Wrong Place Wrong Time

[Daeus]

Charlotte blinked a few times as the gears in her mind sputtered and struggling to work with a missing cog thanks to the consumption of alcohol. There was part of her claiming that she had passed out as an angry drunk and this was some weird dream since he had been in her thoughts right before she had fallen asleep. This thought caused her to impulsively poke his shoulder before deciding he was really there.


Ding, the words he spoke had finally managed to register in her brain. Her expression changed in an instant to irritated disbelief.


"Worried? I highly doubt a jerk such as yourself would be worried. You keep lying and lying. I wonder if you're even capable of speaking the truth."


She went to punch him in the face just then but her hand eye coordination - not being that great when she was sober - totally missed it's mark and she ended up losing her balance and slamming her fist into the wall which caused her to scraped her knuckles and flail around as she tried to regain her balance. It was a mess of limbs and a surprised squeak as she tried to prevent herself from teetering over and flopping onto the floor.


She ended up in an ever more awkward position since she had grabbed on to Ian for stability since he was the closest thing she could actually grab. It was the way she had grabbed him that made the event even more embarrassing since she was now practically hugging him for dear life as she tried to get her feet stable enough to support herself. She could have asked for help but she was too stubborn to do so since he was still pretending to be someone she knew he wasn't.

 

[FaithWynters]

For a little while, Ian couldn't do anything more than watch her as her attempt at hitting him failed. She was a little more...fuddled than he had really expected. He didn't dodge out of the way of her fist. If she actually had managed to hit him, he was sure that she wouldn't be able to hurt him much; he had been through much more last night.


So, he only watched as she fell over herself and into him, grabbing at his shirt for something to stop her from continuing onto the ground. He was sure that her falling wouldn't help her mood, so he fought the urge to step backwards and let her fall.A laugh escaped his lips, as his hands pulled themselves instinctively to her sides to help steady her.


"Well someone can't hold their liquor" What he was saying wasn't a lie. He had been submerged in liquor since he was young. He could handle any alcohol thrown at him even before he was changed. He had died because of booze; it was a part of his life. The vampire in him didn't help his drinking either. That's why he wasn't even feeling the alcohol in his system anymore. When someone got this intoxicated, he couldn't help but point it out, or at least notice. She was pretty cute--especially angry--so he didn't mind giving her a hard time over it.


He smirked, tightened his grip around her waist, picked her up as gently as he could, and pulled her still-slightly crumpled body over his shoulder. "How about we get you inside before you hurt yourself". He wasn't going to let her fight him over it. He kept his hands wrapped around her as he walked into the apartment.


"I guess this'll be the best place, so you don't break your face" He heard the door close behind him after he pushed it with his foot. He could still feel the groaning in his muscles and bones from the night before. He still needed to find a way to thank her, but he felt like right now wasn't the time.


Ian ignored the discomfort, walking into the living room. Shifting her in his arms until he was able to sit her gently down onto the couch. There was a smile on his face, but this one was different. As he pulled his body away from where he had set her down, he had gotten the flash of scent off her body. It wasn't the musk that he smelt, but her blood, the sweet scent of blood as her heart forced it through her veins. He could feel something in his stomach curling up as if he were a giddy child. He pulled himself up, turned around, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He couldn't do that; not after what happened last night.


"You hungry? I could go for some food. It'll help you sober you up too" He turned around and walked across the room. With a small twist, he locked the door to make sure there weren't any uninvited guests. It was almost as if he lived in the home, of course he didn't, but he'd like to see her try and kick him out.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte squeaked in protest as she was lifted over his shoulder and brought back inside the apartment like a sack of grain. Being slightly drunk still made it impossible to even struggle out of his grip knowing that she'd just flop painfully onto the ground and just prove his point that she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol.


When he finally placed her down on the couch she glared at him since she was worried in her anger she would start slurring and just make him laugh at her more. He was making a fool of her at every turn and it was annoying her so much she had imagine throwing an assortment of items at his lovely face but even in her mind he still kept that damn smile.


When he mentioned food to her she simply shook her head. Part her wanted to remain in this stupor since it meant she could be rude and not care if she offended him or not. Sober meant she would have to be considerate and she was in no mood to be nice after he lied about who he was and nearly got her killed at that stupid laundromat (though that was also her own stupid fault for getting involved in the first place).


"I want you to admit the truth."


She stood up then to grab a glass of water. Her mouth felt dry and as though it was stuffed with cotton. She went into the small compact kitchen which barely allowed two people to stand in it at the same time. She grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and nearly dropped it. However in her attempt to save the cup from shattering on the floor she ended up smashing it against the corner of the counter while still grasping it. The glass shattered in her hand instead and sliced open her palm.


