Chapter 11
"Rina. Look at me. Look at me!" One of the thugs grabbed her chin and pulled her head up.
"When we're talkin' to ya, I expect you to answer!" He hissed. Rina was dazed. Her eyes wandered off and her mind was confused.
"Oi!! HELLO?! Are you even going to listen to me!?" He yelled. Rina blinked. She stared at him blankly.
"Bitch!!" He slapped her.
"Hey! Restrain him!" Ethan yelled from across the room. A few other thugs punched him and threw him to the floor.
"I'm sorry Rina. I had to make sure our hideout here was safe. I'm so sorry for leaving you with that swine!" He hissed. He bent down to where she could see him eye to eye.
"Did he hurt you? Oh crud... there's a mark... Get some ice!" He ordered. Ethan gently ran his fingers down her cheek.
"I hope I didn't scare you too bad. I almost heard you break into English again! I'm sure that guy, Abel, would have been pleased to hear that," He said, smiling softly. Rina was silent. He brushed hair out of her face.
"You look so pale. Is it because of the shock? I know... I'm sorry for all that back there..." He said kindly.
"Why is the boss acting so soft towards that girl? It's unnatural.."
"You're a newbie. You wouldn't understand. He's been connected to her longer than any of us have known him."
"Hey!! Pipe down back there!!" Ethan yelled.
"Rina, can you look at me? Can you please concentrate on my face? Please? I want you to see my face?" He whispered, holding her face in his hands. Rina lazily looked at his face. She stared at him for a few minutes. She shook her head.
"Rina... please remember me? I'll tell you what, you at least talk to me and I'll release you from this chair, ok?" He said, patting the ropes that held her down. She shook her head. Ethan sighed and put his head against hers.
"Rina... why won't you? Please tell me..." He whispered. Rina closed her eyes and pulled her head back. Ethan had a look of hurt on his face and stood up.
"Put Rina in the set aside room..." He said. A few thugs nodded and picked up the chair. Ethan looked like he was going to cry. He walked away, back to his room.
"Oi, Rina, down here." A thug with long grey hair waved at her. He was thin, somewhat pale and had yellow eyes like a cat. He wore a white jumpsuit.
"My name is James. We met each other a long time ago. You probably don't remember me. This is Duke." He pointed to a muscular man under Rina with a green and purple mohawk wearing a tan tanktop and cargo pants.
"That is Ismaud." He pointed to an Indian man wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks.
"We'll take care of ya. There are others here who you met before too. But most are newbies." He winked. Rina was silent. They opened a door and set her down gently.
"Ok, I'm going to untie the rope. Don't bolt on us now," Ismaud said. Rina felt the rope fall. She stood up and turned around. Rina held out her hand. Ismaud blinked.
"Um... Ok..." He took it and shook it. Rina went to Duke. He shook hers.
"It's nice to know you're friendly with us," He said. She went to James and bowed. He scratched his head.
"What's all this about? Just cause I promised you something that we all here promise ourselves doesn't mean I get special treatment, here!" He said. Rina looked up. She stared at him and raised a fist. He raised an eyebrow and raised his fist. Rina punched his arm.
"Ow! God! You've got one bloody good punch, girly! Ouch! Ow! I got a welt the size of a bludger! Oh man!" He rubbed his arm. Duke and Ismaud laughed.
"Still has the same Rina in her as we know her!" Duke said. James glared at them and left the room, rubbing his arm. The other two left the room and locked the door. Rina looked around. There were pictures on the wall, a bookcase on the right wall, and a bed along with a door to the bathroom on the left. She sat down on the bed and put her head on her hand. She missed Abel. She wanted to see him trip or go through her library again. A hand grasped her shoulder. She twisted around and slapped it away.
"Rina, it's me." Ethan appeared next to her, sitting on the bed. She could see tears running down his cheeks. She crossed her arms and looked away from him. He sighed.
"I have to start all over again with our relationship... Do you remember those drawings you made of some guy who kept going after you?" She nodded.
"Well... you remember the drawing of you holding some guy in you lap who was mortally wounded?" She nodded again.
"Do you remember that spear wound?" He asked. Rina looked at him and nodded. He put his hands underneath his shirt and pulled it off. Rina's eyes widened. On his shoulder was a scar that ran down his side and branched out like a spiderweb. Ethan looked at her.
"You deflected that into my shoulder. Don't worry, it wasn't that it went from you to me, it's that you deflected it from my heart to my shoulder. I'm grateful. And I'm still kind of in debt to you for that. Then came the time I saved you butt three times. Heh... I'm sure you remember that. It was really the first time we ever met... Yeah... Almost two hundred years ago..." Rina was confused. Ethan grinned.
"You don't remember... you sealed all those memories away... Damn that part... I miss being with you, Rina." He turned towards her.
"It's starting to really bug me. Everytime you were with other people having fun, I could only watch because I knew you didn't remember me. It's almost killed me!" He leaned in towards her. Rina scooted backwards until her back hit the wall. Ethan was inches from her.
