Wrapped Around Your Finger - Eddie Munson

Chapter Nineteen: The Vampire

I'd been training for months at this point. Henry had taken to calling me Kas, telling me it was my name. I'd lost count of how many bats I'd slain by the time he stopped me. Though he assured me that I was only finished with this portion of my training.

"I have something for you, think of it as a gift." He said, gesturing to a chest next to a wilted bush. I opened it to reveal a long, black sword with a fanged hilt. There were two black gems embedded in the hilt above and below two metal bat wings.

"You want to entrust me with a sword?"

"This is not just any sword. This sword is sentient, forged with the blood and soul of a human whose soul died in my domain. It will prove of more use than your stick." I held the sword, which was surprisingly light for its size. "Now, you will use this sword to spar against my monsters."

I faced off against the large monsters with opening faces. The were tough, much tougher than the bats. They were fast too, able to dodge my hits with ease. I couldn't just swing wildly at them. I have to be more calculated with my moves if I want to beat them.

In the next few weeks I worked my way up. From fighting the bats, to one on one with a monster, to slaying hoards of monsters at a time. I was good, scary good. I had a mastery over the sword that could rival any Knight. The fact that the sword was sentient helped too.

I was sitting in the gardens, cleaning and sharpening my sword when I heard whispering. I looked around, but no one was there. The whispering sounded like it was coming from right beside me. I closed my eyes to listen.

"Hannah. Hannah!" I was barely able to make out a feminine voice. "Down here! Beside you!"

"Hello?" I whispered, looking down at my lap.

"Left!" I looked left. The only thing there was my sword, which was now glowing?

"Are you... my sword?" I picked it up, looking it over.

"I'm not your sword! Well, I'm in your sword, but I'm not the sword! It's me, Chrissy! He trapped me in this sword after he... he killed me."

"Am I supposed to know who you are ?"

"We're best friends!" She cried.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. My name isn't Hannah, either, it's Kas."

"No, it's not. Listen to me, Hannah. Henry, that gross meat guy, he's lying to you. Your name is Hannah Grove, you're a human being! He's trying to control you to take over the world and when he's done, he'll discard you like trash!"

"Even so, I can't do anything about it. He controls me."

"No, he manipulates you. He gets inside your head, in your dreams and memories. He distorts them, makes you see and hear things that aren't real. He isn't making you do something, he's tricking your mind into believing that he's making you do it."

"And how exactly am I supposed to combat that?" I scoffed.

"Good memories!"

"I don't exactly have any."

"You have to, even if it's something small. He can erase most of you, but not all of you. If he did, he'd be left with an empty husk that he couldn't manipulate. Do you remember anything?" The sword, Chrissy, asked.

"I had a dream the other night." I admired. "I was in a room with a bunch of boys. We were sitting around a table playing some sort of game? Everyone was laughing and even though I don't know there names, I felt comfortable there with them."

"Eddie!" She squealed, "You're thinks of Eddie!"

"See, I recognize that name, but I don't remember anything about him."

"Well I can't see, because I'm trapped in a sword now, but I know what you're saying. What you need to do is focus. Focus on that memory, focus on anything that could connect you to them. You'll remember more and you'll be able to break free from Henry's games."

"I did- There was a trailer, kind of far from here. It smelled familiar, like a person kind of familiar."

"Good! We need to go there. Now!"

I'd walked for hours. It was hard to tell exactly, seeing as how there were now working clocks or signs of time passing. Chrissy and I spoke softly to each other. She told me about who I was, where I was from. She told me about my dad, about our friendship, about our school.

She told me about the Hellfire Club. She told me about Eddie and who he was to me. Apparently he was my boyfriend, which was probably why I remembered him of all people.

I stepped into the trailer, Eddie's trailer. The second I walked through the door I was assaulted by the smell of mint, cinnamon, and Eddie. I went back into what was his room and took my seat in the clothes pile. I placed Chrissy down across my lap.

"Ok, what now?" I asked.

"Shut your eyes." She began, "Take some deep breaths, really focus in on it. Think about how it makes you feel. Picture their faces, how they make you feel. Focus on those happy feelings and let your mind wander."

I shut my eyes, drawing in a few deep breaths. I could smell the cologne on his dresser to my right. I smelled the paper of his books and comics to my left. I could smell hair spray and cigarette smoke lingering in the air. My head swam from it all, but I focused on it.

I focused on the butterflies I felt. The way they swarmed in my stomach and swirled up my throat. I felt my heart beat fast and faster. I could taste cheap beer on my tongue and if I really focused, I could hear the faint sound of a guitar.

I kept focusing, trying hard not to lose hope. I thought I'd Eddie's face. I imagined his hair, his brown eyes peeking through his bangs. I pictured his tattoos, the puppeteer and the bats. I could almost hear his voice.

"Princess."

"Eddie!" I shouted, running up to hug him. "How did it go?"

"I got an A!" He cheered.

"Eddie, that's amazing!"

"And it's all thanks to you." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a kiss. He squeezed me tight before picking me up and spinning me around.

"We need to tell your Uncle about this!"

"Oh I plan to as soon as I see him, but for more pressing matters. Will you be coming to The Hideout tonight?"

"Miss a Corroded Coffin show? That's blasphemous!" I laughed, "If course I'll be there, Eddie. I can't have someone else steal my spot as number one fan."

"No one could ever replace you."