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Paranormal Romance Prologue. |
| Ana woke to subdued light, the surroundings were unfamiliar. She lay in a huge bed, encased in sheer drapes. A wave of panic washed through her as she tried to sit up. I can’t move! Having no air in her lungs to speak with, she screamed in silence as a shadow caught her eye. She rolled her head to the side, gazing upon the shadowed form pacing back and forth beside the bed. She spoke in a broken sentence and gasped for breath between words, “What happened? Where am I?” She looked around the room but could not move even a finger. Panic returned to play a game of “What if?” Heat flashed through her, burning her nerve endings and her heart beat erratically, fluttering with hyperactivity like she just finished running a 50k race. And worry spread through her, then fear came on swift feet and left her in a flash of calmness and peace so strong she could not think at all. As the calmness took hold of her a chill ran rampant through her body. It felt like hypothermia. She shook so bad that her teeth clicked together. The shadowed form moved to the side of the bed hesitantly, the bed drapes parted with a whisper of the thin material. “I am sorry…” He peeked through them tentatively, “I did not know where you live…” he hung his head as he sat on the edge of the bed. “So I brought you to my place.” “Who are you?” she queried breathlessly. “Excuse my manners?” He turned, looked into her face and saw blank confusion reflected on her face. “I am called Erin…?” He inhaled sharply in surprise and commenced speaking, “How did you know my name?” “What?” “In the restaurant, you called me ‘Erin’…” he queried. “Have we met before or something?” “I did?” She closed her eyes and continued, “No, we have not.” Ana paused to take a few lung burning gulps of air, “I have always known who you are.” She said with restrained effort. He stood and let the bed curtains fall back into place and took a step away from the bed. “No! Don’t go?” Her voice had a higher pitch to it and fear echoed in it. He heard it and could taste it in the air. A strange sense apprehension grew inside him with each step he took. As he walked away an ache blossomed somewhere deep inside him. Longing inched through his flesh as it came alive with sensations he thought were dead to him. Tentatively, he took a few more steps and then turned back to look upon the scene. Her blood promised the taste of sweetness, like an illicit drug. Need blossomed within him, urging him to bite her as her scent filled his nostrils. His mouth watered for a taste of her. His vision shifted into something like a dream. Images slowly strung themselves together, creating a waking dream that played upon his eyelids for a minute’s time. He saw himself walk to the bed, part the curtains, gaze down on Ana’s sleeping form, pick her up as she slept, bearing her neck to him. Her carotid artery jumped as her life passed through it with each beat of her heart. His gaze fixed upon it as he imagined the taste of her. Her scent, like the smell of a freshly baked dessert, floated up to him. He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring as it hit the scent receptors in his nose sending impulses down his spine. Her scent, a powerful lure, making him shiver as the hair on his arm stood up and his skin prickled with a touch of her hand but it was a phantom sensation. His breath came in ragged gasps at the ghost sensation. His lips tingled as though something touched them. It covered his lips entirely, then a slight pressure, as if someone kissed them, lightly. An image of Ana pressing her lips to his, teasingly, filled his vision as something inside him exploded. The explosion filled him with a lightheaded feeling and a sense of ecstasy poured through him. Every muscle in his body tensed as a voice in his head said, “Can you not smell that? Such sweet fragrant wine, taste of it.” The part of him that still remained human said, “I will not.” With weakening resolve he ignores the fire beginning to burn in his gut. The instinct to bite her, taste the sweet wine of her life but his human side refused to partake of her sweet nectar. The scent of her blood so fragrant like roses, perfectly scrumptious and enticing, awoke the darkness in him. The dark side of his clawed its way up from its hiding place deep within the recesses of his soul. He felt a sudden shift come over him and then black blankness took him in a wave of dark delight. His mind awash in visions of crimson rivers, his mouth watering in anticipation of her taste, his eye teeth elongated into fangs as the images of Ana changed. Before he knew what he was doing he had bitten her. Ana’s life essence exploded on his tongue and filled his belly, staving off the fire of hunger and thrilled him and sustaining his existence as her life slowly drained away, flowing in scarlet rivers down his throat. She tasted heavenly, intoxicating like wine as it circulated throughout his body. He felt light as though he floated on a cloud. A fog clouded his mind, making his thoughts slow to surface and his movements slow. Calmness drifted through him in waves, leaving behind a feeling of floating on air. Slowly the intoxication faded and his senses normalized. His mind suddenly clear, a hollow feeling stole through him as he looked upon her. What happened? He spoke in almost a whisper as something inside him screamed, NO! With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realized what he had done. Ana lay lifeless in his arms, flopped over like a rag doll. Her earthen eyes partially open and glazed over, arms hanging limply at her side as her heartbeat slowed