Chapter Three
"Never expose yourself unnecessarily to danger; a miracle may not save you...and if it does, it will be deducted from your share of luck or merit."
- The Talmud
___
"The Carpathian Mountains are the largest mountain range in all of Europe. Forming a reverse crescent moon towards the west, they stretch out over 1,200 kilometers into five countries, most prominently here in Romania. We're currently climbing the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, a range in the Western Carpathian sector. Once the premier place for mining silver, iron, lead, and even gold, production ceased in the 1990s, leaving hundreds of underground mines completely abandoned."
Izzy gritted her teeth as she gripped the arms of her seat. Their tour bus driver was driving way too fast up a rough and narrow road, bumping and jerking all of the bus inhabitants around violently. Somehow Francoise, their overly cheerful tour guide could carry on with the explanation of this mountain without pause, even with the shaking of the bus.
Izzy gave a sideways glance at Serenity. Her sister was staring blankly out the window. It was overcast and cold, something that irritated Izzy to no end. "Feeling okay, Serenity?"
Serenity shrugged stiffly. "I think so. I feel…" she shook her head restlessly. "Something about this place, this mountain. Maybe I just need some mountain air?"
"…Maybe," Izzy said after a long moment. She couldn't help but feel weird, too. That unusual feeling inside, urging her to keep going—but to where she didn't know—was now swelling to a boiling point. She felt impatient and restless, and going up this mountain wasn't helping matters. It was still morning, but storm clouds were so dark you couldn't see then sun.
Serenity idly reached up and played with the aging gold chain around her neck, strung around a saint medal. Izzy smiled at this. "Thinking of Grandma now?"
"Hmm?" Serenity looked down at her neck. "Do you mean St. Clare, Izzy?"
"That's who Grandma was named for, after all." Their grandmother on their father's side had been a staunch Catholic and one of the kindest people Izzy had ever met. She was convinced Serenity's good nature came from her, and it helped that Serenity had been so close to their grandmother. When she died four years before, both of them had been devastated but Serenity had been strong not only for Izzy, but for other family members. Clare had left them all timeless possessions of hers, but it was Serenity who received the medal of St. Clare, to which their grandmother had received as a present when she was five. Clare's initials, 'C.H.' had been engraved on the back.
"Do you remember her favorite prayer?" Izzy asked.
Serenity nodded stiffly. "My Lord, open the golden coffer, for within it I wish to place my heart. Tonight, I light this eternal flame over the world's censer. I want this flame to flicker forever in the wind, long after the stars fade and disappear. My Lord, my one and only master, stretch your wings over the horizon of my world. I will walk barefoot with you until all the torches of the world are extinguished. For me there is only one voice, one face. Nothing will come between us, save the sword of fidelity."
Izzy watched Serenity recite the prayer their grandmother had always said to heart. That she was trying was uplifting, but her voice was so deadpan, and it lacked warmth and light.
Once Serenity was done, Izzy leaned in close. "Grandma Clare loved you, Serenity, as do I. More than anything, she would want you to be happy and not hurting yourself, don't you agree?"
Serenity shrugged again. "I guess so…"
Izzy leaned back in her seat, trying not to sigh. It still wasn't enough…not nearly enough…
Suddenly, the bus came to an abrupt stop. "Here we are!" Francoise announced.
Izzy looked out the window. They'd pulled off to the side of the road in front of a large space overseeing the area. It was a breathtaking view, even as poor element conditions prevented her from seeing much. Greenery surrounded them on all sides, thick trees, lush grass, and fresh air.
Everyone disembarked the bus peacefully enough. Izzy shivered a little and hugged her jean jacket tighter around herself, even as she held onto Serenity's hand with a light grip. "Want to take some pictures?" she asked.
"You can do it," Serenity said neutrally. "I'll just…hang around."
"With me," Izzy interjected firmly, though she tried not to sound too disappointed.
Serenity shrugged. "Sure."
"All right, here we are!" Francoise announced, waving an arm for the tour group to come over to her. "Feel free to walk around and take photos! Summer is the ideal time to visit the Carpathian Mountains because many species of birds migrate here only in this season! If you're careful you might spot a hawk, a white-throated blackbird, or even a woodcock!"
Some of the group members snorted immaturely at the name of this bird and Izzy rolled her eyes. Francoise continued, oblivious to the laughter. "Don't go off too far on your own, though. Though red deer and mink inhabit these mountains, brown bears and wolves do as well. It's daylight and so such predators shouldn't be lurking about, but try to avoid thick brushes." She looked at her watch. "It's now 10:15. We'll be leaving in forty-five minutes, so take your time and enjoy yourselves, but all of you must meet back here by quarter to eleven. I must warn you that cell phone frequencies don't reach up here, so it's imperative that you don't get lost. Have fun and explore, but don't wander too far."
Several group members decided to stay in the vicinity of the bus, enjoying the view (what little they could see) and taking pictures of nearby trees and foliage. Izzy was feeling a little more adventurous, though. "Come on, Serenity, let's go explore over there." She pointed to a narrow walking trail nearly obscured by the brush.
Serenity shrugged again. "All right."
Izzy pulled out her camera and pulled Serenity along with her as they began to navigate through the overgrown trail. She inhaled deeply of the fresh air and fresh greenery, even as she took pictures of their surroundings. Beautiful willowy trees rose up on all sides of them and she could hear birds calling in the distance. "What a beautiful place, isn't it Serenity?"
"Yes," Serenity said, finally saying something positive. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but managed a scarce playful look at Izzy. "I'm glad you don't see this as a waste of time anymore."
