Chapter 11:

Drained Away

"Hold your hands up to your eyes again,

Hide from the scary scenes,

Suppress your fears,

So be mine

And your innocence I will consume."

-"Dark Shines", Muse

The long corridors were lit up by gas lamps, something that would've been used for light centuries ago. Everything was old fashioned, hardly touched by modern society, and that's how the interior keeps it's certain charms in the right places. Persian rugs lined the hallways, paintings from old artists, the doors were things that were in my own mansion when I was human and it was natural. I held accustom to it, loving my own period of time more then any other. Except for civilization itself. That, we all could have lived without. And that's how I also hated this castle and the mere image of it.

Soloman took us up, I counted, two flights of stairs, all very grand and all very beautiful. Each floor had its own wonderous architecture. Everywhere I turned I simply had to hate, though, it was too beautiful to exist in such a monster's palace.

"This would be Violet's suite." He said, eying me strangely. I opened my mouth to make some sort of wise comment back, but couldn't find the words. The servants put my things onto the unused plush bed, that would look incredibly comfortable except it was useless. There was no way in hell I was getting any sort of sleep in this place. I waved goodbye to my family for a while and then set out to venture about this palace that is my home for a few days. Or my grave. Either one. It was out of simple woman's curiosity and I do have a lot of that. Most of my things went into the ebony dresser that held a mirror. I looked into it, revealing a deathly pale girl, who's hair was tangled up around her head, and the shadows under her eyes were somewhat worse. Her eyes were black and she looked so much like a monster. I hated thinking it was me. She was hardly beautiful anymore when she's thirsty... and it comes too often. The back of my throat had the usual burn I've learned to keep hold of over then many years of experience of withstanding the scent of human blood. I've lived with it taunting me, twisting me into something I'm not, making sure I suffer enough until I finally do hunt. And the burn is still never gone. I'm never satisfied.

I stepped out of the door into the dim hallways after packing my things. I had changed into something more comfortable, and made sure there wasn't anyone watching me before I dared to even step foot out. A shawl was wrapped around my shoulders, though, only being natural. I had to see what else there was in this section of the castle before daytime. The halls were quiet, without even the sound of my footsteps or breathing to make sense of any life. The second story did seem to hold a few more people all in all. Stares were piercing onto my back, receiving second glances no matter who it was from the recently arrives Bulgarians, or the Italians. I was obviously known internationally as the vampire who did tell humans. Just what I needed.

But it was the familiar glance of the black-haired, handsome, tall, intimidating vampire that interested me the most. Yes, I'm talking about David. I still sneer at the name. I walked past him after eying him without his notice, my head perked up, and the shawl higher around my shoulders. But he wasn't going to have that. A hand the same color as mine was placed onto my shoulder. Not surprised, I spun around to face him.

"What the hell do you want?" I hissed at his face, shrugging out of his grasp.

"Why do we have to start like that?" He whimpered, seeming surprised at my instant hatred. Please. We go through this every time!

"You damn well know why we have to!" Another five pairs of red eyes were on the obnoxious brawling couple. I only glanced around to be sure it wasn't too big of a scene. I backed off from him in a second and looked into his eyes once more. I couldn't tell what was in them, whether it was hatred or impatience, it was hard to say.

"Violet, it's not my fault you're here..." He whispered, pulling me closer how his lips were by my ear. My eyes narrowed and I looked at him up and down before I continues on.

"You have five seconds to explain how it's not." I rebelled, again shrugging out of his hands.

"It's obviously your fault to fall for mortals!"

"Just because you're heartless doesn't mean you should be against the ones who do have one! You should envy them. We're damned no matter what, and they still have a chance."

"Of course we envy them. That's how the hatred started! I don't see how you haven't killed the boy yet."

"Because I love him!"

"You only want his life!" He rebelled a little too loud, and soon, the entire hallway was standing there watching us. There was a too-long silence of simply me givving a look at him. I gave a loud and obnoxious groan, and backed out away from him, the corridor being too crowded for him to follow me. I headed back out to my trip around the castle, without giving a second glance to David.

"Just give me one more chance!" Said David, all of a sudden racing at my speed. I ignored him again.

