Forty-Two…

Forty-Two: The Hidden

Contains disturbing inner dialogue, sensitive subject matter and violence.

Also, sorry it took me so long to give credit, but Aubrey’s hoodie (later in this chapter) was found at Evie’s Sims 3 Blog.

Water streamed down her body, tears streamed down her face.

Soon the shower took her to a different place outside of her body, away from her shattered heart.

But like all good things, it came to an end.

She dressed and headed into the corridor.

Anguish gripped her stomach, winding its way to her heart where it squeezed like a fist. She swooned from the pain.

Tears stinging like tiny needles, she sobbed into her hands.

She was still sore from Vaclav’s ‘love’ making. That only made his betrayal more painfully obvious. She cried harder.

She couldn’t erase those images from her mind: Vaclav seducing her, and then fucking her simply to get her pregnant. Simply to mark his territory…

God, didn’t he miss her at all? Was that really the only reason he wanted her?

She cried loudly, not giving two shits who heard her.

“I… hate… you,” she said in between hiccups of emotion. Her body quavered.

Her legs weakened. She gave in to that weakness, drifting to the floor.

But then she grew quiet, almost catatonic. She didn’t notice Hunter’s presence.

I fucking hate you Vaclav. I fucking hate you Vaclav. And if you got me pregnant, I fucking hate your baby.

Cold fingers touched her shoulder.

Who’s that? she wondered without looking. Another voice said: who cares? I fucking hate Vaclav.

Tears escaped once again.

Hunter embraced her and gently lifted her up.

She cried on his shoulder. His shirt grew damp.

He stroked her back.

“What’s wrong?” his voice seemed to echo from far away.

Her shoulders jerked as she wept. She couldn’t talk if she wanted to.

“What’s wrong?” he repeated louder. His fingers drifted to her shoulder.

Hunter, she thought sobbing. He’s such a nice guy. And I fucking hate Vaclav.

Gradually, she quieted down. Then she drew away.

“What—” Hunter began.

“I hate Vaclav,” she blurted.

“Why? What did he do?”

“I… he… I can’t talk about it right now.”

She stared at Hunter, wishing Vaclav could be like him.

Something scraped at the front doors.

The scraping changed to the sound of a key as it entered the lock.

Oh, holy fuck!

                                                              …

“I think it’s Lucius!” she said, her gaze darting from Hunter to the doors.

Both turned, looking to and fro in a frenzy of panic.

“Shit!” Hunter said.

The knob twisted.

“Come on,” Aubrey said grabbing his wrist. “You have to hide! Get to the basement!”

They bolted as the front door opened.

Suspicious, Lucius eyed the foyer.

Aubrey and Hunter sprinted through a hallway toward the pavilion.

Lucius saw the gaping doorway and followed.

“Aubrey!” he called. “Why is Vaclav’s little wife being so shy?”

They hurried through the pavilion.

“Aubrey?” Lucius paused at the gates to the pavilion.  

Aubrey tip-toed over the nasty skeletons.

Thankfully Hunter was light years ahead of her, already in the basement.

Grunting, Hunter strained to open the enormous casket.

Aubrey caught up, stealing worried glances at Hunter.

Hurry up! Get in the damn coffin!

Lucius’ footfalls echoed as he approached.

The casket panel creaked. Aubrey cringed.

Lucius entered the basement. Aubrey’s hand flew to her mouth.

Hunter was just a few steps away from Lucius, but not visible to him yet. One more wall separated them.

Hunter crept into the crypt. His footsteps shuffled, Aubrey prayed for him to be quieter.

“Why didn’t you answer when I called you?”

“I hate Vaclav. He’s a fucking prick.” What? Why did I say that?

“Be that as it may, you still didn’t answer my question.” He stepped forward looking around the vicinity. “I thought I heard a noise a few seconds ago,” he added getting dangerously close to the casket in question.

“What noise?”

“I’m not sure.”

Aubrey was terrified that Lucius could hear her rapid heart beat.

The tell-tale heart.

His luminous eyes flickered here and there. For a moment he stared at the coffin where Hunter was hiding.

She watched him as he turned on his heel and walked up to her.

“If you hadn’t run away from me, I could’ve already told you that Vaclav will get an early release from prison. Of course, since you think he’s a fucking prick and you hate him, that might not matter to you.”

It took a moment for his words to register.

“How early is early?” she questioned.

“He’ll be released in two years.”

“Two years?” Numbness swept through her body.

“Well, actually 23 more months,” Lucius said leaving.

