State of the Body

Chapter 19 London

I started to get closer to Brenda. We both have been hearing whispers and footsteps from all around. If it wasn't for Charlotte I would have left by now.

"So come here often or-ufff." I couldn't finish my sentence because I was tackled. I looked up and felt terror take over my body. It was a Phantom. I started to squirm under him when he flew off me. I was yanked up by Brenda and we started to run deeper into the passage. More and more Phantoms started to come from behind us.

"Here is the plan, I'll stay behind and fight the Phantoms and you go find Charlotte. Any questions?"

"No, I got it."

"Okay." She stopped running and started to fight the Phantoms. I felt myself stop and stare at her and her fighting moves hoping to see something to help protect me until I found Char. Brenda's voice tore me from my thoughts.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me fight or are you going to go save Charlotte?"

"Oh right sorry." I ran off deeper into the direction that Brooklyn pointed towards. After what felt like forever I found a small wall surrounding a clearing. I saw Charlotte tied to a chair by rope with garlic on it. The chair looked like a small throne with a giant cross for a back support. I started to move towards Charlotte, but I heard rustling which stopped me and made me hide behind the wall. A giant Phantom appeared with a tray of tools that I would imagine would only bring her harm. I stayed hidden frozen by the fear caused by what I thought might happen to her. I saw him grab her head, shove it upwards and then he released it. When her head instantly fell back to her chest I started to hope that she was just asleep. The giant Phantom grabbed a bucket of water and splashed it on her, causing her to jolt awake. I felt instant relief, until I saw the Phantom pull out a large blade. It reflected what little light was in the opening.

"You think your blades will do any true damage, pfft how clueless are you?" He didn't answer her instead he just walked up next to her and slowly cut her left cheek. I heard her scream and knew instantly that it would haunt me forever. The Phantom only laughed at her screams and he continued to cut her face, then he stopped and started to speak.

"Oh does it hurt? What is that face for am I no longer clueless? I know you're a vampire so normal blades wouldn't do much damage, but the Blade of Light might do the trick, don't you think?" His voice was very deep and scratchy. He turned towards his tray and set down the knife and faced Charlotte again. "Sadly this is all I am allowed to do to you, but my partner will be here soon." He started to walk away, but Charlotte's voice stopped him.

"Why don't you just kill me already?" He stopped and did what I think was supposed to be a smile and he whispered ever softly.

"Because that would take away all of the fun." Then he disappeared as fast as he had appeared. I stood up and ran out from behind the wall to Charlotte. When she saw me her eyes lit up and then fell into a confused state.

"London?" I felt my voice waver as I spoke.

"Char," I looked down and saw her arms were all cut up, but there was no blood. Her shirt was ripped, revealing her cut up abs still covered in blood. "Char, what did they do to you?" I heard my voice crack and a single tear fall down my face.

"Hey, I'm fine really, but you need to get out of here if you want to-London, watch out!" Her warning had come too late. I felt two sets of hands grab me. One grabbed my arms while the other grabbed my legs. I pulled and pushed trying to get my limbs free.

"Let me go!" I felt them start to tie me up to what felt like was a cross, which they succeeded in doing no matter how hard I struggled against them. When I saw them step away from me I pulled as hard as I could against the wooden cross. They laughed and mumbled something that I couldn't hear, then walked off. I looked over at Charlotte, she was knocked out. I figured there must have been three of them, two to take care of me and one to take care of Char. I had to wake her up. "Char?" She didn't respond and she seemed to be taking longer to inhale and exhale. I couldn't lose her, not like this. "Char." I said louder. If she left me, I would bring her back to life just to smack her and then kill her again. I couldn't lose her, because I...I lo-no I cared for her. I saw her breath slow down even more. "Char!" I shouted at her as I started to pull on the ropes that bound me to the wooden cross. "Charlotte! Charlotte!" I felt tears start to trail down and stain my face. I felt the ropes dig deep into my skin, but the pain only made me more determined. "Char, please wake up I'm begging you." I saw her chest rise and fall, and I waited to see it rise again. I waited and waited. Nothing. "Char?" I heard my voice crack. I started to sob. I looked down at my feet and I watched the tears create a small puddle beneath my feet. I let the tears fall for Charlotte, I let them fall for her dead sister. I let them fall for the fact that James might lose the company and I let them fall for the book I would never be able to write.

"Sad that she died so soon, I would have liked to watch her die." I lifted my head to look at who was talking and I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was Sarah.

"What are you doing here? Get me down from here! Wait, aren't you a waitress?" She chuckled and stood in front of me giving me a good look at her new attire that now replaced her waitress outfit.

"Yes, I am a waitress, I was yours. Funny how it all changes huh?" She smiled a terrifying grin.

"Funny how what all changes?"

"Well first I had served you, and now... I'm here to kill you." I felt my blood run cold.

"Why? I haven't done anything-"

"Yet. You haven't done anything yet. You see the legend is true and I can tell you because you are about to die anyways so here it is, my grandmother is the old lady that your dear vampire here talked about."

"What?" I didn't understand anything. My brain was frozen still from losing Charlotte.

"You see my grandmother is Twila."

"But she died before she could-"

"Have any kids? Wrong you see she was old, but she had kids when she was younger. Now enough chit chat let's just get to the fun stuff." She walked over next to Charlotte's lifeless body. She set one hand on her necklace and the other on Char's chest where her heart was and said something that I didn't understand. Charlotte's head shot up and she took a deep breath. Sarah rested her arms at her sides and walked over next to me. "Stay awake and don't die I need you to watch me kill your precious hero." Her voice sounded rougher than it had at the restaurant. She got right up in my face.

"Now we just wait for my Phantoms to kill that old lady and then happiness will spread. Don't worry shouldn't take long she might break a hip or something."

"Oh, hell to the no!" I heard Brenda yell and she jumped out from where I hid earlier and punch Sarah in the throat. Sarah fell to the floor choking. "You did not just call me old!" She squatted right next to her. "Well if I'm so old why you choking huh? That's right you better look away, stupid kids." She stood up and walked over to me. "Can you believe her?!" I started to laugh as she untied me. When Sarah finally regained her composure, she shot up and pointed at me while putting her other hand on her chest.

"Huna untella ewakan gondelo!" A dark purple flash of light shot out of her finger and hit me in the chest. Everything went dark.