Vampires at Twilight, Ch.7

I was kept at the house for a few more days. I spent the majority of that time outside in the forest, just wandering around and staring up at the canopy of leaves. Even when it rained I insisted that I be outside; especially when it rained, actually. I would go out without a jacket and just let the rain drench my hair and slide down my face, neck, and arms. Some people would’ve filed it away as crazy, but for me it was relaxing. Besides, most of the things I like people considered mental.

The time I didn’t spend outside was spent inside playing random games with Leon. Usually it was whatever I wanted, but sometimes, well most of the time actually, I didn’t feel like playing anything, so I would just watch him play some bloody game. This surprisingly really did entertain me, and I found myself enjoying it when I watched him shoot other people up. It probably wasn’t mentally sound for me in my condition, but I didn’t see or feel any effects it might’ve had.

I even had favorite games when I watched him play, like Assassin’s Creed at number one with all its ninjaness, Bioshock, Gears of War, and Grand Theft Auto. Whenever I was forced to join in, I would only play SSX 3 since it was the only thing I mildly knew how to play. I would usually beat him during trick point competitions, but during races I always was second.

Though I guess we were opening up to each other a little more, neither of us forgot about the kidnapping.

On Thursday, my fifth day away from just about everything, I was watching Leon play Assassin’s Creed and listening to him swear mildly as he was gradually surrounded by five more men. I laughed once then got up and moved to the next room, one with a larger TV. I flipped it on and searched through the channels, finally finding the one I was looking for and staring at the screen for a few moments.

“Think you have an interesting pet? Well, check out Gabby, a six month old lab that’s able to walk on only her front paws,” the news reported said with her fake smile. The screen switched to a rather ugly looking dog walking on its front legs. I doubted it was as old as she said it was.

I sighed out of relief and wariness. Relief that I had gone another day without being cared about, wary that I would have to do the same thing tomorrow. I didn’t know why exactly I was on the look out for my reported abduction or runaway, I was just looking for it. Maybe I’m just being over cautious, I thought as my eyes lost focus while staying on the screen.

I glanced out the window, seeing the sun just barely beginning to set. Despite the early stage it was in, the setting sun still cast a few odd colors in the sky.

“Hey,” I said a little loudly so as to get Leon’s attention, “I’m going on a walk.” I turned the TV off and started walking to the back door. Lately, once he had made it clear that there really was no way for me to find my way out of the forest in his backyard, Leon had let me go by myself a few times. Those were the walks I treasured most; being alone in a forest, no one else at all around, at least a half mile between me and the next human . . . What could I say? I was just drawn to it.

I stepped outside, a little surprised that he hadn’t followed. I turned around to check, facing forward again with a glare. God, he’s like a freaking stalker. Wasn’t it enough that he kidnapped me?, I grouched in my head.

“It gets darker faster than you would think it would. I’m just here to show you the way back in case you get lost.” I could hear him fighting a grin. I set off at a faster pace.

I let my legs stretch as I walked, feeling a healthy burn in the underside of my thighs. I stared up at the trees, fiddling with the black metal X on my choker necklace absentmindedly. There was a slight golden cast to the light that shone through the leaves. Every once in a while I would stop and just stare at the trees, trying to preserve the picture in my mind. The forest was so beautiful . . .

I came to one of the oak trees. After staring and internally debating, I walked over, set my foot in a hold and grabbed one of the branches, and started climbing my way up. I was surprised at how easily I was able to do so. I was near the top when I found a break in the leaves, looking out over part of the town and more forest or farmland. I sat back against the trunk and looked out at the sight for some time, noticing all the little details of the land and buildings, watching a few people scurry across the road while there was a break in the few cars that were out around now.

Of course, I couldn’t see the details of the people, I could hardly tell if they were wearing a black or grey shirt, but I could tell that one pair of people were a couple. Though it might’ve been a bit disturbing, I watched them casually as they held hands and walked down the street at a slow pace, turning to each other a few times. They stopped in a park and sat down on a bench for some time. I eventually lost interest and turned away to look at the cows grazing, but saw them again to what must’ve been the girl’s apartment. She reached up on her toes and they kissed for the shortest second, a simple good bye gesture. She parted and walked through the door, and the man continued on his way.