Aubrey gazed at Hunter’s coffin.

“So can I come out now or what?” he asked.

“Yeah, for now,” she answered.

Soon after, the sun came up.

Six more days passed until Lucius left to round up more rogues for the war. He was able to take a break since the Shadow population was dwindling. The Haas Clan picked them off like fleas… their leader’s abandonment couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Then again, their leader was incompetent.

Aubrey waited until the seventh day to see a doctor. During the previous days, she helped Hunter stay safely hidden away at the manor while Lucius was there. She didn’t have much time to worry about a potential new baby.

But now she did.

A nurse drew her blood. Minutes later Aubrey had the answer.

The nurse strided into the waiting room. At first, her face was hard to read… but that soon changed as the words came from her mouth.

“Congratulations.”

“Please,” she begged twenty minutes later. “You’re a doctor! You have to help me!”

“Lemme get this straight… you say Vaclav had sex with you last week, just to get you pregnant because he was jealous about the possibility of your seeing another guy?”

She nodded.

“And now you’re pregnant and you need my help with… terminating the pregnancy?”

“Please. I can’t have another baby. Not now, not while there’s a war going on. I don’t know if I’m even going to stay with him after what he’s done!”

“Okay. It’s a little late in the game for this, but I could try to get you some birth control pills. Some brands work the same as the morning after pill. You had up to five days to take the newest type, but I guess we’ll see. You haven’t much choice since there’s no abortion clinics in Shadowvale.” He cleared his throat. “Vampires don’t believe in abortions.”

“Do I look like I care about vampires’ preference of pro-life? Just get me the damn pills!”

“I’ll do what I can. You know it isn’t exactly safe for a Shadow right now. I’ll try to starve myself into wolf form and break into a drug store.”

Aubrey stifled laughter. She could picture a wolf running out of the store, a container of birth control pills clenched in his jaws.

The notion was ridiculous… but what other choice was there?

It didn’t take too long for Hunter to get ravenous, considering his hearty appetite.

He lurked outside the desolate store, confident. He hadn’t seen anyone enter or exit the store in an hour’s time.

He began to make his way to the back.

The beast rammed his head against the glass until it shattered.

He jumped through the gap.

He loped around each aisle. Then he found the prescription drug area…

Hunter detected human blood.

“G–go away, wolf! Go away!” he said huddling.

The man’s fear had a scent all its own. Palpable as the sound of blood rushing through his veins.

Primal instinct wouldn’t allow Hunter not to attack. He lunged.

“Oh sh–”

Hunter tore out his throat.

Of course, since Hunter ingested some blood he changed back into a vampire.

Naked as a newborn, he spun around and rummaged through the medicine cabinets.

Where is it, he thought fighting off panic.

Finally, he found what he needed.

Once he dashed outside, he peered around the corner; then sprinted out into the street.

Any minute he expected a Haas vampire to attack.

Then he found a patch of woods, just enough greenery to hide himself as he headed to the manor.

Aubrey better appreciate this shit, he thought running.

Aubrey stood near the gates awaiting Hunter’s return.

“Hunter?” she asked.

He stepped through the gates clutching the coveted container of pills. He didn’t look too happy.

Embarrassed, Aubrey turned around.

Hunter retrieved his clothes from the ground, the same spot where he’d shifted into a wolf earlier.

“You can turn around now. I’m dressed.”

He handed her the tiny container.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said.

“I’m really glad you appreciate those pills, but don’t thank me yet,” he said. “It’s too late for the pills to actually prevent pregnancy, but they can thin the lining of your uterus which can inhibit the embryo from attaching, if it’s still in the process of doing so. I can’t make any promises about it.”

They embraced. Fog drifted around their legs.

Choking back tears, fighting off a broken heart and waves of guilt over killing her baby, Aubrey prayed the medication would work.

If it didn’t work, she’d have to leave Shadowvale and her children to undergo a medical procedure.

Damnit, Vaclav. I hate you…

                                                               ****

Meh, sorry this chapter was a bummer. And Aubrey will get back at Vaclav very soon.

Also, I read up on the birth control information here: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.asp  and one of the things it listed as to how it might prevent pregnancy is the hormones thin the lining of the uterus, possibly preventing the embryo from attaching, and I think it takes anywhere from 5 to 10 days for the embryo to fully attach (Aubrey’s pregnancy would be in that timeline). So that’s where I got that info from, in case you’re wondering. Regardless, my story is fiction, so I can’t say if this would happen IRL or not.  >.>

TY for reading!