Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  The first thing that came to his mind, as he stepped into the void, was the odd smell of rain. It was fresh and inviting, nothing like the rain back in the city. The dampness of the water felt like small pins to his skin. Joshua stood for a moment, welcoming the relaxation that came with the sound of the rain.

  As the silence surrounded him, Joshua turned to survey the surroundings. He stood at the edge of a large field. Lush green grass stretched for miles, and at the other side stood small outlines of the forest. Everything looked peaceful. As Joshua took in the scenes, a calm breeze flew through the field, bringing with it a familiar scent.

  Roses.

  Closing his eyes, he let the scent take him. Soon, he could feel himself being drawn closer to it. He needed to find her. He wanted to be close to her once more. When he opened his eyes, he saw her. She stood in the middle of the field, twirling in place. She looked elegant in a long white dress that seemed more suited for summer. Still, as the white mesh fabric circled around her, Joshua felt mesmerized by her.

  As he watched her, he noticed tiny glimmers around her. The bodice of the dress looked as though it was studded with diamonds. Each one glistening with the small glow that peeked through the charcoal sky. Still, he continued to watch her.

  There was something about the way she moved so gracefully around. Her hair whipped around her face as she spun. And her smile stretched from ear to ear. She was enjoying herself. That was until Joshua felt a sudden shift in the air. He glanced quickly around him but saw nothing but the swaying trees.

  The wind picked up quickly, pushing him back a bit. When he looked back to see if Ruby was still there, he let out a breath. She was still there; only this time, she remained still. For a moment, Joshua felt the urge to run to her. To wrap her in his arms and take her somewhere safe. However, as he studied her, he noticed a slight change in her dress.

  Down at the hem of her snow-white dress and about up to her ankle, he noticed a black-like smoke crawling up her. It slithered slowly up her dress, making sure to cover everything in its darkness. When it reached her hips, the smoke rapidly covered her chest.

  Joshua waited for her to move, unsure if it was really Ruby standing there. He glanced down to her hands and noticed something dripping from her fingertips. He readied himself by positioning one foot behind him and raising his arms in the air. And with the strike of lighting, she moved.

  In a flash, she was inches from his face, her dark eyes locked onto him. In another flash, she struck him. Her nails sliced through his cheek as she tossed him to the ground. He had never felt a force as strong as hers.

  Ruby let out a breath as she stepped out of the Pub. Her head spun with a million things. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea leaving Nikky and Reid alone. Hell, she wasn't even sure if the note was intended for Nikky. What she knew was the attacks were random. Another thing she knew, was it wasn't her. Letting out another sigh, Ruby lifted her head to the sky. The grey clouds loomed overhead and threatened the city with a storm.

  She cursed at herself for letting her emotions get the better of her again. She was usually so strong-willed, nothing got to her. Although, given the blow she received, She wasn't sure of anything at the moment. Running her hand through her hair, she tried to process what she knew.

  She took a few steps and noticed someone's barefoot out of the corner of her eye. Thinking it was just a drunk passed out, Ruby decided to get him up. However, when she turned toward him, she was surprised to see Joshua sitting against the wall asleep. Her heart fluttered as she gazed at him.

  The more she stared at him, the more she realized he was only wearing grey sweatpants. Her face turned hot as her eyes fixated on his bare chest. She shook her head and tried to focus on the situation at hand. As she approached him, she noticed him twitch like he was having a nightmare, which made her wonder if vampires ever dreamed.

  She leaned closer to him. She could feel his icy skin even when she was inches from him. He looked somewhat peaceful, aside from the few twitches she had seen. She wanted nothing more than to lay beside him, wrapped in his arms.

  Startled, Ruby jerked back when she saw Joshua's eyes flash open. He held her gaze tightly with his, and she could feel her heart race with every second that passed.

  «Joshua?» she whispered, «what are you doing here?»

  «I wanted to see you,» he replied.

  Ruby felt her heart melt. Even with her being upset, he still made an effort to see her. Still, it didn't make up for what had happened. And no matter how much she wanted to break down and curl up in his presence, she needed to stay focused. Someone out there was killing innocent people, and their next target could be her best friend.

  «Joshua...» Ruby sighed

  «I know you're angry,» Joshua said as he rose to his feet.

