3.66

3.66

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

---

“You nervous,” my lawyer leans over and asks me.

“Yeah, I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Trial of the century, maybe. You could get the death penalty or have a long and glorious life. As glorious as you humans can be anyway.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Pay attention, the judge is coming.”

“All rise for The Supreme God of Life, Death and Renewal, the most honorable Gamab,” an ominous voice echoes through the empty room.

Gamab enters the room from seemingly nowhere. Draped in dried hide of some animal, he walked barefoot and carried a large bow and a bowl. He stops at our table and looks over me. I’m not afraid, but I can tell he’s powerful despite the big smile. He produces a bowl of a strange yellow liquid and places it on the table.

“You should have a drink, for good luck,” he waves his hand towards the bowl.

“That’s a good sign,” my lawyer assures me.

I do as I’m told and take the bowl, it’s warm but the way the liquid moves assures me he isn’t trying to make me drink urine. Gamab hasn’t given me a reason to distrust him, but I also don’t know why I’m in a court room. I’ve long given up on things making sense. I bring the bowl closer to my face, the smell is similar to cooking oil. I take a deep breath and bring it to my mouth. The liquid moves all at once forcing me to drink more than I planned to. The taste is bitter, but not as bad as I expected. Somehow it calms my nerves. Gamab smiles and passes the bowl to my lawyer who drinks deeply before leaving to take a seat on the opposite side of the room.

“Kayiikuuzi, are you ready,” Gamab asks.

“Yes, I’m ready,” my lawyer speaks.

“Then send him up.”

“Go ahead, take a seat,” Kayiikuuzi points to a chair that previously wasn’t in the room.

I make my way over to the chair and realize this isn’t the courtroom I had imagined it was. Instead I’m staring into the vastness of space, stars and magnificent colors radiating around us. The entire view is a lot to take in, yet I can’t seem to think of anything but this moment right now.

“I’ll tell you how this works,” Gamab speaks. “You must be confused.”

“Yes, I respond.”

“Well, Kayiikuuzi is going to ask you five questions. You’ll need to get three right. If not, I’ll shoot you with my bow and you’ll die. If you do get three correctly, your life will be renewed,” Gamab speaks in a nice, yet stern voice.

“Is there any other way,” I ask.

“No, you’ve already chosen to go through this trial. Don’t worry, Kayiikuuzi has a soft spot for humans, at least those who have been good during their time on Earth. You could have had Ogun or Shango prepare your test, which would not be good for you. Luckily, they’re locked in another battle,” Gamab’s last sentence causes Kayiikuuzi to laugh alongside him. I have no idea who either of those people are.

“Let’s start,” Kayiikuuzi speaks.

“I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“Excellent,” Gamab claps.

“Question one, are you a good person,” Kayiikuuzi asks.

My first thought is of course I’m a good person, but wouldn’t that arrogance mean I’m not? I try to help people as much as I can. But, I do buy a lot of bootleg CDs and that’s theft. Have I ever hurt anyone? No, but I’ve wanted to.

“It isn’t a multiple choice answer young man,” Gamab “It’s only your life in the balance. Don’t hesitate.”

“I think so,” is my answer. I feel a pressure surround me and Kayiikuuzi looks away. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out I answered wring. “I want to be a good person, but I’m just human. I can’t be perfect.” I try to save myself.

“Nobody asked if you were perfect, he asked if you were good,” Gamab shakes his head in disappointment.

“Next question. Have you ever given someone true happiness,” Kayiikuuzi moves on quickly.

“I don’t even know what happiness is,” I don’t realize the words have left my mouth.

More pressure surrounds me, almost as if gravity is trying to crush me. Kayiikuuzi covers his face with his hand while Gamab can’t seem to stop his laughter at my answer.

“Take this serious,” Kayiikuuzi seems upset with me.

“I’m trying, but this is stressful.”

“You never gave anyone happiness?”

“Is this one of the five questions?”

“No, are you brain dead,” Kayiikuuzi brings more laughter from Gamab.

