CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR (edited)

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"I am not getting on that" I exclaim, looking at the black motorbike in front of me. It's a Yamaha R6 in a coat of matte black. It isn't the only vehicle in the garage. There are hundreds more, almost as if she owns one for each occasion. My eyes fall onto the black Aston Martin that was parked beside us, its coat glistening under the golden lights of the garage.

"You like it? Genevieve bought it for me on my thirtieth" she gloats with a smirk. "I'll take you out with it next time we go out" she murmured as she stepped forward, wrapping her hands around my waist slily. "Get on the bike, pretty girl" she coaxed. God, I'm petrified and wet all at once.

"I'm not getting on a bike with you" I remain firm, ignoring my thighs closing in.

She lets go before turning around and then back to me , passing me a helmet. "You are" she orders playfully.

"No, I don't want to," I rebuke. I'd much rather go back in the basement, where it's dark and rank, than get on a motorbike like that, with her in control. No fucking way. The car ride 10 days ago was scary enough. Going on a motorbike is 100 times more dangerous. I didn't want to die. Not yet.

"You'll be fine, come on." she urges. Her tone no longer sounded as playful.

"Carmilla, no. I don't want to" I insist. I'm not risking my life, not again.

"Put your helmet on, Jane," she inches towards me. "I'm not going to say it again" her voice deepens, making my spine shiver. She's in control, and I keep forgetting that. I keep forgetting that she's a murderous kidnapper who could kill me if I rub her the wrong way, no matter if we spent a very eventful night together merely 24 hours ago.

I nod in forfeit, putting the helmet over my head. I watch her let loose a little smirk through the tinted glass. She puts her own helmet on, her sharp features disappearing under the darkened glass of the helmet. Her body turns as she walks over to the bike. Getting on, she motions for me to get on as well. God, please protect me. I brace myself and walk towards her. I can't see her face, but I know her eyes are watching my every step. I slowly lift my body up, getting in the back of her. Her arms swiftly grab mine as she wraps them around her waist. Her abs can be felt through her leather jacket, reminding me of the way I massaged them last night. Get your head out of the gutter Jane, you're about to die. I move my palm around, finding a comfortable spot to hold on. "Are you having fun back there?" she questions with a chuckle.

A flush of heat rushes my cheeks as I quickly stop. Shit. Now it looks like I was feeling her up. "I was trying to find the right spot" I stutter out.

"Mhm, of course you were," she responds. Her cockiness makes me roll my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me," Carmilla states. How did she know? "I can see you in the mirror, baby" she explains, is she a mind reader too? I look over to see her reflection in the little mirror.

Her sudden movement makes my body jolt forward, and I quickly go to grip onto her jacket as she drives off quickly. She did that on purpose. I cave my head into her shoulder, not wanting to look at how fast we were going, scared if I look I'll make us crash by panicking. If I lift my head, I'll scream. "Hold on tight" Carmilla shouts out. I obey, knowing she is probably about to do something. I lift my head up a little bit. The motor roars as she speeds up before she aims for the traffic approaching in front of us. She speeds through the little gaps between each vehicle. Our bodies lean along with each turn, my hands gripping onto her leather jacket for dear life.

"Slow down" I plead as we approach a junction. The traffic lights are amber, meaning the traffic from the left will collide with us if we don't stop. My request is ignored as she keeps the same speed. The light changes to red as we pass the traffic line, speeding through swerving cars beside us, shocked by our sudden appearance. I shut my eyes as tight as I can. We're going to die. We are going to die. Cars honking is all I can hear, my eyes tight as I let out a silent prayer. She speeds up, merely avoiding a lorry heading in our direction.

"WOOO" she laughs out as we reach the other side. I attempt to regain my breath, opening my eyes once again. My heart's going 100 beats per second, sending alarms to my whole body as she cheers in adrenaline. I tilt my head to the side before I look back at the cars halted at the intersection. She'll be the death of me one day.

***

"What do you think?" Carmilla asks as she stops the motorbike, her legs keeping the bike stable.

I take my helmet off so I can properly witness what's in front of me. The smell of crystal water fills my lungs. "Wow.." is all that can leave my mouth. Orange clouds are painted in the distance, warning us of the sun setting to rest. The pink, dusk sky reflects in the crystal lake. I can feel the evening chill on my tongue. The snow-tainted mountains in the distance, bordering the lake, the pine trees darkened under the sunset. The cliff we're on gives us the perfect view of the birds running into hibernation for the night. I thought places like these only existed in paintings. For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm actually alive. I want to wake up to this view every morning.

The crispy air reddens my cheeks. "I come here when I need to think" she breaks my trail of admiration. I glance over at her, Carmilla's hair gently blowing in the wind. "You're the first person I've brought here," she says as her eyes meet mine. Carmilla leafy, green eyes sparkles, resembling the emerald pendant on her chest. She looks so pretty.

"It's beautiful," I simply say. My skin is cold, but yet I'm warm on the inside. A comforting silence envelopes us as we both take in the beauty in front of us.

"If I died, this is where I'd want to be" Carmilla vocalizes, her tone warped with sadness and content all in one. I don't blame her. But her words send conflicting emotions through my heart. I can't pinpoint her, I don't think anyone can. Why is she suddenly bringing up death?

"Do you think you'll die young?" I blurted out in a ponder. Carmilla inhales deeply at my question. I can hear her mind scuffling, trying to find an answer.

"I did, but now I know I will" she replies after a moment. "I've gotten too close too many times, eventually something will. I've been at death's door enough times to know that a person can only survive a limited amount of times before it's finally their last straw," Carmilla explains, her timbre so casual. Almost like death is inevitable at any moment.

"Doesn't it scare you?" I persist.

"From what I've seen, death looks peaceful. Everytime I look into their eyes, no matter how much pain they're in, they're calm. They embrace the light," her voice sends a bolt of goosebumps through my bones. How can she be so comfortable with it? "So no, it doesn't scare me," Carmilla concludes. "I once almost died, and all I remember was how quiet it was, everything around me felt so far away, all I could hear was my pulse, slowing down and urging me to sleep" she expresses softly, her eyes sharp at the confession.

For some reason, i couldn't find anything to say to that, hoping i never have to experience that, realizing the grave shift in our perspectives and experiences. "What about your family? Aren't you scared to leave Genevieve behind?" I question as we stand , our attention both focused on the cool air filling our lungs.

Her head shifts at my question, her brows furrowed as she ponders over my question, a thought she seemed to never thought of. "I don't know, I never thought of it like that, I always thought of death as my own, not for others to grieve."

Her admission makes my heart ache ever so slightly, her psychology so intriguing. "I always see death as an event, because you may no longer be here, but a little part of the ones that love you die as well, the spot in their heart only for you, empty" I explain, her eyes now fully focused on mine. I could see something switch in her eyes, almost as if she was aiming to comprehend what I'm talking about.

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