Awakening ~ Part 3

"Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?" -A Dream Within a Dream, Edgar Allen Poe

The tunnel they were in was pitch black. However, due to the alterations that he'd undergone, both before and after drinking Ashley's blood, the lack of light offered no hindrance. The bare concrete walls, like those of the cell in which he had awoken, were easily visible. It was as though Jude were peering through partially frosted glass. Becoming a...vampire had enhanced his eyesight, granting him some form of night vision. And unlike what he'd read about cats seeing or the eerie green cast that certain goggles projected, Jude saw in complete color.

The Master walked slightly ahead of him and to his left, floor length robe billowing as he moved. Such a horrid sight he made. Jude glanced a few times at his corpse like visage, noting the blue veins that snaked up the side of his pallid face and shaven head. He turned his gaze back to the corridor, examining it for any signs of weakness, but not before a disturbing thought crossed his mind.

Will I eventually look like that?

Although the walls of the corridor were devoid of any markings, not even so much as a crack, there was something that stood out. Every thirteen feet, on either side of the seven foot wide tunnel, a small square hole was carved into the concrete walls. Cells. Just like the one he'd left Ashley trapped inside. There must have been at least a dozen.

"It has many epithets," the Master stated suddenly as he and Jude turned a corner. "I call it the Change. Others have titled it the becoming, turning, rebirth, some even refer to it as possession; a rose by any other name. It is simply the act of taking a mortal and remaking them into an immortal; a blood drinker like you and I."

Just as he'd thought. A bunch of fancy, dressed up names for becoming a vampire. With that question answered, it occurred to him to ask  again about 'The Six' that his sire had mentioned earlier, but a steel door at the end of the hall caught his attention. Thoughts of what might lay beyond it filled his mind. Where exactly were they?

"Open it and step through," his sire ordered, pointing to the handle.

With more than a little trepidation, he complied. The door swung open, its hinges creaking loudly. Jude stepped through it only to find himself in a medium sized cavern. Uneven stone stretched out in front of him for at least a good hundred feet. The entire area appeared more or less ovular, with stalagmites and stalactites clustered near the edges of the cave closest to the walls. A few dotted the center area, but the ground had been mostly cleared of them.

The clear scent of water filled the air, mostly masking another unfamiliar odor. Tracking the source, Jude saw that off to his left, nearly forty feet from where he stood was a small waterfall pouring out from an opening in the cavern wall. It formed a shallow pool that bore a natural shelf which gave it the appearance of a tub. From there the constant flow of water had cut through the rock, snaking a path halfway around the perimeter before disappearing beneath more stone. He found that the sound that it made as it did so was very soothing.

"Move to the center," his sire said from behind him, accompanied by the sound of the closing door.

Jude glanced back at the elder vampire before doing as he was told. Though he bristled at being commanded, he knew it was best to obey and bide his time.

Near the middle of the cavern, a large stalagmite jutted up from the ground, slightly twisted and curling. It was both wider and taller than his short body, reminding him of some of the burly football players he'd known in school. As he reached the angry spike, Jude noticed that it served to partially conceal the opening of a pit. Peering over the mouth of the hole, he could see that it cut some fifteen feet through the rock, opening up into another cave.

The rustle of cloth dragged Jude's attention away from his discovery. Turning, he saw the Master was almost to him. A strange expression of excitement was on the creature's face, a look that instantly filled the young man with dread. Before he had even the slightest chance to react, the elder vampire's fist shot out, grasping his throat in a vice like grip. Shocked, Jude grabbed his sire's cold hand, trying to pry it off of him.

"Never will you attempt to destroy me," the monster intoned, eyes alight with that familiar red glow. "Never will you attempt to flee this place. Never will you drink from a fellow vampire as they drink from you. Within this hole you shall remain until I give you permission to depart from it."

Jude felt that familiar unseen presence crawl over his skin, forcing his spine to become ramrod straight. The Master's commands seeped into his body, down to the marrow of his bones, and he knew then that he was helpless to do anything but obey.

