The Violet Line

by Bilinda Ni Siodacain

  Finally, he chose one and turned back to Sam. They spoke some more and I was becoming more and more frustrated with not being able to understand what they were talking about. Sam looked melancholic, as though some great weight sat on his shoulders. I walked over to him, forgetting my earlier fears about him being angry with me; he still didn’t notice me. I longed to wrap my arms around him and reassure him, run my hands over his face and wipe away the pain that creased his brow. I touched him and he never stirred; it was as though I was a ghost and had no effect on any of the proceedings.

  I wrapped my arms around him but I couldn’t get a good grip on him; I kept slipping through him. I was getting more and more frustrated. I watched as Sam handed money to this other vampire and began to walk away. Something the other one said made Sam pause; he never turned around but his shoulders tensed. I was sure he would turn around and see me but he continued walking away. I tried to follow him but he moved too quickly and I became lost in the dark outside the warehouse. I wandered in the dark trying to feel my way back to Sam; it seemed impossible.

  Closing my eyes, I thought of Sam; if I was a ghost surely I could find him if I thought of him. I opened my eyes and peered around at my surroundings. It seemed like the same warehouse as before but the boxes were positioned differently and there was no sign of the other strange vampire. I walked among the boxes and tucked away in the darkest corner, I found Sam. He was lying on his back with his hands clasped on his stomach. He didn’t move or breathe; he looked dead. I could see the rats that had grown brave and scurried around his still form.

  I ran to his side and knelt down beside him. I tried to shake him awake, but just like before my hand passed through him and he stayed unmoved. I felt as though I should cry out or scream at him to wake up, to open his eyes and see me, but when I opened my mouth no sound came out. It felt as though somebody had put me on mute. I stared at him, willing him to wake but he didn’t. I lay down on the ground beside him. The floor felt cold and damp; it made me shiver and I wrapped my arms around him as best as I could as I lay beside him. We lay like this for hours. I lost all feeling in my body; it was so cold on the floor, but I really didn’t care. I was near Sam and that was all that mattered to me.

  The warehouse eventually grew darker and I started when Sam sat up suddenly, frightening the rats that had crawled and sniffed around his body as though he was simply another obstacle in their path. I watched as he jumped lithely to his feet, inhaling deeply of the night air. My head and heart felt light with relief at knowing that he was alright and that he wasn’t dead; sometimes his stillness frightened me.

  Once more I followed him into the night. I stayed close by his side this time as I was afraid he would slip into the darkness where I couldn’t follow him. He ambled along down by the pier. He stood looking out over the water. It looked beautiful. The water lapped gently against the dock, the movement barely visible in the light. It hit me then; the light wasn’t as dark as the last time I had left the warehouse. Following Sam had been easy because the night was brighter. I pondered it as I stared out over the water. At Sam’s side, always where I wanted to be, it felt right as though I belonged here.

  Sam turned and we suddenly weren’t alone. This was certainly the most intimidating vampire I had ever seen. He was tall probably around six foot but I couldn’t be sure; I never had been brilliant at gauging height. He was wire thin, the cloak that wrapped around his cruel frame made him seem even straighter. His hair was grey and his skin was whiter than I had ever seen on a vampire. He wasn’t beautiful like the others but he held a power about him that commanded attention. This was not a man to be ignored easily.

  His power prickled through the air as he stood and conversed with Sam. I could feel it caress the bare skin of my arms, like an army of ants marching to attention. I rubbed vigorously, trying to dispel the feeling that was beginning to make me shiver. I strained to hear or understand them but gave up when I quickly realised that I couldn’t understand them. Sam appeared agitated with the conversation and I noticed he had slipped the small vial from his pocket and now held it grasped in his hand.

  If only I could understand what they were saying. I felt as though I was missing something vital. I watched as Sam triumphantly produced the small vial and watched the sly grin that crept onto the other vampires face. I realised too late what Sam intended to do as he placed it to his lips and drank deep.

