Chapter 12:
Vampires of Whitby
Two months passed. True to Anna's word, the girls returned to Nice to collect Antoine and Sabine's belongings from their cottage. It was out where no human ever ventured, in a deserted scrap of countryside, but was comfortable to live in, so the girls agreed they would visit again in the near future.
After their short flight out of Italy, they bought themselves two hefty suitcases in order to fit everything in: Antoine's small, precious book supply, his journals, and Sabine's gorgeous collection of vintage clothing. If she were still alive, they were certain she would have been happy for them to have it, yet the thought made them ache with grieving regret.
Because, no matter how much Anna and Beth wished for it, their family would never come back.
They tried returning to Dartmoor briefly in August, but the lack of normality and human 'contact' soon frustrated Anna, so she quietly suggested they moved to somewhere far more busy and bustling. Moreover, having read 'Dracula' again (for the third time) that month, Beth proposed they went to Whitby for a while.
Anna had a vague, clouded memory of visiting relatives near there in her previous life. She recalled that the weather had been rather awful and cold, but the welcome she and her family had received had been cheerfully warm. In addition, it would be familiar and British, so she didn't mind. No matter where they went, both women were English girls at heart and – vampires or not – they much preferred miserable drizzle that made you squint in order to see, than a relentless, blazing sun on their backs, no matter how much they complained.
They decided to have their little holiday in a secluded property in Ravenscar, twenty-five miles from Whitby. The cottage itself was a cosy, modern building, despite a dilapidated windmill attached to it, giving it an amusingly unique flare. The rolling hills of Yorkshire could be seen through a vast window in the airy sitting-room, until the mist abruptly grew so thick they couldn't see anything at all, except a pure, solid wall of white.
On the rare sunny day, the girls would obviously stay outside of the company of humans, watching DVDs (Beth), reading and sketching (Anna) in their little cottage. The distant, throaty bleats of scrubby-looking sheep were their only company there, but it was welcome, it was peaceful…and it was perfect for hunting.
It was the fourth day of their holiday, and it was pouring with rain, hammering against the windows, as if it wanted to get into the house. Unabashed, Anna was sat on the sofa with her sketchbook placed open on her lap, idly doodling in the corner of the last page. She would have to buy a new one soon. Almost every page was stiff and wrinkled, heavy with layers of acrylic paint.
She was alone in the house, dressed in one of Sabine's baggy silk blouses, the colour of lavender, and black leggings. Beth was out hunting, scowling against the driving rain from beneath the hood of her favourite top. Anna had fed well yesterday, seeking out two tourists who were quite the hiking and health enthusiasts, judging by the clean taste of their blood.
But as happy as she was here, there was still something…nagging at the back of her mind. She had been putting it off. She was on holiday, for heaven's sake; now was time for fun and exploring a different scene! She had kept quiet about it in front of Beth, of course. She didn't want to be a killjoy, and ruin this trip for her. Later, they would be visiting Whitby Abbey, where Bram Stoker had partially based some of his greatest work, and Beth was incredibly excited about it. It was to be her highlight of the week.
But still…that feeling remained, like a busy rat, gnawing at Anna's mind. Like she was being watched.
He had touched her hand, and had let them go. Why? And…then there was the way he had lookedat her, before Beth had arrived back from her hunt. It had been so intense, and her body had responded in a way that was so strange and unfamiliar, it had frightened her.
Thinking about it now made her tense, and her rock-solid fist clenched so hard around her chunk of graphite, it snapped as easily as a crayon. One of the halves skidded onto the floor, while the other sprinkled her sketch of a rose with steely crumbs.
She sighed, retrieving it. That had been a brand new piece. Oh, well. She placed both parts back into its dented tin, and shut her book, wearily. Her mind was too unsettled, and suddenly, she no longer felt like drawing.
Beyond the sound of the heavy shower, she caught the sound of footsteps approaching the house, crunching up the gravel driveway. She instinctively stiffened, until her hands began to prickle.
Then she sagged with some relief. Thank heavens it wasn't the human! Her shy nature meant she hated meeting new people…especially those with warm, tantalising blood pounding through their veins.
When Beth came skipping into the house, her sneakers were wet with mud, and her favourite sweater was sprinkled with leaves, but she looked utterly content – and Anna envied her a little for it.
"Was your hunting trip successful?" she called to her in the hallway.
"Uh huh. I came across a deer, and a big one at that."
"Excellent," Anna smiled. She got to her feet, grabbing her coat as she did. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yup. I'll get the car started."
The car was nothing special. A simple, blue Punto which Beth had purchased herself, so she was proud of it, nonetheless. Anna herself could not drive, and neither did she feel the need to. No driving instructor would last ten minutes with her, in such a confined space, and her legs were a far more reliable, faster mode of transport, anyway.
She sighed as she followed Beth outside, out into the miserable weather. The rain all but snapped against her coat and legs, blowing at weird, diagonal angles from the wind.
But she was about halfway to the car, when something made her freeze. Her hands already prickled with Beth, but staring out into the hills beyond their little house, she felt another presence. The wet gravel almost had her slipping, but she recovered herself quickly.
Beth saw this, and, feeling guilty for staying in the warm and dry of the car, got out.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, knowing she would hear.
Anna swallowed. The nagging in her brain had become alarm bells, providing a beat for the itch of her palms to dance to. "There is somewhere here with us," she replied. "And they are not human."
"So, another vampire? Oh, brilliant." Beth didn't like sound of that.