and stopped altogether. He had drained her in his bloodlust. How could I have killed her? He beheld Ana’s empty shell. Where was my restraint? He wondered. He tried to remember what happened but it was a blur. His eyes filled up with tears as the urge to cry overwhelmed him. He felt something thick and warm dripping down his cheeks as he looked upon Ana. He wiped a hand across his cheek. It came away dripping and red with blood. When he cried, his teas became blood. Vampires don’t cry for that reason; it’s a waste of precious life essence. With the flood of emotion, the dream came back to him. He saw himself move to the bed. Take hold of her and pick her up as she slept, bearing her neck to him. Her carotid artery jumped as her life passed through it with each beat of her heart. His gaze fixed upon it as he imagined the taste of her. Before he knew what he was doing he had bitten her. Ana’s life essence exploded on his tongue and filled his belly, staving off the fire of hunger and thrilled him and sustaining his existence as her life slowly drained away, flowing in scarlet rivers down his throat. She taste d heavenly, intoxicating like wine as it circulated throughout his body. He felt as though he floated on a cloud. A fog clouded his mind, making his thoughts slow to surface and his movements slow. Calmness drifted through him in waves, leaving behind a feeling of floating on air. His eyes slowly regained sight and reality hit him as he remembered the events. What did I do? What have I become? His mind played through the scenes and suddenly his heart sank as if it were attached to an anchor. A hollow feeling flashed through him, leaving him torn between bloodlust and the need of his heart. Pain crept through him, as isolation suddenly weighed heavily upon him. It burned like fire through every muscle in his body, making every nerve ending throb. An image remained in the forefront of his mind as if it were a video stuck on pause with the one image playing repeatedly. It repulsed him and the thought of feeding on her horrified him. He shook his head back and forth trying to banish the image from his mind. The urge remained and the fire in his stomach threatened to burn him to cinders. Erin pulled the bed curtains back once more and saw that Ana had managed to prop herself up on the headboard. He sat down again on the edge of the bed, looking into her eyes… Suddenly he pulled her close, cradling her as a mother would, trying to soothe her and banish her fears by softly humming. Her head rested on his chest as the silence of his heart hit her. Her eyes went wide with the revelation of her suspicions. She stiffened as fear tore through her like an electric shock but it found no purchase within her and soon faded. A feeling of warmth flooded in. She became lightheaded and dizzy all of a sudden. She pulled away from him, stabilizing herself with her hands on either side of her but she fell back against the pillow. Her arms were jell-o and would not hold her up. He hung his head in defeat, thinking… She knows. He stood with these words, “I will leave you to rest. Sleep well.” Quickly he stood with a great sense of despair. “Erin?” she whispered as fire engulfed her lungs, starving them of oxygen and burning them to blackened char. Her whispered query floated up to his ears. He stopped mid-motion as something in her voice held him in place. “Yes?” he answered without turning, surprised by his suddenly beating heart, racing in his chest as endorphins raced through his body. Ana reached a hand up to him and quietly said, “Stay?” with an inviting look in her eyes and a mischievous smile on her face. And play she thought. Upon hearing the one word and her voice full of fear, turned to look at her and saw hollowness in her eyes. Something was off with her and he grew apprehensive. In that moment, it felt like someone reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. His lungs burned and he could not breathe. She shook with a chill as she snuggled down in the bed. The chill grew worse when she moved, running rampant through her body and causing her teeth to chatter. The twinkle faded, replaced by a scared and confused look as her eyes filled with tears and threatened to spill forth. He sat on the bed, wondering what she was thinking about. She weakly grabbed his arm and pulled him down to her level. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Sobs burst forth in a sudden bout of depression. Darkness lingered in the air, coloring the mood. Blackness clung to her as she put her arms around his neck but they refused movement. They lay motionless and weak on the bed beside her. Struggling to sit up, “I can’t move…” she squeaked out breathlessly, with a thousand pounds sitting on her chest. Her heart raced, her head spun and her lungs were starved of oxygen. She gasped for air as she thought… I’m having a heart-attack! Her limbs were heavy, like they weighed ten tons. The sobs tore small sounds from her throat as a tear fell on his arm. He wrapped his arms around her, gently lifting her off the pillow and cradling her softly, letting her feel the coolness of his skin. He stroked her hair slowly and softly, whispering “It’s O.K.” She let out a hoarse utterance that sounded like “Are you?” followed by a bout of coughs. Once again her lungs burned and her head spun, the lights dimmed then she went limp in his arms. She slid back into the darkness. This time there was nothing of fear in her, no worries of mortal danger, no monsters… Just a peace that was so profound, it changed everything. She now saw the darkness as beautiful. Saw the darkness within herself that she had not known existed and found a new love