Chapter 12

The other room and the Griffin's eye

Warning: LONG CHAPTER IS LOOOONG

A cat shaped clock ticked on the wall before Darrien, and he wondered how long he'd been here.

The clock seemed a bit off, and the hands were impossible to read due to the dust and dirt that gathered there. Something about the clock was comforting, though, despite the current circumstances.

Jane had led him to a seemingly abandoned house in the middle of practically nowhere, and after letting him inside, she set Sally down in front of the TV and went off to prepare some coffee. The house was awful, and the only room of good quality was the kitchen (which Darrien had only gotten a glimpse of before Jane shooed him out and told him to wait), and he was currently in the living room with Sally, the TV, and some strange looking person in a blue mask who was sleeping on the floor. Darrien didn't dare try to wake him, for he was afraid of what would happen if he did. Sally seemed to have forgotten him, and she'd pulled a bag of store bought, cheddar cheese popcorn out of a nearby cabinet and had begun snacking on it while watching cartoons. Darrien tried to ignore his companions, and he began to think of a way to escape without anybody seeing him.

Before he could make a run for the door, Jane entered with a coffee pot, some cups, and some little sandwiches on a tray. As she set the tray down on the coffee table, Darrien got the courage to ask about what was happening.

"C-could you just tell me why I'm here?"

Jane nodded. "In a minute, just be patient," She turned to the masked person sleeping on the floor. "Jack? Would you like some coffee?" She held the cup near his face. "Here,"

He lay motionless for a few seconds, then he sat up slowly. He inhaled a few times, raised his hand and smacked the coffee cup away. "Fuck off!" He snapped, standing up and walking away.

Jane said nothing as she stared at the spilled coffee. After a few seconds, she picked up one of the sandwiches and followed after Jack. "Won't you at least have a sandwich if you're gonna storm off? It's liverwurst,"

Jack stopped, turned around and took the sandwich. As he walked away, Jane came and sat beside Darrien.

"Okay," she began, pouring herself some coffee. "You live at Deadly Gardens, right?"

Darrien's brow furrowed. "How'd you know?"

"I know a lot of things," Jane explained, handing a coffee cup to Darrien. "I watch a lot of TV, and I eavesdrop. I do that a lot. Now, I need you to describe to me what your apartment looks like,"

Darrien thought for a moment. "Well...it's a basement floor, meaning it's underground. There's four bedrooms and a kitchen,"

Jane took this all in. "Okay, got it. And is there another basement room?"

"Well, yeah. But it's sealed off and locked from everyone else,"

"And why is that?" Jane inquired. "Did something happen there?"

"Yeah. I think some rich lady killed her husband or something,"

Jane snapped her fingers, startling Darrien. "Right. Not any rich lady, though. Eris Hall,"

Darrien nodded. "Right, her. Why is this important?"

Jane went quiet for a few seconds, and she pulled out a pen and notepad. As she began to sketch two basement floors, she continued. "Are you sure there's nobody living in that room?"

"Of course I'm sure,"

"Are you sure?" She asked again, her voice low and serious. "I want you to be sure. Think about it,"

Darrien thought through everything he knew about that room, and then it hit him. "Oh...wait,"

"Yes?"

"I do remember...something," there was a pause, and Darrien continued. "When I first moved there, there was a night when a heard some kind of banging while I was in the kitchen. It was on the other side of the wall, but when I called one of the staff members about it, he just said it was the pipes, and I believed him,"

"But it wasn't the pipes," Jane cut in. "It was the secret that Sonata's hiding for years, now,"

She got up and went to a filing cabinet in the corner of the room, and she chose two files. When she returned, she threw the files down on the coffee table before Darrien.

"The two suspicious characters I have information about in these files may be living in that room," Jane explained, opening up both files and presenting the contents. "And I have reason to believe that they're linked to your daughter's disappearance,"

Darrien looked in both the files, and his eyes widened with horror. "I...I don't believe it. What makes you think they're at Deadly Gardens!?"

Jane turned away for a moment to drink her coffee. As she did this, she lifted up her mask for better access, and Darrien caught a glimpse of her scarred and burned skin.

"I've seen them around that area," She stated, setting down her cup. "And your child's disappearance can't just be a coincidence,"

Darrien looked back down, and he bit down on his lip. As he rested his head in his hand, Jane reached out and touched his shoulder gently.

