Anneka grimaced as her eyes fluttered open and she found nothing but inky blackness. Her head hurt like crazy, and her right arm tingled when she stretched it, but otherwise she was fine. If you called being in total darkness underground fine.

Anneka felt around her pockets and finally managed to pull out her lighter. She flicked it on, and the soft glow was just enough for her to find her way. There was a straight path ahead of her, and nothing behind.

'How far away are you?' She asked Wild Man. She received no answer. He had to have passed out. Anneka began her trek forward, hoping he was close.

Velken lay still as stone, fully aware of Anneka's presence as she maneuvered through the dank, slim passage, inching her way closer to him.

'Just a bit closer, little one, and I will have you.' She had been easy to trick, so gullible that Velken hadn't even needed to add a "push" to convince her to help him. All she had to do now was free him and he could take his revenge. There was enough blood in her to sustain him until he could reach the ones who had done this to him.

He closed his eyes as he heard her soft footsteps stop before him. He heard her stifled gasp and a muttered curse as she surveyed the damage done to him at the hands of his captors.

Anneka almost cried at the sight of Wild Man. Whoever had done this should be shot. He had been chained to a wall upright, and blood and dirt covered most of his body. As near as she could tell, he'd been shot twice, stabbed, cut, suffocated, and God only knew what else. She was surprised he was still alive after what had happened, and getting him out was going to be a bitch.

'Wild Man, if you can hear me, then let me say that- as a normally anti-violence person- whoever did this needs to be put through an excessive amount of pain and torture. Getting you out of here will be a pain in the ass, but I'll do my best.'

'There is a release. On the wall behind me.' His voice was faint. 'It loosens them. I think.'

Anneka sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Blowing out her lighter, she reached around his back and felt blindly for the switch. 'You're damn lucky I'm not blind. Before I do this, can I at least know your name?.' Her fingers pushed on something, and she almost fell over when Wild Man slumped forward. Her arms caught him and eased him down as best she could. Anneka found herself sitting on the floor in an awkward position, with his head resting on her shoulder.

Velken's eyes snapped open at the smell of her blood. It called to him and, before she knew it, he had reached up, holding her head in place, and sank his fangs into her neck. Anneka gasped and clawed at his arms, begging for freedom. Velken stood, dragging her with him, and continued to feed, taking in her thoughts, her dreams, her memories. One in particular struck him. It showed a small girl of about nine, standing in a village with an older boy. She wore a simple gray dress, and her brunette hair had a shock of white in it at the front. The older boy took her hand and led her away from where she stood admiring a doll at a stall.

"Come on Anneka, we'll be late, and then father will be angry." The boy tugged harder, pulling the girl with him. she resisted, pulling him back towards the doll, and smiling as she did so.

"Please, can't we stay a little longer Aleksei? Papa won't get mad. He loves us." She escaped his grasp and started running towards the woods, giggling. "I want to go play in the woods."

"No Anneka, we have to go home, or Papa will belt us again. Besides, Mama made your favorite for dinner tonight." The small girl clapped her hands together and ran after Aleksei.

When they returned home, their father waited in the doorway. "Anneka, go wash up and help your mother set dinner out. Aleksei and I must talk." He let the little girl pass, but Anneka stopped and stared at her brother with fear.

"Please don't punish him Papa, it was my fault we were late. I wanted to play in the woods. Aleksei only tried to-"

"Go, Anneka! Now!" The girl cringed and ran to hide behind her mother's skirts. The door slammed shut and Anneka began crying as she heard her father's raised voice and Aleksei's whimpers. Ignoring her mother's protests, Anneka ran out to her brother and hugged him tight.

"Stop Papa, Stop!" She yelled, crying. "I can't stand to hear you shout so!"

The man dropped his belt and grabbed his daughter by the hair. "And do you cry every time I shout?"

"Yes, Papa, every time." His lips curled into a cruel smile as he threw her down on the ground next her brother.

"Then I shall make sure you never hear me shout again." Anneka smiled up at him in thanks as he approached her.

That last image Velken saw was a girl kicking, screaming, and crying as her father deafened her.