Greetings from The Lady Mage.
This is a story idea that has been playing around in my head for the past month or so, but I've only recently typed anything at it. I'm not sure if it will be good or be bad- I'm hoping good. But, if this story prologue seems intriguing, PLEASE review and tell me. Otherwise, this will be taken off instead of continued. Thankyou to any and all who read this!
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I, The Lady Mage, do not own Underworld or any of its numerous wonderful characters. I merely borrow them now and then when I need a bit of entertainment.
It was cold and growing colder. Winters were always bitting in Germany. At least, that is what he had heard. Now he knew it was true. But, despite the cold . . and the fact that his feet felt ready to break off, the two continued on through the snow covered alleyways, searching for a safe place to spend the daylight hours.
Selene had been leading him along as usual, pausing here and there to examine a door or building. The farther from the center of town, the better suited the buildings became. While they hadn't come across a completely abandoned structure yet, they had found a few that were very rarely used.
"The sun will be up soon." Michael murmered, glancing up at the dissappearing stars.
"I know that." Selene mumbled back, turning down a new alleyway- one that hadn't been touched since the snow began to fall two nights ago. She set her jaw when she saw it was a dead end. "The only place I saw that would be remotely useful for us was two blocks back. Come on, let's-" Selene began to turn to walk away, but Michael reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Wait." he said softly, staring into the blackness of the alley.
Selene watched him, a slight scowl on her face, as he sniffed the air, then trained one ear to listen closely. "What is it?" she asked after a few seconds ticked by.
"Not sure." he answered, letting her go and walking down the unused street. He sniffed the air again, walking up to the single dumpster against the far wall. "Don't you hear that?"
The dark-haired vampiress crossed her arms, stepping into the darkness behind him. She turned her head to the side a little, focusing on the dumpster.
Something was mewling softly.
Selene scowled again. "So it's a damned cat! The sun will be up in a half hour, Michael! We don't have time for this!"
He shook his head. "It isn't a cat." Ignoring Selene- to her great displeasure- he moved the dumpster, grabbing hold of it and pulling it out from the wall. He looked down behind it, then turned to Selene with wide eyes.
Her scowl deepened as she approached him, then completely dropped when she looked down at what Michael had seen.
At their feet lay a tiny child- a little girl with bobbed raven hair and deathly white skin. She was half frozen, and her face red with fever as she lay, unconscious, on the wet ground. The mewling sound they had heard was the child's attempt to keep breathing.
"My God . . . " Michael whispered, kneeling down. He felt the girl's forehead, quickly pulling his hand away when her skin burned his palm. "She's burning up."
"How did she get here?" Selene murmered, watching him check the child's pulse.
"I don't know." Michael answered, standing back up. "She'll die out here." he said, his voice quiet as he looked back down at the sick child. "The sun will be up soon. What do we do?"
Selene was silent for a few seconds, looking first at the little girl, then up at the sky. She barely glanced at Michael before she bent down and pulled the little girl up into her arms. Without a word, she turned and began to walk back towards the building she'd mentioned before, hurrying to avoid the sun.
The building didn't have a full basement, only a tiny room full of old boxes and spiders, but it would do for now. There was no bathroom, but in the corner was an old sink. When Michael tried the knobs, a trickle of water poured forth, dirty and undrinkable, but clean enough to wet a scrap of cloth to try to cool the girl's fever.
"Put this on her forehead." Michael ordered Selene gently, holding out a piece of his now-wet shirttail. He watched Selene take it and settle it on the child's head. "Hold onto her. I'll go see if there is anything upstairs . . . clean water, blankets, or something. I'll be right back."
Selene only nodded, watching him walk back to the rickety staircase. She cradled the tiny child in her arms, sitting on a large box. The girl's breathing had steadied the moment they had entered the basement- her breathing no longer pitiful gasps for air.
Michael returned a few minutes later with a few old quilts. They were dirty and faded with time, but clean, when he settled next to her. "Found these in an old closet. I think this place may have been a boarding house or something- there are old bedframes everywhere." He unfolded one of the blankets, then helped Selene to wrap the girl in it. The other was placed in the only empty corner for the three to sleep on.
The vampiress settled down on the quilt, leaning against the wall. Michael sat beside her, close enough to share bodyheat.
"Do you think she'll survive the day?" Selene asked quietly, situating the child in her arms, laying the girl's head up on her shoulder.
"I don't know." Michael murmered. "We'll see I guess. She's better off here than she would be out behind that dumpster."
Selene nodded.
Well? What did you think? Tell me in a review!!
The Lady Mage