The Walkers (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Where was I? The long, thick bars hinted at a prison or cage, but I couldn’t be sure. I was much too hazy.

The world was pain. Enormous amounts of agonizing, fierce, stabbing pain that made me lose all sense of reason. I tried to take deep breaths, but the air stank of blood and filth, making me gag and cough. I blinked twice, and each of those tiny, insignificant movements made me want to scream. My head was pounding in a tumultuous, rhythmic pace that was making me physical ill. There was a rumble in my stomach, and in spite of the pain it caused me, I shoved my body on my side seconds before I threw up. I groaned into the dark shadows surrounding me, and as I started thinking about where I was, the tears poured down my cheeks.

Nora, my friend, my confidante was dead. Her anguished cries reverberated through my mind, and I fruitlessly tried to stifle the sound with my hands over my ears. The memory of the bright red flames igniting on the third floor of Pages horrified me, and I leaned over and threw up again. My head was swimming, and when I reached up to touch the sore area, I felt something wet. There was a tiny bit of light coming from the far corner, enough for me to see that the liquid on my fingers was blood.

I lifted myself up, noticing how wobbly my legs were, and I shuffled across the cage to a small, broken mirror that was hanging against the stone wall. The reflection staring back at me looked like an extra from a horror movie. The entire right side of my face was black and blue, possibly where Constantine had struck me. A streak of blood trickled down, coming from an impressive gash just below my hairline. My lip had also been busted open, and another thinner line of blood was dripping down my chin. I pulled my arm across my mouth and winced as my sleeve grazed over my raw lip.

Turning away from the wall, I limped over to the bars and squinted, trying to see if I could see anything that would give me a hint as to where I was. I wasn’t certain how long I had been out, especially since there were no windows. There was a dripping sound in the distance, and I could hear a clanging sound, like someone was banging on a pipe, but other than that, there was nothing. I breathed out a disappointed sigh and was about to head back to the hard, metal slab I had awoken on, when a sinister laugh cut through the air.

“H—hello?” I called warily into the dark, and I was rewarded by another malevolent snicker. It was sneaky and sly, almost like a mischievous child. “Is—is someone there?”

“Of course, my lovely Bella,” a familiar voice crooned playfully and seductively. “Did you have a pleasant slumber?”

I felt the wall against my back. “Where am I?”

“Just a little place that my people fancy,” he answered, and the emphasis he put on the last word made him sound like a snake. My head cleared a bit, and I was able to identify the voice’s owner. It was Constantine.

“Why did you kill her?” I tried to keep from sounding scared, but I was certain I failed.

Somewhere across the room, I heard a large, metal object fall, and I was immediately blinded by white light. I held my hand up to cover my eyes, and as soon as my vision returned, I dropped it.  As far as I could tell, I was in the Under Passage. I took in the large, square room that I was in, realizing it was familiar. This was the same place where Market Days took place. Gone were the carts filled with different odds and ends, the Errand Runners, and the other vampires. At the center of the room was a shiny, flat surgical table. My heart started pounding and I silently hoped that was not meant for me.

“No one laments Eleanora’s passing more deeply than I,” he bemoaned, shaking his head. His robe was gone, revealing a red button-up shirt and tailored, black slacks. The stylish clothes pulled tight against his body, revealing the sinews beneath. I pulled my attention away from his body, as he turned to me and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked genuinely displeased. “She was such a brilliant creature. I hated taking her life.”