Blood Juniper A Vampire Tale
Chapter 1.1
End of Summer, year 2017.
Call it a hunch, but I knew today was going to end like this. Just like I knew I was going to be let go of my cushy, dream job I traveled miles away from home for. It’s been half a year now, but I still have that bitter taste in my mouth from being let go. Just like how I know my landlord is planning to kick me out next Friday. He’s at the end of his rope with my favors and I can’t blame him. I’m always short on rent, since my minuscule paycheck at the hole in the wall restaurant isn’t cutting it. Let’s just say I’m not looking forward to it.
And just this last week, going into an old church, I knew someone was going to give me something the second I stepped through the double doors. I hadn’t set foot in a church in years, it was a move of desperation with the way my life has been falling apart at the seams. And just as expected, an item was presented to me, although I didn’t know it would be a priest approaching me with this “gift”.
It is a rather unusual piece. A simple but beautiful necklace with a long, delicate, gold chain. The pendant is made of thin glass rounded and hollow, filled with what seems to be water, seeing how it’s clear. “For your protection,” his earnest words echo in my head.
It’s a pretty good sized pendant, fitting in my palm but surprisingly light. “It looks like a mini snow globe”, my intrigued co worker commented. When the light hit it just right, it sparkled and swirled magically. I don’t know what this necklace means, some kind of symbolic thing? I didn’t exactly go into that church for “protection”. Regardless, I’m still wearing it today, though it doesn’t seem to be protecting me from what’s happening right now. I’m being followed.
I had just finished my long shift at the crappy diner. The night sky was in full swing, the last of the sun’s red glow had disappeared behind the horizon line hours ago. And I knew this would happen, almost like dj vu, it was spelled out so clearly.
The question is, if I knew I was going to be followed, why did I basically walk straight into danger? This isn’t a great part of town and you don’t have to have my remarkably accurate hunches to know I shouldn’t have been walking home alone after sunset.
Usually, I take the bus home but I got off later than usual, I would have had to wait an hour or so for the next one. Still, I could have asked for a ride or waited until I felt it was safe, anything that wasn’t so stupid!
I suppose with everything crashing down around me, I let go of all of my cares to for the sake of my sanity, even my self preservation didn’t seem to matter a while ago. Now, I’m seriously regretting my momentary disregard for my own safety. The way my luck is going lately, I’m going to end up paying dearly for my bad judgement. I’m a fairly small girl after all. I’m not naive enough to think a man couldn’t overpower me, and I had not one but three men following me.
I take a few turns that are not my usual route home, in hopes that it’s just coincidence. ‘They are just headed in my direction, my hunch is wrong and I’m just working myself up.’ I try to reassure myself I’m over reacting.
Nope, I feel panic rise higher into my throat with each turn I take, the men are still tailing me. ‘Ok, I’m definitely in trouble.’ I shove the panic back down and start to think hard on what I need to do to get out of this.
Reaching into my half apron pocket, blindly feeling around for my phone. The screen doesn’t light up when I press my thumb to the power button and I want to smack myself. Oh, of course! I had drained the battery listening to podcasts and music while at work even though I technically wasn’t even supposed to. This was either Murphy’s law at work or a cruel karma for breaking workplace rules. I scrunch my face in frustration, why did my old battery have to loose juice so quickly, today of all days? I should have upgraded this piece of crap a long time ago…
I catch a few glances of these men but don’t turn to look at them completely. I don’t want to make my uneasiness too obvious.
Two of the men are chatting with each other as they follow. Actually, one seems to be doing all the talking, while the other is only acknowledging what he’s saying, occasionally adding something in. From what I can see the other is lagging farther behind. I wasn’t sure if he was apart of the group at first but my few random test turns confirmed that he’s with the other two.
I can’t make out what they are talking about but the chatty one has a deep and strong voice that carries, he sounds oddly carefree but I could see him being pretty intimidating, especially given his large and robust stature that I can make out from his silhouette.
Unfortunately, I’m on the outskirts of the city, the podunk diner is far behind me now, and the few other stores are closed, locked up tight. There’s no chance of me taking refuge in one of those.
The buildings are thinning out into a sparse residential area. The houses are super spread out here with forest on the other side of the road thickening the father I go. ‘Great! How did I get here? This area looks unfamiliar, not to mention deserted!’
