I'm baaaack! And still, I own nothing. Oh, and because there are a few
(purely topical) Buffy references in this, I don't own that either. Saw the
last episode incidentally, on Sky yesterday. Sniffle.
Sorry for not updating in like, years! I am truly apologetic indeed. It was exams that forced me to stop. Right now I've got just one more to go - physics - so I can finish all my stories! I've decided to have a go at finishing this one first, because I think I know where it's going. Who needs physics anyway? ^^ Maths was the most horrible exam in the history of horrible exams. I just had to say that. So hard!
Now I've returned and all, I'll need some encouragement! So don't forget to review after you've read it! I don't mind praise, flames, constructive criticism or anything else, though obviously I'd prefer nice stuff. And lots of it!
Neoen: Lol. Rhyming rocks! Well (finally) here's the next chapter for ya.
Tamashii: -_- Looks like I /was/ being greedy. I got 4 reviews for the last chapter, not more than 7. But that's good still! Sorry again for not updating in a long while.
IceHeart161: Thanks!
Daugain: Wow! So complimentary! And I agree, it's really hard to like originally made characters, and I'm glad you like mine!
Please review! Doesn't have to be long or intellectual. Just give me your opinion of the story so far, and all that.
This might be a bit bad, and a bit short. I'm getting back into the swing of things with this chapter.
~ This is a telepathic message. Ain't it cuuute? ~
Read on!
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A feeling of icy coldness was slowly seeping into Kel's bones. It was a gradual process, gentle even, but inexorable in its slow leeching of her strength and feeling. She was freezing, but the source of the frostiness was not from a cruel wind or a sudden thunderstorm. It was in the air, the gas that hung there, almost impregnated with ice, a trap so flawlessly set in the long and stifling corridor. Every unwilling breath she took made her inhale the arctic numbness; everything she touched, saw and heard made her retreat into quiet, unfeeling stillness. The atmosphere was heavy and close, forcing her to shrink away from the outside world mentally, seeking space and warmth unconsciously as she wallowed in the cold confines of the hallway.
Kel was unaware that she was even walking. She was shaking, partly because of the shivery chill, and partly because of the sheer shock of it all. Her body had shut down. That was actually a blessing in disguise. It was painful even to breathe, to feel blood pound in her veins, and to move, so what was it going to be like to think? That was unimaginable to Kel at this moment. So she put one foot in front of the other again and again, following Colm down the dusky path, eyes unseeing, body unfeeling.
They were seeking a way out. Blindly searching for something, anything, that would help them escape.
Colm glanced at the human girl quickly, not wanting her to notice the tears that lurked within his bright violet coloured eyes. The salty liquid made them shimmer and sparkle in an ethereal way, something that Kel usually would have picked up on had she not gone into her self-made hibernation. He was surprised to see that she was as still as a glacier, emotionless and expressionless, her eyes as bitterly cold as grass after a frosty night. Heck, she was handling it better than he was!
Or not. Running a hand through his mousy coloured hair, Colm decided to sneak another peek at Kel. It just wasn't normal to be so quiet like that. The girl clearly needed some sort of help on an emotional level once they'd gotten away from this prison. At Daybreak HQ he vowed to sort her out. Poor kid. It was all too easy to forget that Kel had never heard of the Night World and all the rest of it until that fateful night two days ago. She was understandably traumatised. The hollow look on her face was truly ghastly, it reminded him of the expression carried by some of the Bloodmoon members when they had caught Burdette and him in Malachi Redfern's office. And actually, of Malachi Redfern himself, at some points, though he managed to keep it pretty well hidden. Colm was unsettled. Kelsey's expression just wasn't human. Her eyes were like emeralds - cold, hard stones. It was a clear indication of just how traumatised she must have been.
Suddenly a pang of pure pain, of grief and longing, hit Colm again. These feelings mingled and rose in a huge wave of emotion, threatening to crush him. But physically, he tried to remain controlled, just as Kel was.
~ Burdette... ~ He could not help it. His verbal, telepathic plea echoed in Kel's mind.
Kel could not turn to face him. The pure, raw anguish expressed in that single word made Kel want to scream, to rip herself to shreds with the fury and the torture. Outwardly she kept motionless and calm.
