Anabelle - Vampire & Werewolf & Witch

by Mela Zen

  Now that I think of it, I haven’t seen Daryl or Aldridge since I was beaten to near death. I know it has been that long because Aldridge usually comes in at night, torturing me with whips. Hence why my body is tired and stinging with vervain.

  Perhaps they have done it?

  Or perhaps…?

  Suddenly, the presence around the area has become much denser than before. It is no longer mystic and breathable, it has become unbreathable and empty. An empty feeling. As if there isn’t anything here.

  I blink a couple of times, looking around the area noticing the drastic change in color. I sniff in a huge amount of air to only choke it back out, tastining the nasty presence. All of this is ringing a bell in mind, yet it is not coming to fruition.

  Chapter 32

  Elijah

  As I walk, the leaves seem to wither with each passing movement. The inside of the forest looks abandoned and without life. The tall trees look like they are bending over, feeling the emptiness overwhelm them. It is still morning yet it feels like the bitter afternoon of a cold winter. No sun rays are penetrating the forest. Nothing.

  It is just cold.

  Every step I take is different from before. And I am not saying that as if I am some philosopher. No, my heart and the mark feels different with each step. It is as if Annabelle is going through something changing her whole attitude and presence.

  Then I felt it.

  I felt something pound against my chest. Nothing that could hurt me or let anyone notice, but I felt something. It almost feels like fear and worries, but at the same time, it could be confusion or better yet, anxiousness.

  It happened about two nights ago when we started hiking through the heavy forest. I felt the negative energy swelling up, growing and growing with each step. Jax mentioned this energy is different from before, the ‘old’ energy was more...breathable.

  “Damn it,” I whisper when I feel myself getting weaker. Something has happened to Annabelle...again.

  Although this feeling has been bugging me for quite some time, I do feel so much better since arriving here. Every inch feels like I am closer to Annabelle. Something I have noticed, something my friends have noticed.

  “Can we make this thing go faster,” Danni groans as she continues to walk.

  “We can’t,” Zeke replies back, but there was an annoyance in his voice as well.

  Despite having direction on where exactly is Annabelle, the leaves can only move so far and so fast. Even with the slightest of winds, it would brush up fifteen seconds more, then slow down. When we first got here, a harsh wind can sweeping in, pushing the leaves in a direction. We followed it to only to learn that we took the longer route to get to the path that we needed to get on.

  “But I am sure we can create wind, right,” Anna asks.

  “And risk the possibility of ending the spell and not finding my sister? No, we are following this stupid little thing,” Zeke grumbles.

  “It won’t hurt, would it,” I ask.

  “I don’t know. I learned the spell and chose to forget it after I was accepted into the coven. And since I turned into a vampire, I completely forgot about it.”

  Suddenly Anna bumps into Jax’s back as do Dannii with Zeke. I could see both of their shoulders tensing, Danni turning around looking behind us. I look at her in confusion, she responding with her eyebrows furrowing.

  Both Jax and Zeke turn to face where Danni is looking, holding their breath as it seems. I look at the belly of the forest, not catching anything but two golden spots barely visible to me. I squint closely, the figure now turned into multiple figures coming in closer and closer.

  “Wolf,” Jax says under his breath, “And a lot of them.”

  I turn to look at my left, hearing a branch being broken as the shadowy figures come in closer. Sure enough, we as a group, are surrounded by these men and very few women. Some of them look vaguely familiar as if I have met them before.

  Then the group makes a little entryway for a man with silver and brown hair. He looks and feels old, but his actual appearance is that of a fit forty-year-old man. I instantly recognize him, especially with that black beauty mark hiding beneath his bottom lip.

  “Father,” Danni growls.

  “Daughter,” he replies back. Instantly, his voice commands obedience.

  “What brings you here? Surely, you are not here to protect me or rescue Annabelle.”

  “I do not have to tell you anything, daughter. You left this pack thus you do not deserve any information. And no, I am not here to rescue no filth for I did not know she was in imprisonment.”

  “Then why are you here.”

  “Can’t you see? Does your rotten husband over there tell you anything?”

  “You better watch it,” Zeke replies back.

  “Hmph. You feel it don’t you? The evil lurking around, correct?”

  “Yes I do, but what does that have to do with you coming here?”

  “That evilness you feel is the same evil you felt eons ago, isn’t it.”

  Zeke clenches his jaws and balling his fist hard enough you can see them turn white. Danni looks at him, clearly confused at the whole situation.

  “That is impossible,” Zeke lets out a breath.

  “I thought so too until it seeped into my land, a snippet of it and destroyed half of life there. That is when I smelt it, the vulgar and wrenching scent. I gather a few of my strongest and followed it. The closer we got, the more life has disappeared. I thought your sister was involved since it does have her hands written all over it.”

  “Watch what you say about my sister,” Zeke threatens, “She would never bring this.”