"Why don't you say anything?! I even just took my shirt off and showed you this scar! You're not saying anything!" He said. Rina tried to push him away, he wouldn't budge.
"Rina, you've even sealed away your powers. You used to be able to push me across the room! Don't you remember that?" He said. Rina looked into his red eyes briefly and looked away. Ethan grabbed her shoulders.
"Rina, listen to me. I found out about that technique you used to seal away your memories. It's going to cause you a lot of pain soon! If it goes on any longer, you'll die! You've already started to stages of paranoia! You're almost halfway through. Just talk to me, please! Anything! I beg you!" He pleaded. Rina pushed him with all her might.
"Get off of me!" She yelled. Ethan smiled.
"You said something... In English too! I'm so happy!" He lowered his head and sobbed.
"I haven't heard your voice in so long!" He cried. Rina panicked. She kicked his head and dived off of the bed. She ran to the door and started pounding on it.
"Rina. Rina. Rina... Please don't run away... it hurts..." He said softly. Rina felt his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and slapped it away. She ran to the bookcase and pulled a book off the shelf.
"Oh! You got your favorite book!" Ethan said kindly. Rina looked at the title of the book quickly. She felt his hand running down her arm.
"Instinct..." He whispered. Rina threw the book at him and ran. He appeared in front of her.
"Rina. Don't run. You're trapped in this room. I don't want to do this to you, but you're forcing me into a corner. I don't know how else to get you to remember!" He walked towards her. Rina backed up, afraid.
"I don't want to!!" She screamed. Ethan laughed.
"You don't want to remember happiness?! You don't want to remember the dreams that you've longed for!? You don't want to remember me??" Rina hit the wall behind her.
"You don't want to remember all those times we've had together?! You don't want to remember the reason why you've had all those nightmares?" His hand slammed against the wall behind her. He leaned in, his face inches from her.
"You don't want to remember us?" He whispered. Rina closed her eyes.
"Don't you want to know why I'm so obsessive over you?" He whispered, running a hand down her cheek. She shivered. Rina shook her head.
"I know you're lying..." He said.
"Just go away!" She whispered. Ethan frowned, a sad look in his eyes.
"Do you want me to go away? Do you want... this to go away?" He kissed her lips tenderly. Rina's eyes widened. She pushed him back and slipped away from him.
"Don't touch me!!" She screamed.
"Rina, I'm only doing this to get you back!"
"No!!!"
"I'm doing this for us!"
"NO!!"
"You wanted me to do this after so long! You wanted to stay with me forever!! Isn't that what you said!?" He yelled. Rina ran to the door again and started banging on it.
"Let me out!! Please!! Let me out!!" She screamed. Ethan roughly grabbed her waist and flung her over his shoulder. She screamed and kicked. He tapped the door five times. It opened. James was a little worried.
"Uh, boss.. don't you think it's a little too far?" He asked. Ethan ignored them and continued walking with Rina over his shoulder.
"Help!!!" She screamed. Duke rubbed his head. She grabbed Ismaud's collar until it ripped. He averted his gaze. Rina screamed and punched Ethan's back over and over again. Ethan entered the wide room where they were before. His gang was staring at the two. He walked into the middle of them and threw her to the ground.
"If you don't want to remember, then I'll make you at least awaken your powers!! I won't rescue you until I see you fight for real!" He yelled. He disappeared and reappeared outside of the the crowd.
"Attack Rina until she's dead!!" He yelled. Rina looked around and saw the thugs looked a little hesitate.
"She's just a little girl, though," One said. Ethan grabbed his throat and lifted him into the air.
"Do you think I care?! Now do it!!" He threw him to the ground. The thugs began to attack Rina. She screamed and tried to crawl away. The blows rained down on her quickly and roughly. She gave up and laid still on the floor. The blows began to decrease.
"Boss, she isn't looking too good."
"I said until she's dead!" He yelled. There was a small puddle of blood under Rina's body. She looked towards Ethan and closed her eyes. The blows rained down on her again. Rina felt her body go numb. She stood up. Kicks and punches fell all over her body. She ignored them and staggered towards Ethan. The thugs were starting to lessen up on the kicks. Rina fell at Ethan's feet. She grabbed his ankle and pulled herself up. He watched her struggle. She grabbed his arm and staggered to her feet.
"Vampires..." She whispered.
"You're all... vampires..." She whispered. Ethan nodded.
"That's right."
"Then kill me... drink all my blood..." She whispered. Ethan stiffened. She looked up and raissed her wrist to his lips.
"Do it... you don't care..." She said darkly. Ethan smacked her hand away.
"I don't need it," He snapped. She smiled.
"Ok... Then let them do it..." Ethan looked at his gang. They were all staring at Rina, keeping their eyes on her blood. He gave in.
"Why are you doing this?" He whispered.
"You're torturing me... why?!" He hissed. Rina held her wrist to her mouth and bit down.
"I'm going to kill myself," She said.
"No..." She bit down harder. A few drops of blood fell to the floor.
"Stop it now." She bit as hard as she could. Ethan grabbed her arm and ripped it out of her mouth. He stuck it in his.
"Happy now!?" He yelled.
