“It's fine, Sam. We're together again now and that's all that matters.” There was no trace of contempt in Alice’s voice, but that didn't change the past or prevent Sam from screwing things up in the first place. However, despite everything that had happened, the only friend that he had left in the entire world was there to help him and she wasn't asking for anything in return. That was true friendship in its purest form. He couldn't ask for a better friend than Alice Delaney.
There was another voice in the dark that spoke softly with masked intent. A familiar one that he hadn’t heard since the fateful night that had changed his entire existence forever. "I can show you all the wonders of the world." The woman’s words were saturated by false promises and lies. She had never wanted to show him the world and had only ever wanted to use him. Her voice was distorted, making her sound different to what Sam had previously remembered. His thoughts were corrupted and unclear as he struggled to conjure up a clear image of his maker.
It was Alice’s whisper that followed, guiding Sam through his own memories as if she had the map that he had been lacking all this time. “Focus on her voice. Let an image form in your mind. Don't chase after her memory, let it come to you.”
Sam could see the woman’s lips, red with blood as she mouthed the words, but he still found it difficult to recall the rest of her face, as if it had been purposely blocked from his mind. “This isn't the end. It's the beginning of something much greater.” The words were clearer this time, but were rife with yet more lies. Everything she had told him had been a lie. A means to an end.
Whoever the woman was, her voice seemed to trigger something in Alice that filled her with fear. “Sam, I know that voice…” It appeared that the woman was someone that Alice knew quite well. It was someone that she was familiar enough with that she could recognise them from their voice alone, and from her fearful tone, that wasn't exactly a good thing.
Sam concentrated as a face began to form around the dripping, ruby lips and his lost memory began to surface. It wasn't long before her other features began to take shape, the narrow and defined nose of a regent, hazel eyes full of the wisdom of someone who had witnessed indescribable acts of horror, and smooth skin that was as pale as moonlight. Dark, brown hair bordered the elegant bone structure of a woman of timeless beauty, her cordial smile hiding a malevolence that chilled Sam to the bones.
“Sam, wake up! Wake up now!” Alice’s terrified plea wasn't enough to break Sam free as he was enveloped in the woman’s arms. What began as a gentle embrace soon escalated into a vice like grip that threatened to crush bone as her sheer strength overpowered him. He could feel the curves of her body pressing up against him, her hands poking through his skin like daggers between his ribs as she refused to let go. The more he squirmed and struggled against his captor, the stronger she seemed to get and the wider her smile grew until he could see the points of her fangs protruding from her mouth. An elongated tongue poked out from between her reddened lips, licking every drop of blood from them as her pupils dilated with frenzied intoxication.
“What's happening?!?” Sam called out to Alice in panic, the feeling of helplessness fast becoming more than he could handle.
“It's not just a memory, Sam, it's actually her. I don't know how she’s doing it, but she can sense your presence, which means that she may be able to track you down too.” Alice’s words offered no comfort even though she tried her best to speak in a calm and reassuring manner. Her fake confidence wasn't enough to mask the trepidation that she clearly felt.
The woman’s tongue seemed to taste the air, picking up the scent of Sam's blood before she slowly moved her head down towards his neck. She pressed cold lips against his bare skin and proceeded to devour the precious liquid as it flowed from a freshly opened wound. Her fangs had torn open his jugular, letting her suckle his life directly from his veins like the sweet nectar that it was. Sam knew the feeling all too well and the high that came from consuming his fill, but he had never been the one who was being consumed, or at least he had forgotten about it until now. He wondered what it was like to cut with the precision of a scalpel instead of rending flesh with teeth ill suited to the task.
“I don't… I don't understand…” Sam was beginning to have trouble speaking as the woman's limbs entwined around him like vines, squeezing the very life out of him. Her body was changing, her shape transforming as if she was becoming something else entirely. Something powerful and primal.
Disembodied and unable to directly intervene, Alice still tried to lend some aid. “You can do it, Sam, just open your eyes! You really don't want her to find you, trust me...”
The woman continued to lap up Sam’s vitae as he began to disappear under a mass of flesh like vines. This wasn't part of his lost memory, it was something else entirely. It was as if someone else other than Alice had forcibly entered his mind and was wrestling for control, with no care as to what state it would be left in afterwards.
Sam cried out in terror. “This is just in my head. None of it's real. She can't be this bad, can she?” The woman's fangs began to multiply, their points elongating until the maw of her mouth had been filled with several rows of razor sharp needles. To his horror, her jaw opened unnaturally wide and then wider still as she prepared to consume him whole.
Alice’s voice was quieter now as she was being systematically shut out by a creature of considerable strength. “She's worse than this... She drains you of your free will without you realising it. You don't even know that it's happening until it's far too late.”
Sam wanted to fight back, but he couldn't move a muscle. He was trapped and would soon become a meal for someone who he didn't know that well at all. Why would the woman create him only to snuff him out? None of it made sense. This wasn't the same person that he remembered at all. Just like everything else, it had all been a lie.