Drops of moisture rolled down her cheeks. Lots of them. Even she, in this frozen state, could not hold in so much emotion without letting some of it show. The tears... They served as an outlet, and it was the only one Kel would allow. Crying properly, really releasing emotions, that would come later, but not now. They weren't out of the woods yet.
The odd pair continued down the dark, dank hallway, the smell of damp and mustiness becoming more and more evident as they went. Both of them were armed with the ever-present, ever-ridiculous stakes, but Kel didn't really feel like fighting off anything else. She was no warrior, and it would be ridiculous trying to battle entities that were bigger, stronger, faster and a lot more cunning than she was. She had never though of herself as a quitter, but maybe it was shock that was turning her into a coward.
"Buffy would not be pleased with me at all..." she murmured quietly to herself, a tiny smile forming on her lips.
Colm heard. He was glad. Humour was a good sign that she was warming up a bit. He chuckled quietly.
"No she wouldn't. I think what you need is a pep talk," he deadpanned. His expression became twisted in disgust as he heard himself speak. He sounded... rough. Upset. But he couldn't telepathically communicate right now. His mind was a kaleidoscopic whirl of emotion, some of which was bound to show in his mental messaging. This was safer.
"That's not necessary. I'm dangerously peppy already," Kel replied sarcastically. She found it very strange how she could simultaneously joke around with Colm in this forced manner and fall apart inside all at once. That took skill.
Jess. Charlie. Burdette. The tears flooded her damp cheeks with even more fervour, and the huge lump of emotion lodged in her throat made her unable to continue the exchange.
Colm saw the tears on Kel's face. He could even hear them as they fell, creating a delicate trail of tiny drips on the poured concrete flooring.
They had to get out soon. There was probably a ton of guards lurking around this facility, armed, trained and dangerous. And, if push came to shove and they had to take some guards out, Colm doubted that Kel would survive, let alone be up to helping him, and that meant that the likelihood of him surviving were quite slim indeed. The longer they stayed, the bigger the risk became. Conscious of this looming fact, Colm increased his walking pace.
As Colm took off, Kel noticed the window. She hadn't even realised it was there until she had walked past it. She retraced her steps and examined it with a little more attention. It was sizeable, and the panes of glass were already somewhat cracked and weak-seeming. Spiders had decorated the transparent surface with delicate, grime-etched webbings.
"Colm. Window?" she said loudly, her voice sounding thin, high pitched and stretched taut as it echoed in the dim corridor. Also, it carried an uncharacteristic ring of terror that made her shudder. Kel had never used such a fearful tone before. Also, she decided that her grammar was terrible. What would they say back at The Sound?
She stood there for a second, immersed in the creepy cold stillness of the hall, realising that she could not see another soul, that she was alone...
Then she heard his voice.
"Run." The single staccato syllable sounded, shocking in it's harsh brutality, then a deluge of footsteps reverberated around the small, slim area of the corridor.
Kel was no vampire. Her sense of vision was severely impaired by the surrounding darkness, and even the light from the window, letting in watery evening sunlight, did little to help her see what was going on.
But she assumed that Colm was being chased.
It was kind of obvious.
Kel supposed she should be running already. It was strange how detached she had become. The numbness had crept up on her, blessed and cold, and for that she was glad. Throwing histrionics and having a hysterical fit was not what was needed right now. Though she wanted to let go so much, to release the burden of responsibility, to forget for a while, her desires would have to wait to be fulfilled.
Maybe it was all the pent-up angst, but she didn't actually want to run. Abandoning Colm? That was not on her to-do list. Sure she didn't even know the guy really, but he was a good person, and maybe, just maybe, she could help. Who knew? Perhaps this sharp old stake of hers would see some action today...
Kel speculated on the fact that she was doing her usual rambling random- thought thing, as she always did when something slightly life-threatening came up on the agenda.
She could hear the heavy breathing now.
"RUN!" Colm screamed desperately. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He was close by.
The beginnings of a plan were starting to take shape, to materialise in her emotionally numb mind.
"How many?" she yelled back to him shakily. Every minute, every second, they got closer.
"Two! Vampires!"
Great. That was a manageable number. And at least she'd had 'experience' in the arts of vampire-killing. Had they been werewolves or witches or any other strange indefinable creatures, Kel would have been lost.