"Me too." Truthfully, Izzy's first inclination of a hike through the Poiana Ruscă portion of the Carpathian Mountains seemed like a waste of a day compared to the big cities they could be exploring. But that was quickly replaced by that ever-growing and annoying need to get to Romania. She didn't want to think that she wanted to come to Romania just to see the Carpathian Mountains, but they were quite unlike anything she'd ever seen. Even her trip through the Alps didn't quite measure up to this.
Izzy spared Serenity a glance. Serenity seemed interested in the forest, but Izzy couldn't help but stare at her red-rimmed eyes. Just the night before Izzy had awoken to find Serenity gone from their bed and in the bathroom, crying uncontrollably once again. Izzy had panicked, thinking that maybe her sister had tried to kill herself again, but Serenity was simply sitting in the bathtub, curled up in a tight ball and just…crying.
"Serenity, won't you let me help you? Why are you crying? Why are you like this?"
"I don't know, Izzy. I just don't know! I feel so awful, and…I hate it! I hate feeling like this!"
Izzy thought of the two children from last night, and the couple who'd looked at Serenity strangely. She knew it had to do with Serenity's behavior, but Izzy was humbled and grateful that there was somebody, even a group of strangers, who was concerned for Serenity. It further fueled her drive to help her sister.
Serenity stopped suddenly. Izzy didn't notice for a moment, but quickly turned. "What's wrong?" she tried to keep the panic from her voice.
"Do you hear that?" Serenity asked, tilting her head upwards.
"Hear what?" Izzy craned an ear. She could hear rustling in the trees and birds calling, but…there was another sound. A trickling, almost splashing noise…her eyes widened and she tugged on Serenity's arm. "A waterfall! There's a waterfall near here!"
Throwing caution to the wind, Izzy took off through the tall grass and brush towards that waterfall, dragging Serenity with her. As she ran she felt this unexpected tug on her body. The more she went the tighter the tug became, as though somebody had strapped a bungee cord to her back. After a few more moments though, the tug ceased and she could continue running without incident. Must be my imagination…
Within moments the grouping of trees slimmed and broke, revealing a wide clearing. It was a ledge overlooking the mountain, surprisingly untouched by markers or even a fence across the ledge side. Trees formed a thick wall to Izzy's left and to her right was a wall of a cliff side, where the waterfall came from. It was much smaller than Izzy had expected, but a steady stream of water trickled from the top of the side and into a moderately-sized pond.
Izzy grinned to herself, but carefully stepped deeper into the clearing as she snapped more photographs. It troubled her that there was no fence over the edging. What would happen if Serenity noticed? But Serenity seemed just as amazed by the area as she was, looking around as though she were in a trance.
Izzy walked closer to the waterfall and spotted a grouping of bright red flowers next to the pond. "Oh my God. Are those—?" without thinking she let Serenity go and ran over to the bed of flowers, dropping to her knees in front of them. "Peonies!"
It was peonies. They were in full bloom and looked absolutely beautiful. Izzy took some more pictures of the flower bed and touched one of the flowers, loving the way the petals felt underneath her fingertips. "Serenity, loo—"
Izzy stopped as her gaze dropped to a small corner of the bed. All of these flowers were in bloom, but…the ones in this corner had wilted. Not just a simple drop of the petals, but withered like rotten fruit. It was so out of place compared to the other flowers. Even stranger, the surrounding grass around these flowers looked just as withered, just as rotten. Why was it like this?
"What happened to you?" she asked the flower quietly. She reached out for them. "Did something—AH!"
Her index and middle fingers brushed over one of those withered flowers. Pain exploded from the tips, to her hand, up her arm and throughout her body. Izzy jerked her hand away and stood, looking at her fingertips. A strange reddish brown fluid covered the tips, but beneath them her skin was reddening and swelling, as though she'd received a vicious burn.
Poison! Wash it off! Izzy rushed over to the waterfall and stuck her hand under the flow, washing the fluid away. It felt thick and slimy as it left her skin, and even as she withdrew her hand it felt like it was still there. Her fingertips looked awful, like a first-degree burn.
She forced herself to calm down. Burns were no big deal, even chemically induced ones. And poisons couldn't hurt her too badly…well, they definitely hurt, but the pain didn't last. Chemical-induced burns could disappear in minutes, moments if she washed the site thoroughly. As cuts healed in minutes, her body simply rejected the chemical and pushed it out back through the site it came from. Poisons could be different though, especially if ingested. Her body rejected it easily enough as well, but she would vomit to the point of uncontrollable, everything from her stomach and then eventually the poison itself.
This didn't seem like poison, though. Maybe it was chemically induced. In any case, being an external injury her body and blood would reject it and expel it back out.
Izzy watched the burns on her fingertips begin to shrink inward, the injury site healing right before her eyes and forming onto a concentrated point. After a few minutes the red and soreness was gone and a bright red fluid burst from the surface of her skin and down her fingers.
She stared at the fluid dumbly for a minute. It looked familiar, very familiar. She leaned forward carefully and sniffed it. It smelled like a jar of copper pennies. It smelled like…
"Blood!" she shrieked. She stuck her hand back under the water and scrubbed her fingers raw, trying to get rid of it. She was afraid she'd only further injured herself, but when she looked at her fingertips moments later they'd returned to normal. No hideous burns marred the surface, as though it hadn't happened. Was she mistaken then? Maybe it hadn't been blood that her body expelled? Maybe some new type of chemical or poison that resembled blood?
The hairs stood up on the back of Izzy's neck and she spun around. Somebody was watching her, but she stood alone in the clearing, the water still trickling behind her.
Alone… "Serenity!" she shrieked, realizing her sister was no longer there. Panic gripped her all over again and she looked around frantically. "Serenity, where are you?!" her eyes sought the ledge which had no rail. Could she have…while Izzy was… "No! Serenity!"
