Where The River Flows Red

Twenty-Two

A Dollar Underwater- Slasher Flick

        Dreaming is difficult. My dreams are nothing but snippets of my memories. New emotional attachments are coming up and I'm not sure I know how to handle them. I know this man is my father. I know he protected me but I know nothing about him. Sure, from my perspective of the events that led to his disappearance, we look like the victims. Yet, there's an unsettling feeling about everything. Like he had seriously messed up and he made the people go after him like this. Why? What did he do? 

    Why am I fighting this? Is it because of my attachment to Bournes? How are my parents doing with what happened? Everything they've worked so hard for is gone because of me and the so-called favor they're doing my father. They were demoted. How does a king get demoted like that? It doesn't make sense to me. All of this is different and while I feel like I understand, there are still a lot of blurred lines. 

    I got up and walked out into the hallway. This place is big for a penthouse. I haven't looked at any of the rooms because I've been cooped up in mine. Father taught me to know all possible exits at all times. I walked through the rooms and began to count the windows to pass the time. I am at twenty-six. That is not even a little safe. There are too many entrances. Too many opportunities to get the people inside. To spy on them. To surround them. 

    How crazy that a few days ago, I hadn't even seen a gun and now, I know about eighty different types, part by part, size, weight, the kind of damage it can cause. I even have a favorite. I know contacts and names to where to find weapons I'm going to need. Locations to safe houses my dad set up. I know things I didn't days prior. My senses are so alive. I used to trip on thin air. I was a very clumsy human. 

    "What are you doing?" I looked back at Silas who is leaning on the door frame of the computer I found in an empty bedroom. I heard him coming. His heartbeat is a bit distracting. 

    "Thinking about how shitty I was at being human," I laughed. He chuckled. 

    "I think you made a great human," he shrugged walking in. He sat on the bed behind me and laid back. 

    "Your opinion is bias. You are my brother," I shrugged. That made him laugh.

    "Why do you talk like that now? Like you're one of them,"

    "I remember a conversation you had with Ebony," I laughed. "About how they-we, speak like robots,"

    "Did you hear everything and just pretend you didn't?" he asked without looking at me.  

    "No," I shook my head. "I would have gone crazy. I would have resented you both if that were the case,"

    "Then how?"

    "I heard it in my sleep," I shrugged. 

    "Your mind works like that?" he asked. I nodded. 

    "It's like a recording device. Anyway. I have a theory about that,"

    "Your mind?"

    "No," I smirked. "Why vampires speak the way we do. Our minds aren't singular like yours. We aren't limited to the above ten percent of a mortal. My particular brand of powers gives me access to a little over forty percent,"

    "What?" he asked confused. 

    "Yeah, and there are others who use the same amount but in a different area and they can do things like reading minds. If my abilities were to unlock to about three percent more, I'd be able to read minds and my telekinesis would be a lot stronger. I'm talking about-"

    "Stop," he put his hand up. "Don't tell me,"

    "What's wrong?" I asked.

    "The less about you I know, the better. They know I have a soft spot for you and if I know more than I should, they can use a few things against me to get that information. I have people I need to protect and you are more than capable of protecting yourself now. You have people who can protect you,"

    "Oh," I nodded. "Right. I forget,"

    "Tobi-" he stood up and began to make his way to me. I put my hand up stopping him.

    "I'm not Tobi anymore, Silas. My name is Amelia,"

    "Okay," he nodded backing away. "Amelia. I don't want to be rude. You still are my sister and I am trying to protect you as well,"

    "Yes, I get it," I nodded and turned my back to him. 

    "To-uh. Amelia, I'm sorry,"

    "I bet," I dismissed him. "I have something to do. Leave the door open on your way out. This one, if you're leaving entirely, you might have to ask Raven,"

    "I'll see you around," he sighed and left. 

    It took Raven a couple of minutes to show up. She sat down where Silas had been I can feel her staring at the back of my head. What can she really tell me that I haven't already told myself? That others haven't said and told me. I am entitled to what I feel and right now. I don't like what I feel but I can't just ignore it for their benefit. How would that benefit me? All of us. 

    "What?" I asked turning to look at her. 

    "Are you okay?" she asked. I wasn't expecting that. 

    "I am," I nodded. 

