Twelve…

Twelve: Another Realm

Picture above found at fanpop.com.

Having no other choice, Aubrey followed the cloaked figure to the club area.

“Drive her to the Haas Residence,” the mysterious one commanded.

The vampire nodded and rose.

The Haas Residence? she wondered.

“Um—sir, is that where Shawn Taylor is?” she asked, feeling somewhat stupid.

He didn’t answer.

Minutes afterward, Aubrey repeated her earlier question. Her stomach rolled in anticipation.

“Yes.”

A simple ‘yes’. That’s all he said. No elaboration, no nothing. But at least a ‘yes’ was satisfactory. Hopefully he wasn’t lying…

Aubrey gazed at the desolate environment, wondering what the so-called ‘city’ would be like.

Maybe she’d soon find out…

The car pulled onto the side of the road and stopped.

“This is it,” he said glaring at her. “We walk the rest of the way.”

          

Puzzled, Aubrey climbed out. The trail led past an ancient railroad, the tracks and boxcars in disrepair.

About a half-mile later, an eerie mausoleum appeared. Gnarled branches reached for the sky, as though desperately trying to get away from something…

Ignoring her fears, Aubrey forged onward. The vampire walked several feet ahead. She struggled to keep up.

Beyond the iron gate, another path opened. Its stone pavement wound up an incline to a dark structure ahead.  

Inside that structure was a long tunnel; just like the one in Aubrey’s dreams where her son always stood, gazing at her with accusation in his bright eyes.

Aubrey shuddered.

 The other side opened up to a meadow, where she trailed the vampire up a monstrous stairwell.

Her heart pounded with each step.

Was Shawn really nearby? Or was it all just a trick to lure her to the bloodthirsty vampires? Voices resounded in her mind, things said in days past, potential clues to unlock the reasons for her being there:

‘Dr. Paulison had many reasons to keep you quiet. It’s all part of a complex, secretive plan that involves your son.’

‘There’s nothing to fear. You weren’t brought here to be harmed, you were brought here to fulfill a purpose.’

A plan that involves my son? Brought here to fulfill a purpose? Aubrey pondered.  

The large manor came into view.

She nearly gasped at its beauty.  

 Moments later, the doors closed behind her.

The creature motioned upstairs. “Your room is up there. A change of clothing is on the nightstand, and you may take a bath if you wish.”

My room? Change of clothes? A bath? It was all happening so fast! Her head felt like it was spinning, so did her body. Suddenly a bath sounded… nice. And then afterward, sleep.

After the vampire showed her the bathroom and guest bedroom, Aubrey took a long bath.  

The water felt like velvet against her skin. She even dozed off a few times.  

Shawn. I have to focus and remember Shawn. He’s the whole point of my being here, despite what the vampires have said.

Aubrey tried to stay awake as she climbed from the tub and wrapped a soft towel around her.

She padded across the hallway to the guest room.  

A container filled with apples rested upon the nightstand.

Images of Snow White played in her mind, and Aubrey wondered if the apples were poisonous.  

Next, she glanced at the clothes on the other nightstand.

Once she put on the dress and styled her hair, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.  

When Shawn sees me, I hope he’ll fall in love with me all over again.

Thirty minutes later, the vampire led her to Shawn.

Aubrey glanced at a beautiful pool nestled in the courtyard.  A girl stood faraway, looking still as a statue… and eerie.

Another stairwell led underground.

She followed the vampire even deeper into the pit, trying to ignore the remnants of dead strewn across the ground. Her gut twisted like a fierce cyclone, her heart jammed in her throat.

It will all be worth it once I see Shawn, she told herself over and over.

Aubrey halted, staring at the macabre ambience.

Oddly, the crimson-cloaked-one was also there, after having just been at the nightclub minutes before.

Her attention turned to Shawn.

There he was, levitating above some sort of altar as he slumbered.

Shawn began to awaken…

He stood and paced a few steps toward her. Then stopped.

Aubrey’s heart pounded so hard, her entire body pulsated. She wanted to say something, she wanted to say so many things… but the words wouldn’t emerge.

As it turned out, she didn’t have to say anything. Shawn did all the talking.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed, his tone unfriendly.

His words felt like a blow to Aubrey’s stomach.

“Leave here! Go! You don’t belong!” he yelled.

Shawn’s cold rejection turned her stomach to ice. Bitter disappointment swept over her like a chilly breeze.