Izzy burst back through the trees, running frantically. Tears were spilling free from her eyes, but the horror of what might've happened nearly robbed her of breath. "Serenity…Serenity! Please, Serenity! Are you here?!"
"I'm over here, Izzy," a voice called calmly from deep within the trees.
Izzy stopped so abruptly that she tripped over her own feet and slammed into the ground hard. She picked herself back up, not caring that she was covered in fallen leaves and dirt and twigs. She climbed over overturn trees and brushed aside tall grass as she followed her sister's voice. "Serenity?!"
"I'm right here," Serenity called again. This time Izzy could see her blonde head and ran right over to her. Serenity was kneeling down on the ground, looking at something.
Izzy was shaking with such relief and fury that she nearly bit her fist. "I could hit you for that!" she snapped, glaring at Serenity's back. "What the hell are you doing here?! How could you just leave me there by myself?!"
"I'm sorry," Serenity answered. She collected her hair in her hands and tucked it back and out of her face. As she did this though, the chain for her necklace broke and fell to the ground with a soft 'plop'. Neither woman heard it, though. "I wanted to take a walk by myself for a moment. What did you think I was going to do?"
Kill yourself, you idiot! Izzy fumed, but she easily kept that to herself. "Never mind, why are you sitting there like that?"
Serenity raised a hand and pointed. "Look. I think that's a woodcock."
"…Huh?" Izzy took a seat next to Serenity and looked where she was pointing. A little brown bird was sitting there, plucking at its feathers with a long, narrow beak. "Maybe it is?"
"He's cute, isn't he?" Serenity asked, her tone good-natured but her expression still held pain. She reached for the woodcock. "Here. Come over here, little guy."
The woodcock looked up at her reaching hand and took off flying. Serenity dropped her hand and sighed. "I guess her doesn't like my company."
"Maybe he doesn't like humans," Izzy offered. It was starting to rain. The trees shielded them from the worst of it, but droplets still hit them. She stood up and pulled Serenity up with her. "Come on; let's get back to the bus. Francoise can be so absent-minded she might forget we haven't reported back."
Serenity nodded to this and looked at her. Shock jumped into her face, albeit briefly. "What the hell happened to you, Izzy?"
Izzy looked down at herself. She didn't realize just how messy she was. Most of her front was very muddy and leaves and twigs clung to the mud. "…You don't want to know…"
___
Izzy had hoped the rain would stop. She wanted the rest of their stay in Romania to be as pleasant as possible. But it didn't stop. It rained and rained all day and the air grew so cold. They were supposed to have left the country late afternoon on a train, but in an odd feat a half a day's worth of rainfall had caused flooding on some of the railroad tracks. They would be spending another night in this small town and then leave hopefully the following morning.
Izzy was inwardly relieved about it, even if it meant they would spend one less day in Greece. She didn't feel up for the traveling at the moment and she liked sleeping in hotel rooms better than sleeping on trains. "Serenity, the shower's open!" she called through the door, towel-drying her hair.
"Okay, thanks!" Serenity sounded enthusiastic enough, but Izzy's nerves were on edge. Her first suicide attempt had been in a bathtub full of hot water. Izzy never wanted to relive that again and she was always sure to be nearby every time Serenity took a bath or shower. She wanted to respect her sister's privacy, but at the same time she was so afraid something bad would happen.
"It'll be okay," Izzy muttered, wiping the steam away from the mirror. She looked so tired, and it looked like crow's feet were forming under her eyes. If she continued to stress herself out like this her hair would start falling out. "I know it'll be okay…"
Serenity suddenly started screaming, scaring Izzy. She threw aside the towel and burst from the bathroom. "What's wrong?!"
"My…" Serenity's hands were at her throat and she looked around herself frantically. "Grandma's necklace…it's gone!"
"Gone?!" Izzy cried. She dropped to her hands and knees and looked around the floor. The carpet was dark green, so a gold chain should be quite visible on it. But, she didn't see it anywhere. "Serenity, did you take it off?!"
"No, I never take it off!" Serenity began rummaging through the desk. "I-I didn't…I only take it off when I shower and I just noticed now that it's gone!"
Izzy looked up. "Okay, calm down Serenity. Try retracing your steps. That chain was old; maybe it broke in the restaurant? Or in the lobby?"
"Well…I don't know." Serenity's face twisted up in confusion. "I've been thinking something's been funny all day but I didn't notice it was gone until now." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I think I didn't feel it there at dinner, but I didn't notice it. It could've…"
The color suddenly drained from her face. Izzy leapt up and grabbed her shoulders. "What is it?"
"I think I lost it on the mountain," she whispered quietly.
"Th-The mountain?!" Izzy cried, squeezing her shoulders. "You lost the necklace up on the Carpathian Mountains?! How did you do that?!"
Serenity quickly shook her head. "I-I don't know! But it's as you said, the chain was old. A-And I don't know how I could've lost it anyplace else—"
Izzy swore and released her. She ran a hand through her hair. "There's no chance. It's the middle of the night and we leave for Bulgaria tomorrow, depending upon that flooding. But still…it's a mountain! We can't possibly find it up there!"
Serenity shook her head. "Not if I don't try." She reached for her coat.
"W-What?!" Izzy grabbed her arm. "What does that mean?! You can't go back up there right now!"
"I have no choice. We leave tomorrow and we might not ever come back here. It's the very last thing Grandma gave me, I'm not losing it."
"But it's night!" Izzy shouted. "And it's a mountain! You heard Francoise, predators run around out there at night! She'll never approve of us going up there!"
"If she makes the bus driver take us back up there, it should be fine. You paid enough for this trip, they might as well follow a simple request."
