Immortal Sunrise – Diagnosis

Drew shook his head in dismay. He stepped over the fallen door and into Selene's bedroom. His fingers traced the intricate designs of the bed and then found their way to the drawstring hanging from the ceiling. He coiled the tassel around his fingers and felt it. Frowning as he pulled it, Drew looked to the wall where the head of the bed was pushed against it. The tapestry depicting a scene from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream was pulled away to reveal an opening in the stone.

Kneeling on the bed now, the philosopher's son peered inside the opening. His curiosity was not sated and so he continued inside. It was a small chamber; the ceiling was only high enough for him to sit. There was worn wooden box in one of the corners and a dusty candle sat solemnly in its holder by the opening. Drew reached into his pocket and retrieved a Zippo lighter.

Though vampires could see very well in the dark it seemed more appropriate to use light when it was available. Drew touched the flame of the Zippo to the wick of the candle then flicked it closed. He lifted the waxen flare up to the walls and brushed the cobweb nuisances away.

'Get into the mind of the killer.' His father had told him that several times. 'Get into the mind of the killer or you're just guessing.'

Well, he was in the domain of the killer.

There was writing on the walls. Drew brushed the dust clinging to the stone away to see the characters better.

Drew nearly burst out laughing. It wasn't anything insanely funny, it was only bits and pieces of lyrics from modern-day North American bands. Then again, the thought of Selene listening to music from her own time sounded ridiculous.

Because of the glare from the candle the vampire failed to see a small electronic device on the floor by his hand until his hand brushed against it. Upon bringing it up to his face he realized it was a mini-disc player. How odd. Now what would a mini-disc player be doing in a little-tiny room with lyrics written on the walls? A smirk crept onto Drew's face as he inserted one of the earbuds into his ear and started up the device. An acoustic guitar became the introduction and then a boyish voice proceeded mumble lyrics that made little sense to him. Maybe it was because it was in English; he did not know much English seeing as he had spent his entire lifetime in Hungary.

Swing Life Away – Rise Against.mp3

"Huh." Maybe he should learn English, these next-to-meaningless lyrics intrigued him.

"Drew!" Said vampire's ears pricked at hearing his name. He blew out the candle, turned the mini-disc player off and crawled out of the alcove. He yanked on the drawstring again the tapestry fell over the opening in the wall. Scott appeared in the doorway.

"What are you doing in here, getting in the mind of a drop-dead gorgeous vampiress?"

"No, I'm getting in the mind of a lonely young woman." Said Drew, dead serious.

--

Selene was strapped down to a table in the infirmary. Dante had given her a dose of tranquilizer to keep her calm yet conscious. Her head throbbed and her stomach growled in hunger. She was weak from not feeding.

Dante had sent Scott to fetch Drew as he served as the group's doctor and psychologist. Scott often referred to Drew as the Shrink which drove Dante nuts, but for some reason it never fazed Drew himself. Drew was a… complicated boy. He was like that Grissom guy from that American cop show, CSI.

'The best intentions are often fraught with disappointment.' And shit like that. It seemed like that guy always has a quote for every situation. Though Drew didn't quote Emerson or Einstein he did come up with some trippy stuff.

Selene moaned and titled her head to the side. Dante frowned.

"The nausea will pass."

"That's good. Then I'll get hunger pains." Selene growled sarcastically. Hunger pains to a vampire were like having a couple knives shoved through your belly and twisted around. That goes on for about an hour.

"I meant the nausea from the tranquilizer. Here." He tilted a glass of cooled blood to Selene's lips and she drank greedily.

Scott arrived at the door with Drew behind him. He bowed and held out his hand.

"The Shrink, has arrived."

Drew rolled his eyes as he stepped through the threshold. He paid Selene a long glance before turning to Dante. "Privacy please."

Dante nodded and proceeded to shove Scott out the door. Once alone, Drew turned back to Selene. A little bit of blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth which Drew wiped away.

"I'm not going to bother asking you how you feel because I know what you're going to say."

"Like shit."

"Mm hmm." He took a seat on a chair placed beside the bed. Selene turned her head to face him. "What was the purpose of that hidden alcove in your room? Behind the bed."

"Viktor built it for me."

"Well, I already assumed that. What was it for?"

"A place where I could be alone. To think." She turned her chestnut gaze to the ceiling. "He built me a solarium too.

"But it wasn't for me. It was for his daughter, Sonja. I reminded him too much of her to deny her memory of those simple pleasures." Selene turned back to Drew but found his eyes were glazed over.

"Were they simple? Or were they complicated, like the story you're still unravelling?" Drew stood up. "Swing life away."

And he was gone, out the door.

--

"And? What's the diagnosis?" Dante sprang to his feet. Drew paused and met both Scott's and Dante's eyes evenly.

"Denial."

--

Ah, so what is this Denial? Review!