KEILAH
As I lay on the ground, dazed and hurting, Ralph’s presence loomed over me like a dark cloud. I could feel his anger radiating off him in waves, his every breath heavy with fury.
“Why did you do that?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
I struggled to form words, the pain and shock overwhelming my senses. But before I could respond, his grip tightened around my neck once again, his fingers digging into my skin like claws.
“You belong to me,” he spat, his words cutting through the silence like a knife. “And you will learn to obey without question.”
With a final, brutal shove, he released me, sending me sprawling onto the ground once more. Gasping for air, I lay there, trembling with fear and pain.
“Get back in the car,” he commanded in a chillingly even tone, his footsteps retreating towards his car.
But as I resigned myself to obeying, a glimmer of hope flickered in the distance. A taxi approached, its yellow beacon of salvation drawing nearer with each passing moment. With a surge of determination, I scrambled to my feet and waved frantically, signalling for it to stop.
“I’m ready to face the consequences, but I need to get to my friend,” I implored, urgency lacing my voice as I dove into the backseat, hastily reciting the address.
Peering through the rearview mirror, I watched as Ralph climbed back into his car, his intentions clear.
“Are you alright, miss?” The concern in the driver’s voice was a lifeline in the tumult of my emotions. “You look like you need medical attention first.”
“I’m… I’m fine,” I stammered, panic bubbling beneath the surface as Ralph’s car turned to follow us. “Just… please, drive faster, take shortcuts if you can.”
As the taxi screeched to a halt in front of my friend’s house, I quickly turned to the driver. “Wait, just one minute, please. I’ll get your money,” I promised, urgency coating my words. With a nod, the driver acknowledged my request as I flung open the door and sprinted towards Cora’s house. My heart pounded in my chest as I rapped frantically on the door, my breaths coming in ragged gasps.
When Cora swung the door open, her eyes widened in shock at the sight of me, gasping loudly in disbelief. Before she could even form a question, I blurted out, “Help me pay for the taxi, please,” as I hurried past her and collapsed onto the couch. She wasted no time. She grabbed her wallet, hastily extracted some notes, and dashed out to settle the taxi fare.
As she got back inside, I sprang up from the couch, my heart still racing, and dashed to lock the door behind her. With a quick click, I turned back to face her, relief flooding through me as I threw my arms around her in a tight hug.
Cora wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me back just as fiercely. “Are you okay?” she asked, her tone weighted with worry. “Of course you’re not. How stupid I am.”
I nodded, my face buried in her shoulder for a moment longer before pulling back slightly to meet each other’s gaze. “You don’t look good. What happened to you?” we both asked simultaneously, the tension breaking into shared laughter.
As she guided me further into the living room, she settled me onto her cozy couch, her hand trembling as she reached out towards my face, as if afraid to touch me, fearing it might cause more harm. “What happened to you, Keilah? Did you get into an accident?” Her voice was filled with genuine concern.
“It’s a long story,” I began, “but I’m fine now that I’ve gotten to see you. Aunt was very worried about you, so was I, but not until she mentioned you. My life was so chaotic that I couldn’t even think about anyone else.”
“I’m sorry for being a bad friend,” I confessed, reaching out to gently grasp her hand and pressing a soft kiss to it.
“It’s me who should be apologizing,” she replied, tears welling in her eyes. “I can’t even look Aunt in the eyes after what happened with the police chaos because of me.”
“It’s in the past now,” I reassured her, feeling the weight of her guilt. “And it wasn’t your fault, Cora. We all know how much you love my aunt. It’s Ethan’s fault… and Ralph.” My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Ralph, but I pushed the thought aside. He wouldn’t find me here, at least not so soon. I turned my attention back to Cora. “So, is that why you came back to Ethan’s house?” I asked.
Cora’s expression changed immediately. “Ethan can’t find you here. You need to leave right away. I’ll call you and explain.
You won’t reach me right away because I accidentally broke my phone, so I don’t-” Before I could continue, she grabbed her phone from the table and tucked it into my pants pocket. “Take mine. I’ll reach you on that,” she said, panic evident in her voice as she tried to drag me out.
“Stop,” I yelled. “What’s going on with you? Did Ethan do something to you? Did he threaten you from seeing me again?” I asked, but before she could answer, the sound of keys in the door froze us, especially Cora, whose eyes went frantic.
As the keys jingled in the door, I felt a surge of anger mixed with concern for Cora. The sight of her fear shook me to my core. I had never seen her like this, and it filled me with a determination to protect her.
Clenching my fists, I stared at the door, my mind racing with possibilities of what Ethan might have done to her. Had he threatened her? Hurt her? Abused her in some way? The thought made my blood boil.
