A/N: I have bad news & good news and also an apology. Ok apology first. I
meant to post this earlier but between switching from my old comp. to my
new one... somewhere between zip disks and external hard drives I corrupted
this chap so I had graduation stuff to do lost my dress broke my shoe
rederanged schedules so I had to re-type the whole thing plus I hve a key
board I am unused to. Good news I just graduated from the eighth grade
yesterday!
Disclaimer: You all already what characters I own and which belong to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes so I shall get on to more pressing disclaimery typed stuff. Macintosh/Apple computers obvious are a computer company. Macintosh computers own G-5 apple computers. The operating system X (or Ten) is also owned by Macintosh computers.
I sat on the floor of the room I was in rather than the only piece of furniture. I was wary of the cot that was situated along one wall. If I were to lay in it properly I wouldn't be able to see the door so I sat on the floor. I sat my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around my knees. I was still wearing nothing but the sports bra and boxer shorts I'd been wearing when he had killed my family. My over active imagination was more than happy to supply thousands of different scenarios all of which I couldn't escape. If I didn't sleep soon I felt I might go insane but I couldn't. I didn't want to sleep until I knew for sure what in Hell was going on. He'd have to come back eventually. I hadn't seen him since he threw me in here. The door of course was locked from the outside. There was nothing in this room except the cot along one wall. The pillow was attached to the mattress so I couldn't smother myself to death even if I wanted to. The only thought that kept me conscious, awake, alive, breathing was that he would come back. Eventually. In the mean time I could only sit here and wait and let my imagination carry me away. So lost was I in my thoughts I didn't realize the door had opened and he had come in.
"You're still awake?" He asked in a very masculine voice. My head whipped up and I glared at him. "Not going to talk to me?" He mocked.
"I would talk to you if the information I had to give you wasn't redundant." I answered.
"So you do speak. I was beginning to worry you'd lost that when you went into shock." I didn't bother to answer. He must be the most boring conversationalist in the world. "Don't you wonder why you're here? Why I killed your family? Who I am?" I nodded shortly but refused to speak. He seemed to find this amusing and leered. I glared, as coldly as emotionlessly as I could back at him though he towered above where I sat on the floor if I stood we would be the same height. "I'm not telling unless you ask."
"Who and what are you?"
"I am Lord Carl the Vampire." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Riiiight. Why did you kill my parents my sister my brother?"
"Don't believe me? Ah well you'll believe soon enough." Oh no, I though, I already believe you're a nut case. "As to your question I killed them because I felt like it."
"The long arm of the law will find you, pervert. Why did you not kill me too? Why am I here?" Wherever here is.
"I doubt that, I've killed thousands upon thousands of people and they've yet to catch me. Why did I spare you? I seemed like a good idea at the time." He paused and frowned looking down at me. "But not so much now, much like joining the army. Why are you in my house? Because I am a Trainer." He seemed particularly smug at this. "If you cease to amuse me or I can't break you I'll sell you to some one twice as nasty as me got it little girl?"
"I'm hardly little." I said standing up very close to him in the small room. I was delighted to find that I was nearly an inch taller than him. He backhanded me with out so much as a thought. He used so much force that I was slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor with the wind knocked out of me.
"On second thought I think I'll just sell you."
"You are just some maniac serial killer and the cops will catch you and give you a poison injection." He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Or I could save myself the trouble of trying to sell you and kill you."
"You're not going to touch me." I told him confidently shaking my hair off my shoulders.
"I'll be the judge of that." He said and in the time it took me to blink he had hauled me to my feet and was pulling on my hair hard enough to force me to bar my neck. I started to scream and kick at him.
"Owwww! Ow. Ow. Ow. Angel quit it!" Some one yelled. I scrambled away and found myself backed into a corner. My breathing was ragged and irregular. My dream seemed to dissolve before my eyes and I found myself standing instead in my familiar room at Taber's house. I felt the blood rush to my face because I wasn't wearing a shirt or a bra. I snatched a sheet off my bad and wrapped around me before sitting on my bed and glaring at Taber. "Bad dreams?" He asked. It seemed suddenly odd to me that his clothes shouldn't look immaculate. That his hair should be in more disarray than usual and that his necklace should hang outside his shirt.
"Why am I not wearing a shirt?" Or a bra for that matter. "Why do you look like you've slept in your clothes?" He looked almost incensed but he replied calmly enough.
"You don't remember?"
"No I don-"It hit me like a ton of bricks. "Oh, my God." I buried my head in my hands. "We did that."
"If it makes you feel better we didn't. You fainted."
"I what?"
"You fainted. What were you dreaming about that made you attack me?"
"Lord Carl the Vampire."
"Never heard of him."
"He said he was a Trainer. Had sandy blond hair and black eyes and pale skin. (Big surprise there.)"
"I know most of the Trainers and unless he's new or not very good he doesn't exist."
"But that's who it is. He's the one who killed them."
"You're family?" I nodded. "It doesn't quite add up, Angel."
"I know. It seems stupid even but I just know it's him."
"He might not be a Trainer. He might be um... a wannabe?" He paused letting his thoughts become solid. "If that is the case then he said it like a threat...like Mortals say they are part of a gang or part of the Mob..." He trailed off as if trying to decide something. He seemed to have forgotten for the moment the embarrassing thing we'd almost done last night. "Show me your dream."
"What?"
"Show me your dream...just bring it up in your mind's eye."
"Oh." I concentrated on what I remembered of my dream.
"I've seen him before. He's very young."
"I don't think in immortal terms yet, Taber."
"He's lived about forty years total. He couldn't be a Trainer if he tried." He shook his head. "Not nearly strong enough even if he did knock you against the wall." He smirked. "I could knock you through it and then some with about the same amount of effort." I blanched. He laughed at my expression. "I could, but I won't." His smile turned sly. "I'd rather use my strength in your defense, Angel."
"You'll help me kill him?"
"No. I can't do that." He said shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Because it wouldn't be me helping you kill him it would be me killing him and it would make some Vampires mad at me. When you're a Vampire I'll help you kill him." I puzzled this out. He couldn't kill a young and weak (comparatively) Vampire because who would get mad at him? Probably Risika. She seemed the type.
"Taber, about last night-"
"What about it?" He asked shortly running his hand through his hair.
