The oubliettes. Horror. Terror unimaginable. Darkness. Impending
doom. God I wanted out!!
The house was silent above me and I could hear the chirping of crickets outside. I must have been in there for three hours but it felt like an eternity.
Above, the house creaked and I had a spark of hope. Only to have it die when I realized it was the house settling.
My labored breathing, thudding pulse and the awful smell of human waste was my connection to the real world. I began shivering violently and knew I was going into shock.
By the time Jasmina, Morigan and Moria came back home, all they would find was my dead body.
I swore I heard someone kick the door down above me but it must have been my imagination. No one would come for me.
"Angel!" I heard a distant voice calling. Damon?
"Angel, where are you?" an unfamiliar female voice cried above me.
I'm going crazy. Voices, calling for me.
Suddenly the door was ripped from its hinges and I spied three shadows through a haze.
All three of them gagged.
"Il mio Dio" said an unfamiliar male voice.
"Odora come qualche cosa morto." Damon gagged.
"It does smell like someone died" The unfamiliar female and then said shocked, "Angel?"
She then sprang into action. "Damon, draw a really warm bath upstairs. She stinks."
A familiar looking man came in and picked me up as Damon left. Outside my prison I could see his eyes were green and not black like I was expecting.
"Stefan, take her upstairs and put a blanket around her for now." The blond hair and blue eyed female ordered.
I was upstairs and secured in a blanket before I knew it. The female and Stefan sat talking about me moments later like I wasn't even there.
"Bath is ready, Elena." Damon told the woman. Stefan then picked me up, carried me into the bathroom with Elena behind and sat me on the toilet then left.
"My names Elena Gilbert." She told me as she stripped me and led me into the tub.
Warmth immediately flooded me but I was still shivering.
"Madelyn and my friend Bonnie are pen pals." Elena told me as she began cleaning me. "Maddy sent Stefan and me an invite to her graduation so that's why we're here."
I didn't speak so she continued.
"Did you know Stefan and Damon are brothers? Stefan's the younger brother but you can't tell by the way he acts."
Damon's baby brother, I thought. I wonder if he would be upset if I killed him.
Elena sighed, "I love Stefan. He's so.. and so.." She sighed again as she began cleaning my hair with Morigan's lavender shampoo/conditioner.
"That style on you is very becoming. Long in the front that slowly gets shorter in the back." She said. "And how soft it is. How do you do it?"
El cheapo brand of shampoo, I thought wryly.
"When your sister in laws came over without you, Damon got concerned. Stefan and I just got in and wanted to talk to him so we all came here." Elena laughed, "Aren't you glad that we did? Knowing Damon he would be doing this himself."
And loving every moment I added to myself. Lecherous lamebrain.
Once Elena finished cleaning me and drying me off, she led me into Morigan and my room with only a towel to cover me.
Elena looked through my things and winced at the ugly cast offs. She then opened Morigan's closet and picked out a white long sleeved dress that went to my ankles. After that we went downstairs.
"Much better." Damon said as him and Stefan stood up to leave. He looked down at my feet and noticed I didn't have any shoes on.
Stefan noticed too and asked, "No shoes?"
"Morigan's feet are much too big and Angel appears to only own one set of shoes. The boots." Elena explained.
Damon rolled his eyes, walked over and swept me off my feet. I began shivering for all new reasons.
"Let's get to Joan's." he said and carried me out without another word.
Joan Riley's home—or should I say estate, was a gated mansion of two floors. Inside, a chandelier hung in the greeting area. The tile we walked on was cool marble that led into a sunken in living room with scarlet red carpet that was soft on my feet.
Everyone was lounging on large pillows of bold colors. Madelyn was lying on an emerald pillow. Aunt Florence was on a golden yellow pillow. Jasmina and Morigan chose black pillows while Julian had a blue one. Joan had a bed of all colored pillows under her stomach.
The antique furniture was pushed to the side on the walls leaving a bare area for everyone to enjoy.
"Hey Angel, where were you!" Joan cried never seeing the dirty looks Morigan and Jasmina wore.
"She was locked in the basement." Stefan informed everyone. I began shivering even harder, if that were possible.
"Jesus, she's in shock." Joan cried jumping to her feet and ordered some hidden servant to bring a blanket or two and some hot chocolate.