"Look, we don't know everything that happened. She may still be alive and well, and when it comes to small kids, Jeff doesn't usually..." She trailed off, and pulled away. "But, look. I'm gonna help you, okay? I want these kids to be safe as much as you do,"

The TV turned to static, and Sally changed the channel to the music video channel. Loud rap music began blaring, and Jack dashed in with a bottle of shoe polish in hand. He stumbled around aimlessly, turned to the direction of the noise, and tossed the bottle in the TV's direction. "SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR FAT FACE!"

He missed and hit the cat clock instead, and as the bottle burst and the clock shattered, Jane shouted, "Jack! I just bought that shoe polish!"

As she began bickering with the blind man, Darrien decided it was time to go.

A week went by, and the search still was not fruitful.

Valentine, however, tried to stave off any anxiety he felt about the case and moved in to his new mobile home by the lake. He wasn't going to stay long, for he knew his babies were going to come very soon- he could just feel it.

But the babies weren't a primary concern at the moment, for after he'd moved all of his things into the little house, Valentine had an idea of what he wanted to spend his time with. If his mother wasn't going to tell him anything about his father, then he was going to look for answers from the Internet.

One thing Valentine did know was that his father was a general in some war years ago, but Vampira had only mentioned it once. This information proved to be useful, as quite a few results appeared when Valentine searched, "General Erin, vampire war".

Yet, all the sources gave the same amount of info: Erin appeared to the Vampire City (which was underground due to hunters) and urged the vampires to rebel against the humans who were trying to invade their home and destroy the race. He wouldn't discuss where he came from, and all he said was that he'd been raised by human parents who had died just days before. He helped build an army, which then led to the vampires getting an above-ground city near the human village, but only under the condition that the vampires did not attack any humans. After the triumph, Erin married Vampira, but was soon exiled due to an 'unnamed taboo'. Nothing else was found.

"It was worth a shot," Valentine sighed in defeat at the results, and he was about to close his laptop when something caught his eye. It was a link to instructions for something called a, "Griffin's eye", which claimed to have the ability to look into the past of the user's family. The thought was tempting, and soon Valentine found himself clicking the link.

The Griffin's eye was a sort of homemade candle, made with table salt, olive oil, a strand of the user's hair, and of course, a bit of thin rope for the wick. Valentine was able to collect all these things (the hair was no problem, as his hair was quite long and easy to pull out), and soon he found himself waiting for the candle to dry.

"It might not work," he muttered to himself. "Maybe it's a practical joke or something,"

The timer beeped, and he checked the jar where he'd put it all to see of it was totally frozen. It was, and he took it into his room to continue the process.

The instructions then said to light the Griffin's eye, think about what the user wished to know, and then go to sleep. As Valentine lit the candle, he thought about his father, his family, and everything else he needed clarity on. He lay down on the bed as he watched the wick burn, and one of the babies gave him a rather hard kick.

"Stop that!" He hissed quietly. "I need to sleep for this!"

After a few minutes, his eyelids began to get heavy, and he welcomed sleep.

It was as if a movie began to play, and a beautiful landscape came into view. The sun was setting, and it cast a shadow against a rocky cave near the sea. Four figures treaded along the beach, and they entered the cave.

The tallest one, the leader of the group, knocked upon a pair of heavy doors in the cave. There was a pause, and the doors opened slowly. The leader made a gesture with his hand, and they all entered. Inside was a couldron, a few shelves filled with scrolls and bottles, and a large desk. An old, grayhaired woman peeked out at the group with large eyes, and she went back behind the desk.

"Just a moment!" She stated, and she soon came back out. She shuffled as she walked, and she looked up at the vampires with a toothy grin. "What can I help you with, nobles of the Vampire City?"

The leader, a tall and strong vampire with a head of dark hair, stepped forward, assuming his authority.

"Mistress Zelda," he began, his voice deep. "We have a problem that is in need of your fixing,"

Mistress Zelda flicked her hand. "Well, go on, Lord Nosferatu! What is the trouble?"

"The humans," Nosferatu seethed, his anger returning. "They were too clever. While we were out hunting, they went to our home in the valley. They killed off all of the wives and a few children. When we returned, they forced us out. We live underground now, but we are worried. The only surviving females are children, none of which have matured yet. A need to reproduce,"

Zelda did a laugh. "Reproduce? Oh, darling! You vampires are immortal creatures. Why reproduce? You have no need for replacements!"

"But we do," another vampire in the group, a small blonde, stepped up. "What if there is a plague? What if the humans come back? We need to carry on the race,"

The old woman tapped her chin, falling silent. She spoke after a few moments. "How old is the oldest girl?"

