Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  For centuries he had dealt with the feeling of not feeling much of anything. His emotions faded, and he became as cold as ice. Everyone he ever knew had fallen victim to his pleas of comfort. His home became still and silent after he was finished. But his thirst for more grew too much for him. Slowly his mind became warped and twisted with the hunger for more.

  It led him to them — the family out for a picnic and enjoying the summer heat. Everything looked perfect. Their minds were on one another and not on the shadows that lurked around them. Everything was ripe for the taking. Until he discovered what they were. Hunters. He did manage to injure one, the small girl, before fleeing. Her blood was sweet, almost too sweet.

  He wandered the forest for years. Lurking and waiting for something to come out. He came upon a manor hidden deep within the forest. It held the same smell as the family of hunters he had the pleasure of meeting prior. Things escalated quickly, and he came face to face with a creature he had never seen before. She appeared as a small girl, innocent and sweet. However, the air around her was thick, heavy, and dead. She had small white fangs, and her eyes glared at him. Through all the commotion, he had managed to get one hit on her. Her blood was a deep red, almost black, color. But tasted sweet like the small girl from the picnic. But before he could get another taste, she went berserk.

  Years had passed, and she had gone missing from him. He longed to find her. To taste the insanity in her blood. And perhaps with time, her blood would taste even sweeter. If not, he would make it. He had learned a few tricks to get humans blood to taste different. Fear tasted sweet like honey and caramel. Lust tasted like dark chocolate melted on strawberries. Those two had become his favorites, so far. He spent his time fine-tuning his techniques for the moment he ran into her once more. He would make her fear him and have her begging for more. Hell, he would have her begging for him to kill her.

  «What's gotten you so happy?»

  Lucian looked over to the brunette girl slouched beside him. Had he been smiling the whole time? Not that it mattered. The more he thought of that creature and what he would do to her, the more excited he became.

  «Luc? Baby,» she slurred, «did I make you happy?»

  His excitement became short-lived with the sloppy voice from the girl beside him. Looking back at the girl, his smile faded. She was nothing but a nuisance to him. She was nothing more than another victim. However, killing her in such a public place would prove troublesome for him. He needed to take her somewhere quiet. Somewhere hidden from the public view. To his surprise, the girl picked up on what he was doing.

  She grabbed his arm as she rose from her spot. She motioned toward the bathrooms and winked at him. Not really where he was thinking, and with not wanting to go far, Lucian let her lead the way.

  The nice thing about the bathrooms was it was quiet. In that sense, there weren't many people there. Those that were, quickly fled the moment they saw him. After the last straggler left, Lucian walked to the door and locked it. Letting out a breath, he turned back to see the girl sitting on the counter with her legs spread. Annoyed, Lucian walked over to her slowly.

  «Baby,» she slurred, «come here, you look tense.»

  He felt her legs wrap around his waist and pulled him closer to her. He was at his wit's end with her. The alcohol she had consumed covered her in a putrid stench. What annoyed him the most was her voice. Its high pitch squeak would remind anyone of nails on a chalkboard. Still, she had the decency to bring him somewhere a little more private. And for that, he needed to thank her.

  «I must thank you,» Lucian began, «for going somewhere private.»

  «Anything for you,» she whispered.

  «However,» he started as he ran his finger down her cheek, «I'm afraid you've misread the situation.»

  He held her throat tightly in his hand. Her body shook in fear as her hands gripped his arm tightly. He watched as the color in her face changed from red to white. Her heart raced under in grip as she fought desperately for air. For a moment, he thought about draining her blood. But the vile taste of the alcohol she drank would prove too much for him. But he couldn't let her live. Loosening his grip, he leaned in closer. Her body trembled when he moved her hair from her neck with his free hand.

  «It's too bad,» Lucian whispered, «you probably would have survived. Unfortunately, I can't let you.»

  10

  «We should have never...»

