DEAD SEED (AKA "Vampires Don't Exist")

TWENTY-ONE: Monster

He took her to the basement, but instead of going to the dungeon or to the room she had first been kept in, they went to another door. One they had passed many times that Aralyn assumed was a closet due to the size of the door. It was narrow and didn't look like anything special. He opened it and, at first, it looked like a tiny storage area. There were boxes speckled with mold and filled with junk. Old, broken shelves and pictures, torn lamp shades, and other pieces of trash. Then Aimeric pulled back a curtain, revealing another door with several locks on it.

He unlocked them and turned the brass handle. They were met with a dark tunnel that smelled like wet dirt and mildew.

Aimeric held his hand out and Aralyn took it, though her heart was pounding. As he started to lead her into the darkness without turning on any lights, she felt her throat start to close. She began to panic, claustrophobia clutching her. She couldn't see. She was closed in. Her fingernails dug into Aimeric's hand.

He pushed her back up against the cold stone wall. She felt his icy fingers touching her face, then his lips. "Breathe. You are in no danger here. I can see everything, just hold onto me. You will see again soon."

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Aimeric slipped his arm around her, clutching her close to his side so she would feel safer. She wrapped her arm around him, letting him lead her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she closed them it would make her feel like she was in control of the darkness. It did help, but only a little.

They walked for a few more minutes and then finally stopped. She felt Aimeric move his free arm and then heard the pull of a chain.

"Open your eyes."

When she did, she saw a soft glow of light from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. They were in a small room that was cramped with a metal desk and chair and ... a coffin. Aralyn shuddered, thinking about being trapped inside of it.

"This is where I was today. I come here when I need time to myself. To think and brood. Once upon a time I even came here to feel sorry for myself."

Aralyn barely heard him. She was looking closely at the walls. They were an odd texture and strange color. They almost looked soft and they had several messages scribbled all over them. Most of the words were indecipherable, looking as if they had been written in a hurry. She stepped closer, trying to make out some of the messages:

To Live is to Die

Darkness is my Light

The ink was dark and flaking. She ran a finger over the word "live" and then almost gagged when she realized it wasn't ink. The messages were written in blood. The walls themselves felt almost like rubber.

Her eyes widened. "The walls ... they're...."

"Made of human flesh. Preserved and sewn together to make the perfect wallpaper."

Aralyn covered her mouth to keep from throwing up. She needed to sit down. She tried going for the desk, but he stopped her, taking her arm.

"I did this before I was turned. Well, not this room specifically. My first room was done in my family's home."

"You're ... disgusting."

He chuckled. "Yes, that's what the stable boy said when he discovered my first room. I killed him before he could tell anyone. Then he became part of my collection," Aimeric said smoothly.

Suddenly, Aralyn remembered why she should hate him. She felt disgusted with him and with herself for loving him.

"You see, Aralyn, even as a mortal I was different. I was fascinated with human parts and always had a ... unique idea of art."