“Elias, my brother,” I shrug.

More pressure surrounds me, “No, she’s trying to save you right now,” Kayiikuuzi seems irritated.

“Destiny,” I scream her name.

“Yes, why couldn’t you answer that thirty seconds ago?”

“This is stressful.”

“I could hold you at the end of my spear if that would help,” Kayiikuuzi only half jokes.

“I’ll be fine.”

“This is the best trial I’ve seen since Lesane had his trial,” Gamab speaks of another person I don’t know.

“Question three, what is your purpose in life,” Kayiikuuzi asks.

“I don’t know, is this rigged? How can you expect me to know my purpose in life? I haven’t even gotten to have a midlife crisis yet,” now I’m irritated.

“Correct,” Kayiikuuzi smiles.

“What?”

“This is amazing,” Gamab continues to laugh.

“Question four,” Kayiikuuzi pauses as Gamab calms himself. “What do you have to offer the world?”

“All I can give the world is me. Anything else I give, can come from someone else,” I think I’ve got the game now.

“My boy, I knew you were a smart one,” Kayiikuuzi claps. “Last question. Do you want to live?”

“I haven’t always wanted to live, but right now, I want to live more than anything else.”

“Then you can live,” Kayiikuuzi pulls me from the chair and gives me a hug.

“Passing judgement is my job,” Gamab speaks. “You will not die yet, you are strong. Live so that you may give your best to the world and those that love you. Live so that you may change this world for the better. Live so that you may not only find your purpose, but fulfill it. Rise into the world, reborn anew, stronger than before.”

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3.65

3.65

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

---

The echoes of violence outside fill the shed I’ve been stuck in these last few weeks. It started with gunshots, few and far between but no screams. The gun shots stopped when someone yelled. From there I would hear more muffled yells, the occasional explosion and a car crash. It’s chaos out there, but all seems to be growing closer. I might be able to understand what they’re shouting if they get closer. I don’t know who’s fighting but I say a silent prayer that they kill the entire Marson family.

 I had given up hope on anyone coming to save me, or even finding me right when I started hallucinating, but now seems to be my chance to go free, if only someone can hear me. I shout and scream with energy I didn’t know I had left. Soon there’s banging outside the shed door. The moment of freedom is in front of me. Destiny, a SWAT team sent by Elias, the army sent by my mother, or my father and his old gun toting buddies. Who came to save me?

 The banging continues. I hear shouting about the lock and not having a key. If it was someone with the Marson Family they would have a key. I’m really going to be saved. I’ve waited for this moment, endured, and finally the moment is in front of me. The banging stops and I’m blinded by the light outside shining in.

“Couldn’t leave without finishing you off,” I recognize Cathy’s voice.

“Let me go.”

“No, things have gone bad here, and you need to be taken care of before I move on. They want you alive, but I can’t have you telling people about me.”

Cathy produces a knife, and almost as if it were in slow motion she plunges it into my chest. When the blade stops, she pushes forward with her entire bodyweight. I don’t even feel the pain, I can’t fight back, the shock freezes me. She could stop there but pulls the blade down my abdomen. The only thought running through my head is when the pain will kick in. I open my mouth to scream and nothing comes out. The world around me goes silent, this isn’t another of her illusions. This is real, I know instantly. I thought I accepted my death, but here I am not accepting it, trying to fight the void. Fight the darkness at the edge of my vision. Don’t let it win. Blink it away.

I open my eyes to the ceiling. Destiny staring over me.

“You came for me,” I try to speak the words but it feels like my mouth is full of some liquid.

Destiny responds with tears in her eyes. I can’t understand, the tears drop on my face, and I can’t even feel them. She looks remorseful.

“It’s not your fault,” I try to speak again but I can’t hear myself.

I try to reach her face, but the darkness takes me again. Kaluga smiles and I open my eyes again. She’s speaking now, but I can’t make out the words. Probably wants me to stay with her. I’m trying, I am.

I open my eyes to Destiny, drinking blood from my stomach. I try pushing her away but I can’t seem to move my body anymore.

