Trapped in a Vile World

Jimmy had woken me before the sun had risen to get ready for our journey up north. Zacky had left me alone for the night, and my sleep had been filled with bitter dreams of his resentment. I figured he wasn’t mad at me, but at the whole situation and that he wouldn’t be around to make up for me getting kidnapped right after he’d promised to keep me safe. I sighed as I looked over the clothes Jimmy had gotten for me. I knew vampires weren’t affected too much by temperature, but he’d told me that prolonged exposure to the extreme temperatures we’d be battling would take some layering. He’d gotten me a white sweater, scarf, and jeans, black snow boots, gray fingerless gloves, and a tan hooded cape. It all fit me perfectly, but I didn’t put on the gloves, scarf, or cape yet; it already felt like hell in these little underground tunnels, and the new layers of warm clothes weren’t really helping. I sighed as I looked over my reflection in the little mirror the guys had given me. It was small and dirty, but the gesture was sweet. I rubbed my eyes, noticing how flawless every inch of my skin was, and how bright all my features seemed to be now.

I laid the mirror on the bed beside me, resting my head in my palms with my elbows perched on my knees, mulling everything over in my mind. This whole situation was beyond fucked up, and I still had trouble following it when I was there for most of it. My troubled thoughts came to rest on Zacky, and I sighed loudly against my fingers. He’d done everything he could since my transformation to try to accommodate me, but it didn’t seem to be enough to satisfy him. I could see in the glint of his green eyes that he hadn’t been able to forgive what he blamed entirely on himself. The corner of my lip twitched into a sadistic smirk. It probably would have happened eventually anyways since I was living in a house with five vampires. I looked up when I heard someone enter my room. Brian, Matt, and Johnny filled the doorway with serious expressions. I frowned as I studied them. Was it time to go already? Brian approached me, holding out two leather cuffs. I raised an eyebrow and he tried to smile.

“Here,” he said, reaching out and latching one around my arm, fastening it tightly. It was large enough to cover about half of my forearm. It wasn’t too heavy, but it seemed very sturdy. I watched him fasten the second onto my other arm. The small buckles glinted in the low light, and I smiled as I admired the dark brown shine against my white clothing.

“They’re beautiful,” I mumbled as I admired them in the low candlelight.

“From all three of us. They can help with hand to hand combat, if it comes to that,” he whispered. My gaze jerked to his sad expression. The lack of faith I saw in his chocolate eyes frightened me even more. He smiled reassuringly, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “You’ll be fine,” he mumbled. We stood at the same time, and I grabbed my small bag from the floor. It was filled with small essentials for the trip; just enough basic soap and utensils for food. I hoped that when we switched off between places, my new companion would have the sense to bring more soap. I took a deep breath as I walked through the narrow corridors with the three of them. I glanced for Zacky in every corridor we passed, but they were all empty. Jimmy was waiting for us beside a door that I had never been through. He gave me a small smile before turning to the other three.

“The only way you will be able to contact us is if you come yourselves,” he mumbled quietly. If something goes wrong, only one or two at you of the most can come. If you all came, it would attract unwanted attention. If you aren’t at the trade-off within ten minutes of the agreed time, take her yourself. We can’t afford to waste a minute,” Jimmy said very seriously, surveying the men in front of him. He turned his gaze to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Tera, but we can’t wait for him. We have to go now.” I closed my eyes and nodded, hugging each of the men in front of me goodbye, for what could possibly be the last time. I had already forgiven Matt for all the trouble we’d had in the past. I gave him a quick hug and a smile, which he returned. Johnny squeezed me really tightly, picking me up off the ground for a moment. By the time I turned to Brian, I had tears in my eyes. They spilled over as we embraced, and I could hear his heart beating erratically in his chest. I tried to smile as we pulled apart, but the look the look in his eyes stopped me. He pulled me in again, even tighter than before.

“We will keep you safe,” he whispered before letting me go. I sniffed my emotions back, wiping away the tears as I looked over the three of them again. I tried to laugh, but it sounded strangled as it passed my lips.

“You guys are making such a big deal of this. Everything will be just fine,” I said with a note of false cheeriness in my voice. They all tried to smile in return, but it was obvious that no one really believed what I’d said; even me. I forced myself to smile as Jimmy opened the door. “I’ll see you soon,” I said quietly, my voice cracking on the last word. Jimmy closed the door behind us as we emerged into the comfortable early morning air. The sky was full of dark clouds, making it seem even earlier than it was. I closed my eyes, enjoying the fresh air after being underground for so long.

“Are you ready for this?” Jimmy’s voice asked quietly. I hadn’t even heard him walk up beside me. I looked over at him, no longer masking all of the fear that had built up inside of me since that day at the castle. He didn’t even try to smile. “It’s going to be very hard, and we’re going to have to be very careful. The guys are going to help lead them off of our trail so that we have a better start,” he explained quietly, though we knew we were alone. I nodded in response, unsure of what else to say. These men were going to risk their lives for me; there wasn’t much I could say.

“Thank you,” I whispered so quietly I wasn’t even sure if he heard me. A sideways glance as we started walking toward the forest told me he had. He hid his emotion behind his crystal eyes, and I had no idea what he was thinking.

“There’s no need to thank us,” he replied, just as quietly. I paused my steps and raised my eyebrows, prepared to argue. He turned to face me, a few feet away. “All of this happened to you because of us. We’re the reason you were turned into… One of us,” he uttered the last part with disdain. I frowned, trying to reach for him but he jerked away. “Ever since we came into your life, you’ve had nothing but pain and misery. Don’t ever thank me for that again.” His eyes flashed with self-loathing, and it made my heart jump into my throat. I was at a complete loss. “Don’t bring this up again,” he said in a softer tone, his features melting into their normal, inviting selves as all of the bitterness faded away. I nodded, and we resumed our walk to toward the foreboding trees.

A swishing sound made us both turn, landing in offensive stances. My eyes widened and my defenses dropped when I saw the figure standing about ten feet back, his hands half outstretched and his face tear-stained. I ran to him without a second thought, throwing my arms around his shoulders and choking on the tears that fought to surface. He wrapped one arm tightly around my waist and tangled the other in my hair, holding me close.

“I was so afraid when you didn’t come,” I whimpered, voice cracking as the hot tears spilled down my cheeks. He squeezed me even tighter, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I could feel his trembling as I did the same, trying to memorize his scent for the weeks we would have to spend apart. He released me slowly, taking my face in both of his hands.

“Come back to me,” he whispered, green eyes glossy with unshed tears. I nodded, allowing a few more to fall as he softly pressed his lips to mine in a short, firm kiss. I could feel all of his conflicting feelings flow through me as he pulled away, embracing me again. I didn’t fight the urge to cling to him as he let go of me, and I could hear his breath hitch in his throat when I didn’t budge. He slowly pried each of my fingers from his torso, brushing each against his lips. Our hands slipped apart as I walked back to Jimmy, fighting every impulse I had to run back into Zacky’s protective hold.

“Don’t look back,” Jimmy whispered before taking off into the trees. I did anyways. He was gone. I closed my eyes, ignoring my heartache as I turned and bolted after Jimmy into the early morning mist.