Lost in Darkness

Hannah grunted and ignored the pain as she tried to pull her wrists out of the cuffs. She needed to get out. She was scared. Fresh tears went down her cheeks, there was no escaping, and her wrists were red and swollen from her attempts to get free.

She looked around once more in the dark, cold room. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out that there was nothing but the wall around her and other cuffs on the walls. She was on her knees to give her feet some rest. She needed a weapon, but the room had nothing to help her.

She rested her head on the wall, which was made of cement blocks. She banged her forehead lightly on the blocks. She blamed herself. She talked to a stranger in a mask. She accepted the drink he offered her, and… she ended up chained to a wall. She should have stayed home.

She had a slight idea of who took her and it sent chills all over her body. She heard about him in the news these past few months. Murderer. He killed all those women. She had a vague memory of the details because she never paid much attention.

She was sure she heard something about the man torturing women, leaving wounds on their necks and then leaving their bodies drained of something… was it blood? She sighed in frustration. She couldn’t quite remember. Did it matter how? The women were murdered, and she was next.

She fit the description of the previous women. All women had long dark hair, ivory skin, and blue eyes. It was why she needed to get out. She didn’t want to be another victim. She didn’t want to be another dead body. Her blood froze when she heard a loud noise from outside.

She started to pull on the cuffs again. She started to beg God to help. It was something she’d never done since she was fifteen. Desperate sobs escaped her lips when the sound of heavy boots grew louder. It was over. There was no way she was going to love. She began to count all of her regrets in life.

She never fell in love. She never skinny dipped, and she never went to Paris. All of her savings were going down the drain because she wouldn’t be alive to go to Paris. She closed her eyes, lost in the darkness for so many years, and just when she found herself, it was all going to be taken away from her. And in a flash, and without remorse.

The steps stopped outside the door. Hannah closed her eyes as she heard him insert the key in and turned the knob. Soon, the only sound she could hear was her racing her heart hammering inside of her chest. A tiny sob escaped her lips, but then she bit her lower lip to stop the rest. If she was going to die, she wasn’t going to go down easily. She wasn’t going to beg for mercy, for he would probably show none.

She was tough. She spent her entire childhood and teenage years going in and out of foster homes. She sometimes got bad foster parents and she would have to look out for herself. As she got older, the foster homes were less often because she was older. She knew how tough the world was, she knew that first hand. She wasn’t a quitter. If she was, then she would’ve been dead a long time ago.

The door creaked loudly as it opened, and it made her open her eyes. He stepped inside no longer wearing the mask he had worn hours before. She could truly his see his face. He was handsome. She really didn’t expect that.

As shocking as it is, most kidnappers weren’t handsome men, most of them were sick perverts. But not him, he was beautiful. Every aspect of him drew her in, but something told her he was dangerous, and that was enough for her not to drool over him. This man had black hair, chocolate eyes, high cheekbones, and a goatee. It looked good on him.

He stepped into the moonlight and she could see in his eyes determination and triumph, like he just won a prize, her. She gulped under his scrutiny. He began to eye her like candy to be licked over and over. Her self conscious made her blush and he gave her a deep chuckled.

“You’re cute when you blush.”

She ignored him. Her eyes moved away from him, but she felt his gaze on her the entire time. Time went by, and each second that passed added pressure to Hannah. She thought she was going to explode after five minutes of absolute silence, well, except her racing heart. It was the only sound she could make out besides her fast breathing.

“Just kill me already,” she whispered harshly. Her eyes darted to his. He was confused.

“Why would I kill you? You’re my mate,” he smirked.

She was confused now. Mate? Was he crazy? He probably was.

“You’re not the serial killer killing women who look like me?”

His brow furrowed. “No, you thought I was a serial killer.”

“You did drug me and cuffed me to this creepy room. What am I supposed to think? That you’re Santa?” she snapped in anger.

“I didn’t drug you. I compelled you, there’s a difference.”

“Compel?”

“As in mind control.”

