Chapter 7: Chapter Seven

The next day, Caitlyn visits Edmund at his house with another gift.
“Oh, what is it, love?” Edmund asks with a smile, yawning.
Caitlyn presents to him a green bead bracelet.
“Wow, I… thanks,” he hugs her and gives her a peck on the lips. “So what brought you here in this fine morning?”
“Don’t know, just wanted to visit you,” Caitlyn smiles back.
“Oh, you,” he gestures her inside. “Do you want me to cook for you? I’ve been watching cooking shows online, and figured, I should cook you a meal instead of constantly bringing you to restaurants.”
“No need, I just ate,” Caitlyn replies.
“Aw,” Edmund says, feeling a pang of disappointment. “I was even excited to show you how decent my cooking skills are.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great,” Caitlyn turns to him, walking to the kitchen area. “So I’ve been thinking, maybe we should really hang out more often in the evening, well, if your boss allows it, so we could be together and you wouldn’t have to always use sunscreen or an umbrella.”
“Finally, you’ve thought about that,” Edmund grins widely. “I was even so close to running out of sunscreen, and I don’t think I could afford one right now.”
“Why not?” Caitlyn asks.
“Been saving up for taxes and electricity bills. You know, to keep the house running?”
“Oh yeah, yeah,” Caitlyn chuckles. “You think we could have a picnic tonight?”
“Tonight?” Edmund hugs her again. “Oh, I’d love to, babe. I’d really love to spend more time with you.”

That afternoon, Edmund prepares sandwiches, skillfully slicing tomatoes and lettuce and arranging the ingredients over slices of bread. He buys a blanket, a basket and wraps the sandwiches on tissue paper before placing them onto the basket. Excitedly, he picks himself an outfit - a blue polo shirt this time and navy blue jeans, paired with black leather shoes, hoping Caitlyn would love his style. And then he waits, then contacts his convenience store boss if he could leave for the night. The boss agrees.
And that night, they meet up at the Moonsun Park.
“Hey,” Caitlyn greets, her flowy yellow dress flowing in the cool night air.
“Hey,” Edmund greets back. “You look great.”
“So do you,” Caitlyn replies. “I brought adobo and nachos.”
“I have sandwiches,” he replies. “And some blood packs from the hospital, of course.”
Edmund sets down the patterned fabric on the grass, gesturing Caitlyn to sit with him.
“Ah, it’s so glad to be with you again,” Caitlyn says, leaning on his shoulder.
“And I you,” Edmund says with a grin.
“Man, comic work is so hard,” she grumbles. “My hands have been straining from all these writing and- and of course, the ever-so irritating complainants. Gosh. I’d have to deal with them sometimes.”
“It’ll be alright, love,” Edmund replies, caressing her cheek lightly. 
And then he leans closer, giving Caitlyn a soft kiss, when he suddenly feels the moonlight a bit too daring. As he slowly pulls away, he turns to see the moon glow an ominous shade of red.
“Agh, not this again,” he grumbles, rushing to grab his blood packs and running away. “Stay away from me, Caitlyn!” he yells.
“No, wait, please!” Although Caitlyn knows better than to run, from her past school topic of ‘What To Do During A Blood Moon’, she can’t help it. She loves being with him. She can’t let even a dreaded blood red moon ruin their date.
The blood moon looms in the sky, casting a crimson glow over the town. The air feels charged with something primal, and Edmund feels his fangs elongate, his eyes glow a bit brighter. His movements become more animalistic, his thoughts filled with nothing but ravenous hunger. He makes his way to the more foresty area of the park, not wanting to hurt anyone, especially not Caitlyn.
Caitlyn’s heart races as she watches Edmund struggle. She knows the legend of the blood moon and its effects on vampires, but she’s never seen it firsthand. She’s scared, but she’s also determined. She can’t let him hurt anyone.
“Edmund, it’s okay, come with me,” she calls out, her voice steady.
He turns to her, his eyes wild, his breathing ragged. “I can’t control it, Cait,” he warns, his voice a low growl.
But Caitlyn doesn’t flinch. She holds out her hand, her gaze never leaving his. “I can’t leave you!”
Her words seem to cut through the haze of his feral instincts. He takes a shaky step towards her, and she can see the conflict in his eyes. He wants to be with her, but he’s afraid of what he might do.
“Come on, Edmund, let’s go home,” she says softly.
Slowly, he nods, and they begin to walk, Caitlyn’s hand in his, her grip firm and reassuring. She can feel the tremble in his hand, the effort it’s taking for him to keep his vampiric nature at bay.
They make their way back to her house, avoiding the parts of the streets where there are crowded people. Edmund growls and snarls, and sometimes pulls Caitlyn towards the people, but Caitlyn pulls him back, an anchor in his side.
Caitlyn’s mind races, thinking of ways to distract him, to keep him from succumbing to his urges.
“Have you seen ‘Rise of the Undead’? It’s a great movie,” she begins.
He merely grunts.
“No? How about ‘The Tale of the Haunted Monster’? Or are you more into dramas?” she asks.
“D-drama…” he merely utters.
“Right, right,” she says, eyeing him warily. “Let’s see… ‘The Sun that Never Shines’ is a good one, right? I bet you’ve seen it; it has famous actors and actresses in it? Huh?”
The crimson light from the blood moon seems to grow more intense, and Edmund’s skin starts to quiver. His fangs are out, his eyes are like burning embers, and his grip on her hand tightens.
“Caitlyn, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can hold on much longer,” he says, his voice strained.
Caitlyn’s heart races as she feels his strong grip and sees the intensity in his eyes. She knows that if he lets go, he might attack someone. So she keeps talking, trying to keep his mind on anything but the bloodlust.
“Remember when we first met, Edmund? You were so shy, you couldn’t even look me in the eye!” she says, trying to lighten the mood.
“C-Caitlyn, don’t,” he groans.
But she doesn’t stop. She tells him stories of their past, of their friendship, of the times they’ve shared together. Anything to keep him from losing control.
“Caitlyn, I’m sorry,” he whispers sharply.
“What?”
Edmund lunges at her, his fangs bared. Caitlyn’s eyes widen in fear, but she doesn’t scream. 
And then it happens. His fangs sink into her neck, and she gasps. But instead of pain, she feels a warmth spread through her body, a burning sensation. She looks into his eyes, and she sees love and regret, and something else. Caitlyn freezes for a moment, then relaxes. She wraps her arms around him, her body pressed against his. She can feel his heart racing, his breathing erratic. But she’s not afraid.
“It’s okay, Edmund,” she whispers. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
But her whispers feel like they’ve fallen flat as Edmund continues biting her, his eyes closed tightly. The world around them fades away, and all Caitlyn can focus on is the feeling of his mouth on her neck. And then, just as suddenly as it began, it’s over. Edmund pulls away, his eyes wide with horror, trembling uncontrollably.
Caitlyn touches her neck, feeling the wetness of her blood, but there’s no pain. Instead, she feels a strange bond, something deeper than she’s ever felt before.
“I-I-I’m so sorry… Cait,” he says, his voice filled with regret.
“It’s okay,” she whispers, trying to calm him down. “I’m okay.” Then, Caitlyn reaches up and touches her neck again.
“Does it still hurt?” Edmund asks worriedly. “I swear if it hurts, I’m going to-”
“No, it’s strange, but it feels good,” she says.
He wraps his arms around her, holding her tight. “I’m so sorry,” he says again, weeping silently.

