Sickly, Sweet - Book One

Ch. 1 - Winter Dance

Dedicated to you, from one vampire lover to another. ;)

Song of the chapter : Shoot and Run by Josef Salvat

***

'Stars keep secrets.
A sea of bright eyes that watch.
They can see us, study us.
Distract us.'

***

It has been years since I saw the sun. If I'm honest, recalling the last time I did would be a challenge. The way its perfectly golden rays glide over every inch of space in a speed unseen by the human eye intrigued me. I can't say I miss it, the heat hurts my eyes and irritates my skin.

Reminiscing my past would be a decrepit blur of mindless mockery but when it comes to situations like these you have to admit, the only thing that flashes through your mind is the life you once lived.

The hot rays of the sun beat on the surface of my body, instantly turning my pale skin red and raw. I have not aged in decade but my skin grows thinner with each year that passes. I suppress a scream, but my attempts only worsen the pain. An odor, one that resembles that of burned hair, flows from my scorching skin. I look around in search of a place to hide but am only met with four, solid and perfectly equal, titanium walls.

That damned vampire!

My sensitivity to the sun has been aggravating the last five years. Although stunning, I would not prefer to have this as the last time I see the large star.

I bang on the wall. "Augustine, you filthy leech," I scream. "Let me out of here!"

My voice echoes and reverberates on the walls then silence as they reach the roofless space above. I am being tortured and prodded, all because I regrettably failed a mission and this is my punishment. Augustine has never once used this on me - its main purpose is to burn pure -bloods and nightshades.

My incessant blows to the wall are hindered with a shrill creak of metal plates rubbing abrasively against each other. Darkness comes sweeping in and my breathing smoothes to a still.

Jumping back, I hiss at the man who appears in the opening of a large orifice. His cold eyes scrutinize each detail of my body with distemper and lust, looming over the darkness as if he owned it. The air around me grows colder and the hairs on my neck rises. That's not Augustine, I would know.

"Who are you?" I didn't receive an answer and I bite down on my own teeth. "Hello?"

Instead of speaking, he smiles devilishly, flashing his sharp fangs. He then vanishes, leaving only a trail of his thick laughter rebounding against the now dark room. Goosebumps riddle my arms from the aftertaste of his mysterious appearance. What is he doing down here?

I punish myself mentally for having the inability to defend myself against him. I foolishly fell into the hands of the most beguiling demons of the underworld. Vampires. Their pale skin crawls with greed and possession. All they want is blood and power.

My eyes scan the surrounding black tunnel - I know this place like the back of my hand. Augustine would have me drag his victims here and torture their poor, dilapidated souls.

I swear, his head would be on a platter the next time I come across him.

Weakly, with the wall supporting my weight, I walk. It isn't long until I make it to Augustine's study, which has one of the few doorways to the dungeons. Without any energy left in me, I collapse on the floor at his feet.

Augustine, with his usual demeaning stance, clicks his tongue and looks down at me.

"There you are, love, I was beginning to think you grew fond of the sun."