Darkness...
Darkness of the ally creeps up on her, she stands in a bright red dress, hair disheveled and makeup smeared. Blue eyes dart around the looming black bricks that seem to go on forever. She runs towards the light, the music, the safety of London's streets but just as she reaches it, black smoke clouds over and darkness stretches on forever. Whispers call to her, she whirls, voices echoing around her, getting louder so she runs amongst the ally's walls, passes dumpsters and foul smelling bin bags. She rounds the corner and stops dead, her heart racing at the slender figure clicking its way towards her. She backs away but cries out when her back slaps against the brick wall boxing her in. Hairs stand on end, fear snaking up her spine and she whirls, wide blue eyes scanning the empty darkness ahead. Her breathing echos off the stone walls, frantically trying to find its way out before she turns and freezes, mesmerized at dark eyes staring inches from her own.
"Who?.."
Her fear heightens and she screams when the woman's face contorts, pale skin flushing whiter, eyes unpigmented and lunges with elongated razor fangs. Just as she feels the searing hot pain on her neck, blue eyes snap open and she bolts upright..
Victoria cries out, sweat beading her chest and forehead as she tries to distinguish where she is. The messy box room she calls a bedroom remains silent. The chair she lodged against the door knob last night still stands vigilant and her dress and shoes lay in a heap by her standing mirror. She winces, a hand sealing itself against the gash on her hairline and she winces again at the pain. Taking deep breaths she recalls previous events and puts it all down to the joint she had. Vampires are a mith, just like goblins and werewolves and dragons, there's no way she saw what she did.
"Thanks Paul."
So putting her strange mugging down to some bad weed, Victoria collapses against the pillows, her eyes sliding shut..
Several hours later there's a knock at the door of the standard apartment. Throwing it open, an older girl with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a sly smile quickly drops her bags and hugs Victoria fiercely.
"Sorry I'm late but the train got delayed.." Lisa pulls back but her smile slips noting the small strips holding a gash together on her sisters forehead.."What the hell happened?!"
Victoria smiles weakly, grabbing the girls bags and guiding her concerned sibling into the small apartment.."Tripped in the club last night, some idiot spilt their drink and didn't say anything."
With her mind on last nights bizarre and scary events, Victoria finds it easy to dissuade her sister from the truth, Lisa would only get the police involved anyway and they would only put Victoria's experience down to a regular mugging and insist there's nothing they can do. Also if she started blabbing about glowing red eyes and fangs they'd only assume she'd been on drugs..which she had been.
"You should sue the bastards! Get some compensation so you can move out of this crap hole."
"Thanks for that.." Victoria chuckles, flicking the kettle on and grabbing two mugs from the small sink.."I've only got tea."
"That's fine, should start on the heavier stuff soon anyway." Lisa grins, unzipping her bag and pulling out several bottles of alcohol.
"Fucking hell, you planning a party of forty I don't know about."
Lisa grins.."Rachael's coming up later."
"God, I'm not going to live through the night am I?"
"Not if we have anything to say about it, besides, you deserve a break from that fat Italian shit. I'm pretty sure you can get work somewhere else babe, I don't know why you put up with him."
"Yeah I suppose, but I like the people there. Besides, that fat Italian shit is fun to wind up sometimes." Victoria pours two cups of tea and grabs a small bottle of milk from the fridge.
"You still work with that freaky guy that came on to me?"
"Paul? Yeah, he was asking about you last night."
"Ew.."
They laugh, taking a sip of steaming hot tea and Lisa grimaces.."Don't know how you can drink it black."
"Well not all of us can be as special and sophisticated as me."
"Freak."
Victoria chuckles, sipping her black tea and helping her older sibling with her suitcase..
Music booms from the club but muffles when the doors close behind three giddy women. Lisa pulls her lighter and cigarettes from her small purse with Rachael following suite. Victoria breathes deeply, alcohol no longer plaguing her mind as she already sobered up almost an hour ago. Mixing drinks always gets her pissed to the fullest extent but if she drinks too early, she finds herself, on occasion, sobering up around midnight or early morning.
"I think she liked you."
Victoria refocuses on a grinning Rachael.."What?"
"Big tits no ass back there. The blond one who kept hanging around you."
Lisa scoffs.."Bullshit, she just wanted money from us."
"I'm not gay."
"Doesn't mean you cant have a bit of fun when your pissed." Rachael laughs, Lisa joining in to annoy her a little more.
"Yeah well, still not gay..And not pissed enough."
"Then lets get that sorted, shots?" The sisters grimace.."Come on! Its not a night without Tequila!"
"One round and that's it, I'm already fucked Rach, Id actually like to remember tomorrow."
The red head laughs, slapping a hand on Lisa's shoulder.."That's the spirit!"
"I need to nip to the cash machine." Victoria stands from the table, polishing off her drink and slings her bag over her arm. Shes made a point of not telling her sister about her lost bag, phone and purse. Luckily, being sensible, she has two bank accounts in case of emergencies like these. Earlier she blocked her phone and her other bank card when she was on an "errand" whilst Lisa got settled in her apartment.
"Where is it?"
"Its just down there, you go back inside and order the drinks, I'll be back in a sec." Victoria points down the busy street where a long line can be seen by the post office.