I see one house close by and think about walking into it as if it were mine, calling the cops, hopefully someone can help me inside.
My damn intuition wells up inside me. ‘There’s no one home, the doors are locked.’ I knew it as if I had checked the door myself. The dark windows seem to confirm my intrusive hunch.
At that moment a crazy thought bubbles up into my brain. ‘I need to go into the forest. I need to leave the road, now.’ That sounds like a terrible idea. Well, if it were an idea I wouldn’t pay it any mind and hope to find another house further down the road, but it’s my trusty psychic-like thought.
I didn’t heed my first hunch back at the diner, as crazy as this is, it may be my only shot of getting out of this. I make the mistake of unconsciously looking back at the men, while my thoughts are swirling.
The talkative, strong one catches my glance and calls out to me with a chuckle, “Where you headed, sweetheart? It’s not safe ta be wanderin’ alone out ‘ere.”
His words are nonchalant and a little suggestive, he also has a slight accent. Under other circ.u.mstances I probably wouldn’t even suspect this guy of malice. I could still hear the devious intentions that emanated from the undertones of his words.
My eyes dart over to the trees, I lose my cool and make a sprint for my life into the brush. I hear an amused burst of laughter erupts from one of the men. It probably came from the scrawier one next to the big guy.
“Come on, honey, where do you think you’re going?”
This one was less discreet about his motives, revealing his true intentions even stronger through every word. Some horrible images flood my mind of what they could possibly want from me. It gives me a boost to my speed and I lunge into the off road woods.
I’m crashing through the trees and bushes. The low branches and overgrown shrubs seem to reach for me like the hooked fingers of demons and imps trying to drag me down. The rubber band holding my hair in a ponytail snaps, getting caught on something and my hair is twisting wildly as branches pull and comb through my it.
They seem to claw at me like boney hands trying pull me back to my demise. I sprint full force ahead, trying not to trip on the uneven ground. The discomfort and pain of my hair being yanked in all different directions and thicker branches swatting and slashing at me was numbed by the terrifying thought of these men catching up to me.
Air stings my dry throat as I gulp it down, the ground whizzing past me. I would have collapsed out of breathe by now if it wasn’t for the adrenaline propelling me forward. I couldn’t hear the stalkers crushing leaves beneath their feet or crashing through trees behind me, however the occasional chatter from the men made me realize they were gaining on me, and they were eerily close.
My heart is pounding ridiculously fast, trying to beat it’s way out of my ribcage with each lurge. I can’t seem to get enough air with each erratic suck. I started to wish I’d never left my family and friends back home. Maybe I’ll never see them again. Tears crept into my eyes but I blinked them out as I kept running. I can’t give up, I need to push myself to run even faster, just a little further. My heart feels like it’s going to burst.
“She’s getting too close to the edge.” A voice just behind me warning his friends, “Stop fooling around before we lose her.”
Startled by how close the voice is, I urge myself to go impossibly faster.
It’s too late, my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach as I’m abruptly grabbed by the arm. I lose my balance and expected to crash to the ground with the attacker, but he caught me like I weighed that of a feather, even my momentum didn’t seem to stifle him.
I scream a hoarse, desperate scream that’s incredibly short lived as another strong hand grips uncomfortably tight around my mouth and jaw. I kick, flail, and swing my free arm around wildly. I would do anything just to get out of this man’s grip.
“A fighter, are ya, love?”
My eyes snapped forward to see the talkative, built one standing casually in front of me. He looks entertained and doesn’t seem out of breath in the slightest. He said it so nonchalantly like we were talking over a nice cup of tea. What is with these guys? Were they going to hurt me? Violate me? Murder me?! I had to find a way out of this! I didn’t want to know what the hell they were up to. I squirmed harder though it seemed to do absolutely nothing but thoroughly annoy the man holding me.
“This is going to be very unpleasant for you if you don’t settle the f.u.c.k down!” the man’s fingers wrapping tighter around my mouth as he hisses in my ear.
His tone set off all sorts of alarm bells, being downright dangerous. I thought it best to comply for the time being, struggling didn’t seem to have any effect on him, anyhow. I needed to out wit them or take them off guard if I could manage it. I show my submission breathing heavily under his large palm from over exerting myself.
“Wise decision,” he said coldly, slowly removing his hand from my mouth and placing it on my free shoulder.
