Beating Hearts

Her head was pounding. It was as if the cold had seeped through her skin and all the way into her bones. The hammer hitting her brain was making her crazy. Slowly sitting up she held her head, looking around. It was too dark to see anything except the hand right in front of her face. The small hand felt her nose and then her mouth. The little girl brought her head closer now, trying to peer into her eyes. It was even too dark for her. Her soft palm held tightly to the older girls arm arm, shaking. She was still too busy trying to figure out what was going on until the small voice called her out.

"Sissy?" she asked, fear striking her voice. Sissy? Oh, her little sister. What was Amelia doing here? "Sissy, I'm scared!"

Things were slowly coming back to her. That's right, they had fallen. Her little sister fell first. Her family was on vacation in Pennsylvania. Simply camping. Their cabin was in the middle of the woods and right behind it was a drop off. The drop off was simply a ton of plants and a huge rock, dirt mound at the bottom. Her sister had went running towards it and slipped. The older girl had went after her and slipped as well in trying to save her. So where were they now?

Through a hole the older girl could see the tree tops way above. She could also see the side of the drop off. Her sister and the older girl were below the rock and dirt mound. But how? She slowly began to get up, feeling the pain in her arms from trying to push myself up. She could hear her little sister crying at this point. Amelia seemed to be in just as much pain as she was. She felt her head, barely dry blood sticking to her fingertips. She made her way back to her sister who was now sitting still, sobbing. Her sixth birthday was in a few days.

"Sissy, I'm scared," she cried, the breeze of the wind catching onto the edges of the hole. It blew cold, the moon light following through.

Amelia's shadow suddenly caught the wall, the flame of a torch coming their way. The older girl hugged her tightly, feeling the blood pasted on her skin. They were cold, dark, and helpless. She watched the two figures come toward them, giggling like maniacs. They stopped, 4 eyes peering down at their useless bodies. The beings were pale, the yellowish red flame reflecting in their blue eyes. They smiled, bending down to the little sisters height. They spoke in unison.

"You seem lost and hurt. How is it you two have wandered into here? Very interesting. Two tasty little girls," they giggled, suddenly grabbing the older girls arm and pulling her up.

One of them let go, only to grab Amelia. He picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Amelia screamed, crying in desperation for help. The male that still took hold of the older girl had pulled her closer to him, just now picking her up and carrying her in his arms.

"Be nice, Jake," he murmured, obviously not liking the position of the little girl. The man named Jake snarled, continuing to walk forward. Their feet led them through the dark tunnel, Jake holding the torch. The older girl was breathing deeply, unsure of what to do or say. However, these men were they were helping them, right? She wasn't sure.

"L-Let us go," the older girl stuttered, now trying to squiggle free from the other males arms. He only held tighter.

"Now, see, we can't do that. You're in our territory doll face," Jake smirked.

"Who are you?" she asked, still listening to her little sisters cries.

"If there is a chance you won't make it out of here alive, why does it matter?" Jake responded again.

"We have the right to know!"

"Man, aren't you a funny one? You're a cutie too," he stopped, turning around to face the older girl. Apparently he needed to explain more that, "Maybe you're not understanding this correctly. You're in our territory, which means, we make the rules. Now shut up."

Jake walked forward, the other male silent as if he knew what was going to happen next. Suddenly Jake put his hand around Amelia's ankle, squeezing tightly. The shatter of the bones under her flesh echoes throughout the tunnel. Amelia screamed, crying in pain.

"No!" the older girl yelled with her younger sister, almost to tears. Why did they have to cause the little girl the pain?

"I hope you get the message. I suggest you stay quiet," the other male mumbled, the girl forcing herself into silence.

They kept walking, Amelia crying in pain as they moved forward. Jake's smile told the girl that he felt successful and accomplished in what he had just done. She bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable in the arms of this mysterious, and mostly quiet himself, man. She knew the horrible one who had her sister was Jake, but she didn't know who the one who held her was. He felt stiff and uncomfortable. She couldn't tell who was colder, herself or this stiff man!

More lights flickered as shadows danced along the walls. They approached a room, laughter and smiles filling the air. They drank their wine, some dancing and singing with one another. The second Jake stepped in, the dancing and laughter came to a halt at the sound of the little girls cries.

"Who's this? Who's this?" questioned one man with wine all over his chest. His hair was long and crazy, muscles flowing smoothly on him.

The people giggled, now taking steps closer to the men. Some licked their lips. Some cracked their knuckles. Others were too drunk to even move from their places. A certain vampire took steps forward, pushing through the center of the crowd and up to Jake. His jet black hair swayed with him, the front of it shorter than the rest as it curved under his chin. The rest of it grew longer as it layered, all the way down to his shoulders. Some of it curled like the pieces near his chin, but many of the strands laid flat. His eyes were a deep green like never seen before. They gleamed in the fires light, almost like the sun glowing through glass. He smiled gently, taking both of Jake's hands.

"Everyone, oh everyone! It seems the Bailey twins have returned! Welcome back, dear brothers! We see you brought a snack! Jake, please bring the little girl to a coffin and stuff her in. That should bring some quiet to my ears," he spoke! This tone of excitement was kept deep in his throat.

The older girl screamed for him to stop but Jake followed through with the order. Along the edges of this chamber were coffins and gripping these walls were the torches. Opening the lid of a coffin there was a dead, decaying body. Blood drained of it as it laid lifelessly, eyes open, flesh leaving the bones and dried meat. Jake threw Amelia in, closing the lid before he had the chance to hear her scream again.

"Get her out of there, please!" the older girl cried, attempting to struggle out of this other mans arms once more.

"Jack, I'm starting to think she'll need a little nap too. Now, if you don't mind, please escort her to her current resting place," he sang, now turning around and heading back into the center of the room.

The man picked up the wine, red liquid so delicately placed into the glass, and drank happily. The rest of the people followed, dancing and singing with him once more! Jack, who the girl now figured out was, had brought her over to the coffin, opening the lid. The girl screamed, not wanting to be placed in there. "Sorry," Jack whispered, throwing her into the darkness. He shut the lid, dark red velvet now scratching at the girls skin. She began to weep, the dead body below her filling her nostrils with the foul stench of war. This body wasn't like the one placed with her sister. Instead this one was bleeding, blood soaking her skin and clothes. She wished it was still her own blood instead of his. She made the mistake of pushing down, hand suddenly collapsing into the meat surrounding his rib cage, the hairs on her arm rising as they met his insides. She screamed, making a quick gesture to push on the coffin lid. It wouldn't budge. It's at that moment she realized that in their wine glasses was surely not wine.