Danny now said in a calm but eerie manner, “What do you mean it was real? I saw everything in dreams and I still don't remember it clearly.” James sighed, ready for his confession.

“You don't remember these things because when you are bitten by a vampire, you temporarily lose your memory unless in turn, you drink from the vampire. Since I had paralyzed you, there was no chance of that right away.” Panic adduced in Danny's voice,

“A vampire bit me? How? When? Why? I mean...” Danny panted heavily. “I didn't even know that they really existed; I always thought they were just fictional beings.”

“No, they are real, as real as you and me. Danny, I am the one who bit you.” Danny was getting dizzy, to the point where he could hardly understand as James spoke.

“Right now, you have a special venom running through your veins, a venom that allows a vampire to conceal the memories of their prey when they are finished feeding. Somehow, you seem to have an immunity to this venom, and you're memories have been coming back. Normally, you can’t become a vampire until you drink my blood, but you must do it before the next full moon, which is tomorrow night. Somehow, you seem to be in some form of a half-vampire, it’s very rare but not unheard of. Danny, I want you to join me in my life as a vampire, experience the world as you never have before.”

Danny sat in his seat, shocked, not able to move on his own. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Danny's legs began to move on their own. It was okay though, because they were doing what he wanted them to do, which was run away. Danny got into his car, turned the key and drove away. He drove past his house and stopped his car a few miles away at his favorite spot: a nice secluded clearing by a nearby lake. He often went there to relax or think out difficult problems. Danny got out of his car and walked along the shore, picking up a few rocks here and there to skip across the calm water. He took his right hand and slowly ran it around in the soothing liquid.

“God damn it!” Danny exploded. “How could James do this to me? What right does he have to change someone’s life like this! There's no way I could ever go back to a normal life after finding out about this! So many people dream about an opportunity like this, but I hardly even know him. Why the hell did he have to go and do this?” Danny continued to shout into the night air, unaware of the peeping James who followed him and was now hiding in the nearby shadows.

“I need a break from this world.” Danny removed his clothing, leaving only his black boxer briefs. Slowly wading into the water, Danny thought he heard movement behind him, but ruled it out as an animal. He stood in the water for a moment, letting his body get used to the temperature, and then he started to swim. After a few minutes, he reached a small island suppressed in trees.

Danny discovered the small island while he was out swimming one night; he felt the calm water of the lake would help settle the unease in his mind and the current drew him to the island. Since that day, Danny came to this hot spring when he needed to escape. Danny slid his body into the soothing and refreshing hot water and closed his eyes to relax; letting his body slide further down, feeling the instant calming properties the water carried. He opened his eyes when he felt a shift in the water, James had followed him and entered the hot spring.

“Jesus fucking Christ, can I not run away without a shadow?” Danny inquired.

“I came here to apologize. I shouldn't have turned you without consulting you fir...” James' sentence was cut off by Danny's angry shouts.

“Damn right you shouldn’t have!”

“I know and I'm very sorry,” James continued. “I just couldn't stand if it were anyone other than me to turn you! Now I see that maybe it wasn’t the wisest decision on my part.”

“If you think that I would fall for a half-assed apology after you changed my life completely...” James looked down, depressed, for he knew what would come next. “Then you’re wrong. But seeing as how you gave me no other options, it looks like I will have to stick with you for a while longer. It’s not every day that someone presents you with this opportunity and I have too many questions to let this go that easily.” James smiled; this reaction was more than he thought he would receive.

“Well I was hoping for more but I'll take this,” James replied.