A burning sensation across my abdomen brings me back from the darkness. No longer shaking hands with Kaluga.

“San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen,” I can hear her now.

“Hey, I love you,” she ignores me.

“San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen.”

 She jams her bloodied wrist into my mouth, I can’t push it away. The taste of blood has become all too common in my life. Hers is different, sweeter, warm, fresh blood. Not a good taste. But nothing like before.

“San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen. San nan san mwen,” those words again.

She grips my mouth and forces more of her blood down my throat. Tilting my head when I can’t swallow.

“Fun mi ni agbara lati pa awon ota mi,” new words.

“I’m trying to tell you I love you,” I can’t hear my own words.

“Fun mi ni agbara lati pa awon ota mi,” I still hear what she’s chanting.

She uses blood to draw some symbols over me. Last rights? I guess, but I’d rather hear her say she loves me. I can’t blink away the darkness anymore.

“San nan san mwen. Fun mi ni agbara lati pa awon ota mi,” yeah whatever you say.

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3.63

3.63

   12:00 AM       Darrell S.

---

I open my eyes and find myself surrounded by water, not a lake, but an ocean. I’ve only been to the ocean once, we took a family trip to Virginia for a reunion. This is nothing like this. No matter which direction I turn there’s nothing but water. I can tell it’s deep, almost as if I’m standing on the ocean. I should be afraid, but it’s peaceful, almost as if I belong here. With no sign of land, I walk, in no particular direction. Walking on water would be a surprise almost any other time, but right now, it feels as if I was always meant to.

I remember Cathy making another visit to torture me, our fourth meeting. I blacked out, but this isn’t one of her illusions. It’s too peaceful, and there’s no one taking pleasure in my pain. I don’t actually feel any pain, it’s all gone. I don’t even have any bruises or scars now that I think about it. Is this, am I dead? I knew they would kill me, I just thought they would make a show of it. I didn’t expect them to let some little old lady be the one who pulled the plug on me.

“Come,” I hear a voice call to me.

“Who said that,” I turn to look around but I don’t see anyone.

“It was I who spoke,” a body appears behind me.

My first reaction is to jump back in fear. Before me stood a man, with stone features, and onyx skin to math. He had to be at least ten feet tall, I had never seen a man so tall before. A black cloak with ornate gold symbols covering it. As he removed the hood his face and bald head became visible. More gold piercings along his ears, a stud in his nose and a piercing on each side of his lip. I’m not a jeweler but I can tell the gold is all real. I force myself back to a steady position and stand as tall as I can. I’ve never met this man before, but something about him commands respect. He moves his head first, then he moves to walk around me, almost as if he were searching for something.

“Who are you?”

“Kaluga,” he answers with just his name in a baritone voice that almost echoes.

It resonates power. Just the name fills me with an understanding of what real power is. Yet, I still feel comforted by the name. A name that could end whatever this moment is, or help me through this and find my way home. I’m not sure which he is, but the option is there. All of this comes from him just speaking his name.

“Who are you?”

“God of The Underworld. Protector of those who have died but are not ready to pass on.”

“Where are we,” I don’t need more explanation.

“The ocean where the living become dead.”

“I’m dead.”

“Not if you don’t want to be,” the man smiles at me.

“How do I go back.”

“You need to build a connection.”

“Connection to where.”

“Home.”

“My apartment?”

“Bigger.”

“Chicago?”

“Bigger.”

“The United States?”

“No,” he raises his voice and dread fills me.

“Then where?”

“The place you were stolen from.”

“Africa?”

“Yes. Those who were stolen crossed the Atlantic and they died. The only way to be reborn was building a connection. For you who were born in the kingdom of your masters were born dead. To truly be alive, you need to reach the motherland. Follow the line, build your connection. That is the only way you will live.”

“I just want to go home.”

“Then build your line. You can not go home from here. You can die and follow me to the underworld, or take a step to be reborn as something new.”

