Hope slowly started the walk home, not expecting to become emotional at the sight of her sister again. Hope thought she was past it, HE made sure of it. Still, Hope couldn't help remembering the last time she had saw Faith.
10 year earlier
"Hope hurry up" Faith shouted as her five-year-old sister trailed behind her on the hot sidewalk. Faith had just picked up Hope at a friends house, and was in a rush to arrive home, before their mom came back from the liquor store. Nightfall had approached and Faith wanted to make sure they were home before the drunks came out. Hope was trying to catch up to her older sister, but she always walked too fast for her to catch up to. Suddenly Hope heard a noise, and stopped to look around. Hope screamed as she saw the golden eyes peering from the shadows as they came closer to her. Faith whipped around just as to dark figures grabbed her arms and held her in place. Faith struggled against the two, clearly deformed faced figures but noticed how unnaturally strong they were. Hope called out Faith's name and ran to her, as fast as she could so she could stop the bad men from hurting her sister. Faith's eyes widened as she saw two large arms grab her sister and pull her into the shadows. Full of newfound strength, at the sound of Hope's scream, she struggled even more, and was surprised when the two weird figures let go. Just as Faith headed to the direction of Hope's last appearance, she felt a blow to the back of her head and promptly collapsed.
Present Day
Shaking her head, Hope fought to make the images disappear, but to no avail. Shaking from the cold, Hope crossed her arms, and headed to their new home. Hope knew he wouldn't be happy, and would wonder why she was late, so Hope mentally prepared for whatever was to come as she grew accustomed to. After awhile, Hope came to an abandoned warehouse, in a secluded area, and knocked on the large, steel door. As, the door open, Hope tried to ignore the mocking smile, the man who opened the door wore, as he morphed into his true demonic face. Inside, there was a giant room filled with metal cages along both sides, filled with people, both young and old. They wore collars similar to Hope's and wore nothing but rags and tattered clothing. They were equally dirty and looked as though they hadn't ate in ages. Some wore cuts, and bruises along their body, and some whip marks. There were even children, so young and innocent, yet had the look that they had seen enough to last a lifetime or two. It made Hope sick to her stomach, how she couldn't help these people, since she needed just as much help as they did. Hope continued her walk to the end of the long room, until she came to a door, guarded by two men, with the fangs glistening in the semi-dark room. Smiling, they grabbed Hope, and pushed her against a neighboring wall. Hope could only close her eyes, as they took turns pummeling her, all the while mocking her, calling her horrid names, and calling her just a pet, until she was crouched in the corner, bloody lip, and clutching her ribs tightly. Hope stared at them maliciously and quickly stood up and pushed her way through them. Just as they were about to follow, a commanding voice stopped them, and told them to get back to their damn guarding. As soon as Hope heard the voice she dropped back to her knees, head bowed and gave no protest as the large figure dragged her into the steel room and tossed her to the floor as he walked over to the chair and desk in the office like room. Hope picked herself up from the floor, spit out he blood from her mouth, and resumed her kneeling and head bowing.
"Well Hope, thanks for joining us so late in the night, you wouldn't perhaps tell me where you were all this time" the figure said in a mocking and evil way. Hope raised her head and stared into the bottomless, soulless eyes, she had looked at for 10 years. The figure was clearly of the vampire kind, and was the size of five heavy vampires. He had sharp claws, much like the master's in Sunnydale, and wore a business suit in all black and red stripes. He had his hands clenched together, and patiently waited for his favorite pet to answer although he knew what she was going to say. "…master, I was walking around town, that was all..I" the girl rushed out before the expected blow, she knew would come. Surely enough, the monstrous creature walked over and slapped her, knocking her into the sidewall. Before she could recover, the creature then pulled her by her hair and yanked her up. He smirked as she stared angrily into his eyes, prepared for whatever he was going to do. "LIES….Michael followed you, he saw you enter the prison…what were you trying to do, get help, you think the slayer is gonna bust out of jail, to save you, did you tell her that you're a killer just like her, that you did things even she would cringe too…not exactly truthful, are you, then again, you never were. Not even when you were younger…thought I would have beat that out of you, guess you didn't learn your lesson with Megan did you" the vampire said, waiting for her expression. Hope's eyes darkened and her hands clenched, struggling from his hold but knowing it was helpless. "hehe…always so easily angered…let's hope that never changes…now you did lie to me didn't you, Hope, and that needn't go unpunished, wouldn't you agree" he said as he grabbed her arms and took her outside the room. As he passed the cages, dragging Hope's body with him, the people in the cages bowed their heads in a sign of grief, and sorrow, not in an act of submission. A cage filled with an older woman was talking to a young boy at the age of eight. "mommy, why does he always hurt Hope, what did Hope do" the little boy asked as he looked at his mother. "nothing sweetie, nothing at all, he's just a bad man, Hope will be okay, Megan will watch over her" the mother said as she stroked his back, although her eyes held doubt. please God, watch over Hope, as you did Megan in her final days the mother thought to herself in sorrow.
