Shattered Hope * Book 2, free, on going *

Prologue for The Wrong Hope

Ricky

Year: 1984, 29th May, Tuesday, 7 pm, Spring. (Occurs at the same time as the epilogue)

It was a happy day.

I hummed to myself, smiling broadly, as I walked through the forest inhaling the sweet scent of spring. My pace was unhurried. There was a stillness around me, an absence of the usual chirping one might hear, but whilst my footsteps were as soundless as the creatures cowering amongst the trees, all was not entirely silent.

Behind me was the ominous noise of something being dragged. In this case it was a young boy. I was very pleased, I must say. With his dark hair, bright blue eyes and dimpled chin he looked very much like one of the Brice twins, I forget their names. Not their screams though or the taste of their blood. I hadn’t forgotten that even after all this time. Well, it actually didn’t seem like all that much time. When was it? 1951? 52? Hum… somewhere around then. Didn’t really mean much. Although my family would be quite incised to find I’d had the last Brice tucked away all this time.

Once I brought her home though I’m sure all would be forgiven. Especially when I tore her heart out in front of everyone.

I hadn’t meant to leave it quite this long but well, whoops, what’s a little time between Vampires. I took pause in a clearing, the very same clearing where I had left my little treasure face down in the dirt. The greenery was, of course, bigger now and any trace of Sally-Anne’s intoxicating scent was long gone but it was most certainly the same place.

I savored a taste of the air. It was full of all the fresh notes that came with spring, the day had been dry but not overly warm; so the smell of yesterday's rain still hovered. The warm skin of the boy I dragged also perfumed the air. His heart pumped away steadily. It was better when it had been thumping erratically with fear but the crying, the crying would not do. So I had knocked him out.

He smelled tasty enough, not my usual standard but he would have done in a pinch. He wasn’t for me though. He was for my dear, dear Sally-Anne. What an absolute delight it would be to watch her awaken from her desiccated state only to find herself consuming this little boy. I had worked so hard to get him, to find a human that resembled one of her relatives so closely. She better appreciate it. I laughed to myself.

Yes. This was going to be an excellent evening.

The dappled forest light made everything seem a little magical. Not far now. I could run and be there in a flash but there was no hurry. This was a moment of victory; 1000’s of years in the making. A few moments more to commit this monumental moment to memory wouldn’t hurt and anyway, who doesn’t enjoy an early evening stroll with all the trappings of springtime?

The edge of the forest was nearing. Past the thick tree trunks I spied the long abandoned fields that surrounded the Brice property. They should have been a tangled overgrown mass, steadily being reclaimed by the forest but for some reason the untended fields were barren. Dead and empty. How fitting.

The trap door was in my sights. I was not impressed about having to dirty my hands, clawing around in the dirt to open it but alas my unwilling companion was still out cold leaving me no choice but to sully my hands. Grains of soil wedged themselves under my perfectly manicured nails as I rooted around like a commoner before finding the lip and pulling the door open. An irritating discomfort but not an annoyance enough to spoil my delightful mood.

Once myself and the little snack were both on the steps I reached up and pulled the door back but not to a full close. Hunters could be tricky business and I didn’t wish to risk the door magically sealing itself from the inside. Instead I wedged it open with a stick. Closed enough so that it would not be visible at a glance on the off chance of a passer by but open enough that no magical seal could form. Perfect.

I descended into the cool depths of the cell, making sure my feet slapped loudly against each step. Most likely she could no longer hear but I wanted to put on a show. A little theater was most definitely my style. It was dark but that was no issue for my sharp Vampire eyes. I did, however, take issue with the dank smell of the place. If it wasn’t so important. If there wasn’t so much fun to be had. I might never have come at all. It would have been easy to let her rot to dust. A few hundred years and the slightest disturbance in the air around her or the smallest tremble of the earth would have had her collapsing into a pile of unrecognizable dirt.

“Sally-Anne! I’m here, I’ve come back for you like I promised.” I called out, doing my best to sound worried. It was very good.

I went to the end cell where I’d last set eyes upon her bedraggled figure, still towing the boy along. She wasn’t there. Perhaps I’d been mistaken… I checked the other cells just to be sure. They too were empty.

A crack resounded in this empty place. The sound of my jaw clenched in anger. I took a moment longer to investigate the situation before I would allow my boiling rage to be unleashed. I checked the cell again. The space on the brick ledge where she had sat was entirely empty. I sniffed the rusted restraints that protruded from the wall. Her scent lingered just slightly. While it was now clearly Vampiric it had retained some notes reminiscent of her human scent. A smell of heat that had my mouth watering.

When I’d finally sunk my teeth into her pale moon-kissed neck, well, I’d never been so tempted in all my years to keep one. A little pet I could devour over and over. The taste was that magnificent.

Another scent lingered. I did not recognise the owner of it but it was decidedly human. I looked at the release mechanism for the restraints. There were tool marks, grazes in the metal that were not as oxidized as the majority of the surface. It had been greased too. I could smell it.

Someone, a megar human, had stolen my prize!!!!!!!!!!!!

I roared, a savage sound. It soaked into the wet mossy stone, imprinting the earth with the intensity of my rage. The boy whose hair I still grasped did not stir as I turned my rage upon him. My foot came down and his bones splintered and shattered. Pinning the little waste in place I yanked and twisted sharply pulling his head clean off.

Blood spurted up from his neck, steaming as it went and I threw his severed head against the wall. It crunched, almost like if you were to step on an egg but a little wetter. Brain matter, fragments of bone and hair and flesh clung to the wall briefly before gravity began sucking them towards the floor.

There was no satisfaction in his death. It didn’t even take the edge off.

Nostrils flaring, I flew out into the world at breakneck speed. Only one thought occupying my mind.

To find the owner of the sickly sweet sugared almond scent and kill them.

They took what was MINE.