Vampire Dream

Chapter 8 - Elbow Room

My eyes opened to complete darkness. There was no room to sit up, but it was spacious enough to wiggle around. I felt around with my hands, and there was a soft lining of what seemed like a large box. A mumble was audible through the top. I was able to wriggle my hands closer to my chest and tried pushing the top of the box, but it wouldn’t budge. Many gunshots filled the silence. Then spastic thunks hit the top of the box. I knew where I was: in a coffin. I began banging on the top of the box, screaming and yelling to get someone - anyone - to hear me.

Then the thunking stopped. Only silence. My chest started heaving, my lungs feeling like there was not enough oxygen. I took deep breaths to calm myself, then lay in the silence and thought. These events didn’t add up. The last thing I remembered was being angry at my father for something. I couldn’t see him, but something he said had caused me to awake from something and tell him off. Then he slapped me, and I blanked. And before that, I remembered my dad had shot me after I saved him from Stephy. I tried to piece together some fabrication that could explain my life for the past month.

What seemed like hours later, I heard the sound of sinking sand. Then a large thunk on the ceiling. I sensed danger and stayed quiet. The coffin lid was ripped open to reveal Stephy. I stared at him, eyes wide and body stiff. He held his hand out to me, a helping hand. Confused, I took it and he lifted me out of the ground and into his arms, where he jumped out of the 10 ft hole I was in and carried me to a picnic table nearby my grave. Setting me down on the bench, he sat across from me and waited patiently for me to process the proceedings of what had happened.

“Stephy?” I asked. He nodded solemnly and set his hand in the middle of the table, palm up. I took it again with a smile. Then I realized what had happened before, and my face dropped. “I don’t understand. Why did you.. attack us? Attack Kingston? He’s your best friend.”

Stephy took a huge sigh and bowed his head in shame.

“I didn’t want to. Do you remember that first night, when we dug up that coffin and Shelby opened it?” I nodded. He saw my agreement and continued. “It was me who got the vampire’s attention that night when he had you pinned to the ground.” I widened my eyes, my thoughts finally coming to life.

“Gabriel... is a vampire? Truly?”

“I don’t know his name, but I believe we’re talking about the same person. He chased me for a while, but finally got me when I tripped over a huge vine that resulted in my knee getting dislocated. That’s where he attacked me first. He ripped my knee out of its socket, then scratched me up until I was helpless, then sucked my blood. But I was confused - scared even - when I wasn’t dead. I looked back at him, and he told me ‘You’re mine now. Mine to command. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, nor shall your sister’s. DO as I command and you will be safe.’ ‘But what about that girl? She’s the only family I have left.’" He paused for a bit, his face softening. "‘Mine too. I swear to you, if you do as I say, she will never be harmed again.’ I had to take his agreement, Josie. So when he had me go attack your family, I tried to refuse, but I was under his spell. Those scratches I gave you hurt me far worse. I wasn’t supposed to touch you, but seeing you become what I am made me so mad. You don’t deserve this.” Stephy was in tears, but kept going. “I didn’t want to fight you, but I knew death was better than this any day. I woke up in the hall when Kingston and your father were fighting for your body, but your dad pulled a gun on you, so Kingston had to help your dad with your funeral preparations and coffin sealing.” Pieces of Stephy began to burn, but he continued. “He didn’t want to help, Josie. Kingston loves you, and he’s coming for you. I was hoping you would be dead in that coffin, Josie.” He began to moan in agony. His hand was beginning to get hot, and I had to let go. He sank to the ground, body bursting into flames. I could only stand and watch as my friend’s brother was melting into the ground.

“You’re still a human, Josie. You won’t be a full vampire until all the blood has gone into you. As long as all the vials of blood aren’t put into you, you will still be part human. Don’t let him turn you like he did me.” He began to scream as the ground absorbed him. “I love you, Josie.”

“I love you too, Stephen.” I had to back away from Stephy, but ran into a figure behind me. Turning quickly, it was Gabriel. His face was half-lit with Stephy’s body’s fire and half dark, making him seem darker than usual.

“Gabriel, I don’t understand.” He took a step closer to me, and I took one step back. Then he was right in front of me with such speed I couldn’t calculate until he pinned me in his arms, mouth drooling. I shrugged my shoulders as close to my ears as possible and tried curling myself up, but Gabriel wouldn’t have it. He carried me to the coffin and threw me down, jumping down beside me. Grabbing the coffin lid, he slammed it shut behind him so we were stuck together. I was curled up in a ball as far away from him as possible, but he knew how to maneuver in a coffin. Like a snake, he was somehow able to get me underneath him. His eyes were completely black, and his mouth drooling. I was filled with fear, ready for him to kill me.

But he surprised me. Instead, his teeth didn’t penetrate my neck, but he still sucked on it. His body relaxed on mine as he did so, but I stayed tense. He let go and made eye contact with me. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but soon enough, my hands weren’t my own. Everything except my eyes wasn’t my own. However, I could still feel everything. He began to trace my eyebrows and nose until he heard a slight purr come from my throat. A realization came to him, and his evil smirk overcame his entire face. He tentatively brought his mouth back to my neck, teeth barred. My own teeth were barred, clinging to his neck quickly and stuck. A metallic honey surged through my throat. My body felt energized, rejuvenated.

I had a flashback of the two of us hiding in the forest, doing this same thing.

“You know we’ll get caught,” I worried as he continued sucking. “Gabe, I’m serious.” He paused, licking his lips. I hated when he became surged like this because he felt he could get away with anything.

“Jose, we’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” He tried pulling me back down with him, but I pushed him off.