"I er-"God why am I so embarrassed? I took a deep breath. "Well I'm only sixteen and I- last night was an accident, I'm not ready for that yet. God I can't even say the bloody word! I'm sorry." I ended lamely. He didn't seem the slightest bit ruffled now in fact he seemed almost...relieved?
"I can wait. One tends to become very patient when one realizes that their lifespan might be eternity."
"Risika was looking for you yesterday."
"I know why do you think I left?" I couldn't help but laugh. I sighed realizing I needed to take a shower and change. Only then would I feel human (Ha!) enough to face Risika or Andrea or anyone.
"I have to take a shower." He raised an eyebrow.
"Can I watch?" I stood up swiftly and cuffed him upside the head like I'd seen my sister doing to particularly annoying people. "That wasn't very nice." He muttered. I pranced, happy at my little triumph, into the bathroom.
"You know," I said when I came out of the bathroom and discovered he was still there. "You spend an awful lot of time in my bedroom."
"Well if you were ever any where else I wouldn't."
"You don't have a living room." I complained. "Or a computer room. Or a T.V. or a games room or anything." I paused trying to think of something else. "You're technologically inept." I said with a decisive nod and a smirk plastered on my face.
"How would you know?" He said defensively.
"If you knew how to use a computer you'd have one." I held up my hand to stop his protest and continued. "Because you have plenty of money. The same with a T.V."
"There are twenty-four TV's and various and assorted game machines in my house so you can-"He grapple for a sufficient insult that wouldn't make him sound a zillion years old. "Stuff it." I snickered.
"'Drather not. Where do you keep them if you don't have a living room? In their boxes stacked in a room no doubt."
"I never said I don't have a living room."
"You didn't deny it when I said you didn't either so there fore you don't have one."
"Fine! You win. I don't know how to use a computer or a T.V. or even a microwave! Happy now?"
"You don't know how to use a microwave? But then why would you have them in-oh that's where you keep the TV's"
"I'm not sure I follow."
"In the rooms where you keep the people you haven't trained yet. To keep them from going insane of boredom."
"There are empty rooms in the level above this one. You can make one into to a uh 'games room.'"
"Really?"
"Yes,"
"And?"
"You can teach my how to use all that-stuff?"
"Of course. One would think you'd keep up with the times."
"There's not really any need to. The only things Vampires concern themselves with are new weapons and well you can't kill a Vampire with a gun."
"That's stupid. Vampires would be better than humans at lots of things I bet you don't even have a clue about. For example you could type about a zillion times faster than humans. You would make better astronauts then humans because you'd only need to keep it warm enough so you don't freeze you wouldn't need air. You'd make great athletes. You'd be better than humans at virtually everything...if you knew how that is." He smiled.
"That's true but there is one small problem with that theory."
"What?" I asked puzzled.
"If we did that we'd eradicate the humans with in a few centuries and then we'd die too."
"Huh?"
"Think about it. If we started to have jobs like that the humans would have to compete with us for jobs. There really wouldn't be any competition we all have perfect human forms as well as our others. Those people who would have gotten those jobs will be unemployed. Humans tend not to have children they can't support."
"Oh, they'd be less and less humans and then they'd die off completely and all the Vampires would starve to death."
"Or go insane from the blood lust."
"I don't think I want to know how this conversation started." Risika said from the door.
"Hello Risika." Taber said in a dull monotone.
"Hello yourself, Mr-I-think-I'll-run-off-every-time-someone-comes- looking-for-me."
"Too long." I commented.
"I didn't ask you, pet."
"I am not!" I said in a slightly raised voice.
"You are, little pet."
"I'm-"
"Shut up, both of you!" Taber roared. "You." He said indicating me. "Are not a pet. And you," Now he indicated Risika. "Will not call her that around me. I'm assuming you came here for a reason, Risika?"
"Yes."
"Get on with it then I hardly want to spend all day in your company."
"We don't have to worry about your-er Angel because not only does she have a natural resistance to having her mind read Gabriel doesn't come from the right line. Which means she could walk up to Gabriel and he wouldn't suspect a thing."
"How?"
"Don't ask me. But if I can't tell what Angel is thinking there are only five Vampires in the world who might be able to."
"Good our plans will remain our own but...you can't read her mind? I thought you were one of the best at that?" Taber asked taken aback.
"Of course I am." She snapped clearly unhappy that her rep was at stake.
"Can we find her a job close to Gabriel or Raven?"
"We could sell her to him." Risika suggested.
"First of all stop talking about me like I'm not here and second there is no way in Hell!"
"If Taber wants to sell you, you can't stop him he owns you."
"I'm my own person so shut the fuck-"
"I do."
"What?" I asked shock spinning on my heel to face Taber instead.
"Legally."
"But you can't just own some one." I insisted. "It's against the law slavery was outlawed in the U.S. in 1865. I mean it might be legal in Africa but not here." I said spewing out things from World Cultures I was sure had disappeared from my memory shortly after the test.
"Angel," Risika said in a calm logical voice (one I was sure to come to hate). "I've killed thousands of people. Not once has the U.S. government persecuted me for it. Do you think any other laws apply to Vampires, including the Emancipation Proclamation?"
"But you can't own some one it's not right." I said dropping into my chair and resting my head in my hands.
"'Right.' Is something that has to do with your conscience." Risika said in the same reasonable tone. "If you killed every night do you think you'd have a conscience?"
"I think you're scaring her."
"Fine. You explain it to her then."
"We have our own world, Angel." He said gently. "We don't play by any rules but our own." He put his hand on my shoulder and knelt down beside me. When he spoke again it was a whisper to soften the harsh words. "I bought you. By our laws I own you."
"Get away from me."
"Angel, you have to understand-"
"Get away from me!" I shouted lashing out at him. He caught my hand before I struck him but let it go and backed away. After an extended silence in which I was sure Risika and Taber had been talking, I had calmed down enough to ask the question that burned inside my mind. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" He sounded so innocent I glared up at him to see he appeared to be genuinely confused.
"That you owned me."
"I was under the impression that you had understood. I told you several times, Angel." He looked at me strait into my eyes. I tore my gaze away and stared down at my hands. "Look at me." He urged.
"No. I may be young but I'm not stupid, Taber."