Let's face it, she was lost anyway. Species was unimportant. She was a human, and a weak one at that. She was toast. With marmalade.
Kel wondered whether she was sane. Marmalade? Where did that come from? Then, swiftly and abruptly, she pressed herself close to the corridor wall, squatting upon the floor on the darker, shadowy side. Every fibre of her being was solely concentrated upon judging the distance between herself and Colm's pursuers. Every line and muscle was taut with readiness. Her jaw was clenched almost painfully, her teeth grinding together, but Kel was unaware of it. Time seemed to stand still, only punctuated by the beating of footsteps upon concrete. She didn't breathe, or think, or speak, or move. She just waited.
What was she going to do? Kel had a half-formed plan in her head. The problem was that there wasn't time to allow it to develop, for her to make sense of it. So, she let her instincts take over. They knew what she was doing better than she did. Hopefully, they would come through. She relinquished control of her body to her sixth sense, and desperately trusted in herself. Who else was there left?
Her head was turned towards the sounds. They were unbearably close, almost within visual range...
Colm. He knew she was there, and yet he ran past at an impossible pace. Her eyes watered as he sped past, as fast as lightning and just as graceful. His face... He looked angry, but sad too, and maybe hopeful? Too many emotions in too little time.
Guard number one.
And then, completely out of the blue, Kel swung her leg round and stuck it into the path of the guard. Why she did it was a mystery. But she did.
The guard was unable to stop. This unprecedented, unexpected obstacle had taken him by surprise, and he was going to pay. He quite literally flew several feet into the air, and landed flat on his face.
It was as if it wasn't really Kel controlling her body, but some super- woman fighter lady who had a nasty kind of temper. Strange, that. She felt herself stand up swiftly and gracefully, go over to the guard, and grab a handful of his silky brown hair in a vicious manner, digging fingernails into the scalp. The man yelped. Kel knew she had to act quickly. Pugnaciously, she lifted his skull several inches off the ground, bending his neck into an uncomfortable position, judging by the cracking noises it made. Then she slammed his face into the floor. She held the stake in the other hand. Calmly, she shoved it into his back, around the heart area, she estimated.
But before she had a chance to blink, somebody forced her down on top of the presumably defeated vampire guard. A strong somebody. Kel remembered the existence of a second guard, tasting the bitterness of defeat and failure in her mouth as her eyeballs were shoved into the dead guy's back. Typical. Finally she did something really kick-ass and Buffylike, only to be killed straight after. This is not supposed to happen!
Then the weight suddenly increased, and Kel felt the air in her lungs rush out involuntarily, leaving her chest cavity strangely empty and painful. She was sure a few ribs were cracking. Then, the pressure was gone, and somebody was hauling her upright. But she couldn't see whether this was good news or bad, due to having squashed eyeballs and all.
But soon she recognised the violet eyes and quizzical expression of Colm. With a completely spontaneous act of relief, she launched herself into his arms and gave him a friendly hug.
"My favourite vampire in the entire world!" she grinned in silliness, her face buried in his shoulder.
You could tell that Colm was extremely uneasy about this. He fidgeted and squirmed, but initially Kel didn't notice. She was so damn happy that her ebullience made all her social constraints and politeness fade away. After several moments, Kel realised that this was not a good idea, and pulled away, determinedly looking at her feet.
What was she doing? Kel reminded herself that she hardly knew the guy. And he was a vampire. Who in hell would willingly hug a vampire?
The silence stretched on like one of those stories that are supposed to be funny but are actually completely crap. It was enough to make Kel cringe. The atmosphere was thicker than her own stupid skull. The embarrassment she felt was immeasurable.
"Ouch!" she muttered, clutching her squished-up ribs, in an effort to break the silence. She looked down at them, feeling the blush creeping up into her cheeks. Her long dark hair fell into her face - the old shield working like a charm as ever.
"There's a door just down here," Colm said after a few moments pause. "It's got to be easier than that window, right?"
Kel looked up at him. Shit! Was he blushing too? No, it was too dark to tell, and he was making his escape already.
Wondering at this strange reaction, Kel followed him wordlessly. She felt herself falling back into isolation, and now, for the first time, she was trying to fight it. Maybe it was a bit masochistic of her, but she felt that embracing and accepting the pain would be better than blocking it out. She felt herself relent slightly to the numbness. Now was not the time to 'let go' of emotions.
