The glass fell from his hands and shattered on the floor. His eyes went wide and dark and his hands started to shake. The tall, black guy sitting at the small kitchen table raised an eyebrow, and leaned over. When the other boy started to collapse, he shot over to him, catching him easily. "Hey, Nate! You there?"
After a few moments, Nathan came around, still shaking. He rasped slightly, "It was her again, Darius."
Darius nodded and helped the shorter boy up and over into a chair. He refilled another glass of water while Nathan tried to regain composure. He nodded his blond head in thanks and drained the cup.
"So," Darius slid back into his chair across from Nathan, "Any clues as to who she is, where she is?"
A few nights ago...
It was one of those strange, early Spring nights, when it wasn't cold or warm. The wind was whipping though the trees just outside the house, causing the walls to creak. The air tasted of rain. Nathan had collapsed onto his small bed, dead tired from the day. Almost immediately, his dreams assaulted his mind.
Blinding, painful brightness. The endless drone of vents, electrical, mechanical things. Stale air. Caged. Trapped. Out, out, OUT! Rage so potent it could be tasted. Fear. Exposure.
Vaguely he could feel his body writhing, but tried to focus. Slowly, through the blinding whiteness, he saw a shape, then a figure, come into focus. A girl, curled up on herself, shaking, naked. Her dark hair wild, clinging to her shivering body.
He woke in Darius's strong arms, barely able to breath.
Nathan closed his eyes and immediately flinched. "There was a lot of blood. Blood on her, but not her own. The whiteness was smeared with it, and there was grim satisfaction," he took a deep breath, "I think she escaped from where she was being held. And I think she's on her way here, though I don't think she knows it."
Darius was nodding solemnly. His dark, handsome features creased with thought, "Friend or foe?"
Nathan fiddled with his empty glass, unsure of how to verbalize the feelings that had torn through him. "She could be either. I think that she was changed in that place and she'll be rather feral." He shrugged, the best he could do.
Darius nodded again, and glanced at his watch, "'ey, Nate, I 'ave to get goin' to work. Do you think you'll be alright?"
Nate shrugged and responded quietly, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Tired is all."
Later, just before dawn, Darius returned. He silently stalked across the house, making his way quietly across to Nathan's room. He creaked the door open and looked over to the younger boy's bed. A small smile played across the dark features of his face. Darius looked to be no older than late 20s, but ingrained in the planes of his face were the worries of an older person. The smile, though, lit up his dark brown eyes.
Nathan was asleep, deep asleep. Darius knew he'd be exhausted after the vision. It was rare for the younger boy, who looked about 18, to have a vision when he was awake. It would cause his body to lock up and then tremble uncontrollably, sometimes looking like he was seizing. Poor lad. He silently crossed the small room and gently ran this fingers through the young man's slightly long hair. Nathan stirred a little. Darius smiled and gently caressed Nate's cheek, a small smile spread across the boy's sensitive mouth. Satisfied that the boy was fine, he quietly left the room.
Out in the kitchen again, he pulled open the fridge's door. He inspected the contents, frowning slightly as he pulled out a packet of red liquid. He poured the contents into a coffee mug and stuck the mug into the microwave.
~~~ One Month Later ~~~
"So, Nathan, what'dja t'ink of the movie?" Darius asked over his shoulder as he locked up the doors to the movie theater.
Nathan shrugged, smiling slightly, "I liked it. Kubric really knows how to make a movie."
Darius nodded, "Yea, Dr. Strangelove is an old classic."
Nathan nodded, "Thanks for putting it on for me," he said quietly to the older guy. Darius only flashed a brilliant white smile and put a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder.
"No problem, Nate. 'S one of the benefits of ownin' your own movie theater!" They both began to walk towards Darius's old Jeep Wrangler parked in the alley beside the theater. Before they rounded the corner, though, Darius stiffened, held onto Nathan. He made a 'wait here' gesture to the blond boy, who nodded.