"Ow!"

 

[FaithWynters]

After he made sure the door was locked, he followed the girl towards her kitchen. Ian was sure that she was going to continue to be stubborn. She hadn’t even told him to get out yet—which he probably should have seen as a plus—as she walked toward one of the cabinets across the room.


“Admit what? That I’m some kid that you saw almost get killed?” He shook his head, rolling his eyes and walking towards the fridge. Opening the door, he peered into the cool box, trying to find something to cook. He couldn’t help the quiet laugh as he looked at it.


“So we’ve got milk…and soy sauce for takeout I assume… and but-“ It was then that she called out in pain and even the smell coming from the fridge wasn’t enough to cover the smell of her bleeding hand. His grip tightened on the fridge handle and he let out a quiet groan.“Not what I intended on a meal” He spoke under his breath to himself. Ian hadn’t been particularly prepared for the scent of blood wafting through the kitchen and he could feel something in his mouth changing. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and pulled himself out of the fridge. He could handle this. He was strong enough.


“Are you okay, Drunkard?” He wanted to flash a toothy grin, but now there would none of that. He walked toward her, noticing the bits of glass in her hand and scattered in the area around her. Ian wondered for a moment if she was always this clumsy or if this was just the alcohol.


“Let me look at it” He gripped her wrist tightly, not wanting to take the chance of her pulling away from him. He was fighting hard not to just pin her against the counter and drink from her. He had to remind himself that that was the reason he had gotten into deep shit last night.


“You might have some glass in it. Let me help” He was lying. Even though he was used to battling this inner part of himself, this girl’s scent was alluring him and he was having a hard time fighting the impulse. “This is going to seem weird, but this will be the easiest way to get any glass out, tweezers could just push the glass further in” He didn’t give her any time to think about what he said. He was letting the monster inside of him win, and really, at this moment, he wasn’t too upset with himself for it.


He brought her hand up close to his face to examine it, any pieces of glass that he actually did get out wouldn’t really bother him that much; he healed quickly. Making sure to get any large apparent pieces out, setting them on the table, Ian pulls the bleeding wound up to his lips. The scent is intoxicating and the taste causes him to mirror the euphoria with eyes pressed closed. He can taste the alcohol as he tries to pull himself away from her hand. He’s not sure if he’s shown her anything on the outside, and very quickly he is able to pull himself away from her hand, blood smeared on his lips and teeth. He lets her hand go, his body shaking, eyes not opening yet.


“There” He spoke, hoping she didn’t notice the fangs. He reached in his mouth and pulled out a few small pieces of glass, setting them down on the table.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte had been just about to grab the white dish towel that was draped over the handle to the oven door. However before she even had a chance Ian has snagged her tightly and somewhat painfully by her wrist causing her blood to drip messily all over the cheap linoleum flooring of the kitchen. He seemed strange now and tense as he spoke and his grip was seemed impossible to try to break free from.


Before she could even protest his mouth was sucking out the glass shards that had embedded into her palm from the shattered glass. In that moment something about Ian changed and made her involuntarily shudder ; from fear or something else she wasn't sure. He seemed to suck on her hand longer than really necessary and was about to try and pull her hand away before he stopped and pulled the glass from his mouth and placed them on the counter.


That annoying and playful demeanor was gone and had been replaced by something else. She wasn't sure how exactly how to explain his expression other than some strange sort of lust. She should have been grossed out. He was practically a stranger and had sucked glass out of her bloody hand and had her blood smeared all over his lips. Instead she felt her heart beat faster and her breathing hitch. A little voice was trying to scream out a warning to her from the part of her mind that she always suppressed; the part of her that believed in ghosts and wished for not such a boring reality.


"Y-You have blood on your face," she whispered.

 

[FaithWynters]

Ian could feel her heartbeat begin to race. Was she afraid? He finally opened his eyes to look at her, trying to smile. He was trying to act like what he had just done was normal. He reached now for the white dish towel to wrap around her hand until he could get her a bandage.


“I should probably get that off” The words were simple as he walked quickly towards the sink, turned on the tap, and ran his hands into the water. He scrubbed his face until he was sure all the blood was gone. The scent and memories had not washed down the drain though.Wow. She tasted better than… Ian felt his stomach turn at the thought.


At one time or another, he had thought that she had the best tasting blood out of anyone. He had been turned only about four decades before they met. He had been wandering, lost, confused, and hardly able to control himself when they met. It was dark and he saw her across the street. It was dark and she was waiting for the bus. He couldn’t hear her heart beat, and it drew him closer. He could smell her across the street and her scent was intoxicating. He never thought he would find anyone that tasted as good as her.