Great.. now he has a better grip on each side, I hope I made the right choice cooperating.
I glance over to locate the utterance full of chagrin to see the guy I think was lagging behind in the group, seeing how he is standing away from us even now.
He looks unhappy with his arms folded as he leans against a nearby tree. It’s pretty dim, but I can make out a troubled grimace on his face, his body language comes off conflicted. He looks young and fit but not as robust as the gabby one. I also can’t help but notice he’s actually very good looking, which only adds to my confusion. ‘Why would they be doing this? These men aren’t sc.u.mmy looking or visibly drunk.’
I ponder they’re reasoning or motives to myself, bouncing my eyes from each one, lastly on the one keeping me captive.
When I look up at him a chill runs down my spine as I see him staring right at me, burning holes into my sockets as our eyes lock. His wild gray eyes look deadly and intense. I can’t help but let out a sharp, small gasp. I want to turn away but I’m too afraid to take my eyes off of his, as if he’ll surely kill me then and there. He narrows his eyes and slightly smirks, as he shakes his disheveled, loose pieces of blonde hair from his face that weren’t pulled back in some kind of bun.
He seems to enjoy my obvious terror. His eyes make there way down my body and back up to my face. The look he’s giving me makes all the warmth leave my body. I wish I could slip out of his iron grip and run for the hills. I’ve never been as terrified as I am in this very moment.
I finally rip away from his leer, my eyes frantically flick around to see if there’s anything to help me escape.
“Aww, come on Sammy, lighten up. It’s nothing personal, ya know that.” I over hear the Brawny one try to cheer up the guy by the tree, as if nothing’s wrong. ‘Just a normal situation, grabbing and terrorizing a girl in the woods, yeah, everyday stuff.’ I thought sarcastically. They continue their back and forth as I search for a way out. There’s nothing, just forest.
I repeatedly look in every direction in a vain attempt that something will appear to save me, something I missed before, but it’s just trees, bushes and dirt. Wait…bushes? It wouldn’t have even crossed my mind as something useful or peculiar if I didn’t get another pang of intuition shooting into my brain as if it were common knowledge.
I need to cross these bushes over my shoulder. I don’t know why and it doesn’t make sense at all. I scan the area only lit by the bright moon shining above us. They’re ordinary bushes, nothing special about them other than some wild berries that cling to the branches but they did seem to be planted in a line almost like a barrier or wall, albeit not perfectly straight.
The guy jerks me back slightly. I glance up to see him examining the direction I was just looking in with suspicion. He makes a short laugh in his throat and mutters, “Closer than I thought.”
‘What’s closer than he thought?’ I wonder. He was talking to himself but it seems to affirm there is something in that direction. Maybe, I really will be safe if I cross over, though, it’s probably wishful thinking. One thing is for certain, I’m definitely not safe here with these men. I’m feeling more at risk by the second as the blonde one is back to looking me over as if he wants to devour me.
He clutches me tighter as his restlessness becomes more obvious. The grip on my arm is painfully tight almost cutting off circulation. He must be waiting for the go ahead from the brawny one finish their plans with me but the other two are still bickering about something. I’m currently not focused on what they are talking about, I’m waiting for the right moment.
He breathes out impatiently with obvious irritation as he turns his whole head to stare at his buddies, now’s my chance. While he’s looking away, I kick with all my might and as fast can aiming straight for his balls.
I either missed or it had no effect because I wasn’t able to tear myself away from his grip. He spins me around lightning fast burrowing his horrible eyes into mine once more. They are even more terrifying this time as if I were looking into the eyes of the devil himself. ‘Shit, bad move.’
“You’re not as smart as I thought,” he says through a twisted smile filled with anger and rancor.
He throws me down hard on my back. My vision cuts for a second as I hit my head on the unforgiving dirt, I hear a thud in my ears as it hits, and headache rapidly swallows my skull. My body soon follows, I wince from the sharp pain that shoots into my shoulder blade and the middle of my back.
I don’t even have time to move, he’s already on top of me, pinning my wrists to the ground. I try to blink the double vision away.
As my eyes refocus I see he’s blatantly staring at my cleavage. I’m wearing my work shirt, one of those V necks that has 3 buttons at the top but you only ever button one at the most. I really wish had buttoned it up to my neck at this point. My heart pounds as I realize I may have just made this situation a lot worse for myself.
Comments