Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  Taking a step closer to the house, Joshua kept his eyes on the silhouette. Not many people would stand as straight as she was. Most had a slight slouch in their posture. Not her. She had either a rough childhood, or she had been taught to keep her back straight. It wasn't until she opened the window that he figured out who she was. Her long mulberry hair danced with the wind that rushed into the window. Joshua stood silently for a moment taking in the floral scent that came as she leaned closer out the window.

  She seemed lost in thought, as her gaze never left the horizon. Her heartbeat was slow but steady. As he gazed at her, a heavy feeling weighed on his mind. Something about her was different. Before he could process what it could be, he heard a strange, yet, loud noise coming from down the road. Adverting his gaze away from her, he quickly looked left. The air grew thick around him. Something was off. Bidding a silent farewell to the girl, he darted off to find the source of the sound.

  Finding his way to an alley tucked away between two apartment complexes, Joshua quietly hid in the shadows. Before him, stood a dark figure towering over two girls. One sat with her head hung low with her hair covering her face. The other sat with tears streaming down her face begging her friend to wake up. Her heartbeat was frantic and scared as much as she was. Whoever was standing in front of her, held her fear tightly.

  «Please wake up,» she cried.

  «She can't hear you, love,» the figure replied, «nor can she help you. No one is going to come to you. Now, listen well.»

  The figure crouched down and held the girl's chin tightly with this thumb and finger. For a moment, her eyes grew wide, and she wanted to scream. However, that instance of pure panic and fear disappeared the longer she gazed at him. As Joshua stayed hidden, he knew exactly what was happening.

  The girl's eyes grew dark as her body fell limp. It was as if he had frozen her with a single glance, which was exactly his intention. Vampires had a way of calming their prey, so they wouldn't make much noise as they sank their teeth in. Mostly, they wouldn't use that technique unless they absolutely needed to. Most would twist their words to sound more appealing to their victim in hopes they'd give in, or, while things would get heated, Vampires would tilt the neck and go in for the kill.

  Joshua felt slightly jealous of the vampire before him. Two meals in one night. The air filled with the aroma of crimson blood drove Joshua into a hunger so fierce, that if he didn't leave soon, he'd jump at the chance to finish off that poor girl. Leaning his back against the concrete wall behind him, he placed his hand on his forehead. The smell was getting too much for him. His thirst grew the more he heard her heartbeat slow and finally came to a halt.

  When he looked back to the girls, Joshua was surprised to find the vampire had vanished. A typical move they would do. Walking toward the two victims, Joshua crouched down and examined their bite marks. The holes in the neck were much larger than most vampire bites. Almost twice the size actually. Taking his finger, he traced along the fresh wound. Disappointment filled his mind when he found no leftover blood. Not that he was one for sloppy seconds, and was actually glad he didn't give in. He couldn't help but want to taste fresh blood again, instead of going to the bagged kind. Still, it was better than nothing.

  «Freeze!»

  For a moment, Joshua had let his guard down. For a moment, he had let his emotions get the better of him. And there was no mistaking what was behind him. The stagnant and musky air crept up to him, making him want to gag. Hunters scents were all the same. Filled with anger toward the supernatural world, and thirst for vengeance. Rising to his feet, Joshua kept his back toward his enemy.

  «End of the line for you, Vamp!»

  Vamp. A disgusting word that the Hunters used to shorten what he was. Joshua hated it. He had been called Vamp for years, as the rest of his kind. He wouldn't have taken long to rid himself of those creatures who dared insult him. However, his hunger made him weak. He didn't want to waste his energy on someone who wasn't worth his time. However, something nipped at him. The hunters' smell, though musky like the others, had an underlining scent that reminded him of another hunter from his past. Shaking his head, Joshua took his leave of the hunter.

  5

  «HELP ME!»

  «Ugh… Why did you let me drink so much?» Nikky groaned as she leaned closer to the toilet bowl.

  «You told me not to stop you,» Ruby replied as she leaned against the window sill.

