The Ring

0012

Her eyes opened softly, when she awoke to death.

She felt weak and strong at the same time, and her bones had felt sore to her. She never imagined dying to slip through her like venom and paralyze her in the calmest way.

Chrissa had everything, and then nothing. She was laid onto a bed of some sort. The covers were dark and comfortable. As she sat up, she saw that she'd been inside of a bedroom.

There was a large window beside her, overlooking an ocean, that held crimson waves. The crashing of them, despite her circumstances, sounded calm.

She remembered the moment before life escaped her lips. What it felt like for it to suddenly be ripped from her. Chrissa felt strange. There wasn't a heart beating in her chest, and she couldn't breathe, but it didn't feel painful. She felt like a walking corpse.

Alive, but dead at the same time.

Empty.

She wondered what her family would think of her, then. If they'd disown her.

A cold shot of anger suddenly washed over her, and she instantly held a deep hatred for Stephen. If it weren't for him, all of the chaos would've never even happened. Whatever was left that she felt for him, had seemed to vanish the moment life escaped from her. She wanted him dead.

Chrissa studied the room. It was small, yet spacious. The bed had been a canopy one, and thin black curtains existed along the upper railing of the bed. When she moved her legs, she was met with the weight of them and almost collapsed. It was almost as if they'd grown stronger, sturdier.

"How disastrous," she said to herself, in a quiet voice as she brought a hand to her head. The strength was slightly overwhelming.

A mirror that hung from the wall, which was centered in the middle of the room, had frozen her, as she took in her appearance.

Her skin had suddenly gone paler. Before, it was a vibrant golden bronze shade. But now, it appeared rather sickly. She stepped closer to the mirror in an obsessive way, and gazed at her features almost as if she didn't recognize herself. Her curls that once held definition and grace, had fallen into a pattern of relaxed waves. The brown that were her eyes had gone to complete darkness. Death had penetrated her beautifully, and Chrissa hated the result. Her face no longer was soft, as it had become more defined. Her once round face was now slightly hollow as strong cheekbones had emerged with a defined jaw. It looked as if she'd matured seven years overnight. Chrissa turned away angrily.

She didn't want to think anymore. She wanted to escape the hell that was her reality. She felt as if everything was being ripped away, and the only thing that she had left was herself.

She thought of Michael, and how much she had suddenly been craving him. How he would calm her. He probably hated her for what she'd done, Chrissa imagined.

His bloodline was already cursed with servitude, and now he'd been cursed with Vampirism. She thought about him, how that truly was the truth of his existence. He didn't have many friends, never got to enjoy a lover to the fullest extent. It was just him and serving the palace, like how the curse of servitude wanted.

She realized the reason he didn't leave Chrissa's side was because he couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to, because the curse would never let him. It was his moral duty to protect and serve, yet when Chrissa died to Vampirism, he had failed himself. She had to see him again.

When she approached the door to the room, she realized that it had been locked shut. With anger getting the best of her, with all of her force, she slammed her fist into the wooden door until it had broken.

As the wood began to break down even more, she fixed herself to fit through the giant hole that she created. She didn't have time to marvel at her newfound strength. Chrissa had been too focused on finding Michael. She had to know that he was okay.

To her surprise, she was met with two more doors. There was one to the left of her and one right in front of her.

"Where am I..." She muttered to herself in confusion. She turned to the door in front of her and placed her hand on the knob to turn it.

It had opened and revealed a hallway that held immense darkness. Chrissa was going to walk into it but held herself back. As much as she longed to find Michael, her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She shifted her body to the other door, and it had been locked.

It was like an alarm went off in her head. He was in there.