  Ruby wandered through a dark hallway. A heavy metallic scent filled the air around her, making her feel sick to her stomach. Still, she pressed on. There had to be a reason why she was there. There just had to be. The hallway seemed to go on for ages, that even the pictures she passed began to repeat. It was strange, yet so familiar to her. In the back of her mind, she knew why.

  It was the same hallway from her childhood. And the pictures on the walls were of her family. Her aunts and uncles. Cousins and grandparents. Even her family portrait was there. She paused when she came across it again. Everyone looked so young. Her mother, her auburn hair hung over her right shoulder and dangled just above the small child she held. Next to her was her husband. He looked strong, but also tired. As if he had been working long and late hours. In front of him stood a small boy. Ruby recognized him right away as Kai. He was the only one she knew who had grinned like that. His box grin was wide and showed his white teeth minus a few in the front.

  She smiled as she traced her fingers down the portrait. Gazing at the photo, the nostalgic feelings crept up on her mind, of happier times. However, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimmer of light. As she walked toward it, her nostalgic feeling was soon replaced with the feeling of fear. As she grew closer to it, she began to see its color change. The white glow turned into an orange hue that flickered like a candle. Strange. She didn't remember her family having many candles in their home. The odd one, maybe. But none that shined that brightly.

  She felt drawn to it. As if it called out to her.

  Ruby felt her heart race as she stood in front of a partially opened door. The orange glow had disappeared the moment she had stopped. Something in her mind screamed at her to leave. That something was amiss. But she couldn't move. She felt frozen in place. Taking a breath, she opened the door to find her parents lying silently sleeping. Stepping in, Ruby made sure she stayed quiet as to not wake them. They looked so peaceful as they slept.

  She stood at the foot of their bed, admiring them when something caught her eye. She took her eyes off her parents for a second, and when she looked back, she saw her mother's face staring right at her. Ruby felt her heart leap from her chest as she stepped back in fear.

  «What have you done?» her mother howled.

  «I... I haven't done anything,» Ruby replied as she took a step back.

  «We should have never...»

  Before her mother could say anything more, Ruby noticed a large red spot forming on her mother's stomach. Ruby's body began to twitch as she watched her mother fall to the ground lifeless. Before she could feel any sorrow, her anger took hold of her. Her body burned as every muscle in her body tensed with the fear of what she had done. It was her fault they died. There was nothing she could have done. Falling to her knees, she let out a scream.

  «NO!» Ruby screamed.

  Joshua rushed back into the room where he had left Ruby. He thought she was sleeping peacefully and he had only left for a moment. He watched as she twisted in the sheets crying out in pain. Her body moved in ways he had never seen a human move before. But hearing her cries for help, he felt compelled to help her in some way. But how, he wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure what had happened to make her twitch like that.

  It was when her body came to a sudden halt that he rushed back to the bed. He couldn't see her pulse and her body grew cold quickly. He reached out to her. As he did, she shot up quickly. Her eyes fluttered opened and revealed a crimson red iris' surrounded by nothing but darkness.

  «Ruby?» Joshua asked.

  Her face snapped quickly to
face him — her eyes, full of hunger. For a moment, Joshua didn't recognize her. The air shifted around them, and he felt an impending danger coming from her. It was almost as if she felt the same thing as he did. She quickly shot out of the bed and stood there watching him. Her head cocked to the side as she waited. And without a moment of hesitation, Ruby lunged toward him.

  «Ruby,» Joshua called as he caught her and tossed her back to the bed, «I'm not your enemy.»

  Ruby sat there for a second before lunging toward him again. Again, Joshua tossed her aside, this time to the wall. He couldn't hurt her. But he couldn't just let her keep attacking him. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't Ruby. Joshua stood watching as she stood on the opposite side of the room, swaying back and forth. She smiled at him, revealing pearly white fangs as she did. In a split second, Joshua felt his breath shorten as she lunged toward him once again.

