Seeing Red (The Dark Love Series)

by Olivia Howe

  Kali is going to freak out and scream the Kali scream because I have missed so much school. She can be overly dramatic sometimes, but that's Kali. She never misses school, breaks the rules, or misses cheerleading practice. She's what I would call, the good girl.

  I turn on my music and start to blast “Forever More” by Tesla. I start singing loudly and dancing all over my room. Damn, I love this song.

  I dig through my clothes and try to find something nice to wear. I pick out a nice pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I dig further in my closet and find my long black boots to match my shirt. Perfect.

  I make my way to the bathroom. I put on a light coat of makeup. Done.

  I enter the kitchen and my mom isn't there. Thank God, because she would have made me stay home. She wouldn't let me go to school because of Andrew, and his worries are her worries.

  I grab a blueberry muffin and smile. I can't wait to prove Andrew wrong, and I can't believe I'm actually excited to go to school.

  I grab my keys and walk out the front door. The sun is hiding in the cloudy sky. I wish it wasn't, because it would make my day that much brighter.

  I go to unlock my car door and feel a hand wrap around my mouth. What the hell is going on? Who the hell is doing this to me? I begin to scream and start trying to squirm out from their tight grip. It's impossible

  “Shhh,” a hear a mans voice whisper into my ear. “I told you we would be seeing each other again very soon.” As the words leave his mouth, I recognize the mans voice. It's John Michael.

  * * * *

  I open my eyes and everything looks blurry. I keep blinking until I'm able to see. Where the hell am I? I look in front of me and see silver bars. It looks like I'm locked in a jail cell, or even a dungeon.

  I sit up from the grimy mat that is underneath me. I look around and see the walls are dirty with black stains running down them. I take a deep breath and immediately cough. It smells like mold in here.

  I push myself off of the mat and get my balance on my feet. I walk over to the silver bars and grab them. I look around and see several other cells like the one I'm in. Do the Brothers keep people prisoner and torture them? Is this where Andrew was taken when he was abducted?

  Tears start welling up in my eyes, and droplets of sweat begin to form on my forehead. My body is trembling at the sight of my surroundings.

  My first instinct is to yell for help, but that isn't going to work. No one will hear me in this dungeon of a jail. If I did decide to yell, it would let the Brothers know that I'm conscious, and they might come down and torture me. I don't want to bring any attention to myself, but I can't sit here and wait to be rescued by a prince riding a white horse. It's not how things work. I have to escape. I have to do something.

  I fall to the ground and start crying. I feel like these three walls are starting to close in on me.

  What am I trying to prove? I can't escape from this hell hole. The Brothers have me exactly where they want me. I'm now in their mercy. My fate has been determined, they're going to kill me. Healers aren't allowed in their world.

  I look over near the mat and see my journal and a pen. Did they really leave that here for me? What the hell am I suppose to do with that?

  As the words slip through my mind, it hits me. They probably want to be amused by me pleading for help in my diary. Maybe I should use this opportunity to my advantage. Maybe the Brothers have somewhat of a heart to let me say goodbye to my loved ones.

  Tears stream down my face like a waterfall. I can't do it. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my family and friends. I'm especially not ready to say goodbye to the love of my life. I can't do it. I won't do it. I can't let the Brothers win. They might physically have won, but mentally, I'm not going to let them have that power as well. Even though I think I might have to. This will probably be my last chance to express my emotions through words to the ones I love.

  What will I even say? I have never thought about how I would say goodbye to anyone if anything bad ever happened to me. Should I start off by saying I love them? Should I keep it short and sweet?

  I shake my head and try to get rid of the thoughts. I can't give up now. They won't win. I won't let them kill me, I have to stay alive. I'm the key to changing this world and giving people another chance at life. I can't give up on that. I have to stay optimistic. If Andrew were here, he would be telling me the same thing. He would be telling me that everything is going to be all right, and to stay strong.

  I hear a door slam and can't help but jump. Oh, shit. Who is it?

  I hear footsteps stomping slowly toward me.

  I swallow the saliva building up in my mouth. I feel the beads of sweat start to run down my face, along with my tears.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay.

  The footsteps stop. I look over and see the vampire that I've been running from for months now. It's Lucian.

  He has a big grin on his face. “I finally have you exactly where I want you. You know you deserve to be here right now. The filthy poison that runs through those veins of yours. You're a disgrace,” he laughs. “You know how long I've been waiting for this? I just can't let you die that easily.” His eyes blink wide. “I know what I can do. I can torture the hell out of you and enjoy every moment of it. I will break you down mentally because, well, breaking you down physically would just be way too easy for me.”

  I keep my mouth shut. My body starts to tremble at his words. He's going to torture me and enjoy every second of it. How can this be a game for him? He can't just mess with people's lives like this. How can a person be so cruel? Oh, right, he's not human. He doesn't have any feelings. He's a pathetic vampire that will soon be dead once Andrew finds him. Andrew will rip him to pieces if he touches me. I want to be there to witness it, and I know for sure it will happen!

  “Nothing to say?” Lucian laughs hysterically and keeps his eyes focused on me. “Doesn't this feel good to have you locked behind those bars. You're helpless. No one is going to save you now, healer!”