"But it isn't simple! It took us a half-hour to get up there and who knows what the roads look like after all the rain! It—Serenity!" Izzy grabbed her arm again as she pulled on her jacket. "This is crazy and impossible!"
Serenity gave her a very hurt look. "Why is it, Izzy? When have I ever asked anything of you? I feel awful as it is, but Grandma's necklace…" Tears gathered in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. "Why is it so hard for me, Izzy? Why do I feel so…" She choked on a sob. "I hate it. I hate feeling this dark void inside of me! It makes me want to rip my own heart out to make it stop!"
"Well, that would stop it," Izzy said numbly. "But you would stop too, Serenity. Hasn't it been enough how much pain this has caused everyone for you to want to get better? To just live and be happy again?"
"Serenity sniffled and wiped at her face furiously. "I don't know how to stop it, Isabel. I would've done so by now if I could."
Izzy threw her arms around her shoulders. "I love you, Serenity. I-I just want you to be happy, okay?" Tears burned at her own eyes and she had to squeeze her eyes shut. She flinched as she felt a weird brush over her mind and that familiar warmth washed over her, easing away the guilt and grief.
She drew away from Serenity slightly, utterly confused by the feeling. It was the third time she'd felt this. The first at the restaurant and the second after Serenity's meltdown in the bathtub. It was a wonderful feeling, renewing her strength and resolve, even as she had no idea where it was coming from.
"—necklace back," Serenity mumbled wearily.
"All right," Izzy conceded, letting her go. "Let's go ask Francoise if we can go back. We'll do it together."
Serenity gave her a look. She didn't smile, but a bit of the light that had always been in her face resurfaced slightly. "Thank you, Izzy."
"But I doubt she'll agree," Izzy added grimly.
___
They found Francoise in the lobby alone, putting out a cigarette. They cornered her immediately, but her reaction was very predictable.
"Absolument pas!" she reprimanded Izzy and Serenity in her native French. "The Carpathian Mountains are far too dangerous at night for two pretty young ladies to be wandering about in!"
"I understand," Serenity said. "But I lost my necklace. It's a family heirloom and irreplaceable. I have to at least try and look for it."
"But your necklace could be anywhere, not just on the mountain! I cannot possibly allow you two to go back up there! If something should happen…" Francoise shuddered at the thought.
"We have a general idea of where she dropped it," Izzy said. "So it wouldn't take us too long to look." It was a blatant lie, but it was the only thing Izzy had to go on."
"Isabel, I cannot allow it! Both of you are in my care and it's my responsibility to keep track of you! I can't do that at night in the Carpathian Mountains!"
"Please!" Serenity cried suddenly, clasping her hands in front of her. "Please let us go back! We won't tell anyone that you let us! But I must have that necklace back!"
Francoise opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly she groaned. Her eyes closed and she raised a hand to her head as though she had a headache.
"Are you all right, Francoise?" Izzy asked, suddenly embarrassed. They were nagging this woman incessantly, who probably risked losing her job if she let them do what they wanted. But Serenity was right; it was an important necklace and they couldn't give up without trying to look.
"Etes-vous bien, Francoise?"
Izzy jumped at this new voice, a man's voice, while Serenity just jerked slightly. A shadow fell over both of them. The hand fell abruptly from Francoise's head and she lifted her head strangely, almost mechanically.
When Francoise saw the stranger standing over the sisters, recognition lit up in her face. "Fride!" she jumped up and gave the stranger two kisses on his cheeks. "Il y a eu longtemps!"
"Oui, oui," the stranger responded, smiling at her. Izzy craned her neck to see the man, Fride, a little better. He was handsome, incredibly so, and there something about him. It was like he gave off an aura of insatiability, and…power. As though he knew just how far his good looks could take him.
Fride regarded each of the sisters closely. His eyes very dark and they seemed sort of hazy. Was he wearing contact lenses? "Who are these women, Francoise? Friends of yours?" he switched to English very easily, impressing Izzy.
"My clients," Francoise presented proudly. "I'm escorting them through Europe. Unfortunately they are insisting on going back up into the Carpathian Mountains. One of them lost a necklace, but I couldn't possibly do such a thing."
Izzy glared very openly at Francoise. Who was she to discuss their business with some random friend?
"The Carpathians?" Fride asked. He smiled invitingly at Serenity and Izzy. "I must go up there myself to check my scales—I'm a seismologist, you see—and must check my equipment. Maybe I can give you two a ride up there?"
Izzy stared at him. She was relieved at his offer and she was assured in the fact that he was Francoise's friend. But… "Why are you recording earthquakes on a mountain?"
"We've had landslides recently," Fride answered easily enough. He looked right into Izzy's eyes. "But don't worry. I don't bite." At once Izzy could understand him. Of course he would measure earthquakes with landslides going on. It seemed so practical. And of course, who was she to question his work? He was the expert while she was just a med-student.
Izzy blinked, and quickly shook her head. What was going on? She felt…funny.
"So, do we have a deal?" Fride asked, grinning widely at the sisters.
"Fride is all right," Francoise answered quickly. "There's nobody I trust more than him."
Izzy didn't respond, rubbing at her forehead. Her head felt like it was submerged in water. She didn't like the feeling.
Serenity was who responded. "I guess it's settled, then."
___
"It's a long drive, as you well know," Fride said. "But, we should get there pretty quick."
"I can't really remember where we stopped," Izzy said, sliding into the front seat. It was a jeep, bright yellow, and the inside was very clean. Outside of a few throwaway items like a steering wheel lock and repair supplies in the backseat, it looked like a new car. "If it was daylight I might be able to recognize something, but…"
"Don't worry," Fride said quickly as he climbed behind the wheel. "Francoise told me where your group stopped. It just so happens that some of my equipment is in that area, so I wouldn't mind stopping there."
