A Dark Inheritance

Chapter Two

Images of sharp teeth were all I saw before gradually drifting back to consciousness. I opened my eyes and looked around but saw nothing except darkness, my heartbeat quickened with the thought that I might be blind; all I could hear was the distant sound of dripping water. I didn't feel any temperature, nor had any idea of how long I'd been asleep. The air I breathed had an acidic aroma. I knew I was lying down fully clothed and the bedding felt like a mixture of dirt and straw. My senses flooded with what had happened to me at the cliff's edge. It could have been a dream but, it seemed so real. I tongued my teeth for sharpness and felt my neck and, I had my answer when my finger ran over two small bumps.

A door flew open behind me filling the area with a dim light. I rested on my elbows and faced the voices before a silence fell. 'He's awake,' someone said. The sound of footsteps grew louder as the silhouetted figures neared and became more visible. I squinted from one to the other hoping to see her again, to ask her why but I didn't see the face of the woman who had had such an impression on me.

I had no idea who these people were. I counted six of them as they sat down close by and stared in my direction.

'Victor, isn't it?' I looked at the man who'd asked me the question. His large frame was sat on a chemical barrel.

'Yes... I, where am I?'

'How do you feel, Victor?' a strange looking lady asked, her hair was spiked and the rings in her ears and nose sparkled.

'Hey, one question at a time, Gabriela, we do have all night.' The first man said. He seemed annoyed but filled me in on a few details. 'Well... it's good to see you awake,' he said before standing up and pacing close by. '

'This building was once used for chemical storage but that was decades ago. We've been using this place for years to keep away from the dangers outside.' His pacing ceased before he continued. 'I'll introduce you, as I can see you're wondering who we all are, Victor, I'm Frank, this is Kane, Drake, Nicholas, Gabriela and Silvia.' Everyone sounded friendly as they greeted me.

My hand brushed over the two bumps again. 'I wouldn't worry, you're nearly healed; there's only a slight scar there now,' Frank said, he was right.

'How long have...?'

'Nine days... and you have a lot to learn my friend,' Frank said before sitting back down on the barrel and laying a hand on Nicholas's shoulder. 'Can you take over, Nicholas?'

'Victor, I'm a senior here and... well, I look after the others, I help them with certain decisions. There's something you need to know before it's too late. You're not one of us, not fully,' he said before standing up and clasping his hands behind his back. 'Right now you're in limbo, you're not what you used to be but you're not one of us either.'

'You mean Vam....?'

'Yes,' he sniggered, 'of course I mean Vampire,' he confirmed before sitting back down. 'Sylvia, do you want to fill our new friend in on the rest? I didn't get any out there last night, I'm tired.'

A new voice spoke with a soft tone. 'This is all you need to know, Victor. This limbo that you find yourself in is really a blessing,' she said. It didn't feel that way to me. I felt agitated but intrigued. I was just about to say something but she held a finger to her lips. 'You don't need to ask, just think of a question and I'll give you my answer.' I nodded in response. 'It takes two weeks, maybe more, for you to fully change. The blessing is that you can still mingle among the living; you can eat and drink what you used to and you can go and visit old friends and work colleagues but, more importantly, you can watch the sunrise.'

'Are you OK?' I asked as a tear ran down her cheek.

'I'm sorry. It's just... I really miss it, that's all.' The others either nodded or made an agreeable sound. I decided to test Sylvia's ability and as soon as the thought entered my head she answered. 'No, they won't be able to see, hear or feel you, not when you're in limbo. Once limbo ends light will become your biggest enemy. Take my advice, Victor, go and see your family and friends one last time, please, you have been missing for nine days.'

The door creaked open as someone entered and the figure walked towards the group with such elegance. She glanced at me and smiled before sitting down close to Nicholas; embracing him in her arms. 'I see he's awake,' she said before they kissed.

'He was awake when we got back.' They both sat staring at me without saying anything for a long time, making me feel uncomfortable. I needed to get outside, to get some air. The effort to stand up was futile, I felt as though I weighed a tonne and slumped back on the bedding.

'Give it time, Victor, your body just needs to adjust. You'll be fine in an hour or so,' she said. I looked at her again and began to wonder.

'My name's Violet and it's almost 5:30 am,' she confirmed. 'And, by the way, the sun will start to rise in about half an hour. I urge you to go outside and enjoy it while you can; it's something we used to take for granted but, when you can't see it anymore, you'll feel a painful sadness when you know it's happening out there.'

The painful experience of standing up was over and I had to decide what to do next? 'Go and enjoy it, embrace its beauty, Victor, for as long as you can,' Gabriela suggested.

From the slight light outside I saw the state of the place for the first time. Rotten pallets decaying where they were once stacked and dozens, if not hundreds, of used chemical barrels scattered around; the ground was damp and muddy without a single blade of grass in sight.

Leaning back against the wall I thought about my family: I wondered how they'd been coping since my disappearance. Were my boss and work colleagues saddened? Did they actually care?

Leaning back with my hands in my pockets I watched closely as the sun rose up.It was a blissful experience and I felt guilty for never finding the time totruly appreciate it before. After working out my location I began thelong walk back to my previous life, to pay a visit to those still living.