New Beginnings

8. Laura

"I keep dragging you into all kinds of fun don't I?"

Carmilla chuckled at that while smiling at her kindly. She looked amazing in the artificial light. Beautiful and dangerous in the white and black contrast of the cell phone light and the darkness of the vampire made tunnel. Laura fought the urge to stare at her. If she started she wasn't sure could stop and then the image of Carmilla' smiling face would be the last thing she'd see once the Corvae goons finally caught up to them. While that image wouldn't be the worst thing as a final view she hoped for at least a little more time than only the next few minutes of life before deciding on such endings.

Perhaps it could be seeing Carmilla's smiling face while they were in a bed, or lazing around on a beach or stargazing on a rooftop or maybe while Carmilla was wearing slightly less clothing or.

She shook her head, snapping out of it and regained her concentration in time to catch Carmilla's response.

"Well actually, if you rewind the tape, you'll see this time it was mostly me doing the dragging sweetheart. You said we didn't have to come here."

"Oh yeah, your right, I'm so used to being the dragger in our relationship I forgot. Yeah this is all your fault. Get us out of here person whose fault this all is."

"Yes, on it."

Carmilla began to examine the Sumerian writings on the walls nearest to the fork in the path. Laura held the phone over her shoulder to give her some light. After some muttering under her breath Carmilla gave a satisfied grunt and looked pointedly to the right side of the fork.

"That way, we go right."

"How do you know?"

"Because on the right side it says 'To Exit', well more specifically I think it says 'To Jumping Exit'. I dunno what that's supposed to mean but I feel exit is the operative word here".

"Well what does the rest of the writing say?"

Carmilla gave her one of those looks that Laura had learned meant she thought she was being dumb but didn't want to actually say the words.

"Who cares what the rest of the writings say. Right side leads to an exit, hence we go right. This is not an archaeological expedition, we're running away from bad guys, speaking of which we need to get moving."

She grabbed Laura's hand and led her into the right passage of the fork. It was exactly like what they had passed before, hard grey stone floor with white walls full of beautiful petroglyphs. They had seen a great many art pieces as they toured the city in the time they had before meeting Pisano but Laura didn't doubt that what they were seeing in these ancient tunnels where absolutely the match of anything above ground. She noticed that some parts of the walls they passed seem to sparkle in the artificial light and she realized that gems had been placed in some of the petroglyphs. Whoever the vampire or vampires who made this tunnel complex were, they must have had quite the fortune.

More running. Laura was beginning to dearly wish for some other form of traversal to try out soon, perhaps cycling or walking, or better yet maybe not moving. Yes sitting down and resting was definitely a life goal right now. Carmilla kept her going, hand resolutely clasped around hers and leading her ever more down the creepy opulent tunnel.

Eventually the passageway opened up into circular chamber. Compared to the tunnel passageways it was large and Laura was happy for the extra room. It was as full of artistry and expensive gems as the tunnels. Straight ahead there was an exit to another passageway. The walls remained white but the ceiling stretched upwards. It was mostly impenetrably dark even when she pointed the phones light up at it. Tiny white dots seemed to hover in it, sparkling through the black. Whatever they really were, clearly they were meant to represent stars in the night. They made a convincing simulacrum, if Laura wasn't intellectually aware she was well below the ground then she would have been certain she was stargazing at the real night sky.