Decode

The air was cool with the fading sunlight. Aliena lay stiff on the ground of the dirty forest floor. Her breathing was slow and shallow but nonetheless she was alive. Some time during the day Aliena became aware that she was not where she was supposed to be. Her body ached and the afternoon sun burned her sensitive skin. I should not be here, this she knew but she was incapable of doing anything about it. Then her world went black once again.
It was now dusk and Aliena was able to open her eyes to see the darkening forest. She had never seen a forest before but she knew what it was by the smell, that deep earthy scent, a mixture of oak and dirt and a little of everything else. Gasping Aliena made a cry of pain as she forced herself into a seated position. Her neck was sore to the point of unbearably and her skin felt raw like it was recently on fire. Aliena looked down to see that her once beautiful dress was now in tatters along with her legs underneath the fabric. She could see blood leaking from the shallow cuts on her body.

There was a disturbance in the undergrowth that went on for quite sometime, A smoothed out surface on an otherwise rough terrain forming something like a path. Aliena gasped again when she realized what caused the disturbance. I must have been dragged here Aliena thought uneasily but it was the only explication she could come up with as to why she has hurting so bad.

Aliena took her time looking around the forest, seeing nothing that was of use, before she attempted to stand. Her legs were badly cut and bruised but the sound of all kinds of night creatures convinced her that she could not remain there. Her body resisted the extra exertion and the weight of her body was almost too much to bare but Aliena knew that she had to get moving. She decided to follow the path that her inert body made when being hauled away from who knows where. Maybe it will lead her to a true path back to her home and back to Jadin.

The blood began a few yards from where her body was left. At first Aliena thought that it was hers and thought nothing of it but as she continued to follow the path she found the real source of the blood. Wren laid dead on the ground. His once lively body was torn to demoralizing shreds. What was left of his face showed all the fear and pain he must have felt. His arms and legs where ripped away from the body and laid numerous feet away.
Aliena fell to the ground unable to believe what it was that she was seeing. Her bloody tattered dress snagged on a nearby bush causing she to fall harder, not that she cared. The dull ache that her body felt was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. What had happened to him? Was he trying to protect me when he died? Aliena began to weep desperately. A deep soul shattering kind of cry that caused her whole body to shake from the force of her emotion. A cry for the loss of her dear friend and the unstable fright she felt. Aliena never knew that she could feel something as tragic as this.

The night grew colder as it became darker. Aliena didn’t dare leave Wrens body somewhere in her mourning she grabbed his rag of a shirt and was clutching it tightly to her breast. But she became increasingly aware that she could not stay with him forever. Something big had been stalking near by but she could not force herself to care.

“ Goodbye my friend. I love you.” Aliena croaked at the body as she began to move away from him. If she made it back to the mansion she would send someone back to bury him, if she got back.

Aliena grow more tense as she worked her way through the dense forest, hating her dress more and more with each step. The skirt kept on snagging on bushes and the corset was making it hard to catch her breath not to mention the blood on her body made her feel heavy and dirty. She considered removing the gown all altogether but she could not fight her upbringing and felt shameful even at the thought of being naked in the open. The dress stayed.

Hours later Aliena was more lost then when she started. Her body fought against every step she took until she could not go on anymore. The presence she felt had not gone away. Aliena knew she was not alone and fear was threatening to over take her at any moment.

“ Show yourself!” Aliena screamed into the wind. If she was going to die she wanted to see it coming. “ SHOW YOURSELF!” and he did.

A large black wolf walked, cockily Aliena thought, out of a group of trees just ahead of her. His black eyes, or maybe a deep purple, looked straight at her, almost through her. All of Aliena’s fears melted away. She sighed heavily releasing all the fears and tension she let build up inside of her. With a smile Aliena leaped up from the ground and ran up to the wolf. “ I am so thankful that you here” Aliena wanted to laugh, she was so happy.
The wolf barked and bared his teeth at Aliena causing her to stop dead in her tracts. The sound of bones being twisted and broken echoed through the trees. The wolf howled a deep terrible sound that morphed into a deep moan of a man. Aliena looked away in embarrassment from the naked man who now stood in front of her in place of the wolf.

“ Why are you not scared of me?” Asked the naked man. “ Don’t you know it’s not safe to be alone in the woods at night?”

“ What reason do I have to be scared of you?” Aliena turned to face him but kept her eyes down. “ And I am no longer alone now that you are here.” The wolf man laughed. Aliena looked up and was shocked to realize how much this man looked like Jadin. The same dark complexion, the same unusual eyes, they even had a similar body frame. Tall and lean. Unwilling Aliena wondered if this is what Jadin looked like underneath all his fancy…. traditions. Aliena blushed at her own crudeness.

“ You surprise me women. That doesn’t happen often. Are you one of those mainstream girls who fancies a taste of the dark side?” The man said with a hint of disappointment and whispered something Aliena couldn’t hear properly. It sounded like he said “ No fun”

“ I do not know what you mean by “ Mainstream” but I assure you that all I want is to go home.”

“ And where exactly is that?” the man was now pacing allowing Aliena to see every side of him.

“You know perfectly well.” Aliena was getting restless and eager to be on her way. This mans delay was only making her more exasperated.