"The oldest girl is my daughter, Elizabeth," The blonde vampire spoke once again. "She is eight years old,"

Zelda sighed. "Not good, not good at all," she went quiet once more, but a smile spread across her wrinkled face. "May I ask a rather...personal question, my lord?"

Nosferatu nodded. "You may ask anything, Zelda,"

She couldn't stop grinning, and her eyes flickered to each of her guests. "Are any of you homosexuals by any chance?"

Various noises of disgust rose up from the group, and Noseferatu crossed his arms angrily. "My God, Zelda! That was not a necessary question! Homosexuality is a taboo, as is incest!"

Zelda laughed. "You are funny creatures! My lord, you must consider this thing you call a 'taboo' as a means of survival,"

"What are you on about?" Nosferatu asked in an irritated fashion. "Men cannot bear children with other men!"

Zelda simply snickered, and she rushed to her shelves. There was some clicking as she collecting a few potions in glass bottles, and she rushed to her couldron and poured each liquid in. She muttered a chant, and there was a gust of wind. The wind was strong, and it ruffled the hair and clothing of the vampires. Noseferatu looked up in confusion.

"What was-"

He stopped suddenly, and he slowly reached his hand down to his groin area. His hand came back up with a strange slickness, and he looked down to see a dark spot of blood staining his clothing. Cries rose up from the group as the others began bleeding as well, but Mistress Zelda just grinned all the while.

"What is happening!?" Noseferatu demanded to know. "Why are we bleeding!? What have you done!?"

Zelda batted her eyelashes innocently. "Why, my lord! This is just your menstrual period!"

There was a long pause, and Noseferatu drew his sword. "I should kill you!" He snapped, baring his fangs at Zelda. "You shall not spit these wicked lies, you slattern!"

His threats did not phase Zelda, and she howled with laughter. "You should be thanking me! From this day forth, every male vampire will have the ability to bear children, just as females do. Now," she grinned and made a little motion with her hand. "Follow the words of God: be fruitful and multiply!"

The scene then began to change, and it switched to a later time. It was now focusing on the underground Vampire City, where some little children danced and played in a circle. Watching from afar was Nosferatu, who looked at the children with a bit of contempt. The blonde vampire from earlier walked up at this moment, balancing a toddler on his hip.

"What is the problem, Nosferatu?" The vampire inquired.

Noseferatu growled low at him. "None of your concern, Mercutio. Go tend to your sons,"

Mercutio was silent, then he sat beside his friend. "Have you not mated yet, my friend?"

"Why would I?" Noseferatu snorted. "Should I become a brood mare, like you have? I think not! Mistress Zelda's blessing is more of a curse!"

"Do not speak those harsh words!" Mercutio pleaded. "'Tis a blessing for me! My sons are the Lord's gifts to David and I, and I shall never give them up!"

Noseferatu stood up suddenly. "Then you let David push his plow in your field if that is what you desire. I, however, will find a wife for myself,"

Mercutio looked up in surprise. "Where shall you find a wife? Surely not from the human village,"

"A human woman is not what I desire," Noseferatu pulled out a small scroll, revealing a portrait of a woman. "My heart seeks the Demi-goddess Diana. I intend to make her my wife,"

"Have you gone mad!?" Mercutio demanded to know. "You wish to marry Diana? Her human followers will surely kill you!"

"'Tis a risk I shall have to take," Noseferatu began to walk off. "Play with your sons, my friend. I shall return,"

There was yet another swift change of scene, and this time, Noseferatu was walking up to a large castle. He pushed the huge doors open and walked briskly inside, drawing his sword.

There sat a woman who looked as if no man could ever deserve her. Her beauty was stunning, and it became quite clear that she knew she was beautiful. She sat upon her throne, brushing her long, silvery hair in delicate strokes, and she sighed as Noseferatu came into view.

"Oh, fie," she stretched lazily. "Oh, me. What business have you here?"

Noseferatu bowed low in respect. "I am the vampire lord, and I have come to make you my wife,"

Diana let out a laugh, and she set her brush down. "Then, what is holding you back, my good man?" she rose up out of the throne, extending her arms. "Come and claim me!"

She suddenly transformed into a flying horse, and she soared up towards the castle's high ceiling. Nosferatu simply smirked, and he dropped his sword and changed into his bat form.

The winged horse squealed suddenly as the bat attacked her face, and she took a nosedive. It became a chase between two flying creatures, and it was over when the horse slammed into a rack of scrolls and collapsed, changing into her Demi-goddess form. Noseferatu changed back after landing, and he strode over to where Diana lay in a heap.