I don’t get to ask for anymore clues. He’s gone as fast as he came. He doesn’t even vanish in a puff of smoke, or slowly fade, he’s just, gone. Building a line to Africa? I’m American born, American raised. I don’t really know anything about Africa besides a few major countries. How is Africa supposed to get me home? For now, I just walk.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been walking, but I spot a person. I think it’s a person. I change direction and walk towards them. If someone else is here, they may be able to help me find my way home, or we can help each other. As I come closer a woman comes into view. A woman dressed in an elaborate skirt, picks at her afro with one hand and holds a mirror in the other. A snake is wrapped around her torso and neck. She doesn’t have a shirt so I avert my gaze from her hickory skin as I approach.

“Excuse me,” I try to get her attention.

“What? You never saw titties,” she catches me off guard.

“I, well. I’m just,” I’m not able to gather myself.

“Out with it. My nudity is nothing for you to be ashamed of, nor is your own.”

She’s beautiful, the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I can’t get my thoughts straight. Even without her looking away from her mirror. I’m embarrassed to speak with her. Her words suddenly made me aware of my own nudity. Had I been naked when speaking to Kaluga? I’m just I’m not standing at attention.

“I need to go home.”

“You’re not going to ask who I am?”

“I feel like I know,” and I don’t know why.

“Then who am I?”

“Mami Wata,” I don’t recognize the words as they leave my lips. “A goddess of water, you show people the truth in water.”

“You aren’t as dense as you seem,” she smiles but doesn’t look away.

“Thank you,” for some reason I feel honored.

“You want to go home?”

“Yes Mami.”

“Do you know what you have to do?”

“No.”

“You have to drown.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Drown.”

With her words I find myself sinking into the water for the first time. The welcome I had felt in this place is gone. Only terror remains as I try raise my legs once the water reaches my ankles. She still doesn’t turn from the mirror. Her snake seems to be enjoying my terror.

“Help, please,” I plead with her.

“No, you need to build your connection below the water. Build it with those who died because they could not make the journey. Build it with those that were thrown overboard because they refused to be chained. Build it with those that jumped to their death rather than face a life of torment. Build it with those who died trying to return. They wait for your below the surface. If you reject them, you will die. If you embrace them as the world could not, you will go home. You will take them with you, and you shall never truly be alone. That is how you build your connection.”

I don’t have a chance to respond. I try to swim as the water passes my shoulders, but it’s too thick. It’s almost as if I’m trying to swim in concrete. I can’t fight it, I can’t make it to the top. A hand reaches out to me in the water. I don’t have a choice, I take the hand, hoping this is what Mami Water meant.

I move closer to the surface. A vision of a man being shackled flashes through my mind and I let the hand go. I begin to sink again. Another hand. I take it, this time a man begs as his son’s hands are cut off. I don’t know how I know, but I know this is in Congo. Another hand lifts me from the water, this time a woman screams in pain as a knife digs into her abdomen. I can see she’s pregnant. A hand reaches in and I let go, I can no longer watch. I know where this goes. I sink as another hand reaches to me. I don’t want to die, but I can’t take another of these visions. I can see the surface, I can see another hand reaching out to me, but I’m afraid to take it.

“Do you want to die that bad,” I hear Mami Water call from the surface.

I take the hand and find myself in a dark box. I can hear footsteps and dogs barking above me. Muffled words I can’t understand. Three gunshots, silence, but the darkness remains. Light fills my vision as a door is lifted from above me. Hand reaches down, welcoming.

“Good job,” Kaluga’s voice echoes in my head.

I vomit sea water as tears fall from my eyes. I find myself back in the shack. All of the pain I remember has returned to me. I’m not sure how much of that was a hallucination, but the salt water, how can you fake that. Was it another illusion? I’m still strapped to this chair, but no one is here. Did they think they killed me? I cough up more salt water as I try to take a deep breath. I want to go home.  

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3.62

3.62

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

---

“I’m going to ask you again, where is she?”