  Nikky had finally sobered up enough to form full sentences that Ruby could comprehend. Although, it didn't take much for Ruby to understand her when she was drunk. Nikky was tough, no matter how you looked at her. However, she was vulnerable when she was drunk. Nikky cried out as she threw up whatever was in her system in the toilet, complaining each time that it was Ruby's fault. She should have stopped her halfway through their night. But she needed it too. She needed to feel something other than the anger that she had felt for her brother.

  However, with her rotten luck, Ruby had only walked away with a light buzz and a dull feeling of anger. She didn't understand why. She had gotten drunk months ago. Not that she recalled much of what happened that night. But the hangover the next day told her she had had one hell of a night. So why, after all those drinks, had she only gotten buzzed? As if her life wasn't confusing enough as it was.

  «When the hell did I eat that?» Nikky called.

  «There's a tall glass of water on the counter, Nik,» Ruby called back, «Mmake sure you drink the whole glass. And whatever you do, don't fall asleep in there.»

  «Har har,» Nikky replied, «you're funny. As if I'd sleep in here.»

  Little did Nikky know that she had, in fact, spent a night in Ruby's bathroom. It was the night of her 27th birthday. Ruby had taken her out to a party at the bar, Reid had helped organize. Nikky had gotten a little more wasted than she was now, and ended up passing out in the middle of Ruby's bathroom floor.

  Ruby smiled as she remembered how she stayed outside the bathroom, waiting for Nikky to emerge and crash on her couch. With the clocks thunderous ticking filling the room, Ruby had drifted off to sleep.

  Ruby hoped that Nikky would be smart enough this time to at least make an attempt to the couch. However, with her huddled over the toilet, Ruby was a little doubtful. Turning, she opened the window behind her. The rush of air that flew through the window was cool, unlike most summer nights. Even the city outside seemed quiet. Almost too quiet. However, it was early, or rather late.

  Leaning out of the window, Ruby felt her mind begin to wander. The questions began to surface with even more questions. As she gazed out to the buildings before her, she tried once more to piece together the puzzle of what was happening to her. All of the things that had happened, were happening for a reason. But what was the reason? And why? What was Kai hiding? And why had he shown up after so many years? They had to connect somehow.

  The stress that came with not knowing the full answer drove her mad. Kai had the answers. Maybe not all of them. But most of them. But why was he keeping her in the dark? Who was he trying to protect? Shaking her head, she tried to think of another reason why Kai would have shown up. Earlier that day, he had mentioned something about tracking down the vampire who killed their parents. Was that the real reason why he was here? To get revenge?

  Revenge was never something Ruby was interested in. Although, she understood where her brother was coming from. Growing up, she had felt the same way. She wanted the monster to pay. And stopped at nothing to make it happen. However, the older she got, the more she grew tired of being behind Kai. Their countless searches turned up nothing but more misinformation and more questions. Much like now. Ruby wondered just how sure Kai was.

  Letting out a breath, Ruby felt the weight of her thoughts grow heavier. Why was everything with her family so secretive and confusing?

  «Help me, please!»

  Ruby froze as she leaned back inside a little. The voice was small like it was coming from far away. And yet it sounded clear as day to her. Jol
ting her head back out the window, she looked in both directions. When she couldn't see anyone, she wondered if it had all been in her head. As she leaned herself back in, she felt a strong gust of wind blow from below her window. Looking down, she saw a piece of garbage twirl down to the cement sidewalk.

  «Weird,» Ruby said as she closed the window.

  «What is?» Nikky asked as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom.

  Nikky's face had returned to its colorful self, making Ruby feel slightly better. Shaking her head, she told her it was nothing to worry about. That she must have heard a cat chasing a mouse outside. Nikky didn't buy it, Ruby could tell by the doubtful look on her face. However, when Nikky rolled her eyes and walked over to Ruby's large white sofa.

  «Whatever,» Nikky replied as she sat down, «get some sleep, Ruby. You need it as much as I do.»