  “I know. That is the one thing I actually appreciate about your sister, not being so entirely reckless. But we both agree it is unleashed.”

  “We can't be so sure.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  “Come on Zeke, we don’t have time for this. We have to find Annabelle,” Jax grabs Zeke’s shoulders.

  “Yeah, let's go,” Anna agrees with Jax.

  “Annabelle, captured? Surely it must have been not by choice?” Danni’s father asks.

  “It wasn’t.”

  “Perhaps it is with Annabelle,” he suggested, “Don’t you think we should work together if it is?”

  “Agreed. But once it is defeated we go our separate ways.”

  “Agreed. What are you following to reach Annabelle?”

  “We are following these leaves that she left behind,” I say turning around to face the leaves but I find an empty space.

  “Shit!” Zeke runs ahead to try to find them.

  We all follow him, running. I can’t believe I let those leaves go far in front of us. It was my job to keep them at bay yet I was distracted by the conversation. Finally, we catch up to Zeke, stopping.

  The leaves fall down to the ground, burning in flames and its dust separating.

  “What? No? This is it?” I say trying to pick up the dust.

  “It can’t be? There is nothing here?” Anna looks around.

  “Maybe, just maybe?” Zeke shuts his eyes and tilts his head down.

  For a few minutes, it was dead silence. The howling of the wind grew louder and the density of the forest do so. Soon Danni’s father reached us and began separating his troops.

  “I hear it,” Zeke whispers.

  “Hear what?” I ask.

  “Anna, say ‘aperi obice’.”

  “Um, okay. Aperi obice,” she says.

  “No, hold your hands out, Elijah, you too,” Zeke orders me, “And at the same time say it.”

  We both did as we are instructed, holding out our hands in front of us. I felt something brush against my palms, power and softness. I look in front of me, seeing only trees and dirt, but I can feel something over there.

  “Aperi obice!” We both say and that is when a lighting bolt strikes and something opens.

  There we see a cave entrance, a cabin of sorts, and ritual site. It has been covered in b
lood, most of the props destroyed and a eerie feeling. We ignored it for now and head straight for the cabin and the cave entrance. Once inside, it was dark and the smell of blood invaded in the air.

  The closer we went in, the darker it became and sure enough we were completely encased by darkness.

  “Here,” Zeke hands me something. It felt like a rod or something, “You know how to create fire.”

  “Yeah,” I grab the thing, “Ignis.”

  As soon as the light pierced the darkness, we saw her.

  Chapter 33

  Annabelle

  I sit on the swinging chair just in front of my house. The sun is rising, the rays hitting my face providing a touch of warmth, not too much for I don’t feel much. I always wonder how does the warmth of the sun feel like. Does it feel beautiful? Is it too much? People who live in the desert complain, a lot.

  I hear Kenzie slamming the door and running down the steps, in a rush, as always. Every day for the past years, as a teen, she has always been late to school. I gave up waking her after her sophomore year.

  “Dude! Why didn’t you wake me up!” The classic line of a late teen.

  “Not my fault,” my husband chuckles, “Did make you lunch.”

  “Where’s...nevermind,” I sigh, “At least I am not that late.”

  I then snap my fingers. I hear her loud gasp, rushing to put her lunch in and grabbing the keys.

  “Why, Annabelle! WHY!??” She finally says before slamming the door.

  “You should have made her 30 minutes late, not a whole two hours,” Elijah signs, handing me a drink.

  “Every month, it increases. I am hoping she goes a day late. It might work,” I chuckle.

  “At this rate, it might just happen.”

  “Of course it will. Kenzie is bound to be late. Maybe I should prank her with a Saturday. Will she hate me then?”

  “Oh, she will.”

  “Have you told her?”

  “Hah. No, I was. But she decided sleep was vastly important.”

  “It’s important that she gets a say.”

  “I am pretty sure she’ll be okay with me being a vampire, seeing she wants to become one as well.”

  “Really?”

  “I know. She was pretty excited when I told her. I believe her exact quote was ’I can’t fucking wait.”

  “Wow. We are going to become a vampire family!”

  “Your brother beat us to the punch with that, but we are a close second.”

  I roll my eyes, looking out to the sun fully at bay. Sometimes it is very lazy to get up, just like Kenzie, in the winter. Suddenly the sun fades out, as do the trees, the lake, and the very cup I am holding. I turn to face Elijah and he slowly disappears.

  I am faced with darkness.

  “Annabelle. Annabelle. Jesus, what happened,” a voice just like Elijah appears.

  “Danni! Anna!” Another voice screams.

  “We have to get her out of these clothes.”

  “Oh my god, what happened?” A female voice appears.

  “Just, is there a shower in the cabin?”

  “There’s one right here?”

  “What the hell?”

  “At least they were being kind enough.”

  “Really?”

  “Just clean her up,” he sounds like my brother.

