Bloodswept

Chapter One - Eva

The mysterious man who had been staring at her with his glistening eyes and messy curls had plagued Eva's dreams. She tossed and turned in her sheets, the taste of blood still swirling around her mouth. Just the sight of the young man had renewed her longing to escape from the life she was living, the whiff of adventure and excitement had been an unexpected addition to her evening. It was true, Eva had been able to smell the man from miles away, a bitter sweet scent of musk and sea air with a tinge of fish. Had it not been the situation it was, she might have called to him and introduced herself, but she was unstable and completely unaware of how far her bloodlust would go. Her own ignorance resulted in a fear that made her blood freeze and sudden sweat form on her brow, hairs prickling on the back of her neck and an overwhelm of worry that widened her eyes. Even the thought of the deep, crimson liquid made her senses sharpen and hands clench, her nails digging into her skin. Eva, not able to think about it any longer, swiftly rose from her sheets, her petite body flying towards the balcony doors that were across the room. She burst into the night, her hands grasping onto the ledge, her knuckles white and her breath rapid. Her night dress clung to her back, the sweat a sticky glaze.

Framed ever so delicately by her red river like curls, she stood a mere five feet six inches, but her eyes were so intense that one would forget her height and become lost in them, simply staring into the darkness they held. As she moved, it was as if she glided across the floor, for she was by her wardrobe, tugging on clothes as quickly as she could in a matter of seconds. She wore a simple gown, with ties at the shoulders and ,with a quick glance in the mirror, started to bunch up her sheets in the form of a rope. Completing her task quickly, she threw the make shift rope over the balcony ledge and briskly descended down it, her dress camouflaging her into the night. The garden that surrounded the manor was fresh and ripe, roses blooming perfectly and the water fountain glistening in the centre of it all. With great ease, Eva slipped through the trees and bushes, thorns scratching her bare skin as she hurried through the leafs and flowers, to a path that lead her to the large iron gates which were firmly shut, a big lock tangled through the bars. It towered high above her head, the spiked ends that were placed at the top freshly sharpened. No doubt it was her mother's decision to keep the gates closed at all times, a widowed baroness would never be expected to live a life worth living once the man of the house was gone, let alone her young daughter. It had been nearly three years that her father had been dead, an unbearable amount of time consisting of various attempts at suicide and murder. The memory of seeing herself shackled to her bed post whilst her mother shrieked, her hair matted with blood and tears streaming down her face whilst she destroyed all belongings in the room appeared in Eva's mind; a burning sensation filling her body. Anger. Anger had eaten her from within for so long that it had begun to feel like a numb pain destroying her from the inside, but now it flamed and grew until she could hold it no more.

Eva had had enough of waiting. The death of another would not be the death of herself. So with a fire-like determination, fuelled by the anger that had been imprisoned within her, Eva sucked in her stomach, smoothed over her dress, and body part by body part, slid through the bars of the gates. A devious smile spread across her face as she stepped into the dim street, the weight that had built over the many years falling from her body, leaving her light. She was out, never to return to the life she had had to live for such a long time where her heart had been so heavy; now she didn't needed to feel the way she used to - she had the chance to change herself, her image, and with that she flew into the darkness, her run filled with a freedom she had never felt before - not once looking back.

*****

The hands seemed to come out of nowhere. Fingers grasped at her dress, bodies lunging towards her. Their faces seemed gnarled, wide eyes of no colour. Eva could see nothing of what they wore as they surrounded her in the small road, no gas lamps to show her any way of escape.

"What do we have here?" One of the figures said, his voice old and rasping. More shapes seemed to dance around her as she desperately tried to run, her body whirling in all directions, trying to find a gap in the circle they had closed her in. . Somebody had grabbed her hands and were twisting her wrists, a cry of pain left Eva's lips as they shoved her forward. In a last bid to flee, her foot flew backwards and connected with the person's thigh. The sound seemed to ring over and over, a loud slam of boot against skin. A series of curses echoed through the street as his grip lessened. It was all she needed. Evalin plunged between the figures, her nimble body dodging their large hands. Her feet pounded against the road as she sprinted down different alleys, wretchedly trying to find the safety of light. No such luck. It was as if the shadows became deeper, swallowing her until she stood in utter darkness. She couldn't see where she had run from. There was nothing that resembled the cobbled road that the men had attacked her on. Eva tried to clear her mind of the panicked thoughts that seemed to mist over her mind. She took time to try and recognise where she was, but there was nothing to alert her of her whereabouts. She couldn't hear the normal night bustle of the pubs and drunken men stumbling alone in the night. She couldn't hear anything, the space around her was utterly silent. Too silent.

She didn't even have time to scream before his arms were around her, roughly caging her against him. His hand clamped onto her mouth, choking her fast approaching scream. This man was different from the one before. He was taller and a stench of rotting wood and worn out rope wafted from his body, his breath old, like the decaying pages of a book. He made no other sound than a low whistle, which seemed to apprise his companions that erupted from the shadows like wasps. Their numbers had tripled, and a low fear began to erupt from Eva's core. They advanced towards her all at once, a low buzz of communication between them. Eva's feet were tied, despite her attempts to lash out and a dark, scratchy piece of material was bound over her eyes. She felt herself being lifted, and then something contacted her skull. She did nothing but allow herself to simply spiral into the never-ending darkness that sucked the pain and panic from her bones.