Darius slid silently around the corner of the alley. It was still very dark outside, the alley was cast in shadow, but he could see perfectly. He saw a figure curled up at the far end of the alley, where the movie theater met with the back wall of the alley. He approached silently, slowly, but stopped when he heard the figure begin to growl. "Do ya need any help t'ere?" he asked softly. The figure uncurled itself, it was a girl, dressed in rags. Her long dark hair was covering her face, but the growl was distinct as she moved into a crouch. "Are ya..." Darius didn't have time to finish his sentence, as the girl launched herself at him with a snarl.
Darius could easily doge the attack, but didn't want the girl to get out of the alley to Nathan, so he braced himself. As she flew into him, Darius let them tumbled to the hard alley floor, but before she could scramble up once again, Darius had her by the neck. He fluidly shot to his feet and threw her against the theater's outer wall, letting off a snarl of his own. He held her several inches off the ground, and she was clawing wildly at his arm. As the black claws dug into his wrist and forearms, he simply tightened his grip and felt his face slip into vampiric features. She simply glared defiantly into his demonic eyes. "Darius! Its her!" Darius glanced over as Nathan jogged closer to him. He returned his gaze to the girl, who was making chocking noises now and she was no longer clawing at him.
"I'mma gonna let you go now. No funny business!" He dropped her, and she half crumbled to the ground, panting. "Dis is de girl?" he asked through his fangs. Nathan peered down at the shivering girl, who was breathing heavily, her clawed fingers bracing her against the alley floor. Very, very slowly, Nathan crouched down, trying to get a look at her face.
"Please, would you look at me?" he said softly. She started to growl again, he stopped moving, "Please?" Slowly, the girl raised her head, her hair slightly falling away from her face. Her eyes were black, her face pale and gaunt, her lips back in a fanged snarl, but it was her. The girl in the glass cage, the girl lost in whiteness, and covered in blood, the girl from his visions. "Yeah, its her," he looked up Darius, his face locked in certainty.
A moment passed, her breath still rasping. Her eyes darted between the vampire and the boy, fight or flight playing across her starved features. As Nathan started to stand back up, her eyes locked on him and with another snarl, she launched herself at him. Smoothly, Darius grabbed the girl and curled his arm around her neck, his other arm around the back. "Darius..." Nathan look back to the vampire, Darius nodded. He shifted his body against the thrashing girl, his arms shifting into a sleeper hold. Eventually, the girl's struggling stopped as she slipped into unconsciousness.
When her body went limp, Darius let his vampire features fade. "So, now what?" He asked the blond boy, who shrugged. Darius sighed, and hefted the limp girl over his shoulder and started walking toward his Wrangler, Nathan quietly following.
As Darius pulled onto their gravel driveway, Nathan glanced over his shoulder to the back seat. Darius had carefully laid her across the back seat. In the pale light of a nearly full moon, he could see her. She was thin, her body looking limp and lifeless even though he knew she was just unconscious. Her face, though, was what really called his attention. In sleep she looked tired, haunted, and fearful. Her lips were awkward over her still prominent fangs, claws still gracing her fingertips. Darius pulled the Jeep to a stop and followed Nathan's gaze. "So... what do we do with her?" Darius asked, raising an eyebrow, "She'll wake up soon."
Nathan shrugged, "Maybe we could bring her to the basement," he said quietly.
Hey guys! Here's the next little tid-bit, hope ya'll enjoy. I've really grown attached to these guys and I hope you will too. Just for a heads up, I'm finally leaving for my school year abroad tomorrow! Woo! I have a very, very long flight a head of me in which I'll do my best to wrap up my other story RR&VV as well as post what I have of Cages so far. After that, I don't know what my uploading schedule will be. I have an intensive language class to look forward to (like a bullet to my brain lol, but it hurts so good!) so my time devoted to fanfic may dwindle. Please bare with me! If I become too swamped I'll let you guys know that I'll be on hiatus or something. As always, R&R is greatly apprciated (not that I have self confidence issues coughcough) Thanks! ~LiangLan
