somewhere near the end

. . . in that instant, everything suddenly transformed into a bad cliche. It was as if we had all been deposed from time and space, only to find ourselves forcefully deposited into the likeness of some old black-and-white Universal horror film. Angry villagers appeared, some armed with guns, others with swords, some carried torches and others were scanning the room with the thin beams of flashlights. They had forced their way through the locked door, producing a general sense of chaos which shoved all other feelings from the room. Slairva tuned to face them and Tiffany positioned herself between him and the townspeople. She would defend Slairva until the last drops of their blood leaked out from their worn out, peasant bodies, or until they got the upper hand and her�"for the mere sake of description, let’s call it life�"was stolen from her by them. In spite of her efforts, Slairva was almost immediately overwhelmed by the onrush of their attack.

 

I looked at Tara. For a brief moment she was stunned and confused into a temporary state of paralysis. That moment, however, did not last and she released a hissing sort of shriek that would have most certainly made mild curdle. She suddenly seemed large and threatening. Her hands were raised, parallel with her head, her fingers curved menacingly exposing her claw like nails. She stepped toward the crowd of attackers. Two of them broke off from fighting Tiffany and Slairva and moved toward her. I instinctively intervened. "I’ll take care of her!" I shouted. "Help the others with Slairva!" They complied, breaking off their potential advance.

 

I bolted toward Tara, seizing her from behind. I drug her toward the door with one hand hooked around her waist, and the other hand fending off the attack of ther sharp, clawed hands. She fought against me the entire time that I was dragging her from the room, screaming that she had to help Slairva. I slowly maneuvered her through the door. As we crossed the threshold, I looked back at the room in time to see Tiffany’s head fall from her body. Slairva was surrounded by a mob of villagers, who were slashing at him with their swords and beating him with the butt of their rifles. He fell to one knee under the barrage of blows. He looked frustrated and uncharacteristically vulnerable.

 

Tara too saw that he was losing the battle and redoubled her efforts to free herself from my grasp, screech wildly. I clenched her tighter and drug her up the steps, through the drawing room and the dining room, all the while slicing through the thick cobwebs with the protesting body of a half-turned vampire. We made our way into the entry hall and I saw that the open and broken front door. The mob must have battered their way through it.

 

The sounds of the battle had diminished�"the solid structure of the castle muffled sounds of violence to the point that it was almost imperceptible. I guided Tara toward the front door but she broke free of my grip and immediately moved in the direction of the basement. I quickly overtook her retreat, once more ensnaring her in my grasp. "I have to help! I have to help," She shouted frantically.

 

"No you don’t!" I rebutted sharply. "You have to get out of here."

 

"He’s dying!" she countered.

 

"Good," I said coldly, "let him die." Tara responded with a shriek that was so shockingly loud that I almost let her go in order to find some form of shelter against it. Yet, in spite of my instincts, I clasped her even tighter. She turned to me, her face menacing, hurling her shrill sounds at me, scratching at my face. I caught her arms, which merely resulted in her transferring the weapons of her attack to her legs. I found that I could not defend myself from her punches, scratches, and kicks.

 

"Tara," I shouted repeatedly as I shook her violently, "Look at me!" After a few moments she relented in her attack, examining me with hatred. Her red eyes flashed curses. Her fangs protruded from her mouth. "Look, I don’t know how much of you is left in there, but you’re coming with me. We are getting out of here. I’m getting you out of here."

 

"You’re taking me away from him," she accused.

 

"You’re damned right I am!"

 

"Why? Why?" she frantically demanded.

 

"Because I love you, that’s why!" The words seemed to temporarily stun her, which I suppose is only fair since they shocked the hell out of me. Nevertheless, for the moment, she ceased her struggling.

 

"You . . . love . . . me?" The words sounded oversized and flavorless in her mouth.

 

"I love you," I confirmed. "I’ve always loved you. You’re apparently the only person in the world who doesn’t seem know that, but I guess late is better than never, huh?"

 

I don’t know what it is about the simple phrase "I love you" that makes it feel so uncomfortable to say. It’s a short sentence, constructed with three monosyllabic words; and yet, I would rather recite Marc Antony’s soliloquy from Julius Caesar in nothing but my underwear, while standing before a hostile crowd of undernourished cannibals, than utter this one, simple sentence. And it was precisely in the moment that I was uttering that one, simple sentence that I was undeniably forced to perceive the intense absurdity of that moment. I had, for lack of a better word, survived the past few days�"a series of days that were weighted with events that should have easily eclipsed the awkwardness of a simple confession of affection. I had been, and still was, in a life and death situation complete with supernatural monsters, the untimely deaths of friends, the struggle for Tara’s immortal soul, all the while my own continued existence seemed very unlikely�"and having endured all that, I discover that it’s "I love you" that frightens me?

Reviews

[Ice QueenJen]

This first chapter was full of intrigue and suspense- just the sort of stories I love. I will make sure to read the next chapter when I have time. And it is funny how people are afraid to admit to another how they feel, yet I tell my boyfriend every time I write him or talk with him- I love you! You never know when something will happen, and that is one thing you will regret saying.

I would like to add you as a friend, if thats ok.