"'Kay, come on Lis." Rachael hooks her arm around Lisa and drags the giggling woman back into the music.
Victoria heads towards the long line of drunken people and pulls out her bank card. After a few minutes, she idly glances around the streets, goosebumps prickling her arms and exposed legs and she huffs frustrated at being out in the cold. Blue eyes suddenly double take on a man clad in black leather staring at her from the other side of the street. She stares back apprehensively, his face flashing in her mind and panic creeps up her spine. Recognizing its the same man from last nights bloody fray, she quickly abandons her number in the Que and heads back to the club.
Her heart races as he follows her from the other side of the street. She walks as fast as her three inch heels can manage but nearly stumbles, stopping fifty feet from the club when a young blond steps out into her path. The woman's eyes flash a bright green and Victoria panics, spinning and sets off in a jog down the street. Wide blue eyes glance back, the blond and man in black following at a quickened pace as she darts across the town square. She scrambles across the large plateau, tears threatening to spill as she heads for the one place she thinks is safe..Home.
Breathing heavily, wiping a fearful tear from her cheek and weaving through side streets, she passes the El Gato Negro and ignores the hey's and whistles from the drunkards at the clubs door. Pushing passed several drunken teens she stops abruptly, heart leaping into her throat and wide blue eyes fixed on the man in black grinning at her from the end of the street. She turns back only to have the blond heard her into a dark back ally. Victoria runs, runs as fast as she can through the darkness, a fearful sob and heavy panting echoing off the brick as she reserves a cry at the similarities between reality and her dream.
She stops at the fork in the ally, quickly stealing glances either way and bolts for the neon pink and blue lights ahead. She almost slides onto her backside when a figure steps out, blocking her exit and she quickly scrambles in the opposite direction.
"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE!" A body slams into her, pinning her against the wall and she cries out, grabbing a metal bar from the dumpster and swings at her assailant. When the weapon is wrenched from her hands she quickly scrambles forward towards the lights of the street.
"HELP! HE.." A large hand clamps over her mouth, her writhing body dragged behind the dumpster and sharp steel pressed to her throat as several civilians stare curiously down the seemly empty ally.
"Shhh.."
Tears slide down flushed cheeks, Victoria's body trembling under Davids crushing hold and shaky breath's barely escaping from under his hand.
After a pause, the curious patrons move on and Emma lands from above with a heavy thud.."Up!"
David drags the groaning and struggling woman to her feet, his blade snapping back to his belt as both vampires secure their prisoner. Victoria cries out under the mans firm hand, sobs wracking her chest as the blonds eyes again shimmer a bright green.
"This is her?"
All focus darts to the shrouded figure lingering in the darkness. The hairs on the back of Victoria's neck stand on end, the sultry voice belonging to a proud regal woman who edges forward curiously.
"Yes my Queen."
Victoria frowns at the title reference, glassy eyes flickering from Emma to the raven haired regal slowly advancing.
"You weren't fabricating, she really is pathetic. It makes this all the easier.."
Slender fingers reach out and touch the wriggling girls neck, brushing dark hair from white skin and glassy blue eyes clamp shut. Victoria battles for her life, muffled cries echoing around them as her head is wrenched back exposing her hammering pulse point.
"Your lineage is incredibly rare, however our world is not ready for the presence of pure blood's so you must be dealt with. I am sorry but this is what must be done to preserve life. May Molag Bal see your soul safely to the other side."
Bloodshot blue eyes stare horrified and a fearful scream penetrates the air when the Queen's razor teeth quickly sink into Victoria's neck. Victoria feels her limbs grow weak, her mind slipping as her life slowly seeps from her grasp. Painful pins and needles prickle her toes and fingers, traveling her arms and legs like shes fading from the outside in. Before her vision clouds over completely, there's a deafening shriek, the Queen's teeth quickly retracting and desperate fingers wrapping around the woman's gasping throat.
Emma releases Victoria quickly, the two vampires rushing to their writhing Queen and leaving Victoria to tumble to the ground. The blond quickly slits her wrist and presses it against her Queens lips, David pulling out a scanner from his belt and waving it over the gasping sovereign.
"She may have been poisoned!"
Victoria stumbles, her vision blurry as she tries to crawl to the safety of the street light ahead.
After the Queens done feeding, Emma's wrist is released and the royal slips into a peaceful slumber. The monarch is quickly scooped up in Davids strong arms, Emma's vibrant green eyes narrowing at their fleeing prey as a vicious snarl ripples around the area. The blond pounces forward, flipping Victoria on her back before she lands a solid blow to the girls face, knocking her unconscious.
"We need to move!" David hollers as a black van suddenly appears at the other end of the ally and Emma is quick to scoop Victoria onto her shoulder. They run for the vehicle, the blond throwing Victoria into the back callously whilst the Queen is cradled in Davids arms.
Their driver turns back and gawps at the unconscious Queen.."What the fuck happened?!"
"Just drive Graham!"
Graham huffs, stamping on the accelerator and speeding off into the night...
..
Cloudy..Things blur, making them hard to identify. Metal above..the sound of roaring jet engines. Victoria's head moves side to side, a flash of blond hair leaning over her, a minute later angry green eyes loom above. A pin prick on her forearm sends a wave of panic to her mind before everything blurs and she cant keep her eyes open any longer..
..
Darkness...