Blood Trade│Vampyre Series #1│DISCONTINUED

Blood Trade : Chapter 26 (part 1)

[I am still stuck on this story >-< so the next chapter will be uploaded a little late, sorry! I want to thank all those readers who encouraged me to continue with this story. So this is a BIG thankyou to you guys ^-^ ! The response I have got for this story is amazing and I hope you continue support story ^^]

Chapter 26 (part 1)

unedited

**

‘Where is the Sloan Nursing Home?’

Aura had slipped out of the Emerson’s mansion as soon as she got the address. According to Gisela’s Grandma, Richard had wanted to keep Maria Emerson as close to the family as was physically possible, and had opted for a nursing home that was just a few miles away from the main mansion.

She took the liberty of hopping into the garage and choosing from Richard Emerson’s prized car collection – her favorite, Range Rover. She could have chosen another one of those shiny vehicles that blinded her in the eye, but she didn’t, simply because she believed her good luck was about to run out.

As much as Aura wished for her theory to be wrong and that Maria Emerson was simply a lunatic with far fetched tales to spill for her, she couldn’t ignore the fact that some of those incidents had a ring of truth to the. Be it the marks Michelle had talked about or Maria’s observation about the stranger’s clothing and his inhuman endurance of the weather, it had all sounded familiar and needed to be checked out, before Aura made her conclusion.

A piece of paper with directions scribbled on it, sat on the dashboard of the Range Rover, which Aura kept staring at after every two seconds. She took a sharp turn to the left and then to the right, entering a small lane that was a shortcut to the Sloan Nursing Home, or at least it said so in the crinkled paper that Gisela’s grandma had handed to her.

Aura’s eyes swept the neighborhood in which she had entered. The structure was very similar to the one she had left behind – the Emerson Estate. But there was a slight different in the living arrangements of these mansions. Where the mansions in the Emerson Estate had been individual and lofty, the mansions in this neighborhood had a more homely feel to it and were interconnected with each other. The entire setup covered more then hundreds of acres and Aura could barely see the end of it.

She quickly pulled the car into the reverse gear and parked it at the side of the road.

Since this was private property, it didn’t seem anyone would object her for using that space for a little while. Aura made no effort to acknowledge the guards that stood near the wired fence of the compound. They watched her silently as she took her time walking towards the entrance of the Sloan Nursing Home, a place that had been financed and built by Richard Emerson himself. It explained why he was so willing to place his own grandmother in this loony house.

It had all the facilities a mental patient like her would need and he could easily keep a check on her.

‘Madame, may I see your ID please?’

Aura stopped inches away from stepping onto the marble stairs that led into the nursing home, and sighed. She had wished to reduce the amount of time wasted in these stupid security procedures. These weaklings were no match for someone like her and she would have broken his neck into two, if it weren’t for the matter at hand and the reason why she had dropped by in the first place.

‘I have come on behalf of Mr. Emerson and wish to meet with Maria Emerson, who is a patient here.’ Aura spoke in clipped tones, thrusting her chest out and putting her best bodyguard act. As instructed by Gisela’s grandma she held up their family heirloom, a brooch that showed that you were a part of the prestigious Emerson family.

Instantly the two guards stood up straight and stepped back, bowing their heads as they did so.

‘We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience Madame. You may proceed.’

‘Good.’ Aura whispered more to herself then the flustered guards. She could see the fear she had generated by showing the family heirloom, they really believed she was one of the humans.

‘This way, please.’ One of the guards stepped in front of her and beckoned for her to follow.

The heels of her leather boots clicked against the tiled floors as they walked deeper into facility. It housed a beautiful fountain up front, a well kept garden in the far left corner and something that looked like a swimming pool, but was partially hidden from her sights as Aura fastened her pace to match with the guard. Although she didn’t understand why they would need something like that in this nursing home, wouldn’t it be a waste of money?

Her mind flew back to the story Michelle had told her. Was it really possible to bring back those memories, that dark past that Maria would be better off not remembering? As far as Aura knew, she had no such special ability to make people recall their past which they had hidden from the society for so long. She didn’t know what to expect from Maria Emerson when it was clear that the old woman had passed the age of recollection and would probably have little or no hold over her memories.

‘We are here.’ The gruff voice of the guard startled her and snapped her out of her reverie. Aura looked up and instantly her eyes landed on the shriveled up figure in the far corner of the room, she had stepped into. The sight wasn’t surprising but it wasn’t pleasing either. The guard, with whom she had entered, took his leave and closed the door behind her, leaving her alone with the strange lady in rags.

There was nothing extraordinary about the way she had kept herself.

The clothes she had worn and which Aura had thought to be rags, were actually pieces of the once beautiful wedding gown that was torn at some places and held together by messy stitches the size of her finger. Her thin legs peeked out from under the thin fabric, the skin on it blackened to some extent as if she hadn’t taken a bath for a long time. Her matted hair covered most of her face and her hands were balled together in tight fists.

‘Who is it?’ she rasped. It was the voice of a person on the verge of their death, waiting for the last wish to be fulfilled.

Aura didn’t need to touch her to know that her heartbeat was beating at an unsteady rhythm and her breaths were coming in shallow spurts. Either this woman had held on to that single ray of light, that hope for far too long or she had wished to die but had never plucked up enough courage to draw the last breath. Aura guessed it was the former.

‘It’s – ’ , Aura began but stopped immediately. The woman had never met her, so there was no use in disclosing her name to her. It would be better if she didn’t know her at all, and would lessen the risk of her life being in danger if Aura did find something valuable within the woman’s memories.

‘It’s Gisela… your Gisela, grandma. Don’t you remember me?’

**

[I know this chapter seems to have been written in a bit of haste. Sorry for that >-< ! I promise to write more soon ^^ - xxSMxx]