A/N Sorry I've taken longer than usual to update, I was having trouble with this chapter. I'd like to thank anyone who has read this (: and I'd also like to say that as for the review concerning The Chosen, I was unaware they were similar, as I did have ideas suggested to me by a friend, and when I asked about it, yes, I realise now that some of it is too close. I'll change those parts, when I get the time. (: Hope you all enjoy! Oh and I'd also like to mention that in this, Max doesn't exist.
Chapter 9: Blood Tears
I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, and so this time I did not linger. I carefully made my way down the rocks, they looked slippery, and I didn't have to wait long to test my theory out.
Falling, with a resounding crack, my calf made contact with a large, sharp-edged rock. It pierced through the skin like it was nothing more than butter. I bit my lip, determined to not let out the scream which was threatening to spill from my lips.
Tears began to cascade down my cheeks, and I shuddered heavily, praying the moment and pain would pass quickly. Blood was issuing from the wound, pooling into a puddle at my feet.
Oh dear.
Blood and vampires were so not a good mix.
I leant against the wall, as sweat drenched me. This was hopeless. I wondered how Dwayne was holding up; no doubt they'd be on me in seconds.
If life was a challenge, then I'd royally screwed it up. I waited, listening for the vampires' approach. It was deadly silent for a beat longer, and I made the mistake of relaxing.
Maybe Dwayne had held out longer than I had dared to hope?
As if; my luck wasn't that great.
"Over here." Paul's voice resonated through my skull.
I closed my eyes and waited.
Dwayne's POV
Sasha had been gone for mere seconds, when David appeared at the entrance of the cave. I knew exactly what he was going to ask me, when he surveyed the cave and saw that I was alone.
"Where's the girl, Dwayne?" He raised one eyebrow.
I was going to have to think fast to stay ahead of David.
"Don't freak out, David. She's gone to take care of some things."
I didn't really know why I was even attempting to defend her, and help her. I doubted it would be worth it.
I could feel his frustration building, but he was trying to remain calm and composed.
David did not betray emotion very often, and now was no exception.
"Some things? You can't fool me. Are you going to tell me willingly, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"
Despite the fact his voice was expressionless; he couldn't control his features in the same way. A slight hint of a frown crossed his face.
"David, she'll be back, don't worry." I sighed, hopefully convincing him that he was over-reacting. What was the big deal, anyway? She was only just some human.
"Don't worry? You've just let that hunter out of our clutches, where she can escape. You better hope that she hasn't gone far."
He advanced toward me, but I was determined not to show my fear; the fear that had crept into my mind when Sasha had made for the cave entrance, leaving me alone to wait for David. But he was now impatient and I could feel him probing my mind, testing the boundaries.
As always, I was weaker than he was.
"Hmmm, kissing, Dwayne? Was that really necessary?" Gone was the frown, a smirk replaced his initial displeasure.
David was impossible to understand, even after centuries of time together.
Damn. Why was I so weak against him? He'd say something or get into my head and I'd just crumble.
"I...I thought it would...convince her to trust me."
David could sense my nervousness. I stuttered and paused, becoming flustered when I was anxious; something which, try as I might, I just could not correct. Another reason for why I did not speak unless necessary; my thoughts were mine, impossible to explain.
Especially now. I couldn't even explain to myself why I had let her go.
"Well that didn't work, did it?"
I could now feel his intimidating, controlling manner returning.
"What do you mean? She's coming back, isn't she?" I tried my best to sound surprised and I think he bought it, much to my disbelief. I certainly wouldn't have.
"Don't be naive, Dwayne. She has used you, to get away. I asked you to do one thing."
He was irked and he could be extremely cruel when he was like this. What was I going to do? Defiance didn't rank highly with David, if you did; you paid the price. David was, if nothing else, a tremendously controlled vampire.
Sure, he didn't have rules as such, but he expected compliance.
Sometimes, I wondered if he actually had feelings, he never smiled genuinely, he never laughed, unless it was in reaction to another's pain, he never showed any vulnerable emotion. Maybe he was more akin to a robot, than a vampire.
Don't get me wrong; I certainly wasn't some compassionate, kind-hearted vampire. Those didn't exist. Although David and the others would probably try to convince you otherwise. But I could remember being human.
I could remember tears, love, and family. I could remember the touch of a mother, the friendship of another, the anguish of death.
Perhaps vampires grew immune over time, as while I could remember, I no longer felt remorse. Those were the emotions of a human.
I was not human.
I refocused on David.
"David, I'm sorry." My voice emulated his impassive tone.
He sighed heavily.
He looked away, muttering under his breath, clearly speaking to himself, "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself."
I knew then what he was intending to do. He was sending a message to Paul and Marko.
Sasha can't have got far. She's still half-human, slow by our standards.
They'll be on her in seconds... still; there was nothing I could do. Nor did I want to do anything.
My conscience was clear – I had given her one form of escapism. It was not my fault that David was quite the opposite of an idiot. In fact, it was more likely that she was, for even believing she could pull this stunt, and get away with it.
"Remember, this is your doing." David's sharp voice pulled me out of my reverie.
