The Dark Ones:

A short story by iamnobird94

Chapter 2:

Stubborn vampire.

~ Laura ~

I loved the way she used her tongue on my neck, licking slowly up to my earlobe and gently tugging with her top and bottom lips. It sent shivers down my spine and while I like to think I had some control over my own body and mind – where Carmilla is concerned I really can't say that applied. I groaned loudly as she purred in my ear "Oh you smell amazing…" I wasn't entirely sure if she meant my actual smell or if she could smell the sweet aroma of my blood. She often commented that my blood smelled and tasted divine, it never bothered me too much, she was, after all, a vampire, and these things could be expected from a creature such as herself. Who was I kidding? I loved it when she said these things, it sent my heart racing, pumping my blood faster around my body – which, I swear is why she did it in the first place.

"Y-you know w-we should be f-figuring out - out um…" her lips were so soft, gentle at first, until she parted her lips and allowed my tongue to slip into her mouth. She was a fiend, and yet, I couldn't help but allow her to have full access to whatever she wanted. I could smell her unique sweet lemony and old book aroma that seeped from her skin, and it sent my head rolling. Our kiss seemed to intensify, with her gripping the back of my neck firmly, presumably to stop me from doing something stupid like pulling away. Like I could, she had me in her trap like a fly to a spider's web. I was hers and she knew it from the smirk on her gorgeous, deadly face. Her fingers slipped down to my shoulders and I moaned quietly, brushing my own hands along her stomach, moving the soft material away so I could make contact with her skin. I heard her short intake of breath and my heart – somehow – managed to beat faster.

"Oh Laura…" she lowered herself on top of me, I felt the desk chair squirm almost as much as myself. She kissed my neck, slightly nibbling at the nape and lowered herself so she practically sat on my lap. I felt her firm thighs around my waist and let out a long breath – I was in trouble. My hands seemed to place themselves on her hips, slowly stroking in a circular motion, making her breathe faster. She moved her hair to the other side of her face and grinned cunningly, slowly purring in my ear "You are beautiful" I smiled back at her and pulled her face towards my own, kissing her harder. Needing to taste her, I brushed her shirt up from her stomach and urged her to remove the material separating me from her silky body. She cocked her head at me, her deep eyes questioning, and I simply nodded, sooner thereafter her shirt was decorating the floor, and my breath caught. I loved her body; I loved her eyes, face, skin, legs, and arms – all of her. I wanted all of her and that need scared me to the point of my body shaking, but my burning want for her shut my logical mind off, and I gave myself to a passion that both thrilled and terrified me.

Her hands played with my cotton jumper, her grin showing she was enjoying my gentle torture. I was on the verge of ripping the thing off when she shimmied it over my head giggling softly, until she gave a small gasp and I felt my body turn cold. "What?" I asked. My eyes convey the terror in my ever-quickening heart.

"You just, you surprise me Hollis" she regarded me with such a gentleness in her eyes it made my anxieties melt, and when I noticed our upper bodies were touching and only our breasts were tucked away in our bras, I took a sharp intake of oxygen. "You." She started kissing me "Are" another kiss, "Gorgeous, Laura Hollis" she stared longingly into my eyes and I could barely contain myself.

"Yeah?" I pleaded, she simply smirked. "W-well s-so are you" I dared the compliment. She kept that cheeky smirk on her face, and in true Carmilla fashion played with my bra strap, eyeing my stomach and legs. "C-Carm…" I shut my eyes tightly as she stroked my stomach and floated her wandering hands over my breasts, pausing only briefly before moving back to my stomach and down to my thighs. I felt myself pulsating all over. This was the worst kind of torture! "Carmilla!" I groaned as she slid her hands down my jeans, dancing with my underwear, lightly tickling my legs and thighs, as much as her hand could get into, while her other hand tickled my arms and stomach. "Oh god" I moaned, my eyes shut tight, I felt light-headed and hot all over.

