by Kim Faulks
It was the day after that her collar was removed, allowing her to be passed from one to another more easily. She had resigned herself to this existence, it wasn't a life that left her with a splinter of hope but a soulless existence that she endured, thankful to never go back into the darkness.
She was dead each morning when she woke up and she was dead when the day was done, so there was no need to keep her tethered by leather or chain, the tether of her mind was much stronger. Or so she thought.
Kaige had been watching her with an expression she couldn't work out. The female vampire had rewarded her with more food and a place to sleep, next to her, something that she had been surprised about at first, but then the sparks of excitement overrode everything else. She was finally becoming one of them.
Her thoughts were bombarded by a voice that told her that there was something wrong with this, something that she needed to do, but her thoughts grew foggy when she tried to remember what it was she was supposed to be doing. All she knew was that Kaige, her mistress, had given her an opportunity to prove herself and she would not let her down.
"Natalie, come," her mistress commanded. The demand of her mistress shocked her and she stood far too quickly, spilling the cup of water in her lap and at once her clothes darkened. Kaige's eyes moved to the spreading darkness that stuck against her skin, outlining the mound between her legs. She no longer cared that her mistress watched her with a hunger like the others. This had become her life, a tool to be used and passed around. So it seemed only right that her mistress would one day call on her and it seemed as though this would be that day.
Natalie moved quickly, scurrying like a mouse towards the vampire, until she reached her, waiting for some prompt from her mistress as to what she wanted. Her mistress lay back down, flicking her eyes to the space beside her and so she complied, moving to lay beside her. This moment was the turning point for her, Kaige was trusting her and that meant a great deal. So she was careful, waiting for her to make the first move, letting her know what she wanted, what she desired.
Kaige's lips were soft and tender and she took her time, touching her where she wanted, kissing where Natalie's flesh was bare and then under her clothes. She felt dead inside, as though she were no more than a shell, a reflection of what she had been before, shining and shimmering on the surface but dig a little deeper and there was nothing but an empty hole.
She allowed herself to drift, taking her mind away into the clouds where it seemed she spent most of her time and closed her eyes.
Her hands, fingers and mouth moved on its own accord, her brain refusing to acknowledge the firing of demands that it gave while the hunger and release of another was demanded and given. She wiped her mouth, the salty taste lingering far too long on her lips. Afterwards as she drifted away she heard Kaige whisper, "You belong to me now."
She couldn't understand why, but that thought disturbed her, pulling her away from the sleep she so desperately needed, as her blood turned to ice and that nagging feeling returned, like a tiny voice inside her, trying desperately to get her attention. But she paid it no mind and lay quiet until she felt the vampire next to her slip into unconsciousness.
Sleep failed her and as quiet as she lay next to her mistress, she knew it was only time before she woke Kaige, so she silently rose, holding her breath until she moved out of sight. It was early morning, the sun barely a whisper against the never ending black sky. It was so still, the others of the camp lay quiet except for the occasional grunt, she suddenly realized at this moment she was alone.
Run.
The thought surfaced in her mind.
Run now.
She turned back to the others, knowing this is where she needed to be. This is where she should stay. But when she turned back she had already moved, was moving. Her pace quickened as she walked down the slight descent and dropped away from view.
It's okay, I can still turn around, she thought as legs strode out and her breath deepened. She had been this far before, searching the flats for the curled bracken fronds and the occasional nightjar egg. She had eaten the tiny bracken out of desperation and found that the others of the camp detested the tiny curled fingers, leaving her to take her fill.
She could still turn back, she should turn back. But her feet moved, their pace quickening even as her mind told them to stop, she shouldn't be doing this. The camp had grown smaller, sitting on the rise and shadowed by the concrete covering of the bunker. Run, growled inside her head and this time with fear coursing through her veins she started running.
It was as though someone else drove her body, relinquishing her control over the most basic bodily actions. Her breath came in gasps as she flew across the young grass and tiny flowers. The days had become warmer, releasing winters hold on the spores that waited for summer to come. She didn't dare turn back and even though she couldn't remember a time when her body moved like this, lengthening her stride and whipping her legs back and forwards underneath, she found it came easily to her, carrying her further away from the camp second by second.
Faster.
She concentrated on where her feet landed, watching out for hidden rocks and hollows that would cause her to twist her ankle and as the sky lightened she realized she had just secured her own death. Her step faltered and she would have fallen if it wasn't for the sound that caused her foot to step against the flat stone instead of against the slippery moss it hid.
The ting of metal on metal sounded loud across the barren land and the laughter that followed pulled her in that direction and she surged forward as the sound of voices became clearer. The sun had finally shown itself, revealing the glare it had hidden as the night released its claim over the sky and Natalie knew she didn't have long left before the others started to stir and once they did, they would realize she was gone.
Other humans...please let them be here for me, with Uzi's and silver spikes. She was envisioning a small army of men carrying the most lethal of weapons with a chopper on stand-by as she raced along the remnants of a walking track towards the sound as the oncoming silhouettes lightened she felt the earth beneath her fall away, followed by her hope of survival.
