Chapter 25 – Behind the Orange Door

Oliver's POV

After Claire gave her commands, we set off for the corridor to the right. Miranda and I had to keep at a human speed as we ran through the corridor, which was extremely inconvenient. However, Eve and Michael were both running much faster than they probably should have.

They were holding hands, and I had no doubt that Claire and Shane were doing the same thing as we strayed from them. We didn't know where we were going, only Amelie had any long term experience that could help with navigating this stupid captivity centre, but she wasn't with us and that was why we were travelling at such a fast speed... and I had to stop myself from laughing bitterly at that thought. This was perhaps the slowest running pace that I had used in years, and all I could think about was going at a quicker pace so that we could save Amelie and get out of here.

The corridor came to a stop and there were, yet again, another two directions to choose from. "Well?" I asked the humans, Miranda didn't seem to be doing anything besides keeping up with us. Honestly, I was surprised she followed in the first place. "Which way?"

It was Michael who replied, "If Amelie did come this way, she would have kept turning to the right – well, that's what I would have done."

He was quite clever, Michael. They all were, in fact. For such young adults they had experienced more than I did for thirty-odd years as a human. So basically, being stuck with them as my only companions didn't bother me as much as it would have a year or so ago. But being stuck with Miranda – another of Sam's lovers' – bothered me more than it would have being locked in an extremely miniature room with Myrnin for a long while – and that says something.

Sam's lover...

I shivered at the thought, Amelie and him. Even Sam Glass would have been better than this new psychotic one that wanted to destroy her. They had been parents once upon a time, and they had given the child up so that the child could live a safe and happy life. They had been there for each other through thick and thin. And Amelie seemed to despise him more than she had me when I had first moved to Morganville and fought to take control of her town. It didn't make any sense!

Another end in the corridor but there was only one way that you could turn, and that was left. So we followed on the same path and in the far distance of the never-ending corridor was a silhouette that sat on the floor with their back up against the wall. They were still and silent and I knew instantly that it was Amelie; only she could sit as motionless as that.

I couldn't stop myself from vamping out and ended up staring down at Amelie three seconds later while the rest were still making their way along the corridor. She didn't see me at first, so I must have travelled in complete silence, although, when I stepped forward, she heard me and looked up. The only part of her that I could see without Miranda lighting my way was her glowing golden hair that fell down passed her shoulders. The darkness swallowed the rest of her.

"Oliver," she said before her arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Amelie, what were you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

"About everything," she said, and after pulling back from me, she looked over to where the others were seconds from catching up.

"Amelie!" Michael and Eve exclaimed.

"Hello." She looked behind them and her brow furrowed. "May I ask where the other three are?"

Eve said, "We sort of split up to look for you, there were two ways you could have gone."

"Of course. Well, we should probably head back their way to reassure them that I am safe. No doubt Claire will be worrying."

And with that she started to saunter back the way that we had all just come. I decided that it was probably best to follow straight away this time to save everything ending up the way it had this time.

Claire's POV

We ran at top speed and stumbled quite a few times on the way, but never once did either of us fall. I kept thinking of the starving vampire girl who wanted to save humans even when she needed blood more than my baby needed Sam to die, because that could wait a bit longer.

We reached the first separation point and continued the way the others had gone. It wasn't long before we bumped into Amelie.

"Amelie!" I bellowed and threw my arms around her neck, and then I realised that I had basically just offered her to slide her fangs into my neck and suck every ounce of blood from my body, and even when I knew that she wouldn't even consider doing that I couldn't help stepping back. Her face was concerned.

"Where is Myrnin?"

"Yeah, about that..." I stopped and looked at everybody standing there – apart from Shane who stood beside me. "Myrnin was sort of attacked by a hungry bloodsucking vampire. She didn't seem mean though, just very hungry. And she let us go before she hurt us."

"Who is she?" Amelie's face had taken on an edge of worried strictness.

"We don't know. She asked us that very same question and then stepped forward and caught the scent of our blood and ordered us to run. So we ran."

"We need to go back for Myrnin," Amelie stated.

"Yes I know, but we need to get blood for the starving vampire first."

"Don't worry about that, dear. Just worry about finding Myrnin."

I turned on my heels and we all started walking back toward Myrnin and the starving vampire.

Amelie's POV

I had done enough walking to do me a lifetime, but now there was purpose. We were finally getting out of here – me, Claire, Oliver, Myrnin, Shane, Michael, Eve, and maybe even Miranda if I was in a good mood – after all of our attempts at escape, this would be the time that it worked.

I knew that there was no 'choose which direction to go next' sign at the end of this hall, so I just kept going. When I eventually did reach the end there was no sign of stress or struggle, in fact, it seemed peaceful.

I turned to give Claire a questioning look and she pointed toward the door on the right. It was bright orange, different from every other door that existed in this horrifying place, all of which were brown. I stepped forward and felt the feeling of dread file its way into my emotions after seeing the worried faces of the people surrounding me – both vampire and human alike.

Sighing heavily, I placed my hand on the door knob in front of me and turned the handle...

... And Myrnin was thrown out at me. I quickly stood aside to ensure that I wasn't knocked down as Myrnin plummeted toward me. I turned and triggered the invisible switch which opened the door to the silver stake that we had put there in case of emergencies – emergencies like our fathers' returning home. After grabbing the stake, I turned back and got into the position that was needed to plunge the stake into a vampire's heart.

A silhouette formed, turning into a fully figured person and as my arm flew forward to kill the girl, my grip on the silver stake loosened and the silver stake fell out of my hand and to the floor.

I recognised those gorgeous green eyes, the green eyes that no one had had the heart to appreciate. I recognised that red hair, as bright as the sunset and glowing as the day. I recognised the way her suddenly red eyes contrasted with the porcelain white of her face. "Sonya?" I whispered, before stumbling forward and embracing her with the love that I had shown her many years ago.