that night. Erin reluctantly laid her down on the bed, positioning her head on the pillow. He sighed with exasperation, knowing he should not get attached to her but he had already fallen for her. The damage was done and curled up beside her. He laid his head on her stomach, holding his breath at first so he could listen to her slow rhythmic inhalations. After a few hours of listening to the sounds of her sleeping, he began to nod off. His eyes slowly closed. His breathing became shallow, almost a whisper, matching the rhythm of hers’. He plunged headlong into the darkness and heard the sounds of crying, wailing, then the sounds of claws scrabbling on concrete, and flesh being ripped apart, torn from bone. A scream pierced the darkness, “NO! Get away from me.” It was Ana and she was terrified beyond reason. Erin thought, “Do not fear. I am here!” The screams stopped suddenly as his thought given tangibility echoed through the pitch. ************************************* The black expanse melted away slowly, retreating as if it was flesh being stung repeatedly. Where the blackness the first rays of light shone, like the sun rising on a new day. Peace settled over everything. It infiltrated them, changing the excitement of fear to serene calmness. The new energy that entered this darkened world of terror was familiar to her somehow. Her body began to tingle and felt light as air. She felt her feet leaving the ground. She floated mere inches off the ground as the hard, dark earth vanished. It was replaced by a vast mirror, reflecting the light up at her, blinding her eyes. Ana recognized it and gasped in surprise she started moving, slowly at first. As she realized she could control it, she sifted into a superman pose and flew. The wind her motion produced pushed her hair back from her face. It felt good to feel the wind her face and the freedom of flight… But where was she going? She had no idea. All she knew was she felt a pull to go south. Something guided her to a mysterious dark spot on the recently lightened horizon. It grew larger and larger as she got closer. Her sense of anticipation grew as she approached. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw a person standing there. Her flight stopped abruptly as she held a hand up to her face trying to shield her eyes from the light. It was a human figure that was all she could see until the figure turned toward her and she recognized the familiar twin jewels glinting like near colorless topaz. Something inside her screamed with joy. “Erin!” she screamed as she descended to where he stood. She threw her arms around him as his arms encased her, without thinking their lips met. Her body started to tingle as his hands roamed over it and she got a flash of what he was thinking. Her body became heavy and a sinking feeling came over her in a sudden wave of nausea. Consciousness returned to her in a rush. Ana bolted upright in the bed, her skin tingling and prickling from his touch. Something lay in her lap. She looked to see what it was but she could not see. Her vision was obscured by the light, as if she had been crying for a long time. When her eyes finally stopped tearing and she could see well enough, she looked down into his sleepy blue eyes. She picked up a hand, stroked his brown hair, and then relaxed back into the pillow. Suddenly she got a chill, actually she downright froze. Her body convulsed violently as her teeth chattered louder than before. Something cold and wet tickled the skin of her abdomen as her stomach began to churn. It protested noisily, bile rose up into her throat, burning as it went through her esophagus. She picked her head up, her eyes went wide with surprise. He kissed and licked the soft, pale skin of her stomach. Every muscle in her body relaxed like she had taken valium. A warm sensation filled her in waves of delight from where his tongue touched her skin. She arched her back and sighed in response, the convulsions subsided as quickly as they began. He continued to play games, licking wet lines on her skin. His tongue was cold and wet like an icicle, making slow, deliberate circles around her belly button and plunging into it. Occasionally he would press his lips to the warm, pale pink skin over her abdomen. His elongated incisors brushed the flesh of her stomach, sending tremors through her. In sudden incapacitating waves of memory drowned in sheer ecstasy, she gasped. Delight rippling through her as every muscle stiffened and she began to giggle like a school-girl laughing at an unseen joke. He looked up the line of her body, his eyes met hers quizzically. He sat up when he saw the hollow look in her eyes, “What’s wrong?” “This feels…………” She said with tears in her eyes and breathless whispers on her tongue, “like a dream!” “Why are you shivering?” He asked with a look and his head tilted to the side. “DÉJÀ VU!” She said under her breath as a blank look suddenly came across her face. She paled visibly as he carefully laid his weight down on the bed. He lay quietly with his head on her lap, staring into her brown eyes. They spoke volumes as they screamed, "Don’t!” He decided he’d play it cool for now. He traced lines on her stomach with chilly fingers, as he watched the many things run through her mind and flash briefly in her eyes. Her eyes became heavy with sudden exhaustion. Confusion crowded her mind as her eyelids drooped. Slowly they closed as unconsciousness swiftly overtook her. She drifted upon wave after wave of rough seas as her mind manufactured blue skies. She was only vaguely aware of him as her heart thudded in her chest. The sound, like thunder, filled his ears. Echoing in his own heart as a great sadness