Instantly, I found myself enveloped in the loving arms of my auntie and a familiar scented leather jacket around me.
"Is she claustrophobic?" Stefan asked Florence as she led me toward a stalk of pillows and sat me down beside her.
"Very much. Everyone in the family knows that." My aunt replied as she rocked me. "Almost from the day she was born, she hated dark enclosed places."
The blankets and hot chocolate arrived then. Already I could feel myself returning to normal with every hot sweet taste.
"So what were we talking about before we were interrupted?" Jasmina asked politely fluttering her eyelashes at both Salvatore brothers. Unlike Joan, Elena knew what Jasmina was doing.
"Mad Maddy was talking about this *shadow demon that took Branton*" Morigan said and rolled her eyes.
"Don't call her Mad Maddy." Julian warned sending her a sharp look. Morigan was instantly quiet and paler than usual.
"Just for curiosity sake, what do these shadow things look like." Moria asked before Jasmina could say anything.
"Most are the ugliest things you could imagine in their true forms." Madelyn answered, "That I know of, there are only two that look human and they are very attractive men."
Jasmina shrugged, "What's so bad about being in the company of those two?"
"One of them is me, the other is the one who is after you and your family." Julian replied. "And Keegan isn't entirely aljinnu."
"Isn't a jinn a genie of sorts?" Morigan asked with a frown. Well, she isn't just another pretty face.
"Evil genie." Julian corrected.
"So some half genie psycho has kidnapped my husband because?" Jasmina snapped.
"Will you grant me wishes?" Morigan demanded her eyes dancing with glee.
"I don't know why Keegan took Branton and no I will not grant any wishes." Julian snapped.
Morigan sneered, "Because Mad Maddy is your master. You have to grant her wishes first."
Julian growled in frustration.
"Ever seen what a duo of vampires can do to a little girl?" Damon asked casually.
"Vampires aren't real." Moria said sticking her nose up in the air.
Both Stefan and Damon exchanged looks then flashed their fangs.
"You sure about that?" Elena asked as Damon snickered at my in-law's startled reaction. Strangely Florence wasn't affected.
"How old are you both?" my aunt inquired quietly.
"Over five hundred years." Damon answered with a shrug.
I whistled. That's pretty old.
"What you've never slayed a vampire over a hundred?" Damon asked turning his dark gaze on me. I shivered.
Actually I once killed a vampire that claimed to be one that made a deal with the devil but I doubt it.
"Angel kills vampires?" Jasmina exclaimed and laughed. "She's meeker than a mouse."
I was thinking angry thoughts but only revealed fear and softly whimpered.
"See? You can't even say her name without her wailing." Morigan said with a chortle.
Suddenly I saw something flying toward me in the corner of my eye. Without thinking I lashed out and kie sending the object away from auntie and me. It was a pillow I realized when my in law's sat in stunned silence.
Damon sat beside me and flashed me a smile. "Nice shot."
I scowled at him for blowing my cover.
"You didn't know that I let both Branton and Angela learn martial arts?" Aunt Florence asked innocently. I hid my grin by ducking my head.
Jasmina sighed, "So it has been established that vampires and shadow demons exist. What does that have to do with us Claudines?"
"*You* are also a Taliesin, Jasmina." Madelyn told, "Which makes you *and* your family a target."
So it's your entire fault you're in this mess, I thought snidely as I finished off my cocco.
"What did Branton and Angel do to anger this guy?" Morigan whined.
"Nothing. My people just do these things, it's fun." Julian replied.
"Do you think we ought to go to the pub tomorrow or now?" Joan asked with concern.
"Whatever Keegan left for us can wait until the morning." Madelyn said, "For now let's get some rest."
Joan then showed us to our temporary rooms. Morigan and Jasmina had adjoining rooms with a shared luxury bathroom. Stefan and Elena had a room all to themselves complete with a king-sized waterbed and Jacuzzi bathtub. Madelyn and Julian also shared a similar room but not the same bed.
What a gentleman.
Aunt Florence had a simple bedroom with a single bed and regular bath. Unfortunately, Damon and my bedroom adjoined like my sister in laws' and the only thing that separated us was a door without a lock.
Once inside, I pushed a large dresser in front of the door along with a lazy boy that was against one wall. Next I locked the outside door and prayed that was enough. Then I trudged over and collapsed on top of the bed exhausted from the day's events.