Then the vampire shoved him, pitching Jude over, causing him to plummet into the pit. Pain erupted from the back of his skull as it connected with the side of the rocky shoot. For a brief moment he saw only a fuzzy white outline in his field of vision. It faded fast, however, as other parts of his body came into contact with the jagged edges of the hole. The force of the fall caused Jude to crash heavily onto the hard stone below. Bones snapped but there wasn't even time for him to cry out as the momentum propelled him forward into a roll.

End over end his body tumbled. Seconds later he found himself sprawled out on the ground near the opening of another cave. Pain crisscrossed his entire body, numerous cuts and gashes making themselves known. His head pounded while his unhealed wrist and broken arm throbbed in quiet agony.
 
"Sonofabitch..." Jude muttered as he raised his head, taking in his new surroundings.

This cavern was much smaller than the one he'd just been in. At a glance it was only a few feet wider than he was tall and it stretched forward about three times that. Pushing himself to his feet and cradling his mangled left arm, Jude eyed the ceiling that was barely a foot or so above his head. For once he felt rather glad to be so short, but only just.

Movement just ahead caught his eye as the distorted, frosted window pane, night vision of his fluctuated. Nearly imperceptible footsteps preceded the figure of a young man inching towards the tunnel from an alcove slightly ahead on the right side of the cave. He wasn't much taller than Jude and was dressed in torn jeans, a gray AC/DC t-shirt, and a black hoodie. Dirty blond hair framed the boyish face of a teenager and eyes of a now familiar orange-red.

"Brother," instinct whispered in his mind as recognition swept over him.

Jude stood motionless as he stared at the blonde vampire that was his...kin. The creature seemed to recognize him for what he was as well, because it breathed in deeply, eyes widening in pain and whimpered. Shuddering, the boy reached out a trembling hand to Jude, an expression of hunger on his face.

He stepped back as he realized the vampire was reaching for the blood that oozed from his many wounds.

"Timothy," a low, feminine voice called. "Is that breakfast? Has the Master left food for us?"

A tall, dark haired woman in clothes as tattered as the boy's stepped into view, just behind the other vampire. Instant awareness of their shared condition washed over him at the sight of her. Jude was about to back even further away but paused as he realized that she was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Her face was exotic, like some mixture of Asian and middle eastern heritage, smooth and pale. Eyes the color of the sky at dawn widened ever so slightly when they met his. The woman took in a deep breath, only to pause halfway through with a shudder as orange-red bled over her eyes, completely smothering the blue.

"He smells so good," she whispered, trembling as the words passed her lips. "It seems the Master has given us another brother. And he's hurt too; so much blood...I..." Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes and turned away. Jude could see small, slender fangs poking past her lips as she panted. "M-Master must have b-been very a-angry with him."

Anxiety threaded through Jude as the woman leaned against the cavern wall, trembling with need. The male's gaze went back and forth between her and Jude several times, clearly at a loss for what to do. His instinct spoke to him again just as he felt his own hunger begin to rise, almost like theirs called to it.

"Thirst stirs within," it warned. "Calm their shadows or we will reign." 

His instinct's words were cryptic but something about them made sense. Though he didn't know how, Jude knew what he had to do.

"Hey," he called, trying to grab their attention. "Who are you?"

The blonde's head snapped around, pinning Jude with his gaze. Brows furled in confusion and pain, the vampire cocked its head and shuddered, before crouching and squeezing its arms against its stomach. "So hungry," he mewled, glancing back at the woman who was struggling with her own thirst.

"Who are you," Jude repeated. "Look at me. What are your names?"

"L-Lacey," the female said, shuddering. "I-I'm Lacey and t-that's T-Timothy."

"Alright. My name is Jude. Look at me Lacey. Focus on my face. You need to calm down; try to control the hunger."

"C-can't" she said. "It hurts. It h-hurts so much. I need...I need..."

"I know," Jude said, trying to sound confident and reassuring. "Fight it, Lacey. Push it down. Remember who you are."

Lacey turned towards him, her face a caricature of agony. Somehow though, she managed to smile. While he watched, blue began to bleed back into her eyes and those petite fangs of hers started receding. The sight filled Jude with hope because that meant the new hunger he'd unleashed on Ashley could be controlled.