descended upon him. He lay mere inches away from her, still like death and cold as winter’s snow. His heart stilled as his mind wandered to thoughts of his ancient love. She was beautiful, unnaturally so and pale with alabaster skin like a porcelain doll. She was endowed with a warm and friendly disposition, made friends easily but kept everyone at a distance until she came to Charlestown. Her carriage came bouncing up a long winding dirt drive, stopped in front of a house with tall white columns stretching from the ground to the roof, spanning the front of the three stories. Painted white and shaded by massive oaks and maple trees, the place was huge, like a mansion with a grove of sugar maples behind it. There was always a constant stream of people littering the oak lined lane leading to the front steps when an ornate carriage stopped in front of the house and out stepped a young lady of about 17 years of age. Erin could not take his eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and he became smitten with her. She looked about 12 years old and as beautiful as any flower with slightly exotic looking features. Her skin was milky white and smooth as glass, nose small, cheekbones high and barely visible under a softly arching brow, mouth small, lips tinted with red stain. As she stepped out of the carriage, she looked up to the front of the house, her eyes glinting in the sunlight. Plantation workers were always running in and out The ground was littered with rocks of various sizes, even a boulder or two. In the distance, kneeling by a huge rock, shadowed by a monolithic stone, then the darkened figure stood up, bathed in the early rays of the sun. He glowed as the light seemed to bounce off his skin. Then the figure turned to her. Eyes the color of aquamarines stared at her back at her from a face contorted with a snarl and lips stained, sharp pointed, incisors dripping with red. Ana’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped breathlessly, her breath caught in her throat when her eyes caught hers. His eyes were white, like a blind person’s. A frightened feeling crept through her, squeezing her heart out of her chest as her instincts said run. Her mind said, No, don’t run!, as she became entranced by the sight of him. As he looked at her she felt something like fire creep slowly up her body, through her limbs, making her feel feverish. Her legs became like lead as her head swam and she felt light as air. She gave in to the sensation of being lighter than air but her feet had become rooted to that spot causing pain to blossom in her midsection. It felt like she was being torn apart. Her vision flickered like an electric failure during a storm. She tried to stand, her knees became Jell-o and she collapsed to the rocky ground. He pulled her up into his lap as his eyes began to glow with a crimson fire. A sudden urge took over him. His teeth elongated and the color of his irises drained away. His eyes became completely devoid of color except for the enlarged blackness of his pupils. They were as clear as diamonds. A little rumble low in his throat snuck from his lips as he opened his mouth wide with blinding speed he leaned forward. His mouth clamped down on her neck, his teeth sharp, pierced the flesh of her neck. ----------------------------------------------------- Her vision had been restored, looked up to where he had been just moments before. Dry sand floated in the air and swirled around as if caught in a tornado. He was gone! A whisper, so soft and low in her ear startled her. She jumped moving away from the sound, heart beating rapidly in fear. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said in a softly melodic voice. Ana looked up into hazel eyes that had bled to white; they were as white and clean as new fallen snow. She lay cradled in his arms as her gaze fell from his hypnotic eyes. Her focus fell upon his lips as he bent down over her as if shielding her from an invisible enemy. In that instant, her stomach swarmed with butterflies, her heart suddenly seized up and her breathing ceased. nearing her Suddenly peace washed over her and slumped down to lay unconscious on the rocky ground. She woke to darkness. The sun had set in the west, behind a rather mountainous hill she had not noticed earlier in the day. Through foggy vision she made out that someone had born witness to this sudden loss of consciousness and had remained here, by her side to be a nurse if it was needed. A hand touched her face, soft as silk, cool and trembling. A soft voice broke through the pounding in her ears, shyly attempting to soothe her frayed nerves and calm her. She heard someone speaking but could not hear clearly. To her ears all sound was muffled, like it happened many miles away and her ears detected the last reverberating echo before it died out completely. Her breath caught in her throat as her mind filled with images of a decade long passed. Images of life as another person brought with them anger, hatred, fear, gut-wrenching, heart-stopping pain, that made her ache physically from head-to-toe. Her energy drained in the blink of an eye, it felt like she was dying. But at the same time, she was filled with limitless energy. Love and contentment came pouring in, like so much water. She felt herself being divided into two separate halves with that part of herself that told her who she was going to the other Ana. It was a bit overwhelming to feel so much at once. A fog settled on her, clouding her mind. Confusing her with so many paths to be explored as it quickly spread through her, growing diffuse but seemed to dilute somewhat. |
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