128. Confused and Chained
128. Confused and Chained
My eyes cracked open, my head felt a little sore, then I noticed the pain in my wrists and looked, shackles. My eyes adjusted and I saw where I was. I was back at Astor Hall, but not just any part of it. I was back in one of the cells. When did I come home? Did Teddy bring us back?
“Are you calm now?” I heard the crisp voice of Teddy and then he stepped from the shadows and was in front of me. He didn’t look like he had been sleeping. “What, what happened? Why am I chained up again?” I snapped at him, but the bite in my voice was weak. I was more confused than anything.
“You have no memory after the ritual?” Teddy asked me. I just shook my head, why was my head throbbing. Did I hit my head? No, I would have drunk some blood to fix any wound I received, I thought. “Why does my head hurt?” I asked and as Teddy approached, I saw his eyes narrow on me.
“Well let me down and tell me what happened.” I demanded my temper was rising. “I need to show you something before I let you out, and depending on how you react we can talk about letting you out.” I snarled my lips, pulling back, like a rabid animal. I was caught off guard, by my actions, and I ceased immediately. Teddy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mirror. One a woman may carry in her purse or something. He held it up to my face and I about screamed at seeing my reflection.
My once beautiful eyes were red almost entirely; very little amber brown color remained. Then there was my hair. There was a thick strip of stark white near the front. It ran from the root to the tip. My neck jerked, my hands; I had to see my hands. There they were not just the tips of my fingers stained black, like how I remembered.
The black color had descended and was now covering the entirety of my fingers. It still resembled skin, not the goo texture of Malachar’s but they were definitely black. Rage built in my gut, what was happening to me, I screamed, but it wasn’t normal. It was more snarling than a scream. I shut my mouth. “Beatrix” Teddy calm voice spoke. I looked at him. “I took your memories of what happened after the ritual, or at least I blocked them in your mind, I don’t think you need to see what happened.”
My fists clenched. He couldn’t be serious; I had a right to know what happened. “You can’t just go in my head and take things; my memories are mine.” I snapped and involuntarily lunged at him. “Calm yourself” he said but his command felt like a hot iron poker and though I was restrained I tried to charge him the shackles keeping me from it. “LET ME OUT NOW!” I screamed, my body flailing in the chains.
“No, not until you are calm.” He told me and I screamed again, I felt rabid, my body contorting on itself. He slowly began to back up, which only made me angrier. “COWARD!” He then shut the door, leaving me alone in the cell. “I AM YOUR WIFE YOU LET ME OUT; YOU CAN’T FUCKING LEAVE ME HERE FOREVER.” I screamed at him.
He had to be just outside the cell because I heard him speak. “I am not going to keep you restrained forever love. I just need you to be calm before I let you out. And if I free you now you will...” He paused and I began to scream and thrash. What was so important he wasn’t saying it. “LET ME OUT! I HATE YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!” I screamed. I was a banshee, a monster, something I didn’t recognize or know what to call. “I love you,” Then Teddy said nothing else and I didn’t know if I was alone or not.
My body didn’t stop I screamed and screamed. My teeth felt elongated. I was starving, “BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD” I kept calling for it. But nothing came. It was too much I needed to drink; I felt like I was dying. Time, I knew, was already hard for me to comprehend at this point but now it was impossible. There were no windows in this cell, and I didn’t know whether it was night or day.
Teddy did return and when he entered the cell I decided to kill him. I didn’t care; all I wanted was his blood. It didn’t matter that our lives were tied; it didn’t even recognize in my mind all I could think about was my desire to drink something fresh. He left quickly, which only stroked the coal of infuriation that was burning.
Soon a goat was pushed into my cell. The dam animal was keeping his distance though; he knew he was locked in with a predator. I had to drink, and the animal would have to suffice, I decided, but the goat wasn’t coming close to me. I couldn’t stand the sound of the pulse in the furry creature's neck; my urge for a sip was driving me to insanity.
“Fuck this” I hissed, I called on my power, I was over this. Nothing was happening, I dug deeper into myself and then I felt a foreign feeling. It stung but I pushed to access it. I just needed to break my restraints; I had to drink. Then Teddy stomped in his big frame, picked up the goat and shoved it at me. My body went to bite it, but his blood was always better, and he was close now. I went to attack the goat.
But at the last second I lunged for him and my fangs dug into him. Relief, sweet pure relief flooded me. My hair was being pulled but I didn’t mind, it could be ripped out for all I cared for, I just wanted blood. “Theo” Someone yelled and then there were new scents. I felt frantic; this was going to be yummy. Then everything went black.