"Bu-bum… bu-bum…"
What's that horrible thudding? It's woken me up; I can't sleep with that noise going on! It's kinda creepy…
But I'll try to ignore it… I turned over and tried not to think about the thudding.
"Bu-bum… bu-bum…"
It sounds louder now. Closer. I can feel myself trembling; it's really starting to freak me out! What is it…?
"Bu-bum, bu-bum…"
It's a little faster now. It's still close, like it's right next to me.
Now I'm afraid. I'm not alone in this room, I know it. Is it the monster again..?
"Bu-bum, bu-bum, bu-bum!"
Please stop… please go away! Leave me alone!
I quickly pulled the covers over my head, and I heard a splat. What was that? I blinked. The thudding had stopped… but what was that noise?
I slowly came out from under the covers. I looked around. The room was empty, the creature in the mirror wasn't even there!
So what was that noise just now?
Maybe I was dreaming it… I rested my hand on the quilt, and I felt something. It was a liquid. I looked at my hand, it was too dark to see what color the liquid was. It was shiny, though. And it smelt funny… What the?
"Bu-bum… bu-bum…"
The thudding started again. It was like a drum. Beating. That seemed a better word to use. The beating wasn't as close this time. It was… below me. On the floor?
But that meant… whatever had been beating, had been on my bed. I looked at my hand again. And the thing had left this liquid.
"Bu-bum… bu-bum…"
I'm gonna see what it is. I swallowed. I know it'll scare me… but I can't ignore it.
I slowly leant over the bed. As I got closer to the floor, not on did the beating get louder, but faster.
"Bu-bum, bu-bum!"
Almost there now…
"Bu-bum, bu-bum, bu-bum, BU-BUM!"
"AAAH!" I screamed as the thing jumped up. I leapt back on my bed, wide-eyed and staring ahead of me. But nothing came. My heavy breathing started to slow down a little as I became calmer. Nothing there.
But… I'm sure something jumped up at me!
The beating started slowly again. I gulped, and went to explore a second time.
I slowly, slowly leaned over the bed… and my eyes widened. I felt my throat tighten as I start down at what looked like a… a heart. It pumped slowly and steadily, and it was sat in a small pool of blood that had leaked out of it.
Blood?! That's what the stuff on my bed was?! Eugh! I wiped my hand on the quilt.
I'm staring at the heart. It's pumping, but… I don't know. It's not a normal heart, it seems to be actually alive. It's… scaring me.
"Ugh… hel…"
I froze. A voice…
"H – hel…"
I know the voice. It's… oh, I can't remember! But I know whose voice it is.
"H – help… me…!"
"Aah!" I jumped as the same man I had seen murdered fell forward out of the darkness. I stared at him. He lay on the floor, breathing loudly and huskily, and staring at the heart.
I followed his hand as it reached out to the heart.
"Please…"
Does he want it? I looked at the heart. He can't reach it by himself…
Eww! I don't want to touch it! It scares me…
"Please." The man was looking up at me. Begging me to help him. He reached for the heart. "Please… help."
He started to shake as he began to loose control of his body. He's gonna die soon…
"Please. Help. Please."
"I…" I looked at the heart. He needs it…
"Please… hel -" he coughed, and gagged, and blood poured out of his mouth. "Plea…"
I gulped. Okay, I'll help him…
I bit my lip as I moved my tail closer to the heart. Closer… closer…
There! I quickly whipped the heart towards him and snatched my tail away.
The man grabbed it desperately, and I couldn't even WATCH him eat it! I just closed my eyes and turned away instead.
"Phew…" he sounded finished. I turned back to him, and watched him climb to his feet. He looked at me.
"Thanks." He said.
"Who… are you?" I asked him.
"My name's Vegeta." He told me.
"You as well?! There are three of them?!" I protested.
"No, I'm only Prince Vegeta II." He replied. He turned towards the door, and looked back over his shoulder at me. "Thanks for saving me. Listen, I'll give you a little advice. You'd better get out of here as fast as you can, a changeling palace isn't safe for a saiyan." He left the room.
"Saiyan?" I blinked. "But I'm a…"
… Why did he call me a saiyan?