Wait a second… This couldn't be real. Sam realised that all of it was in his head and that he wasn't a prisoner there. It wasn't his physical body getting crushed, just a representation of it. Alice couldn't do anything to save him from the woman’s grasp, only he could to save himself. He had to break free of her tendrils and reclaim his mind from those who had invaded it, guests both invited and uninvited.
Alice had helped Sam to locate his maker, but in doing so had inadvertently put him in jeopardy. He was thankful for his friend's assistance and had been more than willing for the intrusion when it was offered, but it was now time for her to leave. It was time to free his consciousness from all outside influences.
“Get out of my head!!!” Sam yelled as loud as he could, projecting his command throughout the misted corridors of his memories and out to every corner of his mind.
The horrific form the woman had taken pulled away from his neck and glared at him with bloodshot eyes. “I will come for you, my child.” Her eyes darted up to where Alice’s spirit still floated nearby, her wicked grin of pointed teeth gnashing together as she spoke. “I will come for you all!” And with those final words, she slipped away like a serpent in the darkness, leaving no trace of anyone having been there at all.
Still feeling stunned by what had happened, Sam peered up at Alice, who's form was now little more than a cloud of fog with a human face as it began to dissipate. He could tell by her expression that she was terrified and if what he had just seen was anything to go by, she had every right to be. As the last vestiges of her form faded from view and became one with the mist that surrounded it, she whispered to him in the most soothing of tones as her voice was carried off into the void. “Open your eyes, Sam. It's time to wake up.”
With those final words, Sam was whisked off his feet and sent spiralling back from where he came. He caught glimpses of old memories as he passed them by, some full of joy and others drenched in misery. He could see his parents and their baby girl, Entropy of the Heart performing on stage, the hunters who had become tentative allies and the blonde haired girl who he had grown up alongside, as well as the intimidating compan
ion that she had brought to Miami with her. These were just some of the events that had forged the man who he was today, for better or for worse.
The last face that Sam saw as he was pushed back into the real world was that of Christie. Her features were no longer contorted and twisted in pain, as she instead smiled with a warmth that he was still so fond of. The wild spark of mischief was still present in her eyes as she looked back at him with pure affection. This was the way that she had always looked at him, pushing any doubts of how she had felt about him aside. Whoever she was or whatever she had done, Christie’s feelings for him had never been a lie. Sam could see it clearer now than he ever had, knowing full well that it hadn't just been their blood that had brought them together, it had been a force much more powerful. Love.
Sam tried to take a moment to observe every aspect of Christie’s face, but the image had already begun to disappear. Her beautiful features were soon replaced with those that belonged to another familiar sight, the slightly plainer appearance of a girl who's look of concern was easy to read. “Alice…”
Alice's nose was just a few inches away from Sam's as she leaned in to check on him. “I'm really sorry… I had no idea.”
Sam’s mind felt numb from exertion. He had fought off someone far stronger than him, with a level of mental discipline that he had never seen before. She had dominated him with ease and it had taken every ounce of his being to resist her. “Who was that? The things she could do...” He couldn't find the words to describe the state that his head had been left in. It felt as though his brain matter had been tossed in a blender before whatever was left was crammed back into his skull.
Alice was so frightened that her pupils were dilated as she spoke. “Katherine. Katherine Louviere…”
The fact that the woman inspired so much dread in those that knew her caused Sam to wonder just who his maker actually was. It couldn't be a coincidence that Alice knew who she was. “And what is she to you? How do you actually know her?”
He awaited her response, studying her closely as she moved back to where she had been sitting at the edge of the mattress. “We share the same blood. She was my mentor and I’m her grandchild, so to speak.”
Sam was a little confused, still coming to terms with vampires and how they traced their convoluted bloodlines. “So that means that your maker is her child?”
Alice nodded solemnly. “Yes. It can get a little complicated after that, but that's the basic idea.”
Sam scrunched up his face in mock disgust as he tried to lighten the mood. “Does that mean that Matthew and I share the same blood too?”
Alice chuckled wearily. “I’m afraid so, but that's not a bad thing. You're both very special to me.”
There was a lot for Sam to think about, but his brain just couldn't process it right away. His body had only just recovered from starvation, but now his mind needed to rest. He smiled lightly at Alice, showing her his appreciation. “I'll really try to get along with him then.” He paused a moment, tiredness hitting him once again. ”Thanks, Alice.”
She returned his smile, her concern still apparent. “You're welcome. I'll let you get some rest. If you need anything, anything at all, we’ll be downstairs.” Alice reached out to gently pat Sam’s leg before standing up and heading towards the doorway. She paused a second to look back at him, a forced smile still upon her face as she made her exit and closed the door carefully behind her.
Sam breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful for Alice’s help in identifying his maker, but he wasn't sure how to process the information that had been forced onto him. He would try to rest if he could, but was sure that sleep would evade him. For now it was just good to be alone. It was a welcome change of pace to just have a few minutes to himself without any pressure of what to do or say. He didn't have anyone that he needed to impress and could just be himself. Sam's mind was his own again. Perhaps tomorrow night he would try to make sense of everything.
