In Unfamiliar Territory
Her
blue eyes opened and blinked furiously as she tried to get accustomed to the
darkness. She became aware of a coldness running down the right hand side of
her body, and realised she was laying on the floor...cobblestone, by the looks
of it. She tried to push herself up, but something resisted her...she didn't
know if it was simply a lack of strength or something more. She tried to
stretch, but again, that same force pushed against her movement.
There was a gruff laugh from above her, and it was then that her mind seemed to kickstart.
She was...somewhere. Kent, that was it! Home. But...not at home...she was in a grand manor house, far greater than anything she had ever seen before. A man, large, well-built and dressed sumptuously was walking in from the other end of the hall. He was more than twice her width and a head-height taller than her at least. She ran to him...wait, no...she backed...away?
Still trying to piece together the pieces of her memory, the girl was awoken from her reverie by someone calling her name. "Emily!" It shouted, sounding panicked. "Emily!!" Her eyes flicked open again, and she saw the face from her dream inches away from hers...but could not recall a name for the face. He called her name once more, and then laughed, a cruel sound if ever there was one. "Did you hear him?" The man then proceeded to repeat his calls...his face a mix of mocking and glee. Emily tried to move her arm; tried to hit him with all her might but still she found herself paralyzed.
"Heh. You really think you could do me damage?" The man sneered. He grabbed her under the arm and wrenched her into a sitting position." You're mine now. Maybe that'll teach him a lesson. And you...well...I hope you've already learnt yours."
"Where...am I?" Emily found her voice, small and weak as it was. Her mouth was dry. "Norfolk," was the reply she got. "...to be precise, Norwich. Any other information you'll have to find yourself." The man began to stride away, and Emily finally found herself able to move. She swallowed.
The man snapped round in an instant, and Emily stopped in her tracks. ""You would" what?" He snarled. He walked back towards her, and a pang of fear once again swept across her. He leant down so his face was mere inches from hers. "What would you have done - without him - little girl?" He spat the last words at her. She looked at the ground; words deserting her, and then looked him directly in the eye. No-one was going to tell her she was a little girl...she was far more than that. "Where is he?" She asked, stonily, her face set - with determination and pseudo-bravery. The man's eyebrow raised, and his lip curled into a half-smirk. "Tell me where he is." Emily insisted. "...Does he know...about me; about...this?" She asked, hesitantly...her eyes dropping back to the floor, and all pretense dropped.
The man straightened up and laughed again. "Of course." Without another word, he turned his back once again on her, and made to leave.
Emily went to answer, but saw him leaving. She ran into the shadows where he had been, and found no-one. "But..." her voice faltered, as she looked around, bemused. "...Who are you...? ...And where...do I go...?"
Alone, afraid and a long way from home, the young vampire made her way through the darkened streets of this unknown place.
"Wait!"
She shouted...well, as close to a shout as she could manage; she clambered up,
and began to run; trying to catch up with him. "You've
done...this..." she began, and looked down at herself; what she had
become, "And now you're just going to leave me? If it wasn't for you,
I would..."
The man snapped round in an instant, and Emily stopped
in her tracks. ""You would" what?" He snarled. He walked
back towards her, and a pang of fear once again swept across her. He leant down
so his face was mere inches from hers. "What would you
have done - without him - little girl?" He spat the last
words at her. She looked at the ground; words deserting her, and then looked
him directly in the eye. No-one was going to tell her she was a little girl...she
was far more than that. "Where is he?" She asked, stonily, her face
set - with determination and pseudo-bravery. The man's eyebrow raised, and his
lip curled into a half-smirk. "Tell me where he is." Emily insisted.
"...Does he know...about me; about...this?" She asked,
hesitantly...her eyes dropping back to the floor, and all pretense dropped.
The man straightened up and laughed again. "Of course." Without another word, he turned his back once again on her, and made to leave.
Emily went to answer, but saw him leaving. She ran into the shadows where he had been, and found no-one. "But..." her voice faltered, as she looked around, bemused. "...Who are you...? ...And where...do I go...?"
Alone, afraid and a long way from home, the young vampire made her way through the darkened streets of this unknown place.
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