All the disclaimers and warnings from my last story are in effect.
Dropping to his knees, Xander reached under Josh's destroyed corpse and feebly reached for his neck to feel a pulse, and when he felt none, he began crying, "OH MY GOD, JOSH!!! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD!!!!!"
Xander began to weep with a power that rocked his soul, "OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD ... NOOOOOOOO!"
Without warning, Josh opened his eyes and coughed.
Xander nearly dropped him and cried out, "Oh my God, Josh, you're ... ALIVE!"
Josh simply shook his head and whispered, so softly, "No, I'm not."
"What?" Xander blubbed, crying, "But you're talking to me,"
"I'm not alive," Josh continued before lunging up and latching on Xander's neck, biting deep and greedily sucking the blood from the wound.
Xander was too surprised to even react, but as Josh drank away his life, he began to feel woozy, and happy ... as if, all of life's problems were melting away. Everything was fine.
Xander's surprise at the lethal attack from Josh was quickly overwhelmed and surpressed by the sudden feeling of ecstacy that pulsed through his body as Josh's teeth sank into his neck and began to drain his life away. Never before had he felt such incredible pleasure, tinged with the barest hint of lucsious pain. Xander moaned as he died.
Slowly, the world began to grow dim and fuzzy; as if it was all a wonderful dream and he was about to wake. As the last of his strength left him, he whispered, "Love you, Josh, and thanks."
Those words took the last of his breath, and Xander floated into utter blackness as he heard a fading voice scream, "NOOOOO!"
Josh was nearly insane with grief as he saw the corpse of Xander, drained of all blood, beneath him.
"No no no no NO!" he screamed, "How could I have done this, oh God, OH GOD!" he cried out to a Being he knew neither existed, nor cared about him.
Josh bent and scooped up Xander's lifeless body and weeped, leaving splotches of his bloody tears on Xander's shirt.
Rocking Xander back and forth as the cries of pure misery and pain left his lungs, Josh wished for death.
He had lived for centuries and had his chance on this earth, and here, out of weakness, he had killed a person he actually loved and cared about. Aside from his first, he had never been in this situation, and his howls of misery rent the skies and scared even the most hardened criminals who wandered the streets within earshot.
Looking down again at Xander, his body soaked in the blood from his tears, Josh began to laugh, out of madness, and at the plan that crosses his mind.
He had been forbidden by powers greater than himself to do what he wanted to, but they can damn themselves to the hell they belong to and where he believed he will most lkely end up.
His mind made up, Josh reached for his wrist, but stopped suddenly. What would be best for Xander would be for him to die now and go on to whatever reward awaited him. Should he really offer him this gift -- this curse -- when he has peace waiting for him?
Josh rubbed the blood out of his eyes and decided -- it's still Xander's choice what happens; no one can force the Dark Gift on anyone; they always chose themselves. Or at least that is a lie Josh believed he can live with.
His conscience somewhat soothed by passing on the guilt to another, he commenced his plan.
Josh lifted his wrist to his mouth, bit deeply, and as the blood began to gush, he pushed his vein into Xander's mouth.
As the blood pooled into, and hopefully down, Xander's throat, Josh prayed to a God he knew wasn't there, "Please, let him accept this, and forgive me for the temptation I offer."
As the last of Xander's life left him, he found himself floating upwards. Completely unaware of what was going on, he thrashed about and looked down, only to see Josh, in anguish, over his dead body. Xander wanted to feel either angry or sad, but for some reason, he seemed bereft of emotion. Glancing upwards again, he saw a brilliant beam of light part the clouds and hit his body/soul directly. Warmed by its power, he smiled and reached for it as he began to drift higher into the heavens.
"Are you ready yet?" Josh's voice suddenly boomed through the sky.
Bewildered, Xander asked, "What?"
"Are you ready to pass on? To not fulfill what you are on earth to accomplish?"
"Does it really matter? I know I'm dead."
"You can live again; you can go on."
Xander shook his head and laughed, "How can the dead live again?"
"You know,"
Xander smirked, "So you're a vampire and you want me to be one too, eh?"
A pause fillled the air.
"I AM a vampire, and I don't want you to be one, but if it will save your life, I'll offer you the Dark Gift," Josh replied sullenly, "I offer a curse, but I can give you life. Do you want life? More time to spend with your friends and family?"
Peace enveloped him, "No, I'm fine and willing to go on," Xander replied.
"You won't have to make them suffer from your death. Your parents won't have to face a funeral," Josh's voice taunted.
At this, Xander was shocked back into somewhat life. The thought of his parents, especially his mom, having to deal with the grief of his being dead brought a strange resolve into his mind. He WOULDN'T let that happen!
"What ... what does it take?" Xander asked hesitantly.
"Just to drink," Josh's voice said.
"How do I do that?" Xander asked, suddenly scared.
"Will yourself to drink,"Josh's voice soothed.
Xander imagined himself swallowing, and as he did, he felt a cold, as from the arctic, fill his soul, and the light lifting him into the heavens disappeared and was replaced by a thunder storm of incredible magnitude.
Scared and unable to breathe, Xander cried out, "Oh my GOD! What have I done!?"
Lightning stuck down and hit him, and he is sucked back to earth.
He tried to scream, but is unable, and then the world is dark.
Josh has been holding his vein to Xander's mouth for a good 5 minutes, and was about to give up when suddenly, Xander coughed, spit up an insane amount of blood, arched his back and screamed like a banshee.
Josh backed up and watched as Xander thrashed and heaved on the ground as the transformation took hold.
Still crying, out of both happiness and pain, Josh whispered, "It worked ... I'm sorry"
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