Chapter 8
The largest of the three led the way, heading towards her. The man saw her first. He stopped suddenly, producing a cry of confusion mixed with a slew of words she couldn't quite hear, but she could guess as to what they were.
He watched her, hurtling towards him and took in her appearance. She knew she must look a sight, barefoot and feral from months of living like an animal. So she expected the reaction and the confusion that produced a, "What the hell?"
What would she say? Run, vampires are coming? She knew this would only bring sympathy, overshadowed by skepticism, so she said the only thing she knew would bring the right reaction. "Bears, there are bears after me!"
"Who is that? Tristan, get out of the way if you're just going to stand there." The demand was followed by a push into his ribs and Natalie's steps slowed, as she stopped just in front of them. She leaned over, gasping as she gripped her knees, trying to get them to understand.
"You need to - run."
The woman edged around the man who stared dumfounded at Natalie, taking control over the situation immediately. "Dear God, where did you come from?"
Natalie pointed behind her. "Bears...coming. Need to run."
"Nonsense," she said simply. "There hasn't been a bear sighting in over ten years here."
"Please," Natalie whispered, staring into her determined gaze. Somewhere in the fog of her mind she knew this woman reminded her of someone she had known, someone just like her, a take charge, independent and ridiculously narrow-minded woman who was a danger not only to herself, but to everyone around her.
"Are you lost? Where are the others in your group?" she asked, looking around Natalie to where the trail lay bare behind her. But it wouldn't be bare for long. The others would be awake now and know what she had done. They would send the wolves after her first, they wou
ld pick up her scent and travel the trail she left far more quickly than she had.
It was only a matter of time before they found her and as a small boy steeped out from behind the man and asked, "Mum, who is that woman?" she understood with a cold certainly that they would find this family as well.
Could she just keep on running and leave them to their fate? This prospect seemed unnaturally easy for her to contemplate. Yes, just slip by them and keep on moving, keep on running. If there was an opportunity to get away, then this was it. This was her one chance. The others would be too busy with these humans to carry on looking for her. They might even let me go? She thought, they would probably think she would die of dehydration and hunger before she reached any resemblance of hope.
"Mum?" the boy said, staring up at Natalie, tugging on his mother's arm.
Natalie turned away, not wanting to look at the child's face any longer, the reflection in his wide brown eyes caused her head to pound. "It's okay Luke. Just some crazy woman, honey," she said, turning back to Natalie with a wink and a smile. "Bears."
The woman's condescending remarks didn't worry her, she paid them no mind. It was the barely spoken words as he asked, "Mum, is she going to hurt us?"
Hurt them? No. She was trying to...help them. I can't do this, she thought, mumbling, "Sorry, I'm so sorry," as she pushed past them. She had almost made it to the other side, her focus on the horizon ahead, as she tried to force herself to be there by sheer will alone.
"Do you want a gobstopper?" he asked, holding out a crinkled white paper bag as she stepped past him. "Mum always says when I'm acting crazy, that a gobstopper helps. It shuts me up anyways." She stopped moving, looking down into a smiling face. "Purple ones are my favorite, I only have one left, but you can have it if you want?"
His smiling face wrenched something inside of her, ripping away a scab and revealing something she couldn't understand. It was another boy, another time, another her. It felt like. Yes, that's right, remember... whispered her own voice inside her.
"I…" she started, the words of deception dying inside her mouth. She not only realized the lies she had been living, the false reality born from the torture she had endured. Now she held their lives in her hands. Could she turn away, leave them to die? No, she couldn't before and she couldn't do that now.
She turned to the male... Tristan, whispering a prayer that he would listen. "There are some really dangerous men coming this way. They will not only kill you, but they will do it slow and," she turned to the woman, "They will keep you for entertainment."
She could see the woman blanch, her face paling as her words impacted. She opened her mouth, but Natalie held up her hand. "I've been their captive for who knows how long and right about now they will have realized that I've escaped and I can guarantee they will be out looking for me at this very moment. Now, you can trust me or not, that's up to you. But, if you don't and then you are cornered, it won't be just your own life you are sacrificing."
Natalie looked at the boy and reached out, smoothing his fly-away blonde hair as it blew into his eyes. "Please believe me," she said, a prayer spoken out loud.
"Okay," said the husband. "Which way are they coming from and how many are there?"
"They're coming from the south and I guessing not all of them will come, but I'd say, ten, to fifteen at the least."
"Shit. Are they armed?" he asked and she nodded, but these creatures didn't need weapons, they were weapons. How could she tell them that?
Instead she settled on, "We have to move, now," and started walking, leading the way. After five frustrating minutes of listening to them announce their location to the entire country, she stopped.
"Why are you stopping, can you hear something?" he asked.
Her breath tried it's best to calm the tension that seemed to leak from her pores. "We need to get rid of the bags."
"What? No, are you out of your mind, Tristan?" the woman said instantly.
"She's right, Alicia. Anyone could hear us coming from a mile away."
The look the woman gave him was threatening. But he shrugged. "I dunno hon, I kinda believe her," he said, pleading. A howl cut through the air, causing the hackles on her own neck to stand, the shivers spreading across her skin.
