3

I opened my eyes to find that I wasn’t in my room safe with my light anymore. I was standing in the middle of a hallway I’d never seen, and it was nearly black all around me. I let out a small cry and tried to walk forward, only to trip over something that I couldn’t see. I sprawled out on the floor and lost it. I crept over against the wall and started to cry.

      I’d been terrified of the dark since I was small, absolutely terrified. My parents had to take me out of kindergarten because every time they’d turn out the lights for “nap time” I’d scream and cry until I was brought back into the light. No one could explain it, so until he was gone, my dad left lights on all over the house, never sure where I was going to end up because I also walked in my sleep.

      All of a sudden I heard a door open somewhere near me, and an eerie red light came spilling into the hallway. My eyes were immediately drawn to it, colored or not it wasn’t dark.

      “What’s wrong with you?” The voice was male, and it sounded grumpy. I looked up at him, his hair looked brown and a pair of dark eyes glared at me in the blood-colored light. I pulled myself up, wiping at my eyes with the heels of my hands, suddenly feeling rather stupid, I was 21 and sobbing like a child because it was dark. I moved towards him, hand held out to shake,

      “I’m Lenora Jacobs, Cobie just found me last night.. tonight? Sometime in the last 24 hours, I think.” He looked down at my hand with such distaste that I lowered it.

      “May I ask why the hell you’re making so much noise outside my door?”

      “Sorry about that, it’s a phobia I’ve suffered from since…”

      “I did not actually expect an answer Miss. Jacobs; can you just take the water works away from my area?” by now, I was starting to get more then a little pissed of at Mr. grumpy-voice.

      “Honestly I would if I knew the way back to my room, thank you.”

      “Go back the way you came.” That condescending tone was really starting to get to me.

      “If it was that simple I would have tried already, but I’m not actually sure which…”

      “Lenora? Are you alright?” Dorian’s voice broke through my tongue lashing of Mr. Haughty-a*s loser.

      “Yes, I’m just fine.” I couldn’t help noticing that his eyes were glowing in the near pitch black. “How did you know where I was?” Korine came up from behind him, looking slightly disheveled and annoyed. Dorian opened his mouth to explain until the other man jumped in,

      “That’s none of your business. Let your vampire explain these things to you. It’s not our job.”

      “James, stop being an a*s.” Dorian said, sounding tired as if he’d said this more times then he cared to admit. Korine put one of her long fingered hands on Dorian’s arm, bright red nails changing to the color of blood in the red light spilling from James’ room.

      “Dorian my dear, I think he might be right. Why should we stand here explaining things to her in the middle of the night, when she’ll be spending the rest of her life with her own vampire as soon as we find him?” Dorian sighed deeply,

      “Because my sweet, there’s something else about her that we haven’t learned yet. So please calm down. James is it safe for us to come in and turn on a real light instead of that god-forsaken red thing?” He nodded unhappily, flicking the lights on. Dorian sat in one of the chairs, gesturing to me to do the same. I clutched my arms against my chest a little nervously, my eyes darting around the room, "Please, sit." I nodded softly and almost stumbled into an overstuffed chair.

      "I was dreaming."

      "Huh?" I frowned and looked away, picking at the fraying threads of my dress.

      "I was dreaming and when I finally came to, I was outside the door."

      "What were you dreaming of, dear?" I pushed the threads away, sighing slightly. Only now did I meet his eyes. And I swear I saw a hint of recognition in Dorian’s gaze.

      "I was in a ball gown, in a room full of beautiful people. You were there. And a woman too. She kissed my cheek and then went to dance with a dark haired man. I was walking towards you, but people kept getting in my way. The gown was so heavy, there were pearls and things in it and I was covered in heavy gold jewelry. Finally I reached you and you pulled me into your arms, only it wasn't my name you said." Dorian glanced sharply at James, but he showed no interest. Korine sighed, bored.

      "Dorian, she doesn't know what she's talking about. She's just making things up." I glared heatedly at her.

      "Whose name did I use?" Dorian broke in, I frowned and looked at my feet trying to remember around my anger at not being believed.

      "You called me Abril." A shocked silence filled the room.

