Let Me Stitch Your Broken Heart

They’d been driving for about two hours and Colton and Carly had been attempting to free themselves from their bounds the entire way. Carly’s bleeding had decreased, but not stopped, and Colton had worked the gag from his mouth. He’d used his strength to break the ropes that bound his wrists. It took remarkable willpower for him to resist the blood dripping from her neck. After setting himself free, he untied Carly’s hands and set to work on the seal over her lips.

“I’ve never seen this substance before.” He kept shaking his head and trying to peel it from her lips. He worked carefully, wary of his strength and her fragility. “I don’t understand why they would use something like this on you and not me.”

Carly had found a gum wrapper and a broken pencil on the floor of the backseat. She was using it to communicate. What if you’re venomous? she wrote after he’d been working on the sealing substance for twenty minutes..

“Then you’ll be a vampire within three days and it’s all my fault.”

No, what if your venom is the antidote to this stuff?

“We don’t know that I’m venomous.”

But if you are…

“I’m not.”

Deal with the possible facts. Kiss me and try it.

“Are you crazy? Then we’ll both be gagged! Look.” He held up his fingers to show where the substance had stuck like cooling syrup.

Spit on them.

Colton looked at her skeptically and then glanced to his hands. With a sigh, he spit on his left forefinger. Carly and Colton watched both hopefully and fearfully. If it dissolved, then he was venomous and she would be free from the sticky substance on her lips. But, she would also be undead in less than a week. They waited a full minute with no results.

Colton turned to her, “I’m sorry, Carly. It was a good idea, though.” He wiped his hand on his jeans and leaned forward to continue his attempts at peeling it off.

“Mmmh!” she exclaimed excitedly. Carly pointed to his outstretched hand.

The substance was gone. Colton looked at her, at his hand, and at his jeans. The substance had wiped completely off and was shrinking rapidly in its spot above his knee. “So that’s why they didn’t use that stuff on me.”

Carly pulled out her gum wrapper and wrote quickly, French me!

Colton rolled his eyes and slowly brought his face closer to hers. His lips came down soft at first but grew more ferocious as he tried to French her sealed-shut lips. As soon as his tongue broke through, he pulled back. Carly spit the seal on the floor and puckered her lips.

“That stuff is sour!”

Colton nodded in agreement as he licked it off his own lips, but didn’t speak.

“Well, aren’t you excited? Now, let’s escape!” Despite her lightheadedness, she still spoke with great energy,

“Carly,” he whisper delicately, “don’t you know what this means?”

“Yes, it means I’m free. Now, come on! Let’s jump from the window!”

“You’re going to be a vampire…and it’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault. We don’t have time for this. My change is the least of our problems. Now, fly us out of here before those things get to wherever they’re going.”

“I don’t fly.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Colton, we’ll deal with this once we’re out of here. To freedom!” She thrust her fist towards up gallantly.

Colton opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it and froze. His body went rigid and he closed his eyes.

“Colton? Colton, what’s wrong?” She placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. He shrugged it off and turned away silently. Carly furrowed her eyebrows. “Colton?” she whispered.

“I know where we’re going.” He turned back to her. His eyelids were up and his irises glowed a frightening bright red.

Carly quit pushing about jumping out the window, then. He frightened her with his devilish glare. They just stared at each other for a few minutes before either of them moved. Colton reached out a trembling hand before placing it gently against her left arm. He moved his hand up and down in an attempt to comfort her.

“Don’t be afraid, Carly. You’ve got venom in you. You’re nearly invincible there.”

She couldn’t speak. Every time she tried to open her mouth, the words refused to come.

“Please don’t hate me, Carls. I can’t deal with that on top of everything else.” His eyes were devilishly pleading now.

“D-d-don’t c-call me th-that na-ame.”

“I’ve frightened you. I’m sorry.” He hung his head to hide his eyes and started to turn away.

“No,” Carly grabbed his arm, “Um, it’s okay, I-I’m just not used to it. There aren’t exactly any hu-humans with red eyes.”

“That’s true. Please, are you sure you’re not scared.”

“Positive.”

“Good because…here.” He handed her his iPod nano.

“What’s this for?”

“Look at the back.”

Carly flipped it over and screamed. In her reflection, a completely different person stared back at her—with red eyes. Colton snatched it away.

“I’m so sorry. I knew it was too soon. See, the change has already begun and….I thought that if you knew you were the same as me, then you wouldn’t be so frightened.”

Carly was panting. “Why?”

“Because…because…I thought….I mean—“

“No, why are they red?”

He thought for a moment before responding, “You’re part vampire now, so I suppose I’m able to tell you.”

“Part?” She knitted her eyebrows.

“You aren’t completely turned yet.”

“Oh, continue.”

“These creatures are from another world—another realm, really.”

“Yeah, you told me that.”

“It’s called Ceilidh. All the creatures there look like that.” He gestured to the front seat. “None of them are very….nice. You’re better off doing what they say and not looking them in the face. Treat them like snobby royalty and you’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure we can’t escape?”

