Hey there faithful readers! Glad you are sticking around! Hope you enjoy the tension of this chapter, I sure liked writing it! Read&Review puh-leeeze!
Swinging my purse like a happy child, I walked into the deep forest skirting the town. I was beyond excited, and I just hoped that hunting would eat up my few hours before going to the diner. I was now surrounded my green pines and furry shrubs. I placed my purse on a tree branch, mentally remembering where this spot was. I darted into the deep emerald ahead of me.
I tackled down quite a few doe without so much as wrinkling my precious dress. I wondered if I would ever be able to take it off. I smiled at the thought of always wearing it, and wishing it would never become old and tear. I tried to keep my pace reasonable, not wanting to rip my newest shoes to ribbons. They were perhaps a week old, I couldn't remember why I had bought them when I already had fully functioning loafers. Just an impulse buy, I supposed, and I was happy they perfectly matched my gray dress.
I looked at the shielded sun. I was delighted to see it was about 4:30--giving me enough time to find my purse and head to the diner just when Figgie would be arriving. As I walked through the warm afternoon atmosphere, I imagined Figgie's response to my dress. I'd twirl for him like the twins and he'd tell me how pretty I looked. He probably wouldn't ask the occasion, and be rolling his eyes playfully at me by then. I could talk to him while he restocked the bar with fresh ketchup bottles and salt and pepper shakers.
I couldn't wait--but that would probably be the longest conversation of my life. I'd be constantly checking the door for some straggly looking person, probably annoying Figgie enough for him to go chat with the cooks. He had to understand how excited I was! I had, after all, been there for a year or two every single night. I could've probably had a bank account with all the money I'd invested in water. I wished I'd known I would wake up with such a gripping feeling--otherwise I would have a whole lot more pretty dresses!
My smile became a startled frown when the bush behind me rattled violently. I immediately smelled it--a vampire. My first thought, of course, was that it was him. The blonde vampire I had waited for. I suddenly wondered against that--why would I have seen him in a diner? Perhaps he had changed his mind and I would find him early…! I smiled and twirled to the quivering bush.
The figure that emerged was tall, and he was a vampire--but now the one I wanted. When I saw his jet black hair, fear immediately gripped my dead heart, blackening my perfect day. Definitely not my blonde vampire--and I'd never seen this one--he could be dangerous.
He unfurled himself to stand tall--almost a foot taller than me. I gaped at him, wishing to run away. I didn't though. I was paralyzed.
"Hello." His voice was nice, but it was like a crude cough compared to the blonde vampire's--of course, I had only imagined his voice. I knew it was perfect, however. I didn't expect anything else. I cleared my throat and managed to move a tad.
"Hello, sir."
He chuckled at that, and I frowned. Was he mocking my politeness? "Aren't you the cutest little thing!" he barked, not matching his words. I shrank back. I wished the blonde vampire would leap from the trees now and save me from this awful guy. He chuckled at that, too. Behind my fear was anger.
"I'm sorry, sweetness. I'm Vincent." He extended his arm and walked through the bushes, destroying them in the process. I gazed at their fresh roots pointing at the sky, shriveling without the dirt to protect them. When I looked back at Vincent, I saw that his eyes were red. I didn't see red eyes as scary, per say, because my soul mate had them, too. I still wished that they were gold. That made vampires look so much more approachable, like me. I hesitantly took his hand. It had an odd texture--nothing like the smoothness of my skin of the blond vampire's--which was another imagery I'd made up. Certain parts of him were smooth--just not the scars. This Vincent's skin was like paper--it was smooth but had miniscule ridges, also.
"My name is Alice." I said simply, not wanting to launch into a conversation with him, though that was sort of the least of my problems. He sucked in a breath, causing me to snatch back my hand.
"Lovely name." he said, staring at me. I was uncomfortable, but I smiled at him.
"Thanks. Just roaming by? Hunting?" My voice quieted at the word. Not hunting any doe, that's for sure. His red eyes blazed.
"Why, yes. We are."
"We?" I blurted.
He slowly nodded. Then, he startled me to the point of almost tumbling over myself by shouting in either direction: "Perry! Lee!" The wind kicked up, and I found myself surrounded. If I had any color in my face, I certainly lost what remained in that moment. The tall, shirtless guy stepped forward, kicking a bed of dandelions. I flinched. The huge guy took a step, too, but managed not to be such a brute as to kill any plants.