"You could love me again just as before!" He said further then me this time, with any hope of catching me. But I slid out of his arms slyly and continued, again.

"There isn't any meaning for this!" The pleading vampire never left me alone! My nerves grew high and I finally turned to him once more, my lips and mind set to the negative. "Who are you dancing with anyway, madamoiselle?" He said, smiling again, seeing that I stopped. I opened my mouth to say something again, but was befuddled... Who was I going to dance with? Who was Lucile going to dance with? "Looks like your sister needs a partner as well..." He said playfully, running his fingers along my jawline and down my neck. I grew stiff as his longing for physical needs increase annoyingly.

"David..." I started, as usual.

"No, no... Don't use that again. It doesn't work like everything else. And you don't have to ask because you know you want to. Save your sister... I wonder..."

"Lucile can flirt with a rock and go out with it. She's set with any vampire she sets her eyes on, David." I sighed, my hands falling to my sides. He smirked casually.

"I can see that." He shrugged, "I don't think you can. Not without leaving them dumbfounded as you often did to me. You're increasingly interesting. It's a wonder what immortality has done to you, my love. But you can't win over someone as easily as you have I." He breathed a laugh softly into my ear, playing with strands of hair that often fell into my face.

"Thanks for the confidence." I smirked looking up to him. I then shrugged out of his grasp, seeing it was going too far, but it was fruitless. He grabbed my shoulders, too much wit to let go, and kissed my cheek faintly, and then brushed my lips with his own. Pulling away, he smiled that sinister look he always kept.

"No, it's more like knowledge. Will you ever forgive me for this?" He wondered, staring off into space.

"Of course not!" I hissed in his face and walked away. This time, he didn't follow. I walked away, keeping my dignity before I fell too fast into his arms again. Before he would nip at my neck and grovel at my feet for me to love the damn guy again. That bastard. I begin to think that he would never plead after a girl he simply plays with. He wouldn't try so hard as to follow her endlessly throughout an entire castle and never let go. That's called despiration, something I lost a year ago and never want to look back at. He obviously loves me, and I don't love him back. Or do I...? I wouldn't talk as casually as I just did if I didn't. I hardly talk to anyone anyway, so how can I tell?

He didn't chase me down this time... But I watched him as he raced ahead of me. He went into the second door in the hallway, obviously his own suite. I kept it in mind as I turned back to go down another corridor, finding the only places on the third level are dormitories. I traveled down the staircase, receiving even more suspicious looks from the vampires going up them, I shrunk away and clung to the railing for dear life. The murderous tone in their eyes was enough to drive me insane!

The second floor was lovlier then the third, I admit. It took on a beautiful dark red and brown, the ebony doors, and the gas lights. But it was there, at the bottom of the stares, that I felt some other prescence following me. Reflexively, I jerked my body around to see who was following me, but found nobody. I sighed... maybe I'm imagining things. A great amount of stress seemed to still be on my shoulders, even as hard as I try to ignore it. It's like the constant nagging in my ear. David's words playing back in my head... It's your fault. Mark's death or any of my family's is going to be my fault, and there's no doubt. If it wasn't for me, we would be here. Maybe I should just run away... The idea seemed glorious. I'd be chased all of eternity, if I ever give up the courage to turn around and slaughter them myself. But that wouldn't happen. Everything would haunt me for the rest of eternity... unless I can switch lives. I can start taking lived of humans to take revenge for my own. But it's... hard. Yet, too easy.

I wondered farther down the hall with these thoughts lingering in my head. A glass window was at the other end of the hallway that I leaned onto and looked out to the dark night. It was starting to rain now, the wind picking up, and whistling through the castle. There weren't many vampires out and about now, when it's near dawn. The sun was just in the horizon through the clouds that only immortal eyes could see. My head was against it, thinking quietly.

"Something wrong?" An unfamiliar voice questioned from behind me. It was low and male, though he sang it to me like wind chimes caught in the wind. I turned around, and cast my eyes upon nothing but a brick wall. I blinked a few times and shook my head. Imagining things again... I shrugged it off, and then looked back out the window.

