Ancient Blood: The Fallen (8 page)

Dry! God I was dry! My tongue felt as if glued to the roof of my mouth, and though I'd been trying for the last several moments, I couldn’t even summon up a trace of spit. Then there was my throat, my poor miserable little throat, felt as if someone had dumped a pile of sand in it. I was in little doubt that if I'd been able to croak out a word, it would have emerged on a puff of dust.

To
add
to my misery, my head hurt as well, throbbing with a sort of floating, unreal sensation! I began groaning softly to myself about my woes when suddenly the episode at the park, Dante, and the resulting crash slammed into me, wiping any remaining lethargy clean and causing my eyes to pop open wide as fear shot throughout my system.

Jerking into a sitting position, I found it necessary to steady myself by laying my hands against the mattress. The room shifted and swayed around me for several minutes before the merry go round slowed, though it never completely ceased.

However, it did sufficiently alter to the point I felt comfortable enough in releasing my hands from their task of holding me upright.

Instead, they took on the job of searching out any further injuries upon my person. I came out utterly amazed after my examination, for though I'd been tossed around inside the cab of Dante's rotating pickup like a human Ping-Pong ball, the extent of my suffering seemed to be nothing more than stiff and sore muscles, as well of course, the headache and strange dizziness that plagued me.

Satisfied that I would live, I then did my best to focus my eyes. Though everything was somewhat imprecise as my eyes refused to focus completely, I had no problem seeing the sheet that lay crumpled around my legs.

With brows pulled tightly into a puzzled frown, as I didn't recall owning a sheet that color, I found my gaze jerking away from the pale lilac colored cloth to stare about the room again in utter disbelief as I whispered, “where the hell
am
I?”

The room, I found, was well furnished, containing all the accessories one would assume it should have.

A large dark dresser, a chair that looked plush and comfortable as it took up residence against a wall that was an off white in color, a small nut colored table sitting proudly nearby, but, nonetheless, all of it was totally, utterly foreign to me.

Pushing aside the sheet, I climbed off the mattress, then after only the slightest amount of hesitation, as the room swayed uncomfortably around me again, I stepped away from the bed.

Making my way unsteadily to the door, I again paused, reviewing the decor of the room. Then, with a shrug I reached for the knob and, after several failed attempts, as my wavering vision caused it to jump sporadically about each time I grabbed for it, I managed to grasp the knob within my hand and twist, only to find the blasted thing wouldn’t turn.

I gaped, my mouth working in a caricature of disbelief as I mouthed, “you have
got
to be kidding” totally floored that something as simple as the maintenance of a doorknob could have gone unattended in what was obviously a wealthy residence.               Muttering softly, I placed a foot against the door-frame, then gripping the knob with both hands, I jerked, quickly finding myself flying backwards through the air as my hands slipped off the knob.

Landing in a heap on the floor several feet away, I immediately slumped forward gripping my head within my hands, moaning out several vulgar expletives. Several moments passed before I was capable of doing anything other than sit frozen in place, afraid to move for fear that with the slightest of provocations my head would shatter into a thousand pieces, and tumble all about me like the pieces of a puzzle.

However, the pain eventually subsided to a dull roar, enough thankfully, that I was able to push off the floor, only to find the room swaying and tilting before it finally settled back in order, forcing me to suspect I was suffering the effects of a mild concussion.               Allowing several more minutes to pass I drew in a breath, then made  my way back over to the door. Though I dreaded the misery I was about to enforce upon myself, I began pounding on its hard surface, wincing with each blow of my fists, and praying the whole while that the torture I was enduring would be enough to catch someone’s attention.

Pausing when I'd tormented myself for as long as I possibly could, I listened to see if I'd aroused anyone's attention, only to feel frustration thrum through me at the fact that on the other side of the door, it remained still and silent.

Rubbing at the now tender outer edges of my hands, as well as closing my eyes at the moisture that sprung forth from the piercing throbs that shot through my head, I grimaced.

Finally reopening my eyes, I blinked away the tears and began my efforts all over again, however, for a much shorter duration, as the pounding in my head allowed for nothing else.

Placing my forehead against the smooth surface of the door, I slowly rolled the hot flesh against the coolness of the wood, pausing when I thought I picked up the soft fall of footsteps.

Turning my head so I could press my ear against the door, I listened as the quiet thud of the footfalls became more distinct, the steps growing closer to where I stood on the other side of the door.

Lifting my head, I renewed my efforts, calling out to the person, only to feel a sense of confusion as the steps wavered slightly in front of the door, then continued without stopping.

Hope slamming around my feet and feeling helpless, as I could do nothing to stop the onward moving figure, I screamed, “no!” “Oh God no, don’t go, please, please get me out of here, I can’t get the door to open from this side!”

I could hear the person falter and felt a renewal of my hopes as their steps slowed, before gradually returning, where they came to a stop near the door.              

Scrambling on to my knees, I flopped down on my stomach in an effort to peer through the small opening beneath the door.

“Hello…are you
there
” I cried, unable to see anything as my eyes were bouncing all over the place, after a few seconds I found myself pleading, “please, can you get me out, it seems there’s something wrong with the door knob, and it won't turn.”

Silence greeted me from the other side, placing doubt within my mind that I'd heard anyone at all. However, not giving up on my first belief completely, I turned on my side and shoved my face as close to the opening as I possibly could.

Then closing one eye, I peered out with the other, in hopes it would help me to see clearer.