"Thank you," Serenity said quietly, climbing into the backseat.
The ride up the mountain didn't take as long as it did by bus, and Fride seemed like a much better driver than their own bus driver, but most of the ride was in silence. Fride's smile never wavered and he tried to engage both of them in small talk, but neither Izzy nor Serenity was up for it. Izzy noticed that Fride had a greater interest in Serenity. He kept glancing into his rearview mirror, even though they were the only car on the road, and when he spoke it was mostly directly at her. When Fride's eyes shifted to the road, Izzy glanced at the rearview mirror, only to see it was not pointed at the back window, but at the backseat, right at Serenity. She scoffed and quickly readjusted it. Womanizer. Serenity obviously isn't in top condition and you're hitting on her. Strangely enough, Fride's grin only seemed to spread wider.
Inwardly, she felt a little guilty. Fride was Francoise's friend after all, and he was doing them this favor. Still, Izzy didn't like how persuasive he was. Whenever he started talking, both Serenity and herself immediately engaged him in conversation, even though neither of them were up for talking. Let's just get up here, look for the necklace, and get back to the hotel…
Finally, he pulled the car to a stop. "We're here," he announced. He glanced at each of them. "I'm going to go check on my equipment while you two look for the necklace. If anyone bothers you, yell for me okay?"
"All right," Izzy said, pulling Serenity from the car. If anyone bothered them? Who'd be up here in this soggy area at night? He must've mean anything.
"I'll be back!" Fride called over his shoulder, taking off into the darkness.
"W-Wait!" Izzy called, reaching back into the car. "Don't you want a flashlight?!"
Fride didn't answer them. It was like he disappeared in thin air.
"He must have good instincts," Serenity rationalized. She tugged on Izzy's arm. "We'll use the flashlight."
"Yeah." Izzy turned it on, her nerves on edge. She wasn't the camping type and she'd certainly never been out in the woods, nearly cut off from civilization before. A quick check of her cell phone showed no signal, just as Francoise said. At least it wasn't raining, though their feet sank deep into the mud beneath them.
They found the path in the forest quickly and huddled close together as they made the trek back towards the ledge. All around them they could hear sounds in the forest. Rustling, heavy breathing, footsteps. All things that they couldn't see. It didn't help that it was cold too, even with jackets on. Once again Izzy felt a tugging sensation, like an invisible wall, and it was with greater effort that Serenity and her pushed through.
"M-Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Serenity stammered. She turned back the way they came. "Let's go back!"
"Not so fast!" Izzy snapped, grabbing her arm and looping her own in it. "We're here, so we're going to look for the necklace. We might not find it, but we're going to try."
Serenity nodded stiffly. "Okay…"
Something scurried across their path. Both of them screamed and jumped back. But it didn't seem too big, and even if it was a predator they were much too big for it. "M-Must've been a fox or mink," Izzy laughed nervously.
A strange noise cut through the air, sending chills down Izzy's spine. It sounded hideous, demonic…like laughter. "Did you hear that, Serenity?"
"No," Serenity squeaked. This time she was pulling Izzy. "Come on! Let's look quickly and get out of here!"
This was your idea, Izzy fumed to herself, but she said nothing. They broke through the clear and met the ledge. The tiny waterfall sounded almost like a gushing river now, thanks to the rainfall. But Izzy didn't have time to admire it as she panned the flashlight over the grass and across the trees. "Look for a glint, Serenity."
"There!" Serenity screamed, pointing her finger. "It's right there!"
"Huh?" Izzy turned her flashlight towards the tree Serenity was pointing at. She caught a glint of gold and nearly dropped the flashlight. It was there. The necklace was hanging from a branch.
Serenity quickly ran over and unhooked it from the tree. She examined it carefully. "The chain is broken, but there's a knot!" She hugged it to herself, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Oh…I was so afraid, Izzy! I thought I would never find it!"
Izzy slowly picked up the flashlight, immediately on edge. So it was broken. But why was it hanging from a tree? And a knot…that didn't just happen by accident. Somebody had to have done it, but who? Who would go to the trouble of finding some necklace somewhere and tying it to a branch?
There was movement in the brush behind Serenity. Izzy saw a glint of red; a pair of red eyes, and her heart jumped into her throat. "Serenity, behind you!"
Something burst from the brush. Izzy surged forward and grabbed her sister, pushing her away from the animal lunging at her. She slipped on the wet grass and both sisters fell hard to the ground, Serenity a few feet away and Izzy right where she was standing. Luckily, whatever had jumped out sailed right over her and landed on the ground nearby.
"So you found it, eh?"
Izzy sat up, despite the pain of impact. Fride was standing just ten feet away, his body sort of hunch over. He still looked mildly the same, but his eyes were no longer dark. They were bright red and they stared straight through the both of them, a sinister smile playing at his lips.
"…Fride?" Izzy said fearfully, motioning discreetly to Serenity, who was struggling to sit up. "What…what are you doing?"
Fride tilted his head slightly to his left and snickered. It was horrible sounding, sending chills down Izzy's spine. She vaguely realized it sounded familiar. It was the laughter she'd heard when they were in the woods. "I'm going to have fun, woman."
A strange noise erupted from Izzy's throat and her body began shaking. "I-I don't understand. What are you talking about? What—"
Fride waved a hand sharply and Izzy stopped. "Be quiet. You'll speak only when spoken to."
"Fride," Serenity said, raising her hands slightly. "Did you find my necklace? W-Why would you hang it up out here instead of just giving it to me?"
Fride's eyes shifted over to Serenity, who visibly flinched. "I couldn't very well claim you two out in public, could I? This assured me you both would come up here, where no one would interrupt us."