  Falling to the ground, Joshua gazed at her, as she sat over him. Her eyes showed nothing but hatred. Just as she placed her fangs at the nape of his neck, something in the air changed. It felt light once more. He felt her body tremble over him as she fell limp. Joshua wrapped one arm around her, in an attempt to comfort her, and maneuvered around until they stood. He held her there for a moment, welcoming her warm touch until she pushed him away.

  «What...» Ruby said.

  Her voice shook with fright. She looked at him and then around the room. The blankets on the bed had been tossed to the side, and the mattress had been moved slightly to the right. The walls had even been scuffed a little. Looking back at Joshua, she stepped back.

  «Ruby,» Joshua said softly, «relax. Everything's going to be alright. Just breathe.»

  «I... I can't...» Ruby replied as she rushed to collect her clothes.

  Joshua stood watching as she rushed to get dressed. He wanted her to stay there with him. But, as he watched her, he couldn't help but walk over to her slowly and help her. He slid her skirt up to her hips. Her body still shook with the shock of what happened. He couldn't blame her. He just wanted her to know that she was safe there.

  Helping her with her shirt, Joshua let out a breath as he slid the white top over her head. Pulling her arms through, he stood there quietly, observing her. She had tried her best to conceal her tears, however, Joshua had heard her soft sobs as he helped her. He gazed at her as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

  «You don't have to leave,» Joshua said softly.

  «I'm sorry,» She mumbled before kissing his cheek and then darting out.

  The crisp morning air nipped at her bare skin as she ran down the street. She wasn't even sure where she was, but she knew she had to go somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't in his presence. She couldn't stay there, not after what had happened. After a few blocks, Ruby found herself losing her balance. Her mind spun with images that had happened. There was something dark inside her. Something that wanted out. Her body shook as she fell to her knees as she thought back to how Joshua's room looked.

  It was a mistake for her to go that far with him last night. It was a mistake to think her nightmares had stopped. Placing her hands over her eyes, she let out a few tears. There was no way what she was going through was normal. No way anyone would understand. As she sat crying on the sidewalk, she couldn't help but want to be back in his arms. Of all the people. She should be wanting to see Nikky or Reid. Not that they would know how to help. She wasn't even sure if Joshua could help her. What she did know, was that last night when he held her, she felt safe.

  Just when she was gaining the strength to get up and find her way home, she felt a soft and gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she was surprised to see Joshua standing there with an umbrella. It was funny; she had been so focused on running that she hadn't even felt the rain. What as funnier, was the fact that she had just been thinking about him, and there he was.

  «At least let me walk you home,» Joshua said softly.

  «I'm...»

  «Don't say it,» he said abruptly, «you don't have to apologize. We don't have to talk about it. But I won't have you walking home in this weather alone. And dressed like that.»

  She couldn't argue with him. There was no winning against him. She learned that lesson last night. Still, Ruby was grateful he had shown up. After all, she didn't exactly know where they were.

  They walked in silence, as the sound of the rain hitting their umbrella filled the ears. Ruby was lost in thought and afraid to speak. Afraid that Joshua might resent her for what happened. Which made little sense. If he did resent her, why would he be there right now walking her home? Shaking her head, she tried to focus on something else. Stealing short glances at him, Ruby couldn't help but turn red as she thought of what they had done prior.

  His skin had felt so soft and cool against hers. And the way he had kissed her. So gently and carefully. Almost as if he thought she might break from his touch. There was so much about him that she didn't know but wanted to know. As she kept her eyes on him, she was unaware of what was around her. She felt a strong tug on her side, and suddenly she pressed against him. Looking to her side, Ruby saw a group of drunk men walking by them.

  «Thanks,» she whispered.

  Joshua remained silent as they continued their walk. Ruby wasn't sure if he was upset or what and was far too scared to ask him. His eyes had narrowed on the men that had passed them by as if he were warning them not to come closer. Even after they had passed, Joshua kept his grip tight on her.

