Run While You Still Can

5. Stupid Vampires

I floated around consciousness for what seemed like hours. Every time I tried opening my eyes, I was hit with a wave of nausea causing my head to turn in circles. The pain of my throbbing head would eventually knock me out again.

This time though, I held on the best I could. The ache was lesser than before, which was a relief.

I tried opening my eyes but was faced with simple darkness. What? I tried stretching my hand in front of me but all I heard were chains rattling, my arm not moving in the slightest. Was I really conscious? I forced my eyes open, trying to wake up but I soon realized that it was futile, I was very much awake.

Where was I? What was going on?

As I started focusing more, I slowly started to understand what was going on. My skin was weirdly being pulled towards what I could only imagine being the ceiling. My arms were pulled behind my back, tugged by something strong. I shook my head and noticed that my hair fell over my forehead.

As soon as I moved my head, another wave of nausea hit me. My face feeling bloated and blazing and I understood that it was because my blood was in my head.

I was dangling, face first, from the ceiling. Oh no. Oh hell no!

'' Someone's finally awake. How did you like my new 'sleeping pill'.'' I imagined the air quotes but knowing him, that's probably what he did.

Dante.

Fuck! How did I get caught by him? I raked my brain trying to remember what happened last. My walk, the Guards... well at least I hadn't been caught by the Guards, that would've been dreadful.

'' Are you trying to understand how I finally caught you, darling?'' his exotic accented voice asked chuckling. His voice was closer to me this time.

I tried looking in the direction of his voice but it was useless. It was pitch black in this hole, it was impossible to look for details that could identify my whereabouts.

He mimicked a howl, the sound bouncing off the nearest walls, '' I knew that you would slip up one day.''

Ah fuck, the howl... I knew it would come and bite me in the ass! If he heard it, then the Houses heard it without question. That only meant that the hunt would begin, again.

Urgh, that was going to make things ten times harder.

'' You're awfully silent, what's going on? Where is that smart mouthed bitch I've learned to hate so much?'' he chuckled again, this time very close to my face. His breath would've crawled on my skin if he were breathing. Which he wasn't. Stupid vampires.

'' What do you want from me, Dante?'' even as I asked I knew what the answer was.

I felt his face inch closer to mine, his nose almost touching mine, '' I want my money.''

Of course, he did. Why hadn't I thought of that?

I rolled my eyes which I knew he could see with those night seeing goggles of his. Stupid. Vampires. ''You're still on that? Dude come on, get over it! That was years ago.''

'' I don't care. It could've been during another lifetime for all I care. It's more about the principle. No one steals from me without dangling from the ceiling.''

Of course, it was.

After the brutal murder of my whole family, I had sought a certain kind of release. I was being followed, hunted, chased every single day. I couldn't fall asleep anywhere, the nightmares always floating near. As soon as I would close my lids, the vivid images rolled before me.