  «Don't,» Ruby interjected, «I'm not angry. I'm frustrated. My family lied to me for years. I don't even know who I am anymore. And what's worse...Is that I could be a monster and not know it.»

  «You're not a monster, Ruby,» Joshua whispered, «you'll never be a monster.»

  «How can you be sure?» Ruby argued, «you gave me your blood. Vampire blood, may I remind you. I've seen things in my nightmares, that you claim are my memories, things that might make me believe that I am a monster. Not to mention the things I've seen in my own damn mirror...»

  Ruby paused for a moment; her heart raced against her chest. Her mouth had gone off on its own without her realizing it. And now, she feared it was too late to take back what she said. She hadn't told anyone about her encounter in the mirror. Of the girl in the mirror with the ghost-like skin and black-as-night eyes or the fact that she had seen the red in those eyes move like smoke. Even thinking about her now sent chills down her spine.

  «Ruby,» Joshua sighed.

  She could tell he knew she was hurting. Hell, she hurt seeing the worried look in his eyes. And maybe it was just his way of making amends for the past. Nonetheless, she was still left without pieces to the puzzle that was her life.

  «Ruby!»

  Hearing her brother's voice, Ruby clenched her eyes shut. He was the last person she wanted to see. And after she kicked him out, she was surprised that he would come and find her. It was bad enough, that she felt an argument with Joshua coming on, and now with Kai right behind her, she feared the worst was bound to happen. Unless she could get Kai to tell her the truth. She shook her head as if Kai would tell her anything. She was far better off with Joshua.

  «What do you want, Kai?» Ruby asked, annoyed with her brother's presence.

  Kai stood bent over with his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. The more he stood there, the more annoyed Ruby grew.

  «I need to talk to you,» Kai barked after he managed to catch his breath.

  «Yeah,» Ruby snapped, «and I don't. I thought I made myself clear last night. You didn't say shit. And now, it's too late. I'm done begging.»

  «It's not too late,» Kai begged, «please, Ruby. Let me explain. There are things you don't understand. I can protect you. You just need to trust me.»

  «Trust you,» Ruby barked, «like hell, I'll ever trust you again. Kai, you've lied to me for years. What makes you think that I'll trust you again. And protect me? Yeah right. You know damn well I don't need you for that. And it's not because Joshua is standing behind me, You know damn well, I can take care of myself.»

  Ruby took a moment to catch her breath. Her blood boiled with her anger. Kai had no right asking her to trust him after all he's done to her. She knew the moment he walked into her home, uninvited, that it was going to be messy. She wasn't expecting it to be this messy. And sure, maybe Kai was trying to make amends. It didn't change anything. Ruby resented him.

  «Ruby, please,» Kai begged, «just listen to me. You're in danger. You don't understand...»

  «Then make me!» Ruby shouted, «make me understand why you and Naomi lied to me. Why you turned your back on me when we were kids. Tell me, Kai!»

  Ruby's ang
er grew the longer Kai took to reply. She felt her body stiffen and grow heavy. Her heart steadied. However, she felt a burning sensation flow through her. If Kai opened his mouth, she was sure to explode. The world around her fell silent, and the only sound she could hear was the pulse of her bothers heart. In fact, she noticed he had turned to a shadow with red and blue veins pumping over him. As her breathing matched his pulse, Ruby felt an uncontrollable hunger wash over her. Taking a step toward him, Ruby felt a sudden pain in her neck. Slowly, her brother faded from view.

  «Joshua, I swear to god, if you hurt her...» Kai barked.

  «You'll what?» Joshua challenged, «I'll kill you before you could even think of touching me.»

  Joshua could feel Kai's burning glare as he placed one arm under her thighs and swept Ruby up in his arms.

  «She deserves to know the truth,» Joshua declared.

  «You weren't there,» Kai barked, «how could you possibly know?»

  «I know more than you know,» Joshua declared.

  Turning, Joshua carried Ruby away from Kai and the Pub. As he stepped out onto the street, he caught a glance of Reid staring out the window giving him a nod before leaving the view. Letting out a sigh, Joshua continued on his path to home. His excitement rose with the anticipation of what would happen next.

  THE END

  Thank you so much for reading my book!

  I really appreciated that you chose my book among the many great books about Vampires!

  Your feedback will help me to make improvements to this book, and to create even better ones in the future.

  I love to hear from my readers!

  Thanks in advance for your valuable help!

  Concy

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