One

             Kelly-Jo was finally at the top of the mountain, and then every last ray of hope was shattered.  Trees and dirt as far as the eye could see with danger lurking in the soon-to-be fading light.  There was no help.  She sank to the ground, not caring about her safety.  She pulled her exhausted knees to her chest, lowering her head onto them.  She allowed tears to run down her cheeks for the first time in much too long.  She had remained calm while David explained the entire ordeal to her and that she would, by herself, have to go to the top of this mountain, through the terrible monsters and find his clan, and stay with them, doubtfully safe.  And if she didn’t make it she would die.  Well, so far she was alive, but that was about it.  Gentle sobs stole through her body, moving her shoulders like she was being shaken from within.  What more could she do?  She was going to die alone with these creatures that were only thought to exist on her television screen.  Yet, here she was, being hunted by them.  She was the link, meaning life or eternal damnation for most of them.  Maybe David had lied to her all this time.  She’d believed in him so wholly that it probably was no feat at all for him to deceive her, to betray her to them.  He had led her up to this desolate mountaintop to be slaughtered.  She shouldn’t question him now, he’d never given her reason to, but she couldn’t help herself.  There was an artificial gust of wind she’d long ago become accustomed to.  It made her heart leap in memory; she suppressed her feelings as she raised her tear streaked face to see the most fathomless face, perfect in all respects, only contorted by confusion.  The lines smoothed on her snow-white skin, “Are you Kelly-Jo?”  She asked in a familiar accent that was one trait that set vampires apart from their human counterparts.  Her eyes were a deep hazel that you could lose yourself in.  Kelly-Jo nodded, looking down to see what exactly was so confusing about her other than her tear soaked cheeks.  Her shirt was gone, exposing a skin-tone bra that was splotched with black-brown mud.  Her jean shorts were ragged; scrapes lined her skin like tiger strips.  She honestly looked more animal than human.  “David informed me you would be arriving.”  The voice spoke lucidly.  David, the name caught in Kelly-Jo’s mind; his face, his smell, his touch, his taste. 

            “Who are you?” Kelly-Jo inquired, squinting up at the vampire, wondering if she could recall her name, he’d said a few here and there.

            “Does it matter?  We haven’t time for formalities.”  She raised her small, pointed chin toward the slight breeze and breathed in deeply.  Most humans would think she was just taking in the gorgeous day, but really this vampire was picking up scents from other monsters.  The perfect face looked over Kelly-Jo’s shoulder in alarm.  “Come here, quickly.”  She ordered softly.

            Kelly-Jo sprang to her tender feet, bolting toward the lovely creature, no longer caring if it was a trap.  She had to take her chances; it was her only hope at life.  They dissipated into the air, floating away in the wind currents. I made it, Kelly-Jo thought gaily.  They materialized in a mansion.  Feeling the weight of her limbs was shocking.  She stood for a moment, blinking like an idiot. 

Anastasia was already halfway across the room.  She looked behind her and raised her thin eyebrow to a sharp arch.  “Are you going to follow or are you trying to get yourself killed.  I mean, you made it this far, I would think you would at least seek to live.”

Kelly-Jo picked up her foot, and swung it forward, feeling gravity tugging apparently at her for one of the first times that she could remember. She wondered if this was how her first steps felt when she was a toddler.  She looked around, the room was immense.  How the hell had I missed this place?

“I’m Anastasia, by the bye.”  The voice was breezy now that Kelly-Jo was walking along behind her and they were out of immediate danger.  As she glided quickly ahead of Kelly-Jo, her flame red hair fanning out behind her like a sea of blood.  Kelly-Jo glanced around the seemingly vacant house, but you could feel the concealed eyes scrutinizing you from every angle.  It was unnerving, and her own footsteps made her heart squirm in her chest.

