by V L Friends
I continued deeper into the woods, stepping off the trail, in the direction of the crying baby. The noise kept moving away from me, so I ended up tracking it for almost a half mile before I pushed through some dense trees into a clearing. I was not at all prepared for what I saw waiting for me. I was standing at the other end of the clearing about twenty yards away. At first, I thought it was a bear but as it slowly walked closer, I realized it more resembled a wolf, not like any wolf I had ever seen before. It was black and stood more than 5 feet tall on all fours. It was the biggest wolf I had ever seen. There was something about those eyes. It was showing its teeth and growled it’s words.
“I knew I could get you to follow me… you are so predictable,” I heard it say.
“Who… what?” I tried to speak but I was so stunned.
“You don’t recognize me? Perhaps I should come closer.”
As he stepped closer the realization caused me to step back suddenly. As I did I tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell backwards. Feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden, I began to continue pushing myself back. Those eyes! They were his!
Suddenly, I could no longer move, for he was laying on me but not crushing me, with his eyes boring into mine.
“So, did you miss me?” he said. That voice gave me the creeps.
There was this voice inside me telling me to be calm and treat him as the friend I remembered. If I treated him like my enemy I would not live through this. There was a part of me that was hoping to see my old friend, at least the one I thought I had.
“Leland? I can’t believe it’s you. Can I touch you?” I reached out to touch his furry head.
He let me pet him and then he backed up off of me as I sat up, smiling at him. His advancing aggression seemed to turn to greeting an old friend.
“How did this happen? You scared the heck out of me, by the way!” I still was sounding cheerful and non-threatening.
“Well, my dear, I am hooked. Once I find a friend, I am not willing to part with… Well let’s just say I am very focused,” he said with a grin that sent shivers down my spine.
“So you came here like this to find me?” I was getting a little creeped out by this devotion he was expressing. It was difficult for me to believe or understand him. I didn’t think he felt for anyone, much less me. I just didn’t know how to read him.
“Well, to find you, but I am afraid my part does not come in until a little later. I don’t get to keep you just yet.” He got up and started walking away. “You and I will see each other again soon though. Say hello to Louis for me.”
“Wait, where are you going? What do you mean, say hello to Louis?” This was confusing me. Why would he go to the trouble of luring me out here and then turn around and leave?
Just then four men stepped out of the bushes and grabbed me. One of them put a burlap bag over my head while the others tied my hands and feet and one threw me over his shoulder to carry me. I immediately began screaming for help.
“Stop screaming, or I will make you stop,” said one of them.
“What are you doing with me?” I screamed one last time.
“We are taking you to see our boss. He has need of your services.” They all began to laugh.
Though I couldn’t see anything, I could sense much with my hearing. The Louis mansion was where they brought me and I was taken down many stairs. It was cold and damp, so I knew it was probably a dungeon. I heard voices of others chained up. I could hear the chains rattling. They took me into a room and sat me down, untied me, but put chains around my ankle before they took off the hood. Then they were gone. I was alone in this dark place. The only light was from a very high, very small window.
I must have sat on the floor of this empty, dark room staring at the stone walls for hours before I heard footsteps and someone opened my cell door.
In walked a young man I had never seen before. He looked of Asian descent and wore a linen button-down shirt and leather pants with leather boots. He seemed to carry a confidence by the way he sauntered into the room.
“Hello,” he said.
When I did not respond, he merely continued.
“It seems there has been a mistake with your accommodations. I am sent to retrieve you. Please accept our apologies, Miss. You are our guest.” He reached out his hand.
I just sat staring at him. I didn’t buy anything he was saying. I know that I was taken here to be shown that if I did not do as Louis said, I would be back here, in this cell. This was a tactic of his negotiations, so to speak.
“Come, don’t be afraid,” he smirked. “I promise I won’t bite.”
When I took his hand, he gently pulled me to my feet and kissed my hand. He was smooth, I will admit, but who was he?
When he held out a key to unlock my shackles, he said, “You’re not going to give me any trouble, are you?”
I shook my head. While he was unlocking me, I decided to find out who he was.
“What is your job here?”
“Why do you ask?” he replied.
“Forgive me, but I have this curiosity to know who I am with.” I tried to sound soft and pleasant.
“My name is Kwong. I have many jobs but one is interrogator.”
“Are you going to kill me, Mr. Kwong?”
“Just Kwong. And no, I am not going to kill you and I am not going to torture you.” He gave me a sidelong look. “Well, not yet anyway. I am only here to take you to your room and get you ready to meet my boss for dinner. You do need to know, however, that if you mess with me, I am dangerous, so don’t.” He smiled and winked.