She stared at the cloaked figure with accusation. I trusted you, she thought. Did you know the entire time that Shawn hated me? And wanted nothing to do with me?! Was this all part of your plan?? You… you used Shawn and Reese to lure me here! But why??

 

Gripped by sudden nausea, she leaned over. The dreary room spun around her; then she remembered how she’d left her medication at home. Withdrawal Hell was just beginning…

Aubrey doubled over.

Her knees buckled.

Was it really withdrawal? Or was it Shawn’s rejection? Maybe it was both. Either way, she wanted to vomit.

 

Aubrey felt the sensation of being lifted, as though she weighed nothing.

Stunned, she wondered where he was taking her.

                                                             …

The last thing she saw was mist, soon consumed by darkness.

As the days followed, she lay in bed thinking she was either dying, or already dead.

Mostly, she slept; never knowing if it were day or night. No windows embellished the room. Hell, she didn’t even know whose bedroom it was, or whose bed she slept in.

Whenever the nausea surfaced, her eyes opened and she peered up at the partial canopy.

Her hand clutched her stomach, willing the pain to end. She dared not think of Shawn’s rejection, for she knew her nausea would only get worse.

She never realized she wasn’t alone.

Sometimes when she slept, she dreamt of long fingers caressing her face.

Maybe her dreams were closer to reality…

The skeletal fingers brushed against her face, almost lovingly.

Aubrey stirred, her eyes opening just a little.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

Gladly, she did. Maybe the creature in crimson wouldn’t hurt her… and even if he did, she wouldn’t mind. She was fed up with feeling sick. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the dark wings of Death enclosed her in his embrace.

She bolted upright. Her stomach twisted and turned.

Aubrey vomited in a nearby pitcher. Relief flooded her entire body.

Then she returned to bed.

More sleep… and more dreams of long, skeletal fingers.

“Aubrey,” he whispered. At first, his voice sounded like Shawn’s, but then morphed into a different tone.

She could no longer tell the difference between her dreams and reality.

On the seventh day, Aubrey recovered long enough to get out of bed.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

The cloaked figure stood and approached her.

“I’m the leader of the second vampiric clan,” he said. “This is my home, and you’re in my bedroom.”

“I remember you from the night club, and… when I got sick and almost fainted,” she said as everything slowly came back to her.  “You… helped me.”

He said nothing.

“Have you been taking care of me all this time? While I was sick?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?” she questioned.

“As I’ve said before, you were brought here for a purpose. I intend for that purpose to be fulfilled, and it is my responsibility to take care of you, to ensure your well-being and health.”

“Then what is my purpose? If it wasn’t to find Shawn, then you tell me what I’m here for.” Her tone rose in frustration.

“You’re not ready for that yet. Your body is still weak from illness, along with your mind. I wish I could tell you, but the timing just isn’t right.”

“Then tell me this: was Reverend Reese lying when he said Dr. Paulison and my father were in cahootz to get me committed? To keep quiet about the son I had?”

The creature stiffened.

“No, Reese wasn’t lying.”

“What does my son have to do with all of this? And… the man I once thought was an angel, who got me pregnant? Why does my father and doctor—”

“No. I won’t go into that right now!”

Shocked by his sudden anger, Aubrey didn’t press further. The nausea was returning so she collapsed onto the bed.

“Oh, my gosh. I wish this shit would just stop,” she moaned.

The blackness came again.

Meanwhile, the mysterious one reached for the blood-filled container…

Aubrey awoke a few hours later.

She sensed something had drastically changed.

She got up, peering over at the crimson one.

His hands! Oh my God, his hands!

“What happened to you? You look different!”

Quietly, he prepared to stand.

Then he headed for Aubrey. She took a few steps back, her heart pounding in fear.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “I only want to take care of you.”

“Why do you look different?” she asked.

“I fed from a container of blood.” He paused and then said, “I can’t very well take care of you if I’m nothing more than a skeleton.”

Not only did he look different, even his voice sounded different; it was deeper, the accent more noticeable. And it also sounded familiar…

“Who—what is your name?” she asked, her heart thumping like a drum.

” ‘The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek,’ ” he recited the verse from Romeo and Juliet.

 “No. It can’t be you…” Then she shouted: “what is your name?!”

” ‘She speaks; oh, speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night, being o’er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air,’ ” he droned; then reached up to remove his hood.

“Aubrey,” he began. “I’ve missed you.”

                                                           ****

Thanks for reading!! ☺ ♥  …and I’ve caught up on my sleep now, lol. XD