Annoyance flashed through her eyes. “I know what it means,” she growled. “It’s not real.”

“How would you know?” he tilted his head to the side. “I’m going to take you upstairs. Just as a warning, I am faster and stronger than you. You won’t be able to get away.”

She didn’t doubt he was stronger than her, but faster? She was a great runner.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a great runner,” he crouched down to her level, and her eyes widened.

Did he just read my mind? She thought.

“Not read, I hear your thoughts.”

She moved away from him and closer to the wall. He had to be wrong. No one could actually hear anyone’s thoughts. That was bullshit.

“It’s not bullshit, Hannah.” He extended his hand towards her and she flinched away. His fingers brushed the cuffs and they became unlocked.

She stared at the cuffs awestruck. She did not just see them unlock so fucking easily. Not after she slaved hours trying to do that. It couldn’t have been that easily. She stared back to her kidnapper. What was he? She could now tell he wasn’t… normal. He was something else. Power radiated off of him.

He stood up straight and held out his hand.

She didn’t take it as she got up, her legs wobbled but she would not let him help her. She used the wall for support. He was taller than her by probably five inches which would make him around 5’9. Or 5’10. He wrapped his arm around her bicep and pulled her towards him.

He stared into her eyes for a couple of seconds and then turned to the door and started to lead her out of the ugly chambers. She smelled horrid. The chambers smelled like urine, and she didn’t notice until now. Now, she smelled like it too.

He led her down a scary hallway, and then she saw light. They stepped into the light and she shielded her eyes with her other arm. They went up the stairs. Once they were up, she removed her arm and let herself adjust to the bright light. They were standing in a kitchen. A beautiful kitchen with marble counters, stove, fridge, and all kinds electronics like a waffle maker.

Her stomach growled. She could really go for some waffles. She didn’t care that it was the middle of the night. She wanted waffles, if it was going to be her last meal, it would be waffles.

“You can have some later,” he started to pull her arm again. “You need to shower. You smell like a homeless person.”

She shot him a death glare from hell. She thought about as many bad things she could think of about him. She didn’t care how handsome he was. She hated him.

“If you’re not going to kill me, then what are you going to do?” she muttered and she almost lost her train of thought as she looked at his home. It was grand. So full of expensive things.

“I told you. I need a mate, and I chose you.”

“You make it sound like I’m a wife you just chose without my acknowledgement.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Look, bud, I don’t care who or what the fuck you think you are, but I’m not going to be your ‘mate’.”

“It’s either me, or the man killing all those women who look like you.”

Her blood froze. “Wh-what?”

“I’m not the only one who has claimed First Right on you. He has a different way of catching your attention.”

She gave him a bewildered look. “What?”

He sighed. “Do I have to explain it to you like you’re ten?”

“Please,” she gritted her teeth, “if it’s the only way to help me understand.”

“After you shower and eat, hmm, maybe just shower. Your stomach might not take it.”

He pulled her to the second floor and into a bedroom. Her eyes went huge. It was so big, it was about three times the size of her apartment. She stared at all of the things he had in his room. She couldn’t see long because he shoved her into a bathroom, that was just as grand as the rest of the house or possibly mansion.

She saw fresh clothes on a counter. He closed the door after her. At least he was giving her privacy. She wouldn’t deny a shower. She really needed it. She took a minute to take in the wonderful design of the room, and then stripped from her clothes.

She stepped into the shower. She turned on the water to warm and sighed loudly in content. The dirt washed off of her. She looked for body wash and she found one of cocoa nut. It was her favorite. She shoved the thought away of the coincidence and washed her body. When she was done, she stepped out and dried herself with a towel. She looked at the clothes he gave her. It was a pair of jeans and a nice fitted shirt. She did expect him to give her a short skirt and probably a corset, but no, he gave her normal clothes. She didn’t even know his name and he seemed to know plenty about her.

She stepped out of the bathroom and found him across the room. He was in a thinking mood until she stepped out.

“You look a lot better,” he walked across the room towards her.