The thrall in front of me calls himself Mitchell. He’s been coming through and beating me every day, every hour? I’m not sure how much time has passed. I can’t see the sun, sometimes the light flickers on and off. Occasionally a woman named Meagan will come and hook me up to an IV, probably to keep me alive. Mitchell comes more frequently, he beats me, asks where Destiny is. I don’t give him an answer, because I don’t know. I’m not sure if they’re coming multiple times in the same night, or I’m just going insane. They’d probably like if II went insane, a savage animal to use as they please.

“Man, I keep telling you, I don’t know anything.”

“You know, the next guy they send in isn’t going to be as nice as I am. I just hit you because it’s my job. I don’t get any joy from it.”

“Then get a new job,” there’s no reason to be cordial with him.

“That’s funny. You wouldn’t understand all the things this family has done for me. That’s why I do this even though I dislike it.”

“You had choices.”

Mitchell runs removes the leather gloves he had been wearing and runs his hands through his hair before leaning against the wall. He checks his cell phone and seems to be pondering for a while without speaking or even looking at me.

“You’re right,” he finally speaks and puts his phone into his pocket. “We all have choices. My choices led me here the same as yours did. You can pretend to be better than me, more righteous. Yet, my choices let me feed my family and your choices have you strapped to a chair being beaten every day, sometimes more than once a day. You should just tell me where this woman is at. I’ll let you go when I have the answers, you’re just a pawn. Cathy is coming in next and she’s only in it for the joy,” he almost seems frightened as he speaks of her.

“I keep telling you, I don’t know where she is.”

“Then I hope you bleed out quickly. Try to bite through your tongue, it’ll be hard but pretend it’s a carrot,” Mitchell shakes his head as he exits.

Nobody comes to interrogate me for a while, at least it seems like that. I can’t seem to do anything but fight against my own thoughts of mortality and sleep, no pass out. Megan comes in with the IV four more times, but Mitchell doesn’t come again. Have I been here four days? No, an IV is used for extreme cases, they wouldn’t need to use it every day. Are they just trying to mess with my mind?

The door opens fully and I get my first glimpse of sunlight, bright enough that it almost blinds me. The light above me turns on and the door closes. In front of me stands a little old lady, white hair, wrinkled pale white skin, a floral dress with a pink shawl. This is someone’s grandmother. This can’t be the Cathy that Mitchell had spoken of with such fear. Suddenly in front of this little old lady I’m aware of the fact that I’ve been forced to use the bathroom in my pants for however long I’ve been here. I probably smell terrible and look just as bad.  

“I don’t know where she is,” I say to her.

“I didn’t ask,” she swiftly removes a knife and cuts along my forearm.

“What?”

“1 of 1001 cuts. I’ve never gotten past 873. I hope we can break the record today.”

“What?”

“Don’t bleed out.”

All I can do is sit helplessly as she cuts away the remains of my battle worn clothing. Soon I’m sitting in just my soiled underwear, at least she allowed me some decency. As she starts to make cut after cut I can’t do anything but scream. I try not to scream as these are no deeper than papercuts, each one only bleeding slightly as she cuts randomly. Cut 19 is the one that forces me to yell as she slices between my big toe and second toe a deeper cut.

“You don’t bleed very much. This isn’t going to be fun for me.”

“It’s no theme park for me either.”

“Do you know what a Lycan Autopsy is,” she asks as she digs in her bag.

“I take it you’re going to cut me again.”

“Yes, then I’m going to have a look around inside you, and sew you back up, all while you watch.”

I don’t have a chance to respond before she jams a knife into my stomach. I star to scream, and she only drags the knife further. My flesh peeling back from the white fat is enough to make me vomit. I dry heave as she laughs knowing there’s nothing there. Slowly she saws back and forth at the muscle. I almost pass out from the pain, and she shocks me with her hands. The quick jolt of magic keeps me awake through the process. Soon elastic tendons start to burn as they shrink back into my body.  