I scoped the area before me as best I could, then, just when I was about ready to give up and admit I'd been wrong, that there wasn't anyone there after all, I spotted them.

Though my focus was off, I knew without a doubt I was seeing a pair of pale pink tennis shoes.

With a sigh of relief I cried, “oh thank
God
!”

The owner of the shoes took a small step back at my vocalization, as if realizing she'd been seen, and then turning took several more, giving me the impression she was preparing to flee.

“Wait! Oh please don’t go, I need your help,” I cried in alarm.

However, I’d no more uttered the words than I gasp in dismay for suddenly the woman's shoes disappeared as she fled back the way she'd come.

Laying my head against the wood of the door while I allowed my rotating world to slow, I found myself gazing at the doorknob.

Shaking my head in confusion I peered at the knob with my brows drawn, then blinking rapidly in hopes it would help them to focus a little more clearly, I stared nonplussed.

There wasn’t a lock on this side, which meant one thing, it was on the
other
side.

The truth hit me squarely in the face as to why I couldn't get the door open, and why the woman on the opposite side from which I stood had tried so hard to avoid me seeing her.

It was because she'd
had
no intention of helping me, in fact, no one was going to, for the knob wasn’t faulty as I'd believed, but rather, was intentionally locked from the other side to keep me within.

Sinking to my knees, I rolled into a tight ball, great gulping sobs escaping from between my lips as panic began to lay its siege upon me.

After a while though, the tears slowly dried and the questions set in, what could anyone possibly want of me?

I didn’t come from money, so it couldn’t be that they were holding me for ransom, so what…what else could
possibly
be gained by holding me here?

Why, I wondered? Why was this happening! I felt as if I’d fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole, nothing made sense, and as I lay there, my thoughts wondering, the thumping of my heart began to grate at my already distraught nerves as it increased the volume of the persistent headache that clung to my brain.

Finally, the sound of my own breathing became so harsh and loud in the absence of any other sound within the room, that I felt as though I were going insane.

Pushing from the floor, I began to pace, trudging around in my head for ideas, and though time passed, it did so tortuously slow while I paced, ranted, raved, begged, and pleaded.

Then I began to wonder how much time actually
had
passed, and if Arreon had realized I was missing yet, then when I thought for sure I was about to break from the solitude and uncertainty of the unknown, I heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock before the door swung open to reveal the figure of a woman.

Suddenly self preservation was my only thought, and raising my hands, prepared to claw my way to freedom if necessary, I flew at the woman, intent on running over, under, or through her if I had to, but one way or the other I was not being held captive within this room any longer!

In the next instant, I found myself lying on the carpet, staring up at the other woman. Bafflement clearly written across my features, and in shock at how fast she'd placed me there.

Confusedly I shook my head and tried to clear it of the persistent dizziness, then jerking unsteadily to my feet, I tucked in a shoulder and dove at the woman again.

However, before I was able to make contact, I found myself being grabbed by the hair and twisted around to where my back was against the woman, as grabbing my arm, she jerked it up behind me and muttered, “please stop that, I’m not going to hurt you!”

Hearing, but not trusting her words, I found myself summoning the only weapon at my disposal, only to be totally dismayed when it reared its unpredictable side as it sputtered and fizzed, unable to fully materialize, and I groaned, “aw hell, not
now
!”

The woman began to push me from the room, and into a dimly lit hallway, where she continued to silently move me ahead of her through the narrow passageway. Eventually we came to stand before another door, where I balked, and refused to take another a step, for some reason hesitant now to go any further, but the woman silently urged me onward with a nudge.

              I found myself taken through a large room that contained several people, and gazing around me, I felt my hopes soar. Surely here at least, there was one person that would be willing to help me!

However, as my eyes connected with one after the other of theirs, I felt my hopes plummet around my feet, for within their depths I read curiosity but no help.

Dropping my head, I reluctantly continued ahead of the woman as she pushed me across the room and through another doorway that led into yet, another room.

The new room however was vacant, and as we came to a stop before yet another door, the woman loosened her hold and came up beside me. Pushing the door in front of us open, she revealed a set of stairs that led downward.

Gesturing that I was to follow the stairs she murmured, “he’s expecting you” then abruptly turned, leaving me to stand, my feet planted and confused, as my mind grappled with the word he, as well as the fact that she truly believed I would do her bidding without question or protest, and go down those steps.

Turning, I glanced back to where the woman had disappeared through the doorway, debating what to do, what did she mean he was waiting for me? Who was waiting for me? And did she really think that I wouldn’t take this chance and try to escape? I was alone within the room, and no one would be the wiser until I was long gone!

However, something held me back…fear? No, I was too angry for that! In fact, it was more of a morbid curiosity to see just who
he
was than anything, for the woman couldn’t have said anything else that would have piqued my interest more, and forced upon me an almost obsessive compulsion to solve the puzzle.              

Throwing the smart thing to do to the side, and with a full head of anger I began stomping my way down the stairs, really unconcerned of what I would find below, for precaution had long since fled.

However, by the time I reached the bottom, my mouth hung open and I stared wide-eyed in amazement at the space around me, “my God” I breathed, my voice faint, for the stairs had led to an area that was moderately expansive, a cavern of sort, split into several spaces and design patterns.

Every section contained greenery, and shrubbery dotted about the place, veining plants stretching long ropy tendrils up the walls, reaching for the domed ceiling, while other sections of the cavern contained more of the greenery, plant life that wrapped tender loving arms around several large aquariums built into the walls.