But it was the overwhelming anger that was threatening to tear her apart. She was so furious at it all. But in particular, those two people. Jake Tremaine and Malachi Redfern. They had to pay. To even the score. To absolve the deaths of three good people.
The pain, well, it was never going to go away. It would fade, maybe, one day in the dim and distant future, but scars of the heart never heal. And that was what scared her the most. Because it was the pain that fuelled the rage which made her want revenge. And the fuel was always going to be there. Suddenly, she wondered if it was worth it. It was a small lapse in her vengeful focus, and soon it was quashed and obliterated, but it signified that perhaps she could stop before she did something regrettable. Perhaps.
As she stepped into the evening light, Kel got a sudden head rush. The light made her wince; her eyes not used even this dull dusky brightness. The feeling of clean, fresh air upon her skin was delightful.
As she looked around, Kel took in the less than wonderful scenery. It was a ramshackle, derelict industrial area, judging by the empty warehouses, graffiti, rubbish and filth that festooned the place. It had the general air of a junkyard, but far less respectable. The very fact that Malachi Redfern and his minions had decided to take over the vicinity made it even more dirty.
"Ah, the beauty of freedom," sighed Kelsey in amusement, feeling more drained than ever before. She felt her legs buckle, but forced herself to keep her dignity and remain upright.
"Quite. Need a ride?" he asked with a wry smile, pointing to an abandoned truck that was less than impressive.
"Hell yeah," muttered Kel in disgust as they walked together to the vehicle. "This is so going to damage my reputation..."
"What reputation?"
"Shut up, fang boy. We going to Daybreak?"
Kel sensed Colm's face crumpling even before she saw it. It was going to be tough on him, telling all his friends that Burdette was gone. She cursed herself for even mentioning it, but then, it would do no good really, skirting round the subject.
"Yeah," he said slowly.
"OK," she replied quietly, feeling the familiar anguished sorrow begin to torture her mind again.
***
Unbeknownst to the pair of fortunate escapees, a figure watched them, standing near a sleek black limousine. A person that Kel would have been /glad/ to see.
He chuckled darkly as he observed the merry little scene unfold behind anonymous, expensive dark glasses. But, he took care to remain unobserved. That was vital.
Sighing with annoyance, he rolled his eyes. Let them run to Daybreak. Why not? In the end it would mean more blood for him. Blood laced with magic and power. And the more the merrier, right? It was rude not to invite everybody to his party... He was not a rude man, as a rule.
Also, he didn't know if he could be bothered to chase up the pathetic pair. It would be far too boring. Not worth the trouble.
He would enjoy slitting the girl's throat eventually, watching her spirit fade into the dust. How had she, a mere vermin brat, managed to evade him? The man frowned deeply. That had been a flaw. Men like him were not known to slip up in such a drastic way. He should have known it was a mistake, throwing her in the cell with the Daybreakers. Without them she would have been helpless, and that was not the idea at all. Maybe he shouldn't have healed her...
But he didn't want her to die, just like that.
That would have been way too easy.
He knew just how fun it was to be the cat playing with the doomed mouse. And the mouse is always more interesting if it believes it can escape.
That vermin was a pretty one though.
"Honey?" a female voice trilled from the depths of the limo. "Can't we /go/ already? You said the mall. You /promised/!"
He snorted. Anything to keep the women happy. This blonde was worth it though, though not worth all the trouble that the green-eyed kid was. He couldn't wait 'til Jake saw his newest plaything.
He lingered a moment more. They had managed to get the truck in working order, it seemed, for they were now driving away, the sound of old worn tyres skidding on rough gravely tarmac.
"Come /on/ Malachi!"
He went.
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I can't decide whether this chapter was exciting or boring. You tell me! REVIEW! Please! I need some support! Seriously, I just can't cope without those wise words of encouragement. Even hateful stuff would help me improve my writing! But I would then also be miserable. So don't be too harsh!
Grief and revenge,
They kill what is true,
So Kelsey watch out,
Someone's after you.
And as a final word,
This heartfelt plea,
Review this story,
And I'll be happy!
Hmm. The rhyming couplets strike again!
But I'm glad about this chapter. I feel really into The Dark Sound now! This was only supposed to be a small little filler chapter, and look! It's grown into a big bad monster. Lol.
REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it heaps!
Sorry for not updating in like, years! I am truly apologetic indeed. It was exams that forced me to stop. Right now I've got just one more to go - physics - so I can finish all my stories! I've decided to have a go at finishing this one first, because I think I know where it's going. Who needs physics anyway? ^^ Maths was the most horrible exam in the history of horrible exams. I just had to say that. So hard!
Now I've returned and all, I'll need some encouragement! So don't forget to review after you've read it! I don't mind praise, flames, constructive criticism or anything else, though obviously I'd prefer nice stuff. And lots of it!
Neoen: Lol. Rhyming rocks! Well (finally) here's the next chapter for ya.
Tamashii: -_- Looks like I /was/ being greedy. I got 4 reviews for the last chapter, not more than 7. But that's good still! Sorry again for not updating in a long while.
IceHeart161: Thanks!
Daugain: Wow! So complimentary! And I agree, it's really hard to like originally made characters, and I'm glad you like mine!
Please review! Doesn't have to be long or intellectual. Just give me your opinion of the story so far, and all that.
This might be a bit bad, and a bit short. I'm getting back into the swing of things with this chapter.
~ This is a telepathic message. Ain't it cuuute? ~
Read on!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A feeling of icy coldness was slowly seeping into Kel's bones. It was a gradual process, gentle even, but inexorable in its slow leeching of her strength and feeling. She was freezing, but the source of the frostiness was not from a cruel wind or a sudden thunderstorm. It was in the air, the gas that hung there, almost impregnated with ice, a trap so flawlessly set in the long and stifling corridor. Every unwilling breath she took made her inhale the arctic numbness; everything she touched, saw and heard made her retreat into quiet, unfeeling stillness. The atmosphere was heavy and close, forcing her to shrink away from the outside world mentally, seeking space and warmth unconsciously as she wallowed in the cold confines of the hallway.
Kel was unaware that she was even walking. She was shaking, partly because of the shivery chill, and partly because of the sheer shock of it all. Her body had shut down. That was actually a blessing in disguise. It was painful even to breathe, to feel blood pound in her veins, and to move, so what was it going to be like to think? That was unimaginable to Kel at this moment. So she put one foot in front of the other again and again, following Colm down the dusky path, eyes unseeing, body unfeeling.
They were seeking a way out. Blindly searching for something, anything, that would help them escape.
Colm glanced at the human girl quickly, not wanting her to notice the tears that lurked within his bright violet coloured eyes. The salty liquid made them shimmer and sparkle in an ethereal way, something that Kel usually would have picked up on had she not gone into her self-made hibernation. He was surprised to see that she was as still as a glacier, emotionless and expressionless, her eyes as bitterly cold as grass after a frosty night. Heck, she was handling it better than he was!
Or not. Running a hand through his mousy coloured hair, Colm decided to sneak another peek at Kel. It just wasn't normal to be so quiet like that. The girl clearly needed some sort of help on an emotional level once they'd gotten away from this prison. At Daybreak HQ he vowed to sort her out. Poor kid. It was all too easy to forget that Kel had never heard of the Night World and all the rest of it until that fateful night two days ago. She was understandably traumatised. The hollow look on her face was truly ghastly, it reminded him of the expression carried by some of the Bloodmoon members when they had caught Burdette and him in Malachi Redfern's office. And actually, of Malachi Redfern himself, at some points, though he managed to keep it pretty well hidden. Colm was unsettled. Kelsey's expression just wasn't human. Her eyes were like emeralds - cold, hard stones. It was a clear indication of just how traumatised she must have been.
Suddenly a pang of pure pain, of grief and longing, hit Colm again. These feelings mingled and rose in a huge wave of emotion, threatening to crush him. But physically, he tried to remain controlled, just as Kel was.
~ Burdette... ~ He could not help it. His verbal, telepathic plea echoed in Kel's mind.
Kel could not turn to face him. The pure, raw anguish expressed in that single word made Kel want to scream, to rip herself to shreds with the fury and the torture. Outwardly she kept motionless and calm.
Drops of moisture rolled down her cheeks. Lots of them. Even she, in this frozen state, could not hold in so much emotion without letting some of it show. The tears... They served as an outlet, and it was the only one Kel would allow. Crying properly, really releasing emotions, that would come later, but not now. They weren't out of the woods yet.
