Chapter 44

The mud behind me struck my back. There was nowhere for me to go because I was entirely backed against the wall. From within, a black, forked tongue protruded as the vampire opened its mouth and screamed something at me. The horror that was rising inside my lungs made me scream once again. Beside me, I didn't notice there was a channel until my elbows slid into its fold. Finding the flashlight with my palms, I searched for it. The thing withdrew and snarled once again as I shot the light directly into its eyes. Taking a moment to gather myself, I took five. It illuminated the opposite side of the room and fled through the dark tunnel when I tossed the flight light.

I really hoped the vampire couldn't see me because I had no idea where I was going. It was searching for me, and I could feel the whole tunnel tremble. The vampire was traveling down the same tunnel as me, and it took her a mere second to recognize that I had turned around. I chanced upon a branch and, upon tugging, discovered it had a lemon scent. I felt relieved, Vervain. Holding it near to me, I tugged at the root. The girl growled, pushing me back into another wall, "I could smell you," and said, "drop the plant, come to me." You'll feel good about it, I swear." "Leave me alone!" I let out a cry.

What is the duration since my last meal? I was left to fester here by the others, who assumed I had dead. When the thing stuck its tongue in my face once more, I started crying. "I begged to be let go," I shouted out. "No chance." Something started rattling overhead. Shaking as the roof started, we both looked up. "What is that, and who's that person?" hissed the girl. She took the plant from me and clasped it around my neck with her sharp talons. My tongue nearly got bit by my own spit, choking me. It was as the roof parted to show an aperture that the girl bit my neck with her teeth. "Let her go, now!" It was that voice that I recognized.

That was Damon. The beast pulled out its fangs and said, "You're too late. She's mine now." Something that I can't see was choking Damon. What appeared to be a wooden cross was dragged down by him. The girl jumped as though something had scorched her as it touched the vampire's shoulder. Whistling and growling, she flung me aside and ducked into the corner. Eventually, her death grip had released me. "You don't have time, you have to jump!" Instructions were screamed by Damon. I could never have made it through the aperture; it must have been many feet above. "I can't reach it!" Stretching out his arms, Damon said, "Jump, and I'll catch you!" as he squeezed through the opening. "You'll fall-" He coughed and said, "We don't have time."

I'm getting weaker from the silver, he gasped again, "We don't have time." Between each phrase, he coughed, "I can't go on much longer. You have to jump, now!" I gazed directly forward. Abruptly, enormous amounts of silver in the tunnel beyond shimmered, as though to remind me that it had always been there. Once more, Damon yelled as I moved in its direction. "She's getting up, hurry!" That vampire hissing sound was back. After the fact. We both got out of the hole when I leaped up and Damon caught hold of my wrists with his. Damon was having trouble closing the glass as I fell to the ground.

Once again, it was too late as he appeared feeble, even more so than I had anticipated. He had difficulty lifting the metal. With the blood streaming from my wounds, the vampire girl had emerged and leapt directly at me, seemingly fortified by her might. My thighs were attacked by her fangs, causing me to cry out in agony. When I sat up, I saw that a massive werewolf had taken Damon's place. I had felt her body being stripped from me. The vampire hurled Damon over the tree and his wolf moaned before sliding and thudding on the ground during their brief battle. I took long, hesitant steps backwards, away from the female who was coming toward me. Damon was abruptly awake and

Damon shot to his feet without warning. The vampire struck her face with her talons and landed on top of him. His blood spattering my entire body was brutal. Because of his extreme weakness, I realized I had to assist him. My task was to get the wooden stake that was hanging from the metal window. I took a few steps to find it and snatched it up. The vampire's fangs and talons were both buried deep inside Damon's skin as they tumbled across the dirt. When our gazes locked, Damon's started to flutter. "Go," he cried out, "run."

I pushed it on her back and held up the cross. I gripped it firmly and threatened to touch her again when she leaped up and screamed at me. "Let him go!" I exclaimed. "You fool!" Right before Damon could jump back up and rip her head off, she let out a scream. The monster sprang free from her body as his enormous jaw and teeth clamped down around her neck. Her head came rolling down to meet my feet, and I puked to the side. By the time I felt like throwing up, Damon had transformed back into a guy. There he lay by the tree, motionless. Everything has stopped making noise. I stumbled backwards for a minute against a tree trunk. Everything in my head was racing, including my thoughts. What drew him to this place? In what way was I aware that he was here? Thinking that it could all end here, I could just leave him to die. Furthermore, the silver is really near. The council would be aware that he perished as a result of the vampire, thus there would be no purpose. I need him alive, and they need to see that I killed him, so they won't uphold the tradition that gives me the right to speak. Where he was, I crawled. I gave him a cheek smack and attempted to pry open his eyes in an attempt to wake him up. “Damon wake up, it is me.”

He stood there still. My eyes began to well up with tears. I tried to give him a firm shake, but I was getting tired both mentally and physically. Then his eyes flitted and he gasped, saying, "The silver...it's too close." So I would have to move him away from the silver. I pulled him into the trees and away from me by grabbing his arms. Because of Damon's weight, it was difficult. After a duration of approximately 10 minutes, Damon had moved sufficiently away from the silver to make him stable. As we hobbled back in the direction of the car, I balanced his arm across my shoulders. As I took over as the driver, I pushed him into the passenger seat and sped home as quickly as I could while he was passed out.