With a strong grip, he yanked her up by the hair to look at him, and she made a sort of "Oh!" sound when she realized he'd beaten her.

"Now," Noseferatu smiled triumphantly. "Will you be my wife?"

Diana stared at him, open mouthed and panting, and she whispered, "Oh, yes, my lord!"

With a grin, Noseferatu leaned down and opened his mouth wide. He bit down on her neck and claimed her as his own, while she weakened under his power. After a moment, he stood up and took her hand, grabbing his sword and leading her out of the castle.

There was yet another shift to years later, and it was back in the Vamipre City. Diana stood outside the hut, watching two little girls play in the dirt a few feet away from her. The smaller girl suddenly picked up a beetle and tried to shove it in her mouth, and Diana, noticing, ran up to stop her.

"Sonata, my dear girl!" She swatted the beetle away. "Why do you eat bugs when there is plenty of bread and fish inside?"

"I wanted to see what it would taste like, Mama," the young Sonata said innocently. "I like new things,"

The older girl crossed her arms at her sister. "That is a lie! Elizabeth told her that if she ate a beetle, she would get a dress the same color as the shell!"

"Why, Sonata, that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!" Diana scolded her younger daughter. "Why would you believe such a thing?"

Sonata pouted. "Vampira is lying, Mama! I would never believe such a thing!"

Before Diana could continue her scolding, Noseferatu approached. "You best not be troubling your mother," he said in a stern voice.

The girls fell silent, and they backed a way a bit. "We were not, father," young Vampira assured. "Honest, we were not,"

Noseferatu gave a glare, then he turned to his wife. "Come inside," he said quietly, and they went into the hut together, leaving the girls outside.

When the door closed, Vampira walked up cautiously and put her ear near the window to listen.

"Mistress Zelda says you will give birth to a son," Noseferatu was saying. "But he will dishonor the family,"

"Dishonor?" Diana inquired anxiously. "But how?"

"Her prophecy says that he will kill his sister's first husband and then marry his sister himself," Noseferatu explained. There was a pause, and he continued. "To spare our family name of the taboo that is incest, we must send him away when he is born,"

Diana gasped. "Oh, Noseferatu! Do not do this!"

"We will not kill him," he assured her. "We will send him away to live with some human shepards. They are friendly towards vampires, and they will care for him. We must spare our family name,"

Vampira pulled away from the window, tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned to her sister slowly, seeing her standing there with a worried expression.

"Vampira?" Sonata asked softly. "What is the matter?"

Vampira said nothing, and she simply put an arm around her sister. They stood there in silence, and then the scene changed again.

This time, it was clear that the Vampire War had already happened, for the city was on the surface, now. Vampira, now an adult, stood with Sonata near a firepit with some meat roasting over the flames. Vampira stared at the meat without interest as Sonata, who was currently pregnant, chattered on about her visit to the medic.

"The medic suspects twins! Can you believe it? Benjamin is thrilled, and he hopes that they are both boys," she scratched her stomach gently. "But, Mistress Zelda says something about one of them is...well, strange. One has a destructive future, as she says,"

"I refuse to believe any word out of that wretch's mouth," Vampira stated, quite bitter over something. "She is nothing but a poor fool, now. She does not have much longer to live, I imagine,"

There was a clatter from the house behind them, and a drunken male vampire stumbled out.

"Vampira!" He snapped, glaring at her. "Get inside this very instant!"

Reluctantly, Vampira left the fire and went inside. However, both of them neglected to completely close the door.

"Yes, Ramine?" Vampira asked, but she was answered with a punch to the face.

"You worthless creature!" Ramine yelled as she fell to the floor. "What do I have a wife for if she cannot bear children!?"

Vampira stumbled to her feet. "Do not blame me, Ramine!"

He got her by the neck, baring his fangs at her. "I will blame you! You are suppose to serve me, woman!"

Suddenly, there was a crash, and in dashed a younger male vampire. "Do not lay a hand on your wife, Ramine!"

Ramine hissed at the intruder, and the two broke into a tussle. Vampira stepped out of the way in surprise as the two fought, and the younger male soon smashed Ramine's head on the stone wall. Ramine went limp and collapsed, and a dealy silence followed.

"Oh, general Erin," Vampira gasped out, clasping her hands on her chest. "I do believe you've killed him,"

Erin looked down, and he bent down to look at Ramine. After some quiet, he looked back at Vampira. "I can convince your father that it was for a good reason," he then extended a hand to Vampira. "Shall I marry you, now?"

