Into The Darkness

Leo's Castle

There were multiple fires burning all over the ground. The grass and trees are burnt. The ground is covered with burned bodies. They are indistinguishable. It is still so dark here, but something has changed. The sun doesn’t look brown anymore. It looks blood-red. I started to walk around like I usually do. I am pretty sure I am at White Crescent. I have had this dream for the past 4 months. It changes some here and there. For the most part, though, it is always the same.

I heard a kid scream and I ran toward the sound. Another different scream overlapped the first one. I finally reached the source of the screaming. Two small boys are running towards me. They must be three or four years old. They both look a lot like Christopher. They have gotten younger since my original dream. Sometimes they are older but this is the first time they got younger.

They both looked up at me at the same time. “You have to run! She's coming! Run!!!” One of them said.

“There isn’t much time. Run!!!.” The other one said as they ran past me.

I want to run after them, but my feet feel glued to the ground. They won't move. I yank and pull but they won't budge. I finally gave up. I felt eyes on me, so I looked up to see Celine standing there. She is wearing a very long and elegant-looking black long sleeve dress with a high neckline. It hugs her body all the way down to her hips and then flows out. Her hair is also styled differently. She has half her hair pulled back. It is so strange to see her dressed differently. Since I've known her, she has worn the same exact dress every single day, for every occasion.

“I looked everywhere” Celine said, but it wasn’t her voice. It was a million different voices at once. “ I cannot find her. She will come for you. She will come for me. She is going to kill everyone. Stop her!”

“Who?” I asked.

“Catalina. Stop her! Find the chosen ones.”

“How do I stop her and what are the chosen ones?” I asked.

“Go to Leo”, she replied and disappeared.

I blinked, and I am in Seth's arms, still in bed. I have been told to find Leo for the past four months. Right after the original dream. So here we are. In Leos castle, trying to figure out what this dream is telling me. Leo's castle is about what you would expect for a vampire castle. It is ancient. The inside and outside are all made of gray stone. They use candles instead of lights, and they don't believe in electronics here. So no TV at all. It is extremely boring most days. I guess I should feel lucky to have running water for the shower. There have been a handful of spirits that appear. None of them have any information that has been useful. Most of them are very creepy. So I do what I can to avoid them.

I get up and call Celine before heading downstairs with Seth. I have been worried about her. It is hard to help some who doesn't let you in. I sat down at the dining table. We always eat breakfast while Leo reads the paper. Leo is always dressed in his expensive clothes. He really loves his gold. He has at least three or four pieces of jewelry on him at all times. We love Leo and Draven, Leos' second in command, but we really miss home.

Draven comes walking in. A woman came in right behind him. He is a ladies' man. He can charm any woman of any species into bed. He is attractive, so I can’t really blame those women. He has light brown hair and baby blue eyes with dimpled cheeks. There is a youthfulness to his eyes. He is the complete opposite of Leo in personality. Draven is always playful and smiling even when stressed out. Leo, on the other hand, is very proper.

Draven sees me and smiles. “Audrey, good morning.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. Seth lets out a low growl. This is a ritual for our mornings.

“Good morning Draven.” I reply with a chuckle.

“Any new visions?” He asked.

“No...just the same one I always have.” I cannot help but to feel disappointed. The dream is on repeat with no extra clues lately. I still have no idea what to look for here.

“The same one that told you to live in a vampire's castle. Surrounded by vampires?” I nodded my head. I have already read every single book in the library. I have also explored most of the castle more than once. I glanced back at Leo. Maybe he is hiding something from me. He claims to have no idea what I could be looking for but I don't believe him. Something tells me he is holding something back.

A butler comes in with a silver tray. On it is a letter. “Prince Draven. A letter arrived for you earlier this morning.” He bows while holding the tray out. Draven opens the letter and sighs. “The elders requested a meeting tomorrow afternoon with both of us, Leo.” The butler bows his head and leaves the room. Leo glanced at me behind the newspaper.

“They don’t want us living with you,” I stated.

“They don't get to control me. I am the king. You can stay as long as you want,” Leo said. He went back to reading the paper. I don’t really think he is actually reading it anymore. Vampires are crazy fast in speed, and it should only take a minute to read that entire paper.

“Seth, would you like to go for a run with me when the sun sets?” Draven asked.

Seth looked at me. “Do you want to go?”

I glanced up at Draven and then looked at Seth. “I think I want to explore the castle a little further tonight. I thought it would be good to do it alone. It may help me concentrate.”

“Okay my love. Please be careful.” He lifts my hand up and kisses the back of my knuckles. It sends butterflies to my core. “I will go run and you can explore. If you need anything, call me.”