  «There's aspirin in the cupboard by the fridge,» Ruby stated, «if you wake up with a headache, take two of those with water. Sleep well.»

  «Hey Ruby,» Nikky said as Ruby headed up to her room.

  «Yes,» Ruby called.

  «Thanks for looking after me,» Nikky said softly, «I know I can be a handful when I'm drunk. And I must have made a fool out of myself in front of Reid. So thanks for you know. Not leaving my side.»

  «I'll always have your back Nikky,» Ruby replied, «you'll never be a burden to me. I love you, you know. You're like the sister I've always wanted. Now shut up and get some sleep.»

  As Ruby entered her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had called for help. The voice was so clear and yet seemed so far from her. She had thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her. After all of the stress that happened, she wasn't surprised to think she might be going crazy. However, it wouldn't be the craziest thing to happen.

  Tossing her white dress shirt to the floor, she turned to her full body mirror hanging behind her door. Her white tank sat just above her abdomen, revealing a large diagonal scar. Tracing her finger along the scar, she began to grow lost in thought. Her aunt and brother told her that the scar was just the outcome of a horrible car accident that left them as orphans. It didn't make any sense then, and it didn't make much sense now. The scar itself would have been too deep for anyone to survive. So how did she?

  «No use thinking about it now,» Ruby whispered to herself. «Kai won't tell you anything. He made that perfectly clear.»

  Stripping down to just her panties and tank top, Ruby crawled into her bed. The soft mattress welcomed her with a cool embrace that relaxed her muscles. She lay for a moment, mind full of thoughts and memories of her blurred past. Staring at the ceiling, she began to count the dots. It was something her doctor had told her. He said it would help her sleep. It helped a little. As she counted, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Slowly, she drifted to sleep.

  The room was dark, with only a sliver of light peeking through a crack in the blinds. The place felt familiar to her. Like she had been there before. Taking a breath, Ruby began to wander the long hallway. Through the small amount of light, she could see the walls were covered in black soot. Along the walls were outlines of doors and picture frames that seemed undamaged by the fire.

  Continuing down the hall, Ruby tried each door she passed. None would budge. Letting out a breath, she stood back for a moment to collect her mind. There was something about this house that called to her. There were secrets in there she needed to find. Shaking her head, she wandered down the hall.

  Again, each door she tried seemed to be locked from the inside. When she came to the last door, she was hesitant to try it. All of the others were locked, why would this one be any different? When she tried it, to her surprise, the door clicked open. Pushing the door open wide, she peered inside.

  The room was small but big enough for a small child. To one side of the room, there was a bed covered in black soot, next to it sat a small table with the remains of a book sitting on it. Opposite to where the bed was, there was a small dresser with a few of its drawers open. Ruby felt strange when she stepped inside. It felt as though the room had been hers at one time. She walked toward the dresser and stepped on a stuffed bear. Or at least what looked like a bear.

  Kneeling down, Ruby reached out for the bear. She was stunned when she picked it up. It still felt soft and new, even though it was covered in soot. Holding it close to her, she wondered if the little girl was missing it. She stood for a while studying the room, taking in each spec of ash, every placement of the things in the room. Whatever happened and whoever was in this house, left in a hurry. And for good measure.

  «HELP ME!»

  Ruby froze when she heard the scream. There was no doubt in her mind that the voice she heard belonged to Nikky. She recognized that scream anywhere. Darting out of the room, Ruby raced down the hall, hoping Nikky would be all right. Rounding the corner, she found herself at a large stairwell. Kneeling at the bottom of the steps was a girl, no older than five. Confused, Ruby cautiously stepped down. She swore the voice she heard was Nikky's.

  Reaching the foot of the stairs, Ruby waited to see what the girl would do. The girl sat motionlessly and made no sounds. A moment ago, she sounded so scared. Ruby felt her heart beating quickly in her chest. There was something very wrong with this picture. Taking a step back, Ruby glanced around for a way out. However, from what she saw, there was none.

