A/N: Heyo! I'm back with your update. ^^ I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break and the Easter bunny was kind to you all! Hee hee, thanks to everyone who read my Easter story. ^^ Anyways, back to this. A big big heartfelt thank you to: xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx, pumpkin girl, Zanaliay, Sleepy Clouds and petiteshima! Love you all! *big hug* I'm sorry for making some of you cry btw T_T I hope you still enjoy it. I apologise for any upcoming dumbness!
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Impenetrable Darkness
That first glimpse of the real Shiki also seemed to be the last. With each passing day, Rima was becoming increasingly doubtful; and there was a nagging part of her mind that questioned the verity of that encounter. It was so easy to believe it was just a figment of her imagination, and every time Rima looked into those eyes that seemed to freeze and scald at the same time, the hope that Shiki had created in that brief encounter started to slowly die away.
No. Shiki won't lie to me. He would never lie to me.
A weary smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she firmly told herself this. She had to believe in him, to trust him, because there was nothing left to do. I have nothing left apart from you, Shiki. So please don't abandon me…
This was easier to think than to believe. No matter how many times she told herself this, a small part of her mind refused to believe such a fact, especially as that vile creature still had his fangs embedded in her neck and was taking slow, leisurely mouthfuls of her lifeblood. That particular part of her mind wanted to fight; it wouldn't let her sit there and endure the torture and wait for the saviour that didn't seem to be coming. But the more logical part that dominated her mind knew it would be useless. There was really nothing she could do. Fighting may even put her in a worse position than before. And right now, that was not a risk she could take, especially as her body was steadily becoming weaker. Every time she was brought back to reality with a sickening jolt in the pit of her stomach, she came face to face with that twisted cruel smirk and those horrible eyes. He seemed to be keeping tabs of sorts on her, as it seemed that as soon as her body recovered enough to bring her back to consciousness; he appeared out of nowhere and drained her again. That was why she hated those awakening moments. She would escape from the dark world of her mind to emerge into another that was darker still. She wished she could stay in those dark empty realms, as cold and unforgiving as they were, if it meant she didn't have to face the reality of her situation. But life was never that kind, and even before that crucial moment where consciousness fully claimed her, she felt dread, suffocating and overwhelming, fill her heart and make her yearn for that empty world of unconsciousness where Rido could not touch her … at least physically.
However, luckily in a sense, it seemed that unconsciousness beckoned to her quicker with every one of Rido's torturous feeding sessions. She couldn't hold on as long anymore, and Rido successfully drained her to unconsciousness within mere minutes. It wasn't surprising considering the frequency and nature of his feeding. He gave her just long enough for her body to recover so that she was conscious again, but then he would send her tumbling back into oblivion practically as soon as her eyes opened.
What never failed to unnerve him, however, was the girl's apparent strength of mind. She would stare at him with cold, unyielding eyes that mirrored his own every time he approached her, and she still insisted on embracing her predator. Rido could not understand such a seemingly futile and self-destructive gesture. What was the girl trying to do? He assumed it was something to do with the girl's foolish love for his son, and love, that was something he didn't bother trying to comprehend. It seemed such a petty, instinctive human weakness, and he had no wish to become part of that foolish world that could only bring destruction.
His lips curled into a satisfied smile as the arms once again fell from his shoulders and the figure slumped against him. Shoving her off with disgust, he stood up and wiped his bloody mouth nonchalantly with the back of his hand.
It's so dark and cold … but it's okay … I'm safe here. He can't really hurt me here. I don't want to wake up …
Rima was wrapped up in the cold embrace of her agonised mind, which seemed to be the only part of her still functioning properly at the moment. Her whole body had practically shut down, blocking out the world outside. But her mind was also sluggish and weary. Had she been a human, she would surely be dead by now. Perhaps that would be preferable … She hadn't had any food for days, and she had lost count of how long she had been held captive in this dungeon. To add to her agony, her throat was burning from the blood deprivation. In addition to the blood being drained from her body, she hadn't had any blood tablets to sate her bloodlust, and the added pain wasn't helping her one bit. Her normally indigo eyes had taken on a bright, eerie red, and every time that monster was drinking from her, she had to fight the urge to sink her own fangs into Shiki's porcelain neck and relieve her pain. Shiki would have no objections; he would willingly do anything to spare her … but Rido was a different matter. Rima knew if she so much as expressed an interest in taking that blood that was so close, he would snap and surely destroy her, there and then. That was something she could not do: she had a promise to keep.
Suddenly, the darkness in her mind eased slightly and a far-away voice seemed to penetrate the darkness. It was hard to catch, but Rima thought she made out a few words here and there.
"Forgive me … I made a promise … please keep yours … fight for me. Fight until the end … I will too … I'm sorry; I can't let myself become a monster. I don't want to be a monster … "
The final words were the clearest, and as her sluggish brain tried to process the words and piece together the information, her senses were suddenly invaded by a familiar smell and her body was jerked into semi-consciousness.
Even before her eyes opened, she knew what it was. But she didn't want to open her eyes; she didn't want to see, for the fear of what she would find.
Blood … Shiki's blood …
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Big big thank you for reading! I hope you'll keep sending me reviews ... I love reading your feedback! Thank you so muchos ... Much love, Suki Yume x
