ALL - Book 1

𝟔 - Haunted By You

♏︎ Shivani ♏︎
"I thought you loved me."

"Yet, you tore my heart to pieces."

"I should have never trusted you."

"You're just like the rest of them."

Restlessly pacing around Teva, as the weight of the dagger in my hand is providing a semblance of control, my attention being drawn to the chains that bound her. As I behold her battered and bruised form, being imprisoned by the unyielding grasp of cold, merciless iron, a tumultuous blend of sadness and exasperation courses through my veins. Unfortunately, in that crucial instant when she lifts up her face, and our eyes lock in a solemn connection, an overwhelming wave of disgust overwhelms my thoughts. Her disfigured countenance etches itself into the depths of my mind, for three profound slashes mar the once-ethereal beauty that had captivated many. The right side of her face, once a canvas of delicate features, now bore the scars of unspeakable violence. The sight of her altered facial features is a stark reminder of the brutality she had endured, allowing it to take my breath away. My grip on the dagger tightens, the cold metal digging into my palm, as anger flows through my veins. The vile words she had just unleashed upon me were more than just a painful reminder of her malicious nature. They acted as a catalyst, igniting a furious inferno within the depths of my heart.

"I had no choice!" Matching her level of hostility, unleashing a torrent of animosity in my response. "I had direct orders from my superiors." But shortly after, confusion swept over me as Teva's laugh rang through the air, causing my grip on the dagger's hilt to clench involuntarily. "I don't know what is so amusing about that." My footsteps coming to an abrupt stop, freezing in place, shooting a scowl in her direction. Our eyes challenging each other in an intense stare off. As I anticipate a response, a burdensome exhale escapes her mouth, preceding her to eventual give a comeback to my statement... "It's funny... because you're just like me... a slave."

My fingers tightens around her jaw, a firm grip that spoke of my frustration. Strangely, to my surprise, she didn't flinch. Instead, a mischievous grin crept across her face, widening into a broad smile. Her eyes sparkling with amusement as she delights in witnessing my reaction to her audacious remark. "What crap are you implying?.. I'm no slave, unlike you, dog." Revealing my razor-sharp fangs, a telling display of my escalating vexation, yet Teva's laughter persists, stoking the fire within and goading me to puncture her skin with my nails even more forcefully. "Answer my damn question. What do you mean by that?"

"And I thought vampires were supposed to be intelligent." In an unmistakable display of exasperation, her eyes theatrically roll upwards, leaving no room for uncertainty about the depths of her irritation. "You bloodsuckers are a bunch of morons." With her last breath fading away, I firmly position the blade against her vulnerable throat, mustering an immense force within. A surge of power courses through me as I release a venomous hiss, unleashing the full extent of my fury. In a single fluid movement, I jerk my hand, leaving behind a profound and gaping wound etched upon her flesh.

In one abrupt moment, I am forcefully pulled back to consciousness, breaking free from the clutches of a nightmarish abyss. The sheer terror courses through my chest, as if it's ready to tear it apart, all the while my breaths expels in rapid, shallow gasps. Trapped within the confines of my bedcovers, I am rendered motionless, my eyes fixated on the expanse of the ceiling above. The remnants of the nightmare lingers, refusing to release their grip on my mind, casting a haunting shadow over my thoughts. A chilling revelation soon overcomes me as I become aware of a cool dampness on my face. Gingerly touches my cheeks, my fingertips confirming the presence of tears cascading down them. The realization hits me like a wave, as I comprehend that my subconscious fears have become so overwhelming that they have manifested into physical manifestations of distress. But just as I was beginning to grapple with my emotions, a soft moan expresses itself from right beside me, rudely shattering my train of thought.