Blood Circus

Chapter 16- Depths

The water was strangely warm. It was murky, though, and he couldn't see very far. The creature had thrown the box in the middle of the lake, so Damian started swimming forward. While he swam, he started thinking. Sylvia and Liam weren't real Hunters, yet manged to become the best ones known. He wanted to know how, he would have to ask them about it next chance he got. Then there was Sylvia herself. There was something about her, something more than what she let on, that was different. For a start, she could receive his thoughts. In the Clown tent, when he had thanked her in his mind, he saw in her face she had heard him. He didn't know too much about humans, but he knew that this was unusual. And her eyes. Her navy blue eyes with a hint of violet. He could look at them for hours. They were beautiful, but an emotion hid behind the beauty. If he focused, he could sense a feeling of anger and vengeance. A coldness that froze him solid, so harsh it actually scared him. He couldn't quite grasp why it was there, but it was.

Through the water, he saw a small black shape. The box had nestled between the rocks at the bottom of the pond. He pushed past seaweed and reached to grab it. His fingers had barely brushed the box when he was slammed into, full force, by the creature. It knocked him through the water. he stopped face to face with the creature. It hissed, but the sound was muffled slightly by the water.

He needed to breath. So he quickly swam up to the surface. He gasped in fresh air. Sylvia and Liam were watching him. She called, asking if he was okay. He went to call back.

" I'm fi..." He was cut short as he was yanked back underwater. The creature had a hold of his leg and was dragging him down again. He bent down and punched the creature hard in the jaw. It squealed and let him go. He quickly reached down, grabbed the box, and started to try to swim to the surface again. The creature crashed into him again, but he managed to keep hold of the box. The creature was moving fast now, and delivered blows to his sides repeatedly. Every time he came close to the top of the pond, it dragged him back down again.

It was trying to drown him.

He couldn't swim and fight back and hold the box at the same time. His lungs were going to burst and pain started stinging through his chest. He couldn't breath. The creature managed to grab his shoulders and slam him on the rocks at the bottom of the pond. He struggled, but he was greatly weakened. The creature hissed in his face. Now he was really in trouble. He swallowed in water. In all his life, he had never considered drowning a likely way to die. It seemed to be some sort of pathetic irony. He gave up his struggle.

Two hands grabbed each side of the creatures head. They covered the narrow slits on its head. With out its gills, it couldn't breath either. It began to struggle, clawing at the hands, letting him go. He moved out from under the creature and saw the owner of the hands.

Sylvia.

She held on tightly to the creature despite its claws digging at her skin. She looked at him.

" Go!" She spoke in her head. He nodded, as much as he wanted to help her. He wouldn't be much use if he fainted from lack of air. So he pulled himself up and took in as much air as he could. Without a second glance to shore, he dived back down again. She was still holding the creatures gills, but it had stopped scratching at her. It was still alive, but barely. He waited for it to drown. But it seemed Sylvia had a different idea. She let it go. He swam next to her, ready for its next attack, but it never came. The creature looked at him, then at Sylvia, before it backed away into the dark water. He watched it go.

Holding the box in one hand, he swam up again with Sylvia in tow, until they both broke the surface. They dragged themselves back to shore and collapsed. He shut his eyes and caught his breath.

" Now I have to rest."

" Yeah. Me too. Now I know how you feel, Liam! Liam?" He sat up with her. Liam was gone. So were Sylvia's weapons and her jacket that she had left when she jumped in the pond. They stood up. She called Liam's name, each time, her voice got more hysterical.

" Liam?! Where is he?!" He found something. His book. 'Vampire Legands and Lore'. He opened it and saw writing on the blank first page.

' If you want to save him, go to the ferris wheel. Hurry, son.'

He showed the book to Sylvia. She read the note. She then closed the book and examined the front cover. She seemed to recognise something.

" What is it?"

" Nothing. Who wrote this?" He could tell there was more to it.

" Lord Graham, my father. He must have took Liam while we were in the water. Where do you recognise the book from?" She looked shocked.

" How did you..."

" Lucky guess. Now tell me."

" It's nothing!"

" Don't lie. You've been keeping a lot of things quiet, now I want answers. So where's the book from?" She stayed silent. She handed him back the book and started walking away. He could see her way of thinking. Apparently this silent treatment worked on Liam and he would always drop the subject. But it wasn't going to work on him. He followed her.

" That won't work on me, Sylvia. Tell me, now." No reply. He was getting annoyed now. He caught up to her and took her arm. In his head he could sense someone else watching them. This wasn't the best place to talk. He steered her towards a building on his right, pulling her in spite of her struggles. She was trying to get his hand off her, but she wasn't strong enough. He reached the door and pushed her inside, then closed the door after him. He flipped on a lightswitch next to the door.

Time to find out the truth.