Tonight Together: GumLee

Time

Ch.17: Time

The haze fell apart, crumbling like the crusted blood Marshal laid in. Truly it wasn't blood, more like a black goo, but it's close since his kind bleeds it. And when they lose too much...

They get hungry.

Brandy didn't have the knowledge, striding into the enclosed space towards the vampire. She curled her fingers round Marshal's red collar and lifted with ease. His ear was brought near her lips to hear a harsh whisper, except a pitched ringing kept the words away. Groggily, he struggles to look the monster in the eye as he gripped the hands holding him. Focus was far away and hard to grasp. Until, finally, the words pieced together.

"Ready to die?"

The air held him with gravity pulling harder than Brandy's strength. A chunk of hair was yanked from his head, some skin following. She left his head to twist his arm with both hands. It broke only to stitch back together.

"Th-this won't kill me." The man stated, cringing and crying out with pain.

"No, but it'll hurt like hell, am I right?" The monster sneered, tossing him into the ceiling. A grunt shot out goo with the air knocked out of him, ribs poking through inside and out. The cells just crawled back together piece by piece. The creature laughs out all together.

"Ha! how you like that, ya dick!" her voices lashed when gravity took Marshal down with a splashing thud, "Next time, do your job properly and better. Got that?"

"Next time?" he groaned from pain.

"Ya, a deal is a deal." Brandy sighed as something she threw softly bounced off Marshal.

"What about killing me?"

"Don't make me change my mind." And the thing left.

Slowly, Marshal came together, but he couldn't wait as his cripple hand stretched out. The finger tips brushed the plush fur, torn fabric, slick buttons that adorned his treasure. The man grips a paw and drags it into his arms.

"Hambo..." the cheer came out in a choke, for tears from pain and joy overwhelmed Marshal. He held it tight while fighting to stand. A free hand gripped Hambo's when they drifted up in the air.

Marshal left with Hambo at hand, going back to his cave. There he would enter his home with a sigh before raiding the fridge, tuning his base, then curling up with Hambo before falling into deep sleep...

If only, Marshal couldn't just leave this place. He won't leave with out Gum Ball, he can't leave without Gum Ball. So, after tying Hambo's arms around his neck, the vampire creeps through the tunnels. He follows Brandy's sent trough the curled halls until he came across a split. To the right the scent was thin, while to the left was a thick stench and lit at its end. It was obvious to go left, but he went right based on his gut.

The round tunnel formed into a square shape, made by brick, stretching not too far before connecting with a wall. A door. A thin white door illuminated by a single torch, Marshal kicked it down in a heart beat. When the dust settled, Marshal struggled to see. So he took the torch and held it out.

No one was there, but remnants say some one has been here recently.

Suddenly there was a low scream that became pitched in pain.

"Gum Ball..." Marshal whispered, tightening Hambo around his neck, then breaking out into a sprint, "Gum Ball!?!"

The vampire shifted through the tunnel, rounding through the left one this time, until the rocky enclosure opened into a topless dome. At the center laid-

"Gum Ball!" Marshal flew to the prince's side. Gum Ball was passed out so the man shook him awake, "Gum Ball, Gum Ball wake up! Please, wake up!"

Those pink lashes laid still for the longest time... Until finally... They fluttered open.

"Gum Ball!" Marshal hugged him tight with tears of relief.

"Um, I'm sorry, but..."

"No, no it's okay, it's okay! I'm sorry, I swear I'll never do that to you again!" Marshal goes to hug him again-

Gum Ball pushes him off.

"Who are you?"