Oh no. The guilt trail. His favourite form of torture; making out it's your entire fault.
Maybe it was my duty to let him think that I felt bad about this; if he believed that I felt remorse over my actions, he'd leave me alone sooner.
"Can you really blame her for trying? She never wanted this."
Could you really blame her? Few people would actually choose this life, and Sasha was a hunter, which clearly expressed her lack of enthusiasm and joy.
Something I'd never admitted to David was the fact that I had never wanted this. I'd carefully guarded that information, he could never know. I'd allowed him to believe that this was what I had chosen. Quite possibly, this rationalised my ability to empathise with Sasha. Only she had reacted against it with much more distaste. But again, I reasoned, I had had nothing to live for. She, on the other hand, had a life. A life she was not willing to give up.
Humanity was a trait I admired. That was another snippet of information, which could never reach David.
"She still shouldn't have tried this...I guess it's time to teach her a lesson."
I caught the way he said "lesson," it was said with relish, anticipation of what was to come.
"What are you going to do to her?" Could I really be worried about her? What was I doing?
David gave me one of his rare mischievous smirks, "Take a wild guess."
"Are you going to force her to kill someone?" This was the most horrible thing I could think of, I had seen the humanity which had shone through her, that was what had led me to help her, and I knew that as soon as a kill was made, that would irrevocably be gone.
"It's time to break her spirit, once and for all." Again, he looked almost satisfied, as though he knew that whatever he had planned would be effective. Knowing David, it would be.
David has lived for an incomprehensible length of time, he'd never disclosed to us just how long. He never shared details of his past, he never said of how he became a vampire. None of us even knew who his maker was.
I'd never questioned him, but I had my one theory that whatever had happened to David had sucked any and all compassion from him. I suspected David couldn't remember anything of being human, or, rather, he would not allow himself to remember.
He looked toward the entrance of the cave, oblivious to the thoughts flitting through my mind, and as he turned, I saw a glint in his eye.
"David? Don't do something drastic." I spoke quietly, determined to not evoke any further anger from him.
It didn't matter, he wasn't listening anymore, as Paul and Marko dragged Sasha in. Literally kicking and screaming. I looked down and saw a wide gash in her leg and a large blood stain on her trouser leg.
David gave me another sly smirk, "Such concern over a human, Dwayne."
He had heard me. Of course he had.
"I..." He was right. How could I feel anything for her? She was one of those…those hunters; the kind that murder vampires like me. David's right, she just used me to get away. She doesn't care at all.
And I didn't blame her for it.
He returned to looking at her and the boys, "Nice of you to join us."
Paul, the suck up, was clearly happy to please his Master, "It's our pleasure."
Paul and Marko were tight-knit, almost like old women gossiping. They confused me; they both displayed just as much viciousness as David, when in the mood, but they were also affectionate. Paul enjoyed interacting with humans, and, unlike David, he didn't only consume them; now and then, a lucky human would get off the hook, simply from Paul's fondness for them. Simply put, Paul liked to have a pet. Marko was more closely linked with David, his angelic looks drew victims like flies to honey, and he had grown increasingly sadistic, playing with his food, stringing it out.
It turned my stomach to watch David and Marko hunt together.
"Glad to hear it, Paul." He focused on Sasha, "I wouldn't try this again."
Sasha clearly used every ounce of hatred she had for him, as she responded in her mocking manner, "or what?"
He was next to her in a flash, "You don't really want to know."
"Oh but I do." Her words were filled with sarcasm. I wanted to smile at how she so easily defied him, oh how it annoyed him.
I certainly was not prone to deliberately provoking David into antagonism; however it was undoubtedly amusing to witness.
"Are you stupid, Sasha? Or are you just incapable of grasping the predicament you are in?"
His words were designed to sting, to upset, to incite emotion of any kind. She felt them. She squirmed and yanked, intending to get free, she longed to hurt him for that. But her efforts were futile; she relaxed back onto her knees.
"Just let me go! What's the worst you can do? Have you try and force me to kill someone?" She laughed mockingly, "Hate to break it to you, but that won't work."
"Oh, won't it?" He walked round to face her and stood over her in an intimidating style. He then bent down, so he was right in her face, "And what are you going to do to save yourself, exactly?"
She looked disgusted at his close proximity and spitefully replied, "Who said anything about being saved?"
Again, I wanted to smile. She had such determination; the likes of which I'd never seen from a human. She reminded me of someone...I just couldn't place who...
"Well, you're going to want to be saved, when I'm through with you." He looked up at Paul and Marko. Another smirk sailed into view.
She looked up into his eyes, confused, "Through with me? What're you going to do?"
"You'll see." He bent down this time and rested on one knee, and I knew what she was going to do, before he did. Quite a feat, as David was usually very perceptive and his reactions were lightning fast.
She spat right in his face and Paul and Marko sucked in a shocked breath, "I hate you."
A hint of complete loss of control flitted across his face, but he took a deep breath and continued, "You hate me now, but you'll wish you'd never been born, after this."
Sasha had really done it now. As I mentioned before, David very rarely showed any legitimate emotion, it was all an act. But this irritation was definitely proving to be genuine.