She starts to poke through and toy with my intestines. The heap of blood and flesh covering my stomach, her laugh, the muscle shrinking I can’t take it. I promised myself I’d hold out until I got my chance to kill Justin, but I can’t do it. I bite down on my tongue, but my teeth won’t go through. I bite harder, I can taste the blood, but it stops me from going further. I mimic her sawing motion, using my teeth to saw through my tongue.

“329, 330,” the old lady counts.

“What the hell,” I’m back in the shack, torso featuring some new cuts but no autopsy.

“You woke up? Most people just die in there, but you got through the illusion?”

“What illusion?”

“Magic, I put you in a little world of my own making. I’m impressed.”

I try to regain my composure, but the fresh cuts aren’t allowing me to think straight. Why am I trying to think straight? Nothing about this situation is straight. Why did she stop cutting me? I need to get out of here. I’ve lost some weight but I don’t think the straps are loose enough. Maybe if I can sweat enough to slide out. I only need one arm free.

“I have a reward for you,” she comes back with a large black bottle.

“I don’t need a reward.”

“Since you like hanging out with vampires, I thought I’d give you a taste of their life.”

She holds the bottle to my lips, but I don’t open my mouth. I can tell from the smell; the bottle is filled with blood. She squeezes my cheeks and forces the bottle in. I don’t swallow, but she holds my nose. With an extra shock to my jaw, I’m forced to swallow. The blood doesn’t stay down long as soon as she moves the bottle I vomit. I’m not a vampire, I don’t love the taste of blood. At least it doesn’t burn like regular vomit when it comes back up.

“Well, we’re just going to have to try again,” she pulls a second bottle from her bag.

“I don’t know where Destiny is.”

“I told you, I didn’t ask.”

The second bottle doesn’t go down any easier than the first, nor does the third. I consider biting my tongue again, really killing myself this time. But she doesn’t go for a fourth bottle. Instead, she stares at me in amusement.  

“Well, you don’t bleed enough so cutting you is boring, you broke out of my illusion, and you really can’t stomach blood. I’m going to have to find something more creative for you. Unfortunately, my time is up, but I’ll be back the next day, and the next day,” she gleefully smiles as I start to pass out again.

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3.61

3.61

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

---

“You want something to eat,” the woman driving asks.

“Might be your last meal for a while,” the other adds when I don’t answer.

“It’s not personal, just business. I’m going to stop at Rally’s, you might want to eat. At least get a milkshake, their strawberry is to die for,” the driver continues.

“Looks like he’s about to die any second,” the woman on the passenger side joked.

The vampire I killed was Adam Locke, an assassin of the top tier. He’s been hunting people for various vampire houses for over a century. He was there to kill Destiny, I just happened to show up. He wasn’t prepared for me and hadn’t rested enough from his travel here. That’s what they told me anyway. I believe it. It was all a game to him, something he had done thousands of times before. I was just a warm up for him. My fear of death and a few drops of luck saved me. If it had been night time, I would have died for sure.

I’m not actually sure I didn’t die. I remember looking at his dead body, and the next thing I know I was being pulled off the ground by these two. I don’t know if it would be appropriate to call them idiots, but they’re idiots. Still, they were smart enough to dress like cops and throw me in the back of a cop car. For all I know, they could be real cops in service of The Marsons. What I do know, is they drove me around until the sun set, taking orders through a radio. They went out and did other things, leaving me in the back of the car. I don’t know what their plan is for me, but I know it isn’t good.

Honestly, my body hurts too much for me to think of an escape plan. I’ve been fading in and out since they grabbed me. They were really on top of their game, because I’ve had some fights. But I feel like each one gets progressively harder. No matter how much I train and learn, I’m just not keeping up with the increase in difficulty.  

“Got you a milkshake and a burger,” the driver passes it back to me.

“Thanks, any chance there’s a key to the door at the bottom,” I ask only half joking.

“Oh gosh no,” the passenger remarks before laughing.

“So, what are your names?”

“Well, I’m Lilly,” the driver answers.

“And I’m the fabulous Rosalyn but people call me Rose for short,” the passenger responds.