"Greetings lil' lady!" The blonde one said, over enthused. I only stared at him--and his scarred up chest. I was momentarily terrified that this was my blonde vampire instead, but one more look at his face had me convinced. He had a stubbly beard growing the shadows on his thin lower lip and along his jaw line.
The vampire opposite of him didn't greet me, and I was silently thankful for that.
"Hey." Vincent hissed. I turned to him, trying to understand why he was so angry at me. I was very scared. "You want to hang out with us for a while?"
I swallowed. "A-actually, I have to be somewhere at five." I motioned at the sun's position. They all looked at the sky for a real long time…like they were daring me to run. For a moment, I was about to. I should've taken my chances, I later realized.
"You don't like us?" The blonde guy sneered, and Vincent raised an eyebrow at me, like this was something truthful brought to his attention. Like they were calling me out for lying. I shivered.
" You would think that, wouldn't you, Lee? That she don't like us too much." Vincent hissed, glaring at me teasingly. I took a step back, and in a flash, the blonde one named Lee was inches from my neck. I gasped.
Vincent chuckled. I caught sight of the burly guy, looking a touch uncomfortable. I pleaded to him with my eyes, but he only pleaded back. I could see we were sort of the same situation. I nearly shrieked when Lee's skinny fingers laced around my arms and squeezed, pinning them to my sides. Something very wise told me to keep quiet.
Vincent was approaching. His eyes glowered, and I wondered if I would ever see red eyes as something beautiful again. In only moments, he shattered a piece of my blonde vampire to imperfection. Even his scars were perfect to me, but no longer the eyes. Those terrible, blood red eyes…
"We're pretty nice guys, you know." he grunted at me. I was silent, leaning away from Lee's lips…they were coming closer and closer to my neck. "I don't see why you wouldn't want to hang out with some dashing young leeches like ourselves." He whirled to Perry, I assumed, and he barked out a sharp laughas if to please him. As soon as Vincent's eyes fixed on me again, I saw Perry's eyes widen with fear and apology.
"Why don't you take a tiny trip with us, lil' lady?" Lee's stinking breath whooshed into my nose--actually, it was delicious breath. It smelled like human blood. I still crinkled my nose in disgust. I realized in that moment…I didn't have a choice. Lee jerked my arm harshly towards Vincent, and let me go right at the right moment to send me tumbling into his cold arms. Even though our body temperatures were the same, he felt freezing. I gasped and tried to jump away, but he only snatched me up, holding me inches from him. My wide eyes marveled in horror at him.
When he grinned down at me slyly, the nightmare began.
His steely hand gripped my limp wrist, and I knew I had no chance of fighting three male vampires off. I couldn't say I could outrun them, either.
I nearly tripped as Vincent kicked up pine needles in a run. The wind remaining in my somehow shrinking lungs was squeezed from me, and we all ran deeper into the forest. As we ran, I waited for the tears to roll down my cheeks, but they never came, of course, making me feel even more useless. I wanted to believe that this wasn't the right night for my blonde vampire to show up, but I couldn't I'd put so much happiness and thought into tonight--I couldn't just erase all those fantasies of meeting him and touching his face I'd waited for so long. I couldn't just assume he wasn't coming this certain might--just because I wouldn't be there.
We were exiting the forest, and the sun beginning to peek from the gray clouds. I wished I could be walking into the diner right now--saying hello to Figgie and sipping my displeasing water. I could feel my grimace become deeper and deeper as my kidnappers hooted and laughed with each other. Lee was always in my face, touching my chin and cheeks, telling me how pretty I was. I held down the bile I expected to rise--but didn't. Vincent's grip tightened when Lee talked to me, like he was angered by it. If that was the case, I knew I would be in for some punishment, for apparently 'flaunting' myself or something like that. Vincent would try to convince me it was my fault, I already knew that through the hard fingers clamping down like iron.
As I looked into the sun feeling the sun reflect off my faceted skin, I squinted. I saw that the guys' skin hardly sparkled--their diamond cuttings were tinier, so it looked only like unappealing glitter. Mine was actually reflecting off their shabby clothes. I frowned and looked away quickly when Vincent glared at my perfect arm in envy.
Fitting song: Hide & Seek by Imogen Heap
I love reviews! Please write some up for me--the good, bad, and the ugly!