"Look at me." This time it was an order and I felt the intense desire to look up at him. I bit the insides of my cheeks until I could taste blood in my mouth. I stared down at my hands watching in fascination as my fingernails bit bloody cresants into my palms. "Angel, look at me." My head snapped up and my angry eyes met his. Memories flooded my mind of the times he had told me he owned me. Of when he first met and he gave the man something to pay for me.
"Stop it. Stop it, I understand." The memories abated and I dropped my gaze and breathed a sigh of relief. "You're going to sell me to Gabriel?" I asked in a voice that sounded to me like the eye of a storm.
"Maybe."
"I don't like that answer." I informed him.
"Fine. Yes, I will." I was shocked. Not only was I a possession he was going to sell me to some one who could enslave a whole town with out so much as a guilty thought. "Look, you want to help us right?"
"Yes. It would be horrible if they...did that, but I still don't see why you have to sell me to him." He sighed. He ran his hand through his hair.
[We interrupt this story because a long and boring conversation is about to ensue. This story will now jump ahead to sometime in early evening the next day.]
I dressed in the clothes Taber had brought me. White sports bra, white panties, (I had blushed when I noticed the underwear in the pile of clothes) Silver T-shirt, and fitted black denim jeans. No shoes or socks. I brushed my hair carefully so it parted down the middle and my black hair hung down on either side of my face. It felt odd not to wear make-up or jewelry but I shrugged it off and came out of my bathroom to face my fears. Risika and Taber and I had, had a long conversation yesterday about how I should act.
"Come here." I walked slowly, silently across the floor. Taber pulled my arms behind my back and bound my wrists together tightly. I gritted my teeth but didn't cry out. "I hate to do this but..." He trailed off and I never got a chance to find out whether he was referring to tying me up or selling me because we stood outside a several story house. He placed his hand between my shoulder blades and pushed me forward. I stumbled up the steps of the porch. He rung the bell and a boy of fourteen or so answered.
"Master Gabriel will be with you in just a moment My Lord." He led us into a living room and left, presumably to fetch Gabriel.
"Taber." A pleasant male voice said in the same moment the Taber pushed me forcefully to my knees. This time I did cry out. I was going to have black and blue marks on my knees for ages. "What brings you here?"
"I heard about what you've been doing in these towns." Taber answered shortly.
"Have you now? Word gets out fast. And what's this?" He asked and I assumed he was talking about me but I couldn't be sure as I could only see his shins with out blatantly looking up at him.
"A gift."
"A gift from you? What would you have from me?"
"I want in on what you're doing."
"A sensible thing to ask for since I shall shortly bring about the demise of Midnight."
"I thought as much. Hence I bring you a gift."
"Ah, but now how do you know if I will except?"
"She's your type." Ewwww. The way Taber said that made me want to throw up.
"Really?" Gabriel seemed interested now.
"Yes. Terribly sarcastic and vicious. Keeps going on about laws against slavery and stuff."
"Stand up girl, I want a better look at you." I remained on my knees though I wished very much to stand up and relieve the pressure. "Are you deaf? I said stand up." I ignored him even as I watched his booted feet walking across the room in my direction. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I whimpered because of the pain. "And stubborn as Hell, it would seem." He paused to smirk. "That can be fixed though." My stomach lurched. "You know me too well, Taber. You'll have your share of this new trade. I'll be sure to contact you." Taber took his cue and left. I belonged to Gabriel now. No one to protect me. Next time I saw Taber I was going to kill his living dead self. "Look up, girl." I looked up. "See that wasn't so hard, now was it?"
"I didn't want a broken neck." I told him in as dull a monotone as I could manage. He laughed.
"What's your name, girl?"
"Angel."
"How old are you?"
"I'll be seventeen in a month."
"Good. You can work a computer?" I snorted.
"Who can't?" I questioned putting sarcasm into my voice.
"Vampires." I swallowed nervously. He watched fascinated for a moment before continuing. "Perfect. You'll be useful then." His eyes flickered up and down me. "Seventeen." He said quietly savoring the word. I shivered. He was scaring me. "Hey, kid." He called. The boy appeared again a little too quickly.
"Yes, Master Gabriel?" He asked head bowed.
"Her room is the last one on the right on the third floor. Show her where it is then show her around the house." He shifted his gaze back to me. "I'll find you a little later." With that he strode out of the room leaving me with the boy. The boy rushed over to me and started untying the bindings on my wrists.
"Sorry, that must hurt." He said when he was done.
"Thank you..." I trailed off waiting for him to introduce himself.
"Soren." He offered. "He must really like you." Soren said quietly leading me out of the room.
"Why do you say that?" I asked trying not to sound as scared as I felt.
"Partly because he actually asked what your name was but mostly because he didn't punish me for spying on him. Yet." He added. He led me up three flights of stairs down a long hall to the end. He opened the last door on he right and preceded me inside. I looked around. A twin bed, a nightstand, a chair in the corner, a bureau and a second door.
"Going to show me the rest of the house now?" I asked politely.
"Sure." He paused only briefly at the second story to explain that there were only offices there. He hurried on to the first floor as though he didn't like to hang around the second floor. The first door he opened didn't really surprise me. "Kitchen. Meals are severed at dusk, dawn, and at twelve a.m." The rest of the tour wasn't particularly interesting and I tuned it out in favor of thinking up ways to kill Taber. "Angel? Angel, are you paying attention?"
"What? Oh, sorry."
"I was saying that the doors are locked from the outside so you can't go into town unless you have a key. I think that's about it so ummmm...I have to go back to cleaning now. See you later, I'm sure."
"Yeah, see you." I said as he walked away. I decided to go back to my room. I didn't really know what I was doing here. Spying supposedly. I opened the other door in my room and found a bathroom with a corner shower, toilet, and sink. I sighed bored and sat in the chair. I opened the shades to find a view of a walled garden. Most of the flowers in the garden were night flowering. I flicked the glass of the window. It had a peculiar ring to it. Safety glass.
"Angel?" Gabriel called knocking once before entering.
"Gabriel." I said sarcastically. "How nice to see you again so soon." He smiled.
"I am your Master you will address me as such." I made a thinking face as though I was deciding something.
"I don't think I will."
"Really?"