  I lunged at him, hoping somehow that I would be able to stop him from committing this horrific act, but he had finished the contents and my touch had no effect on him. He crumpled to the ground and I followed him; my screams ripped agonisingly silent from my throat but nobody could hear them. I was forced to watch as blood poured from my beloved’s mouth and he convulsed in the gravel. He dug his fingers deep into the ground and I tried to hold him as he choked on his own blood. Collapsing onto his side, I tried to hold his hand to comfort him in his dying moments but it was pointless. He twitched once or twice more and I placed my head down near his. I kissed his bloodied lips. He moved his lips and the last word that left his mouth was Jade as he breathed out and grew still. I threw my arms around his body and howled out my anguish.

  I woke tangled and screaming in the blankets from my bed. It had been a dream but it had felt so real. I really felt as though I had been with Sam when he died; but I knew that if he was dead, I’d feel it deep down inside and I didn’t have that feeling. It felt as though a large weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

  “A nightmare,” I breathed out, my terror and anguish was still trying to grip me but I quashed it. I couldn’t allow myself to believe what I had seen; if I did, I would go completely insane. It was bad enough believing that Sam had left me for good without also thinking that he had killed himself. That was simply too much to handle. I wouldn’t listen to the voice in my head that tried to insist that what I had seen was true.

  I pulled myself out from under the tangled blankets and stood on the cold floor, my legs unsteady beneath me. Glancing at my phone, I discovered I had four missed calls from Annie and fifteen from my mom.

  “How long have I been asleep?” I queried looking at the time on the phone. It was four AM; it was over twenty-four hours since Sam had left me sitting on the bed. I had no idea what day it was anymore and I forced myself to remember back over the days that had all begun to meld into one another. Friday night, Sam had gone missing but he had returned in the early hours of Saturday. I slept all through Sunday until that night when Sam left me and then I sat how long had I sat there for. I wasn’t sure but I had a sinking feeling that I had slept through Monday and work. My boss was going to kill me.

  Standing there, my stomach began to growl its protest at my lack of eating. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten anymore. I wandered into the kitchen and rummaged in my half empty cupboards. The best I could come up with was some cornflakes in the bottom of the box but I had no milk, half a yorkie bar and some salt and vinegar Pringles in their tin. I sat down on my couch with my feast and began to eat.

  As I chewed, I thought back over the detail of my dream. If it was real – and that was a big if – then I had to find the vampire that I had seen in the warehouse. Perhaps he could give me some answers as to why and what he had given Sam in that vial. Perhaps from there I could find out who the other guy was. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was probably one of the council. The power that I had felt coming from him was not something that just any ordinary vampire could boast, and he didn’t seem like an ordinary vampire. I shivered as I remembered his cold eyes; old eyes that had seen many suffer at and by his hands. He gave me the creeps but I had to find him if I wanted to know what had happened to Sam. I tried to think of the best way to find the first vampire. I didn’t know any of their usual haunts but perhaps if I looked around some of the warehouses down at the pier, I might find some clues.

  I stood up and stretched, trying to shift some of the tension that had gathered in my shoulders. I always carried tension ther
e. Sam had always tried to make me relax and loosen up let go of some of the pressure; he thought I was far too serious for one so young, as he like to put it. He used to joke and say I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders.

  I hurried into the shower, grabbing my towel and undressing quickly. I let the scalding hot water cascade down over my skin, watching as it turned my fairness a vibrant pink. I pretended it was washing away all my troubles, but that was impossible. Jumping out, I rushed getting dressed, not really caring what I threw on myself. I dug out my old dark blue jeans and a grey t-shirt. I couldn’t find my own jumper but found Sam’s sitting on the bed as though he had simply dropped it there himself. Hot tears stung the back of my eyes but I crushed down my feelings and pulled the jumper on, enjoying the smell of him before grabbing my car keys and purse and heading out the door.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pulling up at the waterfront I watched the water lap up at the edges. It looked choppier than it had last night. The sky had lightened with the dawn, turning the black night a lovely dull grey. The air hung low and oppressive and I could see the entire town stretched out in front of me. Lights were beginning to turn on in some people’s houses as they got up to go about their days work.

