Sheila felt her heart stop as he raised her chin, his silky voice surrounding her in a way that-- for once-- she didn’t want to lean into and enjoy. For once… she wanted to run from him. The thing he’d tried to achieve for years-- but that wasn’t really him, was it? Not after everything he’d told her. “Don’t you see? This is who I am. Who I’ve been.” The closer he got, the more she hated it. He leaned further in, and she resisted the urge to back away. His expression only added to her unease, that smile she’d loved for months twisting into a warped version of sincerity. “I’m a liar, Sheila, and I’m…mmm…simply /splendid/ at what I do, wouldn’t you agree?” …and… she couldn’t say he was wrong. He had utterly convinced her that he was kind, and caring, and… she didn’t know where the man she’d loved had gone. But he was nowhere near her current position. She was frozen in her spot with a man she didn’t know. A man who somehow pulled all the fear from within her and brought it to the surface. “I must say, I had you fooled.” As his hand traveled from her chin to her waist, she bit the inside of her cheek to resist screaming every horrible thing she knew at him. He had no right. No right to touch her this way. But… she couldn’t move. She truly was frozen in fear, her expression full of pain, betrayal, and fear. Why would he do this to her? What was he getting out of this? …she didn’t want to know. His l! p $ touched her jaw, falling down to her neck, sending horrible chills down her spine. “You were a fun little toy. But… toys break after so long, don’t they? Mmm…” A toy? Is that all she really was to him? A thing to play with and enjoy? Her breath caught in her throat- the pain growing in the pit of her stomach only increased as he spoke in his low murmur as he tightened his already possessive grip on her waist. “Every time I’m around you, there’s that scent. That sweet, sweet scent nobody of my kind could resist. Not without motivation.” He’d… he’d mentioned this before, of course…. But this was different. This was more painful, more unforgiving, more terrifying. At least he backed off just slightly before speaking again. “Your blood is quite the delicacy-- I must give you that. A worthy excuse for an addiction, I’ll say. I had to leave so often, as to not steal it all for myself.” So that… that was why he left. Perhaps the hunting truly had been part of it, but now… it sounded as though it had more purpose than just that. A more sinister purpose. That dark chuckle echoed in her ears, so, so different from the relaxed, kind one that the man she loved had always given her. He released her waist, and she released the breath that she’d been holding. But… he wasn’t done yet, it seemed. He instead took her arm in his hands, raising it in front of him-- like she was a doll to be examined and admired. She hated it. She hated it she hated it she hated it she hated it. He ran a hand along it, feeling her skin in a way she never wanted to experience again. “I’ve never noticed how… plentiful it is. Rich in flavor, surely. I would ask for a bite…” Her breath tightened once more. Would he… would he hurt her? Was this the time he had warned her about so many times before? David kneeled before her, pressing her unwilling and stiff hand to his l ! p $. It felt too intimate-- far too intimate for this complete stranger in front of her. “…But a poor sinner such as I is… undeserving of such a blessing.” …Yes, she thought. So please, leave me alone. But he wouldn’t, would he? Each individual finger on her small hand was pressed against his deathly cold l 1p $. Why was he doing this? Why wouldn’t he just… leave her? "May I steal myself a taste?" No. No, you can’t. You really can’t. His predatory gaze, however… told her he wouldn’t be leaving her alone anytime soon. “It won’t kill you.” This whole position felt wrong- him kneeling in front of her, stroking her hand as she wished to run away. How did she know he wouldn’t hurt her further? She saw the restraint in his strange, silver eyes, the way he was holding himself back from attacking. It was a new sensation— an unpleasant one. One of invoking fear and anxiety. “Sheila,” No. He couldn’t use her name. The way he said it sent an unpleasant shiver through her, the urge to run away growing. “Have you read “Dracula”? Ironic, really, how close fate chooses to be with novels as such.” Perhaps it was ironic, or perhaps it was just the authors warning the readers. Sheila refused to give a response to him, refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her reply. He continued. “As everyone knows, it’s about the death of the infamous Count Dracula. But the events in between…” Aaaand she was no longer listening. Her thoughts were overtaken by searching every angle of this situation for an escape, she had no time to listen to David rant on about Dracula. (cont in notes)
well shoot, I ran outta room- — However, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he pressed his cheek to her hand, the hand he was holding in front of him as he continued kneeling. How funny— it would seem like he was surrendering to her, when in reality, it was taking all her will to not give in to him, not to admit defeat and allow him to do what he wanted to her. But she wouldn’t back down. Not yet. She used to relish in the coldness of his hands, like a cool breeze on a hot day. But now, it was cold. Unforgiving. Wrong. “…Lucy, I believe was her name. Such a cruel fate she met… yet oh so honest. This Lucy, though it is not depicted in the novel, had begun to crave the company of this fiend. And that was a… very dangerous thing. Nightly, she offered him little by little of her blood. He accepted it and cherished it, for it was the sweetest he’d known. But one night, the Count had taken far too much. Poor Lucy’s heart couldn’t stand the strain…” Her breath caught once more— was he planning on doing the same to her? Why was he telling her this? It only added to the fear in her eyes, the uneasiness in her stomach. “I can but wonder if your heart is stronger.” That statement confirmed her worst fear-- he was planning to bite her. He was going to hurt her. This was the day he had warned her about so many times before. He inhaled deeply in such a way that convinced her that he was taking in her scent in a horrible way. He released her, standing from his previously kneeling position. "/Well/, then." He took a step closer, and every nerve in her body screamed ‘get away from me’. "...Shall we test our limits, my love?" ... No. She wouldn’t let him take her. Take everything from her. Wouldn’t let herself give in like that. So, she spoke. For the first time that entire meeting, she spoke. “No.” … Why wasn't he backing down? He was amused, that was clear- full of some unbelievable and horrible enjoyment that she didn’t share. Not in the slightest. "Oh, /really/?" Did he… just…. Laugh? … Did he laugh at the fact that she feared for her life? At the fact she had lost the man she’d loved? Or was there some other ulterior purpose? What was going on with him? What was going on in his head? "Alright, then. Go on. Amuse me further, Sheila," Panic in her chest rose. He no longer sounded soft and s3-vc+!u3-- only bitter and wicked, now. His expression had changed in that way as well-- at least he wasn’t trying to hide it. But that didn’t calm her quickening breaths. He leaned into her until his mouth was just next to her ear. He was too close. Much too close. Her instincts were kicking in, telling her to run, to get as far away from him as possible. “.../run/.” His malicious voice echoed through her mind as she did the only thing she could- run. She ran from him, further and further. She could hear his footsteps behind her, starting slow before gaining more and more speed. She refused to look back, to check if he was behind her-- she focused on the feeling of her feet slamming against the pavement, running and running and running and-- She couldn’t run forever. She had to hide. Her eyes flicked from building to building, trying to find the right place to hide. She refused to let the sound of David rapidly approaching distract her from her search. Until she saw a perfect place. A darker alleyway. A place that she would never visit normally. Someplace different enough that it could… maybe throw him off? She could only hope. “Mom, I’ve literally never prayed to you before, but there’s a first time for everything-- please let him never, ever find me.” She muttered under her breath, ducking behind the building. She held her breath for a moment until she no longer heard his footsteps. And then… she released her breath in relief. Maybe, finally, she was safe. -- ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOURSELF, DAVID???? LOOK WHAT YOU"VE DONE TO HER. I"LL FINISH THIS TOMORROW WHEN I'M NOT EXHAUSTED HAHA- did i name my google doc with this in it "sheila crying"? yes. yes i did. do i regret it? absolutely not.
