Tainted innocence

Hunter leads me down the stairs into the large parlor. There sits about three men accompanied by four women. The vampire woman make me feel rather plain with their long blond hair and ruby eyes. Only one has soft curly brown hair such as mine. Looking at her I see a lot of me in the girl. I hope I don't have another random sibling that I don't remember. I personally would like to stay off of memory lane, thank you very much.

"Shayla, this Vlad and his wife Vina." Hunter says gesturing to the only vampire sitting down and the woman behind him, the prettiest of them all. "Vlad, this is Shayla." he said now gesturing to me.

Vlad smiles at me and nods. "We have brought a gift for the young bride." the girl who looks like me says stepping forward. What is her name? I want to know her name! Why can't hunter introduce me to people I actually care about? "You may choose any of the ones you want." the girl says snapping her fingers. I watch curiously as two men roil out a large play pin. My mouth drops as I see little tiger cubs in the play pin.

"I can really have one?" I ask Hunter with wide eyes. Hunter smiles with a nod before walking with me over to the play pin. all of the tiger cubs lunge playfully at me, fighting for my attention. But my view switches from the largest and most energetic one to a small form in the corner of the pin.

I walk around to where the smallest cub sat looking serious as all get out. I reach my hand out to pet him when he looks up at me quickly. He looks at me expectantly as If thinking Come on. Pet me already!. I smile and pet him. He purrs happily. I guess it is true that you don't pick the cat, the cat picks you. I pick him up and look over at hunter playing around with the other cubs. The one in my arms seems to sigh in exasperation as he watches the rough-housing. I giggle quietly before saying, "I want this one."

Hunter looks up curiously. He seems confused at the small cub in my arms."That one? But Love, it's so...quiet and small." he said coming over to me. He reaches over to pet the cub in my arms, but the cub has other ideas. When Hunter's hand is close enough, he bites down on Hunter's hand. I laugh out loud while the cub looks pleased with himself.

"Fine." Hunter grumbles while glaring at the cub. "How long will you be staying?" Hunter asks Vlad curiously.

"Until the wedding." Vlad says. I notice his slight Russian accent this time.

"So, until tomorrow night." Hunter says rubbing his hand. My mouth drops at this. why are we getting married so soon?! What in the world is the rush?

"Why did no one tell me we are getting married tomorrow?" I hiss at him. He looks at me nervously. He kept this from me on purpose. He did this on purpose! Just so I couldn't figure out an escape before he could marry me! I turn on my heel and march over and up those stairs. I can't believe him. Of all the no good dirty ....ugh! Why him? Why on earth do I have to marry him? What did I do? I can't even remember being a kid, but I know I didn't do anything to deserve this! I have never killed anyone! Sure, I killed a bug or two, but I don't think a spider is something big enough to have fate match me up with this guy! I shouldn't be with this guy!

I walk into my room, putting the kitten on the bed before flopping on to the bed beside him. "I can't believe you are marrying that idiot." a male voice says from beside me. I turn over to see the cat looking at me. Did he just....?

"Yes my lady, I have the ability to speak.. I'm not from the human world, I am a talking animal." the cat said. Oh.My. Gosh! Great another person...animal that wont shut up!

"For your information, this isn't my choose." I hiss at the magical mammal making himself comfortable on my bed.

"Then why are you here?"

"I couldn't escape."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not fast enough."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not." okay this cat is getting annoying.

"So, you're just going to lay around and have his pup." I turn over to face the ceiling again with a sigh. Someone make this cat shut up before I kill it. The stupid thing just went on and on until I finally fell asleep.

3 A.M. ..................................................................................................................................................

I shifted uncomfortably in my sleep. I just could not lay here any longer. I open my eyes and look around. The cat was at the end of the bed and I was tucked in with my head on the pillows. The windows were open letting in a cold breeze, but it wasn't the cold that woke me.I just woke up, with no explanation.

Yawning I get up. I go over to close the window thinking the warmth will help me, but after seeing the garden I just really want to go see the garden. I sneak out of the room, down the hall, and just walk regularly down the stairs. The air is cold when I walk out into it. I shiver, but I don't go back inside. Instead I walk through the maze like garden. As I walk I hear the voices of children. "You can't catch me!" a girl said in a sing-song voice while another voice snicked.

"Oh yeah?" a little boy challenged.

"Yea. just try." the girl said and I saw her running towards me. I step out of the way watching as the girl runs by followed by the boy.

I follow them happy to stop when they stop at the garden bench. The girl and boy plop down on the bench panting for breathe. I smile softly when the boy hand the girl a small flower and she leans over to kiss him on the cheek.

"Even then I loved you. Even then I was forced to work to have you." Hunter said from behind me. I swirl around to see him. I look back at the small children suddenly noticing how much they resemble Hunter and I. "They are memories. They never die, forever in a living rewind.I want to show you something." he says starting to walk away. Silently I follow him. My curiosity over riding my instinct to run.

He leads me back into the house and up towards the wing of the house I haven't seen in a long long time. I follow him up the old hallway watching in shock as different child hood memories pass me. Finally he stops in front of ,from what I remember as, his old room. He opens the door to reveal I scene I don't remember. It take place at night and judging by the fact that it seems to be almost midnight and I'm not in the small bed by the window and there is woman laying by Hunter, this has to be after I left. It's quiet until I hear something, it's like a sob of agony. "Shayla, Shayla, Shayla..." memory Hunter cried out in his sleep. He sounded like he was in terrible agony.

After a few minuet I turn to Hunter. "I didn't know...I'm so sorry." I say looking down at my feet tears streaming down my feet.

Hunter lifts my head up, so I have to look into his eyes that are filled with so much love that I feel even worse about how I treated him. "I love you." he said. Then with out even thinking, I kissed Hunter.