Hope was brought to another room with no windows, and steel walls. Marius threw her down, and shackled her to the wall using the ones bolted to the steel wall. Once secure, Hope could barely move, although she couldn't anyways due to her severe injuries. Making sure she was conscious, Marius put his clawed hand on her forehead and cut a large line upon it, as the blood dripped, he took a finger and slid it across to catch the fallen blood. After licking it, and smiling in ecstasy, he placed his claw on his wrist and sliced. Grabbing her face with his free hand, he held her mouth open as dropped the blood into her mouth. Forcing her to swallow, he then placed his palm on her forehead, closed his eyes and muttered a chant. Suddenly, a bright light engulfed them all, and he took away his palm. As he left for the door, he turned around and smiled, as he saw Hope shake in fear, and peer into the open space ahead of her. Only then did he, let out a chuckle and locked the door behind him.
Hope closed her eyes, and shook as if she was frozen to the bone. Still she couldn't get rid of the voice that called her name and told her to open her eyes and look. Only one person knew her true name, in this hell hole, besides her mother and brother, knowing she could never deny the voice anything, she opened her eyes and remembered the first time she met that soft, kind voice.
10 years earlier
Hope awakened in a large cage, with a giant headache. Border lining on fear, Hope looked around at her surroundings. Looking around, Hope knew she was far away from home, and wouldn't be going back any time soon. She was just in one, of the many cages surrounding the large room, and they were all filled with people. The light was dim, in the room, and she couldn't see her sister anywhere. Bringing her knees to her chest, she put her head down and began crying for her sister. "Shhh, its alright dear, don't cry," said a voice near her, causing Hope to jump. Hope turned to a nearby cage on her right, and saw a young woman with her stomach slightly enlarged, with a little girl about Hope's age. They wore simple clothing, and thick, black collars, and their faces showed they had been in this place for a while. The little girl came out from her mother's protected embrace and put her hands on the bars holding her family there. "Hi, my name is Megan, this is my mommy and she has my baby brother in her tummy, what's your name. You can be my new friend," said the small child excitedly. Hope wiped her tears on her sleeve, and went closer to Megan as far as the cage would allow.
"My name's Hope"
Present day
Hope struggled with the image she saw before her. There in the cold, dark room was a fifteen-year-old girl. She had long blonde hair, and wore a collar similar to Hope's. She wore rags, and was kneeling all the while staring at Hope. Hope didn't protest as the tears cascaded down her face slowly as rainfall. "Hey, Hope, miss me" Megan said with an evil smirk, that Hope knew Megan never wore. "What, you didn't think I was gonna give you an inch of peace after what you did me, murderers don't get that satisfaction, do they Hope, just look at your sister" the blonde girl said she held a malicious glint in her eye. Hope attempted to get out of her metal prison but to no avail. "Oh God, Megan, I tried, you don't know, they held me down, I.." Hope managed to get out before grief got to her. "Cut the crap, you watched as you let him slit my throat, I loved you like a sister, my other half, and that was what you did to me, you killed me" Megan spat as her eyes filled with anger. "Megan please, I didn't…" Hope struggled to let the words out, but Megan silenced her with a hand swift. "Bullshit, and you know it, you know, Hell isn't that bad, all that fire and brimstone can't be to good for your health, but still, eternal damnation, hell I've heard worse, especially seeing the life you live" Megan laughed as Hope couldn't stop her tears and shook her head in denial. "Megan wouldn't of gone to hell, she was too pure, too good, unlike me" Hope whispered denying the belief that this was her surrogate sister in her mind, as Megan walked over to her, and put her lips near her ear. "ain't that the truth, Hope, I thought maybe my death would set you on the right track, but look at you now, how does it to take innocent blood, like they did with mine. I know this place changes people, but hey, I think you were headed this way yourself" Megan said as she caressed Hope's cheek. Hope flinched at her touch, and Megan could only smile. "what's a matter Hope, we used to touch each other all the time, when he beat us, when he raped you, when he hurt my mother, you weren't afraid then, what changed, could it be guilt." Hope shook her head, and told her to stop with this, she was too good to be in hell, pleading with her to leave her alone. "I can't do that hope, I got to make you see, perhaps you need a reminder" Hope do nothing, as Megan forced her death to play in Hope's mind again and again.
That was were Marius found her, knees crouched up, head staring at the wall before her, mindlessly. Muttering to herself repeatedly "I killed her, I killed her". Marius let out a rumble of laughter, knowing she learned her lesson, and if not, all the more fun.