"Buckle up Creampuff…" she taunted me, whispering against my neck, her hot breath torturing my very cells. I bolt upright and my eyes fly open as she unfastens my bra, and manoeuvred so she could have easier access to between my legs and my breasts. The sharp cold of the room hit me, and the heat I felt for her touch only intensified when she grabbed my hand and urged it around to unfasten her own undergarment. I seemed to hold my breath as the silky thing fell to the floor, joining my own. They seemed to fit nicely together, her red silk and my delicate navy-blue satin; I smiled and stared into her warm eyes.

"Carmilla – I lo…" I shot upright and began panting heavily.

Reality hit me like a smack to the face. Carmilla was not on top of me, I was not kissing her, I was not touching her…I was, I was in a strange room, with a bed and a window, a small desk and a pen and paper. The window was small, squared and raggedy old curtains framed the dismal display I saw outside. Simply pointy hills, tall mountains and a dark blue sky, with stunning views of the stars. I felt cold, freezing actually. I hugged myself on my small cot, wishing Carmilla really were here with me, even just to hold. Who were these people? How long was I out cold? And where was Carmilla? I sighed and forced my tears back into the hole they attempted to creep out from. Carmilla was fine, she was a centuries old vampire, she was scared of nothing and she'd find me, or someone would…Perry? LaFontaine? Danny?

It was the loud scream of someone in dire pain and desperation I heard next, jolting me from my own misery and transporting me into a deeper despair. For I knew that voice, and I'd never heard it laced with such…fear. Carmilla. Carmilla Karenstien was screaming. In pain. My Carm, I shot to the door and began banging loudly…

"Carmilla!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The screaming stopped, and I heard a muffled 'Leave her out of this'… and then footsteps, growing louder and louder until I heard low breathing just beyond my prison door…

"Oh dear" I backed away slightly and winced as the door screeched open and the fluorescent light poured in, joining the dim glow of the moon that seeped into my room from my little window. "Oh dear" I repeated as strong hands clamped down on my shoulders and dragged me from my room, I watched the stars briefly, and felt sadness wash over me as those tiny dots became nothing but darkness and a faint memory.

~ Carmilla ~

Dear Diary:

It's getting worse.

There is something disgusting in the blood they feed me, so I stopped drinking it, they didn't seem to care. I showered when they told me to, and when I asked about Laura, my captors would shrug and claim she was 'safe'. I grew weaker and weaker, and yet, I still punched a guard in the face when he scoffed at me one too many times.

So all I could do was trust these people; and I hated it. In some deep, dark, evil corner of my soul I wished Darcy were alive – just so I could watch her rip these people apart to get to me. Those thoughts were few and far between. And so I write this – to, well whoever these pages reach, because ironically, my words on this paper are the only thing that is saving my own sanity. I worried horrifically about Laura. And with every day that passed, I worried more, and ate less, until the point came where I no longer smelt honey and coconut. Perhaps forgetting the smell, perhaps out of survival, perhaps because they'd hurt her and I could no longer distinguish her smell because she was no longer…no I refuse to believe it. I wont. I can't.

So I write, and force the burning embers in my soul to stay alive, I needed to remain myself. I'd endured worse in my long lifetime, so far they'd only drugged and taunted me. Urging me to write my thoughts and eventually my knowledge of Darcy would 'unlock' itself from the hidden corners of my mind. Darcy, I remember this much, as being so damned terrifying I'd buried my time with her into a hole and filled it with titanium. Not much reduced a vampire to such measures, but even those who are feared have something they fear more and I regret admitting, to these pages, to this room, to myself – that Darcy was someone I wanted to forget. She was evil, that much I knew. And she had a control over me that scared and disgusted me. I wasn't sure as to what exactly my old, companion was, but she was something old, and something powerful. It took every ounce of power, cunning and strength I had to destroy her, and I kept assuring these people that she was gone, but they took me for a fool.