“Gabe,” I said. “Father is thinking of giving me to someone else.” His face darkened. I felt so sorry for him, never getting anything he wanted from father. This had been his one thing for so long, but father wanted to give us each to a different vampire kingdom and unite us all against the humans. Gabe, however, had no care of politics and always preferred family first.

“I have a plan,” he replied. “If I tell father I don’t want you, he may force you to have me. Or you tell him you want me! You do want me... don’t you?”

“Of course I want you, Gabe. This is why father never liked us alone, because he knew he might change his mind. You know that he thinks of our species first and foremost. If he decides something, it’s always to benefit us in the long run.” Gabe’s face fell. He knew what I was going to say, and didn’t like it.

“Gabe, we can no longer see each other.”

“No.”

“Please, don’t. We can no longer be alone together, especially like this.” He crawled on his knees to my feet and pulled on my dress.

“Josephine, I worship you. We cannot part like this.” I lifted my head and refused to look at his pleading face. I knew the moment I looked at him my courage would subside. Tears dripped down my face, each one filled with regret.

“We will engage in courteous contact, nothing more. If alone, there will be chaperones.” His face was wrapped in the train of my dress, shaking his head. “I must leave.”

Before I could go, he got under my dress and held my legs. Gingerly, he traced his finger on my legs, giving me shivers he knew I’d enjoy. My body was on fire, but this was so wrong. He pulled on my layers underneath my dress until there was nothing between me and him. He lifted his head in between my legs and before I knew it he was licking me. I breathed heavily. I couldn’t move. I hate him. Why does he make this so difficult.

I tried stepping away, but he plunged his finger into me. In and out it went until I could feel the liquid oozing out of me. He then proceeded to lick me again. I purred without control, as I always did. I could feel his smirk, him knowing he succeeded. Coming out from under my dress, he had the most pleading, dreamy, sad face.

“Josie, stay.” And I did.

I was revived from that dream with a spill of night light. The coffin lid was open to reveal the night sky. Gabriel was gasping for breath, tears on his face. I laid there too, gasping for oxygen. Sitting up, I realized I was in control again. I looked at Gabe, his eyes were closed and he looked so sad. Blood covered his mouth and hands, something I wasn’t too happy about. I wiped my mouth, there was barely anything on me. I felt a little loopy - probably from blood loss - but I knew I had to get out. Standing up, I lost balance and almost fell onto Gabe; caught myself in time. I climbed onto the edge of the coffin lid and looked up. There was 10 ft of dirt wall surrounding me.

Touching the wall, I had a vision of Kingston being forced to shovel the hole and create the grave plot as my father held a bullet to my unconscious self. I had to see him again.

Looking at my hands, my nails were still pretty long. I used them to create handles in the walls. Every so often there would be a branch or rock for me to grab onto, but I mostly had to suspend myself in the air as I inched my way up the wall. At one point with a few branches and rocks I decided to take a break. Looking down, I saw Gabe staring up at me. I realized I was wearing a dress.

“You enjoying the view?” I asked.

“There’s not much else to see,” he responded. I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t see his face because of the dark of night and only light coming from the moon, but I could tell he was worn. However, he made a tiny chuckle and I was glad he wasn’t too solemn.

When only one-fourth of the journey was left, I took another break. I looked back at the hole, which was pitch black.

“You better not still be looking at my view,” I challenged with a smirk. No laughter followed. I squinted a bit and I could see no one in the coffin’s white interior.

A hand grabbed mine and lifted me out of the hole. I was lifted face to face with the elvish-looking man. His smile displayed his fangs, which were terrifying with his facial features.

“Care to dance?” He asked me. Like a rag doll, he placed one of my hands on his shoulder and the other on his extended hand. I was probably two feet off the ground as he swung me this way and that to inaudible music.

“I missed dancing with you, my little Josie,” he said. “It has indeed been a long time since our reunion.” I closed my eyes to try and remember this guy, but he tsked at me. “All in good time, my dear. You’ll have to remember yourself before you can remember me.”

“Are you my father?” I asked him. He laughed so hard he accidentally dropped me to the ground and almost fell beside me, he was cackling so much.

“Oh no, my dear. I am most certainly not that heroic man. But I plan to be just like him.” He kneeled right next to me and stared at my throat. “All I need is you.” I started backing away, but he crawled at a similar pace as me so he was almost overtop of me.

Bang.

I watched as a bullet went into his shoulder and blood spattered all over him as I continued backing away, which was a mistake.

Bang.

Another shot went into his leg. I could see him tense up, but then he saw me and winked; disappearing into thin air. One more scoot and I fell into the hole I had just climbed out of. I landed in the padded interior, but the lid fell shut; trapping me again. I screamed in anger and beat at the lid, stupid coffin!! The lid lifted once again to reveal another face, but I was ready. As the lid opened I lifted myself onto my elbows, ready to jump out of it again. Instead, I knew him.

Kingston!

I jumped into his arms and let my tears go, grasping onto him like I would a teddy bear. My face felt like a waterfall, as the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Kingston had been surprised at the sudden show of affection, but held onto me tightly. He repeated “I’m so sorry,” over and over again as I mumbled senseless phrases. Once I calmed down, Kingston showed me the ladder he brought that actually reached the top of the hole. Looking down at him, Kingston set in the coffin a mannequin look-alike of me and shut the coffin lid behind him. He climbed up right behind me to the top. Finally after pulling the ladder out he showed me the two shovels he had brought.

“Your dad is skeptical of me,” he said. “He hired a few goons to check on your grave and kill you if you came out.” I was too tired and empty for more tears about my parents, so I just nodded and then helped Kingston rebury my grave. After he smoothed over the top, he displayed two bouquets of roses. One he set on the grave, the other he handed to me. I gave him a half-hearted smile and let him wrap an arm around my shoulders as we walked together.