You Found Me

Chapter 14

I was studying the flames in the fireplace as I sat in the living room with Drew- the reds, oranges and yellows of the flicking flames entranced me as they danced and a heavenly smell filled the room as the black charred logs crackled and fell apart. I was nestled into Drew side under a thick blanket and his scent overwhelmed my senses.

Because we were sitting in front of a fire that was slowly burning pine, the smell of both fresh and burning wood assaulted my nose- I love the smell of pine so this was pure heaven.

A week ago Drew had whisked me away to a gorgeous glass house in Switzerland- it was one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen. The house was nestled in between many fir trees and gave a stunning view of the Swiss mountains- it was gorgeous, yet different from Mt. McKinley. The mountain was completely covered in snow and there were many misty mornings, at night the stars shone so brightly that they reflected off the snow. When we sat like this in front of the fire with the mountains in the back ground I felt like this was my own little slice of heaven.

“I love you Riley.” Drew broke the silence and I looked up into those amazing green orbs I’d fallen so in love with as he gently cupped my face.

“I love you too.” I whispered, caressing his face gently.

Drew’s plump pink lips curved up into a heartbreaking smile, showing me his straight white teeth and feint left dimple. As we snuggled under the thick blanket, encasing our body heat while we watched the fire, we enjoyed each other company in peace; no distractions.

Blinding pain hit my face full force and it snapped to the side as I groggily opened my eyes, groaning in pain. My everything hurt. I blinked as my vision tilted, so blurry I could only make out smudges of colour.

“Wake up Riley!” Someone sung in front of me.  I became aware of freezing cement beneath my feet, arms suspended over my head. I could only just touch the floor and I could already feel my arms cramping, chains digging into my skin. I looked into the eyes of Paul as he stood before me. “Good, you’re awake.” He said happily, it was fake though, beneath the surface, in his eyes I could see that he held a deep hatred for me.

“W-why?” I coughed my throat dry and lips chapped. “Me?”

He chuckled and began circling me. “Because you were pretty and vulnerable.” He said. “Because I could.”

My temper rose and I saw red; considering the position I was in it really wasn’t the right time. I began thrashing around, as much as my sore body could mind you. “‘Because you could’ isn’t a good enough reason to take someone from all they know and do what you did you stupid bastard!”

He snarled and slapped me in the face before landing a punch to my ribs. He pulled out a knife and cut away the clothes I was wearing until I hung naked in front of him with salty tears streaming down my cheek.

It was happening all over again, and this time, no one was here to stop him. I would die here without the boys knowing where I was, without Drew, without the ones I love and who loved me.

“So as you may have guessed by now, I turned you.” Paul said. “If only to make it easier to find you.”

I didn’t understand what he was saying; I knew nothing about vampires, something I was beginning to regret.

“That god damn wolf chased me off; the sun was rising and I had no choice but to leave.” He murmured to himself, looking up at me. “You know what I had to do? I had to crawl to the royals for help; but no, they’re too high and mighty to help me.” He hissed as the knife in his hand slid over my ribs, slicing the skin. I drew in a quick, shaky breath at the sting and glared at Paul.

“So then I thought to myself ‘I’m going to have to go about this a totally different way’, and you know what I came up with?” He asked. “I went to a group of vampires who are very interested in you and here I am, well,” He said pausing, looking at me with pure malice. “Here we are.”

The door behind him slid open to reveal a group of ten men, all varying heights and various ethnic races. I shook in fear as they approached and hissed when Paul ran the blade of my stomach so blood poured out of the cut.

I watched in horror as the men’s faces grew gaunt, faint black lines spreading across their faces like veins and teeth sharpening.  I barely had time to scream before each had lunged at me, sinking their teeth into my body.

Fire spread through my body, hot like the sun, like I was burning alive from the inside out, slowly and agonisingly throbbing throughout my whole body with every beat of my erratic heart.

My throat became raw from my screaming until I couldn’t make a sound. Dots danced in my vision and my body slumped forwards. Paul tore them off me as I was about to pass out and slapped me hard in the face, the jolt of pain in my face startling me awake.

“You can’t take too much; if she dies she might make the full change.” He hissed quietly, looking at me as I slumped over, well as far as I could while suspended from the ceiling.  “No draining her dry.”  They all nodded and turned to watch me.

Fear knotted my stomach and made me want to throw up; what were they going to do to me?

-

I panted in pain as the man in front of me finally stepped back. My eyes followed the movement as small droplets of blood slowly slid down the glinting silver knife.

With every cut my body began going numb, my mind blocked the pain and all I could focus on was the man in front of me and the undeniable urge to hurt him, make him feel the pain I’d been feeling.

I watched as Paul walked in and I began thrashing at the restraints above my head, hissing at them like an angry cat. They jumped back before Paul began laughing hysterically and stood just out of reach. “Pathetic.” He raised his fist and punched me, hitting my cheek and eye.

My head snapped to the side and I took a deep, shaky breath. “You’re pathetic Paul; you’re a cowardly man who thrives off others fear and pain!”

He hissed, his eyes darkening and without further ado he sunk his nails, which were now claws, into my body.  A soundless scream escaped my body and I withered in agony.

By the time Paul finished, blood was pooling around my feet and not an inch of my body was left unscathed. My vision was blurred as I watched him uncap a needle and fill it with a clear, unknown substance. He flicked the needle a couple of times before walking over to me and shoving it into my neck.

I cried out in pain as he sunk the needle infinitely deeper and started pushing down the plunger; it felt like he had dug the needle into my spine.

Colours combined together to create a blur and I struggled to stay awake through the fog that surrounded me. I couldn’t keep my eyes open though and my body gave out, I drifted into blackness where there was no pain, no heartbreak and no vampires.