Stranger Things Happen

Chapter Nineteen

Madeline's POV

"How are you?" Zayn walked through the door and into my room.

"Fine I guess. Do you know where Niall is?" I asked. There was something I wanted Niall to do for me.

"I don't know, but Alex went with him. I'm sure they'll be back soon. Why did you want him?"

"Alex left? I just wanted Niall for something. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. I just--" I heard the front door open and cut him off.

"They're back." I said as I raced out of my room and down the stairs.

"Niall I--" I stopped when I saw Alex collapsed in his arms. "What happened? Is she alright?" I asked frantically.

"She'll be fine. She's just asleep. But she's going to need a lot of comfort."

"What do you mean?"

"We went to see her mother and sister today." He said as we walked up the stairs. "But my brother has made it his new mission to take Alex away. He killed both her mother and sister, without remorse, without flinching. It disgusts me. And I promise that one day he will be dead." He said as he walked into my dear friends room, his expression mixed with hate and disgust.

I stopped outside of her door and waited for Niall to come back out. I decided I would help Alex after she had gotten some sleep and in the meantime I could ask Niall for that favour.

He came back out and stopped right in front of me before he bumped into me, I guess he expected me to be gone.

"Was there something you wanted?" He asked me.

"Yes. I want to know what you've been doing to save Liam."

"Would you like to see him?" I nodded enthusiastically. "I must warn you he is not the same person anymore. Though if anyone was to get through to him, it would be you." He said.

He maneuvered me down the stairs with his hand on my back. We slipped through an opening in one of the walls where a long stone pole stood holding up a small portion of this overwhelmingly large house.

It led down a few flights of darkened stair cases before opening into a small room where, at the end of, was a large metal, vault door.

In a flash Niall was standing next to it. His strong hands grasped the handles as he proceeded to open it. The door creaked open and heavy panting filled my ears.

I slowly walked over to where Niall stood. He slightly nodded and I walked inside.

Metal bars hissed under Liam's touch as he attempted to get free from his cruel prison.

"Liam?" His eyes fiery red as his flesh burned, his arms desperately trying to reach me.

I stepped forward wanting him to hold me, like he always did, when Niall's arm flew in front of me, preventing me from stepping any further. I looked up at him to find his expression stern and cautious.

"Don't go any further. Try talking to him. Try to make him remember his feelings, his humanity."

"What exactly happened to him?"

"He has been denying himself human blood for a long time in fear that this might happen to him again. He struggles daily with his lust for blood, denying his vampire instincts to take over. It is a vampires instinct to not feel, to kill and kill and kill until their hunger is satisfied. To switch off their humanity and not feel emotion, remorse... love. But it is important that you get it back for him. If not, if he gets a hold of a human he will drink and drink and he won't be able to stop. He will go until he rips them apart. This is known as a ripper. Which is what he is. If he gets to the stage where he can no longer be stopped, I will have to kill him."

I flinched at his words.

"I have laced the bars in a substance that is very harmful to vampires, but still keep your distance. I'll be back later." He said as he left.

"Liam." I whispered to the blank creature that clawed at the bars in front of me. "Liam! I know that you've lost your humanity and that you probably don't care who I am or what I have to say, but I need you to. I need you to know that I care for you, that I'm totally in love with you." His eyes died down and returned to their normal brown.

He tilted his head at me and smiled. My lips copied his and I began to walk forward, when his expression turned more sinister. His eyes lighting up in excitement. His lips in a hungry smirk. Looking at me like he was trying to figure out how to eat me.

I stepped back in horror. My body turned to walk out of the door.

"Liam, I need you to come back to me or you're going to get hurt, punished, tortured. And I won't be able to do anything about it." I finished as I halfheartedly stepped out and closed the vault door, collapsing to the ground behind it.

Tears escaped my scared eyes as I began to think that Liam might not come back. That I'll lose him forever.

Footsteps echoed along the floor as Niall stepped into view.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He said as he helped me to my shaky feet.

I told him what happened and when I was finished I asked the question that had to be asked, but I didn't really want to know the answer.

"Will we ever get him back?"

"I don't know, Maddy. I don't know." Niall spoke those words with such uncertainty.

I couldn't help but cry.