The Vampire Slave [Complete]

Whatever It Takes

        "Unhand me!" I muffled against a man's hand. I kicked and squirmed, but I just didn't have the heart into it. Obviously my life wasn't in danger just yet, but to be careful I kept my knee in his gut. With a grunt, he finally put me down about a mile away from the farm house.

"Allow me to introduce myself.. Again," he cleared his throat and bowed to me, "My name is Dray Rune."

"Oh," I murmured, "I think.. My name is Shelby."

"I've come to take you home," He announced.

"Home?" I repeated.

'Where could home possibly be?'

"Hey!" I heard calls emitting from the end of the dirty trail.

'Home...'

Chester and Flint were sprinting towards us, and the man named Dray readied himself in a defensive stance. I looked back and Chester and Flint, much closer now, and saw something offbeat about their appearance.

'I like home.'

Like their characteristics were liquefying and pouring out onto their tracks as they ran.

'I want home.'

Chester and Flint were within twenty feet of us, and I feel a spring of emotions erupt within me, and the next thing I knew I only witnessed a searing colorless light. It was a color that no one could describe, a color that possibly didn't exist. It blinded me.

'I'm sorry, but I need HOME.' 

        That voice kept repeating the word "home" in my mind as if the word would bring something I had on the tip of my tongue to remember. The memory, unfortunately, would not budge. While I focused on this, the voice focused it's aim on Chester and Flint; their skins were peeled off completely and only remained these slimy dark creatures with rust brown hands and eyes. The voice changed from "home" to "Leech" within moments.

'Leeches?' 

        Leeches were hybrids of Vampires and Swamp Monsters, to which they were outrageously rejected within many villages due to the fact that they come in pairs of dangerous combinations; one feasts on a person's will, while the other feasts on their meat and innards.

"RUN!" A woman grabbed my shoulders, she had beautiful turquoise eyes and dark mocha skin. She shoved me towards a now injured Dray and the light was gone now. I must have blanked out for quite a while.

"Let's go," Dray grabbed my arm and we made a sprint out of the incomprehensible situation.

Days had possibly passed as Dray attempted to fill me in on my own life, from what he knew anyway.

"So I led a war?"

'Was I ruthless?'

"Yes."

"I have a husband?"

'Does he love me?'

"Yes."

"I killed you?"

'Why did you provoke me to?'

"Many people."

I sat still with the many many questions remaining, but all I asked was, "Why did I lose my memories?"

"You probably experienced something traumatic," He paused, "but knowing you, that could be anything."

Remaining silent for the remainder of the walk, I furrowed my brows in confusion.

'What if I'm actually someone I don't like?'

"I love you."

        I paused at those words, spoken from someone very familiar. Dray looked back at me but I hadn't noticed. This caused him to grunt and pick up my brooding figure. I was lost in though for what only felt like a few minutes but actually turned out much longer due to the fact that the sky was changing again. Looking up for the first time in a while, I witnessed a castle-like mansion approaching us and a few figures walking about the front entrance.

        At the sight of me, some gasped, some dropped heavy things, and some even screamed in what might have been delight. I couldn't tell.

'Do I look that terrible?'

Dray stopped at the entrance and put me down.

"Thank you," I grasped his forearm and led him inside.

        We stood within the entrance and waited patiently, more of what looked like workers gawked at the sight of me, so I stopped a woman and asked for the nearest bathroom. She looked faintly confused but pointed towards the bathroom door on my right. I thanked her and set off to fix my terrible appearance.

------------------------------------Nick's P.O.V.-----------------------------------------

"We've checked everywhere, Nick. I think you should rest for now," Silas tried to calm his friend's nerves.

"No," Nick shook his head stubbornly, "Not until she-" he cut himself off at the pessimistic thoughts overwhelming him.

        Just then a maid burst through the door with an incomprehensible expression plastered on her face. Nick could make out shock and disbelief. That was enough for him, for he stood and asked, "Yes? What happened?"

The maid tried to sputter out what she just witnessed while trying to catch her breath and the sight was pitiful, Nick shook his head and approached the frustrated maid, "Calm down. Tell me slowly."

"Dray.. Dray Rune- He's- He just- I mean- He's..." She took a breath, "He's back!"

"What?" Silas echoed Nick's thoughts and both of them nearly toppled the poor maid over trying to get downstairs.

        When they arrived, Dray had a large gash up his arm and across his chest. Nick's jaw clenched at the thought of Dray failing at returning Shelby. Silas's eye nearly welled up with tears that he had pushed back. Nick took a moment to look around to possibly see if Shelby were sitting on a chair or behind a couch. No such luck.

"Well?" Silas choked out. To be honest, neither of them were ready for the answer, but Dray remained impassive and silent.

        Nick's lip quivered at the realization. Wherever Shelby was, they'd never find her. They could succeed in decapitating the head of the man who had murdered her mother, but not being able to preset the gift to dear Shelby. Nick fell to his knees and closed his eyes. There were noises, many of them, but Nick tuned them out. He placed his hands on his face and rubbed his bearded face.

        Silas may have either sighed or gasped, Dray may have collapsed on the floor from his wounds like Nick had wished he would. Nick was devastated. He'd have to go through the many stages of grief again and-

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand on his own. He removed his hands from his face and looked up to see Shelby. She looked just as beautiful as she had before sh went missing. She smiled a worried smile and asked, "Sir, are you Nickolas? My husband?"