Tangled Fate

Rose

March 25, 2010

The morning sun filtered through a thin haze of clouds, baking the red clay of the deserted country road. It was a barren stretch of land, save for a few skeletal trees and scrub bushes that offered no shade to the two vehicles idling in the heat. A sleek black SUV with pitch-black windows pulled into the lot, its engine a low, predatory hum as it parked beside a dusty sedan.

The man from the sedan stepped out, glancing around the empty horizon before approaching the SUV. The driver's side window slid down just an inch, revealing only a pair of dark sunglasses and the brim of a cap.

"Where are they?" The concealed guy asked in a low voice.

"In the trunk." The other man said. "I did exactly what you said."

"Good, put them in the back."

The man retreated to his car and popped the trunk, revealing the two unconscious teenagers sprawled inside. One by one, he hauled the girls out and began loading them into the back of the SUV.

The driver watched the transfer through the rear-view mirror with detached, curious eyes, until the light hit their faces. He let out a sharp, audible gasp, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. Even in the gloom of the trunk, the resemblance was staggering.

The girls shared very similar appearances: light olive skin, bone-straight mahogany hair, and features so finely sculpted they looked like they had been carved from the same stone. They weren't just similar; they were exact, haunting replicas of Katerina and Viviana Petrova. It was a miracle he hadn't believed possible. His gaze flickered frantically between the two sets of twins, the past and the present colliding in the reflection of a dusty mirror.

After slamming the trunk shut, the man walked back to the driver's side of the SUV, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Thank you for your help."

"Is there anything else?"

"One more thing. Come closer, please." The man looked puzzled but complied, leaning in as the driver rolled the window down further. A pale hand beckoned him forward. "Closer."

The moment the man was within reach, the driver lunged. He latched onto the human's neck with predatory speed, careful to remain in the shadows to avoid the scorching morning rays. The man thrashed and clawed at the SUV's door, but his struggles grew feeble as the life was drained out of him.

Once satisfied, the vampire released his grip, letting the limp, bloodless body drop to the dirt with a heavy thud. He sat back in the seat, a cynical smile curling his lips as he wiped a stray crimson drop from his mouth. With the Petrova doppelgängers finally in his possession, the dead man was merely a loose end tied.

━ ➶ 𓆉｡˚ ✧ ༉‧₊˚. ━

Elena stirred groggily, the world returning in a haze of jagged edges and a rhythmic, pounding throb behind her eyes. Her first coherent thought was of the darkness; it was thick, heavy, and absolute. She blinked several times, panicking for a fleeting second that she had gone blind, before the rough bite of hemp against her skin anchored her. Her hands and feet were bound tight, and when she tried to shift, the cold metal surrounding her didn't budge.

She lay still, holding her breath, and heard the faint, gravelly crunch of footsteps. Before she could scream, the lid above her was wrenched open.

Elena winced, squinting as the harsh morning light flooded the trunk. A man stood over her, his features obscured by large black glasses and a mop of dark hair.

"Good you're awake." he muttered, his voice devoid of empathy. "Saves me the trouble of making a return trip."

He leaned in, roughly untying the ropes at her ankles before hauling her out. Elena stumbled, her legs feeling like lead as she found her balance against the car's bumper. Her breath hitched when she saw him reach back into the trunk for Louise. Her sister was still limp, her dark hair a wild silk curtain around her face, her own limbs bound just as tightly.