They stay like that for a long time, the blood moon casting its crimson light over them. He continues to sob as she embraces him, patting him gently at the back.
“I’ll bring you to the doctor, or… or a medical- we could buy you some… wait, hold on,” Edmund rips a portion of his shirt and puts it on Caitlyn’s neck.
"Your shirt, it's ruined!" Caitlyn wails.
“I’ll j-just buy a new one, remember? The thrift store?” Edmund says, his voice still hoarse, smiling slightly.
They laugh a little, the tension easing. 

As they approach her house, she sees her parents sitting outside, sipping tea and watching the moon. They look up, surprised to see the two of them.
“Caitlyn, what’s wrong?” her mother asks, noticing her flushed cheeks and the tension in Edmund’s body.
“It’s the blood moon, Mom,” she says, her voice a little shaky. “Edmund’s not feeling well.”
Her mother nods, understanding immediately. “Come inside, dear,” she says, standing up and leading them into the house.
Caitlyn’s father looks at Edmund with concern and acceptance. “Let’s get you some tea, Edmund,” he says, his voice firm but kind.
They sit in the living room. Caitlyn’s mother brings out the tea, setting it down on the table.
“Thank you… Mrs. Olivares…” Edmund says, his voice still gruff but with a hint of gratitude.
Caitlyn squeezes his hand, and he looks at her, his eyes still a little wild, but the love in them is unmistakable.
“We’re here for you, Edmund,” she says softly. “You’re not going to go through this alone.”
Caitlyn, quickly dresses her wound with antiseptic and bandages. She can see the fear in her parents’ eyes, but she reassures them that she’s okay. And together, they wait out the night, Caitlyn’s warmth and love grounding him.
Soon, the moon slowly returns to its normal color. 
Edmund sighs in relief, his body relaxing as he peers through the window. Caitlyn’s parents exchange a knowing look, proud of their daughter for standing by him.
“Thank you, both of you,” he says, his voice back to normal. “I don’t know what I would have done without you guys.”
Caitlyn’s mother smiles. “You’re family now, Edmund. We take care of our own.”
Caitlyn’s father nods. “And now that we know you’re a vampire, we’ll make sure to keep you stocked up on garlic-free food and sunscreen at all times,” he says with a chuckle.
They all laugh.
“Now come on, I’ll show you the next part of the fanfic I’m writing,” Caitlyn says, pulling him upstairs to her room. “Look, Edmund, I’ve written a new chapter of our fanfic. You’re going to love it!” she says, trying to keep her voice steady. “You remember, the part where you save me from the sun?” she asks.
He nods, his fangs slowly retracting.
“Well, I’ve added a twist!” she says, opening her laptop and scrolling through the pages. “It’s where you tell me how much you love me, and we fly away together on a magic carpet, just like in the movies!”
With a shaky breath, he sits down beside her, his hand reaching for hers.
“Thank you, Cait,” he says, his voice back to normal. “You saved me again.”
“Always, Ed,” she whispers. “Oh, wait, our picnic!”
“Shoot!” Edmund quickly stands and rushes down the stairs with Caitlyn. “Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Olivares, gotta go!” Heading outside the door, they quickly run and get themselves a tricycle ride to the park, finding their blanket and basket area from earlier and settling there.
And as they sit there, with Caitlyn’s heartbeat relaxing slightly and the view of the starry night sky, and with her feeling the coolness of his hand in hers, she knows that together, they can face anything. And not even a widely feared blood moon can stop true love. And that true love knows no bounds, whether someone’s a vampire or a human or in between - that they’ll never be alone and there will always be a place for them in a world of love and acceptance, and people will never be who they seem to be on the surface.
The end.