Bloody Rhapsody (Damon Salvatore Love)

34. Vampires and Visions

   I arch my back, straining to catch a glimpse of whatever lay at her feet. My breath catches in my throat as I spot a hint of Leo's blond hair, his head limply dragging across the floor as he pulls himself towards her. His hand, jerky and uncoordinated attempting to grab at her ankle.

  None of this makes any sense!

  With a quiet chuckle she kicks at Leo once more, making him fall back with a painful sounding grunt. She snaps her fingers impatiently, looking from Leo to the hallway that leads into the pastor's office. She sighs, obviously annoyed at having to wait, and rests her hands on her hips.

   I twist, ignoring the burning of my wrists as the ropes dig into my raw skin. I need to see what's happening, I need to try to understand! I know what I am seeing is truly there, but my mind keeps screaming that I am going insane.

   My heart pounds in my chest as I listen to the shuffling coming down the hall. More than one person, that's for sure, but how many? How many people does she have working for her?

   My body runs cold as I once again look upon the pastor of this church, only this time noticing a far more gruesome detail. The friendly man who once acted as everyone confidant and adviser now permanently silenced by a slashed throat. My stomach rolls at the site of his white robes, now stained red with the last of his blood.

   Beside him, a young man that has been missing for a few days. His red, curly hair now matted down with grime and sweat. His green eyes glazed over, not seeming to be able to really see anything in front of him. Still dressed in the bottom half of his stingray costume, Kevin wobbles clumsily on his feet. His head falls slightly to one side, a gruesome bulge kinking out of the side of his neck.

   Dead, I realize with a sinking feeling, these two are dead. This can't be happening, I must be going crazy. How is this possible?

   "Take him away," she commands to the two, nudging the unresponsive Leo with her foot, "I'll fix him later."

   The two dead men scuffle forward, nearly tumbling over themselves to get to Leo. They awkwardly grab at him, ignoring his groans of discomfort and begin dragging him back. Their slow and clumsy movements dragging out the process, making it almost revolting to watch.

   "Too bad things have to be like this," the woman muses, turning her attention back to me, "with some training, you could be quite strong."

   "Then why don't you train me?" I suggest, not having any idea what I am really talking about, just desperate for something.

   "Oh no," she chuckles, returning to my side, "not something I will risk again."

   "Why are you doing this?" I pull back against my restraints, distancing myself from her as best I can.

   "Shhh," she hushes, grabbing onto my forearm to steady me, "this will be over in a moment."

   The cold metal of her dagger, the edge discolored with traces of my drying blood clinging to it, grazes against my skin. Shivers courses through my body, every nerve on end as I wait for the pain to come.

   A loud bang from outside stills her hand, catching her off guard. Her brows crinkle together in confusion, her mouth tightening into a thin line as her gaze shifts from me to the door.

   "Now what?" she curses, setting the knife down on my stomach before walking away to investigate.

   I stare at the blade, light glinting off of the shiny metal as I squirm beneath it. It's weight is surprisingly heavy, feeling as if it is holding me in place. It shifts slightly as I struggle against my binds, teetering on my belly as I fight for my freedom.