The interior décor had a fifteenth century vibe.  The furniture was a stiff, formal leather or velvet—real velvet.  There was a grand piano in the living room it looked like it must have been oak and marble fireplaces in every room.  Books overflowed the bookshelves that went to the high ceilings in most of the rooms.  Not only were the shelves full but the old books weren’t dusty.  A few paintings hung, they were usually of a family, looking straight at the painter.  They were very old, and probably the families of the rich vampires.  The floors were hardwood with Victorian or Persian rugs lain over them.  In the center of everything, a spiral staircase rose up from the floor.  Kelly-Jo appeared clumsy as her footfalls sounded when ahead of her Anastasia smoothly climbed the stairs noiselessly.  She gave Kelly-Jo a backward glance, which told her Anastasia wasn’t around humans enough to realize that they made so much noise, but she didn’t say anything.  She stopped at the third level walking down the long candle-lit hallway.  It was chilly in the dim house that would probably be totally dark if Kelly-Jo wasn’t there, seeing as vampires had fine-tuned night vision.  Anastasia pulled open a heavy door that groaned under its own weight.  Then she closed it sharply behind them.

“I presume,” the elegant creature said in her accented voice, “that you would appreciate a bath.”  She examined Kelly-Jo head to toe with hard eyes that said she was disgusted by the absolute lack of hygiene.  (Not that I could do anything about it, I just climbed a mountain to save a bunch of unappreciative a******s, well really David, but the a******s were part of the package.)

“Yeah.”  Kelly-Jo nodded, smiling to hide her downright anger that she felt swelling in her stomach.  She looked around, in awe of yet another room. 

Anastasia momentarily glanced around; trying to figure out what Kelly-Jo was so impressed by.  She shrugged her thin shoulders and began talking, “David is away, I am sure he explained that.  Just because you are here,” she paused to get Kelly-Jo’s wandering attention, “do not believe you are safe.”  Kelly-Jo looked at Anastasia full on now, her eyes widened.  “We are vampires—we eat human blood. That is that.  You will be safe until David gets back; I give you my word, because you mean existence for me.  But do not open the door, or the window.  And do not leave your room.  My promise of safety ends at your threshold or with your own, personal, stupidity.”  Well, one good thing about her, she was a straight shooter.  She pointed to another heavy door with a long, pale index finger that had a sharp fingernail at the end, “That is your bedroom, you can open that door.  David will be back within the week, keep your doors locked.  He and I are the only ones that can get in.  We are the only ones who can be trusted with a human soul.”  She stood mere inches from Kelly-Jo for this statement, as if proving her point.  Her breath cascaded around Kelly-Jo’s throat.  Then, she raised her head, looking directly into Kelly-Jo’s eyes, “I do not approve of this, but I will protect you.  I am neither your friend nor your enemy.  I think you are very unwise to become involved in this cause and I wonder if David truly explained it to you, actually, I am quite sure he did not.  I will only save you because you are returning the favor.  Remember,” she said, her mouth pulled taunt and grim, as she stepped into the hallway, “keep your doors closed.”

Kelly-Jo felt quite alone.  Anastasia was a b***h and the rest were blood-thirsty, while David was far away.  She was alone in these handsome, oversized rooms.  She stood in front of the grandeur mirror that was surrounded by a gold frame (real, no doubt).  She saw the thick, offensive dirt that covered her when she peered into it.  Maybe she had judged Anastasia too quickly, but in the end she turned out to be one even so.  She saw a piece of paper on the granite counter she walked over to it, and picked it up.  It was in David’s handwriting.

My Dearest Kelly-Jo,

You will find provisions in the one dresser, and clothing in the other.  I personally selected a variety of books for you; I know you will be very bored until my return.   I promise the time will not be as long as it seems.  I will explain this all much more clearly when I come back.  I miss you, and am glad you made it safely, although I knew you would.  You are a very strong person.

