"Go back? No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" - The Hobbit
Lyall's Pov
Everything fell in slow motion. The sound of the cold wind blowing through my body. The scent of water, stone and trees. The agonizing screams of Vlad following down to me. Tears fell from my eyes, levitating in the air. 'This is it..' I thought. Iona too was falling but she had a small smile on her face, her eyes free of hatred and sadness. She reached out to me and caressed my cheeks gently. Surprisingly her touch was warm when I thought it would be cold as ice. She wiped away my tears and only whispered two words. "Let me." I closed my eyes, despair consumed me. I knew what would happen to me if I gave in to Iona but if I don't…
Before I could open my mouth to answer my body crashed into the river. The water was ice cold, biting into my flesh that refused to let go. I landed so hard against the water that my body was in complete shock and could barely move. I began to sink further down into the river, the water entering my lungs as I gasped in pain. I tried moving my arms but they felt heavy, weighed down by the water current. Iona still held my face, repeating the same words over and over again. Her eyes softened the more I struggled in the water. In all honesty I have never died before on the other side so I didn't know what would happen to my 'spirit' if I died. Would I go back to my body? Or will I be stuck here for eternity? All these thoughts kept swirling in my mind. I slowly stopped fighting the current and floated in the water, becoming colder and colder.
No One's Pov
"We're losing her!" The doctors and nurses gathered around Lyall's cold body. She was drenched from head to toe in medicinal solution, her arms covered in black veins that pulsed with each shallow breath she took. The Doctor bit his gloved finger while everyone else was getting crash carts, oxygen, and medicines to the subject. 'What do I do? What should I do? The major will not be pleased with this!' he thought. "Arzt! Sie stürzt ab!" (Doctor! She's crashing!). The sound of the heart monitor flat lining snapped the doctor out of his train of thought and jumped right into the chaos. "Geh weg, Dummköpfe! Aufladen bei 200." (Move away fools! Charge at 200.). They all back away from him when he grabbed the paddles and placed them right on her chest "Klar!" (Clear!). Her body pulsed up from the electrical current.
" Trust me. You will be fine. A sweet release from this darkness." Iona hugged Lyall as close to her body as possible. Like a snake strangling its prey. Lyall's face twisted into pain, her body frozen. She was stuck, she didn't know what to do. Little bubbles slipped past her mouth as she slipped further and further away. "Sweet rabbit … just submit to me."
"Schiebe einen von epi du Narr! Wir dürfen diese Waffe nicht verlieren!" (Push one of epi you fool! We must not lose this weapon!). The Doctor was desperate now. He has shocked her twice already and nothing has changed. Then it hit him. 'No choice.'
"Doctor…"
"Holen Sie sich das Serum. Minas Knochen können sie retten." (Get the serum. Mina's bones can save her.)
"Aber Doktor, das Thema ist noch nicht fertig! Sie könnte das Serum ablehnen." (But Doctor the subject is not ready! She could reject the serum.). The nurse tried to explain. "Stille! Wenn wir nichts tun, werden wir eine größere Eroberung erleben! Bewege es!" (Silence! If we do nothing we will face bigger conquense! Move it!). The nurse quickly left his side and ran to another room where Mina Harker's bones were strapped down on the table for the whole world to see. Connected to the bones were tubes and wires that extracted essence into a tiny bottle. He grabbed a syringe and connected the needle to the bottle, sucking up the clear liquid.
Slowly Lyall's world became dark, even darker than usual. "Time is running out… choose." Iona smiles while rubbing her face into her neck. Lyall would've shuddered if she had the strength. 'What do I do?' she thought. Suddenly fragments of memories flashed before her eyes. The moments where she played hide and seek with her mother, the days she worked with Juilet, and the painful moments where her father would abuse her. But there was one moment in particular that she was fond of and that was her first kiss with Vlad. She can still feel his tender lips caress hers, the taste of him lingering on her tongue. Tears welled in her eyes as she was missing Vlad already.
"Remember me
Though I have to say goodbye
Remember me."
The Doctor yelled at every person to get the equipment ready, demanding where the nurse was with the serum. At the same time Vlad was screaming out Lyall's name with all his might, willing her to come back to him while Elisabetta was laughing away. "Vlad…"
"Don't let it make you cry
For ever if I'm far away
I hold you in my heart."
