Belle Morte

Part Two; Waiting Game

Feeling a heavy weight on her chest, Azi found it hard to breath. Though she had been sleeping, she felt herself being pulled awake, the sound of a soft purr finding her ears early in the morning. Blinking and gradually restarting her brain for the day, Azi looked down to see a breathing blob of fuzzy black hair. Sighing she knew who was on top of her.
"Jinx...come on buddy..." She spoke trying to gently lift the cat off of her. Jinx woke up, squinting at her with dark green eyes. He was clearly unhappy with the movement.
Sitting up and setting him to the side, Azi looked around her small room. Its light lavender walls made the room seem larger than it was, along with two large windows that let in the morning light. Her family didn't have a lot of money to afford much in her room, but she did have enough to make the room feel well lived in. Her tiny twin sized bed, an old dresser what was her mothers, and a desk where she drew was enough for her. She sighed and looked over to where her cat had readjusted himself, then her eyes wandered past him to something odd on her night stand. Reaching over Jinx while petting his head, she grabbed a letter off of the table.
Last nights events had been wiped of her memory from the fog of sleep that still filled her head. Blinking to see correctly, she tried to read the envelope. It was plain, but had hand written cursive in pitch black ink addressing it to her. Thinking about this, Azi has not quite put the dots together. Opening the letter with a satisfying tearing sound, she pulled the slip of paper it contained out. The extremely white, thick paper was folded into thirds, Azi unfolded it to find the secrets it revealed. In the end perhaps ignorant bliss was a better route.
Flooded by last nights feelings, Azi felt an overwhelming sadness. Fear even rooted itself deep with in her stomach. Throwing the paper across the room, she held her breath, trying not to panic. She knew there was no way around this, she couldn't get out of going to that ball. They would come for her, force her if need be. She couldn't run either. Thoughts of history class came to mind. Every year when the topic of the ball came around, her teachers would inform them the rules to being chosen for this. While they made it out to be a great honor, she knew from the look in their eyes they were required to say that. She remembered one teacher having a really hard time teaching the topic.
While she could remember the name of her ninth grade history teacher, she did remember what she looked like. The woman was older, in her sixties at least. She was heavy set, wrinkles adorning her face, hair still holding onto a dark brown colour, though the roots told all. Most students said the reason she was so hurt on this topic was because her sister had been taken when she was a girl. On that lesson, she told the story of how La Royale Danse de Mort came to be, and the laws that came with those who were chosen.
The story goes that before vampires and humans lived peacefully, vampires were dominating our race. As time went on, vampires had mindlessly killed humans for too long, humankind was dwindling in numbers. This meant that they would soon run out of food. Seeing the problem here, a group of vampires decided to rally the masses, encouraging them to only eat when they absolutely had too. The humans that were left had formed groups of their own to try and defeat their terrorists. Seeing that human killings had gone down, humans wondered what was happening. At this time, vampires and humans never discussed each others societies. Vampires decided to reach out to humans first, asking their leaders for a truce with conditions. They spoke of letting the mass of humans live their lives normally, vampires only feeding on those the humans deemed to have committed crimes. To celebrate this truce, humans had agreed to give their most beautiful women to the vampires for whatever they chose, vampires in turn changed this to a party for their own kind. From then on, it was a ball that happened every year in France.
Azi did not know if other countries had this tradition. She always thought that humans were idiots for ever trusting vampires.
Azi thought back to the rules that she must obey from being chosen. Once being invited, those chosen must go with the Knights when they come for them. If they refuse, they will be taken, if they run, a family member will be taken in their place. After going with them, the chosen will be prepared for the ball. Once dressed properly, they will attend. Once there, all humans must do as a vampire says. They must bow when addressed, and never refuse a dance. Any kind of defiance will be put to an end immediately. Azi found it ironic that most of her teachers would tell them not to worry, that it wouldn't happen to them. The worst part was she believed that.
Azi rethought what was to come. Oh how she wished she could disappear, could run. Her only family was her mother though, she couldn't change places with her. She wouldn't do that to her.
At this point, Azi had no idea how to spend her time. There was nothing she had been dying to do that was achievable in two days. Her goals for life were no longer possible. Azi had wanted to be an artist of some kind. She spent all her highschool years focused on it. Revolving her classes around things that would further hone her skills. She now realized it was all wasted. At least her mother could use her college fund to survive.
Finding her room was no longer welcoming, yet more of a prison, Azi decided she should stop sitting here alone feeling sorry for herself. Standing up, she looked down to find she was in the same clothes as yesterday. She must have not bothered to change into pajamas.
Giving her cat a pet on the head, she leff the comfort of her bed. She debated on if she should shower or not, but when passing a mirror on her wall she realized how bad she looked. Her make up from yesterday was smudged beyond repair under her eyes, making her look like a raccoon. Her cover up had been sweated off from sleep, showing acne scars and other impurities. Sighing, she decided taking a shower was in her best interests.
Making her way down the hall just outside her bedroom, she found herself going inside her homes bathroom. There was only enough room for a toilet, shower, and sink here. While she supposed these were white when they were bought, everything had faded to a light cream. The walls however changed instead to more of a grey.
Starting the water so it could heat up, she spent the other time undressing. She threw her clothes into a hamper that was hung on the back of the bathroom door. Reaching out a hand to check the water, she jumped back at the heat, making means to change the temperture to how she wanted. Once it was finally cooled off enough for her body to stand, she stepped inside, slidding the door closed.
Even though she washed herself with her favorite products, she still felt dirty. Instead of getting out right away she turned from the stream of water, letting the heat hit her back. The pulse did calm her nerves, she also wasn't letting her mind wander to thoughts of her fate.
