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It was growing dark outside by the time I remembered my message. I listened to it and a calm serene voice said:
“Hell, Claudia. It’s Emma, Lucy, and Louis. We wanted to see you this evening. We ask that you join us at the park when the sun goes down. Hope to see you soon.” And then there was a click.
I didn’t hesitate to rush towards the park. The smell of picnic food greeted me before Louis could.
“Hey.” He smiled and grabbed my hand gently. He walked me over to where Emma was sitting with Lucy in her lap. Maybe I wasn’t utterly alone. I still had Louis and his family.
Emma and Lucy stood to greet me. They both hugged me as though we’d known each other for years. But I felt comfortable with them. Louis smiled at us and started to set out four plates and serve us all. He sat across from me and the Lucy sat next to him and Emma next to me.
We ate in silence but afterward we played tag with Lucy by the moonlight. Emma didn’t join us, she just watched from a distance. Soon, IO was tired and it was just Lucy and Louis chasing each other. They eventually came to join Emma and me on the benches.
While Emma fussed over Lucy’s hair-which was now a tangled mess-, Louis and I wandered over to the swing set and sat in two of them. He wasn’t even out of breath from his came of tag.
“So how come you guys wanted to meet me so late?” I asked him
“Because there’s less people.” He mumbled. Bad Actor.
“Oh ok. So, what’s the real reason?”
He looked at me and sighed. “My family is nocturnal. I was raised that way. We travel a lot. Mostly at night so we could avoid traffic. Lucy and I would stay up and watch the dark scenery go by. The daylight became a nuiscence and we came to detest it. Finally, we found this old house and we plan to stay awhile in this town. At least until Emma gets a new job.”
“So you’re going to leave?” ‘WHAT??????? YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE!!!!!!’ That’s what I wanted to say, but I refrained. I decided not to shout at him.
“Eventually.”
“What about all the friends you have in this town and other towns!?”
“I never had any friends. People out casted me for what I wear. Plus, since I live at night I never really get around to meeting people. I was lucky I saw you. No one travels at night like that”
“I’m one of kind. And my school would agree.” I laughed.
“Yeah, but they don’t know who you really are.” He smiled. I loved that smile. It was so pretty and complimentary to his already perfect face. There was no way you couldn’t fall in love with him.
Sooner or later I had to leave. I chose later of course. I left at around midnight. When I arrived home the house was dark, as I had left it. But something was different. I didn’t know what. At least not until I turned on the light in my living room.
There was a man sitting in the chair my father usually sat in. I faintly recognized him. He grinned at me and at that instant I knew he wasn’t human. In his mouth glistened two vampire fangs.
I forced myself not to gasp. He was beautiful as any vampire should be, but he was also frightening. Questions. So many questions I wanted to ask but I dared not voice them. Having a vampire in your living room is hardly the time you want to speak.
“Hello Claudia” he said slowly. I stared at him fearlessly but inside my nerves were shaking.
“I would say ‘hello’ but I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” I said coldly.
“Do excuse my rudeness.” He announced. Now, I noticed the Romanian accent in his voice, why I didn’t notice it before was a mystery to me. “I’m Drake” he stood and bowed. “and I am terribly sorry to barge in unannounced like this but I afraid I must be taking you.”
“What?” I demanded. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it. It sent chills down my body. I mean what would you feel if a vampire was in your house telling you he was going to kidnap you? Huh?
“Yes, I need a way to get to Louis and Emma has banished me from her house. Kidnapping his girlfriend seemed like the right way to go.” He smirked.
“So you’re just going to take me? What if I don’t want to go?” I snapped. I decided not to argue with him ion the whole girlfriend thing.
“Well, I’ll just pick you up and carry you” he shrugged. “Easy way of hard way. It’s your choice really.”
“Hard way” I said through gritted teeth.
“Fine” he muttered. He stepped toward me and my heart pounded in my chest. Another step. I gulped. He was inches away from my face. And then, he was sinking his teeth into my neck. I felt a floating sensation due to the vampire anesthetic. He didn’t drink from me. He just knocked me unconscious with his vampire saliva, curse him.
* * * * * * * * * * *
When I awoke, I though for the vaguest moment that I was in Louis’ mansion/house. The gray stone matched perfectly. But when I studied the decoration on the wall, I saw medieval torture devices and prison cells hanging from the ceilings. The people inside those cells looked half dead. They were skinny and dirty. Their faces were distraught, but some didn’t even have the energy to show the emotion they felt. But they didn’t have to. Their condition showed it off much too well.
There was even more frightening things in that room than the tortured people behind bars or chained to walls. The torturers were much worse. They were all vampires. It wasn’t only their pale skin, but the aura around them gave it away. What was worse than a room of vampires? Nothing I could imagine at that second. Only then did my body’s numbness go away and I could feel the cold chain on my wrists. That was the worst thing. Not only was I kidnapped-and probably not missed-, and not only was I stuck in the middle of a room of vampires. I was a prisoner in the torture chamber of a vampire! That was the worst thing.
Just then a handsome vampire with striking red hair strolled over to me. He grabbed my shoulder and hauled me up. My feet wobbled a bit so I swayed. He put his hand on my shoulder to steady me.
“Glad to see you awake. I’m Phillip.” He smiled and started to walk. He grabbed my shackles to drag me along. “I am last in the line of Drake” Oh so he’s the weakest too. He could have fed from me and killed me without even knowing it! But somehow I felt that his vampire wouldn’t hurt me. Not because of orders. But because he was good. He was new and that also meant that he was weaker physically. Still, I didn’t know how long he had been a vampire. Even if it was a week I didn’t stand a chance.
Our surroundings changed dramatically as we walked in silence. That silence was broken when we arrived at a large oak door and Phillip said “Beware of Master Drake, Claudia. He’s not one to be messed with.” He ruffled my hair as though I was his sister and then opened the door. He pushed me into the dimly lit room. The door slammed shut behind me and Phillip was gone. And so was any feelings of safety what so ever.
~sweet~goth~ · Wed Sep 20, 2006 @ 04:04am · 1 Comments |
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