“Great, Lilly and Rose. Are you going to take me to a hospital at some point? I’m pretty sure I’m bleeding internally,” maybe I can get the chance to escape.

“No, we’re just buying time until master wakes up for the evening,” Lilly says with glee.

“So, who’s the master?”

“That would be Lord Justin,” Rose responds.

This is a really good milkshake, the burger isn’t bad either. I take the time to savor each sip and every bite. This might be the last time I get to eat food. I know Justin already wanted us dead, and now I’m going to be dragged right into his trap. I just wish I could have seen Destiny one last time, said goodbye to my family. Especially Elias, he’s going to be so worried about me. The sun is setting, and we’ve started to drive outside of the city. We’ll probably be heading to some mansion where I’m beheaded on the front lawn as a warning to Destiny.

I don’t plan to go out without a fight, but there isn’t much fight left in me. My shoulders are almost completely numb, every time I move my sides are killing me and I’m pretty sure at least one of my ankles is sprained. I could try to fight them both right now in the car, but that probably wouldn’t turn out well. They’re thralls anyway, they’re following orders. Chloe and Justin, those are the people that have made our lives hell. If we’re going to see him, I’ll try to take him out with me. They haven’t cuffed me despite pretending to be cops. I just need my body to hold out long enough for me to lunge at him. I can stab him one time in the heart. Destiny said these old vampires aren’t built to take damage, I’ve killed them before, and I can do it one last time.  

We ride up the winding path as the last moments of sunlight fade. When they open the door, I fight the urge to run. If I run, they’ll probably kill me now. They’re going to kill me anyway so I might as well wait for my opportunity to kill Justin. Rose and Lilly pass me off to a group of people that includes a woman carrying a sword and a man with a gun. I expect them to lead me inside to have a sit down with Justin, instead they lead me to a shed off the path and out of sight of the old mansion.

Inside there’s no Justin, just a metal chair with leather straps dangling to the side, almost like an old electric chair and a single light hanging down. This was a set up from the beginning. I turn to run and immediately feel my feet leave the ground. The sense of weightlessness as I fall is ended as my shoulder meets the grass. A quick hits me in the center of my stomach and instantly the contents empty out in front of me. I don’t have the energy to fight back as I’m lifted by my neck and slammed into the chair.  

A few punches later and the straps are wrapped around my wrists and ankles tight enough that I begin to lose feeling. The light bulb is turned out and the doors are slammed closed. My death is inevitable now. This is the waiting room for me. I can’t stop the tears as I think about everything that’ll be left here when I’m gone.

“Is anyone there,” I scream out, but there’s no response. “I don’t want to die,” I’ve thought the words but never screamed them out before.  

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3.60

3.60

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

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My entire body is aching, but I push it to the limits running down the hallway. I never thought I’d play the victim in a horror movie. I keep moving past the elevator, I don’t have time to wait for it. I slam through the door to the stairwell and start to limp down the stairs. I make it a flight before I hear someone humming Yankee Doodle. I know it’s the vampire and I know that wasn’t five minutes.

“Shit,” I slip down the stairs as he drops in front of me.

“You didn’t get far,” he reaches down to grab me. I summon my nightmare and stab at his hand. He releases me long enough for me to push him down the stairs and run up to the next floor. I make my way through the door and grab at the fire alarm.

The screeching pains my ears as the lights begin to flash. I know it has to be worse on him, vampire hearing and vision being as good as they are. I hate to admit it, but I’m pulling a Destiny move, hoping to blend into the crowd of people fleeing. I make my way down the hall, banging on each door, yelling fire and hoping people file out.

“You can’t run,” he calls from the other end of the hall.

I hit the stairwell with other people from the apartment and make my way down the crowded stairs with everyone else. There’s a loud clattering sound followed by several thuds. Looking back, he’s knocked the door of the hinges and it is slowly sliding down the stairs after us.

“Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy. Mind the music and the step,” he manages to yell out over the alarms.