“So it looks like I’m calling delivery because you have virtually nothing to eat in this house.” He was trying to lighten the mood. He ran his tongue over the outside of his teeth. No more fangs. He gave her another toothy grin before looking around the small kitchen. “I don’t know where your medical supplies are or I’d help you help yourself.” He pulled his phone out from his back pocket, looking through his delivery contacts, wondering what he should call in for dinner. Pasta sounded nice. Or maybe Chinese. He glanced up at her.


“So do you want Italian or Chinese? I know a few good places in this town and the starch’ll help you sober up.” He was trying to act normal. She was obviously freaked out, but he assumed that a random kid wouldn't be so serious. He would be oblivious. He was just assuming, and many times his assumptions were wrong.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte allowed him to wrap the dish towel around her hand. It would be stained and ruined but there wasn't anything else at hand to keep her from bleeding all over the place. She didn't say a word as he washed his face off still slightly unnerved by whatever had just happened. The cuts weren't so terrible that she would need to go to the ER and get stitches... or at least she hoped they weren't that bad. She really didn't feel like having to take a cab to the ER and be stuck there for hours alone waiting till it was her turn.


"It was Shelly's turn to go grocery shopping... which she never actually ends up doing but that doesn't mean I can try to starve her for a few days as a sign of protest."


Charlotte blush as she realized she was rambling useless information to someone who was a complete stranger who was locked in her apartment alone with her. She cleared her throat trying to cover her embarrassment.


"Chinese."


With that she made her way over to the single bathroom that she shared with Shelly. After a minute of digging around under the sink cabinets she procured a small first aid kit. She had a tendency to injure herself and Shelly had nicknamed her "Murphy" after Murphy's Law their first three months of living together after Charlotte somehow managed to trip over absolutely nothing. She removed the dish towel and actually looked at the mess the glass had made of her palm and let out a sigh. It was still bleeding where the glass had stuck in to her flesh and would probably leave a few scars but it wasn't life threatening or would need stitches.


She washed her hand off and hissed in pain as the water washed over her wounds. She used the already ruined dish towel to dry her hands before trying to wrap her hand with the gauze that had been rolled up in the kit. Doing this one handed and with alcohol in her system made this more difficult than usual.

 

[FaithWynters]

He grunted in response as she walked away to clean her hand. So they shared responsibilities in the apartment. Ian thought over the idea a little bit and decided that would be a nice for someone to share half of the work in the home. She was gone almost all the time; he couldn’t expect her to do anything. That wouldn’t be fair.


He had already dialed the number into his phone by the time he pulled himself out of his thoughts. The phone rang quietly as he waited for someone on the other line to pick up. He walked toward the counter, pulling away a paper towel to clean up the floor.


“Oriental Garden, may I help you?” Someone had finally picked up. He ordered a few things, gave an address, and cleaned up the blood on the floor. He pulled his wallet out as he threw the paper towel away. Delivery was always expensive in this town. Usually he wouldn’t bother with buying delivery, but he was afraid that if he left she wouldn’t let him back in. He thought that was the most logical response to him being in her house.


“It’s ordered” He called toward the direction she walked as he made it that way. He stopped at the open door, looking inside. “Do you need help?” He laughed quietly, watching her struggle to wrap her hand.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte didn't trust her mouth in the state she was in so instead of asking politely like a normal person she simply extended her badly wrapped nearly mummy-styled hand towards Ian to indicate assistance was needed for this task. As far as she was concerned he owed her this much after saving his life and making her look like a fool in front of her roommate.


She didn't care what he had ordered for them to eat as long as it didn't burn her mouth and throat with the heat from spice. She wasn't too terrible of a picky eater since she entered college. If it was food and edible that was all that mattered. She had also only had ramen for the past two days trying to convince Shelly to finally go to the store and purchase actual food.


"I don't get you at all," she muttered.


"I save you, you say I didn't. You show up at my apartment and make fun of me. You sucked glass out of my hands and now you're helping me bandage my wounds. And you're feeding me."


She titled her head to one side as she looked him over curiously and tried to determine on a basic level if he was friend or foe. He hadn't tried to harm her so far even after he had locked himself in her apartment which (which should have been more alarming to her).


"All I want from you is the truth. If you don't want me to tell the police you survived then fine but at least confirm you are who you are."

 

[FaithWynters]

She didn't speak at first. Ian thought that was her way of turning him away. If she did, he would understand. It was very strange what he was doing and for the longest time the only real contact he had was humans that he fed from when she was away. He could sway them into his arms, but this was different. He had never put himself into a situation where a human had saved him. It was weakness.