"What is it, madamoiselle?" The voice asked one more time, after I heaved in a sigh. I turned around, and again, saw nothing. Not a single body lingered in the corridor except myself. I saw nobody behind the pillar or further into the hallway. After searching, the voice seemed to be amused by my search for sanity. "You can't see me, if that's what you're thinking." He laughed, thinking me naive.

"Then what are you? A ghost?" I questioned softly, finally acknowledging it shamefully. I was not to be claimed insane no matter how low I should be. Hearing voices in my head was definitely not a way to begin the proof.

"You could call me that, perhaps." It said, softer now, as if it was singing to my right ear, caressing it. Like satin against my fingertips, like silk slipping onto my body. It felt colder than I, yet wonderful, sending a small shiver down my back. The dark shadowed voice seemed to be beside me, his lips directly near me, near my neck. It was nice there, and it was warming in a way. I'm not insane... it's simply a ghost. Yes, a ghost. Honestly, you now do know vampires are real, why can't ghosts be?

"Perhaps?" I questioned curiously, leaning into the invisible seduction, as if it was lulling me into sleep.

"Ghost is much too loose of a word." He seemed indifferent, more focused on myself. "You didn't answer my question, ma chére."

"Does it really look like I'm okay? I'm talking to an empty corridor, depicting whether or not I'm insane. About every pair of eyes was just on me as if I was about to attack them, and there's a death sentence for someone I love or myself. David thinks I should love him, and I'm stuck. Yeah, sure. I'm alright, because it's only a minor problem I've ever faced." I hissed at the voice, not cautious of the acid that was dripping in. I didn't want to hurt the beautiful thing, I just couldn't help it. I might just break the wall right now.

"No need to be mad. I simply asked. A lovely lady like you shouldn't be so over-run with such problems." It answered, pitying me. Just what I needed, pity.

"Hmph. Maybe the only problem I have is existing period."

"Now..." He started but I had to cut off. He was obviously about to pity me more, and that's not something I think is going to help me.

"No, it's true. Whatever you are... Don't you ever wish you don't exist for eternity? That you died when you had to? Or what about getting yourself into something far too out there...? Being in love... it's a cruel, cruel thing." I hissed more to myself then where the ghost would be.

"I enjoy it." He answered, still very indifferent on himself. "I've been around too long to care."

"Will it go away, then? Can it just disappear? Will I finally lose all emotion?"

"That takes a while to let go if you embrace it for too long." He explained notedly, seeming closer to me now, more there. As if I was really talking to a person, not a spirit. I didn't bother to turn around and look onto it's face. There was silence from my side, as I thought over it. All these years I've kept my emotion, and it's stuck. One by one I must pry my fingers off of it... "I'm very sorry." He finally said.

"Thanks." I huffed.

"But maybe you should try to weave loose ends, my dead. That would be ideal to start with if you're planning on facing this." He trailed off, and became further and further unreal. Back to the point of whispering. "Goodbye, Violet." A wind blew into my ear that formed those words, and I looked back to see, again, nothing.

"But wait!" I called out, and waited. There was not any answer in the wind. I took in a large amount air, smelling the scent of dead leaves falling, a smell of ocean water, fire from the gas lamps, and night. They all mixed together in the cold autumn air... I let the air out of my unmoving lungs, it being unnecessary to even breathe, but enjoy it anyways. I walked back to where I came from, my destination set in my mind.

My harder steps echoed off the walls, it was still dark in the corridor, so I didn't have to go back to my suite just yet.

Once I arrived at the door, I simply stared at it as if it would open itself. I couldn't move my hands to grab the golden doorknob, just stare. I was nervous to even approach him myself, instead of the other way around. What would he even begin to say? Would he give me that smile he has always had? Or would he give me some sarcastic remark? I stopped even breathing, just to concentrate more on what to do then what the smells are. My hand finally moved, deciding there is no way to know then when it actually happens. I knocked lightly onto the door, hardly audible, but still there.

"Come in, Violet." David's voice called out. I reached the doorknob andthe door came open with a too-loud creak. Maybe a little too dramatic. "Ah! You have come to see me. I should be honored." He said dryly, but still not losing it's purpose for annoyance. A book was at his hand, the language being German, and the cover read "vampiro", or vampire. He was sitting lazily on the ebony chair, dark circles under his eyes, and longing sketched around them. He must be thirsty. I could see it in his darker eyes.