"Surely you're not daft?" I said pleasantly.
"You're playing a dangerous game."
"I was under the impression that games were something one played on a computer or with a board and pieces?"
"You will address me as Master Gabriel or else."
"Or else? How cliché, Gabriel."
"If you find that cliché then you will find this refreshing I'm sure. You will address me as Master Gabriel or you may just find what I want from you is a little more than working with computers." I shuddered.
"You've made your point, Master Gabriel." I told him flatly. He smiled. God how I hate his smiles more than Taber's. Taber. I was going to kill him first chance I got.
"Good. Come along then." I followed him down a flight of stairs to the second floor. He opened the fifth door on the left and went inside. I went in after him carefully resisting the urge to close the door. Inside was a nice computer desk with boxes containing a computer monitor, tower, and all-in-one printer stacked on top of it. There was a black engineers style chair as well. I walked over to the desk and examined the boxes.
"Wow. A G-5? Do you know how much those things cost? Not to mention that Apple hasn't made very many yet..." I trailed off and attempted to open the boxes but gave up frustrated. "Do you have a box cutter?" He looked at me blankly. "Or a knife?" I tried. He pulled a small jack knife from his pocket and flipped it open deftly before handing it to me handle first. "Thanks." I slit open the tape along the top of the monitor box and set the knife down. I pulled back the flaps of the box and took out the instruction manual. I set the manual down on the desk and my hand paused over the knife for a moment. I shielded my thoughts as I had done from Taber before. Not that it matter much because according to Risika he wouldn't notice anyway. I pulled out another box. This would have the keyboard, mouse, and cords in. I took out the first piece of Styrofoam packing. I moved the boxes to one side of the desk and lifted out the monitor ever so carefully. I picked up the knife and slit open the next box but instead of setting it back down I let my anger take control. I recalled what he'd said earlier and what he'd implied. With the ease of long practice and the accuracy of adrenaline and hate I flicked my wrist sending the jackknife to bury itself to the handle in his chest.
"Fuck!" He yelled, clearly in pain. I watched in mute fascination as he pulled the knife gingerly out of his chest. He licked the blood off the blade of the knife and closed it dropping it back in his pocket. He pulled off his ruined shirt and threw it to the floor. He wiped away the blood on his chest with his hand. There was nothing there now but a tiny scratch which healed before my eyes. He grinned. It was a completely feral smile. He took a step in my direction and I backed up. He took another step and again I backed up. He stepped toward me a third time and when I backed up this time I hit the wall. I knew he could see the fear in my eyes as well as taste it in the air. He grabbed my wrists in his hand and pinned them to the wall above me. He pressed close to me and I could feel the heat radiating off him. He kissed me roughly on the mouth before using his free hand to expose my neck by tugging on my hair, hard. He bent his head to the left side of my neck and bit, rather harder than nessicary. He started to suck my blood out and I grimanced in pain. It hurt like Hell because he wasn't using any of his mental control to make it feel pleasant not to mention the fact that he actually had to suck my blood out because he was drinking from the jugular vein rather than my caroted artery. However it was only a moment before he pulled away fro me spitting my blood on the floor. "Blood-bonded! Taber gave me a fucking Blood-bonded human." I felt my blood trickling down my neck. I wanted to press my hand against the wound to stop the bleeding but Gabriel still help my wrists pinned to the wall. "He sent you here to kill me." He said lowering his voice a little but it sounded even more dangerous at this level. "Did he send you here to kill me?"
"What makes you think I'd tell you?"
"I'll kill you."
"I doubt that." I said fearlessly meeting his eye. I glanced away first.
"I would cooperate if I were you."
"Yeah well you're not so, go to Hell." He glowered at me and in the moment a woman appeared in the door-way. She had burgundy hair and eyes. Freaky.
"Gabriel?" She asked glaring at me.
"Ravyn, take her down to the basement and chain her up." Ravyn raised her eyebrows.
"What did she do?"
"Put my own knife in my chest."
"I bet you just loved that."
"Hardly. I can only deal with one woman trying to kill me at a time." Ravyn chuckled and walked across the room. Gabriel released me and Ravyn pulled a dagger and held it to my throat before I could react.
"Come along now." Ravyn said mock sweetly.
"Like I have a choice." I grumbled trying not to slit my own throat. We walked like that her pushing me in front until we got to a seemingly blank wall on the first floor. She kicked one of the lower panels and the door slid back to reveal stairs. She pushed me down the steep steps and I almost fell twice but managed to keep my balance with the thought in my head that I'd kill my self by tripping. When we got to the bottom she flicked a switch to turn on the light.
"Before I let you go I just want you to understand one thing. If you do something stupidly heroics I'll kill you. Try to run I'll kill you. Try to kill me I'll kill you. If you cooperate you might not be killed. Think about it this way; certain death or the chance of living." I let this sink in before answering her.
"I understand." She pulled the knife away from my throat and I brought my hand to my throat checking to see if there were more wounds than just where Gabriel had bitten me.
"Sit against the wall there." Ravyn said gesturing with her dagger. I sat down wondering if being chained up was going to hurt much. Ravyn clenched her dagger between her teeth and grabbed my hands. She clamped them into some manicles I hadn't noticed above my head. Next she clamped my ankles into shackles that were bolted to the floor. I bit my lip when she pinched my skin in the hinge. Ravyn climbed the stairs grumbling something to the effect of: I am the leader of fucking Buja but still being Gabriel's fucking pet! I started counting ceiling tiles in an attempt to ignore the pain and I didn't even realize I'd drifted off to sleep.
Lizard: You can certainly send me an e-mail at this address (Jacesalazarslytherin.zzn.com or appleblosomshotmail.com) I would love if you and your friends could review again. L.O.L. (lots of luv)
Clavel: I like threats they work... yeah I like their little game too and indeed he is the Vampire but Angel has a lot of charisma
Katie 1-2-3: Perhaps I haven't made this clear: TABER IS EVIL! Still your favorite! Does dance Ow! That kinda hurt not doing that particular move ever again.
Me: here's another reply to make you happy. I always keep my word... no, no you don't need a life I do. I write this after all no?
Thanks to all my other reviewers and e-mailers!
