Frozen Tears

Chapter Thirty

We have reached the thirty chapters! Another round number! Honestly, I have no idea for how long this story will keep going but I keep on getting inspiration. I'm struggling to figure out if I should write a sequel or keep it a one-story thing. Let me know please, you're opinion would meen the world to me :)

...°...

The first thing that catches my eye is the huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It casts mysterious reflections of light on the surface of the clear marble floor. Tables dressed in black table-cloths are scattered all around the room but lined in symmetrical fashion. A beautiful, shimmering staircase leads up to the second floor which continues to curve into darkness, out of sight. A movement in the dark catches my attention but I'm snapped away by Jay's voice echoing in my ears. I spin around and smile, nodding to whatever he said as he guides me to a candle-lit table, but when I look back, nothing can be seen above and whatever movement I caught is gone. 

I redirect my attention to the back of the pretty hostess's back, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor as she wanders through the rows of guest-filled restaurant tables and directing us to our table. Jay's really out-done himself. I wouldn't have minded a romantic stroll in the park while enjoying a picnic in the middle of the night-life, but I don't say anything. He must have spent a lot of swallowing back nerves to ask me to go out with him to such a fancy place as this. And expensive - definitely expensive. But thinking back to the mansion where I'm currently held by the vampires, money doesn't seem like much of a problem. Maybe held isn't an appropriate word for my living conditions at the moment. As I glance the side of Jay's face tilting as he scans the perimeters with alert as we walk, something flutters inside of me and I realise that where I live now is slowly resembling something close to home in my mind. 

...°...

"So, do you like it?" Jay asks me and I'm sure that I can decipher raw hunger darkening his captivating eyes. We've been in this luxurious restaurant for more than an hour, and still Jay contents himself with a single glass of red wine, while I'm on my third course of the evening. I nod hastily and open my mouth that's full of food, and reach for the napkin as the rest of my moelleux au chocolaty falls in pieces into the material pressed against my lips. Jay chuckles but something keeps any real humour out of it. 

Something's definitely bothering him.

He seems agitated, like a claustrophobic person would look like inside of a tiny elevator, squished in between tons of people. His eyes keep flickering around the room, like an animal waiting to attack at any sign of danger. I look at him curiously and reach for his arm. When we touch I can't help but shiver under the electric line sizzling up my skin. My heart starts hammering against my rib cage and I struggle to press down the aching feeling of the need to touch him, remembering his velvety, soft lips on mine. Jay's eyes drop to my outstretched arm on his and the pulsing vein beneath it. The light in his eyes is suppressed by hunger and I can see the first white glimpse of fangs protruding. 

With alarm he springs to his feet, knocking the table down. Everything falls silent around us and the other guests look at us with surprise and curiosity plastered all over their posh, neatly groomed faces. Jay doesn't send me second glance as he takes five big strolls across the quiet room and disappears through the double doors. I grumble uncomprehensible apologies to the guests and staff and follow him, relieved when the cool night air makes the suffocating heat from the inside disappear. But it's quickly replaced with a more shivering touch when the cold breeze hits my bare arms and legs. Of course I forgot the damn jacket...

Suddenly, a horrible sound attracts me and leads me into the dark alley way, zigzagging between old-looking dull buildings. My feet seem to move against my will and suddenly I'm spun away from one of the alley walls as my body falls back into strong arms. The faint light from the restaurant some distance away casts dim shadows across Jay's face but instead of being reassured by his presence, my mind starts filling up with horrible thoughts at the look of the terrorising hunger on his angelic face, twisted into madness. His eyes are wild and his fangs are out, showing me the true self of a hungry vampire. My parents were going to give me to this...? 

But this isn't Jay. I extend my shaking hand and stroke it down his cheek, and his expression seems to soften as he leans into my palm and closes his eyes. For a moment, I'm sure that he's back but I let out a gasp followed by a painful groan as my back hits the cool brick wall. I don't scream, why would I? Jay would never hurt me, but is this really him? 

"Jay... Jay please look - look at me! This isn't you - this isn't -"

-This is me Emma." He growls, shutting me up. "This is my vampire self, the true me, and you can't change that. Why would you come out here? Why would you even consider following a hungry vampire? The human emotions that you bring out in me won't matter to me in this state. In fact, I'm only thinking of you as a prey, a beautiful, terrorised prey, that I'd take my sweet time finishing off." His sharp words hit me hard, and I look at him with wide eyes as he licks his lips slowly. "I can see that fresh vein pulsing in your throat, and God you smell so good. I don't know what your blood is but it's not human. I won't remember what I did tonight when my hunger is at rest. But then it'll be too late. Too bad that I don't give a damn right now isn't it princess?" I shut my eyes and pray hard for my own Jay to come back. But I know it's useless, he won't come back until his hunger is satisfied. Hell, he won't remember a single thing when he's back. This is his vampire instincts kicking in, and I'm only a fragile animal waiting for its death to come. "Take this as a compliment... I will enjoy every drop of your blood on my tongue, and you will be aching for more as I drain the life out of you." 

Then, without warning, needle-points like razor blades cut through the pale skin of my throat and Jay keeps me pinned to the wall with a hand placed firmly on my waist. It's almost too painful as he holds my head tilted back against the cold brick. I don't scream. What use would it be? No one can help me... no one can - can help - m - me...

I feel each drop of life-driving blood drained from my body as my weight begins to drag me down, leaving me limp in his arms once again. But I can't stay standing. The darkness begins to consume me until the last moment that Jay detaches himself, licking his lips and moaning with delight. "That was -" He cant find the words to finish. His hunger has been satiated. 

To say I'm surprised when his wild eyes suddenly spread with horror and he begins to shake uncontrollably with terror while stroking my face and shouting at me to wake up and I know that he's back - that my Jay is back - would be an understatement. But as he said before, it's too late. The last thing I see is his beautiful eyes reflecting my one blue and the other golden eye, glazed over with horror as darkness consumes me.

"Emma... Em - Please! STAY WITH ME! Oh God no... please -please -please... Emma please stay with-" 

And then my mind shuts down.