While I mostly thought of how cute they were, after their departure I began to wonder how they were able to stand each other after a few weeks. I had never tried to go out with any one because I could only think about how annoying it would be seeing the same person at your side, week after week. It was hard enough for me to just socialize with my classmates, but that was probably why I wouldn’t be able to stand having a boyfriend. I had never really had much of a social life outside my mother’s friendship, and that had been destroyed some time ago. I had learned to go it alone.

Sighing, I climbed down the tree, surprised at how much darker it had gotten in the last few minutes that I had been in the tree. Of course it would naturally be darker in a forest, but it seemed to have gotten darker by a considerable degree.

As I jumped from a branch about five feet up, I saw in my peripheral vision that Leon had waited for me. I rolled my eyes and continued walking, taking in the beauty of the forest during dusk. I continued for a few minutes, but just knowing he was following me was enough to make me paranoid, not to mention that he was absolutely quiet in the process of following me.

I turned and looked at him, bringing up the first thing that came to my mind.

“Really, why did you kidnap me?”

Yes, the question had been repeated multiple times each day I had been here, but not once had he even given me an answer, not even a hint.

He sighed heavily and picked up his pace so he was walking beside me. “Here’s a hint: it has to do with a mythical type creature.”

There was a short silence. “So, you’re telling me,” I started as we walked, “that the reason for my kidnapping involves something like a unicorn? Please tell me how the hell that makes sense.”

A scenario popped into my head. I could see a perfectly white horse with a horn on its head telling this man to kidnap me so that they could perform some freaky unicorn magic ritual on me to make my life happier. Or turn it into total hell, though I couldn’t see how it could get much worse. The terrible thing was that I could actually see the man beside me following through with the directions from a mutilated horse.

Before he had any time to respond, I put my hand on the side of my face and stared forward blankly. “Oh God, my imagination is twisted. That, and there is something horribly wrong with me.”

“No, it has absolutely nothing to do with unicorns. And yes, there is in fact something wrong with you.” Such a comment would usually be answered by a playful hit from me, but in the last few days I had learned that I would only get bruised from such a thing. “But in a very distant way, I guess you’re in the right track. Think more . . . evil creatures, creatures of the night.”

The night is what sparked it. “Vampires?” I guessed, looking at the brush in front of me while in my mind I saw sharp gleaming teeth and deadly eyes set in a face twisted by death. God damn, even my imagination is getting more . . . gothic, I thought as I pictured the dead face.

I glanced over at Leon for an explanation to the quiet, wondering if he were trying to hide a laugh at my guess. Instead, his face was very serious and solemn, even a little fearful. I stared at him for a while longer before I stopped walking. I kept looking at him.

“You are correct,” he said quietly and began walking slowly again. “See, I told you that you’d get it.” I could hear dread in his voice though I was a little too stunned to even wonder why. I turned with him and walked with him as he continued talking.

“You are a smart girl; you did get it correct, and with only one small hint. That’s not very bad.” He must’ve glanced at my face because there was a slight pause, but I was too frozen looking forward to tell.

“Of course, to answer your question, about being kidnapped and why, will take some explaining.” He paused, as though waiting for an answer form me. I just kept walking forward with a blank face.

“Right, well, you see, most vampires are rather intrusive when they find another vampire with a mate or partner or friend or whatever. It doesn’t matter much, as long as they’re near that other vampire. We, at least some of us, are far more intrusive when we have no mate or partner at all. Most of the time when that happens, a fight breaks out. Other times, we’ll covet the partner of the vampire. That’s what I had in mind when the kidnapping occurred.

“I didn’t have any time to think about it, really. You seemed to just present yourself to me, already crumpled on the ground and weaker than a normal human at the time. I instantly picked up your human scent, of course, then detected the smell of another vampire, and my mind was instantly made up. I had to have you, because he had you.

“The instinct is purely jealousy, yes, though it might not be an instinct at all. Some think we were chosen for this certain reaction, for a hunting purpose. But that’s not the point right now,” he mumbled quickly. “Also, the thrill of the chase possessed me when I caught your scent. Oh, how I imagined how hard your vampire would fight to get you back, and all in vain. At the end of the game, I planned to kill you and run so the chase would continue, this time in revenge.

“Yet seeing as how things are turning out now, I’m not going to kill you; at least, not for a nice period of time. I’ll let you enjoy what’s left of your life, and I’ll enjoy the hunt for me, even after your death.” Did I hear a smile in his voice, or was I hallucinating?