A sudden snarl from the rear of the cave made that feeling disappear. Both Timothy and Lacey turned their heads towards the sound, eyes flashing red. A large figure emerged from what was clearly another chamber within the cavern. It was taller than the Master, broad shouldered, and male; another vampire. This one, however, had no humanity visible in its pale face. Hunger burned clearly in the fierce red glow of its eyes, eclipsing all else.

"Kin, brother, dangerous."  the voice of Jude's instinct said. "Shadow reigns."

"Hold him down," growled the newcomer as it came forward. "Master has sent me a meal."

"But Charles, the Master has forb-" Lacey began to say.

"Our sire's command was clear!" he roared, silencing her. "We aren't allowed to exchange blood at the same time. The Master said nothing about feeding on one another. Now hold him down!"

Lacey and Timothy turned to Jude, fear and regret on their faces, and he knew there would be no reasoning with them now. It was obvious that the big one, Charles, was in charge. They would do whatever he said.

"Fight," instinct urged him. "Or let us reign."

Those last words chilled Jude. Instinct had ruled him when he'd savaged Ashley. He had no intention of letting it control him now.

Timothy was the first to attack, lunging forward from his crouch. Jude dodged to the side, but then felt fingers curl tightly around his wounded arm. Pain lanced through him, sharp and lingering, as Lacey grasped his arm tightly, trying to force him to his knees. Jude hissed, fangs lengthening as his eyes began to glow red. He reached for Lacey with his good arm, intending to wrench her off of him, but Timothy was suddenly there, pulling him back. Their combined might dropped him down to one knee, the agony from his broken arm offering little choice.

"Let us reign," came the sibilant whisper of his dark instinct.

Jude shook his head in denial; he wouldn't give in.

With a twist of his body, he snapped his head toward Lacey, sinking his fangs into the flesh of her arm and yanking violently. She cried out in pain and recoiled, releasing him. Rising quickly, he snapped his foot out, catching her in the stomach, before throwing his weight into Timothy, slamming him against the cavern wall. The teenager hissed before driving his fist into Jude's face, momentarily stunning him.

"Let us reign."

Before he could recover, Lacey had a hold of his arm again, twisting it angrily. Jude once more dropped to his knee, the pain making him weak, as he fought not to cry out.

"Let us reign," the voice inside his head called again. "Let us reign."

Hunger surged within him as his wounds demanded blood to heal. Inside his mouth, fangs grew sharper and his gums began to ache. A burn started at the back of Jude's throat, working its way down to his stomach. Staring straight ahead, he saw Charles walking forward menacingly, with claws extended and his mouth open, fangs bared. Red began to overtake his vision.

"Let us reign! Let us reign!"

"No!" Jude snarled, silencing the taunting voice.

Fueled by his rage and the nearly overwhelming urge to feed, he lunged to his feet. Timothy and Lacey tried to keep him down, but they were weak with hunger. Even though he was injured, Jude was still full of Ashley's blood. And the pain of his broken arm only fed his fury.

With a powerful surge of enhanced strength, he yanked the blonde down, slamming his face into ground before reversing his movement and bashing him against the closest wall. Jude moved quickly as the stunned vampire relinquished its hold. He drove his fist into Lacey's face multiple times, jarring her into letting him go. Knowing things were far from over, he grasped her by the neck and launched her at the oncoming vampire. Wasting no time while she yelled in shock, Jude charged his new opponent as his fingernails lengthened into claws.

The larger vampire didn't step out of the way of the airborne Lacey.  Instead it swung its right arm, smashing into her body and sending her crashing to the ground where she remained still. In the time it took Charles to do that, Jude was on him, claws slashing upward and downward, carving deep furrows into his stomach and thigh. Roaring in pain, the creature swung its fist at Jude. He was barely able to duck in time, but retaliated with another slash of his claws that had the vampire's entrails slipping out. Before he could follow up that movement with another attack, his enemy's fist struck him solidly in the face.

Jude was lifted up off the ground and for a brief moment, he was airborne. The next thing he knew was agony and darkness.

