by Jen Pretty
He had bite marks on his neck and slashes on his chest and face. His clothes were in tatters, and he was tied to a chair but was still breathing.
“This is a test, darling,” he crooned “you have been doing so well, I'd hate to see you return to your previous state of disrepair,” he laughed at his own choice of words.
“What do you want?” I asked. Afraid of the answer.
“I want you to stop time for me,” He said simply
I looked at him. Last time I froze someone specific for him, he cut off her head. I didn't want him to cut off this hunters head. I walked into the cell, closer to the hunter. I tried to get a better look at his face but his chin was resting on his chest, and his hair was blocking part of his face.
“Why?” I asked turning to face Joshua again.
His smile fell, and his red eyes blazed like twin fires in the dead of night. "You don't ask why" he scowled and punched me in the mouth. My lip split and blood filled my mouth as I fell to the dirty floor. I choked on my blood, and it ran down my chin and sprayed the ground when I coughed.
"Perhaps you aren't ready yet," he suggested before grabbing my hair and dragging me out of the cell. I tried to get to my feet but the tears filling my eyes made it hard to find my balance and guarding my healing hand was impossible. He opened a door down the hall and threw me in. "You will stay here until tomorrow. If you are good tomorrow, maybe you can return to your room. Perhaps this cell will help you see how well I have been treating you up till now." With that, he turned and slammed the door.
There were no windows, so it was completely black. Before the door shut, I saw it was just an empty room, so I just lay where Joshua left me. Alone and cold and bleeding.
I wished for someone to save me again. It was a typical wish for me now. I still hadn't come up with a plan to get myself out of this mess. It was impossible with Joshua always there when my door was opened. I missed Luke and Armond and Victor and Margot and even Reg though I would never see him again even if I did get out of this hell hole.
It was quiet for a long time. Then I started to hear feet shuffling and doors opening and slamming, and people started screaming. I had never asked how the vampires ate. I mean I knew they must drink blood because they are vampires and drinking blood can't be a myth. This was the worst night since I arrived in Joshua's tender care. The screaming didn't stop for hours, but I stayed curled up on the floor with my good hand covering my head, and when the last scream finally faded, I fell asleep.
My sleep was riddled with terrifying images. Not my usual nightmare, probably because I was living a nightmare. No, my sleep was filled with fangs and red eyes in the darkness.
Every time I woke I had to shift around on the cold hard floor to try and relieve the pressure on my bones. There wasn't much padding left on my body, and the ground was so cold that I awoke shivering. I had to curl up tightly to keep any body heat.
Joshua didn't come the next day like he said he would. I couldn't tell time, but when the screaming started again, I thought it must be the next day. I lay my head back on the floor and covered it with my good hand again to try and block out as much noise as possible. My mouth was parched as I hadn't had any water and sitting in total blackness was starting to make my eyes hurt. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed without touching them and I did that frequently to remind myself I still had eyes and it was ok. It seemed silly even to me at the time but I was trying to keep grounded, and it was getting harder every minute I spent in this room.
The door opened finally when the screaming stopped the second time, but the light through the door was so bright I couldn't keep my eyes open. Tears sprung to my eyes as the sharp light stabbed at them and I turned away and tucked my head under my arm.
I was lifted and carried through the maze of the house and deposited on a bed. I peeked my eyes and saw it was the bed in the room with the bars on the windows. The person carrying me hadn't spoken yet, but it wasn't Joshua. It was a smaller man. I tried to open my eyes and look at him. He just stood there and let me examine him, but it took several tries to keep my eyes open enough to catch a look at his face.
He was a vampire, that much was evident in the quick glimpse I got of him. His eyes were blazing red. He had no expression on his face though. He didn't look like the drooling evil vamps I had seen, but I hadn't met enough vamps to decide if I was about to die, so I rolled across the bed and off the other side to put space between us. I landed on the ground with a thump and a cry of pain. My poor fucking hand. I started to cry for myself then. I had tried to keep strong and brave and have faith that I would be saved, but I couldn't take any more pain. My broken body was going to keep me from any chance at escape that might come.
The weirdo, creeper vamp was still standing there. He hadn't moved, so I dragged myself up to sitting and peeked at him over the edge of the bed. My eyes were starting to work again, and I rubbed them to try and make them focus.
"Is 24 hours in a black box going to be the thing that finally breaks you, timekeeper?" he asked condescendingly. Like he thought I should be stronger. I was just a 22-year-old woman who hadn't even known this kind of evil existed until recently.
"I'm doing the best I can, you asshole," I said, "Why don't you go eat some babies."
Okay, not my smartest moment. Maybe don't provoke the evil monsters.
He laughed. It wasn't an evil laugh though, like Joshua's, it was actual humour.
“I don’t much like babies, too sweet,” he said and bared his sharp teeth at me.
I threw myself back towards the far wall. As far away from the vampire as the room would allow, like that would help me. But he just sobered and looked at me quizzically.
"Shit, sorry. I'm just playing with you. Listen, I'm not going to eat you, I want to help you," he said solemnly.
"Ya, right." When he just looked at me with a straight face, I asked "Why the hell do you think I would believe that? You are a vampire."