"Don't give me that." I murmured. "I came to you simply because I need help..."

"I've always known that." He laughed, and I rolled my eyes. He still was looking down to the book, completely entwined in whatever is in there.

"Okay, David. If you're going to be that way, I can find some other escort to the masquerade." I said harshly.

"No, Violet. Go on and I'll shut up." He laughed again.

"You're the only sick and twisted mind I know. I just... I'm tired of living. I want to hear someone say they are, too. I'm sure you might possibly be, as well." I explained, saying it too fast and without any sort of expression in my voice.

"You want to die? Is that it?" He replied, turning his head to the side, finally looking at me. "I'm sure we can somehow arrange that. So saying the Government is probably going to kill us both in not but two days. Looks like it's already detailed and drawn out on their to-do list. Can you survive two days, or would you like me to do it myself like I've already tried... and failed, mind you." He smirked, back to his asshole self.

"I'm sure they will let me live just to torture me longer, David. For you, I'm not quite sure."

"That's true." He nodded, as if it was reasonable. "Come forth, my dear, be close to me." He signalled, and half-heartedly, I walked to him, not caring. There was a wine glass filled with the familiar dark red liquid. It smelled warm, and fresh... and so sweet. So wonderful, the perfect elixir of life itself. And it lay before me now, as he curled his hand under it gently. He sipped from it elegantly, and then offered it up to me. I stared at it idly, wondering how it'd feel like dripping down my dry and dead throat. To fill my unbeating heart, and create life in my dead shell as any other. It was female blood, though, not as appetizing, but wonderful enough.

"Drink," He ordered. I made a face and backed off.

"No." I whimpered, totally against my will. My voice sounded strained, choked off.

"Drink and feel more alive than ever. Violet, this is what you've been missing. You're the complete outcast from us all because you have not tried it fully. Take a sip and you won't stop. Go ahead, love..." He said, and forced my hand to hold it. I still wasn't breathing, so I shook my head in the negative. "Dammit, Violet. You complain to me about living, and yet you cannot help yourself. You are absolutely the strangest vampire I have ever known." I narrowed my eyes, wanting to give another sarcastic remark about my thanks. He lifted it up from the bottom to my lips, but I would not open them to take it in. Though I could not remain not breathing. Temptation took the better of me, and I did eventually open my mouth, and I felt the thick liquid drain down my throat, taking it in presciously. I finally bit into the apple, releasing the absolute sin of what I am. I couldn't stop... the blood was so wonderful, replenishing my body as it went through as if I was receiving water from being in the desert for days on end.

But I stopped. My lips shut, and then I forced the wine glass down and out of his hands, and it shattered onto the floor, leaving the blood stained into the beautiful and obviously expensive Persian carpet. He looked down to it angrily and impatient.

"No!" I hissed through my teeth and took a step back.

"Violet! You cannot help your own self, how am I supposed to help you? It's unreasonable and silly. You can't feed on bears and elk your entire life. You will fall off the wagon completely one day in eternity! But do not doubt you are still immortal. You are not human or are you part of their world! Come to the right side and prosper!" He screamed at me, with a hint of impatience. I remembered how often he looses his temper, but this was different. It did, indeed, sound like he cared about me.

"Oh..." A voice murmured from behind the coach... That was when I heard a light patter of a heart beat. It sounded groggy, the heart rebelling death as it came closer and closer upon it. The blood hardly there. Soon it would be screaming if it doesn't lose the blood faster.

"David!" I hissed and dashed to behind the coach to see a half-dead servant laying on the ground. Blood poured out from her wrist and a towel seemed to stifle it only a while, keeping it controlled. There were also two crescent marks from David's teeth on the hollow of the poor thing's throat.

"What did you do!?" I screeched, helping her up. She was still concious, looking at me as if I was the devil. She squirmed only a little and cursed in french repeatedly. She tried kicking David where it hurts and kicking my shin as well, but we remained unperturbed. It probably hurt her more then us.

"Oh hush, Violet. I did what I usually do." He obviously didn't understand how terrorized by this I was. He basically did the same thing to me as he did to this poor girl.