Then, she holds out her hand for assistance. He can't help another toothy grin as he walks the length of the bathroom. He was back to normal now and trying to forget the taste of her. He busied himself with unwrapping and rewrapping her hand and listening to her finally begin to talk.


He hadn't finished wrapping her hand when she finished and he thought for a moment. He was very aware that he had many paths he could take when telling her what the truth was. None of them would be right. He would have so much explaining to do no matter what he did.


Her hand was wrapped. He held it anyway; time was up. He sighed as he looked at her hand, still held in his. He had to make sure this was as real as possible.


"No one can know." He didn't know where he was going. "I-I didn't think that I would ever see you again so when I saw you, I freaked. I didn't know what to do" Ian dropped her hand and turned away. He was breathing hard and his voice was cracking. "I can't get picked up by the cops. I've got school. The school can't find out because then I'll have to go to the cops. And people talk." Ian turned on her, leaning down so he could meet her eyes. "Your friend would have talked. You would have talked. I can't loose my scholar-" There was a knocking at the door and he almost instantaneously regained his composure, turned, and walked out. He said nothing, just pulled out his wallet, took the money out, and opened the door.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte didn't believe a word that escape his lovely lips. Maybe it was some weird talent or those terrible years with her first boyfriend that made her easily able to detect lies... or at least believe she could detect lies. He could change emotions on a whim it seemed and part of her wondered if he even knew who the hell he was himself to be able to change himself to what he needed so easily.


She followed him out of the bathroom and to the door where she assumed the person there was trying to deliver Chinese food at this late hour. She was frustrated and done with him at this point. Maybe it shouldn't matter if he admitted the truth or her or not; he was a stranger to her. Whatever good mood she had was spoiled now and she just wanted him gone. She'll put that small moment of her life and push it way back down in her mind till she could forget it ever happen and that if she should ever see him again she wouldn't recognize his face.


She sighed deeply as she moved to shove him out of her apartment (though a part of her really did want that Chinese food). If he wanted to continue to play this game she wasn't going to play it with him and he could just find someone else to lie to.


"Just go away if you're going to lie," she said monotonously.

 

[FaithWynters]

He had paid and the man that had delivered food was already gone. He had the cardboard tray of food in his hands when he turned around. It surprised him because he actually hadn’t heard her approaching from behind. The look on her face told Ian everything he needed to know as she pushed him back. He kept his ground, watching her a moment as she told him to get out. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. She wanted him to leave.


“Fine.” He spoke simply, pushing past her. He wasn’t going to take this food back with him. He made it back into the kitchen, sitting the food on the counter. The quiet tone of a text message rang in his back pocket. For the time being, he ignored it. She hadn’t believed him. That was fine. After tonight, he wouldn’t see her again. He could forget about her now that she was sober.


“If you don’t care about me telling you the truth then I’m leaving” Then, there was another ring of his phone, followed by another, and another. He had made it back to the door now, but he couldn’t ignore the phone anymore. Apparently someone wanted to talk to him.

Farrah

left

I decided not to go out of town this week.

left

Maybe you can feed tonight…

left

Plans changed. I need you to get home. NOW

He had to reread the messages a few times before he finally understood the words. This wasn’t her. This was not his Farrah. He had come to stop in the doorway of the apartment, having pretty much forgotten about the girl. He shook his head—alarms were going off in his head.


“This isn’t…right” He muttered, rereading the message again.

 

[Daeus]

She would have protested at him entering her kitchen and leaving the food but instead remained silent. She didn't get why he seemed to irritated with her when she was the one being lied to by someone who she had saved. A thank you would have been enough for her, just a small thanks for putting herself at risk to save a strange. Perhaps that was her own problem... she was seeking validation for something that true heroes did as a thankless act.


"Just leave already. I'm done. If you ever decide to tell the truth you know where I live."


When he reach the door she was ready to shove him out and just got to sleep. She probably wouldn't even touch the food until tomorrow since she'd just be angry as she ate it since it would remind her of Ian. It killed her appetite. She noticed his phone and heard his comment but it wasn't any of her business.


She didn't even remember why he had even come over to her apartment and she was beginning not to care.


(sorry it's short, want to give time to react)

 

[FaithWynters]

The phone rang again and again. Something was happening. He watched the text messages roll in. All of them were strange, but it seemed that each one seemed more stressed than the other. He had to get home. That’s where she said she would be. He needed to get home. The phone continued to ring.