"Claim?!" Izzy exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Fride hissed angrily at her. "You have a problem with obedience, don't you? But, I see no harm in telling you." He jabbed a finger at Izzy. "You touched it, didn't you? My blood. You touched my blood but it didn't hurt you. I couldn't even reach you with my influence!"
"Your…blood?" Izzy thought back to the chemical that had killed the peonies and had burned her hand. "I-I didn't touch any blood—"
"Don't lie!" Fride snapped, his voice reverberating through the air like a pulse. "I've heard it, you know! There have been whispers of foreigners in town! And when foreign women come to the Carpathian Mountains, it must mean they have been drawn here by the Dark One! I left my blood out to see if one of you would come to me. And look…" He spread an arm wide. "I have two of you. You don't seem to be psychic, and you were stupid enough to trust a complete stranger, but my blood didn't affect you! That must mean something!"
Izzy didn't want to think that she touched blood. More than anything, she knew they had to get away from Fride. "Just…calm down," she stammered. "If you promise not to hurt us and just take us back to Francoise, we swear we won't tell her anything." She looked at Serenity. "Isn't that right?"
"A-Absolutely," Serenity squeaked.
Fride laughed loudly and both women began shaking at the sound. "Do you think I give a damn what that woman thinks?! All that matters is the here and now and now BOTH of you are mine!"
"B-But what will you tell her?!" Izzy cried. "If you hurt us or k-k-kill us, how will you explain to her what happened?!"
Fride only laughed again. "Nobody saw me in that lobby. And nobody in your group saw the four of us conversing. And…" he grinned again, but now his teeth were different. They were stained some dark color and all of them looked razor-sharp. "I don't really know that woman. I knew I couldn't approach you both on my own, but I knew a little mind-control would aid me."
"Y-Y-You don't know Francoise AT ALL?!" Serenity shrieked, rising to her feet unsteadily. "And mind-control—is that some kind of a joke?!"
But Izzy knew he somehow wasn't joking. "…What are you?" she said quietly.
Fride laughed again and gnashed his teeth. All at once one incisor on each side lengthened, extending past his other teeth and out of his mouth. They looked sharp, menacing…like vampire's teeth. Izzy began shaking violently and yet she somehow hung onto the flashlight, shining it on Fride's face, his mouth, his fangs.
Serenity saw the fangs, too. She began hyperventilating quickly and loudly, reaching up to shield her throat.
Fride seemed amused by their reactions to his change. "How easy it is for a vampire like me to fall upon two beautiful preys like yourselves!"
Izzy screamed; she couldn't help herself. It all seemed so impossible. They were up on some mountain at night surrounded by woods and at the mercy of a VAMPIRE?!
This is Romania, Izzy. Should you even be surprised?
Fride turned his head, looking at each of the sisters in kind. "You're my lifemate, one of you is. I was the first who found you and so I'm the first to try!"
"Lifemate?" Serenity asked.
"My woman," Fride explained shortly. "The other half of my soul bound to me for all eternity! I can't let you go, either of you. Until I know which of you it is, you're both staying with me…under my protection." There was something hypnotic, compelling about his voice. Lifemates…Izzy didn't understand, but was it like soul mates? Someone who was born to be with you?
Izzy quickly shook her head. "Just stop it! Think rationally, Fride! We're Americans; we have families, friends, and lives back in America! Even if what you say is true, what do you think will happen if our parents or friends come looking for us?!"
"I'll kill them," Fride said simply.
Serenity wailed, clutching her hands tighter to her throat.
"K-Kill them?!" Izzy breathed. She could barely get the words out. "But you can't!"
"I can and I will, to anyone who interferes with me. You have no use for family now, either of you. I'm your family and I'm all you'll ever need!"
He meant it; Izzy knew it by his tone. He would kill everyone they loved if it meant that they could never leave him. Mom…Dad…They'd called home sparingly on their trip, even as Mrs. Crane called every day. But they hadn't spoken to their parents in almost two days. Tears welled up in Izzy's eyes and she looked at Serenity. Oh God, what have I done? What have I gotten us into because of this vacation?!
"You bastard!" she hissed through clenched teeth. Beyond rational thinking she screamed at him. "You selfish bastard! Who do you think you are to interfere in our lives like this! We'll never be with a scum like you! You make me sick! You so beneath our tastes in men, it's so laughable that you had to force us all the way out here!" Izzy punctuated this with a loud, hoarse laugh.
Fride glared at her and her laughter stopped. His eyes were full of hate, evil…it was like he genuinely disliked her. "I was going to wait until later, but I think I'll test our compatibility now. Your sister is suicidal, after all; she'll be less likely to run off alone."
"Wa—"
Fride lunged at Izzy. Izzy panicked and began scrambling backwards, trying feebly to get away. But Fride was too fast and too angry; he was nearly upon her, teeth and eyes blazing. Izzy threw the flashlight at him wildly, watching it bounce off his chest with no effect. She slipped and fell flat on her back and she remembered the can of pepper spray in her pocket. But would it work on a vampire? She had no choice.
The wind was knocked out of her as his body slammed onto hers, but Izzy pulled the can free and sprayed him full in the face. Fride's red eyes squeezed and he roared in pain and fury. It didn't even sound like a normal human wail, but like a demon's.
Serenity had stood still, frozen in shock as the vampire tackled her sister. But once Izzy sprayed him with the pepper spray her legs began moving. She ran at the vampire, picking up the flashlight as she did, and lunged, jumping onto him and locking him in a full nelson. "Get off of her! Get off of my sister right now!"