A/N: The bad news. I am going camping for two weeks the last week of June and the first week in July. Needless to say I will be far from comps and modems so no chaps then I'm afraid. I promises to write though. Review or Flame! (--)
P.S. NO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL I GET BACK FROM CAMP UNLESS I GET REVIEWS!
Disclaimer: You all already what characters I own and which belong to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes so I shall get on to more pressing disclaimery typed stuff. Macintosh/Apple computers obvious are a computer company. Macintosh computers own G-5 apple computers. The operating system X (or Ten) is also owned by Macintosh computers.
I sat on the floor of the room I was in rather than the only piece of furniture. I was wary of the cot that was situated along one wall. If I were to lay in it properly I wouldn't be able to see the door so I sat on the floor. I sat my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around my knees. I was still wearing nothing but the sports bra and boxer shorts I'd been wearing when he had killed my family. My over active imagination was more than happy to supply thousands of different scenarios all of which I couldn't escape. If I didn't sleep soon I felt I might go insane but I couldn't. I didn't want to sleep until I knew for sure what in Hell was going on. He'd have to come back eventually. I hadn't seen him since he threw me in here. The door of course was locked from the outside. There was nothing in this room except the cot along one wall. The pillow was attached to the mattress so I couldn't smother myself to death even if I wanted to. The only thought that kept me conscious, awake, alive, breathing was that he would come back. Eventually. In the mean time I could only sit here and wait and let my imagination carry me away. So lost was I in my thoughts I didn't realize the door had opened and he had come in.
"You're still awake?" He asked in a very masculine voice. My head whipped up and I glared at him. "Not going to talk to me?" He mocked.
"I would talk to you if the information I had to give you wasn't redundant." I answered.
"So you do speak. I was beginning to worry you'd lost that when you went into shock." I didn't bother to answer. He must be the most boring conversationalist in the world. "Don't you wonder why you're here? Why I killed your family? Who I am?" I nodded shortly but refused to speak. He seemed to find this amusing and leered. I glared, as coldly as emotionlessly as I could back at him though he towered above where I sat on the floor if I stood we would be the same height. "I'm not telling unless you ask."
"Who and what are you?"
"I am Lord Carl the Vampire." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Riiiight. Why did you kill my parents my sister my brother?"
"Don't believe me? Ah well you'll believe soon enough." Oh no, I though, I already believe you're a nut case. "As to your question I killed them because I felt like it."
"The long arm of the law will find you, pervert. Why did you not kill me too? Why am I here?" Wherever here is.
"I doubt that, I've killed thousands upon thousands of people and they've yet to catch me. Why did I spare you? I seemed like a good idea at the time." He paused and frowned looking down at me. "But not so much now, much like joining the army. Why are you in my house? Because I am a Trainer." He seemed particularly smug at this. "If you cease to amuse me or I can't break you I'll sell you to some one twice as nasty as me got it little girl?"
"I'm hardly little." I said standing up very close to him in the small room. I was delighted to find that I was nearly an inch taller than him. He backhanded me with out so much as a thought. He used so much force that I was slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor with the wind knocked out of me.
"On second thought I think I'll just sell you."
"You are just some maniac serial killer and the cops will catch you and give you a poison injection." He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Or I could save myself the trouble of trying to sell you and kill you."
"You're not going to touch me." I told him confidently shaking my hair off my shoulders.
"I'll be the judge of that." He said and in the time it took me to blink he had hauled me to my feet and was pulling on my hair hard enough to force me to bar my neck. I started to scream and kick at him.
"Owwww! Ow. Ow. Ow. Angel quit it!" Some one yelled. I scrambled away and found myself backed into a corner. My breathing was ragged and irregular. My dream seemed to dissolve before my eyes and I found myself standing instead in my familiar room at Taber's house. I felt the blood rush to my face because I wasn't wearing a shirt or a bra. I snatched a sheet off my bad and wrapped around me before sitting on my bed and glaring at Taber. "Bad dreams?" He asked. It seemed suddenly odd to me that his clothes shouldn't look immaculate. That his hair should be in more disarray than usual and that his necklace should hang outside his shirt.
"Why am I not wearing a shirt?" Or a bra for that matter. "Why do you look like you've slept in your clothes?" He looked almost incensed but he replied calmly enough.
"You don't remember?"
"No I don-"It hit me like a ton of bricks. "Oh, my God." I buried my head in my hands. "We did that."
"If it makes you feel better we didn't. You fainted."
"I what?"
"You fainted. What were you dreaming about that made you attack me?"
"Lord Carl the Vampire."
"Never heard of him."
"He said he was a Trainer. Had sandy blond hair and black eyes and pale skin. (Big surprise there.)"
"I know most of the Trainers and unless he's new or not very good he doesn't exist."
"But that's who it is. He's the one who killed them."
"You're family?" I nodded. "It doesn't quite add up, Angel."
"I know. It seems stupid even but I just know it's him."
"He might not be a Trainer. He might be um... a wannabe?" He paused letting his thoughts become solid. "If that is the case then he said it like a threat...like Mortals say they are part of a gang or part of the Mob..." He trailed off as if trying to decide something. He seemed to have forgotten for the moment the embarrassing thing we'd almost done last night. "Show me your dream."
"What?"
"Show me your dream...just bring it up in your mind's eye."
"Oh." I concentrated on what I remembered of my dream.
"I've seen him before. He's very young."
"I don't think in immortal terms yet, Taber."
"He's lived about forty years total. He couldn't be a Trainer if he tried." He shook his head. "Not nearly strong enough even if he did knock you against the wall." He smirked. "I could knock you through it and then some with about the same amount of effort." I blanched. He laughed at my expression. "I could, but I won't." His smile turned sly. "I'd rather use my strength in your defense, Angel."
"You'll help me kill him?"
"No. I can't do that." He said shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Because it wouldn't be me helping you kill him it would be me killing him and it would make some Vampires mad at me. When you're a Vampire I'll help you kill him." I puzzled this out. He couldn't kill a young and weak (comparatively) Vampire because who would get mad at him? Probably Risika. She seemed the type.
"Taber, about last night-"
"What about it?" He asked shortly running his hand through his hair.
"I er-"God why am I so embarrassed? I took a deep breath. "Well I'm only sixteen and I- last night was an accident, I'm not ready for that yet. God I can't even say the bloody word! I'm sorry." I ended lamely. He didn't seem the slightest bit ruffled now in fact he seemed almost...relieved?