“Fine. I’m sorry that you ‘risked your life’ helping me not get the shit kicked out of me. It still happened. I just didn’t die. Is that what you want? Thank you for saving my pathetic little life, Charlotte.” He was yelling now, his hands balled into fists. He was losing his cool. He had to get to Farrah. “Are you happy? Why don’t you just get off of your high horse because some people have a lot more problems than me lying to you!” His face was red when he finished. He had to go. He had to get to her.


He looked back down to his phone. The message simply read ‘help’. That was enough. Alarms rang in his head. She never texted him. She was old fashioned; she called. She was never so open; always secluded. He couldn't help it. He dropped his phone, turned around, and ran out the door, down the hallway, and into the stairwell. He could run a lot faster than the elevator could move up and down and he knew that.


(Sorry. Mine are short for the same reason)

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte hadn't expected him to snap and visibly recoiled as though she was prepare for him to physically hit her. She'd never been beaten in her life but angry lashes had always caused her to appear as such. There was no feeling of victory at him finally admitting the truth but rather worry because whatever had been going on with his phone had him on edge. All she had wanted was the truth and apparently that had been way too much to ask of Ian.


When he flew out of her apartment dropping his phone on the ground all she could do was look after him with a worried expression. She wasn't trying to be nosy but the screen hadn't gone into its sleep-mode and she could see the last few texts that had been sent. Someone he knew was in some sort of trouble. Instead of reading the rest of the text she simply pressed his phone to put it to sleep before closing the door. There wasn't anything she could do to help him or his friend even if she wanted to all she could do was at least keep his phone safe for now.


She went to her bedroom and put the phone in the drawer of her nightstand table. A part of her wanted to chase after him because she'd already saved him once and she felt some responsibility in trying to keep him alive after already doing so once.


There was a knock at the door.


Charlotte assumed it was one of her neighbors coming to complain about the noise and probably what was going on. However she couldn't have been more wrong. She peered through the peephole to see a police officer. This was strange since it was already this late. She opened her door to inquire what was going on. However, she hadn't seen the two other men that had been kneeling out of her view of the peephole and within a moment she regretted opening her door.


She turned to rush to her room and slammed the door closed with heavy footsteps behind her. Living in a cheap apartment meant cheap locks and cheap doors. Before she could grab her phone the door already cracked and crashed open with one solid kick from the fake cop. She was fumbling so badly she was speed dialing Shelly instead of 911 which cost her precious time.


She was thrown against her bedroom wall with a thud and the phone went flying from her grasp and the wind was knocked out of her lungs leaving her gasping and choking.


"You're the girl who saved that disgusting creature. You're the reason why our brothers are facing a hefty murder charge and so we think you owe us something."


All that came next was a punch hard enough to make her vision blur and a black bag over her head with a gag shoved into her mouth. This is what happened to people people who got involved. They vanished.

 

[FaithWynters]

Ian ran so hard and so fast back across town that it felt like the muscles in his legs might tear apart. They screamed for him to stop, begged for him to slow down, and prayed for some sort of reprieve of the punishment they were now enduring. It had been a long time since Ian had run this hard and this fast. He made it across town in record time.


The only place he could think of he being that he could help was home. That’s where he prayed Farrah was. She had to be there, and if she wasn’t there…where was she? He ran until he made it to the front steps of their beautiful home. He fumbled with the keys and fought with the lock until the door swung open.


The house was dark and silent. His stomach had curled within itself and his legs were finally beginning to do the same. He was so tired. He couldn’t stop now. He took a few steps in, listening for movement. There were no heartbeats. No humans were here. If there were no humans than there could only be vampires or no one.


“Farrah?” He yelled her name through the house, rushing up the stairs to see if she was in bed, waiting on him. Was this some sort of sick test? No. She wouldn’t do that to him. Ian’s legs groaned as he made it to the door of the bedroom. He gripped the handle, it was still silent. There was a new scent in the air. “Farrah?” His voice was softer now; he was afraid.


He pushed the door open to see more darkness. He did not find his lover in the bed. Her beautiful curves and luscious lips. Her smile. They were not there for him. The only thing that found him was a simple word, written across the white walls in blood. He walked forward, reading the word slowly at first, then faster and faster.


‘Monster’ He leaned forward once he made it to the wall, took a deep breath of air in. A low growl emitted from his lips and his fist made its way into the drywall. It was Farrah’s blood. He would know that scent anywhere. He could feel pain shoot through his hand, but he didn’t care. “Farrah” This time the word was whispered; weak.


He pulled his hand out of the wall and turned, walking out of the room. He had to find her. His mind was going a million miles a second. Then he realized it. Why had he been brought here? Why did they tell him to come here besides the nasty letters written on his walls? He felt his jaw tighten.