A sharp pain at his throat drew him out of whatever void of unconsciousness he had been in. His eyes blinking open, Jude found to his horror and disgust, that Charles hovered over him, face against his neck, fangs buried in his flesh. Wet sucking sounds and the feeling of his strength draining away told him everything he needed to know.

"INDIGNITY!" screamed his instinct.

Too weak and wounded to fight back, Jude gave in.

Whoever or whatever you are, he thought. Get this b*****d off of me and make it pay!

As if that sentiment had unblocked a dam, Jude felt something unleashed within him. A familiar chill washed over and through him. That same cold, gnawing darkness from his nightmare surged within him, covering his vision in crimson and shadows. A sickly sense of strength and power filled his limbs, even as he felt his control wrested from him.

"WE REIGN!" boomed the voice inside his head.

Without conscious thought, Jude's good arm shot up, burying itself in his foe's chest. Wet, gooey warmth surrounding his hand as it closed around something large and throbbing. Fangs extracted themselves from his neck as Charles gasped in shock and pain. Of their own accord, Jude's legs kicked out at the same time his fist violently wrenched itself out of the vampire's chest, blood and bits of meat spraying out. The force of the kick launched him into the air where he hit the opposite wall and crashed to the ground.

Standing, Jude looked down to see that he held his enemy's still beating heart in his gore drenched palm. Hunger rose within and because Jude had no control left with which to resist, it overwhelmed him. He raised his hand to his lips, plunged his fangs into the bloody organ, and drank.

The taste was bittersweet, its flavor coppery with a strong hit of sugar. His eyes fluttered shut as he was swept up in euphoria. None of the drugs he'd ever taken before were anything like what he was experiencing. It was even better than what drinking Ashley's blood had done to him. Every cell within him seemed to come alive, electrified as the blood of the vampire spread to all corners of his body. Before he knew it, the liquid ecstasy was gone and he was sucking on a dry, dead organ.

And then Charles screamed.

Jude's gaze was drawn to the other vampire, where it lay propped up against the rocky wall, on the opposite side of the cave. As he watched, darkness dancing across his red vision, blood erupted from all over Charles' body, like small geysers. The dark fluids pooled around the writhing creature and then started to snake their way over the floor of the cavern, moving towards Jude. They flowed over his shoes, up his legs and chest, to the heart at his lips, causing it to beat once again.

"No," Charles muttered as he started dragging himself across ground. "Please don't."

Make you pay, Jude thought at the same instant his instinct hissed the words in his mind.

He bit into the heart again and drank deeply, guzzling the blood that was tearing itself free of his enemy. Charles screamed more and Jude watched as the vampire that had thought to make a meal out of him shriveled into nothing more than a husk. In moments, the organ was once again empty. Yet one last pull at the dead mass of muscle drew something else completely different from it.

For a brief moment, Jude saw himself as if he were a spectator. He stood, clothes torn and bloody, but entirely unharmed. The arm that was broken was completely healed. His eyes shone a fierce red, like the way his sire's had when he'd first met him. In his hand was the heart, pressed against his mouth. As he watched, glowing black mist flowed out of the organ and into his body. Then Jude was somehow no longer observing from the outside. His point of view changed and he was looking at Charles' mummified corpse from behind his own eyes.

Now that the heart was without any value, he retracted his fangs and held it in front of him. In a matter of seconds, it fell apart, becoming nothing more than dark ash. A moment later, the remains of the other vampire were ashes as well. Jude upended his hand.

"Well, well," a familiar voice said from the other end of the cavern.

Turning, Jude saw the Master standing at the cave's entrance, a mixed expression of interest, pride and anger on his pale face. At his feet cowered Lacey, Timothy and an unknown blonde girl. Those three looked terrified.

"It would seem that you live up to your namesake in every way. You really are your brother's keeper, Judas Cain."

The utterance of his first and middle name caused Jude to flinch. The dam once again became blocked and control returned to him. On its heels came regret and horror. He'd killed that other vampire, Charles; someone his instinct had recognized as a brother. Was he just like his namesake now?

Am I a murderer?

"Yes," his instinct answered him.

Except instead of one voice, there were now seven.

Author's Note