"I can wait. One tends to become very patient when one realizes that their lifespan might be eternity."
"Risika was looking for you yesterday."
"I know why do you think I left?" I couldn't help but laugh. I sighed realizing I needed to take a shower and change. Only then would I feel human (Ha!) enough to face Risika or Andrea or anyone.
"I have to take a shower." He raised an eyebrow.
"Can I watch?" I stood up swiftly and cuffed him upside the head like I'd seen my sister doing to particularly annoying people. "That wasn't very nice." He muttered. I pranced, happy at my little triumph, into the bathroom.
"You know," I said when I came out of the bathroom and discovered he was still there. "You spend an awful lot of time in my bedroom."
"Well if you were ever any where else I wouldn't."
"You don't have a living room." I complained. "Or a computer room. Or a T.V. or a games room or anything." I paused trying to think of something else. "You're technologically inept." I said with a decisive nod and a smirk plastered on my face.
"How would you know?" He said defensively.
"If you knew how to use a computer you'd have one." I held up my hand to stop his protest and continued. "Because you have plenty of money. The same with a T.V."
"There are twenty-four TV's and various and assorted game machines in my house so you can-"He grapple for a sufficient insult that wouldn't make him sound a zillion years old. "Stuff it." I snickered.
"'Drather not. Where do you keep them if you don't have a living room? In their boxes stacked in a room no doubt."
"I never said I don't have a living room."
"You didn't deny it when I said you didn't either so there fore you don't have one."
"Fine! You win. I don't know how to use a computer or a T.V. or even a microwave! Happy now?"
"You don't know how to use a microwave? But then why would you have them in-oh that's where you keep the TV's"
"I'm not sure I follow."
"In the rooms where you keep the people you haven't trained yet. To keep them from going insane of boredom."
"There are empty rooms in the level above this one. You can make one into to a uh 'games room.'"
"Really?"
"Yes,"
"And?"
"You can teach my how to use all that-stuff?"
"Of course. One would think you'd keep up with the times."
"There's not really any need to. The only things Vampires concern themselves with are new weapons and well you can't kill a Vampire with a gun."
"That's stupid. Vampires would be better than humans at lots of things I bet you don't even have a clue about. For example you could type about a zillion times faster than humans. You would make better astronauts then humans because you'd only need to keep it warm enough so you don't freeze you wouldn't need air. You'd make great athletes. You'd be better than humans at virtually everything...if you knew how that is." He smiled.
"That's true but there is one small problem with that theory."
"What?" I asked puzzled.
"If we did that we'd eradicate the humans with in a few centuries and then we'd die too."
"Huh?"
"Think about it. If we started to have jobs like that the humans would have to compete with us for jobs. There really wouldn't be any competition we all have perfect human forms as well as our others. Those people who would have gotten those jobs will be unemployed. Humans tend not to have children they can't support."
"Oh, they'd be less and less humans and then they'd die off completely and all the Vampires would starve to death."
"Or go insane from the blood lust."
"I don't think I want to know how this conversation started." Risika said from the door.
"Hello Risika." Taber said in a dull monotone.
"Hello yourself, Mr-I-think-I'll-run-off-every-time-someone-comes- looking-for-me."
"Too long." I commented.
"I didn't ask you, pet."
"I am not!" I said in a slightly raised voice.
"You are, little pet."
"I'm-"
"Shut up, both of you!" Taber roared. "You." He said indicating me. "Are not a pet. And you," Now he indicated Risika. "Will not call her that around me. I'm assuming you came here for a reason, Risika?"
"Yes."
"Get on with it then I hardly want to spend all day in your company."
"We don't have to worry about your-er Angel because not only does she have a natural resistance to having her mind read Gabriel doesn't come from the right line. Which means she could walk up to Gabriel and he wouldn't suspect a thing."
"How?"
"Don't ask me. But if I can't tell what Angel is thinking there are only five Vampires in the world who might be able to."
"Good our plans will remain our own but...you can't read her mind? I thought you were one of the best at that?" Taber asked taken aback.
"Of course I am." She snapped clearly unhappy that her rep was at stake.
"Can we find her a job close to Gabriel or Raven?"
"We could sell her to him." Risika suggested.
"First of all stop talking about me like I'm not here and second there is no way in Hell!"
"If Taber wants to sell you, you can't stop him he owns you."
"I'm my own person so shut the fuck-"
"I do."
"What?" I asked shock spinning on my heel to face Taber instead.
"Legally."
"But you can't just own some one." I insisted. "It's against the law slavery was outlawed in the U.S. in 1865. I mean it might be legal in Africa but not here." I said spewing out things from World Cultures I was sure had disappeared from my memory shortly after the test.
"Angel," Risika said in a calm logical voice (one I was sure to come to hate). "I've killed thousands of people. Not once has the U.S. government persecuted me for it. Do you think any other laws apply to Vampires, including the Emancipation Proclamation?"
"But you can't own some one it's not right." I said dropping into my chair and resting my head in my hands.
"'Right.' Is something that has to do with your conscience." Risika said in the same reasonable tone. "If you killed every night do you think you'd have a conscience?"
"I think you're scaring her."
"Fine. You explain it to her then."
"We have our own world, Angel." He said gently. "We don't play by any rules but our own." He put his hand on my shoulder and knelt down beside me. When he spoke again it was a whisper to soften the harsh words. "I bought you. By our laws I own you."
"Get away from me."
"Angel, you have to understand-"
"Get away from me!" I shouted lashing out at him. He caught my hand before I struck him but let it go and backed away. After an extended silence in which I was sure Risika and Taber had been talking, I had calmed down enough to ask the question that burned inside my mind. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" He sounded so innocent I glared up at him to see he appeared to be genuinely confused.
"That you owned me."
"I was under the impression that you had understood. I told you several times, Angel." He looked at me strait into my eyes. I tore my gaze away and stared down at my hands. "Look at me." He urged.
"No. I may be young but I'm not stupid, Taber."