  “You're wrong.” I smile. “Andrew is going to kill you for this. I hope you know that.” I begin to laugh softly.

  The smile disappears from his face. He walks over toward me and slaps me hard. My head hits the dirty ground. My hand reaches to my face, I feel blood. It hurts so badly. I turn and spit my blood at him. “Piece of shit!” I yell.

  “You little bitch,” he says and grabs me by my hair. Pure anger rushes through my body. “You think I'm scared of your little vampire boyfriend? I'll put a stake right through his heart and make you watch,” Lucian laughs.

  My breathing gets deeper and his hand tightens around my hair. “You bastard! Let go of me!” I yell into his face. “Put me down!”

  Lucian just pulls on my hair and laughs. Oh don't I hate when he stands there and laughs in my face like that.

  He throws me onto the ground and continues to laugh. He walks toward me. “Night, night.” As the words leave his mouth, he kicks me right in my face, and all I see is black.

  Chapter 23

  He's Not Dead

  Dear Diary,

  If this is the end for me, if this is the last time I ever get to write on a piece of paper, if this is my goodbye entry, then I want to make it worth something.

  Life hasn't always been easy for me. Hell, it's been a roller coaster ride, where it twists and turns at the moments you least expect it to. Life never granted me an easy pass. I've fought like hell through depression and the loss of my father. I fell in love with a vampire that I knew would be my forever. I have struggled with so much pain and hurt inside, but if you would ask me if I would go back and change anything, well, I would tell you no.

  I've been searching for my happiness for a while now. I finally realized that before I could find my happiness, I had to find myself, which I did. I'm a healer, I help give people another chance at life, another opportunity to do things differently. That's who I am. I also found love unexpectedly. It's safe to sa
y that I found my happiness, and I never even realized it until now.

  To whomever is reading this, at this exact moment, look to the person next to you and hug them. If you're struggling with telling the person you love your true intentions, don't think about it, just do it. If you are arguing with a family member, friend, or spouse, stop what you're doing now and make things right. Life is too short and precious. Every day is special because life such a beautiful thing.

  I can now say that life finally granted me what I've been waiting for, for so long. Happiness.

  Love, Nina

  * * * *

  The Brothers can think they won with me physically and emotionally, but truly they haven't defeated me. I still haven't given up. I just wrote that diary entry to provide closure to the people I love if anything does happen to me. I at least owe them that much.

  The Brothers can torture me and break me down to my lowest, but one thing they can never take is my dignity. I will have that until my last breath.

  I lean my head against the cell wall. I'm sitting here waiting for Andrew to run through the doors and tell me he's here to save me, that everything is going to be all right.

  I want to wrap my hands around him and feel safe in his arms. I want to see his beautiful, dark eyes.

  I remember when I first met him. I was completely disoriented because I fainted in class at the beginning of the school year. Now, thinking back to it, I don't think I fainted because I didn't eat. I think I fainted because I was so overwhelmed with life. I was stressed out and at my lowest.

  I remember waking up in the nurses office and seeing Andrew's face for the first time. I could have fainted all over again. Looking into his eyes made things change in my life at that exact moment. My stress suddenly seemed to drift away, and I never even noticed it. Staring into his eyes, it was like depression wasn't even a factor in my life. It's crazy how Andrew has the ability to take away all of my pain just by looking into my eyes.

  I remember our first date. I was beyond nervous, but he made me feel normal, better.

  I remember the first time my lips touched his. We were standing outside of my house. When his lips found mine, I experienced tingling throughout my whole body and my knees almost gave out.

  I remember the first time we made love. That was the most incredible feeling I have ever felt. Sensations ran throughout my whole body and drove me to love him even more.

  Tears begin to run down my face. I would do anything to see his face again.

  A hear a door open and slam. Oh, shit. It's probably Lucian coming to start torturing me emotionally. I wish he could just see the bright side of things. I can change the world. I can help people. Why doesn't he care about that?

  The bars start to move. The cell door is opening up.

  I get on my feet and stand with my back against the dirty wall.

  “Let's take a little walk,” Lucian demands.

  I shake my head. I'm not going anywhere with him. I would rather stay right here, locked up in this jail cell.

  If I do get out of here, I have to remember not to ever break the law, because I never want to be in a damn cell like this again. I would go mental, like I am right now.

  “It wasn't a question. It was a demand,” Lucian informs me. I still don't move. He walks over to me in one quick motion and grabs a hold of my hair. “I said let's go for a walk!”

  I start to scream in agony. “Let go of me!” I yell at him as I try to remove his hand from my hair.

  Lucian begins to laugh. “You think you can overpower me, healer? You're too amusing!”

  I roll my eyes as he drags me through the dungeon of hell.

  We walk through a door that leads us to a different section of cells.

  He stops in front of a cell, and I notice a man laying on a mat that sits on the filthy floor.

  This man is horribly skinny. He has long dark hair, and his beard is longer than any man's beard should ever be.

  “Do you recognize this man?” Lucian asks me.