He still said nothing. His face looked earnest, but maybe this was some new game. I scoffed "you think I'm an idiot?"
"Not at all. In fact, I think you're going to ends this war and bring peace to our people. But first, you need to get your shit together so you can get out of here."
I just stared at him with my mouth hanging open. He couldn't be serious. Vampires were evil. This was a trick, and I was going to end up back in that filthy dungeon again.
“Where is Joshua?” I asked.
“He’s busy with your hunters. They have been killing vampires faster than Joshua can make them. That man of yours is impressive with his swords and extremely motivated, so it seems, to have you back.”
I knew it. He was still fighting for me. Maybe there was hope, and if this vampire would really help me get out of here, maybe I'd see Armond again.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“You can call me Henry. But most people call me Master Henry because I am the oldest vampire alive. I was around when vampires and fae had a treaty. We worked together to keep earth safe, and we all lived in peace."
I found that hard to believe. No one ever said anything about a treaty.
“How long ago was that?” I asked knowing it had to have been long ago.
He just smiled softly, and he got a look in his eyes like he saw a history I would never know. "A very long time, indeed," he stated.
"Why don't you just kill Joshua if you want peace?" I asked.
"Joshua has a very significant following. I could beat him in a fight alone, but not with all his followers and I won't force more humans to become what we are just to help me beat him. It's not right. I need your help." He looked honest, and I didn't feel like it was a trick besides, I had nothing to lose in trusting him.
“Can you get me out of here?” I asked him. If he could even help me, a small chance might be enough.
“I can show you the way, but you have to go by yourself. I can’t let Joshua know that I’m against him yet. It’s too soon.”
; “Too soon for what?” I asked
"I need more intel. I can do more good on the inside for now," He turned away from me "I'll come when I can, be ready to run." He glanced back at me before he left the room "I'll try to find you some shoes but no guarantees. The forest is rough, hard terrain but you can get through it. They say you are tougher than you look. I hope they are right, for all our sakes."
I looked down and my bare feet. They were dirty, and the skin was cracked, but I knew I could be made of steel if that was what I needed to be to get out of this hell hole. I nodded and then he was gone.
Another day passed, I spent most of it sitting by the window taking in the sun. It was turning to spring, and the sun was warm during the day. I wasn't wearing cool weather friendly clothes, but I tore a strip off a blanket large enough to cover my upper body, so, when I got out of the building and ran, I wouldn't freeze. It would have to do. I got a pair of socks from the vampire who brought me food by complaining my toes were always cold and begged him for something to keep them warmer. I had hoped for shoes, honestly. That would have made my escape extra easy, but I would just have to pray Henry came through.
The next morning I woke and nearly peed my pants when I opened my eyes, and bright red eyes were staring back at me from very close. I screamed and tried to get away, but he had me.
“Good morning darling. Did you miss me?” Joshua crooned
Fucking asshole vampire.
"No," I said trying to squirm out of his hold.
"That's ok; I won't take it personally." He picked me up and set me on my feet. "Let's get back to our practice, shall we? I've let this go too long. What with all the trouble your bothersome fairies have been causing, it's a surprise I've made it back long enough to do any training with you."
He marched me all over the building and down several flights of stairs. I realized where I was and doubled my efforts to get away. I didn’t want to be down here again. I couldn’t handle the dark cell or the screaming. “Please. Don’t make me go,” I begged. Oh ya, he had my number. Shit.
"Awe." He tilted his head and smiled at me like I was a child doing something adorable "It will be ok, darling. Just do as I say and you won't have to stay," he said in a sing-song voice. He was a god damn poet now.
I didn't want to stay. Maybe if I just did as he asked nothing terrible would happen to anyone.
He stopped me in front of a cell door. I wasn't sure if it was the same one or not because they all looked the same but when he opened the door, and a bloody hunter sat there looking dirtier and bloody than last time, I knew it was the same one. The only difference this time was the hunter was conscious, and his eyes widened when he saw me. Joshua pulled me inside and shut the door locking it behind us. The hunter looked at me with pleading eyes. I could tell he had been tortured a great deal.
"Now, timekeeper, please stop time." He commanded. I locked eyes with the hunter and saw him nod his head minutely. Apparently, he knew what was going to happen too and was ready for it. Maybe this was a more humane end for the brave man who sat before me. Had he suffered too long? Was this his chance at release? I was clearly taking too long because Joshua turned and smacked me. I fell to my knees with the force of the blow and made up my mind. I froze time, and the hunter was stopped entirely by my magic. Joshua smiled then pulled out his sword and slashed it across the hunter's throat, just as I knew he would. I tried to turn away, but I was close enough that the hunter's blood sprayed across my face. A sob wracked me, but I bit my lip and pulled all the emotion back in. I couldn't afford to show too much, or I might end up locked in a black cell again.
"Good work, timekeeper. Today you have no punishment. I will not reward you because you did not respond immediately, but you will return to the nice comfortable room that I provide for you. Perhaps tomorrow you will respond more quickly and get a reward."
It felt like I was a dog being trained to hunt ducks, but I wasn't hunting ducks. I was hunting hunters. I needed to get out of here soon before I lost my mind to this vampires insanity.