The odd pair continued down the dark, dank hallway, the smell of damp and mustiness becoming more and more evident as they went. Both of them were armed with the ever-present, ever-ridiculous stakes, but Kel didn't really feel like fighting off anything else. She was no warrior, and it would be ridiculous trying to battle entities that were bigger, stronger, faster and a lot more cunning than she was. She had never though of herself as a quitter, but maybe it was shock that was turning her into a coward.
"Buffy would not be pleased with me at all..." she murmured quietly to herself, a tiny smile forming on her lips.
Colm heard. He was glad. Humour was a good sign that she was warming up a bit. He chuckled quietly.
"No she wouldn't. I think what you need is a pep talk," he deadpanned. His expression became twisted in disgust as he heard himself speak. He sounded... rough. Upset. But he couldn't telepathically communicate right now. His mind was a kaleidoscopic whirl of emotion, some of which was bound to show in his mental messaging. This was safer.
"That's not necessary. I'm dangerously peppy already," Kel replied sarcastically. She found it very strange how she could simultaneously joke around with Colm in this forced manner and fall apart inside all at once. That took skill.
Jess. Charlie. Burdette. The tears flooded her damp cheeks with even more fervour, and the huge lump of emotion lodged in her throat made her unable to continue the exchange.
Colm saw the tears on Kel's face. He could even hear them as they fell, creating a delicate trail of tiny drips on the poured concrete flooring.
They had to get out soon. There was probably a ton of guards lurking around this facility, armed, trained and dangerous. And, if push came to shove and they had to take some guards out, Colm doubted that Kel would survive, let alone be up to helping him, and that meant that the likelihood of him surviving were quite slim indeed. The longer they stayed, the bigger the risk became. Conscious of this looming fact, Colm increased his walking pace.
As Colm took off, Kel noticed the window. She hadn't even realised it was there until she had walked past it. She retraced her steps and examined it with a little more attention. It was sizeable, and the panes of glass were already somewhat cracked and weak-seeming. Spiders had decorated the transparent surface with delicate, grime-etched webbings.
"Colm. Window?" she said loudly, her voice sounding thin, high pitched and stretched taut as it echoed in the dim corridor. Also, it carried an uncharacteristic ring of terror that made her shudder. Kel had never used such a fearful tone before. Also, she decided that her grammar was terrible. What would they say back at The Sound?
She stood there for a second, immersed in the creepy cold stillness of the hall, realising that she could not see another soul, that she was alone...
Then she heard his voice.
"Run." The single staccato syllable sounded, shocking in it's harsh brutality, then a deluge of footsteps reverberated around the small, slim area of the corridor.
Kel was no vampire. Her sense of vision was severely impaired by the surrounding darkness, and even the light from the window, letting in watery evening sunlight, did little to help her see what was going on.
But she assumed that Colm was being chased.
It was kind of obvious.
Kel supposed she should be running already. It was strange how detached she had become. The numbness had crept up on her, blessed and cold, and for that she was glad. Throwing histrionics and having a hysterical fit was not what was needed right now. Though she wanted to let go so much, to release the burden of responsibility, to forget for a while, her desires would have to wait to be fulfilled.
Maybe it was all the pent-up angst, but she didn't actually want to run. Abandoning Colm? That was not on her to-do list. Sure she didn't even know the guy really, but he was a good person, and maybe, just maybe, she could help. Who knew? Perhaps this sharp old stake of hers would see some action today...
Kel speculated on the fact that she was doing her usual rambling random- thought thing, as she always did when something slightly life-threatening came up on the agenda.
She could hear the heavy breathing now.
"RUN!" Colm screamed desperately. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He was close by.
The beginnings of a plan were starting to take shape, to materialise in her emotionally numb mind.
"How many?" she yelled back to him shakily. Every minute, every second, they got closer.
"Two! Vampires!"
Great. That was a manageable number. And at least she'd had 'experience' in the arts of vampire-killing. Had they been werewolves or witches or any other strange indefinable creatures, Kel would have been lost.
Let's face it, she was lost anyway. Species was unimportant. She was a human, and a weak one at that. She was toast. With marmalade.