  The silence around them was starting to drive her nuts. She couldn't just let it go. No matter how much she wanted to. She wanted to forget everything that happened. She was afraid that it would happen again if she let herself loose like that. Letting out a breath, Ruby dug up the courage to apologize to him. However, before she could even open her mouth to speak, Joshua had dropped the umbrella and slammed her into a concrete wall.

  He stood for a moment with his gaze focused on the ground. His breaths were short and quick like he had been running a marathon. Ruby didn't know what to do or what to say. Her apology was now lost as she stood watching him pant. Placing her hand on his cheek, she hoped he wouldn't feel it shaking.

  When his eyes met hers, she swore she saw them change color. Without hesitating, Ruby leaned toward him and placed her lips over his. Seeing those eyes, those eyes filled with sorrow and fear broke her. To be honest, she wasn't sure if it was pain that she saw in them or something else. But whatever it was, it forced her to move.

  As the rain fell over them, it felt as though nothing was really there. There were no buildings, no people, no animals, nothing but them. Deepening the kiss, Ruby moved closer to him. She needed to be close to him. His arms wrapped around her and squeezed her tightly. When she moved away to look at him, his gaze seemed somber.

  «Sorry,» She said, «I didn't mean to kiss you without...»

  Before she finished, Joshua trapped her in another kiss. Perhaps her small gesture meant something more to him. She felt her heart slow and steady itself after Joshua released her and collected the umbrella. She walked beside him quietly, wondering what he was thinking about.

  Their walk seemed longer than what it had been last night. However, she did have other things on her mind. And now, as they stood at the foot of her home, Ruby felt slightly disappointed that they had made it. If that incident hadn't have happened, she would still be in his apartment, probably sleeping soundly. Lowering her gaze, she let out a breath.

  «Ruby,» Joshua said, «I'm sorry.»

  «For what?» Ruby asked, «It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I should be the one apologizing. I...»

  She paused. What could she even say to make sense of it when she didn't even know what was happening to her? She couldn't lie to him after what he had seen. Though as she thought about it now, nothing made sense. She had been sleeping, and then suddenly she felt a burning sensation in her body. Her world fell dark with only specs of blue standing before her. And when she woke, she was lying on top of him. How could she tell him that?


  «Really,» Ruby said and hoped her voice didn't sound as shaky as she thought it was, «I... I don't know what came over me... I...»

  Her mouth seemed to be in gear before her mind was. She needed to stop speaking before she'd say something she'd regret.

  «It's okay,» Joshua replied, «you don't need to explain. But know, whatever it is that you're going through. You're not alone. I'm here. I'll be here for you whenever you need. Don't be afraid to come to me when you feel scared or alone.»

  Ruby stood there in awe of what he was saying. His voice was low and quiet as if he only wanted her to hear it. Still, she just didn't know what to tell him. She had kept most of her nightmares a secret, even her past was a secret from Nikky. But maybe with Joshua, she'd be able to share a little bit of it.

  «RUBY!» Nikky called from the door, «what are you doing, get your ass inside or you'll catch your death...»

  11

  «and that must be...»

  After his run-in with Nikky and that guy she was with, Kai couldn't shake the feeling something bad was about to happen. He had spent a better part of his night examining the body looking for any clues that would lead him to the Vamp. As the police entered the scene, Kai felt it was best to flee before the cuff him on suspicion.

  A few hours later and he had heard of another murder in the bathroom of a bar. Not that that had anything to do with him. But he had checked it out anyway. To his surprise, there was a young girl sitting on the bathrooms counter with bruises on her neck. He had thought it had just been a spat between girls before he took a closer look. He had noticed the way she was sitting as if she was with someone. Her legs were spread wide enough to show her pink panties, and her lipstick had been smeared. Upon a closer look, Kai found two small wounds on her neck, making him believe it had been the same Vamp.