"What do you want to know?" I hollered to the empty, cold room. "What can I give you?" I kicked the wall and left a dint, cocking my head I sunk to my knees, dropping my pen and began ripping into the wall, tearing at my nails and fingertips to the point of not being able to feel the pain. I saw a glimmer of light, natural light, and it burned my eyes, I'd forgotten such things that I felt a glimmer of hope in my old heart. So I pulled bricks, tore at cement, and punched through the wall until I could fit through the tiny hole I'd made with my bare, bloodied hands. I wiped my hands on my forehead, exhausted from the lack of blood and hour long punching into solid concrete. Blood stained my face, jeans and my knees were scruffy and some of my skin peaked through the frail material. I squeezed through the tiny hole, sucking in the searing pain from my sides as they scraped against the hard walls, and scraping all my forearms in the process.

Honey and coconut graced my nose, and I scurried to reach a wall of my new room, this one being larger than my own. The scent of Laura was everywhere, so much so she could be in the next room; did they really have the audacity to keep her so close to me? That's a torture in itself, to have had her so close for days? Weeks? I was uncertain how long I had been in this prison. But it was smart, keep her close, but not too close. Just enough to make me go insane with need and worry. It almost scared me at how these people knew how to get under my cold, hard skin. I narrowed my eyes and tried to focus. I rushed to the door and focused my eyes on the handle, begging all the gods to have it be unlocked. I inhaled and tugged at the door, and to my delight – I heard a click as it opened.

I slowly found myself scurrying down a corridor, perhaps I misjudged the size of this…prison? Compound? Whatever it was, it was beginning to get on my last nerve. The fluorescent lights, long corridors, small, dark, lonely rooms. I glanced behind me frantically, like a mouse being hunted, I hurried along, "Just have to reach the next room" I panted. My own red blood stained the walls, from my arms, legs, sides, I wasn't sure. I didn't care.

"Who are you people?" I heard a faint voice. Laura! My heart leapt, good lord she's stubborn. "Where is Carmilla?" she repeated, I began a slow jog – or more like a quicker stagger.

"Miss, Karenstien" the male voice echoed. My heart sank, I turned swiftly, and he seemed to stare at me, blinking rapidly as if adjusting to my new…appearance. And then the bastard smiled – no he grinned. That god awful, I-want-to-punch-him-in-the-face, white toothed smirk, I scowled. He took one small step towards me, and I exhaled loudly. Glancing around him for any back-up, to my souls delight, he was alone.

"By all means, try" his smile didn't wipe off his face until I narrowed my eyes at him and grinned right back, staring into his pale blue eyes as though it meant nothing. I let him into my dark corners, the corners of my soul that even Laura would hate, I watched as he turned pale. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to starve, torture and kidnap a centuries old vampire and her…friend?" he shrugged as though my words were water dripping from his mouth.

I leapt towards him, faster than he could blink, faster than he dared possible and sank my teeth deep into his neck, drinking and gulping down his slick, silky blood. Greedily, I continued to drink. Until hands grabbed me, pulling me back and a sharp stabbing pain roared through my side. I screamed, tearing at the pain. A sharp hit on my head sent my sight fuzzy, but I stood upright, pushing back the hands. Another sharp pain, and another…until I screamed so loud I almost regurgitated the food I'd just drank. A sound that was foreign to my own ears, it wasn't often pain could reduce me to such a feral, vampiric noise.

"Carmilla!" Laura screeched…

I sagged to my knees, my whole body aching in ways I thought were impossible. Staring up at my captors, those with strange weapons in their hands, pale blue eyes getting whisked off to probably tend to the gaping hole in his neck. I couldn't help but smirk slightly, which apparently warranted another quick jab. I didn't scream, I let the tears sting my eyes, I stared into my captors eyes with such venom he staggered back and I leapt for him. Attacking his friend first, rendering him unconscious, and then turned to the others. About four of them left. I did a quick damage control.

"Listen, let me go with my friend and I wont kill any of you" they glanced between one another, contemplating. "I may be battered and bruised, but really…" I stood straight, I knew my time was limited, a place this size had to have numbers.