“Our eyes are already red. It’s too late.”

“What does it mean? Our eyes.”

“Rogue vampires tend to have red eyes. Sometimes they’re white.” He shrugged. “It’s a natural defense mechanism. Everyone knows not to mess with a Rogue.”

“Oh. So what are you?”

“The vampire part of me is considered Domestic. It means I get along with people and don’t,” he paused, “normally eat humans.”

Carly disregarded his hesitation. He hadn’t eaten. She was still alive, wasn’t she? “Are those the only two types?”

“No.” He shook his head. “There are also the Royals, the Humes, and the Animalias.”

Carly raised an eyebrow. “Explain?”

“The Royals are vampires that hold powerful roles in the human world. Their lifestyles are private, so that’s why they aren’t classified as Domestics or Rogues. The Humes are just like me except they eat humans. And the Animalias are animals that were bitten and not drained. They become vampires after about a week. They’re extremely dangerous, though, and are killed whenever sighted.”

“Interesting. What am I?”

“It’s up to you.”

“Oh! I think I’ll be Domestic, although being a Royal would be cool, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” Carly giggled nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,” Colton agreed with a small smile.

Carly watched as Colton’s eyes grew to a darker crimson color and glowed more noticeably. She glanced out the window and tried to count the threes that flew by. With sigh, she leaned her temple against the glass and let her eyelids drift shut.

She was half asleep when she asked Colton, “How much longer until we get there?”

He pulled her into his lap and let her settle comfortably with her head against his chest before answering, “It’ll seem short here, but long there.”

Carly was too tired to decipher his riddle, so she closed her eyes again to let her mind and body rest.

It seemed like it was only a few mere seconds later that Colton shook her awake, telling her that they’d stopped. Groggily, she scooted back to her seat.

“Put your hands behind your back and act like they’re tied. Don’t say anything once they open the door and keep your mouth shut in Ceilidh.”

Carly rubbed the wrinkles away that she’d left in Colton’s shirt. “Won’t they see that there’s no rope or goop?”

“No, they’re blind. They’re like bats, but the sounds the make are way too high frequency for any to hear but them.”

Carly laughed at the irony of it. The vampires’ worst enemies were like bats.

“What’s so funny?”

“You just said your worst enemy is like a bat! And vampires turn into bats!”

“No we don’t.” He wasn’t finding this funny at all. “Now, hush. Act defenseless and mute.”

She rolled her eyes. “I could take them on with my awesome vampire strength.”

“You don’t have any, yet. Shhh! They’re coming!”

Both Colton and Carly whipped their hands behind their backs and clamped their lips shut. The door on her side opened first. It was daylight by now, but the creature’s face was still hidden by its hooded cloak. It reached out a gloved hand and plucked Carly from the car as if she were a toy doll. She shot Colton a pleading look. He widened his eyes in a silent way of telling her to watch what she does around the creatures.

“Yasmijin, krijg de jongen. De koning is hongerig nu!”

“Bestel mij rondom niet, Kareltje! Ik kon net nu verlaten! Ik heb uw kind! Zou u van mij om te verlaten, u macht-hongerig dwaas houden?”

“Geen! Verlaat mij niet! Ik hou van u! Ik ben droevig. Vergeef alstublieft mij. Ik zal u opnieuw, mijn liefde niet beledigen. Ik zal de jongen krijgen.”

“Goed.”

The creature then passed Carly to its partner and went around to the other side of the car to get Colton.

“Kom op, smerige bloedzuiger.” The thing let out what seemed to be a laugh. “De koning zal heel gelukkig zijn u te hebben. Die die niet nog volledig worden gedraaid zijn best te eten! Misschien zal hij verhuren mij heb een ledemaat. De spieren in die zijn best naast het hart, maar iedereen weet dat enkel koningen kunnen verslinden dat. Het is een schande dat uw hybride niet langer goed naar ons is. Hij zal een slaaf moeten worden die ziet als hij zijn belofte naar ons heeft niet bijgehouden zullen u mens moeten toen wij terugkeerden. Wij gingen onze huishoudsterbocht u slechts hebben nadat u naar de koning werd genomen—indien u overleefde. Te slecht hoewel. Nu zal uw liefde de prijs moeten betalen. Sprekend van liefde, mijn echtgenoot over er is een totaal—“

“Yasmijin! Zij wil uw snikverhalen niet horen. De poort zal in een moment worden gevormd. Verhuur ons gaan.”

Carly’s captor snarled at Colton’s. Colton’s guard cowered and waved a crooked arm in the air. A large purplish hole formed and wind flew from it directly into their faces. Surprisingly, the creatures’ hoods didn’t blow back.

Maybe they’re not cloaks. Maybe that’s their skin.

The creatures joined hands while holding the couple with their other arms. “Een, twee, drie!” They jumped, dragging their prisoners with them. Carly couldn’t help but scream as they fell down into an oddly colored abyss.