His demeanor was calm, polite, and soft-spoken. His lighthearted, graceful way about him put me at ease immediately, but somehow, I felt what was behind that dashing quick smile and wink was someone very deadly.
He offered his arm and we walked up many flights of dark stairs. He chatted the entire time about the architecture, and when we entered the main part of the house and then ascended to the other levels, he began to go on about the history of the place. He was well-versed in the arts and culture, that was for sure. There is one thing I will say for Louis; his people are very cultured. Kwong was a gentleman or knew how to act like one for sure. I paid little attention to his words, as I looked around, studying my surroundings. I was on alert but tried not to look like I was on the alert.
“I am afraid I have talked your ear off. Forgive me once again,” Kwong said and bowed.
“Of course, I am no expert on interrogation but isn’t the interrogator supposed to let the other person do most of the talking?” I said sarcastically.
He turned to me and smiled sweetly. “You are so right.”
“Here we are… your room.” He gestured for me to enter before him. This room was so elegant. I would have thought I was entering a bedroom of a queen, if I didn’t know better.
“I will draw you a bath,” he said as he disappeared into the giant bathroom. “I took the liberty of picking out some dresses. Choose one of these,” he said, as he was suddenly in the closet pulling out outfits.
The thought of making myself look beautiful for Louis made me feel queasy.
“I do not care what I wear… or how I look, for that matter.” I was sick of this game already.
I sat on the bed and he was quiet but walked over and stood over me. He was very serious all of a sudden. He had a commanding presence as he peered down at me. The softness in his expression was there but something deadly was beneath those eyes.
“I understand you must have many questions and may be frustrated with all of this but… my dear…” He put his finger to my chin and lifted my face up to meet his eyes. His touch was so gentle. “You will be respectful. Understand?”
When I nodded, he began to stroke my cheek lightly with his thumb, as he still held my chin.
“You and I are going to be very good friends,” he whispered. Is it weird that I felt a fondness for Kwong? Maybe this was supposed to throw me off guard.
After Kwong laid out my
clothes and brushed my hair he dismissed himself, saying he would be back to escort me in an hour.
The man who stood before me could not be the same Kwong. This one was dressed in the same clothes but wore a permanent scowl and there was something about his eyes that struck fear in me. He was cold, distant, and communicated with only a few harsh words, not to mention his rough hands yanked at me instead of the gentle ones I remembered.
“Who are you?” I demanded. “What have you done with Kwong?”
“I am Kwong!” He sneered at me. “Let’s go!” He snapped his fingers and signaled his thumb for me to go ahead of him but I did not move. “Look, pet, the man you saw earlier was my twin. We share the same body so we both go by Kwong. Now move it!”
“Huh, well, mean version of Kwong, I liked him better. Any chance I would get him to escort me instead of you?” I said, trying to hide the fact that I was incredibly freaked out at this news of them both being the same body. Isn’t this what you call schizophrenia? It was possible he was just messing with me, right?
He gave me a death glare that made me shiver and so I decided to comply with his demands and stepped forward.
“No, I guess not, then.”
-------
Kwong presented me to Louis a little while later. They exchanged some whispers before Kwong disappeared again and I had to wonder who would be returning. I guess they didn’t know that I had super hearing and actually heard them. Kwong was giving Louis a report on the condition of my body. He said I had no scars or abrasions except a faint one on my neck, which he thought looked like a bite mark. Well, at least I know why Kwong, the nice one, had insisted on dressing me. I must say it made for a very awkward moment, but he acted like it was an everyday occurrence. I admit that I felt a little more at ease now that I knew the reason he kept pulling my clothes away when I tried to cover up. It was good to know it was for information gathering and not some other perverted reason. He must have given mean Kwong a full report. Still, it was a little creepy that they wanted to know the condition of my body.
Louis then gave me his undivided attention. Not something I was looking forward to.
“Please, sit, Anaya,” he gestured. “It has been too long. I am so pleased to see you… I really have missed you my dear.”
Louis was wearing a black expensive-looking jacket and his honey-colored hair was a bit less tousled. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and I must say he looked more striking than ever. He stood up like a gentleman and sat down again at the head of the long elegantly decorated table after I took a seat on the side a few chairs away. I wanted to keep my distance.
“Well, Louis, that almost sounds sincere.” I was not going to pretend with him.
“You are angry with me.” He sounded surprised but gave a self-satisfied smile.
