Well, This Bloody Sucks

Hope

Kanato, and Teddy of course, led me to a pretty large building. I now gaze at the contents inside.

"As you can see, these are wax figures." Kanato states as we both walk down the aisle between the mannequins.

They are pretty, but they somehow give off an eerie aura. It's as if they would lunge out at me and force me into a wedding dress like themselves; ending up as a bride that would forever be dressed for a wedding that would never come to pass.

"Whenever we come here, even Teddy seems to perk up a little. Isn't that right, Teddy?"

I hardly regard him as I continue staring at the wax figures.

"You don't really seem to be enjoying it though."

I shake off the spell the wax figures enveloped me in and reply to him.

"Wax figures and I don't mix very well. Someone decided to play a prank on me once by pretending to be one and then scared the life out of me." I shudder at the memory. "They're not as cute as Teddy." I remark, trying to add levity to my plight.

"I do realise that Teddy is the cutest of them all, of course. But these women are nothing but empty shells. Mannequins that possess no souls at all. So in a way, Teddy is just like them."

Well, that makes my situation a whole lot better.

"Of course they don't have souls; they're mannequins." I say.

Kanato falls behind me and chuckles. "I think that you would look very beautiful as a silent corpse."

"What?" I ask, as I stop suddenly.

"Say, would you like to become one of these figures? Right here and now?" My pulse rapidly increases as his breath tickles the back of my neck.

"You would be displayed ever-so carefully; I promise."

I turn around and face him.

"Kanato, you're not making any sense."

"It would make Teddy ever so happy to have a new friend." He says as I back away slowly.

"Don't you think Teddy deserves to be happy?" He matches my steps. "Don't you see Eliza? It would be a win-win situation for both you and Teddy! What do you say? Shall we do it, right now?"

I freeze as he grabs my shoulder. Suddenly I come to my senses and I slap his hand away from me.

"You are stupid if you think that I'd agree to that." I spit at him.

Thinking that the matter is settled, I turn and start walking back to the mansion.

I gasp as I feel his hand clamp down on my wrist and he pins me against the wall.

He laughs at me. "Why would you try to run away? Am I really that scary?"

He licks my exposed neck and I twist away from him. "Get off, Kanato!"

"I love it when you make a face like that, Eliza. So full of anger and fear. Tell me, who are you angry with?"

My eyes turn narrow at the question. I'm angry at a lot of people, my so-called dad, the bloody vampires, but most of all...myself. I'm acting like some damsel in distress!

"I said, get off!" I push him away from me. Only for him to pin me back in place again.

"I wonder what I should do with that noisy mouth of yours. I think I'll sew it up with nice, tidy stitches!"

"You wouldn't!"

"Of course I will. And then I'll replace your eyes with balls of glass! What colour would you like?"

"Kanato, if you're trying to scare me, it won't work!" I'm lying to both him and myself.

"With your blood drained, you won't look like porcelain. I wonder what you'll look like. We'll have to find out, won't we?"

He bites my neck and drinks his fill.

"I'll drink every single drop of your exquisite blood until you run dry. So please don't worry. You'll soon be lovelier than the prettiest bride in here."

I gasp in realisation at his words laced with sick, but genuine tenderness.

"These aren't wax figures."

"That's right Eliza, these were all sacrificial brides."

Bloody hell. I won't have a chance at surviving here. I think, as I survey the vast array of preserved corpses.

"I'll make you as comfortable as I can, given the circumstances."

Kanato's hand makes its way to my neck and starts squeezing.

I uselessly try to breathe through my tightening windpipe, and I feel as if I'm about to pass out, when a voice rings out.

"Kanato!"

Kanato regards Ayato with a bored expression.

"Reiji wants to see you."

At the message, Kanato lets go of my neck and I fall to the floor.

"Aww. How inconvenient." Kanato complains.

Inconvenient for you maybe. Not for me.

Kanato leaves the place and Ayato kneels down in front of me.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't do that to save you." He clasps my neck and I close my eyes in dreaded anticipation. But I don't feel any pain.

Ayato sighs tiredly. "I'm not into it today. I'm too tired."

Counting the blessings sent to me from God today, I make no attempt to move until he leaves me well alone.

.o0o.

I walk along the corridor with depressing thoughts filling my head.

If all of those brides never managed to make it out, what bloody chance do I have?

Lifting my head, I see white hair that could only belong to the youngest of the vampire brothers.

"Subaru. What are you doing here? Apart from the fact that you live here."

He turns to me with his signature scowl.

"If you stay here any longer, you will definitely die."

I sigh. "You think that I don't know that? What choice do I have? You were the one that told me that if I leave I'd die." I walk up to him.

"Go. Right now."

I stare up at him in happiness before it fades from my face.

"There's no way that it can be as easy as that."

"Yes there is. Now go before it's too late. It may be your only chance."

I decide to take his offer and we both start making our different ways.

"Subaru." I call out.

"Yeah?" He answers but doesn't look at me.

"Thank you."