Chapter Twenty Five: The calm before the storm.
“Is it always like that?” Sam queried as he sat across the circular, wooden table from Alice.
She shook her head slowly, resting her hands upon the table’s surface as she did her best to answer any questions that he had for her. “No, it's different almost every time. It really depends on the person and how much they open themselves to you.”
There was a brief pause as Sam contemplated her response. Matthew had placed himself in the chair next to Alice, quietly studying him with apparent suspicion. The club seemed eerily devoid of life as the other seats were left depressingly empty. The laughter and casual banter of the band members as they joked around with each other was sadly no more, and Sam had almost forgotten about them on more than one occasion. The guys had finally accepted him as part of their group and then they were all gone in an instant. He soon found that he struggled to recall what they even looked like, with only Christie’s memory still fresh in his mind. The fact that he could forget them all so easily was deeply saddening and only added to the guilt that he already felt.
Sam’s train of thought was interrupted by Alice, who was still trying to piece together a puzzle that she didn't have all the parts for. “Katherine must have wanted to use you to get to me…” So he was nothing but bait to lure her in? Sam felt empty, as if something had been ripped out from inside him when he realised how inconsequential his existence was in the eyes of his maker.
Matthew seemed to be thinking along the same lines too. “She would have given up on that plan when you didn't turn right away. She probably thought she had failed.” He leaned forward and rested the elbows of his large arms upon the table before propping his chin upon a closed fist.
Sam still didn't enjoy being the center of attention, but the revelation that all three of them were of the same bloodline had been enough to peak his curiosity. He turned his attention to Alice, his own questions burning holes in his head. “Why did she want you so badly? You're just a country girl from Kansas, aren't you?”
Alice brushed blonde locks behind her ears, trying to keep the strands from falling upon her face. “Remember my overly active imagination as a child?”
Sam nodded once, remembering his youth. It had been a part of his life when he had actually been happy. “How could I forget? It was how we had so many adventures together. It became so real for both of us.”
A warm smile crossed Alice’s face as she too recalled those days with a certain fondness. However, the expression was soon replaced with the serious look of someone who had been forced to grow up too fast. She wasn't a child anymore. “Well it wasn't just my imagination... I had a gift that allowed me to see things that others couldn't and could also see glimpses of the future.” She looked momentarily puzzled as she seemed to examine Sam’s features with care. “I helped Katherine track down members of her bloodline using that gift, but for some reason I didn't see you.”
Sam admitted that it sounded a little odd, but he had been dead for much longer than she had anticipated. “Maybe whatever link we had was severed somehow?”
Alice inclined her head thoughtfully. “Perhaps. Or maybe it never developed in the first place.”
Matthew interjected. “Katherine wanted Alice’s power for herself, but she had to settle for controlling her.”
“And she did for a time, but her greed and lust for power pulled me to my senses.” The face that Alice made was one of regret and Sam could tell that she had done things that she wasn't proud of. They were the type of things that ate away at her on a nightly basis.
However unimportant he was, Sam was glad that he didn't have to carry such a burden. It was funny how fast a gift could turn into a curse. “So that's why she was after you?”
Alice nodded once more. “Exactly. She wanted to turn me herself, but her own child beat her to it. I didn't actually meet Katherine until much later. Just before everything took a turn for the worse…”
It was obvious that there was more to the story, but she wasn't yet ready to s
hare all of the gory details. Sam understood how she felt as he too had difficulty telling his own tale. It didn't matter what had happened along the way or who had done what to get this far, as all of it was mere speculation. Without any solid facts or the word of Katherine herself, there was no way of working out what her plan had actually been. Whatever she had been up to, both her methods and motives were still a complete mystery.
Alice peered over at Sam, her blue eyes full of guilt as she spoke. “I know that I keep saying it, but I really am sorry for everything that you've been through. It wasn't just my actions that caused you pain, but who I am and what others wanted from me too. It was never my intention for you to get hurt.”
Sam found it impossible to maintain eye contact with her and looked off to the side as he replied. “It’s fine...” It really wasn't, but he didn't want Alice to punish herself for something that had been out of her control. He didn't blame her for anything that had happened, so she shouldn't blame herself either. “I was reckless… and I was going to end up dead either way. At least this way I had another chance.”
Shifting awkwardly in his chair, Matthew decided to change the direction of the conversation. “So what do we do about this TJ? I'm prepared to fight if we need to.”
“Well you're in luck as there's no other way that this can go.” Sam wasn't big on confrontations, but Matthew’s whole existence seemed to revolve around fighting, or at least that's how it appeared to an outside observer. He didn't share the same connection with Sam that Alice did, and the only thing they seemed to have in common with each other was a shared lineage. It was as if the pair were polar opposites and Sam struggled to see what Alice saw in the man, but he couldn't be all that bad if she confided in him like she did. Perhaps he just needed to break the ice.
Alice observed in silence as the two of them conversed, her face seeming to lack emotion as Matthew responded. “Okay. What's the plan of action?”
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