Fride heaved back, trying to buck Serenity off. Izzy took the opportunity to slide out from underneath him and slammed her foot as hard as she could into his groin. Fride roared even louder and hunched forward, trying to grab at his groin.
"RUN!" Izzy screamed, jumping up and grabbing Serenity. Serenity didn't need an incentive; no matter what her own issues were, she wouldn't let Izzy die. Both took off running back into the forest as fast as they could. They knew they probably couldn't outrun a vampire, but they couldn't do anything else.
Izzy's mind was full of chaos, just blindly running with Serenity. She felt horrible that she made Serenity go on this crazy tour to begin with. If they'd just stayed at home peacefully some weirdo vampire wouldn't be after them. But now…
No, stop it! Think of the here and now! Get back to the car!
Fride didn't come after them right away. They burst back through the woods to where they'd left the jeep. The driver's door was wide open and Izzy made a break for it. "Please let there be keys in the ignition!"
Unfortunately the ignition was empty. Izzy sword violently and began searching the car. "Spare key…spare key! Dammit! I can't hotwire a car!" She swore to herself that if they made it out of this mess she would find out how to, no matter what.
"Izzy!" Serenity shrieked suddenly. She was standing at the door. "He's coming! He's coming!"
Izzy's heart jumped back into her throat and she nearly fell into hysteria. She forced herself to calm down and grabbed the steering wheel lock. "Serenity, duck!" Izzy pulled herself from the car and took a fighting stance.
She didn't have long to wait. Fride burst from the bushing again, this time roaring with fury and looking every bit as hideous and evil he truly was. "You're dead, bitch!"
Izzy swung the lock as hard as she could. The length of the bar caught Fride right in the head, snapping it in the opposite direction. Pain erupted from Izzy's left arm from the swing and she watched with horror as the steeling wheel lock flew out of her arms and into the darkness.
"Are you all right?!" Serenity cried, grabbing at her arm.
"Ow, ow!" Izzy growled in pain. "I hurt myself hurting him!"
Serenity tested her arm gingerly and sighed. "You hyper-extended your shoulder, Izzy."
Izzy cursed, grabbing at her arm. "That'll take too long to heal! Our vacation really is ruined!"
"And the vampire didn't help," Serenity said.
Izzy looked at her for a moment and burst out laughing, despite the pain. "You just cracked a joke, Serenity!"
Serenity shrugged. "I guess so…"
Izzy hated those words. It only showed Serenity's new forlorn nature and pessimism. "But let's go, okay? He's still out there."
"You broke my neck, you bitch!" Fride jumped on top of the car. Izzy choked when she saw the unnatural bend of his neck on his neck. "Do you have ANY idea how long this will take me to heal?!"
Serenity grabbed his ankle and pulled it forward. Fride lost his balance and slammed onto the roof of the jeep. "Now, Izzy!"
They took off running back down the road they came from. They could hear Fride cursing violently behind them, and Izzy grew anxious. "Back into the woods, Serenity!"
"That's still dangerous!" Serenity snapped. "A wolf or bear could attack us!"
"I'll deal with a bear over a vampire!"
Serenity protested no further and they darted off into the woods. It was incredibly dense and hard to maneuver around in. They hear all sorts of wild things as they did before, but now they had no path to guide them. They were just running blindly.
"Izzy?!" Serenity cried after a few minutes of this. She was slowing down to a walk.
"What?!" Izzy demanded, still running.
"I think we're heading back up towards the cliffside!"
"No, we're not! We—"
If it hadn't been for the waning flashlight, Izzy would've tumbled. She stopped abruptly and waved her hands frantically as she met the very steep side of a cliff, very similar to the one at the waterfall cliffside.
"We're going back up the way we came," Serenity said tersely. "We…might be stuck here."
Izzy didn't respond, fishing into her pocket to find her cell phone. The battery was still strong, but there was still no signal. "We have no choice, Serenity. We have to get the car keys back from him, or we stay here and hope Francoise realizes she's been duped."
"Or wait until morning," Serenity suggested. "Do vampires have to hide from sunlight or is that a myth?"
"I don't know! I just found out tonight that vampires aren't myths!" Izzy waved a hand impatiently. "Never mind. If it does leads us back towards the waterfall area, then let's get there and hide. At least we'll know if we're still in the same area."
"I feel like he's watching us." Serenity rubbed her arms nervously. "I'm so scared, Izzy. Why is he doing this? I mean, if he really wanted something from us why didn't he put us under mind-control like he did Francoise?"
"Maybe he's getting off on scaring us," Izzy grumbled. "He's evil, so frightening us and making us run around in circles on a mountain must be amusing." She managed a wry smile at Serenity. "I think you'll be okay, at least for a little while. It's me he's angry at, right? He didn't like my insult or attacks on him." She nursed her shoulder again. Pain still erupted from there, but she was relieved to note that it wasn't as bad as it had been when she initially injured it. "But let's stay together. It works better that way."
They walked along the cliffside in between the trees for a few minutes. The ground was still very muddy and neither sister wanted to risk a fall. After a little while they tentatively moved further away from the cliff and deeper into the forest. Izzy instinctively knew she had to stay near familiar landmarks, but she was feeling very anxious. Something in her was guiding her feet, guiding her back into the forest. It terrified her as much as the situation did, especially since her body was convinced that it was the right way to go, while her mind rebelled. Is this it? Is he controlling me now?
"I'm sorry!" Serenity blurted out suddenly.
"Hmm?" Izzy turned around and looked at her. "For what?"
"For this!" Serenity wrung her hands. "If I hadn't whined at you over that necklace we would've never have been on this mountain at night, surrounded by wild animals and being stalking by a vampire of all things!" She began to cry again, which only made Izzy feel worse. "And if I hadn't…" she swallowed thickly and looked down at her hands.
