Rush Of Blood

Parties Are Just So Lovely

     I jolted awake, standing up quickly. I’m... in a cage? What the hell? I looked around, the dark damp feeling began to scare me. Well, not scare, more like it pissed me off. ‘Damien...’ I remember him reaching for my neck, and considering the light pain in it, he most likely broke it, which explains why I was knocked out. I walked over to the bars of the cage, reaching out to break it off. But as soon as my palm made contact with the bars, it burned and I jumped back. “Fuck!” I looked at my hand, the burning slowly healing. “Vervain, burns huh?” A voice said, it’s footsteps getting closer. “You know, I’m surprised you didn’t catch your boyfriends voice, how it differed from his real one? I haven’t really gotten a hang of that yet.” The figure appeared at the bars, smiling. “Who are you?” was my first question, of course. He smiled, “Well, love, the name’s James. Please to meet you.” He stuck his hand out between the bars. I simply glared at it, causing him to withdraw it. “So, it was you? Why did you kill me?” I asked. “Ah, those were my instructions, from the big man himself, Sir Walter. You know of him don’t you?” “What does he want now?” He chuckled, “He would like to have dinner with you.” “I’m sorry, what?” Complete disbelief. This bastard had someone kill me so he could take me out to dinner? What am I, on one of those hidden camera shows? Because this is a little too ridiculous. “I know I know, I was confused at first, but eh, he’s a strange man. Here,” He tossed a dress on the ground with some heels. “he assumed your size, and wanted you to wear this for dinner. I’ll be back in an hour, that’s how long you girls take now a days right? Right. Well, see you later, love.” He quickly turned, walked out. I didn’t move until I heard the door shut. I walked over slowly, picking up the dress. It was a strapless gown, wine colored, that fell straight down. The shoes were simple black heels. I shrugged, rolling my eyes as I pulled off my clothes and slipped into the outfit. 

     In time, James returned, letting me out of my cage. Instead of running, which I knew I couldn’t do in this dress, I just walked with him. Why run? Someone would end up actually killing me this time. So, we walked up some stairs into a brightly lit hallway. The scene felt like we’d just gone back in time, somewhere in the twenties I assume. James stopped at the entrance to a rather large room, taking off his coat and hanging it. There were a lot of people, mostly humans, in this room full of wine, live music, and pool. Yeah, this is the twenties. Girls wore their flapper dresses, and men wore suits. “He’s on the second floor, by the bar. Go ahead.” He did a quick bow and walked away, indulging himself in the festivities. I got a few looks from some of the crowd as I made my way towards the stairs. I stopped at the top of the stairs, looking around. I saw a drunken man stumble out of a room and assumed that’s where the bar was. I walked over there, quickly evading the man and stepped into the room. Walter was sitting on a couch, his arms around two incredibly air headed blondes. He was laughing and drinking his wine lazily. I walked over and stood behind the two men he was talking to that sat in front of him. “Lillian Vista, aren’t you beautiful this evening?” “What the fuck do you want?” I growled, hands on my hips. The two men looked at me strangely, and Walter chuckled, “Now, that’s not the way a lady should speak. Come, let us take a walk.” He bent his elbow out to hook arms with me, but I walked away, stepping out of the room. “Come now, I buy you such a beautiful gown, create this entire evening just for you, why do you look so disappointed?” I stopped and turned to him. “What exactly are you trying to pull?” He grabbed my hand, pulling me towards another room in the hall. “I need your help.” He shut the door and quickly moved to shut the windows. “What do you need my help with?” I asked, “No. Wait, why should I even help you?” I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. “Because, if you help me, you and your friends will live. But if not, I will have to get Damien, regardless of the cost of your friends’ lives.” I raised an eyebrow, “I’m listening.” He walked over to the wall, peeling the wallpaper and pulling a small box out of a hole in the wall that the paper covered. He opened the box, revealing a key. “This is the key to my love...” He said, walking over to me. “No, no. No romance movie crap.” I said. He ignored my remark, “She’s locked up, dead, and I need one bite to bring her back.” “What on earth are you talking about?” He looked up, “I need the blood of hell born vampire.” “Alright, there is so much I did not grasp there. Who is this love of yours? Whose bite does she need? And what the hell is a hell born vampire?” He sat on the edge of the bed, analyzing the key he held so tightly. “Her name is Luna Raven, she’s one of the originals, like me. But a witch put a curse on her and the only thing that can break a witch’s curse is a glitch in nature. The only one I know of, hell borns, happens to be your boyfriend. If I were to drink his blood, I would turn into one as well, therefore being able to bring her back. The only problem with that is I need his human blood.” “So wait, you need to kill him, but he has to be human for that. Which, by the way, is impossible. Why don’t you look for a human hell born?” “Because the only way of telling if one is hell born is if they turn. So, until I find a cure, I’m stalling.” “What if there’s a way to keep him alive while still giving you your blood?” “It needs to be every drop of blood.” I stepped off the wall, pacing slowly around the room. “There’s got to be another way...” “Excuse me, Walter? There’s someone here to see you.” James was at the door and I could see a girl drunkenly linked to his arm. “Who is it?” Walter asked, standing as he pocketed his key. “A man by the name of Damien?” I looked up instantly, glancing between the two. I went to move out quickly, but Walter had his hand on my shoulder. “Invite him to this room, please. And tell him I have a special gift for him.” James nodded, turning and walking away. Walter looked at me now, “Go hide in the restroom, expose that you’re here before I tell him and I’ll kill you both.” I growled lowly, turning and walking to the bathroom, shutting the door as I walked in. I sat on the shut toilet seat, examining the room. I snapped out of my daze at the sound of his voice.