  Her hunter instincts were on high alert as she waited patiently for the girl to move, or to do something. Just when she thought that maybe the girl was just nothing more than a doll, Ruby took a step to her left and let her guard down for a second. In that second, the girl lunged toward her so quickly that she appeared as a blur. Ruby cursed at herself as she fell to the ground. The small girl was stronger than she looked, as she sat weighing Ruby down.

  Ruby tried to wiggle herself free, but with no luck. As she gazed up to her opponent, her heart skipped. The girl was the spitting image of her when she was that age. The only difference was her eyes and the shiny white fangs that pierced through the girl's smile. Ruby felt in a trance as she held the girl's gaze. Never before had she seen a vampire's eyes like that. Her iris was crimson red, surrounded by nothing but blackness.

  Ruby shot out of bed full of sweat, body trembling with fear, and her heart racing a mile a minute. Throwing her blanket to the side, she rushed toward the bathroom. Running cold water over her face, Ruby tried to get a hold of her reality. Looking at her reflection, she saw the girl's face in a flash before it quickly vanished.

  «It was just a dream,» Ruby said, trying to convince herself that it was indeed just a dream.

  However, it had felt so real. The fear she had felt, the weight she had felt from that girl. Even that place seemed too real for her. Stepping out of the bathroom, Ruby dug through one of her dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of black tights and a black tank top. The only thing that she thought might help was an early morning run. Or at least that's what she hoped for.

  The run was something she definitely needed. The rush of the cool wind that brushed past her as she rounded the corner was refreshing. Even the smell of the nearby food vendors was refreshing for her. Her mind focused on one thing, keeping the pace up. However, as she ran through the park, she wondered if Nikky would be okay alone for a while.

  Ruby had left a note for her and made sure to mention that she could help herself to anything in her kitchen. Not knowing how long she was going to be gone, Ruby thought it would be best to let Nikky know she would be out for a little while. This way, Ruby could spend as much time out in the open air and clear her mind before facing her friend and the day ahead of her.

  As the hours passed, Ruby took a break and sat under a tree, letting the shade cool her down. However, with her break came the rush of thoughts once more. She couldn't escape it, no matter what she tried to do. They were always there. Lurking in the shadows. Leaning her head against the tree, she let out a breath. All she asked was for one moment without her mind spiraling into the void.

 
; «That looks like it hurt!»

  Snapping out of her thought, Ruby looked up to see a young man staring at her. She felt breathless as she gazed at him. His pale skin was smooth and accented by his dark dress shirt that a few buttons open, exposing a little bit of his chest. Her eyes trailed up his face and stopped as his fiery hair. She recognized him as the guy she had run into the other day. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ruby quickly glanced away.

  «What do you mean?» Ruby asked.

  As far as she knew, she wasn't injured in any way. Maybe it was how she was slouching against the tree. She stood to face him but found herself losing her thoughts once more as she gazed into his brown eyes.

  «That scar,» he replied, «it looks like it hurt.»

  Glancing down, Ruby realized she had her scar out for all to see. It was no wonder people had looked at her strangely. Letting out a breath, Ruby realized she had left her sweater sitting on her bed back home. Of all the things she had forgotten, it had to be that.

  «It doesn't hurt anymore,» Ruby said softly. «They say I was lucky to walk away with just a scar.»

  «Oh,» he replied, «what happened?»

  «My aunt, and frankly my entire family, said I was in a bad car accident with my parents,» Ruby stated, «the car rolled into the ditch and piece of the windshield cut me along my stomach. I was rushed to the hospital with my parents. They didn't make it.»

  «I'm sorry,» he said softly.

  Ruby paused for a moment. It was the first time in years she had told anyone that story. Hell, Nikky didn't even know about it. So why the hell did she tell a complete stranger? Looking back to him, she took a breath. There was something about him. Something that made her feel comfortable. What kind of person could make someone feel like that? As she pondered that thought, she felt her face grow warm. Her mind thought of what Nikky might say in this situation, «love at first sight». Shaking her head, Ruby tried to push the thought away. There was no way that was why she told him.