    "You are surprisingly a better liar than your brother and mine combined and they're known to be the best," she smirked. "You don't have to lie to me. Actually, you can't. Reading body language and knowing why people do what they do is kind of my specialty. It's why I became a doctor. It's part of my abilities as a vampire,"

    "I'm just not sure what I am right now," I shrugged. "I'm okay right now. I'm trying to balance out two lives and it feels like I'm just hurting people and taking sides. I have a lot going on in my head and Elijah suggested that I write down what I can so that we can set it out like a puzzle and try to solve it. I have six hundred and fifty-eight pages so far,"

    "Sweet moon. Are you serious?" she stooped up and came over to me enthusiastically. I turned around to show her the file I started. She hit the print button. "You write and we read,"

    "Oh, okay," I nodded. 

    "Elijah," she shouted. It startled me. Elijah barged into the room like a crazy person. 

    "What?" he asked alarmed. He looked me over worriedly. Godrick and Ana followed. 

    "I said Elijah for moon's sake," she dismissed them. Godrick growled at her. "Okay, you can go now," she waved him off. "Drama King,"

    "Don't do that again," Ana warned her. This time Raven bowed her head and agreed. 

    "She's right. Amelia is in a very delicate position and we're all on edge. Chill, Rave," Elijah scolded her. 

    "Alright," she nodded and handed him the pages she had sped read to him. He took them. He winked at me as he began to go through them. 

    "Oh," he sat down and began to carefully go through my details. That instantly made me feel better. I understand Silas's position but I can't stop it from hurting me. He's the person or was the person I went to for everything and it sucks that I don't have that with him anymore. 

    I got back on the computer and continued to work my fingers over the keyboard. Once in a while, a song would pop into my head and I would start singing for no reason. This is kind of funny. Alarming and a little painful but fun nonetheless. I like it. I feel like a part of my actual personality is surfacing and I need something to be about me. They don't seem to mind. Raven joins in once in a while. 

    After a few hours, I started sweating. I would pause when waves of heat would pulse through me. It wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, I had felt it before. I don't know how long ago but the sensation is almost the same. Yet, as time went by, the heat in my body began to intensify past the feeling of familiarity. I stopped and after a few minutes so did the printer. 

    "You okay?" Elijah asked. 

    "I feel really hot," I whispered. 

    He was behind me and pulling me away from the desk in a flash. I looked up at him completely freaking out. My heart is beating so fast that my movements feel robotic. My body is under so much stress, my mind can't keep up. I don't know what to do. His touch is cold against my skin.

    "Now you can scream, you nut case," he growled at his sister. 

    "Godrick. Godrick," Raven shouted. 

    "If you're being an ass hole. I swear-" he stopped at the doorway when his eyes landed on me. "Let's get in her the bath. Elijah, you've been feeding right?"

    "Yes, sir," he confirmed as he picked me up. 

    He took me back to my bedroom and started the water in a massive tub. He sat me down in the middle of the tub and climbed in with me. The cold water began to fill it soaking through our clothes. The water is only going so far. Ana and Raven came in with bags of ice. 

    My eyes are burning. Once again, my head is aching so bad that my ears are ringing. The sound of the ice sliding into the tub is irritating me. The water is starting to tremble. Droplets are levitating around us. He looked around to see that it is happening all around us. I'm sure it's not limited to this room. It never is. The others stepped away from us, he took my hands in his. I know why he's in here with me now. His power is ice. One of them. I think there are a total of eight different abilities inside of him. He pulled me into him and I let him. 

    "Okay, it's only going to get worse. I need you to try and stay as calm as possible. Can you do that?" he whispered as if he knows the noise is bothering me. 

    "I hope so," I nodded. 

    I can see the steam of heat coming off my body with how cold the water around me is and it still doesn't feel like it's enough. I let my body submerge under the water. Only my face is just above the surface. Elijah is sitting on the edge of the tub without taking his eyes off of me. Godrick is sitting on the sink. They sent Raven and Ana away. Something about me becoming territorial when I do transition. 

    The memories stopped coming. There is nothing but the feeling of fire in my veins. As I'm laying here trying to stay as calm and collected as I possibly can, I'm starting to think that the burning is more of a psychological effect. It would make more sense since my powers are more in my head than anywhere else. Maybe not. I honestly just want to keep my mind preoccupied with something. Anything. 