Charlotte.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte had no idea where she was or who these guys were beyond the hints that had been dropped when they grabbed her from her apartment. They were associated with the guys who had nearly beaten Ian to death and obviously due to the newspapers reporting she had become a target. She had identified them in the lineup and was a witness. They take her out of the equation as the only witness to the crime and that reduce the chance those criminals would be put away in prison.


The wounds on her hand had reopened in her early struggles in trying to get free. Sure they outnumbered her but she could run pretty damn fast and she was not going to be taken without some type of fight. That earned her a nice pistol whip and now she was awake in some abandoned building that was void of graffiti. That wasn't a good sign since that meant there wasn't even amy vandals that would come to this place.


They had removed the bag and the gag. Apparently the earlier punch had caused a cut on her lip as she tasted the familiar iron of blood. The man that had pretended to be a cop had apparently enough time to change clothes and she wasn't sure how long she had been knocked out. She was tied securely to a very uncomfortable metal folding chair and the more she tried to wiggle free the more her binding dug into her skin.


"Ah, she's awake finally. I was getting tired of waiting."


Charlotte's eyes jerked over to the man. The two that had been with him stepped out of she shadows revealing their presence. They hadn't killed her yet which made her worry more about what they wanted from her. If she was just a witness to remove why was she still alive?


"Now then Charlotte. We're going to play a little game. You answer a question and you won't be punished. Complete the game without a single punishment and you won't be raped after we're done. We'll give you a painless and quick death since we can't have you tattle again."


Liar.


Charlotte kept her mouth shut. There was no surviving and no winning. She wanted to cry but the stubborn part of her refused to scream and cry and give them the satisfaction of her terror.


"Where is the vampire?"


Charlotte laughed. She couldn't help it. They kidnapped her to ask her where a vampire was? What the hell was this? Maybe she had fallen asleep on the couch watching some weird movie. The slap across her cheek also slapped her back into the reality she desperately wanted to escape.


He asked her again only this time he described Ian. She couldn't help the confused expression on her face. Another slap this time... much harder. So hard her head jerked to the side and thought she would tip over and fall to the floor. She'd been kidnapped by lunatics; just perfect. As if a regular kidnapping wasn't enough.


They gave up asking her questions and slapping her within five minutes time. They decided to try harsher ways to convince her to talk but... how could she talk when she's screamed so much she no longer had a voice? Maybe it was the blood loss but she was feeling so tired after being cut so many times that she just wanted to sleep. Right as she was about to enter blissful unconsciousness they'd do something else to keep her awake. The smell and heat of the hot iron they were hovering right behind her was causing her to whimper.


"Brand her."


Charlotte's body jerked awake as she felt the burning iron press against her back right on her shoulder blade. Sunburns were always awful but this was pure agony. Even after the hot metal was pulled away it was searing as though it was still there. She was close to begging them to just kill her.

 

[FaithWynters]

He had no other way to go. No car. No time for a cab. He had to get across town. He took longer this time. He was tired, yes, but at the same time he was very aware that this girl wasn’t his lover. She was just another human, just like all the other humans in the world.


He was beginning to reach his limit. He was aware that he would be practically spent by the time this was all over, but he had to be conscious of the fact that he would have to fight for her. He owed her at least that. He owed her a fighting chance.


He expected a little less obvious when he got to her apartment again. He didn’t want to run across town anymore. He walked through the house. The girl wasn’t here. Penny or Alex or Shelly or something. She wasn’t at the house. It was obvious that no one was here.


“Charlotte?” By this time, his voice was hoarse and labored, but he walked quickly through the apartment. He made it to a back room and realized the one thing he didn’t want to realize. The door was busted in…Someone had taken her. He needed to find her and any clue inside that would help him out was welcomed.


When he stepped over the small bits of wood on the floor he smelt the distinctive scent from before. His teeth clenched tightly, looking at the red letters on the wall in Farrah’s blood. They were trying to get to him. He knew what they were doing. It was a trap. All of this was a trap to lead him where he would meet death. He gritted his teeth as he turned away from the words, looking around the room for cluse.


‘Monster Sympathizer’


Ian hadn’t expected it to be that easy. Ian hadn’t expected for there to be a simple piece of paper on the bed telling him exactly where to go. Maybe he was lucky, or they expected him to come back. Either way, he knew this one had to be a trap. He was sure they didn’t expect Shelly or the cops to find this. He picked up the paper and shoved it in his pants pocket. He prayed a silent prayer in hopes that she was still alive and headed back out the door.