Anna looked pensively under her hood. "We should go. They are too far away, but they may be following us."
"Okay. Whoever the hell they are, let's just hope they're friendly," Beth grumbled, and got back in the car.
The prickling in Anna's palms did not stop, even when they began their rather soggy trek up to Whitby Abbey itself. Though it made her terribly uncomfortable, there was small victory in that it only confirmed her theory: they were being followed…perhaps stalked, like prey.
And there was now only one vampire she knew who could do such a thing so diligently.
The rain had dried up by now, and the girls strolled around the Abbey upon thick, wet grass that squished deliciously under their footing. The Abbey was vast and ancient, more of a stone skeleton of a building than anything, but it still had enough grandeur left to fill them with awe to see it. Beth was busy playing photographer, but her eyes moved cautiously when the camera wasn't occupying them.
"Is our stalker still following us?" All she could see were humans: a crowd of boisterous American tourists, posing for a group photo on one of the Abbey's moss-covered, high walls, and lots of families under massive umbrellas, wearing matching macks. But no vampires.
"They are keeping their distance," Anna answered, affirmatively. "But I can still feel them."
She sneered. "Coward."
"Or we would recognise them if we saw them."
Beth blinked at her, astonished. "You know who it is?"
"I'm not completely sure, but consider it – who do we know who can track anyone, anywhere in the world?"
The dawning look of anger on Beth's face was almost funny. "Demetri. Fuck. Aro sent him to spy on us!"
Anna smiled, grimly. "Indeed, it is likely…but we cannot act on it unless we know for sure."
"Obviously."
They took some more photos of the Abbey, and then it was off to the gift shop, in the warm and dry. Beth purchased a pop-up copy of Dracula, and a small, delicate necklace of a Celtic cross with a ruby set in its centre, for Anna. It was fairly expensive, but it was too pretty for her not to buy it.
Anna had stayed with her for a little while, but the shop was small, and much too crowded for her vampire instincts to put up with for long. Besides, the leering looks she was getting from young men (and some old enough to know better!) had begun to wear on her patience.
So, here she was sat, perched on a wall outside, watching the humans swarm about like bees. The idea made her smile, though she wasn't sure why. She reached into her coat pocket for her phone, just to appear like she was doing something.
All the while, her prickling palms were hurting, telling her that Demetri was on the approach.
"Good afternoon, Demetri," she said, quietly.
Glancing up, she saw he was dressed in a mundane, black hoodie and jeans. He looked quite the devastatingly handsome human. He also looked absolutely astounded at being caught.
"I must say, you have come a long way from home," she went on conversationally, though she did not smile. Her insides burned with indignation. "What brings you to England?"
She knew the answer of course. She just wanted to see if he would tell her – but he only narrowed his eyes at her.
"I see now why my Master is so adamant about you joining us. No vampire has ever been able to escape me or detect me before."
"Consider it a new experience," she replied, breezily, gazing at the scenery around them. "I hear such things are beneficial."
He was apparently oblivious to the mocking tone in her voice. "My Master is anxious to hear of your whereabouts, as I'm sure you're aware. You left in quite a hurry."
Anna glared at him. "So would you, if you valued your freedom."
"Indeed," he replied, with a wry smile.
She sighed, when it became obvious he wasn't going to say more. "Why are you here, Demetri? I trust it is not just to have a chat. I can have that with Beth."
"Ah, yes," Demetri smirked. "How is la bambina?"
The door of the gift shop's exit slammed shut. Three guesses who it was.
"Fine, before you crashed the party." At least she had decency to keep her voice down to avoid too much unwanted attention. She marched up to them, her yellow eyes blazing and winter coat rustling, loudly. "Shouldn't you be lurking in the bushes?"
"I see you haven't changed since we last spoke," he smirked, unperturbed by Beth's temper.
"Likewise! Why are you still here? What - hasn't your Master called you to heel yet?"
That made Demetri bristle. "Mind your tone."
"Fuck you. You can't tell me what to do."
Anna sighed. Here we go again. "Stop it. Both of you." When Demetri stared at her, affronted, she asked again. "Why are you here, Demetri?"
He gave Beth a dark look (who, naturally, retaliated in a similar manner), and turned his gaze back to Anna. His jaw was set, and it dawned on her that perhaps he was not comfortable with telling her.
She held no patience for him. "Tell us. Please."
She didn't know what to expect. She didn't know Demetri well enough to try and guess.
"Since you left our company, my Master has… changed."
Beth gave him a weird look. "Changed how?"
Demetri's jaw clenched tighter, clearly not one for discussing feelings. "He is…different. Almost unresponsive. Silent."
Beth snorted. "Sulking, more like. Because he didn't get what he wanted."
Anna digested this. "Why are you telling us this?"
"Yeah, why should we care if your precious sire is having a bad day?" Beth sneered.
"He has been this way since you left, aren't you listening?" Demetri growled at her, impatiently. "And," – there he stopped, looking awkward, before carrying on. "He has your scarf, signora. He carries it with him always."
"What?" Anna started. "My scarf?"
"Well, that's just creepy," Beth droned, chuckling uneasily.
"He will be wondering what is keeping me," he muttered. "I should go. Addio."
Demetri took his leave. They could tell he was glad to go, but Anna hardly noticed.
What game are you playing now, Aro?
Poor Anna, so oblivious, heheh. Did you like my choice of holiday destination? Heck, did you like the chapter? Let me know!
LookAliveSunshine03