Kel wondered whether she was sane. Marmalade? Where did that come from? Then, swiftly and abruptly, she pressed herself close to the corridor wall, squatting upon the floor on the darker, shadowy side. Every fibre of her being was solely concentrated upon judging the distance between herself and Colm's pursuers. Every line and muscle was taut with readiness. Her jaw was clenched almost painfully, her teeth grinding together, but Kel was unaware of it. Time seemed to stand still, only punctuated by the beating of footsteps upon concrete. She didn't breathe, or think, or speak, or move. She just waited.
What was she going to do? Kel had a half-formed plan in her head. The problem was that there wasn't time to allow it to develop, for her to make sense of it. So, she let her instincts take over. They knew what she was doing better than she did. Hopefully, they would come through. She relinquished control of her body to her sixth sense, and desperately trusted in herself. Who else was there left?
Her head was turned towards the sounds. They were unbearably close, almost within visual range...
Colm. He knew she was there, and yet he ran past at an impossible pace. Her eyes watered as he sped past, as fast as lightning and just as graceful. His face... He looked angry, but sad too, and maybe hopeful? Too many emotions in too little time.
Guard number one.
And then, completely out of the blue, Kel swung her leg round and stuck it into the path of the guard. Why she did it was a mystery. But she did.
The guard was unable to stop. This unprecedented, unexpected obstacle had taken him by surprise, and he was going to pay. He quite literally flew several feet into the air, and landed flat on his face.
It was as if it wasn't really Kel controlling her body, but some super- woman fighter lady who had a nasty kind of temper. Strange, that. She felt herself stand up swiftly and gracefully, go over to the guard, and grab a handful of his silky brown hair in a vicious manner, digging fingernails into the scalp. The man yelped. Kel knew she had to act quickly. Pugnaciously, she lifted his skull several inches off the ground, bending his neck into an uncomfortable position, judging by the cracking noises it made. Then she slammed his face into the floor. She held the stake in the other hand. Calmly, she shoved it into his back, around the heart area, she estimated.
But before she had a chance to blink, somebody forced her down on top of the presumably defeated vampire guard. A strong somebody. Kel remembered the existence of a second guard, tasting the bitterness of defeat and failure in her mouth as her eyeballs were shoved into the dead guy's back. Typical. Finally she did something really kick-ass and Buffylike, only to be killed straight after. This is not supposed to happen!
Then the weight suddenly increased, and Kel felt the air in her lungs rush out involuntarily, leaving her chest cavity strangely empty and painful. She was sure a few ribs were cracking. Then, the pressure was gone, and somebody was hauling her upright. But she couldn't see whether this was good news or bad, due to having squashed eyeballs and all.
But soon she recognised the violet eyes and quizzical expression of Colm. With a completely spontaneous act of relief, she launched herself into his arms and gave him a friendly hug.
"My favourite vampire in the entire world!" she grinned in silliness, her face buried in his shoulder.
You could tell that Colm was extremely uneasy about this. He fidgeted and squirmed, but initially Kel didn't notice. She was so damn happy that her ebullience made all her social constraints and politeness fade away. After several moments, Kel realised that this was not a good idea, and pulled away, determinedly looking at her feet.
What was she doing? Kel reminded herself that she hardly knew the guy. And he was a vampire. Who in hell would willingly hug a vampire?
The silence stretched on like one of those stories that are supposed to be funny but are actually completely crap. It was enough to make Kel cringe. The atmosphere was thicker than her own stupid skull. The embarrassment she felt was immeasurable.
"Ouch!" she muttered, clutching her squished-up ribs, in an effort to break the silence. She looked down at them, feeling the blush creeping up into her cheeks. Her long dark hair fell into her face - the old shield working like a charm as ever.
"There's a door just down here," Colm said after a few moments pause. "It's got to be easier than that window, right?"
Kel looked up at him. Shit! Was he blushing too? No, it was too dark to tell, and he was making his escape already.
Wondering at this strange reaction, Kel followed him wordlessly. She felt herself falling back into isolation, and now, for the first time, she was trying to fight it. Maybe it was a bit masochistic of her, but she felt that embracing and accepting the pain would be better than blocking it out. She felt herself relent slightly to the numbness. Now was not the time to 'let go' of emotions.
