The Muse And The Vampire

11

Slowly she became aware of her surroundings. Jenny was in  darkness but she could make out every detail. A cast iron door like those bank vaults you saw in films, except that this door shimmered. In fact all the room shimmered as if it had been decorated in metallic paint. There were no windows, she was chained to the table and the floor. She had struggled at first, but the handcuffs against her skin burned too much. She gave up.

One of her captors gave her a sip of tea. He had ginger hair and was built like a viking. The whole look was ruined when she saw the mug that the tea was in, Disney princesses? The warm smile of Cinderella beamed at her. She had a mug like that once, she recalled, until Mum threw it at one of her loser boyfriends in a drunken row. The memory caused her head to throb, she tried to run her temple but the handcuff stopped her.

Where was she? What had she done? She had a vague recollection of the events of last night. She'd been doing overtime for Graham, her overweight, delusional boss she was trying to fleece for money. Why was it that older men were fooled by attractive young women? She was going to tell him the affair was over yesterday. Graham gave the impression he was rich, spending money on golf memberships and country clubs. He thought he could buy a council seat, the fool. However, Jenny had found out he was in more debt than a fifth year medical student. It was time for him to go, such a shame that it meant unemployment for her.  Maybe the blood club Graham opposed would take me on? She thought, bloodsuckers lived a long time, didn't they? It could only mean big tips for a pretty face and a little blood.

Probably even better in bed than Graham. No grunting and blue pills either. Jenny was given another sip of tea and wondered, why am I in a police cell with a door like that? Come to think of it? Why am I chained?

The vaulted door jolted, creaked and grinded open. Captor number two appeared. He was shorter than the ginger viking, five foot nine, shoulder length black hair, his brown eyes reflecting like a cats.

Another bloody vampire.

Oh God, she'd been kidnapped by vampires! Held to ransom? Who would pay for her release? Not Graham with his debt and God knew her Mum had no money. Any money that she got her hands on was spent on booze, including money meant for food. Did she even remember that she had a daughter in the first place?

Ginger Viking gave her another sip of tea. It was getting easier to bear, to swallow, she couldn't hear the voices anymore.

"This is the worst tea I have ever drunk." She meant to say, please don't hurt me.

"That is because it is not tea." Said the short, Moody one, "it's deer blood mixed with A positive and a drop from me."

"The Disney mug was my idea." Said the viking, "drink it all, you'll feel better and it'll taste better. Although Sol's blood will add a touch of bitterness. I would give you some of mine but I'm not old enough to overpower the enchantment."

Old? He looked like he was in his mid thirties whereas Moody, now called Sol looked in his late twenties, but they had to be older than that? Her Mum had said once, in a rare sober moment, it was rude to ask but the question came out regardless.

"Why? I am only a century and twenty," Viking giggled in a mock girlish voice, "but Mr Darcy over there is three hundred and something, give or take."

"Mid seventeenth century Japan did not record the sons of prostitutes in the records," Sol said,  "my age is irrelevant, Miss Day, we need answers."

Answers? Jenny thought, kidnappers don't ask questions to victims? Do they?

"Mr Taylor is broke and my Mum has no money for the ransom, "Jenny blurted out, "I never met my Dad, he vanished before the positive pregnancy test. So yeah you'd better just drain me and dump me in the sea" she looked down in horror, "oh God, my bra's showing, what have you done to me?"

"Flint, be the gentleman you claim to be and offer her your shirt." Sol sighed. The Viking who now was called Flint now took off his shirt, exposing a broad chest decorated in tattoos. The shirt couldn't be put on over the handcuffs, so Flint helped her to drape the shirt so it covered up her ruined clothes.

"I assure you Miss Day," Sol continued, "all we have done is feed you blood to clear your head, nothing else. You are potentially dangerous so I apologise for the restraints but we need to ask you some questions."

"Like what? I'm not gonna be assaulted by two bloodsuckers?" She struggled with the chains, wincing at the burn.

"I would not do that if I were you," Sol said , "silver takes a while to heal, believe me, I know." He rolled his sleeve up to reveal scars on his arm. Every one pitted and red, looking like someone had put something sharp and metal through the skin.

He covered up, "there are more all over my body, but I will spare you from that." He said, "I killed him, so he will not be able to inflict that torture on anyone else."

"Why silver?" Jenny asked, "surely regular handcuffs would be enough to restrain me?"

"Not since you became a bloodsucker."

Jenny gasped. She knew, deep down she was. But hearing it didn't make it any less of a shock. She didn't want it to be true. Never again would she be able to go out in the sun, drink wine.

Have a family. Gone. All gone.

"I thought we were going to break it to her gently, Sol?" Flint said.

"I ran out of patience," Sol said, he sat down opposite Jenny, in an attempt to appeal to her, "listen, we do not have time. I am sorry to be blunt, but you will get through this if you help us. If you survive I will send you to an Initiate house for training."

"And if I don't survive?" Jenny's voice trembled.

"I will not hesitate to kill you if you return to a feral state." Sol put his hand on hers, wincing as it touched the cuffs. "I am sorry but I would have no other options. Do you understand?"

Jenny nodded. "Yes, what do you want to know? Can I go home afterwards if I complete training at this house?" She thought of her grotty little bedsit, of collapsing into the double bed and sleeping. She would wake up and think this was nothing more than a dream.

Yes, keep thinking that.

The voice was back.

"You cannot," Sol said, his eyes were down cast, "the life you had is now over."

Flint said in an attempt to change the subject, "we need to know about the vampire who changed you. He may have done the same to others."

"Mr Taylor was most likely murdered by the one who turned you. That was over two years ago." Sol said, "We don't know what happened to your mother but we will find out when this has been resolved."

Jenny hung her head resigned. This was all too much. Time flies when you're having fun. Doesn't it? The voice taunted her, the blood wasn't working, they were getting louder. Why don't you stop fighting me? I will give you everything you need, what you want. Provided you get something for me in return.

"What do you want me to get?" She spoke aloud to the voice.

The thing I desire is right in front of your eyes. The voice was so loud in her head she swore she felt her skull vibrate. "Stop!" She said aloud, "I'll answer your questions but on one condition."

She would speak only to Edie. Edie wasn't what the voice wanted, she could speak without it whispering it's tempting words. Sweat trickled down her brow as she made her request.