  I shake my head. I have no idea who this man is. I can barely see his face through all his facial hair.

  “Take a closer look,” Lucian demands.

  I look closer at the man laying on the floor. I see his eyes flutter open and he jumps up immediately. He runs to the silver bars and holds them tight. I stare deep into his eyes and I finally know who this man is.

  My eyes go wide, and my jaw almost hits the floor. My breathing stops and I stare into the familiar man's eyes.

  I feel myself getting light-headed. My knees start to give out, and everything goes black.

  The last thing I remember is staring into the eyes of my father. He's not dead. He's alive.

  * * * *

  I sit up quickly on the grimy mat in a cell. I grab my head and feel a large bump. My head begins to throb. I must've fainted. I rub my eyes and try to sit up comfortably. I know for a fact that I wasn't dreaming about my father. He's alive, but how? It's impossible. I was told the Brothers killed him for trying to heal their sister back to human. Why didn't they kill him?

  My head begins to spin and my stomach turns. I feel like I'm going to vomit. All those days I was depressed and broken from the loss of my father was all for nothing. Selene was right. She said that she couldn't feel my father gone. I can't wrap my head around this. It's almost been a year. A whole year since I thought he was gone from this world, since I thought I would never see his face again. Why would the Brothers bring mercy on my father? I'm truly stunned and grateful he's alive. They must be torturing him, but the Brothers said they want all healers wiped out of this world.

  I try to stand up, but my head is spinning, along with the room. My body feels weak and shaky. I can't understand what's going on right now. This doesn't feel real. I just want to see Andrew's face walk through the cell doors and save me. I want to go home with my father. I want my mother and sister to know that he is still alive, that he hasn't left us. I wish I could talk to him. I wish I could just hear his voice.

  Tears start to fall down my face. I ignore them, and let them slide down my cheeks, onto the dirty floor.

  Are the Brothers going to just hold me captive and never let me go like they're doing to my father right now? Is this the place I'm going to spend the next year or so in? I need to find a way out. I need someone to come to my rescue. I need my family back together again.

  A smile forms on my face. My father's still alive. I think of us being a family again. I think of the reaction my mother and sister would have if they saw his face walk through the door of our home.

  My dad feels like he's so far out of reach, even though he is so close to me.

  Anxiety starts to strike my body, and my heart begins beating fast. Sweat forms on my forehead, and heats up my entire body. Panic starts to form. I close my eyes. Please don't have a panic attack right now, not right now. Not this moment. I can't show my weakness.

  My heart beats faster and faster. I hold my stomach. It feels like I'm going to stop breathing. I can't stop the shaking of my hands and my whole body.

  I jump up and start to pace around as tears fall endlessly from my eyes. I'm starting to have a panic attack. It feels like I'm dying, like I'm in a world that isn't real.

  I try to make my breathing even, but it's not working. My breathing becomes heavier and heavier. I hate this. I hate having panic attacks.

  I keep pacing around the small, dirty cell. I close my eyes and try to fight of this panic attack, but I can't. When I close my eyes, all I can see if my father's face.

  My dad is alive. He's not dead.

  Chapter 24

  Forgetting Love

  Dear Diary,

  It's officially day two of being locked in this cell. The walls feel like they're closing in on me. I feel like I'm going crazy, like these three walls are taunting me. I've been staring at the same things for hours and hours now. When is it going to end? I've been having panic attacks none stop.

  I can't believe my dad is alive. He's really a
live. I saw him with my own eyes. He looked horrible, so rough. He's probably been through so much physically and mentally in this shithole. Why are the Brothers doing this to us? Why can't they just let us be? We aren't poison. We're healers, we help people.

  I look around at the three walls and the silver bars that I'm surrounded by. I listen and watch, waiting for Andrew to run through the cell and tell me he's here to bring me home. I want to feel his touch. I want to feel his soft body against mine. I want to wake up with him by my side, smiling at me. Instead, I wake up in an empty cell with no one.

  Love, Nina

  * * * *

  This is the second day I've been stuck in here. I just don't understand it. I've been expecting everyone to come to my rescue. Why are they taking so long? Why haven't they come yet? Do they even know I'm gone? They must know. Andrew must have figured it out already. He would've came to my house searching for me. He's probably freaking out, and I imagine pure rage is his forefront emotion. His beautiful face flashes in my thoughts. Oh, I wish I could see that beautiful face right now.

  I wonder what time it is. I wonder when Lucian is going to come back in here and start tearing me down emotionally.

  I begin to pace in the small space I've been living in for the past days. It seems like the only thing I can do to try to make the thoughts stop.

  I hear a door open quickly and hit the wall hard. It must be Lucian. Why the hell has he come to me this time?

  The footsteps are getting closer and closer. It's Doru. He stares at me as he walks by the cell I'm in. I move my feet backward, wanting to stay as far away from him as I possibly can. His eyes pierce mine as he glares. I continue to back up, until my body hits the dirty wall. What's he doing?

  I hear the door shut. Is he going to my father? He better not hurt him. I run to the rusty, silver bars and try to peek my way through the door. I can't see anything. What's he doing? I try to shake the bars. Don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him.