But it was the overwhelming anger that was threatening to tear her apart. She was so furious at it all. But in particular, those two people. Jake Tremaine and Malachi Redfern. They had to pay. To even the score. To absolve the deaths of three good people.
The pain, well, it was never going to go away. It would fade, maybe, one day in the dim and distant future, but scars of the heart never heal. And that was what scared her the most. Because it was the pain that fuelled the rage which made her want revenge. And the fuel was always going to be there. Suddenly, she wondered if it was worth it. It was a small lapse in her vengeful focus, and soon it was quashed and obliterated, but it signified that perhaps she could stop before she did something regrettable. Perhaps.
As she stepped into the evening light, Kel got a sudden head rush. The light made her wince; her eyes not used even this dull dusky brightness. The feeling of clean, fresh air upon her skin was delightful.
As she looked around, Kel took in the less than wonderful scenery. It was a ramshackle, derelict industrial area, judging by the empty warehouses, graffiti, rubbish and filth that festooned the place. It had the general air of a junkyard, but far less respectable. The very fact that Malachi Redfern and his minions had decided to take over the vicinity made it even more dirty.
"Ah, the beauty of freedom," sighed Kelsey in amusement, feeling more drained than ever before. She felt her legs buckle, but forced herself to keep her dignity and remain upright.
"Quite. Need a ride?" he asked with a wry smile, pointing to an abandoned truck that was less than impressive.
"Hell yeah," muttered Kel in disgust as they walked together to the vehicle. "This is so going to damage my reputation..."
"What reputation?"
"Shut up, fang boy. We going to Daybreak?"
Kel sensed Colm's face crumpling even before she saw it. It was going to be tough on him, telling all his friends that Burdette was gone. She cursed herself for even mentioning it, but then, it would do no good really, skirting round the subject.
"Yeah," he said slowly.
"OK," she replied quietly, feeling the familiar anguished sorrow begin to torture her mind again.
***
Unbeknownst to the pair of fortunate escapees, a figure watched them, standing near a sleek black limousine. A person that Kel would have been /glad/ to see.
He chuckled darkly as he observed the merry little scene unfold behind anonymous, expensive dark glasses. But, he took care to remain unobserved. That was vital.
Sighing with annoyance, he rolled his eyes. Let them run to Daybreak. Why not? In the end it would mean more blood for him. Blood laced with magic and power. And the more the merrier, right? It was rude not to invite everybody to his party... He was not a rude man, as a rule.
Also, he didn't know if he could be bothered to chase up the pathetic pair. It would be far too boring. Not worth the trouble.
He would enjoy slitting the girl's throat eventually, watching her spirit fade into the dust. How had she, a mere vermin brat, managed to evade him? The man frowned deeply. That had been a flaw. Men like him were not known to slip up in such a drastic way. He should have known it was a mistake, throwing her in the cell with the Daybreakers. Without them she would have been helpless, and that was not the idea at all. Maybe he shouldn't have healed her...
But he didn't want her to die, just like that.
That would have been way too easy.
He knew just how fun it was to be the cat playing with the doomed mouse. And the mouse is always more interesting if it believes it can escape.
That vermin was a pretty one though.
"Honey?" a female voice trilled from the depths of the limo. "Can't we /go/ already? You said the mall. You /promised/!"
He snorted. Anything to keep the women happy. This blonde was worth it though, though not worth all the trouble that the green-eyed kid was. He couldn't wait 'til Jake saw his newest plaything.
He lingered a moment more. They had managed to get the truck in working order, it seemed, for they were now driving away, the sound of old worn tyres skidding on rough gravely tarmac.
"Come /on/ Malachi!"
He went.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I can't decide whether this chapter was exciting or boring. You tell me! REVIEW! Please! I need some support! Seriously, I just can't cope without those wise words of encouragement. Even hateful stuff would help me improve my writing! But I would then also be miserable. So don't be too harsh!
Grief and revenge,
They kill what is true,
So Kelsey watch out,
Someone's after you.
And as a final word,
This heartfelt plea,
Review this story,
And I'll be happy!
Hmm. The rhyming couplets strike again!
But I'm glad about this chapter. I feel really into The Dark Sound now! This was only supposed to be a small little filler chapter, and look! It's grown into a big bad monster. Lol.
REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it heaps!
