Summary: A tragic tale of teenage vampirism. This is Simon's view of the unfortunate incident and contains the missing scenes of his trip to the hotel and the days after.

A/N: Wrote this ages ago before City of Glass. It's about time I finish this skeleton of a story that's been lying in my documents folder for so long... So without further ado...

Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments or any unfortunate, newly turned teenage vampires to whom we no doubt extend our greatest sympathies and affection.

Simon

It hadn't seemed like such a stupid idea back then. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he had considered the idea much at all. He had made his way quickly through the dark city streets, barely aware of where he was going, drawn like a moth to a flame.

When he had finally reached his destination he had stared, remembering the horrors of that night and the stupid party. He still had nightmares of the place – dreams where he walked the dark abandoned halls of peeling paint and rotting wood of the old hotel as crimson eyes watched him from the darkness.

He didn't even know why he had gone in. Maybe he had been feeing brave or just very, very stupid. Maybe it had been seeing Clary and Jace kiss in the fairy court. Watching them had made him feel sick and he had tried desperately to look away, only to find that he couldn't.

Anger. Jealousy. Betrayal. Each emotion had burned like acid along his veins, coursing through him like liquid fire, twisting his stomach.

The whole time it took to reach the park he avoided their gazes, afraid that they might see a faint glimmer of demonic hunger playing in his eyes, betraying him for the monster that he was becoming.

For Simon, the days after Magnus' party had been spent in silent panic.

The sunlight that streamed through his curtains in the morning had never been so bright. The salty-sweet smell of barbecue flavored Nachos was overpowering – from across the table. Even his hearing had become enhanced.

If not for the fact that he had spent an entire evening kidnapped by vampires in the body of a rat, he would have been pretty sure that he was going crazy.

It had only been Cary's constant presence during the last few days that had kept him sane. Kept him feeling human.

The stupid movie had scared him more than he would have ever been willing to admit. Despite the ancient cinematography and lame rubber spiderwebs, seeing the fanged and pallid face of Bela Lugosi dressed in black had hit a little too close to home.

Feeling his stomach tighten, he had been forced to flee to the kitchen as the chips he had eaten threatened to make a reappearance. Leaning over the sink, he had muttered a desperate prayer as he waited for the nausea to ebb.

And then there was Clary, fussing over him, making sure that he was okay.

In those moments, he had seen the love and concern on her face and he had wanted to tell her everything.

Clary, I think I'm turning into a vampire.

But the words had died on his tongue and he had forced the thought from his mind. He was so afraid that she would turn him away. Afraid that she would look at him differently. Wasn't she a Shadowhunter after all?

Instead he said, "Do I seem different to you?"

He had held his breath as she regarded him closely for a minute. When she replied her voice was filled with conviction.

"You're still Simon."

He closed his eyes as relief washed over him.

So she hadn't noticed any changes in him. To her he was still the same, and that was all that mattered. She would never know how much he had needed to hear those words.

In the seconds that followed, the love he felt for her almost consumed him and before he knew it he had kissed her and she didn't pull away.

He felt his heart race as she leaned in to kiss him back and in that moment he had been enchanted by everything about her.

The taste of her lips and the smell of her lavender shampoo that mixed with her smell flooded his heightened senses.

In that moment there was only Clary, because Clary blocked out everything else.

Looking back, he realizes that that was the last time that his heart would race from kissing a girl.

Had he know that sooner he would never have stopped.

*** *** ***

Animal bones littered the alleyway outside the derelict building. After rummaging through rubbish and an unsuccessful attempt with a window, he had found a way into the basement that had led him into the kitchens.

It hadn't taken him long to find the one stairwell that hadn't rotted away which led upstairs to the lobby. He was surprised to realize that he could see quite well in the dark.

However, he was unable to track the blinding speed of vampiric movement and he had yelled in panic when two blurs of darkness lunged themselves at him, pinning him helplessly to a crumbling wall.

"I told you it smelt human," a high pitched female voice hissed from his left where the shorter figure stood.

"Someone ordered in," a male voice said. He was tall. Taller than Simon and his eyes were narrowed into slits as his fangs flashed in the little moonlight that seemed to be coming from somewhere.

But Simon wasn't watching him because the female had released his left shoulder and has stepped in front of him, placing an icy hand over his beating heart.

"How did you get in here, human?"

Simon heard his voice come out small and weak as he forced the words through his tightened chest. By the time he was done explaining himself, even the two vampires were gawking at him.

"Wait, you came here because you thought you were turning into a vampire?" the male demanded in disbelief.

Simon felt himself nod and he heard the female's high pitched shrieks of laughter along with the male's bass, sending shivers down his spine.

Great. Now even the mythical creatures were laughing at him.

"You can't turn into a vampire like that, fool," the male said as soon as they'd stopped. "And the change is irreversible, but since you're here…"

They had let go of Simon while they had been laughing, but they still had him cornered against the wall.

The female smirked as she moved forward with the grace of a large cat. Everything about her screamed predator as she sashayed her way back towards him.

"Would you like to know how a vampire is made, human?" the female purred softly as she replaced her icy hand.

"Come on, I'll even show you."

*** *** ***

It was the hunger that brought him back from the darkness. It was instinct that told him not to breathe or open his eyes as he clawed his way out of the shallow grave that they had dug for him.

It was hunger that demanded his body to move – to act when his mind was no longer present. The primal urge to feed.

He had never imagined before that such strong emotions existed. As if hunger had wiped his mind like a slate, causing him to disregard everything else.

He had seen her the moment he got to his feet. He could taste her scent in the air between them.

Clary, a voice in his head had said.

And yet her name did not matter. She had something that he craved. Something that he needed so desperately which promised to fulfil the hunger that was tearing through his soul. She could give it to him.

He vaguely remembered pinning her down onto the freezing earth, poised just above her throat. He would taste it any moment now...

And then suddenly he was airborne, flying until he hit something with ear-splitting force. Pain exploded in his head.

His senses snapped back as he felt it. Something sweet and delicious trickled down his face.

It was raining honey.

Sweet, slightly metallic honey.

He grabbed the food source from an outstretched hand and drank it greedily, feeling the hunger pangs slowly ebb.

But still he needed more and his teeth tore through the next plastic bag without thought. He was vaguely aware of voices, murmuring.

If he had been himself he would have been sick at his actions, mortified by the heavy stench of blood and soil.

But since he wasn't human and he wasn't himself, Simon did not care.