugged “neither, I’m a vegetarian”
“Bitch! You know what I mean!” Calm, I need to stay calm.
Third person POV
The two girls were staring at each other. Essie was the most confused one, this vampire wasn’t mentally stable. Dropping into a human’s house and demanding her to stop saving some pets? Demanding and not killing? This was new to her.
She hadn’t met many supernatural beings and she was still shocked by their existence after a vision revealed to her that all the horror movies she had ever seen were ACTUALLY based on true stories and the warnings weren’t just a strategy to get people to have people shit their pants. But there it was, a vampire in her room. Apparently not dangerous.
“I’ll stop, I guess.” Essie agreed. “Why don’t you eat humans? I’ve never heard of that.”
The vampire nodded, “Yes, it’s rare, so never assume a fang’s human friendly.”
“My diet…” she continued “It’s an ethical, very personal choice. You’ll laugh at me but I’m on your side. I’m what you would call a hunter. A person that gets rid of the corrupted and the haunted.”
Essie looked around. Alright, cut the cameras, was this some sort of prank? “Yes, and I love waterboarding myself as a hobby. What do you mean??”
The vampire groaned “You don’t have to get it! Just know that I won’t hurt you, just stop ruining my feeding time.”
“What’s your name?” The words left Essie’s mouth before she could stop them. Why would she want to know? She doesn’t want to meet this weird dude again. She doesn’t care about her name, but it’s been a while since she’s been so confused and curious that the paranoia stopped.
“I’m Lydia, Lydia Archer. And I am 158 years old.”
“Well, you aged beautifully.” Lydia smiled at Essie’s sarcastic comment.
“I’m Essie Waine. I’m 21.” The human girl looked relaxed.
Lydia had found herself observing Essie. Her heartbeat was fast but her demeanor was calm. “Well, Essie. It’s nice to meet you. Quite the superpower you have there, visions about the future and the whole sensing stuff.” The curlhead sighed “A curse. You have no idea how heavy this is on me.”
“At least the weight’s not physical, you go skinny queen.”
Essie snorted and couldn’t help but laugh at the century old girl’s joke. “Oh god I can’t believe you’ve said that.” The two shared another moment of silence, a comforting one despite the late hour and the storm outside.
Lydia was the first to speak “I’m joking of course, you seem like you’re struggling with all that.”
Essie looked to the side. “The only reason I’m living on is to try and tell people about any bad thing that’s going to happen to them, but I’m wearing thin on people to care about…Everyone leaves, they think I’m depressed and won’t look for help. But the truth is that I do not want to end up in some asylum and live with these visions forever. Trust me, I tried all types of medication and not even small solutions to schizophrenia or psychosis matches this.”
The vampire didn’t take her eyes off the girl. She felt pity. “I see, I didn’t know who to turn to when my need for water became need for blood.”
“Trauma bonding, are we not?” Essie laid back on her bed, somehow feeling comfortable around the hot vampire now. Lydia sat on her desk chair, her shoe barely touching the ground, she was quite short. “Am I the first supernatural thing you've met?”
Essie frowned at the question “How did you know?”
The other girl sighed “You aren't freaking out and trying to penetrate my heart with a wooden stick. I'd say you're a supervirgin” Essie groaned “Seriously? That's your words play? Anyway- You're right, I saw some pretty weird hardcore stuff in my visions but I've never met and actual Monster High student before.”
“Trust me you don't want to, darling.”
Essie raised an eyebrow. “Well? what now? aren't you going to be on your merry haunted way?”*
Lydia stood up and hovered over Essie's head “You could be an asset. I mean it. Your visions…are just what I need.”
The human looked into Lydia's eyes…they were almost too full yet hollow, like there was only sorry and vengeance in them. “I don't want to. I cannot start using them even more than they use up myself.”
“I'm looking for someone in particular. You could save lives…Something big is happening and I need a headstart.” The vampire's voice rang in Essie's ears, like she was whispering directly into her brain.
She groaned “Is it some missing person? a monster?”
“Demon.” Lydia corrected. “A cruel one. A troublemaker one, eyes like piss.”
Essie snorted “Could have said any other yellow thing, you almost got me on edge and trembling. Piss eyes demon? What's his deal?”
The vampire shook her head “You don't need to know that. I need you to find him and tell me every move of his.”
“Or?” Essie tilted her head, like she had any power over the monster outside her closet (pun intended).
“Or the world as you know it might rot under demons command.”
Essie sat up. And noticed that Lydia wasn't just bending over to hover over her face…she was levitating, her body like a surfboard, levitating in the air over her bed.
“Will you help me, Madam Mim?”
“Yes…but on a condition.
You kill me once we save the world”
The vampire had her heels back on the ground, her face amused. “Oh. Suicidal, sure let's add it to the list.
I don't eat humans but I guess I can terminate them. Alrighty. Deal.”
Essie shrugged “You're not even going to try to talk me out of it? Tell me I'll miss hearing the birds chip or feeling the rain on my skin?”
Lydia shook her head “Nah, you're pretty miserable. You are funny tho.” The girl looked over at her new companion “You're not so bad yourself, Lugosi.”
That night, Essie packed her essentials in a big backpack while Lydia rummaged through her music collection and picked out a few DVDs that looked funky enough for long drives. The psych left with a few black lace tops, jeans, jewelry and her favorite band shirt. But not forgetting her neverending curly hair routine.