The Vampire's Last Slave

She Looked Like Me (Twenty-Two)

                After the hallucinations I received 50 more lashings, and then I went to sleep hungry, cold, and scared. I was locked away in the tiny cell. The next morning I woke up to the 50 promised lashes, and the day repeated itself. I was not fed again and I felt like I was being drained of life. The lights were not turned on that day.

*************

Vincent:

                “Sarah, get dressed. You’re going to school.” I told her. She had been whining since I told her that she was going to boarding school and would only be coming home on the weekends.

                “Why?” She screamed.

                “You need an education. It’s the best school here. You’ll love it. I’ll come get you every weekend. I promise.” I told her, smiling. She smiled back and went to get dressed.

                I sat on one of the couches in her room and waited for her to finish up in the bathroom. A magazine was on the table, I flipped through it. “Sarah, hurry up please.” I screamed to her.

                “Coming Uncle Vince.” Then the door opened. She had picked out a pink ruffled dress with a bow in her hair. It was much like the bow Lucia had worn the other day. I smiled at the thought. “Ready? What are you smiling about?” She asked me.

                “Just a memory. Come on let’s go.” I smiled at her as I took her hand.

*************

Lucia:

                The days and nights turned into a big blur. I didn’t know what was happening anymore. Every day was all the same. A lot of pain, me seeing things, and Vincent, and then sleep. Every three days I used to look forward to food. But not anymore. Everything I ate made me horribly ill, and yet I ate every bite every time. The worst part of this torture was my sleep. When I slept I dreamt. It would have been understandable if I would have had horrible nightmares that terrified me, but that was not the case at all. I had wonderful dreams of Vincent and me walking together, kissing, and holding each other. I had dreams of beaches and summertime. I dreamt of Sarah and my parents. Then I woke up to pain and darkness. These two things quickly became my asylum. I lived for the pain and darkness. For the darkness that I once thought was choking me became the only thing that holds me.

*************

Vincent:

                It had been a month since I had taken Sarah to school. Every weekend she came home and we did something together. Sarah had asked about her grandmother and Lucia, she wanted to know about Gren. I always dodged her questions and I always would. She would never know where any of them were. She would be completely sound and left aloof. Sarah would be protected from everything. That’s why I sent her away in the first place.

                In two months’ time I would be crowned king. I still had many decisions to make before this, because I had to be binded at the coronation. My thoughts wondered to the events of a month ago. I was not sure why they happened. I was not sure how. But I know that they did, in fact, happen, and I was to blame. My reaction was cold. My feelings were gone. I couldn’t bare the thoughts that were racing in my head. I knew something had to change or I would be alone. Then I looked around me. I sent Gren and Sarah away. Lucia was probably dead by now. And my mother, my poor mother. I was alone. Completely and utterly alone. It was then that I broke down and cried. I cried for Lucia, begging her with my thoughts to not be dead, but I knew in my heart that she was. Eating every three days would kill anyone as small as her. I decided then that I would go down to the dungeon and ask for her body back. I would give her a proper funeral. So I wiped my tears away and went to the dungeon. Charles was sitting on the bench looking at porn.

                “Mm mm.” I cleared my throat.

                “Hey boss.” He said, putting the magazine in a desk drawer and standing up to walk over to me. “Can I do ya something?”

                “Yes. The girl. Lucia. Where is her body?” I asked him, my voice cracking a bit.

                “In the cell, come on.” He turned the light on and walked me to her cell.

                Her body was naked, covered in blood and gashes, parts of her skin were burnt with acid. The rest of her body that wasn’t covered with these things was as white as me. Her bones were poking through her skin. She looked like one of the anorexic people you would see on television. I began crying then. “Open the cell and leave.” He did as he was told. When the cell opened I cried more. How could I murder the only thing that truly mattered to me? How could I deface this beautiful girl and starve her to death? My tears were falling freely. I walked over to my beautiful queen and picked her up, holding her to me. Then I heard it. Her breath. Her heart beating. I hugged her to me and she let out a whimper. Looking down at her I blinked us to the hospital wing. The nurse looked horrified.

                “Fix her. Now. Do it. HURRY!” I screamed. Lucia’s eyes opened, then quickly shut again as she brought her hands up to cover her face. I didn’t blame her. She was left in total darkness for a month. She squirmed a bit in my arms until I laid her on the soft bed. She stopped moving and started breathing heavily.

                “Sir, I think it’d be best if you wait outside.” I nodded, kissed Lucia’s forehead and left the room. Poor thing. As soon as she was better I would promise to make it up to her, I had to. My mind was racing. Would she forgive me? Would she hold me? Would she ever tell me that she loves me again? Why did I do this to her? I sat there crying for hours, just thinking when the nurse came out. “I healed all of her wounds and gave her a bath. She just woke up from a nap. She needs food, Sir.” I nodded and walked to the side of her bed. She was lying still staring at the ceiling. Her eyes blinked only when necessary.

                “Lucia?” I asked. She turned her head but didn’t speak. “Nurse, would you get her some food please?” I asked her. The nurse shook her head and left the room.    

                “Lucia I’m so sorry.” Then I started crying again, leaning my head beside hers. She turned her head so she could look at the ceiling again. I put my hand over her body to hold her. I whispered comforting words in her ear. “Lucia, sweetie, I’m so so sorry.”

                “Why?” She finally spoke.