The Vampire's Heart II - The Dying Heart (Phan)

Chapter 3 - He Would Be Back By Now

Phil's POV

I woke up late one morning. Dan was out of bed already, as he wasn't there. I stretched, not alarmed of his disappearance. I figured he was out to pick me up a coffee again. I laid back in bed, waiting for him to come back.

He didn't.

It was already one thirty in the afternoon. If Dan would have left to get coffee, he would be back by now. I began to panic. I threw on my clothes and ran outside, then ran to the coffee shop on my own.

Dan wasn't there. Only the brewer and Cynthia, to my surprise.

I rushed up to the lady at the counter. "Did you see Dan here earlier? You know, tall, brown fringe, comes in here every morning or so?"

"Yes," she said. "He was here this morning."

"Phil?" Cynthia said. "What's wrong?"

"Dan's not home. If he left in the morning, he would be back by now."

Her eyebrows creased. "Wait, he didn't come home? Why would he do that?"

"He always comes home."

"And he just didn't? No note or anything?"

I actually didn't check for a note, but I was too worried to care. "No! I think something happened to him!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know!"

"Phil, calm down," she said, standing up from her bar seat and approaching me, looking as nervous as I was.

"I could send out a police report to report a missing person, if that helps," suggested the lady at the counter.

I didn't know much about police, and I was still relearning modern human life. I had been a vampire for so long that I had nearly forgotten. Dan was helping me fix that. But alone, I was lost. I had no clue what to say or do.

"No," Cynthia finally said for me. "For now, I bet we can find him on our own. If not, we'll file the report," she stated confidently.

Her and I left the shop. We searched the entire town from top to bottom, asked everyone we saw if they knew or had seen him, cleaned out shops and every public place in town, and yet, no sign of him. I was starting to panic.

"What if something bad happened to him?" I asked. "Or what if he just decided to leave town?"

"Without you?"

"Yeah. What if he just... left?"

"Phil, Dan loves you too much to skip town without you."

I remembered all the sweet little things he's said and done, and I believed her. As a vampire, I would have assumed that he left me. I felt like Dan wouldn't be the one to do that - now or then.

We searched and asked until nightfall. Everyone in town knew by now of Dan's disappearance. With him gone, I had to sleep alone that night. The bed was uncomfortably cool and empty.

Dan's POV

I woke up feeling faint in a cool, damp area. Where was I? Why had I passed out? My eyes flickered, trying to make sense of the area I was in.

It was like a cave, but cleaner and neater. There was a fire burning on the opposite side of the room from me, with several pots or pans around it, and an opening in the top of the cave to let the smoke out. There were strange plants in small containers beside it. I was about to rub my eyes from the blur, when I realized my hands were tied down, and I was sat in a chair, unable to move.

I shook around, trying to loosen the ropes tying me together. What was going on?

"Hello?" I said loudly, shuffling around in hopes that I would break free.

I heard footsteps rush to me.

A woman appeared, wearing a flowing dress and her dark black hair down. Her skin was pale and her eyes were glowing gold. I stared at her and she smiled. I then noticed her fangs. She was a vampire. Her fangs were larger than Phil's when he was, but they were the same. She too was an immortal creature.

She smiled at me, clutching her mouth and jumping up and down. "You're awake!" she cheered.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

She giggled like a madwoman. "My name is Storm. Welcome to my home!"

"You live in a cave," I stated.

"Yeah. Vampire's don't really get to live in people-homes."

She walked to her fire and crouched down, beginning to boil a pot full of water. "Can I get you something?"

"Yeah! Untie these ropes and let me out so I can go home! Oh God," I said to myself. "Phil is probably worried sick...."

"No can do, Dan."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things." She picked one of the unfamiliar plants from the side and dropped it into the pot to boil.

"Why am I here?"

"You shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

Confused, I began to struggle again.

"Don't do that," the vampire lady warned.

I didn't care. I kept thinking that I had to get away from this crazy place. I had to get home. I had to find Phil. When I couldn't budge, the vampire girl walked up to me, one hand behind her back.

"I told you not to do that," she whispered. She placed her hand over my face. In it was one of her weird plant herb things. Without thinking or without a choice, I was forced to inhale it's essence. "Shh," she hushed.

I fell asleep.