Marshall Lee couldn't stop. The resounding thuds in the distance grew louder on approach, shaking the ground beneath his feet like one earthquake after another. It was hard to keep a steady pace, his vision blurred by the constant vibration of the ground beneath him, feet stumbling, desperately trying to keep moving. Whatever it was, it was close. Too close.

In all his life, alive or undead, Marshall had never felt so afraid.

It didn't come in waves, something much more bearable then the gut wrenching fear gripping his body. It was constant, flowing over and in him, making him want to break out of his very skin, anything to get away. Giving his legs the drive to move past the aching pain. Giving his eyes the will to look past the darkness and search for any means of refuge.

Pitch black. Nothingness assaulted his eyesight. The world around him was empty, devoid of form or substance. He couldn't tell the distance before him, the distance behind, whether or not he was any farther away from his pursuer.

It snarled. Taunted him. Driving him forward like a sheep to slaughter. He dared not look back, but he felt its presence on his back. It reverberated something malicious, deadly, pure darkness itself, trying to reach over and over take him.

But he would not let himself die.

Suddenly, off on the distance, he could see it. Light. It invited him in, beckoning him further. Joy leaped up into his chest. Finally there was hope. It came closer and closer into view. He felt his feet pick up in response, increasing his gate. He felt the presence behind him begin to grow weaker; the thuds grew softer, until it disappeared entirely as he entered into the halo.

An angel. Smiling. Draped in white, arms outstretched. Drawing close and wrapping him in a tight embrace. Light jumped over his body, danced on their skin, intertwining. It was alive. It filled his body, illuminating him from the inside. The beautiful creature beamed at him, her hair flowing over her shoulders and back like liquid gold. She drew her mouth to his, intertwining their breaths, filling him to the brim. His eyes closed, rolling back in pure ecstasy. He had never felt so…alive. His entire being buzzed like the air around them. Their bodies intertwined, melting into each other, forming one flesh. He opened his eyes to behold her.

Then he saw her face.

"Fionna?"

She smiled one final time before the darkness pierced her.

He felt himself scream as she was torn from his arms, splitting apart before his eyes, disappearing into the shifting void before him. His ears were filled with the same dark, echoing laughter, growing increasingly sinister and spiteful. The horrible presence took back its lost territory, violently spreading into the space all around, piercing, strangling, soaking into every area. He felt himself being lifted into the air. His pursuer laughed, dark and reverberating into the void. It seized him, pushing sharply into his chest. He felt his eyes roll back and his body give way, his life force spilling out of him, his lungs shattering, his mind imploding. Then fear gripped him one last time as he realized:

His heart was beating.


Marshall Lee awoke to the sound of himself screaming. He shot out of his bed into the air, hissing defensively, flashing his fangs around an empty room. He gripped his chest, checking to make sure he was right. His heart remained silent and unmoving.

He let out a long sigh of relief as he drifted back onto his bed. He closed his eyes and leaned back onto his pillows, exhausted. It had all just been a bad dream. For the next few minutes he laid there in silence, trying to calm his ragged breaths. Though he was undead and no longer had any need for oxygen, the vampire found breathing deeply in and out soothing, calming his tense body. Sweat beaded his forehead and frame, causing his clothes to stick and made him feel trapped. He threw off his shirt, then pants right after, kicking them onto the floor. The cold air against his clammy skin finally brought everything back to normal, breathing out heavily one final time.

Living in a cave meant that the vampire couldn't judge the time of day by the light of the sun, but he figured he hadn't been out for more than a few hours. All was quiet in the tiny lake house. The only noise came from the occasional gust of wind as it rattled its way through the vampires cave, shaking the occasion pebble and droplet of water out of place. On his quest for a home Marshall Lee had purposefully chosen this place for its remoteness and solidarity. But at times like this he wished there was something to distract his troubled mind. Then the he remembered another feature of his home he could finally put to use. He rose out of bed, carrying his body down and out the front door, stopping on the pier in front of the small lake next to the house. The water was dark and still, restricting him from seeing anything but his own refection. His skin was paler than usual, flushed out of any color he had left. His eyes where bloodshot and irritated, held by droopy swollen lids and dark bags underneath. The vampire shook his head; he truly looked as bad as he felt. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, Marshall Lee inhaled one final time before submerging his body down into the dark abyss.

The water flowed up and over his body, wrapping him with its cool touch. Goose bumps broke out all over his skin. His dark raven hair ebbed and flowed like the liquid around him. The vampire kept his eyes shut and let his limbs go prone as he sunk down deeper, feeling the lead ooze out of his flesh. He was surprised by how deep the water was as he felt himself go down farther and farther. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the strange new world. The water down below was much clearer then from above. Marshall could see the outlines of large stalagmites as he drifted past them, some larger than his own body. The occasional piece of vegetation drifted past, but other than that the water was just as empty as the cave above.

Finally somewhat at peace, the vampire began to move his arms and legs again. He moved them in sync, giving his body enough momentum to glide upwards and breach the surface. Marshall rolled himself onto his back, floating on top of the surface of the water, moving his arms in lazy circular motions. He stared up at the celling in concentration. At last, he had the strength enough to think.

Was that really a dream? Glob…It had been so real. All of it. Even…The vision of her face came back. It hit him like a punch to the gut. His throat tightened and suddenly grew dry, just the memory of it all. She was just so… He searched for words to describe his thoughts. Pretty? Didn't even begin to cover. Striking? It still didn't encompass her. Beautiful? Fell short. Completely short. Nothing he could think of could even begin to describe her. And what seeing her there in such a horrifying place did to him. He thought harder, materializing all the details behind his eyelids as he closed them. Light was not just around her. It was in her. Came from her. Her smile sent him reeling. Her skin was like that of the alabaster statues of old, crafted by master artists and captivated generations. Her eyes pierced through brighter still, blue as the sky. It not only looked at him, it drew him in, it saw his very interior.

And then that kiss.

The vampire could still feel the sensation on his lips. Though he felt extreme contempt for himself for even thinking of his friend that way, he relished it, even wishing it would last. Even the form of a smile began to develop on his features.

Until he heard the laughter.

The same thing that taunted him. The very thing that ripped his angel out of his arms.

Marshall Lee's eyes shot open. They took on their demon form, red pupils floating in a black empty void. Shooting out of the water, he turned in circles bearing his deadly fangs around, wiping his head around in search of the source. He felt his face contort and twist in pure unadulterated rage. The same presence had come back, pulsating, swirling around the cave, it tendrils sliding over his skin. He violently tried to shake it off, hissing louder. His body swelled, responding to the rage flooding his senses. He threw his head back and a deep sinister voice came barreling out.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" The ominous laughter only grew louder. It mocked him. It flooded his ears. Its pressure was overwhelming, pushing on him, seeping into his flesh. The atmosphere grew thick and blistering hot. He didn't realize it, but the vampire's skin began to glow as if it was on fire. The water that laid below churned into a rolling boil, bubbling up over the edges of the lake, until finally in response to Marshalls howling, it shot up in the air with deadly speed, knocking the vampire against the stone ceiling. The last thing he remembered as the ground rushed up to meet him was the laughter echoing through his ears.