"You disgusting bastard!" I hissed accusingly, "Just kill her and get it over with, not sit here and play with her! It's cruel, David."

"I never said I wasn't." He smiled sheepishly, and then came closer to her to have another drink, but I threw him down and away. He landed with a loud crash against the wall, throwing off a mirror. It shattered onto the ground in small pieces, making a complete mess of the room. He cursed under his breath with my name, but I was too distracted with the smell to notice.

"What are you going to do about it, Violet, the girl will eventually die. Why must we make any more of a mess of my carpet? I will simply clean it up." He shrugged, recoiling instantly. I sighed, and looked down to the girl who was now taking my hand and pleading to me in french not to die. I couldn't look back, though, her features were just too pathetic, knowing I wouldn't save her.

"You do it!" David said suddenly, crossing his arms, and looking down to me curiously, one eyebrow elegantly arched.

"No!" Was my reflexive answer.

"You wanted to save the girl from any more pain. So... do it!" He said, pointing to where he bit in on her wrist. I shook my head in the negative and backed off.

"You finish it!" I rebelled. "Finish it now!" I screamed at his face, looking away from the bloody human girl. It made my stomach feel all wrong... what David was doing to her. Taking her life slowly, drop by drop, and then pouring it into a wine glass! It's wrong!

I then felt David's hard hands taking my wrists and leading me back toward the overflowing blood on her wrist. He lifted the wrist with the other hand and then held my back with the same one he just held my own wrist with. "Take it, Violet! Kill her and find peace! Find life! I'm only thinking of you."

"No!" I squeaked in a high-pitched voice. He forced my head closer to it so I couldn't do anything but smell the sweet perfume of fresh blood. I kicked him hard, trying with every whit to throw him off, but failed, again, miserably.

I then let my monstrous senses take over, and my teeth naturally bared, every single one of them sharp as knives. And they pierced into the skin of the girl, as she pleaded even louder for her not to die. I could taste David's venom clearly in the blood, but not enough to change her. Her heart began to slow down as her screams became more undescript, soon turning into mumbles against David's throat, who was biting her own. The blood rushed into my mouth as if it belonged there, the artery still pumping, coming into my body with full life force. I felt my skin become less pale, my body becoming unfrozen, as if I was going to have a heart of my own straight from the girl. I was dead, but feeling more alive then ever!

I pulled away before the heart finally stopped and said something like, "I'm not taking her life!" And then crawled away like a cat scared of her own shadow. David lifted his head from her neck and whispered, "I already took it." He smiled, and then wiped the blood off his face with a hankerchief, and handed it to me as I did the same. David rose from the crouching position and then sat back into the chair and sighed. I felt full for the first time in my life. My body was filled with real blood as it never has been before. The life of the servant girl was glowing in me as it did David. I looked toward the mirror and saw my piercing red eyes glow in the dim candle light menacingly.

I stood on the floor next to the dead corpse and looked over her dull bluish tone over her skin. Definitely dead, and definitely tortured.

"What the hell are you going to do with the body, David?" I whispered, throwing my head back in exasperation. The new life in me was too much to take in at one time. He only snickered under his breath, not giving me any answer. I didn't want to know, quite frankly.

I rose from my position without a word and walked swiftly toward the door, angered more than anything else. I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe any of it.

"Oh, Violet! What are you going to do now? Tell on me because I made you drink blood!?" He laughed, thinking it an awful joke.

"Shut up!" I hissed and closed the door behind me. I massaged my temples and then looked up to the brightened hallway. Suddenly panicked, I made a run for my suite before any human servant saw me. The sunlight hurt my eyes which have grown more accustom to darkness more than anything else. It gave me throbbing in my head, making me have to squint my eyes in order to see where I was going without pain. This must be part of it... What he meant by being a real vampire.

Yet... it felt... so... good.


So... What are you gonna do now? Huh? Huh? I KNOW ONE THING! REVIEW!!!! Your criticism is welcomed in all 50 states except Idaho! That's because it's a weird name! If you come from any other country, then all is welcome as well! Who is racist ;)? By the way, the gay spell check is actually dead, so Don't blame me!