“It’s not far” He was muttering quietly to himself, trying to give himself some sort of useless pep talk as he jogged toward the industrial part of town. He couldn’t run anymore. He was going to run himself completely out of energy and would be useless to the girl. He needed to be able to save her from these lunatics. He was no longer sore from the beatings he had taken the night before. That was a good thing; he would need all the extra hits he could take tonight.

. . .

​

It took him over an hour to get to the building that was meant to be his tomb. From outside, he could hear nothing. He was sure that she had to be there. The darkness seemed to crowd around the building, giving him a safe have, but in one of the rooms on the second floor, there was a floodlight on inside. Bright light streamed from inside.


He made his way to the front door. Probably not the most creative way of getting inside, but he didn’t have time for creative. The chain was cut that wove itself around the two handles so he took that as his cue for entrance. To his surprise, there were no men waiting for him inside the door. The place must have been some sort of abandoned hospital because there were gurneys and files stacked and strewn everywhere around the rooms.


So he made his way down the hall, hoping to find stairs at the end. Ian could now hear the agonizing screams from above and the talking of men. He began to hurry. He had the predatory advantage and he would use it to snap every one of their necks. He would feast on their blood and make them beg for mercy. They only thought they had seen a weak vampire. He was much stronger than they expected.


He had found the steps and now ran silently up them. The girl’s heartbeat rang hard in his ears now. He didn’t want to know what they had done to her, and if they had done things to her, what had he done to his beloved Farrah? He gritted his teeth as he dashed down the hallway; they would pay. He stopped one doorway down from where the light flooded into the empty hallway. He crouched and let a deep growl roll through his chest. The sound echoed off the walls, deep and guttural. They would look for him and they would find him.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte was in so much pain. There wasn't any part of her that didn't ache or sting or burn. They were seemed to enjoy inflicting pain. They didn't care about getting any information out of her anymore. Now all she seemed to be was some toy they could amuse themselves with to pass the time. Her body felt like it was shutting down and the floor was sticky and soaked with blood.


"You might have stabbed her a bit too deep. She's bleeding out all over the floor."


One of them grabbed her by her hair and forced her to look up at him. She didn't have any strength left and was completely limp. Apparently he didn't like what he had seen and shoved her so hard that the chair fell over to the side with her still secured to it. The loud thud and the sensation of falling was all she had to go by as her body was becoming cold and numb.


"Tch. You win the bet. I was sure she would have already been done in a while ago."


They had placed bets on how long before she would die it seemed. Was it that often that they did something like this? They had called Ian a monster but compared to them Ian was a saint. Even beaten and near death she couldn't say she regretted saving him even if he was a liar and had that adorable yet annoying smirk.


When she heard the growl she thought she was starting to hallucinate. She had done so earlier but they had made sure she was stuck in reality with them for the whole duration of their game. They had mentioned someone else. Some other woman that Ian was supposed to come for. Charlotte was just a loose end but the other woman was mentioned as "the main event." Charlotte pitied that person because if this is what they did to someone to kill time what would they do - or had they already done - to their other captive?


"I think our guest of honor has arrived. Come on out boy! We've made a nice little present for you monster! You might just be in time to see the life leave her eyes if you hurry up!"

 

[FaithWynters]

“You call me a monster but you hurt the innocent without fail. You call me a demon, but you’ve taken the blood of others and drawn on walls as if you call the Devil himself. You say I am a murderer, but you watch the life leave a young girl’s eyes and enjoy it” The growl continued without fail for a few moments before he slowly pulled himself forward into the doorway. The light wasn’t as bright anymore and he looked at the figures in front of him.


The smell of blood was strong around him and he smirked. It was just what he needed; it was a drive. He could feel the fangs begin to lengthen, the thick scent making his eyes turn dark. His face curled up into a snarl. It was the blood that would drive him. He could save this girl. He could save her life.


“I hope you know how to pray to God, because you will be meeting your judgments soon.” He didn’t know how to move, there were three men and the girl. He had to take them out as quickly as possible so that he could save her.

 

[Daeus]

She heard Ian's voice but she couldn't move to look towards the doorway. She wasn't sure if he was really there or if she was imagining it. One of the men moved over to her and violently cut the bindings that held her to the chair. It wasn't as if she had the energy to even try to run anymore. What she could see of herself as he moved her was that there wasn't an inch of her that wasn't covered in blood. How many pints has she lost? Surely she should have already died by now?


He violent tugged her up and held a blade to her throat. She felt the cool metal of a familiar dagger that had already been used on her many times since she had awoken in this horrible place. She was already done for so she didn't want Ian bother trying to negotiate for her life. However all she could do was look at him from where she was being held.