        Love,

       David

 

Roses and candles lined the bathroom shelves.  The bathtub was full of warm water with rose petals drifting serenely on the water’s surface.  First, she brushed out her hair, twigs and leaves fell to her feet on the immaculate floor as she untangled the knots in her hair.  She was careful not to rip any scabs open, so her door wasn’t opened by force.  She undid her shorts and wiggled out of them, taking the key out of her pocket.  It looked ordinary enough, but it was sacred.  She placed it on the counter, it clinked, metal against rock.  Then, she took off her undergarments and lowered her overwrought self into the deep purple tub.  Grit and grime lifted off her skin, sullying the clear water.  She washed, but dared not shave lest she cut herself.  Anastasia promised her protection, but David was the only one she trusted; Anastasia threw around her power in a bullying fashion.  She was one of the elite since she could refrain from human blood and go into the light, her word was nothing she took or gave lightly, but Kelly-Jo still knew that if she pissed her off, Anastasia would hesitate in coming to her aid.  Kelly-Jo let the water and dirt drain from the tub; it swirled around, as always, reminding her of a hurricane.

She wrung out her hair and got a fat body towel to wrap herself in.  The air in the bathroom was thick and steamy.  It hung heavily around her, giving her a claustrophobic feeling.  She ran a comb through her hair, the waves straightened stiffly.  Of course, she thought cynically, naturally beautiful creatures wouldn’t keep some mousse on hand.  She picked up the key, reminding herself why she was here.  Its sheen had dulled with its ancient age a silky crimson tassel hung off the end flaccidly.  She knew little about the key other than David insisted that is was, by far, the most important thing in any undead creature’s life, erm…whatever.

She jumped almost four feet in the air and gasped at the sound of knocking.  She stood, shaking faintly, clutching her chest.  She hadn’t heard the approaching footsteps.  “Who is it?” she asked her stomach still in her throat.  Maybe it was Anastasia, she would knock before entering, right?

“It’s Benjamin,” a deep male voice called. “Who are you?”

She bit her lip gently debating whether or not to answer.  “Kelly-Jo.”

“Hmph,” he grunted, Kelly-Jo was stiff with fear.  She had never been afraid of David, even with Anastasia she’d only been wary, but in this vampire, she could feel his explicate need for her blood.  “Why don’t you open up so I can see your pretty little face?”

She resisted laughing as she rolled her eyes.  Obviously he frequented clubs if he thought that line was going to work on her.  She picked up the comb and the key as she lightly padded to her bedroom door.  She heard Benjamin trying the lock and then cursing in another language when it held its ground.  She eased the massive bedroom door open with only a slight creak.  Benjamin seemed to have moved on since she wasn’t opening the door for him but he could’ve been prowling not far from her door waiting for her to exit the bathroom.

As the door swung open revealing her accommodations her jaw dropped.  It was painted a warm, rusty orange color.  All the furniture and woodwork were done in brilliant mahogany, not to mention the size of the room.  In the far corner was located an unused marble fireplace.  A bookcase stood to right of the fireplace filled with books.  The window on the side wall was large and covered by a thick curtain.  Closer to her was a king size bed with a canopy, the comforter was made of fine damask that was creamy with pinks and oranges in it.  Near the bed was an elegant desk with a studded brown leather chair that looked as comfortable as it was expensive.  The floor, like the others, was hardwood, but a thick rug mostly covered it, keeping her toes from freezing, apparently the undead don’t require heat.  There was a vanity to the side of the window.  Lining both sides of the door that lead to the bathroom were dressers that reached to the ceiling.  A chandelier with candles, opposed to lights, lit the room, along with a few candles on the vanity, mantel, and desk.

She turned to the dressers hoping David knew her size.  She pulled out a pair of navy, cotton short shorts and a white tee, along with undergarments, even slippers!  She really needed food though, it had been almost a full day from when she had last eaten and she had surely exercised plenty.  She opened the other dresser.  There she found everything she could ever need or want (like her iPod and mousse.) As usual, she was amazed at how well David had memorized her.  Perhaps vampires had an advanced brain capacity, as well.

Author's Note

tell it how it is, thanks for reading
=D:
zA~

Reviews

[Kady x Babe]

It was a very well-done chapter. There are a few parts that confuse the reader.

If you could possibly take the reader a little deeper the first chapter it would grasp
much quicker. But this is completely your call, and I'll continue to read it anyways. :]

[Nazarea]

Interesting...and confusing. I'll give you a few more chapters before I start harping on that though. Good story, great portryal of Annastasia...good work. Maybe give more indepth descriptions, but thats your call.
N~