Vampire World (VAMPIRE WORLD #1)

Part 23 Trapped

Chapter 22: Trapped

           

I woke up in an upright position, chained against a stone wall by my arms and feet. Awful memories of the orphanage punishment cell came to mind, especially with the soul swallowing darkness that engulfed me. I knew that someone was standing in front of me, even though I couldn’t see them.

            “Well, well,” said a harsh voice. “We have many questions for you.”

            “And you better not lie to us,” someone else added.

            A beam of light appeared above my head, immediately sparking an agonizing sensation that ran through my entire my body.

            “The beam is unprotected reflected light from a nearby star,” the first voice informed me.  “I’m sure that you can feel its pain right now. If you lie to us, the beam will lower and you will feel increased agony. If it gets too low, you will burn to death.”

            “Okay, I understand,” I said. The pain was excruciating enough now, and the beam was still several feet above my head.

            “So tell me, what were you doing in our tunnels? How did you get access to them?”

            Oh, they had seen me. And they knew I'd seen the bodies. I was in trouble. And it was my messenger's fault. I thought I was safe trusting him. But I was wrong. I didn’t know what to say. How was I going to explain to them that I was being secretly led by someone I'd never met?

            “Talk!” the voice demanded.

            The beam of light lowered a little. It was like my whole body was on fire.

            “I swear didn’t mean to go into your tunnels,” I said. “I was playing with the gargoyle’s claws after taking a break from fireball….I was tired and dizzy…and I accidentally opened a secret passageway.”

            “Her story doesn’t make sense,” one said to the other. “It’s not that easy to open the entrance.”

            “So, she is telling us lies.”

            The beam dropped even closer. The pain was so bad I could barely talk. But somehow I managed to babble on a bit more.

            “No! Please! It’s the truth, I swear. I’m sorry I stumbled on your business and I promise to keep my mouth shut!”

            “Do you swear?”

            “YES! I SWEAR!”

            A frightening silence followed, during which it felt as though my skin was about to melt off. Then the voices started talking to each other as if I wasn't even there.

            “What should we do? Kill her?”

            “I don’t know. We could. Or maybe she is telling the truth.”

            “But that still doesn’t give her the right to invade our space.”

            “Let’s just throw her in Bloodwood Forest. If she survives, which she won’t, she’ll make sure never to stumble on our property again.”

            There was laughter. I still couldn’t see anything, and was only conscious of the light burning deeper and deeper into my very soul. Then, in a moment of sheer ecstasy, it stopped. I was still thankfully sucking in great mouthfuls of air when there was another prick in my side and I blacked out again.