  Stepping out of the car, I avoided the area I thought might have appeared in the second part of my vision. I didn’t want to turn into a blubbering wreck just yet. I couldn’t afford to give into my emotions; I had work to do. I walked towards the first warehouse. There was quite a few of them lined up along the waterfront and I wasn’t too sure which one I had been in the first time; I’d simply have to look through as many as I could. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The grey light that filtered in after me showed the dust dancing in the light; it reminded me of a child’s idea of fairies dancing. I watched it, fascinated for a moment as they twirled back and forth in the light.

  A noise towards the end of the warehouse woke me from my trance and I crept inside, glancing around me. It looked similar to the one in my vision but I wasn’t sure. I made my way to the very back and stopped. There was nothing here. No shelves, nothing; just rows and rows of containers and boxes. Slowly, I made my way back outside. This could take quite some time, I thought checking the time on my watch. It read six forty-five. I sighed moving on to the next building. After my fourth failure, I considered giving up. It was probably just a dream my brain conjured up to allow me to see Sam again. My brain had a pretty sick way of showing kindness if that was the case.

  Something made me continue looking. I had come this far; I might as well look in the last few. I took my time walking towards the last building. Something about it seemed terribly familiar, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. I stopped in front of it; unsure as to why I was hesitating. Carefully, I stepped through the door that was standing ajar. This place was darker and filled with more shadows than the others.

  Slowly, I edged my way towards the back of the building. It smelled kind of strange, a sort of sweet almost coppery smell emanated from the back of the containers. Carefully picking my way forward, I stopped dead. My eyes opened wide as I stared at what lay out before me. The rows and rows of shelves that the first scruffy vampire had perused while Sam waited stretched out on the wall before me. I stared at them, expecting at any moment that they would simply disappear into thin air, but they stayed put. Compulsively walking forward, I stopped in front of the shelves and stared at all the tiny vials. Small and fat, tall and thin; some of the bottles were oddly shaped as though partially melted. There were hundreds of tiny bottles. I couldn’t see a bottle that matched the one that Sam had, but I suppose there wouldn’t be another one; Sam had drunk it.

  I turned and fled the warehouse. My legs carried me as fast as they could, pumping up and down as I raced out into the morning light. They kept carrying me forward until my shoes crunched over the grey gravel down along the pier. I stopped running when I could see it. The pier stretched out in front of me, smaller than I remembered from the dream. The small glass vial lay broken on the ground. Slumping onto my knees and tentatively reaching my hand out, I touched the stones. It had almost dried into the gravel, but when I lifted my hand away I could still see some of the blood staining my fingers. I sat there shocked; my dream had been real after all and Sam was dead. But if he was dead, where was his body and why couldn’t I feel it deep inside? It made no sense. I was sure that because Sam was my other half, I would know if anything happened to him; I would feel it. I felt as though I would die if anything happened to Sam and now I knew he was dead, had killed himself. I felt hollow inside.

  I stood slowly, not caring about the cold or the mist that had begun to fall, causing my hair to stick to my neck and face. I walked slowly towards the waterfront. It was as though it called me, luring me in with promises of peace and reunion with Sam. I stepped closer to the edge, looking into its black depths. And still it called to me, begging me to join it. I felt peaceful as I reached the edge, stones skittering off dropping into it causing ripples to break my reflection. My foot stepped over the edge and for a second, I was suspended before the water rushed up to meet me.

  Chapter Fourteen

  His eyes opened slowly. The scene that greeted him was not what he was expecting. The strange vampire he had seen the other night healing Sarah kneeled over him. Her straight black hair fell over her face as she worked, but Sam could see her face from where he lay on the ground. Her small hands lay across his chest and he heard a distant ringing in his ears. His heart sank as Oskaar came into view, a smug grin splitting his face as he watched the Asian vampire working her magic on him.

  “Ling, don’t worry about completely healing him; if he has to do some himself, all the better. I see he healed rather quickly since his punishment the other day. A bit more healing now might be just what he needs.”

