Amelie (ON HOLD)

XI

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ᴀᴜᴛᴜᴍɴ wind whipped against my cheeks, tousled my hair, and harshly bit the exposed skin of my arms. My feet were begging for a rest, crying for me to stop, but I kept going.

I refused to look back to see if Vincenzo was nearby. I refused to look back and hinder myself in running out of fear I would trip.

You can't run. Vincenzo's voice echoed in my head. I tried my best to ignore. I found my way to the dormitories and fiddled with my key. Work you stupid thing! Inside I would have to barricade every entrance. But I didn't care. I didn't want to be left out in the open where anything could happen for no one to see.

I burst through the door and quickly locked it shut, but before I could make my way to the kitchen, I was slammed against a wall with a cold hand locked over my mouth.

"That was a bit stupid. Don't you think?" Vincenzo tauntingly said. I fisted my key in between my knuckles and stabbed him with it in the thigh. He hissed and jerked back. I pushed his arms away and ran into the kitchen.

"I think you're pretty stupid." I retorted back and opened one of the drawers. Kitchen knives, that could work. I took one of them and threw it at Vincenzo. He dodged it effortlessly as it stabbed the wall next to him.

"Stop playing around, Amelie, and come to me." He commanded, anger leaking from his murderous expression. I threw another one and he dodged it again. Threw another one and he caught it.

Well, shit.

My hand was already wrapped around another knife as he furiously advanced towards me. An idea struck in my mind and I lifted the knife right against my throat.

Vincenzo halted.

I kept the knife close to my throat, my breath heavy and ragged from exhaustion and utter terror. Anger still burned in Vincenzo's eyes like a tortuous blitz, but a shimmering slice of concern shone through.

"Put the knife down, Amelie." He said calmly. I didn't. He took one step closer and I put the knife closer to my throat. The sharp blade pressed against my skin and I could feel a thin cut begin to form. Vincenzo placed his hands up in defence and slowly walked over to me.

"Amelie." He warned. I kept the knife at my throat. He reached out to touch me and I stepped back, pressing the knife further.

"You fucking come anywhere near me and I won't hesitate!" I exclaimed. Vincenzo looked me in the eyes without saying a word. I held my breath and didn't move a single centimetre.

"Do it." He spoke. I blinked a few times to see if I heard him correct. "Go on, I said do it." He couldn't be serious. He walked closer to me, so we were inches apart and whispered, "Do it."

He couldn't have been serious. "Oh, I'm serious. Lodge that knife into your throat." He was mad and he was reading my mind. What a bastard.

I didn't have any time to think and I took firmer grip of the knife and lodged it into his gut. Vincenzo staggered back and groaned; the knife was sticking out his of lower torso as I sprinted towards the bedroom. I had to do something. Was there fire anywhere near? Could I burn him to death? I had to think quick.

My eyes found a window used as a fire escape. I ran towards it and lifted it up. There was a ladder that led up to the building. Vincenzo was fast, but now I had wounded him, so how fast would he be now?

A hand grabbed my ankle as I was halfway out the window and Vincenzo growled. "You little –" I kicked him away, the heel of my shoe hitting the gash in his gut. I grimaced at the squelching sound and pulled myself to the ladder and started to climb up the fire escape.

Halfway up the ladder I realised how stupid of an idea this was, but I couldn't stop now. Not when I had a vampire psycho chasing after me. I made it to the top and pulled up onto the roof. H is for heights. Oh fuck off!

I looked to notice how the gap between buildings weren't that far. Vincenzo was already bleeding, and I didn't know how long it took for vampires to heal themselves, if they could, but I was running on borrowed time. All the running and jumping could bleed him out. It was a long shot but still a shot and I needed to take it.

Footsteps let me know that he was on the roof and I turned to face him. Psychopathic was an understatement for the murderous look on his face, the way the tendons in his arms and neck stood out and the veins in his hands as he flexed them.

"You've been a bad girl, Amelie." He growled lowly. "Don't. Test me."

I ran.

I could feel Vincenzo chase after me and that let me know he was weak enough not to use his super speed. I took the risk and jumped to the other building, stumbling slightly as I landed thanks to these stupid freaking heels, but carried on.

I slipped around a corner and Vincenzo grabbed my arm in a crushing grip. I pulled back but he didn't let go. I fought but his strong hold remained. I sank my teeth into his flesh until I got taste that horrible, inky, rotten blood and he hissed, loosening his grip.

Without time to spare, I took the leap over the building edge to the other, refusing to take the time to notice how much further of a gap it was, and how the cold air had formed frost on the ledge. There was no time to calculate, no time to think, no time to regret as I lost my balance and slipped.

There was no time to scream. No time to pray to whatever Gods above as my head hit the ledge behind me, and my body tumbled down to the concrete floor. I no longer felt anything. Saw anything. Heard anything. All around was black and I became part of the inevitable nothingness that was death.

❦Vincenzo❦

No.

I watched her fall - her soft, delicate body turn limp - and everything in my mind and body stopped. No.

I jumped down to where she laid, in a pool of her own sweet, scarlet blood. Amelie, I whispered in her mind but only met a black void. Amelie, I tried again. A terrifying nothingness was all I could connect to.

Her eyes were open, those gorgeous green eyes. My hands shook as I lifted her lead and cradled her.

"No, no, no." I cried. I had done this. I was the monster that had sent her to her death. I was the devil himself for the crime I had committed. She was perfect, even in death, she remained the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

"Amelie." I sobbed. I adjusted her glasses, those adorable glasses that rested on her beautiful, angelic face. "I'm sorry." I cried. What have I done? My hand rested over her heart and my body jolted at the steady beat still pulsing within her. She was still here. She was still alive.

I knew I only had mere seconds before death took her between its fingers and placed her in its pocket.

I let my thumb stroke her cheek whilst my other hand moved her golden locks out of her face. She was so pale already, like a porcelain doll broken at the spine.

I knew what I had to do – to keep my one and only love alive. She would hate me, but I would make a vow. A vow to make her the happiest woman in the whole world. A vow to give her everything she could ever dream of.

"I'm so sorry, my love." I whispered and lightly pressed my lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss. My own tears spilled onto her cheeks "Everything will be alright. I promise." I let my fangs glide across her soft neck and, without a second thought, sank in to taste the sweet wine of her blood, mixing with the burning, unforgiving venom that callously coursed through my cursed veins.