Please review. It makes me think I'm not doing so good if you don't.
The house was silent above me and I could hear the chirping of crickets outside. I must have been in there for three hours but it felt like an eternity.
Above, the house creaked and I had a spark of hope. Only to have it die when I realized it was the house settling.
My labored breathing, thudding pulse and the awful smell of human waste was my connection to the real world. I began shivering violently and knew I was going into shock.
By the time Jasmina, Morigan and Moria came back home, all they would find was my dead body.
I swore I heard someone kick the door down above me but it must have been my imagination. No one would come for me.
"Angel!" I heard a distant voice calling. Damon?
"Angel, where are you?" an unfamiliar female voice cried above me.
I'm going crazy. Voices, calling for me.
Suddenly the door was ripped from its hinges and I spied three shadows through a haze.
All three of them gagged.
"Il mio Dio" said an unfamiliar male voice.
"Odora come qualche cosa morto." Damon gagged.
"It does smell like someone died" The unfamiliar female and then said shocked, "Angel?"
She then sprang into action. "Damon, draw a really warm bath upstairs. She stinks."
A familiar looking man came in and picked me up as Damon left. Outside my prison I could see his eyes were green and not black like I was expecting.
"Stefan, take her upstairs and put a blanket around her for now." The blond hair and blue eyed female ordered.
I was upstairs and secured in a blanket before I knew it. The female and Stefan sat talking about me moments later like I wasn't even there.
"Bath is ready, Elena." Damon told the woman. Stefan then picked me up, carried me into the bathroom with Elena behind and sat me on the toilet then left.
"My names Elena Gilbert." She told me as she stripped me and led me into the tub.
Warmth immediately flooded me but I was still shivering.
"Madelyn and my friend Bonnie are pen pals." Elena told me as she began cleaning me. "Maddy sent Stefan and me an invite to her graduation so that's why we're here."
I didn't speak so she continued.
"Did you know Stefan and Damon are brothers? Stefan's the younger brother but you can't tell by the way he acts."
Damon's baby brother, I thought. I wonder if he would be upset if I killed him.
Elena sighed, "I love Stefan. He's so.. and so.." She sighed again as she began cleaning my hair with Morigan's lavender shampoo/conditioner.
"That style on you is very becoming. Long in the front that slowly gets shorter in the back." She said. "And how soft it is. How do you do it?"
El cheapo brand of shampoo, I thought wryly.
"When your sister in laws came over without you, Damon got concerned. Stefan and I just got in and wanted to talk to him so we all came here." Elena laughed, "Aren't you glad that we did? Knowing Damon he would be doing this himself."
And loving every moment I added to myself. Lecherous lamebrain.
Once Elena finished cleaning me and drying me off, she led me into Morigan and my room with only a towel to cover me.
Elena looked through my things and winced at the ugly cast offs. She then opened Morigan's closet and picked out a white long sleeved dress that went to my ankles. After that we went downstairs.
"Much better." Damon said as him and Stefan stood up to leave. He looked down at my feet and noticed I didn't have any shoes on.
Stefan noticed too and asked, "No shoes?"
"Morigan's feet are much too big and Angel appears to only own one set of shoes. The boots." Elena explained.
Damon rolled his eyes, walked over and swept me off my feet. I began shivering for all new reasons.
"Let's get to Joan's." he said and carried me out without another word.
Joan Riley's home—or should I say estate, was a gated mansion of two floors. Inside, a chandelier hung in the greeting area. The tile we walked on was cool marble that led into a sunken in living room with scarlet red carpet that was soft on my feet.
Everyone was lounging on large pillows of bold colors. Madelyn was lying on an emerald pillow. Aunt Florence was on a golden yellow pillow. Jasmina and Morigan chose black pillows while Julian had a blue one. Joan had a bed of all colored pillows under her stomach.
The antique furniture was pushed to the side on the walls leaving a bare area for everyone to enjoy.
"Hey Angel, where were you!" Joan cried never seeing the dirty looks Morigan and Jasmina wore.
"She was locked in the basement." Stefan informed everyone. I began shivering even harder, if that were possible.
"Jesus, she's in shock." Joan cried jumping to her feet and ordered some hidden servant to bring a blanket or two and some hot chocolate.
Instantly, I found myself enveloped in the loving arms of my auntie and a familiar scented leather jacket around me.