Joshua led me along the corridors and through the maze back to my room. He left me there, and I collapsed on the bed. Watching him kill that hunter was going to haunt me. There was a chance I could have saved him. If I got out of here and brought everyone back with me we could have rescued him, but more likely he would have continued to suffer for a long time, and I would be too broken to get out of here after another beating from Joshua. It was a no-win situation. I picked myself up and went to the bathroom and washed my face. When I got out of here, I was going to soak in a tub for three weeks; if I got out of here.
Another day passed and still no sign of Henry but also, thankfully, no sign of Joshua. His disappearance I did not mind. I assumed my hunters were making his life trying again and I hoped they killed a ton of vampires.
I was just settling down in the bed when the door swung open, and Henry rushed in. He threw some running shoes at me, and I jumped up and stuck my feet in them as fast as I could. I grabbed my makeshift blanket shall and hustled after Henry who was already walking quickly out the door. He still hadn't said anything to me, but that didn't matter. I knew the plan – get out of the hell hole.
I had to jog to keep up with Henry as we weaved through the building. Finally, we stopped at an exterior type steel door, and Henry held up one finger in the universal sign of ‘wait' then he opened the door, stepped out and quickly snapped the neck of the guard on the other side. Then he pointed to the forest and mouthed the word "go."
So I went. Like a bat out of hell. The fastest I could go and straight into the woods. It was utterly silent there. Not even a bird call. The only sound was my shoes on the earth as I kept running. I was starting to get winded, and my ribs creaked with every breath, but I kept going. I can usually run a 7-minute mile. Not the fastest for speed but I could maintain it for several miles, however, with all my injuries and lack of proper nutrition while I was in Joshua's care, I felt like I was half that speed. I just kept going. I figured as long as I didn't stop, I would make it somewhere and anywhere was better than what I was running away from. I started falling. I fell twice before I remembered not to try and break my fall with my right hand. It was once again throbbing in pain, and I assumed I had re-broken a bone or 2 but kept going. Finally, I heard traffic to my right and turned that way and ran more. It was a road with cars and trucks and humans. I climbed the ditch and got onto the shoulder and started waving at people but at first, no one was stopping. Then an old beat up pickup truck pulled over, and I ran up to the vehicle.
A sweet looking older couple were in the cab. The old woman inhaled sharply when I came up beside the passenger door. "My Lord girl, what has happened to you?" she asked. I opened my mouth to reply but no words came out, and a tear slid down my face. "Never mind. Hop in the back, dear. We can take you to town, that's where we are heading."
I sighed and climbed into the back of the truck thankful not everyone in the world was evil.
They pulled into a gas station, and I hopped out. I didn't have any money, but I knew Armond's cell phone number so I went into the small diner attached to the gas station and asked the waitress if I could use the phone.
"Oh, My Lord. Are you alright?" She asked. "Do you want me to call the police? Someone been hurting you?"
“No, I just need to use the phone. Please?”
"Of course. Come on back this way," she said leading me around the counter and to a small office.
"Thank You," I whispered but as she turned to leave I asked, "Where am I anyway?" she turned back with a sad and shocked look on her face.
“Bardstown, Kentucky,” she said. I hitched a breath. I was across the country from my hunters. No wonder they hadn’t found me.
My hands shook as I dialled. It was difficult to hold the phone and dial with my left hand, but my right was uselessly swollen and mangled.
"Hello," he said, and a sob wracked my body before I could reply "Who is this?
"It's me," I cried.
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“Oh my god,” he said then muffled the phone and yelled “it’s her” before he came back on the line and said “where are you, princess? Victor can be there in 2 seconds.”
I told him the town and that I was in a diner at a gas station. True to his words before I could even hang up the phone, Victor had me scooped up in his arms and was walking me out the door of the diner. He set me on my feet and handed me his ringing phone. Of course, it was Armond on the phone. I wasn't done talking to him either. Victor picked me up again and carried me to a jeep before he pulled a piece of wire from his coat pocket and popped the door open then pulled some wires out under the steering wheel and started the vehicle. He reached across and unlocked the door on the other side, then scooped me up again and deposited me in the seat. He took off his coat and laid it on me then he went around and got back in the driver's seat, and we hit the road. I told Armond about Joshua and the hoard of vampires and the cells in the basement. I had to sleep then, I was too tired to talk anymore, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him about the hunter over the phone. I closed the phone and handed it back to Victor.
"We are going to stop for the night. This car is almost out of gas anyway, and we need a new one. I'll find a motel."
"Ok," I said, but I was falling asleep and couldn't stop myself, so the last thing I remembered was Victor pulling into a motel parking lot.
I awoke to the sound of snoring and sat up abruptly. I was in a room I didn't recognize. Then it all came back to me. I sighed and lay back down. I looked over at the second bed where Victor slept. The walls in the room were a very unflattering shade of green, and the bed covers were burgundy, but it smelled clean, and it was early morning as the sun was peeking through the closed curtains, so I had gotten good sleep. I threw the blanket back and walked to the bathroom and flicked on the shower. I was going to stay there till the hot water ran out.