Shadows

Lost

 I was in darkness and seeking an answer, seeking something that would help me yet I didn’t know what for. I found that I had hands in this darkness and began to wade my way through it. Barely able to see and hear I realised that I was lost.

  Suddenly there was a bright flash of red and I came face to face with what looked like… Me! It had the same appearance me… this doppelganger. However I noted some differences, such as I was paler, my body was thinner, lips were painted black and the eye-shadow I wore really brought out my eyes, to me this version of myself was truly beautiful. The other me smiled and I saw two pointy little fangs.
“Who are you!?” I found myself screaming
“Why I am you” she croaked in return
“You cannot be me… I am me!” my doppelganger laughed in a screech
“I am, just the other side that has remained dormant until now” she took a step towards me as I recoiled and turned away, this could not be me… could it? “Don’t be afraid little Vicki” she touched my shoulder “It is time to accept who you are if you want any chance of surviving the slaughter”
“Slaughter?” I asked her as I spun around, my face reflecting my confusion
“Yes, you were just attacked by a vampire”
“I was?” she sighed at me “What?”
“Time is running out Vicki” her face hardened “If you don’t understand and accept who you really are then you have no hope. They tried to erase this side of you” she began to walk around me, tutting and scowling under her breath “But they don’t understand. I doubt humans ever will”
“You’re not making much sense”
“You are on the brink of death Vicki! If you don’t wake up soon then you never will” she grabbed my shoulders and began to shake them “Accept me! Accept who you really are! The barriers are broke and it’s time to rise!”
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” I screamed at her as I grabbed her shoulders.

  She stopped shaking me and released my arms, I mirroring her actions soon thought it best to sit down. She folded her arms and looked at me as though I were nothing but a child.
“What did they do?” I asked, patting the ground next to me. She sighed and sat down.
“They brainwashed you”
“Who did?”
“The hunters” my stomach clenched, something about that word brought unease “Your foster parents knew all about them, told them they wanted to raise you as a human and used there… methods to brainwash you”
“What methods?”
“Try to remember Vicki” I shook my head, unable to recall even the slightest thing. Becoming ever more pissed off by the second she clicked her fingers and a flash of white blinded me, causing me to close my eyes and shudder.

  When I opened my eyes once more I was in a large room that resembled a doctor’s office.  I glanced around to see if anyone was there and even found myself panic at the fact there was no one. I knew that I was on a chair but no matter how much I wanted to get down I found that I had very little strength to do so. I moved my arm and almost screamed when I saw how tiny it was… it was a child’s arm! Voices began to make their way to the room I was situated in, would I be in trouble?
“As I was saying Doctor, we don’t know what to do with the child” a female spoke
“Well then let me take a look at her” a deep man’s voice returned. Not a minute later there was a middle aged man in my face, staring and looking rather puzzled. I felt my brow crease so I knew I was frowning, but the man just smiled at me and began making silly little noises. The noises made me giggle and beam at him “Ahh, I see what you mean about the teeth… quite sharp aren’t they?” he asked to whoever else was there as he ran a finger over them, by doing so he cut his finger and the smell of blood entered my nose. I began to scream for it, reaching out and dying to taste that which was spilled.

  There was another flash and I was in another room, this time I recognised it as a psychiatrist’s room. I was still like a child and curious as ever. There was a man in front of me, speaking about things that I didn’t entirely understand or maybe it was because I wasn’t paying much attention. But this man seemed very untrustworthy and shifty to me. I didn’t like him one bit.
“So your child craves blood then?” the man asked
“Yes that’s right” another man answered who sat next to me
“Well you have come to the right place. I will ask you to leave at some point as this could get messy”
“I don’t want her harmed! We want to raise her as our own!” a woman screeched, it seemed to disappoint the man sat in front but he nodded solemnly before grabbing a bottle and watch from his pockets.
“Fine, I guess that means I’ll have to brainwash the little Ba... I mean the little tyke” he leaned forward on his chair, cleared his throat and reached over. His hands were too hot and I didn’t like him, so I turned my head and bit his hand, he yelped out in pain which only made me laugh. The man swore at me but just before anything happened there was a flash and I was once more facing my doppelganger.

“Enjoy the trip down memory lane” I shook my head “It’s not pleasant I know, but what he did was he tilted the watch back and forth in front of you whilst dripping blood on your head. Saying it was dirty, unclean etc. etc. You know the rest. Also the first man you saw… filed your teeth down” she shivered and scowled under her breath at the memory.
“What happens now?” I asked her
“Give me your hand” I complied “Now then, you have to swear that you will never deny who you really are. You must accept Vicki. Only then will you be able help them. They need you” she tilted her head down “Dante needs you”
“Dante” I repeated, squeezing her hand
“Yes, Dante. The dark being who you are in love with, he has given himself completely to you. You make him feel again Vicki” my hand began to burn and I cringed “You have to wake up now. Once you do, accept who you are. Do not run or hide. Just accept it Vicki” she gave me a weak smile before grabbing my other hand
“What will happen when I wake up?”
“All your senses shall be heightened, your teeth will be sharper and you may even crave blood. The barriers that they put up are crumbling fast. Wake up!”  Slowly she began to fade out and blur the clouds of smoke that surrounded us were now covering and shielding me once more. She mouthed goodbye to me before she too, disappeared into the dark.

  The muffled sounds of voices around me soon began to clear, I could feel that my one hand was pinned by something but I dared not to move it yet and listen to those around me which I recognised as Dante and Armand.
“It’s been five days son, why don’t you go for a hunt? You must be thirsty?”
“I will not leave her side. Not whilst there is still hope. My thirst can wait”
“She may not awaken”
“Don’t say that!”
“You saw how much blood she lost! It would be a miracle if she were to awaken!”
“You saw too, yet you let that bitch roam free without punishment!” enough was enough, I tugged on my hand. They both gasped and I made a small moan. Slowly I opened my eyes, cringing as I realised how bright the room was.
“Dante?” I croaked
“Right here” he breathed, he sounded so weak. One look at him was enough to agree with Armand, he looked starved and unwell. He most definitely needed to hunt.
“Child, how are you feeling?” Armand inquired
“Shitty” was all that I could manage to say. My neck was in dire pain and it hurt to breathe too... she really did a number on me. Armand however, laughed at my choice of words before heading out the door.
“I’m so sorry” I turned to face Dante who looked close to tears “I should have never left you alone”
“Y-You weren’t to know”
“But”
“But nothing. I had a little mind trip anyway”
“What?”

  I told him about my little ‘trip’ in my mind. The only details I didn’t tell him were about my feelings for him. He laughed at first, but upon seeing my serious and ‘non joking matter’ expression he soon stopped.
“You can’t be serious”
“I am”
“But how is that even possible?”
“How is any of this possible” I chuckled to myself, my doppelganger was right. It was time to wake up and smell the sunshine, things were going to change. Big time.