"Look at me." This time it was an order and I felt the intense desire to look up at him. I bit the insides of my cheeks until I could taste blood in my mouth. I stared down at my hands watching in fascination as my fingernails bit bloody cresants into my palms. "Angel, look at me." My head snapped up and my angry eyes met his. Memories flooded my mind of the times he had told me he owned me. Of when he first met and he gave the man something to pay for me.
"Stop it. Stop it, I understand." The memories abated and I dropped my gaze and breathed a sigh of relief. "You're going to sell me to Gabriel?" I asked in a voice that sounded to me like the eye of a storm.
"Maybe."
"I don't like that answer." I informed him.
"Fine. Yes, I will." I was shocked. Not only was I a possession he was going to sell me to some one who could enslave a whole town with out so much as a guilty thought. "Look, you want to help us right?"
"Yes. It would be horrible if they...did that, but I still don't see why you have to sell me to him." He sighed. He ran his hand through his hair.
[We interrupt this story because a long and boring conversation is about to ensue. This story will now jump ahead to sometime in early evening the next day.]
I dressed in the clothes Taber had brought me. White sports bra, white panties, (I had blushed when I noticed the underwear in the pile of clothes) Silver T-shirt, and fitted black denim jeans. No shoes or socks. I brushed my hair carefully so it parted down the middle and my black hair hung down on either side of my face. It felt odd not to wear make-up or jewelry but I shrugged it off and came out of my bathroom to face my fears. Risika and Taber and I had, had a long conversation yesterday about how I should act.
"Come here." I walked slowly, silently across the floor. Taber pulled my arms behind my back and bound my wrists together tightly. I gritted my teeth but didn't cry out. "I hate to do this but..." He trailed off and I never got a chance to find out whether he was referring to tying me up or selling me because we stood outside a several story house. He placed his hand between my shoulder blades and pushed me forward. I stumbled up the steps of the porch. He rung the bell and a boy of fourteen or so answered.
"Master Gabriel will be with you in just a moment My Lord." He led us into a living room and left, presumably to fetch Gabriel.
"Taber." A pleasant male voice said in the same moment the Taber pushed me forcefully to my knees. This time I did cry out. I was going to have black and blue marks on my knees for ages. "What brings you here?"
"I heard about what you've been doing in these towns." Taber answered shortly.
"Have you now? Word gets out fast. And what's this?" He asked and I assumed he was talking about me but I couldn't be sure as I could only see his shins with out blatantly looking up at him.
"A gift."
"A gift from you? What would you have from me?"
"I want in on what you're doing."
"A sensible thing to ask for since I shall shortly bring about the demise of Midnight."
"I thought as much. Hence I bring you a gift."
"Ah, but now how do you know if I will except?"
"She's your type." Ewwww. The way Taber said that made me want to throw up.
"Really?" Gabriel seemed interested now.
"Yes. Terribly sarcastic and vicious. Keeps going on about laws against slavery and stuff."
"Stand up girl, I want a better look at you." I remained on my knees though I wished very much to stand up and relieve the pressure. "Are you deaf? I said stand up." I ignored him even as I watched his booted feet walking across the room in my direction. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I whimpered because of the pain. "And stubborn as Hell, it would seem." He paused to smirk. "That can be fixed though." My stomach lurched. "You know me too well, Taber. You'll have your share of this new trade. I'll be sure to contact you." Taber took his cue and left. I belonged to Gabriel now. No one to protect me. Next time I saw Taber I was going to kill his living dead self. "Look up, girl." I looked up. "See that wasn't so hard, now was it?"
"I didn't want a broken neck." I told him in as dull a monotone as I could manage. He laughed.
"What's your name, girl?"
"Angel."
"How old are you?"
"I'll be seventeen in a month."
"Good. You can work a computer?" I snorted.
"Who can't?" I questioned putting sarcasm into my voice.
"Vampires." I swallowed nervously. He watched fascinated for a moment before continuing. "Perfect. You'll be useful then." His eyes flickered up and down me. "Seventeen." He said quietly savoring the word. I shivered. He was scaring me. "Hey, kid." He called. The boy appeared again a little too quickly.
"Yes, Master Gabriel?" He asked head bowed.
"Her room is the last one on the right on the third floor. Show her where it is then show her around the house." He shifted his gaze back to me. "I'll find you a little later." With that he strode out of the room leaving me with the boy. The boy rushed over to me and started untying the bindings on my wrists.
"Sorry, that must hurt." He said when he was done.
"Thank you..." I trailed off waiting for him to introduce himself.
"Soren." He offered. "He must really like you." Soren said quietly leading me out of the room.
"Why do you say that?" I asked trying not to sound as scared as I felt.
"Partly because he actually asked what your name was but mostly because he didn't punish me for spying on him. Yet." He added. He led me up three flights of stairs down a long hall to the end. He opened the last door on he right and preceded me inside. I looked around. A twin bed, a nightstand, a chair in the corner, a bureau and a second door.
"Going to show me the rest of the house now?" I asked politely.
"Sure." He paused only briefly at the second story to explain that there were only offices there. He hurried on to the first floor as though he didn't like to hang around the second floor. The first door he opened didn't really surprise me. "Kitchen. Meals are severed at dusk, dawn, and at twelve a.m." The rest of the tour wasn't particularly interesting and I tuned it out in favor of thinking up ways to kill Taber. "Angel? Angel, are you paying attention?"
"What? Oh, sorry."
"I was saying that the doors are locked from the outside so you can't go into town unless you have a key. I think that's about it so ummmm...I have to go back to cleaning now. See you later, I'm sure."
"Yeah, see you." I said as he walked away. I decided to go back to my room. I didn't really know what I was doing here. Spying supposedly. I opened the other door in my room and found a bathroom with a corner shower, toilet, and sink. I sighed bored and sat in the chair. I opened the shades to find a view of a walled garden. Most of the flowers in the garden were night flowering. I flicked the glass of the window. It had a peculiar ring to it. Safety glass.
"Angel?" Gabriel called knocking once before entering.
"Gabriel." I said sarcastically. "How nice to see you again so soon." He smiled.
"I am your Master you will address me as such." I made a thinking face as though I was deciding something.
"I don't think I will."
"Really?"
"Surely you're not daft?" I said pleasantly.
"You're playing a dangerous game."
"I was under the impression that games were something one played on a computer or with a board and pieces?"
"You will address me as Master Gabriel or else."
