The motel came into view just as the Jeep’s gas gauge dropped to “E”.
     Evonne waited while Gabriel went into the office to pay for a room. The place was similar to the last motel they were at. The doors to each room faced the parking lot and the amount of cars could be counted on one hand. With its cheap appearance aside, it was a safe place to rest for the day.
     Gabriel returned to the Jeep and said nothing as he grabbed one of his bags from the back. Evonne did the same, grabbing her own bag and following him to the room. Inside, she was greeted with the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and a hint of mildew. Evonne sat her bag on the first bed.
     “I know you’re wanting to take a shower,” he said as he placed his bag on the other bed.
     Evonne gave no reply. She removed some clothes from her bag and stepped into the bathroom, locking the door. She turned on the shower, her eyes unable to focus on anything. Lowering the lid on the toilet, she sat down, her eyes now staring at the wall.
     Her father was right. Alex was only trying to protect her—protect from this very existence. And she blindly walked away. What did she expect? That everything would be perfect after leaving? Those thoughts, however, were minimal compared to events only hours old. Though her mind tried to rationalize the whole survival angle, the main fact remained clear: she killed two innocent humans. She wanted to cry but no tears could form.
     Evonne finally willed herself to undress and step into the shower. She attempted to keep her thoughts absent, focusing only on the cleansing water, but no amount of soap or water could rid herself of the unseen.
     After her shower, she dried her hair using the motel’s hair dyer, then gathered up her clothes, still damp from the river, and headed back into the main room. Gabriel wasn’t there. She was actually pleased to see him gone. Pulling herself onto her bed, she chose not to sleep underneath the covers. The bedding had a strange odor she couldn’t place. It reminded her of clothing that had been kept in a dresser drawer for a year. She struggled to ignore the scent.

Gabriel stood at the gas station’s only payphone and waited for someone on the other end to answer. He weighed his options on the drive to the motel, settling on one simple solution.
     A man’s voice finally answered.
     “There has been a change of plans,” Gabriel said. “I was wondering if you were willing to let us stay for a couple of weeks. I know it’s sooner than I said, but something’s come up.”
     On the other end, Derek was more than happy to hear this. “By all means,” he said. “Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz. Where are you now?”
     “About four hours away. We’ll leave after sunset tomorrow.”
     “Alright. I’ll see you then.”

Evonne heard the shower kick on. She didn’t even hear Gabriel come in. With all of her strength, she struggled to find sleep once more, but the fresh blood kept her on edge. As she lay there, listening to the hum from the shower, her body finally obeyed and drifted back to sleep. But her rest wasn’t as peaceful as she had hoped. It felt like only minutes passed before she was wakened once more. An annoying pressure constantly sat on her entire being. Not even the new blood kept the pressure at bay.
     “In time, you will get use to it,” Gabriel said.
     How long was she asleep? She glanced at Gabriel to see him laying on the other bed. She rolled back over, wanting more than anything to ignore him. She, instead, found herself speaking.
     “I can never get use to this,” she whispered.
     “You’re still seeing yourself as human,” he replied. “That is he first thought you need to shed.” He left the bed and went over to the window.
     Evonne watched as he drew back the curtain, spilling the bright morning light into the room. The light encased her, singeing every inch of her exposed flesh. She screamed at the searing heat and retreated, falling in between the two beds. He closed the curtains. Though the light was gone from the room, the burning remained on her skin. Pain filled her eyes, as well. She looked around and found her sight blurry.
     The darkened form of Gabriel stood over her. “Don’t hold on to your humanity. The quicker it dies, the easier everything becomes.”
     “You should’ve just let me die.” She said it, the words she mulled over each night of her new existence.
     Evonne felt his hand on her upper arm as he lifted her from the floor and onto his bed, the actions violent and driven by anger. She then felt him on top of her, his hands pinning her arms above her head.
     “I never want to hear those words from you again,” he hissed. “You’re using them as an excuse. This is your new life. I know it’s not what you wanted, but it is your life now. Wishing for death will only prolong the agony.” He began to ease up on her.
     Seeing this as her only chance, Evonne gathered her strength and pushed against him, catching him off guard for a brief second. She found her anger and instincts boiling together as all of her energy centered on him. With her hands grabbing for any hold, she pulled herself up to him, her teeth begging to tear into his skin. She latched onto his neck and bit hard. He didn’t stop her.
     Shocked at the lack of any reaction, Evonne left him. She still couldn’t see him clearly or the damage she inflicted, but she could smell his blood, its scent calming. Evonne raised herself up once more, her lips parting as she returned to his skin. His blood, however different from a human’s, was no less inviting.
     In the swirl of his blood, she felt his mind blending with hers. The presence wasn’t this invading force, but rather an ease into a forgotten memory. She saw the purity of his thoughts and his battling emotions. This was the only way she could see the truth within him and not be doubted by verbal conversations. Was this why he refused to push her away?
     It’s a trick! Evonne threw her hands between them and pulled herself from him. She felt the weight of Gabriel leave as he sat back on the bed. Somewhere in her blurred vision, she saw him. With her mind still stinging from the possible deceit, she lunged forward, slapping him. The attack turned into a barrage of slaps and weakening hits to his upper arms and chest. She then felt Gabriel’s pull her close, his arms holding tight.
     The last of Evonne’s strength shattered as she began to cry. The tears leaving her were very much human, yet her new fears were not. An eternity as a monster, an eternity spent killing, and an eternity knowing only death.
     Laying on the bed, Gabriel continued to hold onto her. Evonne kept her back to his chest as the last of her tears filled her eyes. Gabriel’s quiet body helped to comfort her further. As her mind fell calm, one thought returned, now knowing itself to be as truthful as any of her thoughts.
     He would never deceive her. Nothing about him shown malice towards her. He even feared that one day he would fail to protect her.
     So she was wrong. It wasn’t a trick.