“That bastard is going to answer to me,” I muttered through gritted teeth, my voice laced with anger. “And if I find out he’s been abusing my friend, I swear I’ll kill him.” I sweared as I launched toward the door and unlocked it, ignoring Cora’s hushed pleas of me hiding.
As I flung the door open, ready to confront Ethan, I was taken aback to find him in the company of none other than Damien. The vampire stood tall and imposing, his presence filling the doorway with an undeniable charisma. Briefly, I felt an unexpected warmth spread across my cheeks as our eyes met, but the shock of his presence quickly brought me back to reality. What in the world was he doing here again? Why did he seem to be everywhere I turned?
Before I could fully process the situation, he swiftly turned Ethan to face him, his grip firm on the collar of Ethan’s shirt. “May I come in?” he inquired smoothly, his voice carrying an undeniable air of authority. I wanted to shout at Ethan not to comply, but it was too late. Ethan, with a nod, invited him inside.
With what felt like a smile on his face, he pushed Ethan inside. As he stepped across the threshold, I instinctively reached out, placing my hands on his chest to halt his advance. Surprisingly, he complied, halting in his tracks. His gaze flickered with something unreadable, but he said nothing as he stood there, allowing me to push him back.
Feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks at the unexpected contact, I quickly withdrew my hands, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration bubbling within me.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted out, my voice betraying my unease. “Are you following me? Is there something I took from you that you keep appearing whenever I am?” The questions spilt out before I could stop them, fueled by a mixture of frustration and confusion.
The vampire’s expression remained impassive, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, a hint of amusement perhaps. “I assure you, I have my reasons for being here,” he replied cryptically, his voice smooth as silk. “But they do not concern you directly.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, not fully convinced by his response. There was something about him that I couldn’t quite place, something mysterious and alluring yet unnerving at the same time.
He brought his hands onto my shoulders, squeezing them gently, sending a chill down my spine as he slowly pushed me aside. “You look like you’d pass out any minute,” he remarked softly, his voice tinged with concern. “But before you do, let me help you just once more, and then I’ll be out.” With those words, he effortlessly slipped past me and into the house before I could even press him further.
Inside, Ethan’s voice, filled with annoyance, pierced the air. “What’s going on here? Who’s this guy?” he demanded as if he wasn’t the one who invited him.
I quickly made my way inside, and as Ethan laid eyes on me, his features contorted into a sneer. “What’s this bitch doing here? Did you invite her?” he spat venomously, turning his accusing gaze toward Cora, whose complexion drained of color in fear.
I swiftly positioned myself squarely between him and my friend, my voice vibrating with fury. “Touch her, and I swear to you, I’ll make you regret it,” I declared, each word dripping with the weight of a promise not to be taken lightly.
He let out a chilling laugh. “What are you going to do, huh? Run to your giant boyfriend and tattle on me? Do you really think he can do anything to stop me now? Didn’t you get my message?” His words dripped with malice, punctuated by a sinister chuckle. “Maybe I should resend it.”
“Ethan, please, don’t do this,” Cora pleaded, her voice trembling. “She’ll leave.”
“Okay, I’ve had enough,” Damien said, his voice cutting through the tension as he effortlessly grabbed Ethan by his shirt, lifting him to eye level. With a few soft murmurs, Damien seemed to exert a subtle influence that momentarily subdued Ethan, causing him to close his eyes before being dropped to the ground. “He’s such a jerk,” he remarked, turning his gaze to mine. “What did you do to him? Who are you?” Both Cora and I asked simultaneously, each with a different question.
“He’s not dead, unless you want me to kill him,” he replied coolly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Is that what you want?” he inquired, his tone softening as he noticed my shaken expression. I shook my head in denial. “Alright then. Let me restore your friend’s memories to normal so you don’t have to worry about her anymore,” he offered.
“What about him?” I asked, gesturing toward Ethan on the ground.
“I’ll deal with him later. I’ll make sure he’s out of your friend’s life forever.”
Behind me, Cora staggered backward, her expression a mix of fear and confusion as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. “Who… who is he?” she stammered, her voice trembling. “And what does he want with my memories?”
I tried to soothe her, to explain, but she wouldn’t listen. Instead, she yelled at me to get Damien out, her voice rising in panic. Desperate to reassure her, I reached out my hand, but she swung hers away from my touch.
In her frantic motion, her hand collided with a small decorative mirror adorning the wall, unleashing a sharp crack as it shattered. Shards of glass scattered through the air, lacerating her hand, and blood welled forth. Instantly, Damien emitted a guttural sound, a primal reflex that sent a shiver cascading down my spine. As I glanced over at him, my heart hammered within my chest, startled by the shift in his eye color as he stared at Cora’s bloodied hand with a hunger that creeped the hell out of me.
Reacting on pure instinct to save my friend, I seized his shirt, yanking him down to my level in a desperate, frantic kiss.