Even with the alarm ringing, the only thing I can hear is his maniacal laughter as I reach the ground floor. Pushing through the people, I can feel my heart beating in my ears. If I can just get to my car, I can get away from him. He can’t catch me if I’m in the car, or he can, but they have fees and stuff for that right?

I don’t see him behind me the sunlight must be keeping him back enough for me to gain distance. Shit, I don’t have my car keys. I must have lost them during the fight. I just have to keep moving, and stay in front of people. It shouldn’t be hard; the street is filling up as fire trucks arrive. There’s nowhere for him to snatch me, but also nowhere for me to run.

“I see another snarl of men, digging graves they told me. So tarnal long so tarnal deep, they tended they should hold me,” what the hell is that song? Is he in my head? Does nobody else hear this?

Just a little further, I can hop on the L and get away. He’s not going to kill a car full of people. I just need to keep moving, even if every muscle in my body wants to give out. It’s getting harder to breathe and keep moving. Is this what it feels like to have a broken rib, or am I having a heart attack?

My vision blurs and needles are shooting through my back. I try to scream out, but my mouth and nose are covered by a rough hand. When my eyes catch up to the motion I realize I’ve been slammed into an alleyway. Vampires, way too fast for me to keep up with.

“It scared me so, I hooked it off, nor stopped, as I remember. Nor turned about till I got home, locked up in mother’s chamber,” he continues to sing as he grinds the leather glove into my face. “There, finished my song. You got further than expected. The alarm, that was smart,” he just talks now.

With a hand over my mouth and another around my neck, I’m losing air. I can’t hang on much longer. He just laughs as a I grab at his arms, trying to pry his fingers free, anything I can. Why doesn’t he just snap my neck or bite me? He’s taking joy in this and nobody can hear me being murdered forty feet from the sidewalk.

I stop clawing and start flinging both my arms at his head. He only laughs, there’s no real damage behind them. My last hope, I summon one of the blades and stab where I think an ear is. He finally stops laughing but doesn’t scream in pain despite dropping me. I take big gasps and try to crawl as he removes the blade from his head. If I had more strength left, I could have gotten deeper, I might have killed him.

I try to grip at the asphalt beneath me, knowing it’s futile as he drags me back by my ankle. I can feel it on the verge of cracking in his grasp. He’s using more of his strength now, I was never getting away. I didn’t expect it to end this way.

Even now as he looks into my eyes, I can’t really hear what he’s saying. I’m half hoping someone comes to save me, half realizing this is my own fault. I shouldn’t have even been at Destiny’s apartment. I shouldn’t have followed her through the club that night. What kind of stalker crap was that? I should have been more outgoing. I should have told my family I loved them more.

No, this isn’t the end for me. A small tear in his mask, where I stabbed him earlier. If I can just force my body to move. My arm doesn’t respond at first but with some effort it moves. I’m able to get it up and he compliments my courage to keep fighting. Apparently, he’s seen vampires and lycans with less fight than me.

I manage to grasp at the mask and pull, I refuse to let go even as he tries to pry my hand. We’re both dying in the alleyway today. I’m getting that mask off, and he’s going to turn to dust. Destiny better not have lied about that. I don’t want to die, but if I have to I’m going to take him with me, even if he does break every bone in my arm. The back of my head slams onto the asphalt as he tries to push me through the ground.

But I’ve got a good chunk of the mask in my hand. He’s ugly, pale skin, crooked nose, sunken eyes. A real classic aristocrat type that might be hundreds of years old for all I know. He doesn’t have to worry about being ugly much longer as the sun shines on his head. He tries to cover his head with his arms, but he can’t cover it all. I thought he would just turn to dust all at once. Instead he starts to vomit what has to be blood. The pale skin on his face begins to bubble and fester as if it were boiling. He’s trying to scream, but chokes on the blood. Even as he inches closer to me, he still doesn’t turn to dust. It’s almost as if he’s fighting his demise, the same way I was a few seconds ago. Finally he collapses a few feet from me. Only his head turns to dust, the rest of his body is still covered and still solid, but he’s dead and that’s all that matters.

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