Vampira let out a little chortle. "I suppose I have to, now,"

He gently took her hand, and the two left the house silently.

There was another change, and it showed Noseferatu sitting at a desk with a few scrolls. Beside him was his friend Mercutio and Mercutio's two sons. They were quietly discussing new laws that needed passing when the door slammed open rather loudly, startling them.

It was Mistress Zelda, who promptly threw Erin to the floor before the four vampires.

"I knew it!" Zelda cackled. "I knew the prophecy would come true!"

Noseferatu stood up and went to Erin, who was a sobbing heap on the floor. "What do you mean!?" Noseferatu asked, looking up at Zelda with an angered expression.

Zelda grinned. "Your son killed his brother in law and married his sister! This was inevitable, my friend!"

Erin looked up at Noseferatu with tear-filled eyes. "Forgive me, my lord! I did not know she was my sister!"

As Zelda laughed triumphantly, Noseferatu fell silent. After a moment, he shook his head slowly. "You broke our law," he stated, his voice quivering. "We must abide by our laws," he looked down at Erin, and he took him by the hand and helped him stand up. "Erin, you must be exiled,"

"No!" Erin cried out. "Vampira is about to give birth! Please, father-"

Noseferatu struck him on the cheek. "Do not call me father!" He snapped, holding back his tears. "Leave already! Please, son, I do not wish to look at you,'

Erin lingered for a moment, then he turned around and stormed out, the tears streaming down his face. As the door banged shut, Zelda laughed once more.

"Farewell, my lord!" She giggled. "Treat your kingdom well!" And with that, she vanished.

Noseferatu stood there in total silence, until Mercutio came and tapped his shoulder.

"My lord-" he began, but Noseferatu raised a hand to silence him.

"I cannot do this anymore," Noseferatu's voice dripped with sadness and remorse. "I have just banished my own son," he turned to Mercutio. "Mercutio, you must rule, now,"

Mercutio gasped in surprise. "Are you sure!?"

"My bloodline will forever be tainted by this taboo," Noseferatu sighed, removing his jewelry. "Carry on, and rule this land with your sons, Joseph and Stoker,"

With that statement, he left the room, never to rule again.

The scene shifted one last time, and it showed Vampire lying on a cot, writhing in agony while a medic tried to keep her still.

"Still yourself, dear Vampira!" The medic said, trying to do her job. "Just keep pushing! Push hard! Your baby is almost out!"

Vampira strained, and then she fell limp and began to sob. "He was my brother!" She lamented. "Oh, now my first two children are dead due to our mistake! This one will be dead, too! God forgive me!"

Sonata entered at this time, with her two toddlers at her side. "Has she not given birth yet?"

Before the medic could answer, Vampira let out a loud gasp and fell back down on the cot. There was a pause, and then the soft whimpering of a baby became present in the air. The medic looked down in surprise, and she gathered the child in her arms and began to look it over.

"You have a son," she stated finally, cleaning him off with a rag and twisting the cord off. "However, his heartbeat is irregular. It seems as though only one half works,"

Sonata shook her head. "Then he will die like the others. It is hopeless, Vampira,"

"No!" Vampira spoke up, sitting up the best she could. "Please, what will help him?"

The medic thought for a moment. "Well," she said finally. "There is...something that could help, but it costs several gold pieces,"

"I will do it!" Vampira said without a moment's hesitation. "I will do whatever it takes!"

The medic nodded, and she selected a large vial filled with a pink liquid. She pried the baby's mouth open and poured the liquid in, and she made sure he swallowed every drop.

"You must make sure he is not put under excessive stress," the medic warned, handing the baby off to Vampira. "Watch him carefully,"

Vampira nodded, roughly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I will do everything in my power to protect my son," she brought the baby up and kissed him lovingly. "My sweet little Kieran! I will always protect you, my son. God forgive me for the danger I put you in!"

And then suddenly, it all went dark.

Valentine awoke to find that there were tears in his eyes, but he didn't know why they were there. He sat up, swallowing hard and thinking over everything he'd seen. As he wiped at his eyes, he knew what he had to do.

He reached for his phone to call his mother.

THIS IS SO LONG OH MY GOD (that's what she said)

This is probably the longest chapter ever! Can you stand it? I hope it's interesting enough...

So, I've started school once again, and I'm auditioning for another play. Therefore, I may not be posting as much. Just an FYI!

Questions, comments, or theories? Let me know in your review!

See you next time, fellow monstebrhhdihejebebjeI'm going to bed