There was a longer silence after he stopped talking and we walked through the now dark forest. I tried to organize my thoughts, and though there were so few it was still hard to push them to the side of my head so I could form a question. I thought I heard the distant sound of cars on a road, but maybe it was just my thoughts speeding around in my head.

“. . . Let me get this straight,” I started, still not looking at him. “You’re telling me, that I’m just like a game piece or object that you hope to be fighting for?” I turned and glared at him halfway through the sentence. “I’m of no value to either of you, just some type of material you can dispose of and get another one just as easily?!”

“Well, no, not quite like that. You see, there is something rather special of you that I’ve not seen in a human so far,” he responded while watching my fists carefully. Not that he would get hurt if I did decide to throw a few swings at him.

“Okay, then how the hell am I more special than any other human you’ve encountered so far?!”

He raised his eyebrows and looked at me like it was obvious. “Your blood. The smell is so sweet and delicious, mouthwatering almost.” I did have a crazy past, but until now, no one had ever said I smelled sweet or delicious, mouthwatering for that matter, and I doubt they would’ve been talking about my blood. But who was I to judge? The past week of my life so far had been pretty screwed up; it could only get worse.

“Oh, so instead of just killing me quickly and painlessly after all the shit I’ve been through at the end of you screwed up game, you’re going to sink your teeth into my neck and drain me of my blood while I sit there as my life flows away?” I was sure that was the longest question I’d ever asked someone.

“If I can help it, I’d like to not kill you at all, Twilight.”

“And why is that?! God, you freaking kidnapped me and killed what’s left of my life –not that there was much to kill off- , you tell me your whole life plan that might only be a few hours of mine, ending with my death, and turn around and say you’re not going to kill me?! What the eff?!”

“I’m not going to kill you because there’s so much more to you than I thought there was- .”

“So you thought I’d be a brainless mall-brat prep?” I interjected.

“No, nothing like-.”

I held my hand up. “You thought I’d be a brainless mall-brat prep, didn’t you?” I repeated. He didn’t answer. I left my hand in the air for another second before whipping it back to my side in a second. “Holy hell, I’ve never been so insulted in my life before.” I spun around and started walking again at an even faster pace.

“Look what I’m saying is-! Twilight, hold up!”

“No, use your goddamn friggin speed to catch up to me!” I turned the corner marked by a huge pine that towered into the sky. Apparently I wasn’t hearing things when I thought I heard cars; there was a road just a few feet away from the path, though from the street I would be obscured by the trees around me. The thought to jump in front of an oncoming car appealed to me for a second, then Leon caught up.

He grabbed my shoulders tightly and swung me around to face him. “This is why I don’t want to let you go, Twilight!” He bent his head down, and though as soon as I knew what he was doing I tried to pull away in vain, his cold lips met mine. My spine tingled strangely, ice-cold with surprise and burning-hot with anger. He pushed his mouth onto mine, probably trying to get more of a response out of me other than shaking my head violently.

I brought up my hand before his grip would cut off my circulation and slapped his face as hard as I could, tearing my face away from his. I glared at him as strongly as I could as my upper lip pulled back a bit in a snarl. There was too much screaming in rejection in my head, none out in the world; I had to fix that.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE-!!!” was all I got out before the strangest thing happened.

As I had screamed, there was the sound of a motor in the background, coming fast and close. Suddenly, there was something wrapped around my stomach and pulling me away from Leon. Next thing I know I’m on a motorcycle and I see the rider’s hands move quickly, the one holding me to the handle and the one on the handle securing itself around my waist.

Scared, I began to try and twist my way out of the arm that held me, probably not a smart thing to do when the speedometer reads 120mph. I tried to twist my head around to see who the hell was holding me onto the bike, but if I turned too much the bike would swerve and crash, not that my thrashing wasn’t contributing to a potential disaster.

Suddenly there was something on top of my head, like someone had decided to place an object on me while I was about to total the motorcycle. The strange thing was that it kept me from looking from side to side as much, like my neck was partially immobilized. I frighteningly wondered who was in fact driving and keeping me still.

“Twilight.” The voice was blunt and angry, and I recognized it at once: Edward. I let my shoulders hunch forward in defeat, at a loss at what he was going to do with me when he stopped. My head bent a little as well, but he kept his chin on my head as he rode, as though it secured me even more. His arm tightened around me as he turned onto a long road and the needle on the speed passed by higher and higher numbers.