Trembling With the Strings

“Welcome home,” Lyndell muttered dryly, leading me farther into the depressing building.

“This is where you live?” I asked him, glancing around.

“No. Being here too long could drive a man insane. It’s an abandoned bomb shelter. I don’t know why it was built or anything, but it was close by. I figured it’d be good for one night at least.”

The building could hardly be called a “building.” It was entirely made of concrete, and the walls were a cold grey. It was only a single room, and that room was probably the size of an average bedroom. The floor was just as cold as the walls, as it was made of the same material. There were two doors: one led outside, and the other led somewhere else. I didn’t know where, but I didn’t care enough to investigate. The room had a gloomy air about it, and I didn’t like it at all. My child didn’t seem to like it either, and he was voicing his opinions rather painfully as he threw tantrum after tantrum. I held my stomach and sat down cautiously, leaning my back against the cool walls.

“Get some sleep. I’m sure you’ve been through a lot,” he murmured, smiling innocently.

I nodded, closing my eyes. But I was not going to sleep. I did not want him up and about while I rested. Even if I had trusted him, I couldn’t have gotten any sleep anyway. Adrenaline was still rushing through my body, but I could feel it slowing down. After seeing so many people die at my hands, how could I even consider sleeping and letting my mind torment me with the images of blood and the sound of screams?

I heard Lyndell pacing across the floor, and his shoes made nervous taps with each step. I was comforted with the fact that his steps were not taking place directly in front of me.

I don’t trust him Mommy. I don’t trust anyone we’ve seen today. I want Daddy. Where’s Daddy?

I didn’t know where Darius was. I had thought he would show up when I was with Lady. I had thought he would save me, like he promised. He had told me that I could depend on him, but, if I had decided to wait for him, I would have ended up dead. My lip quivered, but I did not allow myself to cry. I would be home soon, and Darius would make up for some of his failings. He would get rid of the horrifying things I had seen, or at least try.

I hear something…

I did, too! I listened carefully, and I heard yet another pair of footsteps echoing on the floor. Lyndell walked farther away, and I stole a quick glance in his general direction.

And my breaths caught in my throat. There, with Lyndell, was my mother! But that was impossible! There was something different about her, though, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it. Well, I couldn’t figure it out until she grinned at Lyndell. I saw the distinctive fangs in her mouth. Was everyone in my family a vampire but me? I bit my tongue to keep myself from saying something, and I focused on listening to them.

“Is she asleep?”

“I think so. I can’t hear any thoughts, so it’s safe to assume she’s fast asleep,” Lyndell told her, a grin in his voice.

You’re welcome, Mommy.

My son was more talented than I had thought, but I suppose that was his “gift.” He could shelter minds from mind readers like Lyndell and Darius, maybe. But I doubted he would go against his father like that. He hadn’t even met him, yet he acted like Darius was his idol. That was probably just instincts or something.

“After we’re done here, I would like to go after that snobbish cousin of his,” my mother hissed, and I heard knuckles cracking individually.

“Knock yourself out. I just love how stupid your daughter is, Dianne.”

My lip started bleeding then. I had been biting it so roughly that I had pierced my lower lip, but I licked the blood away, hopefully before Lyndell or my mother could smell it. If what Lady has said was true, then I couldn’t afford to spill one drop or they could go insane. Even still I was not so fond of Lynn at that moment.

“Like your idiotic friend is any better,” she spat, defending me for some reason. “I wish he had killed you when he got the chance!”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have saved you then! Maybe I should have just left your severed head lying in the dirt. It’s certainly where you belong,” he hissed, and a body slammed against the wall.

“Get your hands off of me!” my mother screeched. “We’ll handle this later, just shut the hell up before you wake her up.”

“Fine. Just remind me not to help you ever again.”

“Gladly.” There was a moment of silence. “You’re not going to hurt her, are you?”

“Of course not.” There was something about him that I just did not trust. “And I have your word that you will leave Darius out of this?”

“What reason would I have to kill him?”

My mother hated Darius, and she would slip a knife in his dead heart the second the chance arose…

I suddenly did not feel so safe.

I cried out involuntarily when my little angel started nibbling on my insides. I clamped a hand over my mouth, but I heard footsteps rushing over to me.

“You woke her up!” Lyndell barked, grabbing my arm roughly and jerking me to my feet.

“I did not! It was you!” She paused. “Hey, sweetie. It’s going to be okay; Mommy’s here,” she cooed at me, gingerly grabbing my wrist. “We just have to get that filthy thing out of you, so you can come home and live without that demon.”

I jerked myself free of both of them, backing away.

“You’re not killing my baby!” I hissed at both of them, glaring daggers especially at my mother. “I’ve been through so much to keep him, and I’m not going to lose him at the last second.”

Look who actually wants me to live now.

I heard the sarcasm, but I ignored it. He had certainly gotten that from his father.

“I won’t have you bringing that thing into this world, Gracie.”

“You’re a vampire!” I reminded her. “How can you be such a hypocrite?”

“I’ll admit it was about the child being a vampire at first, but now it’s about it being a half-breed. Hybrids don’t belong here, sweetie. Just let us get rid of it.”

“No! I’ve put up with enough! Why does this kid make everyone want to kill me?”

“We’re not going to kill you,” she tried to tell me.

I scoffed. “Tell that to pretty boy over there.”

My mother glared at Lyndell, and he tried to defend himself. While they were arguing, I made a mad dash for the door, throwing it open and running outside. I heard them scream, but I just kept running and stumbling through the night.

There was a slight problem, however: I had no idea where I was.