The man looked her over her from head to toe and for the first time there seemed to be recognition in his expression. Good. “Are you Jadin’s girl?”

“ I am his queen yes.”

“ But you are still human.”

“ I don’t know why but yes.” The man laughed again and this time Aliena’s temper grew.
“ I do not like being laughed at sir. Now if you would be so kind as to take me back to my home I will make sure you are rewarded. I----“

“ No.” The man interrupted.

“ What do you mean No. As your queen I command you to take me home” Aliena saw red with rage. Why was he being so insubordinate?

“ You are not my queen and seeing as you are still human I would watch the way you speak to me… Your Highness” he added with a sneer. That resulted in shutting Aliena up. She could not understand this man who stood before her. At first she thought he was one of her subjects. Some of the older ones could transform, like Jadin could. But now she can see that this man swore no loyalty to her. The man came closer to her making Aliena go stiff with suspicion.

“Why are you out here in the forest?” He was so close Aliena could feel his cool breath on her face.

“ I don’t know.” It was hard for her to think with him so close.

“ Now I find that hard to believe. Do you care to try again?” He lifted up her hair and placed it against his face so he could smell it. Aliena didn’t dare move.

“ I honestly don’t know. Last night was my coronation. Or last least I think it was last night.’ Aliena said absently like she was recalling a dream. “ I woke up here, Alive while my bodyguard lay dead a few feet away.” A tear rolled down Aliena’s cheek as she remembered the sight of Wren. It seems like so long ago.

The man’s temperament changed in that instant. He became cheerful. “ Well it sounds to me that like Jadin wasn’t able to complete the change for you. He probably drained you, which smelling you now could be easily done, and he could not get you to drink enough of his blood, probably only a drop or two, just enough to make you heal from the loss of blood. There was perhaps some kind of raid. Someone commissioned to kidnapped you but failed to complete the mission because he died from a outside force no one foresaw” He seemed to consider his words and smiled. “ Yeah that sounds good enough for me. Lets go.” The man grabbed Aliena roughly and proceeded to tow her through the forest.

“ Wait. Let me go,” Aliena scratched at His hands but he didn’t seem to notice. “ What do you mean? Who are you?”

“ My name is Hunter. I live in the city. I am going to take you there.”

A shiver a fear and excitement ran through Aliena’s body. The City. She could not even imagine such a place. “ Why can’t you take me home?”

“ It is obvious that it isn’t safe.”

“ But they will be looking for me. Jadin will be looking for me.”

“ No one is looking for you sweetheart they are all dead.” He was moving faster now making Aliena hurt more.

“ You can’t know that.” She was close to weeping for the hundredth time today.

“ You’re right but it stands to reason that if he was still alive he would have found you by now. Your scent is not an easy one to miss. If he is not dead then he has gone to ground for some reason. Now we must hurry dawn is approaching.”

Aliena struggled to keep up with Hunter as he moved through the forest that seemed to never end. Just as the sun peeked up over the skyline of the city Aliena and Hunter were both in the underground tunnels Hunter called home.

Aliena was surprised at the sight of the tunnels. It was obvious that it was converted into a living space but was still well below the standards she was used to. The main living area was like nothing she had ever seen. The Walls were decorated with art from hundreds of years ago to very resent pasts. The far end of the tunnel about 40 feet way from where they entered the tunnels was something that resembled and entertainment area. Two large Televisions were connected to some wires that hung from the ceiling. From what she could see there were every type of gaming system available. And hundreds of DVD’s stacked on the floor.

Aliena was denied most luxuries since she was not allowed outside the mansion walls so her only source of entertainment was technology and gaming. Aliena smiled when she realized she would not be without she only hobby. In the middle of the room was what Aliena found most interesting. Fifteen mattresses lied in a heap in the middle of the floor. They were connected by pillows of all sizes and blankets of all types. There were no individually living quarters. This made Aliena nervous. There were also a couple couches surround the beds facing inward.

“ Welcome to Casa de la Me.” Hunter said with joy. He was proud of his life here. At the sound of their approach a cheer went up from the group of people in the tunnel. Some were playing the gaming systems others where settling down to bed and some seemed to be doing nothing at all. At the sight of Hunter they all got up to great him.

“ What have you brought us?” A skinny man asked. He looked sickly and weak but Aliena knew better.

“ I call dibbs on the first bite.” Another man said. This one looked no older then Aliena and just as sickly as the other.

“ O Great. I just love when he brings the skinny ones home. A lot good they do.” said a Beautiful blue haired girl. She was being sarcastic of course. Aliena knew she in danger in this place. They talked of feeding off her but the sight of this girl was all Aliena could focus on.

The women, a little old then Aliena, had shoulder length blue hair that was braiding randomly in some places and left to hand lose in other. She was wearing nothing but a black bikini top and a pair of blue leopard print pants that matched her hair. Aliena could see that her septum was pierced and had a large whooped ring in it. She has never seen a girl like this before. She felt indignity toward her but also interest in the free way she exposed herself. Aliena was entranced.

Suddenly Aliena was flung to the floor and someone was on top of her, someone who had not spoken before. It was a young girl about the age of twelve. Her dark tangled hair fell in front of her face but Aliena could clearly see the fangs the protruded from her mouth. Before she has a chance to scream the young girl bite into Aliena neck.