Trapped in a Vile World

When I emerged into the hallway, all of my senses were assaulted. I could see every little detail, hear distant voices, and smell multiple people. Wait. I sniffed again. That smelled like…

“Blood,” Jimmy said, as if he’d read my thoughts. I swallowed nervously, looking at my companions. They smiled reassuringly, but I could tell that they were anxious. I took a deep breath, then shuddered as the smell of fresh blood made the hair on my arms stand up. “I’ll go first,” he said, firmly and reassuringly. I nodded gratefully, and followed him quickly as he took off, Zacky not far behind. It felt like mere seconds when we arrived on the ground floor. I looked back up the spiral staircase, taking in the sight of the tower I’d been imprisoned in. I let out a bitter laugh. Trapped in a tower and rescued by my lover? How cliché. Zacky cocked an eyebrow at me.

“Just call me Rapunzel,” I smirked, looking at the tower. He laughed at my reference before pulling me close, his lips mere centimeters from my ear.

“You’re way hotter than some chick who was locked in a tower forever,” he whispered. I rolled my eyes at his attempt to be seductive. I turned so I faced him, pushed him against the wall and planted slow kisses up his neck, nibbling gently at his earlobe. When I pulled away his eyes were wide, his breathing fast. I smirked.

“If you’re finished,” Jimmy said annoyed. I blushed as I turned to face him; I’d completely forgotten he was there. His expression was less than amused, but the awkward moment was cut short by more yells coming from the grounds. I looked at Jimmy fearfully as the smell of fresh blood washed over us again. Zacky touched my shoulder reassuringly, as Jimmy walked up to the large front doors. The towering structures were blocked my huge wooden blocks. Jimmy assessed the situation before turning back to us. “It’s too strong, even for us to bust through.” I looked at them amazed. Vampires were superior; incredibly strong. Jimmy spared me a small smile in his impatience. “We’re not invincible, Tera. And this is incredibly strong.” He nodded to Zacky, and Zacky walked back to the opposite wall. I cocked an eyebrow. Jimmy walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. Zacky suddenly took off, running so fast that I couldn’t even see him with my vampiric vision, but when the whole room shook, I gasped. The room filled with dust and I had to squint to try to see.

“Jimmy,” I whispered, tugging at his arm. He shushed me, and as the dust cleared, I saw the small hole in the wall where Zacky had plunged through. My eyes went wide.

“It’s okay,” Jimmy said as a figured emerged into the light. Zacky approached us, brushing the dust off of himself. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Zacky looked impatient as louder yells sounded from outside. “When you’re a vampire, you excel in one particular area as you grow, and humans who turn into vampires have strong qualities deepen.” I blinked, still confused. Jimmy sighed impatiently. “Zacky was always more athletic when he was younger, and he’s gifted with speed and agility.” I nodded, starting to understand.

“Can we talk about this later?” Zacky asked as more yells came from outside. We all walked and lined up along the back wall, looking at the hole that went about three-fourths of the way through the thick stone of the castle walls. “Ready?” he asked, readying himself for take off. I swallowed nervously, but nodded. Zacky took off, and I followed nearly a second after. The loud thud of Zacky breaking through the remainder of the walls was enough to make me hesitate, and I felt Jimmy’s arm tighten around my waist and drag me through the hole. When we emerged, all I could see was dust. The yells had quieted; everyone was shrouded and trying to get the upper hand. I couldn’t even hear anyone breathing. I gasped when I saw one of them, and he darted at me, hands closing around my throat. Before I could even react, Jimmy tackled the man off of me. I stumbled against the wall, only to find a dead body strewn next to me: body disheveled and blood pouring everywhere. I tried to get away, but I backed into another man who immediately scratched across my throat. I screamed loudly, reaching back grabbing the man’s head, flipping over his head and twisting it so his neck broke. As he fell to the ground, silence fell with him. The dust began to settle, and only five other silhouettes showed. I held my breath, beyond thankful when I saw that all five were familiar faces. I was panting beyond belief, trying to catch the breath that seemed to be getting away from me.

“Tera,” Brian said quietly as he walked up to me, his face bruised and bloody, his clothes ripped and torn.

“Brian, you look horrible… Are you okay?” I asked, my voice flooded with worry. His face twisted in an unhappy look.

“I was gong to ask you the same thing,” he mumbled. I gave him a confused look before glancing at the others’ matching concerned expression. Jimmy grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the large lake that neighbored the large castle. I gasped when I looked into the water at my reflection. There were three huge gashes across my neck and the top of my chest, blood flowing freely. Jimmy whipped his shirt around my neck and tied firmly. I started to feel a little woozy.

More shouts sounded from behind me, but I couldn’t focus on them. I was scooped up into someone’s arms and the world became a blur. Vampire or not, that feeling would always make me feel sick. I closed my eyes, trying to think of anything other than the rocking motion.

Before long, the shouts had silenced and the sun was beginning to set. We came to a stop in a small clearing, and I could hear all the guys panting a bit, but I was too tired to open my eyes, and I drifted off.

When I awoke, all I could smell was earth. My new eyes caught every detail of the dirt walls that surrounded me. I sat up slowly, hesitating when pain ripped through my neck. I hissed, touching it gently with my fingertips.

“Just because you have a stronger body doesn’t mean you’re invincible,” came Johnny’s humble voice. I glanced over at him, forcing a smile.

“What happened? And where the hell are we?” I asked quietly, trying to remember.

“Well, he said walking over and sitting on the little makeshift cot at my feet. “This little room is part of an underground system we dug up to keep us sheltered from those jackasses.” He grimaced. I frowned.

“How could you guys have built an underground network of tunnels in such a short time?” I asked, puzzled.

“Tera, you’ve been out for a couple days. You lost a lot of blood. And even for a vampire who can regenerate faster than a human. It takes awhile to recover from something like that, even for us.” I looked away from him. There was still so much I didn’t understand about the world to which I now belonged. I sighed, slinging my legs over the side of the cot.

“Where are the other guys?” I asked, trying to discreetly change the subject. Johnny smiled knowingly, but didn’t call me out on it.

“Around,” he said, gesturing to the walls. I closed my eyes and listened. I was surprised when I realized I could hear voices in the distance, though I couldn’t make out the words. “Can you hear them?” he asked me curiously. I nodded. “They’re worried about you.” I cocked an eyebrow. “You can’t tell what they’re saying?” I shook my head. “I suppose your senses sharpen as you adjust to them. Or maybe your hearing just isn’t that great,” he pondered, his eyes glittering in the makeshift candlelight. I looked down, unsure what to think. “They’re worried about you,” he said softly, placing his hand on my shoulder. I tried to smile.

“So, what happens now? Are we being hunted? Are we free? What’s going on?” I asked, tired of beating around the bush even more. Johnny looked at me with weary eyes.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“I do,” came Matt’s strong voice from the doorway.