"Or else? How cliché, Gabriel."
"If you find that cliché then you will find this refreshing I'm sure. You will address me as Master Gabriel or you may just find what I want from you is a little more than working with computers." I shuddered.
"You've made your point, Master Gabriel." I told him flatly. He smiled. God how I hate his smiles more than Taber's. Taber. I was going to kill him first chance I got.
"Good. Come along then." I followed him down a flight of stairs to the second floor. He opened the fifth door on the left and went inside. I went in after him carefully resisting the urge to close the door. Inside was a nice computer desk with boxes containing a computer monitor, tower, and all-in-one printer stacked on top of it. There was a black engineers style chair as well. I walked over to the desk and examined the boxes.
"Wow. A G-5? Do you know how much those things cost? Not to mention that Apple hasn't made very many yet..." I trailed off and attempted to open the boxes but gave up frustrated. "Do you have a box cutter?" He looked at me blankly. "Or a knife?" I tried. He pulled a small jack knife from his pocket and flipped it open deftly before handing it to me handle first. "Thanks." I slit open the tape along the top of the monitor box and set the knife down. I pulled back the flaps of the box and took out the instruction manual. I set the manual down on the desk and my hand paused over the knife for a moment. I shielded my thoughts as I had done from Taber before. Not that it matter much because according to Risika he wouldn't notice anyway. I pulled out another box. This would have the keyboard, mouse, and cords in. I took out the first piece of Styrofoam packing. I moved the boxes to one side of the desk and lifted out the monitor ever so carefully. I picked up the knife and slit open the next box but instead of setting it back down I let my anger take control. I recalled what he'd said earlier and what he'd implied. With the ease of long practice and the accuracy of adrenaline and hate I flicked my wrist sending the jackknife to bury itself to the handle in his chest.
"Fuck!" He yelled, clearly in pain. I watched in mute fascination as he pulled the knife gingerly out of his chest. He licked the blood off the blade of the knife and closed it dropping it back in his pocket. He pulled off his ruined shirt and threw it to the floor. He wiped away the blood on his chest with his hand. There was nothing there now but a tiny scratch which healed before my eyes. He grinned. It was a completely feral smile. He took a step in my direction and I backed up. He took another step and again I backed up. He stepped toward me a third time and when I backed up this time I hit the wall. I knew he could see the fear in my eyes as well as taste it in the air. He grabbed my wrists in his hand and pinned them to the wall above me. He pressed close to me and I could feel the heat radiating off him. He kissed me roughly on the mouth before using his free hand to expose my neck by tugging on my hair, hard. He bent his head to the left side of my neck and bit, rather harder than nessicary. He started to suck my blood out and I grimanced in pain. It hurt like Hell because he wasn't using any of his mental control to make it feel pleasant not to mention the fact that he actually had to suck my blood out because he was drinking from the jugular vein rather than my caroted artery. However it was only a moment before he pulled away fro me spitting my blood on the floor. "Blood-bonded! Taber gave me a fucking Blood-bonded human." I felt my blood trickling down my neck. I wanted to press my hand against the wound to stop the bleeding but Gabriel still help my wrists pinned to the wall. "He sent you here to kill me." He said lowering his voice a little but it sounded even more dangerous at this level. "Did he send you here to kill me?"
"What makes you think I'd tell you?"
"I'll kill you."
"I doubt that." I said fearlessly meeting his eye. I glanced away first.
"I would cooperate if I were you."
"Yeah well you're not so, go to Hell." He glowered at me and in the moment a woman appeared in the door-way. She had burgundy hair and eyes. Freaky.
"Gabriel?" She asked glaring at me.
"Ravyn, take her down to the basement and chain her up." Ravyn raised her eyebrows.
"What did she do?"
"Put my own knife in my chest."
"I bet you just loved that."
"Hardly. I can only deal with one woman trying to kill me at a time." Ravyn chuckled and walked across the room. Gabriel released me and Ravyn pulled a dagger and held it to my throat before I could react.
"Come along now." Ravyn said mock sweetly.
"Like I have a choice." I grumbled trying not to slit my own throat. We walked like that her pushing me in front until we got to a seemingly blank wall on the first floor. She kicked one of the lower panels and the door slid back to reveal stairs. She pushed me down the steep steps and I almost fell twice but managed to keep my balance with the thought in my head that I'd kill my self by tripping. When we got to the bottom she flicked a switch to turn on the light.
"Before I let you go I just want you to understand one thing. If you do something stupidly heroics I'll kill you. Try to run I'll kill you. Try to kill me I'll kill you. If you cooperate you might not be killed. Think about it this way; certain death or the chance of living." I let this sink in before answering her.
"I understand." She pulled the knife away from my throat and I brought my hand to my throat checking to see if there were more wounds than just where Gabriel had bitten me.
"Sit against the wall there." Ravyn said gesturing with her dagger. I sat down wondering if being chained up was going to hurt much. Ravyn clenched her dagger between her teeth and grabbed my hands. She clamped them into some manicles I hadn't noticed above my head. Next she clamped my ankles into shackles that were bolted to the floor. I bit my lip when she pinched my skin in the hinge. Ravyn climbed the stairs grumbling something to the effect of: I am the leader of fucking Buja but still being Gabriel's fucking pet! I started counting ceiling tiles in an attempt to ignore the pain and I didn't even realize I'd drifted off to sleep.
Lizard: You can certainly send me an e-mail at this address (Jacesalazarslytherin.zzn.com or appleblosomshotmail.com) I would love if you and your friends could review again. L.O.L. (lots of luv)
Clavel: I like threats they work... yeah I like their little game too and indeed he is the Vampire but Angel has a lot of charisma
Katie 1-2-3: Perhaps I haven't made this clear: TABER IS EVIL! Still your favorite! Does dance Ow! That kinda hurt not doing that particular move ever again.
Me: here's another reply to make you happy. I always keep my word... no, no you don't need a life I do. I write this after all no?
Thanks to all my other reviewers and e-mailers!
A/N: The bad news. I am going camping for two weeks the last week of June and the first week in July. Needless to say I will be far from comps and modems so no chaps then I'm afraid. I promises to write though. Review or Flame! (--)
P.S. NO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL I GET BACK FROM CAMP UNLESS I GET REVIEWS!