 

      I looked around at everyone, terribly confused, Korine looked like she was about to choke on her own fury, James looked a little worried, and Dorian looked as though I were a ghost.

      “What is it? What did I say?” again Dorian started to speak, but lost his words. Korine searched the look on his face and shot dagger sharp glares at me.

      “Dorian you can’t listen to her! There’s no way that she knows what she’s talking about! Abril is dead! I’m your Companion! I will not be replaced by a delusional little girl!!” I stood up here, my own temper flaring dangerously.

      “Listen here b***h! I’m not delusional by any stretch of the imagination. And I sure as hell will not sit here and be discounted as a liar by someone who’s hated me since she laid eyes on me. So back the f**k off!” Korine came to her feet with a sort of screech,

      “How dare you talk to me that way? You come here, hurt my Vampire and you demand I leave you alone? Your very presents sends needles of pain through his heart! I want you out of here! OUT!”

      “GLADLY!” I screamed back, I whirled around and started for the door, only to find a pair of leather gloved hands pressing themselves into the front of my shoulders, hindering my process. James was standing in front of me, not allowing me to leave the room.

      “Lenora, please stay.” Dorian’s voice was soft against the backdrop of Korine’s aggravated shrieks. I didn’t even turn to face him; I vaguely glared in the direction of James’ chest which was the only thing I could really see.

      “Why? It’s obvious no one wants me here.”

      “I do. Baby does, as does Cobie.”

      “And I don’t care either way.” It almost seemed like James was trying to be helpful, failing, but trying.

      “But apparently the ‘very sight of me sends needles of pain though your heart’ why do you want that?” Dorian sighed wearily. Damn… I hate that sigh… I turned to find Dorian’s head in his hands, biting the inside of my lip hard I rushed back and landed on my knees in front of him. “Do I really hurt you Dorian? I never meant to. I’m sorry, you’ve been nothing but kind to me and I don’t want to leave.” Dorian looked up at me; he gave me a weak smile and cupped one of my cheeks in his hand,

      “No, child, you don’t hurt me. The one you look like, the one you were born from did. I don’t want you to leave either.” I gave him a confused look,

      “I don’t look anything like my mother… how did she hurt you?” Dorian laughed, James did too for that matter, Korine just looked at me as if I were dumber then dirt.

      “Not your mother my dear, my Abril hurt me.”

      “What does she haffta do with me?”

      “You see child, some rare Companions once lived as vampires, a reincarnation of sorts, and when they’re again born they take on many of the previous vampire’s traits and mannerisms and usually are the spitting image of the vampire they took the place of. You’re terrified of the dark are you not?” I nodded sheepishly, still trying to comprehend what he was telling me. “When she was alive, my Abril had been trapped in a landslide while she’d been playing on a hill one day. Trapped in the pitch black for three days, half dead by the time they got her out. Even after she became what she was, she still surrounded herself with candles and bright colors. Even crying out for me whenever she was in darkness.” I dreaded the answer, but I asked my question anyway.

      “What happened to her?” Dorian looked stricken but answered,

      “A few years after I discovered Korine as my Companion… she dressed herself in her favorite gown, the one you described wearing tonight, and set herself aflame… She tried to explain her reasoning that this more modern world troubled her and she hadn’t been feeling herself for years…”

      “How old was Abril?” I asked suddenly, trying to ignore the tears swimming in Dorian’s eyes,

      “145, what of it?”

      “No... I mean when she became a vampire. When she died.”

      “Seventeen.” I gave a bitter laugh, it all made sense now, yet it sounded so terribly stupid,  

      “Emotionally I died the night I turned seventeen, and I’ve basically felt nothing until I woke up in this house tonight.” Dorian looked at me sadly,

      “That’s why you asked if I was going to make you leave.” I nodded, my tears mirroring his as they threatened to overflow. Damnit, why did he hafta be tearing up?

 

Reviews

[Corey Lunare-]

All right, the depth of this tale just increase tenfold and i like it even more than i did before! Korine is quite the bit-h, isn't she? although i think Lenora shouldn't have exploided on her so quickly but thats just how she is eh? Neways good story so far and i look forward to reading your next chapter!~