    I laughed and as soon as my teeth were met with the coldness of the water, I sat up feeling how sensitive they got. The cold hurts. I looked down at the water to see that it's turning red with blood. I looked up at Elijah panicked. 

    "It's okay. Your fangs are piercing your gums from the inside out. The blood is normal. It's also going to make you feel hungry. It's going to take a new..." he paused trying to look for the right word. "Flavor. Something, sweet and you're going to want a lot more of it and you can take it from me. Do not hesitate, Amelia. It's not going to hurt me. Trust me when I say that I'm going to enjoy it just as much as you are,"

    "I'm still here," Godrick cleared his throat. 

    "Whatever you take from me if it's not enough. He can give you more. Don't worry about killing me. You can't. He won't let you kill him. He's older and stronger. Do you understand?"

    "Yes," I nodded. 

    I sat back and made sure that the water no longer touched my mouth again. I began to push the ice cubes that are floating around me back and forth with the tips of my fingers. My eyes, the more they burn the better I can see. The buzzing around me, what's making the water float, it's all buzzing louder like I'm walking towards an electric transformer one small step at a time. I feel like we've been here for hours. Is it daylight out now? 

    I licked my lips and just like he said, the blood in my mouth took a different taste. I can't describe the taste, all I know is that it's the greatest thing to ever fill my mouth. I groaned when the pit of my belly began to ache. I cried out when something in my mouth began to cut every muscle in it. My body began to shake as the pain completely took over me in the same manner anxiety did when I was younger. 

    The water as well other things around us are starting to levitate. The water is starting to spin around me. Elijah stood up and stepped in front of me. His eyes are locked onto mine. I can't bring myself to look away. There's a part of me that needs something from him. More than just the blood. I can get blood from anywhere else but if I focus on him alone, I'm not going to be able to get what I want right now. 

    I growled at him and turned my attention to the other person in the room. I can see him through the swirl of the water spinning around me. Elijah reached for me but I stepped away trapping him in the whirlpool of water. 

    My senses are completely taking over. I growled at the man in front of me and pinned him to the door. I used so much force that the door broke apart. He laughed, the sound of it is teasing and the best part is that he's scared. It's not full fear he's just skeptical about me biting him. He put his hand up and mumbled something. He stood up straight and placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked down at his hand and smiled. 

    I can't help it anymore. I pounced on him. The vibration of his scream on my lips made me laugh and I bit into him. An incredible burst of flavor flooded my mouth and I'm taking as much as I can as fast as I can. The more of him I get inside of me the more I can taste just how similar he is to the flavor already in my mouth. My belly ached again and I pushed myself away and turned away from him.

    "Get out," I demanded. 

    "Mila," he choked out my name with a slight gurgle. The fear from before is no longer just a faint fear. It's loud and demanding as if it were inviting me to take more of it. 

    "Get out. You don't taste very good. You aren't mine," I hissed at him. He stood up and made his way towards the door. I heard it click shut and it was only then that I released the water in the next room. 

    He rushed out and was in front of me in an instant. I looked him over knowing exactly who he is. This being belongs to me. He's beautiful. His scent has no fear in it. There's a more delightful scent coming off of his body. The scent of a vampire who desires nothing more than the creature standing in front of him.

    "I have to say that you wounded me," he looked me over. I have better control of my body with the new blood coursing through my veins. 

    "I have to say that I still haven't laid a hand on you," I smirked. He laughed exposing his fangs to me, timidly. 

    "You rejected me as your first," his tone is deeply wounded. I can feel how much it's affecting him. How odd. 

    "Oh," I looked down at my bloodied hands. "I needed to get rid of him. He may be the first I bite but you will be the first for everything else,"

    His scent permeated the air around us more than before. The aches returned and my fangs once again demand substance. I stepped into him. This has to be gentle. He is shy after all. How lucky am I to have something this beautiful belong to me. He's mine and soon I will only be his. 

    "What are you waiting for?" he asked reaching for me. 

    "I'm not waiting," I held up his shirt. He looked down at his torso to see that I had taken the shirt without him knowing. It's in four pieces. "You just need to relax,"

    "How did you-" he began to ask. I placed my hand on his chest and stopped him from saying another word. If it wasn't clear before that he belongs to me it is more than clear now. A burst of electricity crackled where our bare skin meets. 

    "Shh, just relax," I repeated. "We have all the time in the world now,"