If I Had A Heart

Chapter 15

At first, she felt weightless.

Her bones and muscles had gone limp and weak, as if they were hallowed out.

And she was moving.

She couldn't understand how her body was moving without her conscious intention to do so, but it was. Despite her attempts to force herself to stop, Regine was taking slow and deliberate steps forward, back ramrod straight and arms hanging loosely at her sides. It was a miracle she could even hold herself upright with the way her entire body had turned to Jell-O.

The complete lack of control was dizzying and yet, something – or someone – was making her remain awake and upright; she was being controlled. She could feel herself stepping out of the cramped room in the cave yet she could not move her head or eyes to examine her surroundings no matter how hard she tried to turn even the slightest inch, the spell cast over her proving to be too strong to subdue. Her restricted view only allowed her to stare blankly towards the cave's mouth, unable to even close her eyes when she wanted to.

Regine wanted to scream. With all her might, she summoned all the strength she had to fight against the hold over her, to run away, to do anything, but it was pointless. She was trapped inside her own body that no longer belonged to her.

Amongst the fogginess, a far away voice echoed across the dimly lit cave.

"Do we really need to get 'em outta here right now? I was just starting to have some fun with this one," the voice complained, although it held no genuine remorse as far as Regine could tell.

Another, more familiar, voice sounded from behind her, a rush of cool air prickling the back of her neck as it spoke, yet her body prohibited her from shivering at the sensation. "You wanna keep her? Be my guest," it snapped in a fierce tone, a quiet rage brewing just beneath the surface.

David.

He sounded even more sardonic than usual as he continued to speak.

"Say, you two could even watch the sunrise together. Outside. It won't be pretty, but hey, you brought her here in the first place."

"Whoa hey, cool it," Paul, or at least she assumed it was Paul, replied with a shaky laugh, his confidence faltering somewhat at David's threat. "I know she's off-limits but she came on to me this time!"

A harsh laugh sounded behind Regine, David was fuming.

"I don't care if she threw herself at you bare-assed and O negative," he spat. "I said to stay away from her."

"Ah come on, just because you're all hooked on this one, we can't do what we want anymore? This is bogus, man."

Regine felt her eye twitch as David drew a long, aggravated sigh.

"I couldn't care less what you do. You wanna feed off every girl in Santa Carla, by all means, go ahead. I'm not gonna stop you. But this one? Ain't gonna happen."

Paul groaned.

"Shit, that just makes me want her more, ya know? This girl ain't even my type, but the second you said I couldn't touch her, I couldn't resist! She smells so good..."

A quiet snicker rang though the cave.

"Whatta cry baby."

Marko, of course.