I was dragged through the underbrush with a hand over my mouth. I remember struggling but my efforts seemed as ineffective as that poor moth's wings had been my hand as I had swiped it away.
Then I was thrown on the ground. I tried to get up, but my assailant's iron grip kept me from moving. I tried to kick and bite; I twisted and turned, ignoring the books digging into my back. Everything I tried was impotent. He let me struggle, yet never gave an inch. I knew it was useless. He was so strong. He was unbelievably strong. I was completely overpowered. I gave up and lay there. I could feel adrenaline rushing through my veins and my heart pounding in my ears. The mobilization of my body did nothing. I was defenseless.
Finally, my attacker spoke. His voice sounded amused and the thought sent more terror rushing through me, if that was even a possibility at that point. "This will hurt."
I felt a sharp pain in my neck and warmth and liquid pain. He had his mouth on the place that hurt and I was so shocked I did not even try to struggle. Of all the horrible imaginings that had flashed through my mind as I fled, I had never imagined what he was doing in that moment.
Then he moved back and said casually, in a voice tinged lightly with some unknown accent, "I love it when your heart pounds so frantically. Your fear makes your blood come out so much faster."
Finally I found my voice, "What the hell do you think you are, a vampire?" I tried to sound flippant but it was more like a pitiful squeak.
He chuckled. It sent fear running up and down my spine. "Don't you know that vampires are just a myth?" he asked me.
"Don't you?" I returned in a stronger voice. I still felt afraid, but felt heartened by the fact I was able to talk back to him. It seemed he was not going to kill me, at least he was not going to kill me yet. It was awful, but there were much worse things that could have happened. There was worse that might still happen if I did not figure out a way to get myself away from this psychotic vampire creep.
"Of course I'm aware of that, silly girl." He chuckled again. "Do I seem like a vampire to you?"
I glared at him even though he could not see it, especially because he could not see it. "You drank my blood."
"No more than a little taste, princess. Would you like to call me Count Dracula now? Do I seem like the living dead? I'm warm. My heart beats, just like yours. Well, perhaps not as fast as yours right now. You're terrified and ready to flee at any moment, but when you feel secure, we are very much the same." He paused and amended, "And very different, at the same time."
I did not answer and he did not say anything else. I waited, because there was nothing else I could do. I could attempt to escape, which would surely end in failure, overpowered as I was. He was stronger and faster. My best chance lay in waiting for my opportunity to present itself, so I continued to do so. I stayed very still, trying not to further draw his attention, willing him to let down his guard.
After a while he moved. I could hear him doing something but I could not see what it was in the darkness. Then he was touching my neck where he had injured me and I flinched. He was rubbing something warm and wet and sticky on the spot he had bit me, probably my own blood. It made me uncomfortable but I could not move away even if I tried. Then he released me abruptly and stood up.
"Well, I'm finished with you. Have a good life, little girl. Give my regards to Paul."
He was gone as suddenly as he had attacked me in the beginning. I sat in the dirty leaves feeling stunned. I had no idea who he was referring to, but at that moment I could not summon the energy to care. I stumbled to my feet and started crashing through the low bushes in the general direction I had thought we had come. Like a wounded animal, I just wanted to crawl into a familiar and safe place to hide.
After a few minutes of crashing around, I was forced to admit I had no idea where I was. All I could see were vague dark shapes with little definition against a dark sky. I could see no light. I knew the woods were not very big so how could there be no light? I pushed aside the ridiculous feeling that all the light had gone out in the world. I just had to walk straight and I would come out somewhere.
I pushed on and all the while I despaired. It was my weakest moment. I could not help but remember how easy things were when I had been following my father's plan. If I had not ran away, this very minute I would be in a dorm room in another city, far from the frightening things which were happening to me. My biggest worry would be my coming midterms or maybe boyfriend troubles or perhaps worrying about my father's disapproval at something I had done, or failed to do. My bills would be paid, my future well planned and secure. Stupid, unwelcome tears started leaking out of my eyes. I swiped them back with an angry hand.
And then I was stabbed by a rogue twig in the eye. I ripped the offending tree branch off in a surge of rage and threw it on the ground. My eye injury did not feel serious, but it was the final painful indignity. I sunk down to the ground and lost total control of myself. A part of me knew it was unwise to remain in this place, but I also felt certain that my weird assailant had finished with me. Even if he was not, it would be nearly impossible for him to find me in the dark woods. I lay on my side, like an infant and cried silently, my hand over my sore eye socket, my neck throbbing where the freak had hurt me.
"Seems you're having difficulty?" asked a man's voice through the darkness.
Comments (1)
See all