“What’s going on? Why am I here? And you know the serial killer? What makes you think I’m going to just willingly be your ’mate’.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “So much curiosity, you do know it killed the cat.”

She shrugged. “I’ll take that risk.”

His eyes lit up in amusement for a few seconds, but then it left.

“What do you know of vampires?”

“Fake?”

He shook his head. “No. We’ve lived in hiding for a long time. We’re very real.”

“We?” she asked. “You think you’re a vampire?” she scoffed. “Oh, man, you have some serious problems.”

“How would you explain how I can hear your thoughts and that I know a lot about you.”

“Easy, you’re a stalker.”

“I don’t stalk,” he growled like she had offended him.

“Vampires are a folklore. Didn’t they teach you that in school?”

“Yes, six hundred years ago,” he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.

She noticed the tattoos. He also had them on his fingers. She never noticed them.

“Suppose I believe you,” she said. “What do vampires have to do with this?”

“The man after you is a vampire, and has challenged me.”

“For what?”

“You.”

She gulped. “Me? Why?”

“You’re a damphir. You come from a bloodline of half vampires and half-humans.”

Oh, my God, she thought, I’ve been kidnapped by a freaking psycho.

“I’m not a freaking psycho,” he stepped closer and she stepped back. “Your mother comes from descendents of gypsies who were the only ones who could have children with male vampires.”

“I don’t have a mom,” she said sourly.

“Of course you do, how were you born?”

He had a point.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “I just told you that you come from vampires and you want to know my name?”

“It’s just weird not knowing your name, all right. If you’re not going to harm me, then tell me your name.”

“Brian.”

Brian, she repeated to herself. So normal. She knew a couple of Brian’s in her past. None were like him though.

“What’s the name of the man killing women like me?”

“His name is Mark and let’s just say he’s the one you should think as a freaking psycho.”

“Why would he think killing those women would impress me?” she asked softly. Guilt rocked her body. Women were killed because of her. Their lives on her hands.

“Because he’s a freaking psycho, and it’s not your fault. You didn’t even know about him.”

“Stop hearing my thoughts,” she sat down on the large bed because her legs were about to give out.

“I can’t. You are basically shouting them at me.”

“What do I do?”

“Nothing. I’m here to protect you.”

“I’m not going to be your mate,” she hissed at him. “You can’t just pick someone without their acknowledgement.”

“We have a lot of time to get to know each other. You’re not going anywhere.”

Brian left and Hannah was alone with her thoughts.

She just couldn’t believe what was going on. Vampires? Damphirs? Gypsies? What kind of fucked up world was Brian living in? He had to be delirious. She decided to get out. She knew she couldn’t go out the front door. She decided to out through the balcony that the room had.

She was able to make it all the way to the ground without being detected, but she did scratch her arm and there was slight blood on her wound. Once she hit the ground though, she made a run for the gate. She made it there without any trouble, except, she would have to climb the gate. She climbed over the gate. She looked around her. There was a long road stretching out either way. She had no idea which way was the city.

“Fuck,” she cursed, but she decided to go right. She started to run and she used all of her strength to run as fast as she could. She ran for about half an hour and then she stopped. She didn’t eat anything so her strength was gone. She gasped for air and used a nearby tree for support.

Her lungs burned for air.

“Well, well,” a voice chuckled from the darkness. A male voice.

Hannah stepped away and stood in the middle of the road. Her eyes darted around in the darkness.

“You smell so sweet,” the voice was near, but she couldn’t see him. It wasn’t Brian. Brian’s voice was different. “Brian doesn’t even know you’re gone, yet.”

She gulped and fear struck her. “Mark?”

“Ah, he’s told you about me,” a man stepped out of the shadows. Yes, he was handsome, but he screamed danger and death. “What lies has he told you?”

“You’re the one killing those women.”

“Okay, maybe not lies,” Mark laughed.

She cursed to herself. She was safe with Brian. Why did she fuck it up?

“Ah, darling, it’s all right. You’ll be happier with me.”

And then she was lost in darkness again.