"Serenity, don't," Izzy said, keeping her voice gentle as she reach for her. "Don't blame yourself. I'm a grown woman, I could've said no to you. Besides, we thought we could trust Fride because he led us to believe he was Francoise's friend. How the hell was we suppose to know he was really a vampire? Just…don't blame yourself. We'll get out of this, I just know it."
A low hiss reverberated in the air and Izzy jumped. "It's him," she hissed at Serenity. "He's coming!"
"Then let's go!" Serenity hissed back.
Izzy couldn't stop the terror that coursed through her, fueling her drive to get away. They took off running into the woods, jumping over overgrown roots and rocks and dodging branches in the dark. Having the flashlight on was too risky, but without it they would truly be running blindly.
"Izzy, wait!" Serenity cried after they both ran for a while.
"Huh?" Izzy didn't realized Serenity had lagged behind; she'd always been a faster runner than Izzy. "What's wrong?"
"Don't you feel that?" Serenity asked, rubbing at her arms again.
"Feel what?" Izzy asked in confusion. "I'm terrified and cold, if that's what you mean."
"No! It's…" Serenity raised her hand and tested the air in front of her. "It's like there's a wall here. I'm having trouble walking in front of me. I've felt that before, near the waterfall."
"A wall?" Izzy had felt it too, but she didn't understand why she wasn't feeling it now. She walked over to Serenity and held out her hand. "Here. Let me help you."
Serenity took her hand. All at once Izzy could feel that familiar pushing sensation on her, trying to direct her away. She tried to ignore it as she pulled Serenity past it. "There. Is that better?"
"Definitely." Serenity gave her a close look. "How come it only affected me and not you?"
"I don't know." And Izzy didn't know. But now more than ever she felt such restlessness. She knew it was logical that they keep going—it would hopefully save their lives—but she couldn't help but feel she was being pulled in a very specific direction.
Then, it happened. They walked a little while longer, huddled together for comfort and to stay warm, when they spotted a grouping of trees leading to the waterfall ledge. "There it is!" Serenity hissed.
Suddenly, the ground began shaking. There was a deep rumbling from within the earth itself and both sisters tottered, trying to stay upright. Then, it was gone as quickly as it came.
"…Was that an earthquake?" Serenity asked fearfully.
Izzy took a few steps to her left, looking all around them. Did the vampire do that? Cause an earthquake on a mountain? No, it couldn't be. "It—"
The ground lurched beneath Izzy's feet and then suddenly gave way. Before she knew what was happening she was moving very quickly downwards, with the soil and rocks and some trees, towards the cliffs.
"IZZY!" Serenity shrieked, forgetting about the danger that lurked around them. She made a frantic dive for Izzy's outstretched hand, but their fingertips barely missed. "Oh God—Izzy! Izzy!"
Izzy tried to maintain her balance, but the flow of the mud and the rocks was too much for her. she slammed into the ground hard, shielding her head slightly. But the momentum only picked up, taking her closer and closer to the cliffs. Her body began to involuntarily roll with this horrible tide, but she reached out with both hands, trying to find something solid, firm she could hang onto to and hopefully ride out the landslide.
Her right hand caught something solid. It felt cold and stiff but it was enough. She dug her fingers in and hung on for dear life, feeling mud and rocks washed over her mercilessly. Vaguely she registered the anchor that was saving her life. Despite the feel of it in general the outer layer felt soft, loose…like a sleeve.
Binds snapped over her back, pinning her tightly as suddenly the ground gave in beneath the object, thing, whatever it was that saved her. Both of them were sliding more and more towards the cliffside and Izzy kept her eyes shut, praying aloud.
Then, they were falling, and she nearly screamed. But…no, they weren't falling. It was such a strange sensation. It almost felt like they were floating to the ground.
Izzy felt the contact of mud beneath them again. The roar of the landslide was starting to cease. Soon, she could hear nothing, not even Serenity.
She risked opening her eyes and looked around them. They looked like they were at the bottom of a huge hill. Did they fall off the mountain? But a quick assessment to her left showed that the cliffside was just a couple feet away. It almost looked the ground separated on itself, creating a cliff over a cliff. She didn't think such a thing was possible.
Izzy tried to sit up, but the two stiff binds at her back kept her from raising herself too high. She dimly became aware of the strange thing that saved her life. She could feel its shape with the length of her own body. It didn't feel like an object, though. It felt…human.
Izzy looked forward, higher on the ground to see a man's face to accompany the body. His eyes were closed and his lips were pressed firmly shut. He was dirty from the landslide, but not nearly as badly as Izzy was, which was remarkable. But he looked unconscious and unresponsive.
For some unexpected reason, Izzy could feel her heart pounding very strongly. This was handsome; almost ridiculously so. His face was perfectly chiseled, as though carved out for a marble statue. She looked him over as best as she could, noting his broad shoulders and the lean muscles of his chest pressing against his shirt. He wasn't heavily muscular, but that didn't bother her. She noticed that his arms were bent and she realized the binds at her back were in fact his arms that locked her to him.
He did it, she thought with amazement, looking back at his face. He saved me…
But now he was unresponsive to her and that worried her greatly.
"Um…hello?" she asked tentatively. He didn't answer her or move. "Um…alo?" she tried in Romanian.
He still didn't respond to her. Fear and guilt wreaked her body suddenly as she raised her hand to his throat. She realized she was shaking and not just from the cold. Please don't…please, no!
But Izzy couldn't find a pulse. She felt all along the side of his neck on both sides, but she found nothing, not even a slight putter. She pressed her other hand over his heart, trying not to think of how nice his chest felt. But she could feel nothing from there.
This was the man who had saved her. But now she lay upon a corpse.