  She fluidly sprung to her feet. Sam tried to follow but his legs felt heavy and leaden and wouldn’t support him. He barely managed to sit up; his head spun in dizzying circles when he finally managed it and he thought to himself if he had eaten anything or was human, he’d be sick. Oskaar excitedly clapped his hands.

  “What was it you said, Sam, before you made that very moving gesture? Hmm, something about you winning? Hah. Well, I think we just proved now who really has won. Did you think I would be so stupid, Samuel? You have truly disappointed me; I knew you would never bring Jade to us. For heaven’s sake, I showed you the future. Did you not think I would foresee this too? Sometimes you can be so careless. More than just careless; you’re naive, Samuel. There is a plan and you are following it to the letter. I have known about these events for months. It’s true there was some element of risk involved when I knew you intended to kill yourself to protect Jade, but knowing it made it easier for me to stop you and bring you back so you can complete the rest of your destiny.” Each word Oskaar spoke made Sam feel as though he was falling deeper into a well of despair. He tried not to listen to Oskaar’s words, to ignore what he was saying, but he could see the hopelessness of the situation.

  “How does it feel, Sam, knowing that it will be you who kills your love?” Oskaar’s voice was filled with poisonous venom and Sam felt as though it had been injected straight into his heart; he felt icy cold and sick with fear. Some of the vampires gathered around sniggered at Sam’s despair. Marianne and Raphael laughed the loudest.

  “At least you can be together when you turn her,” Raphael added.

  “I’ll never hurt her; I couldn’t do that to her. You’ve twisted it somehow; I won’t turn her into something she’s not!” Sam’s outburst made them laugh harder. Oskaar continued to smile.

  “Well for now, you won’t need to do anything; I can take it from here. All I needed was you alive to get to Jade. Now that I have that, I don’t exactly have to make your stay comfortable. I believe Lissie was looking for a new toy to play with and the revenants get so lonely down in their dungeon. I’m sure you can all get along just splendidly. Put him in the car, Marianne.”

&n
bsp; Marianne and Raphael approached him. Grabbing him by the arm, she attempted to pull him to his feet but Sam wasn’t budging. Raphael grabbed the front of his shirt and tried to swing him up but as he leaned in closer, Sam swung his free arm up. As it connected with Raphael’s jaw, Sam kicked his legs out and swept Raphael off his feet and onto the gravel. He jumped to his feet and swung Marianne around towards Oskaar. He still felt a little stiff, but the thought of this man using him to get to Jade gave him the strength he needed. Some of the other vampires began circling him and he crouched low. Stepping out of the way of Raphael’s angry swipe as he lumbered to his feet, Sam watched as Raphael prepared to charge him. He had never been the most graceful vampire, always relying on his strength as a descendant of the Vikings to get him through. He charged at Sam, his head low, preparing to tackle him to the ground, but Sam deftly side stepped him and kicked his lower back as he passed. Raphael fell into some of the other vampires that were circling. Two of the other male vampires waded into the fray, choosing to attack Sam at once. He jumped, kicking the first one in the jaw. He heard the crack as his foot displaced the bone. Narrowly avoiding the other guy’s fist, Sam dealt him a blow to the abdomen that sent him reeling.

  “Enough!” Oskaar’s voice split the air. “I suppose if one needs something done, one should simply do it themselves!”

  Sam turned to dispatch the next vampire that lunged for him and found he was unable to move. The vampire rammed into him, causing them both to crash to the gravel. Raphael grabbed Sam by the hair and swung him up and over his head. Sam tried to defend himself, but still couldn’t move a muscle. The ground rushed towards his face as Raphael slammed him into the ground. Raphael’s kicked him repeatedly in the ribs; he lost count of how many gave way beneath the onslaught. Once more, Oskaar indicated that he should be loaded into the car. Raphael hauled him up by the arm, dragging him through the gravel. He laughed as Sam tried to swing out at him before he lifted the lid of the trunk, threw Sam inside and shut him into the darkness.