  I felt my body being lifted, these women struggling to put me down and take off my clothing. I am far too weak to even open my eyes, but my sense is heightened. Their scent is also familiar. Then the sharp cold liquid hits my skin, I wanted to jump and punch someone but I couldn’t.

  I blacked out again.

  “I love you,” he kisses my lips.

  “I love you too,” I kiss him back.

  “Annabelle. Seriously Annabelle, wake the fuck up,” a voice returns.

  “Yeah we need blood,” a male's voice appears.

  “Fuck you, Genevieve, you took most of it,” I groan.

  “There she is,” another voice says.

  “Damn it Madeline, suck some-”

  “Annabelle, here, drink,” I am interrupted with the smell of richness that has plaque my mind for a while now. I felt it touch my lips, then my tongue, and finally some of it runs down my throat.

  Then my fangs retract, bidding onto the structure. I suck and suck.

  “Jeez, calm down,” Zeke exclaims.

  “Fuck you,” I reply, opening my eyes letting go. At least I regain some strength. I look up into Elijah’s eyes, glad that he is feeling better.

  “Oh my god you are okay!” Anna leaps onto me, embracing me tightly.

  “A little bit,” I gasp for air, “Still weak.”

  “So what the fuck happened, sis?”

  “Well…After Jax and Anna left we went hiking for about three to four hours, everyone was silent except those god-awful eyes of Aldridge and Lorenzo. We took a small break and that is when Lorenzo pissed me off and I killed him. Then I was locked into this cell after I blacked out, Aldridge and Alvarion tried to kill me but then Daryl found out and punished them.

  Then they came back a few days later but this time they had a whip doused in vervain and wolfsbane. Dipshits. They whipped me a few times until I was no longer able to stand on my very own two feet. Daryl suddenly appears gave them a stern talking this time, but that is when I killed Alvarian. That was the best thing that has happened to me, honestly.

  Then I am blacked out again to only awake weak and fragile. Been the same since then I felt something go off. Blacked out and woke up to you guys.”

  “That...is...a lot,” Elijah breathes out.

  “I know I-”

  My head turns to the opening of the cave. I study it closely, wondering what the hell lies behind there. Then it hit me. The uneasiness. The uncomfortableness. The hard to breath type of air. Evil. malicious. Pain.

  “Zeke,” I say.

  “So it is true,” he says lowly.

  “It can’t be.”

  “What are you guys talking about,” Elijah asks.

  “ANNABELLE!” Madeline and Genevieve scream in unison.

  I see them both running in frantically, but Madeline trips falling hard on the ground. Genevieve tries helping her only to be flung back hitting the wall of the cave hard.

  That is when the presence grew darker.

  That is when it came back.

  That thing that is supposed to never come out.

  It grabs Madeleine, putting its hand into her chest, a small light emitted from it. The light goes through its arms and eventually to his chest. It shivers then drops Madeline’s lifeless body.

  “No,” I whisper.

  “We have to get out of here,” Jax says.

  “Cingite cum esset ventum et lutum,” Anna says.

  A circle of particles and dust flew up in the air, circling around the being distracting it from us. I tried standing but I fall to my knees, looking up at my mate. Jax lifts me up, throwing me over his shoulders, running for his life.

  He knows what it is.

  “Genevieve! Come on, before your next!” I yell at her.

  “I can’t...she’s…,” Genevieve cries.

  “Come on you stupid brainless woman! She’s already gone! You created this, now help us stop it!”

  “Way harsh, Annabelle,” Zeke says.

  “Seriously, right now?”

  She finally gets up, saying on last thing to her lifeless sister before joining us. We ran as far away from the place, reaching the end of the path. I can feel the presence of wolves huddling around the darkness of the forest. They must have been a little too concerned. I was placed down on a rock, the life slowly coming back to my legs.

  “What the hell is that thing?” Elijah asks.

  “A demon,” Genevieve answers.

  Chapter 34

  What is a demon?

  Demons are beings with no life, no soul, no comprehension of existence or life. They just follow. There are no leaders, other than their King, whom they don’t always follow. To
simply state, demons are their own entity.

  Even before the life of vampires existed, way before werewolves knowledge, demons existed. They did not, however roam this earth. Nobody knew what a demon was until one fateful day.

  A day in which a young novice and naive witch decided to play with her powers and life itself, and open a door for a demon. She did not know a spell, designed and created to birth a new life without the natural process, could bring a monster from hell. She thought she could simply return it, but the demon decided her soul was tasty enough.

  Demons are essentially mists. Dark vaporized water infused with smog of the late embers of hell. They take the shape of a human body after they devour their soul. Some demons make alterations and hide their red, sharp, pointy eyes, while others...do not.

  Everybody, mostly witches, were told since then to never, ever make that same mistake as the young witch. Although, it was a bit tricky since elders of covens did not know what kind of spell and the wording of the spell the witch used. Nonetheless, it was forced.