Lifeline (Chills Fanfic)

54 - Dylan

Dylan stands in front of a place called Illyrica, the last safe haven he knows of. He has decided to visit them all, to see how safe they are.  He told Freya that he was staying with Autumn, but Autumn was told he was with Freya. Dylan hates lying, but he had to. He wanted to make sure this place would be safer than the others. And not only that, he needed some time to think.

Now that the night is ending, and he's on his last stop before he returns home, he's had plenty of time to think. And maybe it wasn't the best idea to deny the Imprint with Autumn. He knows that he wasn't ready at the time, and it has only been a few days since then, but now, Dylan thinks he should've said yes.

That link could save their lives. That link will help them more than hinder them. He takes a deep, calming breath, and walks inside Illyrica.

Dylan sees that the streets are made of bricks, and the majority of the buildings, all above ground, mind you, are dark colored, mostly dark gray and black. He walks down the street, keeping inconspicuous as he walks towards the plaza at the center of Illyrica.

He stops when he sees one of the city Elders, wearing their black and gray robes. He slowly and gingerly approaches the Elder, a man with brown eyes and blond hair. He looks at Dylan.

"And who might you be?"

"I'm Dylan. I come in peace," he says, not knowing what else to say.

The man laughs. "You're a vampire, boy. Not an alien." He walks closer to him. "Do you seek sanctuary?"

"Yes," Dylan says.

The Elder nods. "Good. Come, I have something to show you. Before you can join us, you have to be tested. How many of you will be coming?"

Dylan shrugs. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I just know some of them will be coming."

They stop in front of a rundown building. Dylan tenses. No way am I going in there. He looks at the Elder. The man looks up at the tall, decrepit building.

"Yes, well, to prove yourself to us, you must face what lives in there and return. You must do it alone, boy."

Dylan looks at him. "Can I have my friends stay with you while I'm in there?"

"No," the man says. "You go now."

Suddenly, Dylan is falling backwards, and he lands on his back on the ground, temporarily stunned by whacking his head against the ground. He looks up, and sees a small, hunched over old lady leaning heavily on a walking stick. Her hair is long and dark gray, and she appears to be drawing in the dirt on the floor of her home.

"Uh ... hello?" Dylan asks.

"Hello, young vampire boy," she says. She scapes at the ground with her cane, and hums softly. He slowly stands up, his head swimming. She looks up at him, her black eyes burning into him.

"Why are you alone in here?" Dylan asks.

"I am never alone," she says. "Trust me."

He looks around, then back to her. The room is a dusty and dirty living room, one barely furnished. Dylan looks at the woman again. She doesn't look at him, just looks at the floor and keeps drawing with her cane.

"Why did the Elder put me in here with you?" Dylan asks.

"The Elders put you in here? Hmm. Come with me," she says. She guides him to the backyard of the old house.

When they reach the fence at the edfe of the backyard, she raises a shaking hand towards the sky, and out of the shadows around her house, he sees a small tree, with dead branches reaching towards the sky. He stares at it, and then, everything goes black.