"They're coming! Jesus Christ... RUN!" she screamed, grabbing hold of the boy and taking off, running as fast as she could.
She heard Alicia yell, "Wait, put him down!" as a battle cry so bone-chilling cut through the air. She never looked back as she ran and prayed that these people would realize the danger they were in.
The sound of footsteps grew louder behind her as they dropped their bags and raced to catch up. Tristan reached her first, holding out his hands for the boy. "I'll carry him."
She handed him over, and sighed with relief. She was struggling herself after running flat out for over an hour and she needed to focus. If there was anyway of them surviving she needed to come up with a plan and fast.
There was no way they could outrun what was coming for them. They only thing she could do was to lead them to safety. "Keep heading towards the mountains, there's bound to be somewhere that we can hide."
Tristan nodded as he panted, pushing the group harder, faster. The ground beneath her feet rose, bringing the valley floor to the rise of the mountains. Their flight would slow as the terrain became higher, the trees thicker, closing them in. But this would only matter to the humans, to the others - well, they would barely notice.
Natalie's body burned and screamed as her muscles gave what they could. She was used to the pain, the hurt, the burn. In a way this is where she felt alive, like a Technicolor break in the black and white movie that had become her life.
They raced over moss-covered rocks, slipping and sliding, holding onto the footing as best as they could. She could hear her captors behind her, their thunderous stampede eating the distance. They needed to find somewhere to hide. Somewhere they could rest and wait it out, hoping that brain would win over brawn.
The hairline crack in the mountain side caught her attention, a tiger stripe of black against the sea of green and she lifted her hand to the others. A wheeze formed into a word as she called to them. "Wait! Over here!"
Alicia turned, catching her voice as she was the closest and called out to Tristan. Her legs danced a jitterbug as she tried to slow her body down and headed for the opening. She pushed her hand through, feeling it give way to something bigger inside. Tristan breath blew hot against her ear. "What's in there?"
She cocked her head, gauging the distance between them and their enemy. What other choice did they have? None.
"It's a cave. I don't know how big, or if it leads anywhere, but it is somewhere we can hide, ‘'cause we can't keep running like this for much longer."
"We don't know what's in there," he said, as the sound of her captors grew louder.
"No, we don't. But I'd rather take my chances in there, then to say out here with them."
"She's right Tristan. We can't keep running."
Natalie looked at Alicia, understanding how hard it was for this woman to place not only her life, but the lives of her son and her husband into the hands of a stranger. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Now was not the time for her to break down, lives depended on her and she hoped to God that she wouldn't let them down.
"I'll go first, then I'll come for you. Be ready," Natalie said, as she turned sideways and slipped easily through. She knew it would be a tight fit for Tristan as she shuffled her arse and hands along the jagged wall. She felt something soft and big move under her hand and before she could stop herself from reacting, jerked her hand back to mash her lips to stop from crying out.
"Natalie you there?" said Tristan, his voice strained and urgent. "If you are, you need to hurry."
"I'm here," she said, shuffling harder until the last shove drove her out of the crevice into... nothing.
The cave was pitch black, not even the light from the outside held any weight against
the darkness. Her breath caught in her throat. A cry tried to fight its way free as the panic filled her. In that moment Natalie was back in the dungeon, her hands tied, her mind tortured by the memories of what might have been, as they slammed into the reality of where she now was. She was going to die here in the darkness... she was going...
"Natalie!... Please!... They're almost here!" Tristan cried, snapping her from her own private hell.
She shuffled back into the crevice, sliding faster even though she could feel her body sting as the rocks broke her skin. She slipped back into the open. "It's tight, but keep going as there is a cave at the end. I don't know where it goes, but it's safe."
He nodded, turning towards his wife and his son. "Alicia, you go first, then Luke and Natalie and then me."
Natalie could see the fear in the woman's eyes as she shook her head. She looked from Tristan, then back to Natalie.
"No, I'll need to go last, you're bigger and you might need some help getting through. Just slide along the wall, it's a tight fit but it's okay. Just try not to put your hands over the wall in front of you okay?"
Alicia's brows furrowed as she looked at her, but one quick glance towards the boy and a shake of her head told her all she needed to know. She didn't want to scare the child any more than necessary.
The sound of her captors cutting into the forest below them pushed them on. "Go," she said. "They're here."
Luke disappeared through the mountain, his little body sliding along easily enough as Alicia followed with desperate words of encouragement. But her attention was no longer focused on what slipped away from her, only the blurs that hurtled towards her. She backed up, watching as the hunched shapes of the wolves smashed through the forest. She knocked into Tristan as he too stared at what came for them. "Fuck," was all he said, and at that moment it felt about right.
Natalie slid towards the ground, never taking her eyes off the beasts that charged up the mountain towards them. Her hand gripped the biggest rock she could find and stood slowly without tearing her eyes away as Tristan struggled, pushing his body through the cleft of the mountain. "I'm not gonna fit!" he cried, his body heaving as his panic took over. "Jesus Natalie... I can't get through!"