"Interesting speech from a creature such as yourself. Feeding off the lives of the living and cheating the devil of your soul. In the tie you've lived you've probably taken many more lives unjustly. This bitch helped you and needed to be punished. However, we're going to play a game with you first demon. You've got to make a very simple choice."


Two more carrying another woman entered then. She looked worse than Charlotte felt and she wondered if the woman was even still alive. There was just so much blood and she wasn't moving. The blade moved down from Charlotte's neck to her chest right where her heart was. The man pressed the tip of the into her flesh a bit and seemed to be getting ready to shove it into her chest. One of the two men hold the other woman did the same to her only the blade was the iron poker she had experienced earlier. It was cool and dark and pressed against her back also ready to pierce her heart.


"You can't try and save both of these whores. You're going to have to choose who dies first. Then maybe you'll have a chance to save the other before we kill her. Now... choose!"

 

[FaithWynters]

Of course they had the upper hand in this battle and Ian was very aware. He could feel his stomach beginning to turn in on itself. They both couldn’t live. But… He felt himself losing it. He had never been in this kind of situation before. A deep breath filled his lungs and he held out his hand, hoping they would stop.


“Don’t kill them. Let me trade lives” He would not be forced to choose between the two of them. An innocent girl that had nothing to do with this or his lover. It was an impossible choice and they knew whatever happened, the decision would tear him from the inside out. They were very aware of this.


“Charlotte. I need you to keep your eyes open, alright?” His words were calm. He knew what choice Farrah would have him make, but he wasn’t sure he could do that to her. “I need you to keep listening to the sound of my voice. Don’t go to sleep alright?” Her heart was beginning to slow down. Farrah would not fight them. If she was even conscious, she would know the choice she would want him to make. She would not beg for her life. Farrah knew the girl’s life was worth more than her own. He was shaking, holding his hands up and walking forward.


“Please, just let them go. You can kill me. Let Farrah take the girl. She’ll make sure you never have to worry about her again. You can kill me.” His voice was soft. He had lost his power. He had lost the drive for blood that he thought would help him. He was in check. They were about to take his queen; he couldn’t let that happen.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte heard Ian's voice. It sounded like it was coming from so far away in a long tunnel that she had problems understanding him. He was trying to offer himself in the place of two and knowing these men after this hellish experience she knew that wouldn't be an option. They were playing a game with rules they made and they were all cheating to make sure they would win no matter what.


"That's not how this works. You didn't choose so they both die."


Charlotte's heart struggled to beat as she filled with dread and panic. Her eyes were watering even after she had already cried so much from earlier. If she had been allowed to just bleed to death and sleep she wouldn't have cared but the fact that she was going to feel something pierce her heart was shattered her.


She felt the pressure of the blade increase and she closed her eyes desperately hoping it would be over soon. To just have it finally end.

 

[FaithWynters]

They would make him say it. They would make him break apart his whole world in this very moment. Farrah still didn’t move. He just wanted her to lift her head and tell him that it was going to be okay. Tell him that the choice he was going to make was fine. Tears were already brimming his eyes and falling down his cheeks. They had done exactly what they intended on doing; they had broken him.


“Please.” He took another step forward. He was closer to Charlotte. If he was given only a second then he could get her away from them. He just had to say the words that would break him.


“Take Farrah” The words made his body shake as he felt his head drop. They had won. He just wanted to take their places. They could punish him; cut off his fingers and beat him before killing him. Ian just wanted this to stop. “Please, Take Farrah first” He said the words again; he could hardly see. He was drawn back to being a weak being. After this moment, he knew he would have nothing.

 

[Daeus]

Charlotte whimpered. It was the only sound she could make. The whimper was because she was trying to tell him that he was falling right into their game. She heard the leader laugh with pleasure and it sent a cold chill down her spine. The dagger was removed from her chest very slowly but was kept close to her body enough that they wouldn't be able to end her in a moment's notice if they wished.


"You hear that? He wanted you to die first. He choose another woman. I wonder how much you just broke her heart."


There was a long and silent pause as though he wanted this painful moment to last forever. She was tried of this cruelty. The man snapped his fingers and Charlotte's eyes snapped open as she desperately trying ti implore Ian to save the other woman. Charlotte was going to die anyway and maybe the woman was in better shape.


"Kill 'em both."


The man who had the blade raised it away from her body in order to get the strength to shove it through the muscle and cartilage that protected her heart. She didn't want to watch any of this. She didn't want to see the poker thrust through that woman's heart or the blade dig into her own... so she closed her eyes.