He gripped her arm tightly. An image darted across my mind, and I winced as I got a picture to match the idea which had taken root in his head.
I couldn't let him do this.
"David…" He turned and looked straight into my eyes. His are like cold, empty, bottomless pools revealing nothing. I broke his gaze and looked to Sasha instead.
"Dwayne, leave it." Her voice was hard, infuriated by my interference.
Generally, it wouldn't have even occurred to me to stop David. I didn't care about her – or any other human, for that matter.
But she doesn't know what she's getting herself into.
He gave me one last evil smile and headed to the back of the cave, Sasha squirmed furiously, as David dragged her along behind him.
He was following through his scheme. How could he be so cruel? How could he hurt another human being in that way? I may have killed a good many people, more than I could count, but I never strung it out. I never hurt them intentionally. I only did what was requisite for survival.
For all of Sasha's defiance and determination, David was right; this would break her.
Paul and Marko joined me on the other side of the cave, and took up seats next to the wall, while I remained standing, unbelieving of what he was about to do.
"Come away, Dwayne. Have a seat." Paul called from behind me, my thoughts momentarily interrupted. I backed away and headed over to them slowly, as Sasha gave a high pitched scream, making me start.
I sat huddled in the chair, as I heard the sound of tearing fabric. Sasha was now screaming more than ever as she now knew what was coming. I should…no, must do something. But how can I? Paul and Marko would never let me intervene, and even if they did, I couldn't overpower David.
My thoughts were again interrupted by another scream. Then I could hear crying, and Sasha's soft voice through the sobs.
"David. Please. Stop. Just stop. David, please." Then came another scream, David evidently did not care about how much he hurt her or made her cry. And how could he? Screaming was that irritating noise humans made, when in fear. Screaming was simply a permanent part of our lives. As though screaming would save them...
David was not one easily swayed by pleading either, few got around him that way. On second thoughts, no one did.
"Aren't you two going to talk? You're not going to sit in silence and listen, are you?" I probably snapped too often at them. But I couldn't take this anymore. I had to drown out the sound somehow.
"Hey, what's with you? You look like a guy with a guilty conscience." They shared an almost 'knowing' look and I could feel frustration building within me.
Just then, a strangely tense silence fell. No one spoke; it was like no one even dared to breath.
Cutting through the stillness, a 'snap' could be heard, only to be followed by a horrifying scream from Sasha. I already knew what it was. It was the unmistakeable sound of the breaking of a bone. Undoubtedly Sasha's; and it obviously hurt like hell.
At that moment David started whispering. But he probably knew we would try to catch it, so spoke with deliberate quietness, it wasn't even audible by vampire ears. Shortly after came the sound of redressing; Sasha was sobbing quietly, leaving us with the conclusion that David was finished with her.
He strolled away from the bed as if nothing had happened before turning and giving me a sly grin. How I wanted to hurt him. Just to plant my fist in his face, would make me feel so amazing. He's trying to torture me and its working.
I'm not in love with Sasha, but I most certainly don't think she should have been put through this. From now on I will say what I really want to, and if I want, I will stand up for Sasha, because I'm not letting this happen for a second time.
Sasha's POV
I pulled my knees to my chest, grimacing as my bruised skin made contact. Tears cascaded freely and heavily down my cheeks. For the first time in my life, I made no move to wipe them away; to hide them from another's prying eyes. There was no point now.
My wrist flapped uselessly. David had snapped the bone, snapped it, as though it was nothing more than a twig. The pain had seared through me, it was indescribable; especially when coupled with the horrendous thing he had put me through. He had laughed, when the bone shattered. My anguish was amusing to him.
David's back was to me, and I fought the urge to scream, to hurt him as he had hurt me. I felt violated, violated in the worst way possible.
I had never foreseen this.
I gripped the sheets tighter, my knuckle whitening from the tension; I tucked my remaining hand under my arm, fighting the wave of vertigo which threatened to overtake me. I closed my eyes monetarily; attempting to block out this newly formed memory. If I could only forget it...allow the numbness to flow through my limbs.
I felt, rather than heard, David, as he approached me again. I tensed, my muscles locking. My eyes remained closed.
He lent in close, and brushed my hair away from my neck. Again, I flinched at his contact. He made a sound, and I thought it sounded akin to a chuckle, but I couldn't be sure.
His lips brushed my ear, as he whispered something.
I was too taken with my disgust, and undiluted fear, to take in his words. I focused on my breathing counting each breath, the seconds ticking, until, finally, David pulled away, leaving silently.
A fresh wave of sobs broke through, and I huddled into a ball, wishing for nothing more than the oblivion of sleep. The alternative I didn't even consider – I had survived this, I could survive anything now.
My head pressed against the pillow, as images continued to play across my lids, and I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, praying that eventually the images would fade, and I could succumb to the naivety that came with dreams. There, I could forget, even for just a moment, what had happened here.
I was slipping into unconsciousness, when I saw David's lips materialize in my mind, forming the words I was yet to drag up from my subconscious.
"Maybe you should break the rules more often."
