Burning. Pain. Then burning again. Where is this pain coming from? Caroline thought to herself. I'm on fire. I have to be. What else could cause this horrible burning sensation? She paused in thought for a moment. I need to find out what's happening to me.
Do I even know where I am? Caroline wondered. The last thing she remembered was driving along Wickery Bridge without a care in the world. Suddenly everything went black and now this. But what exactly is this?
She tried to take a breath to calm herself. Pain. More Pain. Burning. Her throat. That was where the burning sensation was coming from. I need to open my eyes. I need to find out what's happening to me. Is it possible that the flames somehow made their way to only my throat? thought Caroline.
She slowly convinced herself that she had to open her eyes. She needed to know what exactly was causing this horrible pain in her throat. She began to open her eyes slowly.
She prepared herself for the sight of the flames. She looked around. Nothing. Where are the flames? she thought. That's exactly the point though...there are none. How could this be? Caroline wondered. The burning sensation had been so strong that Caroline believed nothing other than actual fire could cause it.
She carefully pushed herself upward. Her hand automatically went to her throat. The pain and burning was still there but the flames turned out to not even exist. Thirst. That was it. How long exactly had it been since she had drank something?
She looked around. She seemed to be in the woods near Wickery Bridge. How had she even gotten here? That was a thought she decided to save for later. Her first priority right now; finding something to drink. She would not be able to focus on anything until this burning pain was gone.
She took another look around. She knew there was a lake around here but how far exactly would she have to walk to get to it? She could hear water which was strange considering how the only thing she could see was trees. She could actually hear things that she had never even heard before. The sound of the small woodland creatures running among the trees. Wind rustling through the leaves. Had her hearing somehow improved? she wondered.
She began running. She wasn't exactly sure what or where she was running to. But something in the back of her mind told her she had to run. She had to get a source of water. At least what she believed to be water...
She stopped running. She suddenly realized what has caused her to run so fast and sudden. She could smell something. It caused her throat even more pain than before. The burning sensation was stronger than ever. What was this putrid but somehow desirable smell?
She looked up. She could see a shadow of a man. He was holding something. No. Not something. Someone.
She backed away. Horrified. The man began walking closer towards her. "Please!" Caroline tried to scream out of her burning throat. But the only sound she managed to choke out was a harsh whisper.
The man walked closer. Then closer. She tried to back up. To get away from the man. But she was frozen in her steps. Too terrified to even move. After finally managing to get her feet to make a few small steps, she found herself backed up into a tree.
The man was close enough now that in the moonlight she could make out what he looked like; bronze hair; piercing blue eyes. Beautiful. A face that she somehow recognized from some place in the back of her mind...a place that even she didn't know about it.
"Please. Don-Don't kill me..." she whispered realizing tears were falling from her eyes. As soon as the man saw this he dropped the body he was holding letting it fall to the ground.
She looked up at his face. Why did this man she was so terrified of look to be in pain from her tears? As if seeing her cry hurt him more than anything in this world.
Before she could even blink he was in front of her. His hand slowly lifting to her cheek. This could very well be the last moment of her life, she thought. She closed her eyes tightly. In her mind she brought up memories of her mother and father. All the happy times she had lived through in this life. She held her breath. Waiting. Waiting for the moment of pain. Waiting to find out exactly how this man would put an end to her life.
Suddenly she felt it. Not pain. But his forefinger; slowly wiping away her fallen tears. "I would never hurt you." he whispered softly. He brushed aside her fallen bangs, his thumb tracing the planes of her face.
She opened her eyes. Looked up at him. He gave her a look. A look she recognized all too well. A face that she had yearned to see all through her life. That couldn't be possible though, she thought to herself. She had never even met this man before.
"Shh...shh..your safe with me." he said in a voice that somehow convinced her he was telling the truth.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you?" She managed to choke out.
"You know who I am Caroline." Caroline? He knows my name? How is any of this possible? she thought. She was sure this was the first time she had ever even seen this man.
"How do you know my name?" she said in a whisper that no human ears would ever be able to understand.
"Caroline love." Said the man, once again in his soothing tone. "We know each other well; I believe somewhat better than any other two people could ever hope for." Why did there look to be tears in the man's eyes from this statement?
What did he mean by this? Caroline wondered. She was positive this was the first time she had ever even laid eyes on him.
With all of this confusion she had completely forgot about the horrible thirst she had felt just moments ago. Her hand suddenly found it's way to her throat. With the body that the man had dropped being only a few feet away from her, the burning sensation was worst than ever.
The man looked at her seeing the pain run across her face. A worry line made it's way to the center of his forehead between his eyebrows. He seemed somewhat worried about her.
"I will explain all of this to you later." Whispered the man. "But first..."
He ran towards the body then back in a matter of seconds. He now had the body he had earlier been carrying settled in between his arms. He bent down his head into the neck of the victim's body; blood began to make it's way out of the two marks the man had left in his victim's neck. Caroline could now see that the victim was a man; probably no older than thirty or so.
She backed away. Horrified. She was in the middle of the woods...with a murderer. The realization of this began to overwhelm her.
She began to take a closer look at the blood; disgusted with herself when realizing just how desirable it looked...
"You killed him." Caroline whispered in a somewhat questioning yet accusing tone. Her hands began to shake. Fear overtaking her.
The man looked at Caroline. Guilt clearly making a presence upon his perfect features.
"I-I had to." said the man softly. "For you." He whispered in an almost unintelligible voice.
For me? Thought Caroline. In what world would she be the reason for some innocent man being murdered?
"Your throat...your in pain. You need to drink." said the man.
She knew the pain was obvious on her face. The burning sensation had become so horrible that there was no possible way to hide it.
The pain being too unbearable to hold in any longer took away any fear Caroline had felt just seconds ago. "I-I need water."
A sudden smirk became apparent on the man's lips. Smirking? While holding a dead body in your arms? What kind of horrible man is this? thought Caroline.
"No...no my love." said the man with clear amusement in his voice. "Not water. Blood."
Blood? Could blood somehow find a way to quench this unbearable thirst she felt? Yes of course blood she soon realized. Blood had been that putrid yet desirable smell that had brought her running here in the first place. Blood had been what had caused the horrible burning in her throat when near the victim's body. Blood was what was making it's way slowly out of this victim's neck...
"You need to drink Caroline." said the man; his soothing tone now fading into a voice of urgency and panic.
At the realization of this she lunged for the victim's throat.