“You tried to make my father kill me and then you did your best to kill him! Are you out of your mind? You’re acting like you are surprised by my anger!”
“Anaya, you made me temporarily insane; please let bygones be bygones.”
“Temporarily insane!” I was losing my temper. He was crazy! I shook my head in disgust and tried to reign in my temper by taking it out on the napkin and silverware in front of me, as I slammed it around.
“You forced my hand! I could not let you get away with what you did… what you started!” His voice was rising now in defense. I had never seen him angry but I was sure it was only a matter of time before I saw who he really was. Not the calm, playful, lord he showed me most of the time.
“What’s changed? I am still the same person!” There was no turning back now; I might as well find out what he had planned for me.
“Come on… do you really not know how I feel about you?” He almost looked shy as he gestured and shrugged.
“Well… yes… yes… I think I do. I am pretty sure you think of me as one of those trophies you have on display in that god-awful room of yours. You aim to conquer and control… nothing more!”
“Perhaps I should have you killed and stuffed and placed there with my other trophies then?” he said now, very calm and with that same twinkle in his eyes.
“Well, at least it would be honest and you wouldn’t be pretending to love. At least you would be owning up to the crazy tyrant you really are then!”
“Hmmm.” He was smiling. “I have forgotten what a temper you have.” He got up and walked over to me. He reached out and stroked my hair. “You used to like me. Do you remember that night when you first kissed me?”
“You put a spell on me to do so.”
“No, the spell was only in effect after you kissed me. You had to have an attraction and a desire before.”
“You’re lying.” I was taken aback by that as I tried to shrug off his touch.
“You and I could make all of this fighting between us and our families go away. You could live here with me like a queen.”
“And I suppose you want to make me like you? A walker?” I said, continuing with my attitude.
“Why, yes, of course,” he said.
“What makes you think that I would even want that?” I said.
He continued stroking my hair back from my neck and I wanted to slap him away but held my cool. I would have to pretend he didn’t make me want to scream and run.
“Would it really be so bad to be here with me, worshiped and adored? To be shown affection and given everything you could ever want?” He was looking at me with those hungry eyes.
I wanted to let out a snort but exercised restraint.
These walkers sometimes were ruled so easily by their lust.
“Maybe you don’t want it now but I am convinced that in time you will agree to it,” he said confidently as he went back to sit at his chair on the other side of the long dining table.
“For now, shall we eat?” Dinner was served but I had lost my appetite. “By the way, how did you get that scar on your neck? Who drank from you?” He tried to sound as matter of fact. “Was it Julian?”
“No, it wasn’t,” I said shortly.
“But someone did drink from you?” He was pushing but trying to act like he didn’t really care.
“Why is that any of your business?” Here I go again. My rude mouth was going to get me in trouble, I just knew it.
We were quiet all through dinner then he suggested I retreat with him to his library. I tried to tell him I wanted to go to bed, but he dismissed my suggestion and pulled me to walk with him hand in hand.
For some reason Kwong had joined us in the library. I was not sure which one he was but I had a feeling I was about to find out.
“I have some questions I need you to answer,” said Louis as he sat in an elegant wingback chair and gestured for me to sit across from him.
“If I refuse to answer?” When I sat back I immediately tried to get back up but Kwong was standing behind me and grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back. It was clear that this was an interrogation.
“Who drank from you?” Louis insisted.
“None other than your special friend, Leland.” I saw no reason not tell him.
“I see… why did he do it?”
“I stabbed him in the leg and he said I owed him and he needed to heal quickly.”
“So you let him?”
“No, he forced himself on me.”
“Has anyone ever done that to you?” he asked next. The wrinkled forehead revealed that Louis was clearly upset.
“Nope.”
“Were you in relationship with him? Did he propose to you?”
“No on both accounts.”
He pulled out a small box. It was the ring that I kept in my jacket. Kwong must have gone through my pocket. My eyes widened.
“Who gave you this?” he asked.
“My fiancé.” Okay, so he wasn’t officially, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to say it.
“What is his name?” Louis snarled between his teeth.
“Sebastian Crane,” I said and Louis’s eyes seemed to light up with recognition.
“If he is your fiancé, then why aren’t you wearing his ring?” he asked.
“I wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet.”
“I see,” He seemed satisfied with my response.
“Where is your Uncle Caleb?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I am not sure at this moment,” I said with quick response.
“Did you find him?” he continued.
“Yes.”
“Where?” he insisted.
“If you don’t know then I am not obligated to tell you.” I was not sure why he was asking but I wasn’t going to tell him. He was fishing for something, no doubt.