After the water began to run cold, Azi stepped out onto a towel they used as a rug in her house. She made effort not to slip, for some reason she always worded about falling in the shower. This was amongst many of her other daily fears, like milk products getting warm when they're near the fridges light bulb.Now, she supposed all of the things she worried about were silly in hindsight with the ball ever nearing. Azi wondered what would happen to her there. They never explained that in school. Nobody knew what lay behind the royals doors. Nobody who went in ever came back, as far as she knew anyways. What exactly did they do to the humans they took? She shivered at the thought, not wanting to let her imagination spark flames of their own. Her mind however, thought it was s brilliant thing to do.
As she wrapped a towel around herself, she went back to her bedroom. All the while, her mind imagined terrifying scenarios. Perhaps they would bring them in just to slaughter them, what if it wasn't quick, but they were sadists who would enjoy torchering them. Azi winced at all the ways she could die by their hands. She found herself feelings sick to her stomach. The thought of dying shook her to her core. She had no desire to die, there were so many things she hadn't done. She would never live out her artist career. She would never meet a husband, have a family. Her own kids. Seeing them become adults of their own. Growing old with her soulmate. None of it would happen if she died. Hell, she's never even kissed a boy, let alone dated one. She almost regretted all the times she turned down the dates that Chloé had set up for her. All of those boys didn't seem like the right one though. She just wasn't attracted to them. She remembered asking her mother about this, but she just insisted that the right boy would catch her eye one day, then give herself and Azi's dad as an example. Her mother hadn't met her father until her late twenties. Her mother had other boyfriends though. Azi now felt like she had missed out. Like her life so far was done too cautiously. She felt like her history was all her just preparing for the future. Now, that future would never come.
After deciding on a pair of old jeans and a thin black tee-shirt with some band on it, she grabbed her pair of knock off shoes. She didn't want to spent her last days cooped up in her tiny home wallowing in her sadness. Instead, she tip toed down the stairs, looking to see that her mother was still asleep on the couch. Walking to her, she circled around to see that her mother's eyes were wide open.
"Oh--sorry mom, I didn't mean to wake you." She spoke to her, but her mother laid still. Azi looked at her confused as her large brown eyes blinked, not acknowledging her. Azi called out to her, but she remained in a dazed state. Azi waved her hand before her eyes, there was no response. Azi wasn't sure what to do, but she didn't want to bother her. This was almost better than all the tears. Azi was emotionally exhausted, she obviously was too. Leaning in to kiss her forhead, she spoke to her mother in a soft tone.
"I'll be back before you know it, love you mom."
Standing Azi made her way for the door, surprised by her mothers voice slicing through the silent house.
"You're so much like him...." her voice was mono toned. Azi paused, hand stopped in mid air reaching for the brass door knob of her front entrance. She must be talking about her father. She hardly talked about him, Azi wondered why now. Her mother had told her that she was reminded of him when she looked at Azi. Sighing she spoke, her back away from her mother.
"I know mom...I'll see soon." There was no response.
Azi walked out the front door, using a key she grabbed of her dresser to lock the door behind her. Looking out to her neighborhood she didn't see anyone out. All the houses on her block were small and broken down. Anyone could tell the poor lived here. Looking back at her dirty white house she sighed and made way for her old, rusty blue car.
She hopped inside, starting it up with a loud roar of the engine. Azi decided she would go to Chloé's house. Chloé lived not far from her, but still in a bad neighborhood. Instead of having a house, Chloé lived alone in an old apartment building.
After a short drive, Azi parked in the alley behind the building. It was only three stories high, and Chloé lived on the second floor. Walking inside the back door, she made her way to the stairs leading to the second story. Azi looked at the numbers and letters on doors passing by until she stopped at 12B.
Holding up her hand to knock, she stopped when there were muffled voices inside. Dropping her hand, she listened in. There were two voices, it sounded like arguing to her. Straining her ears, she tried to make out words.
"You know I...." a male voice that she didn't recognize spoke, not quite yelling.
"...this is what we stand for!" She missed the first part of what the female voice said, she was sure it was Chloé though.
"Listen to me....it's not the right time...we can't just...you know the plan, Chloé!" The male spoke, seeming to talk about some plan unknown to Azi. Chloé retaliated, pushing her point.
"I've known her all my life!" Azi couldn't make out the next few details Chloé gave.
"I can't just let this happen, I need your help." Azi felt that Chloé was talking about her. Who was this man? What was Chloé planning? Azi squinted at the door as she listened.
"We're not wasting men on this, that's final." The male ended the conversation, Azi watched as the knob turned. She hadn't realized he was that close. Trying to move to make it seem like she had just showed up, Azi watched as a brunnet walked out, surprise on his face to see her. He was a little older than her, perhaps 25? He looked rough, a scar being seen through the dark scruff in his face. He narrowed his hazel eyes before pushing past Azi to leave. Chloé stared at Azi, before looking sheepish.
"I don't suppose you heard any of that?" She asked, one hand scratching the back of her head as she leaned on her door frame.
"Only the end," Azi lied. Chloé nodded, believing it.
"So what was the fight about?" Azi asked, walking into Chloé's home. Her house was quite messy. The kitchen and small living room were one large room. Back behind the kitchen was her bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen desperately needed to be cleaned, dishes over flowing the sink. Her living room was better, only a few chip bags and pop cans about.
Chloé shrugged as a response to Azi's question, being vague.
"Nothing, don't worry." Azi knew she was lying but let it go. She didn't want a fight now. Chloé and Azi instead decided to hang out, trying to have a good day.