"Is she claustrophobic?" Stefan asked Florence as she led me toward a stalk of pillows and sat me down beside her.
"Very much. Everyone in the family knows that." My aunt replied as she rocked me. "Almost from the day she was born, she hated dark enclosed places."
The blankets and hot chocolate arrived then. Already I could feel myself returning to normal with every hot sweet taste.
"So what were we talking about before we were interrupted?" Jasmina asked politely fluttering her eyelashes at both Salvatore brothers. Unlike Joan, Elena knew what Jasmina was doing.
"Mad Maddy was talking about this *shadow demon that took Branton*" Morigan said and rolled her eyes.
"Don't call her Mad Maddy." Julian warned sending her a sharp look. Morigan was instantly quiet and paler than usual.
"Just for curiosity sake, what do these shadow things look like." Moria asked before Jasmina could say anything.
"Most are the ugliest things you could imagine in their true forms." Madelyn answered, "That I know of, there are only two that look human and they are very attractive men."
Jasmina shrugged, "What's so bad about being in the company of those two?"
"One of them is me, the other is the one who is after you and your family." Julian replied. "And Keegan isn't entirely aljinnu."
"Isn't a jinn a genie of sorts?" Morigan asked with a frown. Well, she isn't just another pretty face.
"Evil genie." Julian corrected.
"So some half genie psycho has kidnapped my husband because?" Jasmina snapped.
"Will you grant me wishes?" Morigan demanded her eyes dancing with glee.
"I don't know why Keegan took Branton and no I will not grant any wishes." Julian snapped.
Morigan sneered, "Because Mad Maddy is your master. You have to grant her wishes first."
Julian growled in frustration.
"Ever seen what a duo of vampires can do to a little girl?" Damon asked casually.
"Vampires aren't real." Moria said sticking her nose up in the air.
Both Stefan and Damon exchanged looks then flashed their fangs.
"You sure about that?" Elena asked as Damon snickered at my in-law's startled reaction. Strangely Florence wasn't affected.
"How old are you both?" my aunt inquired quietly.
"Over five hundred years." Damon answered with a shrug.
I whistled. That's pretty old.
"What you've never slayed a vampire over a hundred?" Damon asked turning his dark gaze on me. I shivered.
Actually I once killed a vampire that claimed to be one that made a deal with the devil but I doubt it.
"Angel kills vampires?" Jasmina exclaimed and laughed. "She's meeker than a mouse."
I was thinking angry thoughts but only revealed fear and softly whimpered.
"See? You can't even say her name without her wailing." Morigan said with a chortle.
Suddenly I saw something flying toward me in the corner of my eye. Without thinking I lashed out and kie sending the object away from auntie and me. It was a pillow I realized when my in law's sat in stunned silence.
Damon sat beside me and flashed me a smile. "Nice shot."
I scowled at him for blowing my cover.
"You didn't know that I let both Branton and Angela learn martial arts?" Aunt Florence asked innocently. I hid my grin by ducking my head.
Jasmina sighed, "So it has been established that vampires and shadow demons exist. What does that have to do with us Claudines?"
"*You* are also a Taliesin, Jasmina." Madelyn told, "Which makes you *and* your family a target."
So it's your entire fault you're in this mess, I thought snidely as I finished off my cocco.
"What did Branton and Angel do to anger this guy?" Morigan whined.
"Nothing. My people just do these things, it's fun." Julian replied.
"Do you think we ought to go to the pub tomorrow or now?" Joan asked with concern.
"Whatever Keegan left for us can wait until the morning." Madelyn said, "For now let's get some rest."
Joan then showed us to our temporary rooms. Morigan and Jasmina had adjoining rooms with a shared luxury bathroom. Stefan and Elena had a room all to themselves complete with a king-sized waterbed and Jacuzzi bathtub. Madelyn and Julian also shared a similar room but not the same bed.
What a gentleman.
Aunt Florence had a simple bedroom with a single bed and regular bath. Unfortunately, Damon and my bedroom adjoined like my sister in laws' and the only thing that separated us was a door without a lock.
Once inside, I pushed a large dresser in front of the door along with a lazy boy that was against one wall. Next I locked the outside door and prayed that was enough. Then I trudged over and collapsed on top of the bed exhausted from the day's events.
Please review. It makes me think I'm not doing so good if you don't.