Vlad looked over at his lunatic wife and slowly stood over her. His eyes red with bloody intentions. She stopped laughing altogether when he grasped her throat and lifted her in the air. He began to laugh himself. She grabbed at his wrists and tried to pry away his hands. "Hahaha… You foolish woman. You took the only thing I ever loved… And now I'm going to make you suffer."
"Go ahead…*gasp* I'm quite prepared for death." She choked. A sinister smile spread upon his face. "Oh… I know you are. But our son isn't." All the color from Elisebetta's face drained into a pasty white. "N-No! Not my son! Please my lord-" She was cut off by his grip tightening even further.
"I sing a secret song to you
Each night we are apart
Remember me."
Iona pushed herself away slightly from Lyall and looked at her face carefully. Her face looked calm and peaceful as her tears floated in the water. "Humph! Even as she dies she refuses. Oh well, the result will be the same." She grasped her chin and lifted her head and leaned forward till their noses touch each other. "She will never escape me." Vlad dragged a struggling Eliabetta down the steps while he continued to laugh quietly. Once they made it down the first thing he did was telling one of his guards to bring his son to him at the front of the castle. They obeyed without question.
"Though I have to travel far
Remember me
Each time you hear a sad guitar."
Vlad dropped Elisabetta at the gate while the guards brought his crying son to the gate as well. Vlad opened his arms in what looked like celebration. "My fellow subjects and loyal servants. We are gathered today to celebrate our victory over the defeat of the Ottoman army." Everyone hesitantly clapped while Elisebetta hugged Minhea close to her chest while he returned the jester. "Mother.." he whimpered. Meanwhile the nurse finally came back and passed the syringe to the Doctor and in a swift moment the Doctor placed the needle inside her arm and began to administer the serum.
"Know that I'm with you
The only way that I can be."
Vlad motioned the guard and he brought him a long wooden spear. Elisebetta shook with fear upon seeing the spear, knowing full well what was to happen. "But first… let's begin the celebration with a glorious impalement by the traitors." He pointed the head of the spear to the mother and child. "Let's start with the child."
"No Father!"
"Please my lord! Please! Someone, help us!" Elisabetta searched wildly to find someone to help them but everyone just covered their mouth in horror or just looked away. "Please…" she whimpered. Immediately the guards ceased Mineah. "NO!!!!" She gripped his arm in a desperate attempt to save him. "Mother!" Mineah cried. Elisabetta looked at Vlad pleadingly. "My lord, I beg you. Spare him! He's your son!" Vlad slowly walked up to Mineah, his guards holding him in position. Tears fell down his cheeks like a waterfall. The look of pure sorrow from his son's face did nothing to faze him. "Which makes the betrayal more painful." In one swift motion he brought the spear back and plunged it through his son's stomach. Blood sprayed onto the spear handle, painting Vlad's hands crimson. The wails of Elisabetta's cries echoed throughout the land while his son coughed up blood with a look of great despair and hurt. His father just smile wickedly up at him and planted the spear into the ground so his son would stand suspended up in the air. Vlad turned his head to his wailing wife. "Your next." he said coldly.
"Until you're in my arms again
Remember me."
Iona was about to kiss Lyall but at the last moment Lyall disappeared out of Iona's arms. Leaving Iona empty and alone. Her eyes widened in shock and her arms shook with absolute fury. "NO!!!!!" Lyall felt like she was being squeezed like fitting into a corset. She was moving at a rapid pace and then…
Bam!
"Ihre Statistiken sind wieder normal." (Her stats are back to normal.). The heart monitor gave good steady rhythms and even better the black veins began to vanish in an instant. The Doctor sighed in relief and backed away. "Legen Sie sie zurück in die medizinische Lösung und bitte... seien Sie sanft." (Place her back in the medicinal solution and please... be gentle.). They nodded in understanding and began to get her back in her bath. He walked away, biting away on his finger. Not looking forward to reporting to the major but it had to be done. The doctors carefully placed her back to where she belonged and rehooked her backup to the wires and rods. "The serum is truly amazing… she is almost at a hundred percent in recovery. " One muttered in English, just completely amazed by this project. But the moment they have her hooked up… her eyes opened.