Darkening Days

Chapter 17: Sorry

Lance's smile froze. His face didn't do so much as twitch. Then, slowly, his joker grin slackened, and a look of shock replaced it. I guess he didn't expect me, a sassy, steadfast girl, to submit myself to him. He was probably expecting a fight, the bastard. Well, sorry to disappoint- I'm not in the fighting mood.

The same look was plastered on the others' faces, too. Even Derrick's.

"Well, then...I guess that makes things easier." Lance said. He turned away from me, and faced the other vampires. He scanned the lot, making eye contact with each of them, as if communicating with them silently. Each of them nodded as he shifted his gaze from one to the other. He then turned back to me, his face hidden once again behind its human mask.

"Alright, it's settled. Now, if you're going to do this for us, you've gotta ditch those geezers in your house." He paused, but resumed before I could react. "And you've gotta be with us, too. You're ours now, darling."

"What are you saying?" My voice had been reduced to a mere whisper.

"Leave your parents, darling."

"But...if I leave, they'll come looking for me. They'll have the entire police force looking for me."

Lance looked up in mock contemplation. "Well, we can't have that, now, can we?" Then, addressing the others, but not bothering to turn around and face them, still holding my gaze, he asked, "What shall we do 'bout this, boys? Whaddya say?"

The only response that came out of them was a laugh. A dark, eerie laugh.

No. They're not...they can't...

"No...no...please, no", I mumbled desperately, repeating it over and over like a mantra, my voice getting louder each time, until it was almost a shout. "You can't! Please, anything but that!"

"Sorry, darling, there seems to be no other way", Lance said nonchalantly, and began to walk off with the others in the direction of my home.

I dashed after them in a blind frenzy. As I ran, I felt like I was running in slow-motion, as if the feet stretched out before me, just as if I was in a dream. "NO!" I had managed to scream once more, before I ran directly into my barrier, knocking me to the ground.

Ignoring the sharp pain searing through my body, I got back up unto my feet and banged my fists against the invisible wall in frustration. I turned around to Derrick and yelled, "Derrick, please! You can't do this! Let me go!"

But Derrick just stood idly by, arms crossed, completely apathetic, and watching me with cold, relentless eyes. What has become of him?

I ran over to him, mind clouded over with fear, apprehension, frustration, sadness. I exerted myself upon him, trying to push him. But he was immovable- he didn't even react in the slightest way to my futile, stupid attempt. He simply stood there, staring at me. It seemed like he was brain-dead.

I screamed, then dropped down unto the ground at Derrick's feet, crying. Hopeless. Defeated.

My mom, my dad...if I had just kept my mouth shut, this wouldn't be happening. This is all my fault.

All my fault.

The words repeated in my head over and over again as I sobbed.

To my horror, Derrick crouched down beside me, and placed his cold hand upon my back. "Now, now, Krystal. You'll be free from your bonds soon- and you could come into my world. Leave your world behind."

His words sent chills down my spine. Yet again, there was that sincerity in his voice that reminded me of the old Derrick.

Despite this, I didn't move. I didn't even exert myself to brush his hand off of me. I can't do anything more. I'm a wreck now, a fucking defeated wreck. I hollow rag doll at the feet, at the mercy, of a group of monsters.

It's strange. This all seemed so exciting at the beginning, when I first met Derrick. A supernatural world. A prophecy. It all seemed so charming.

But now it's a nightmare.

"Come, honey, let's bring you inside..." Derrick coaxed me off the ground and to my feet, brought me in to his chest, and dragged me back to the cave. I went along with it as I sluggishly moved one foot in front of the other, leaning on Derrick for support. We made our way through the crevice, and were back inside the monsters' lair.

He brought me to a large rock, and set me down upon it. I just stared blankly ahead.

I found myself muttering the words "mommy" and "daddy", over and over again. Mommy, daddy. I'm so, so sorry. I hope it's painless for you.

"Derrick", I found myself actually speaking to the monster. "Please, whatever they do to them, can it be painless? Please?"

Derrick turned my face to his, and looked me in the eyes. "Of course, honey. They'll make it quick and painless. They wouldn't even know what's coming."

The last part frightened me. But, again, I did nothing about it.

He didn't take his hands off my face. Nonetheless, I resumed staring into thin space, ignoring and forgetting about the feel of his touch. As if it wasn't there.

I thought about my parents. My earliest memories with them. My eyes welled up with tears.

Derrick noticed this immediately. "Now, doing cry", he cooed to me. "Hush, don't cry..."

He began to rock me. And I let him. I didn't exactly welcome his comfort, but I didn't reject it, either.

I just pretended like it was the old Derrick who was rocking me.

I don't know how much time passed with me in his arms, crying, being rocked lightly back and forth like an infant. But it seemed to stretch endlessly on, as I imagined it would in hell whenever I read passages about the damned place. Eventually, though, I heard footsteps coming from the other side of the crevice, nearing us.

Lance first, then Glenn, Paul, Cliff, Eric, and Brent emerged from the crevice in a single-filed order. I stopped sniveling, and immediately scanned them up and down for spots of blood, but, thankfully, found none. Still-

It's done. My parents are dead. All I could hope for now is that they didn't suffer...because of me.

I forgot that I was still in Derrick's arms, imbedded against his chest. Lance smiled at this, taking amusement in this.

"Now, isn't that sweet?" He came over to me and petted my hair. "Derrick's been comforting you...that's touching."

I quickly recoiled away from Derrick and stood up, embarrassed and ashamed. What was I just doing? I can't believe I just did that, just let him do that. My face reddened.

"Now, now, Krystal, it's okay. You needed comfort, and who's better to give you that than Derrick?"

I didn't answer. They must think I'm mute by now.

"Anyways, now that that's done...you can be with us", he remarked apathetically. "Now you can do what you're meant to do. Go lure Dillan to us." He stopped to think. "Actually, I've got the perfect plan... and you don't even have to leave this cave."