"Stop right there!" one of them bellowed, angling his weapon towards me. I lunged for him, ducking under the weapon and touching it to his ribs; he let out a growl and fell to the floor, crying loudly. I turned swiftly to the remaining three. I bounced off the wall and tore into a ginger mans neck, drinking efficiently and dropping him to the floor - he'd need stitches if he survived. The other two raced into action, one got me in the leg with his weapon, sending me to the floor, where the other got me in the neck, sending searing pain through my entire body, I smelt honey and coconut and tripped one up, him falling on top of me, his weapon wedged between us. I flicked it on and burned both of us, our screams echoing in the long corridor. I pushed the scorched body from me and stared into the remaining mans eyes.

"W-what are you?" he sniggered, fear laced his tone, I grinned, wiping bloody from my chin.

"I'm Carmilla Karenstien" I simply stated, "you picked the wrong vampire" he cowered, whimpering in the corner after I broke his arm as I ripped his weapon from him, gripping it tightly I turned. Breathing heavily and attempted to focus my eyes.

"S-stop or, or I'll kill her!" someone bellowed, I smelt honey and coconut and focused on a large man holding a terrified Laura in his arms. I wasn't sure if she was more afraid of her captor or of me, I didn't care.

"Oh Cupcake, I'd let her go and give me the keys to get out of this place" I tormented him, slowly moving closer, his grip tightened around Laura, and my heart raced as she tried not to cry out.

"I mean it! I'll do it, I don't care what they want from you, from either of you" he spat, angling a weapon to her throat. I'd seen what those things do to humans. I raised my hands and nodded.

"Let us go" Laura pleaded, her small voice broke me, and the man seemed to be in some sort of moral battle with himself. Long enough for Laura to punch him hard in his nuts. I couldn't help but let a strangled laugh escape my voice as I punched him in the face, sending him to the cold hard floor.

"Berate me later would you Cupcake?" I narrowed my eyes at her, her blue eyes looking me over. I felt disgusted in myself, how I must look!

And then her arms were around me, at first a quick hug and then a full embrace.

"Lets go" she said, tugging me along, and pulling some kind a key card from a guard. Smart Hollis, smart. We slowly staggered the opposite direction of where the guards came from, searching through corridors and doors. She pushed me into a room and shut the door, sitting me down on a box of some sort and began tearing at her shirt…

"Er, Creampuff I'm not sure now is the time to be…" her face reddened and she scowled at my attempt of humour as she wrapped the makeshift bandage around my forearm and then repeated the action on the other.

"What in Silas University is going on Carm?" I grimaced as she attempted to tug my shirt to assess the damage on my sides, I gritted my teeth as her hands gently touched a very purple, swollen rib. "What did they do to you?" she softly whispered, as she gripped my chin and tilted my head to face her.

"You should see the other guy" I grinned and she shook her head.

"We have to get you to a doctor or like something resembling a medical expert" she stammered. "We need alcohol…for infection. Do you get infections? Oh god there's so much blood!" she fretted. I smiled, and placed my hand on a small bruise on her chin.

"Who did that to you?" I frowned and she shook her head incredulously.

"You are insufferable" I shrugged and let her guide, me to my feet. "You need blood" I shook my head.

"We need to find a way out of here" I pointed out and she nodded.

"Okay, I think I heard one of the guards say the exit was in the north corridor when they were taking that doctor man out past my room" I sighed. Why couldn't escaping be easier?

"Lets give it a shot" I struggled to stand on my own so she tucked her arm around my shoulder and stared into my eyes. I felt fluffy, probably from pain, but mostly because I was so damn happy she was okay.

"Laura" she shook her head and kissed me softly, the pain I felt was ignored.

"Don't ever do that to me again you, you…" I kissed her again, and despite the blood, searing pain, and impending doom. Not to mention the dire need to get out of this hellhole, oh and the real possibility the scariest bitch I'd ever pissed off were alive and hunting me…kissing Laura Hollis in a dark, dingy room, battered and bruised, scared and cold…I felt warm. I felt bold.

I felt something like…hope.