Vampyr

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Vladislav couldn't sleep, not with the sun so close. He wasn't here why, but he couldn't take his eyes away from the rays trespassing into the cave. His skin prickled at the sight as every instinct screamed at him to back away. The only reason he didn't oblige was sound asleep at the back of the cave.

Branka had some help getting through the night. It may have taken a pretty second, but he'd managed to get a small fire going with what little of his wood stash he could recover. The pathetic embers did what they could to comfortably heat the cave and lull Branka to slumber with their gentle warmth. Every so often, she'd mumble something inane, but for the most part, she slept without interruption. Hell itself could have risen, and she'd dream on. So oblivious. So vulnerable.

The wolf wasn't enough. Vladislav's every waking moment was haunted with hunger. Whether or not he was successful or not, he couldn't tell. There were times he felt like he was drifting away only to realize he was simply bored. Strangest of all was the lack of urgency. Vladislav didn't feel tired in the slightest, but there wasn't any vigor in its place. There was only a peculiar neutrality weaving through him.

It reminded him of the hole the Germans had thrown him in. There had also been this strange uncaring, even as they shoveled the dirt over him. Was that what death was like? It certainly felt that way. But he'd been awake the whole time. They'd buried all of them in broad daylight, and Vladislav had thought nothing of it. In fact, he hadn't thought at all. Had he come back somehow? Was that why he was like this?

No.

That simple word cut through Vladislav's thoughts. He'd done more than die in that place. The Glasses saw to that, and they did their work well, whoever they were. All he could remember were those two burning specks catching and magnifying the light of the operating room. Vladislav cringed even now as he remembered looking into those lenses.

It wasn't just that they were the first sign more needles and scalpels were on their way. Everything before them shrunk under their icy gaze was made small like an ant under a magnifying glass. It was as if they'd cut away every inch of Vladislav until he was nothing more than its test subject to be prodded and stuck like a rat. The boy shivered at the thought and quickly sought a distraction.

It was absurd to think about. Sure Vladislav looked different among other things, but he was still Vladislav in the end. He protected his sister, cared for her. He was the one who fought back the monsters that came for her. There was nothing to worry about.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. His eyes flung back to Branka as he heard her stir. By the time she woke up, Vladislav was already on his feet and looking to the wilderness outside. The sun had finished setting, plunging the forest back into darkness and freeing Vladislav from his sunlit cage.

He suppressed a smile at the small victory and said over his shoulder, "Let's go."

He'd barely taken a step before Branka said, "Now?"

"Yes, now. It'll be harder for anyone to see us like this."

He turned and saw Branka scooting up to the fire and raising her hands to catch the heat.

"You'll be fine, Branka. You have your coat and boots. It's not even that cold, anyways."

Truth be told, Vladislav didn't know if it was. His skin prickled, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or not. Half the time, he forgot it had snowed at all. It couldn't be helped. Branka was merely a child.

A grumbling stomach gave him an opportunity. Vladislav was glad of it. He'd prefer not to force her out of the cave, unsure if she would survive his efforts. Her stomach rumbled as the earth was on the verge of splitting. Vladislav immediately reached down for the food he'd gathered before, only to grasp at empty air. He'd forgotten he had tossed away the food in his panic. "And we can find food out there as well." He quickly added. "So come on."