8 Slammed all the locks

Maddy sat in the garden and listened to the night creatures as they moved through the dark. Marcus stood at the window and watched, he didn’t like to take his eyes of her for a second. “Is everything alright?” Greta asked as she entered the room. “Yes, just keeping watch” Greta took his arm “Go, take a break I’ll keep an eye on her” Marcus nodded, as much as he liked bottled blood fresh was way better. “I won’t be long” Greta watched as the child looked up at the sky, following her gaze she smiled as a star shot across the sky.

Watching till it was out of sight or burnt up. Maddy wondered what her parents were doing.

Closing her eyes she concentrated till their faces came into view then their minds. She choked back a sob as she read their sorrow, the heartbreak of her disappearance. She had been put down to another victim of the killer, that they had to face the fact her body may never be found. Trying harder she felt their hearts, the steady thump of their life but inside, mixed with each beat she felt pain. Wiping the tears from her face she stifled another sob. “Madison?” Vlad’s voice came from the dark. Turning away she wiped more tears from her face. “What’s wrong?”  Maddy shook her head. Sitting beside her he pressed “There’s no tears without a reason” he murmured softly. Vlad listened as Maddy in hushed tones told him what she had done “I only wanted to make sure they were ok”

Vlad was disturbed by her revelations but kept it hidden “Sometimes we do things we feel is right” Maddy nodded. Vlad lifted her face and wiped a tear from her cheek “Maybe you shouldn’t do those things without checking with me first” Maddy nodded again then climbed onto his lap. Vlad tensed as her body sunk into his, this was not good but to push her away would make her feel worse. Putting his arms round her he let her rest her head on his shoulder, Maddy closed her eyes and listened, not with her ears but with her heart, she could feel his heart as it pulsated, as before it grew in speed then started to slow down as he fought for control and won.

Vlad’s mind was reeling, how can she read a mind from so far away, and feel their hearts, impossible. Yet she had done it and felt their pain. He thought of all the other things, like her locked mind, her inability to feel pain and it was bloody obvious she couldn’t feel a Vampire if one stood next to her, what the hell was going on?

Greta watched with concern as the two huddled on the seat outside. “I’m losing, aren’t I?” Marcus asked from behind as he too watched the scene before them. Greta said nothing; turning to him she took his hand and held it tight.

“So what do we do, tell her?” Marcus asked. “Not yet” Vlad responded. Greta fiddled with her fingers “You ever heard of a Vampire like this before?” she looked at Vlad, as the oldest he had been round the world and back and had seen many things. He shook his head “Look Maddy won’t read your minds if she doesn’t suspect so act normally and everything will be ok” Greta stood “I better get back before she does wonder what we’re up to” Closing the door behind her she left the men to it. Marcus leaned back on the sofa his legs outstretched while Vlad switched on the computer and did some work.

Maddy stood under the water the words ‘Trapped inside inferno waits’ ran round and round her head. She loved Avenged sevenfold but this song was starting to become her purgatory. Stepping onto the mat she wrapped the towel round herself; she was hungry but tried to ignore it. The hunger had other ideas, it demanded satisfaction now, she could feel the rage inside her building, intensifying till she could no longer contain it.

The mirror cracked, Maddy fangs bared as she let out an almighty howl.

Greta dropped her glass with the sound that exploded round the walls “Lieber Gott” she turned to Vlad and Marcus but they were already halfway up the stairs. Vlad broke through the door to find a young Vampire in full Rage.

Grabbing Maddy roughly he pulled her against him “Control Madison, Control” Marcus looked at her with an open mouth, even though he had had the very same as a youngling he hadn’t been in the position to remember, Maddy looked at him and snarled “Her eyes” Marcus gasped.  Vlad nodded “Go to Greta, I think she was shaken up a bit” Marcus could only nod besides he didn’t really want to stick around just now. Maddy snarled and wailed as the hunger swamped her, Vlad could do nothing but wait till she took that control back, quietly he started to hum, an old Gypsy song that he knew from his homeland. The deep tuneless sound was having an effect; the young Vampire went quiet, as she gained control the real Maddy started to surface.

Finally deciding it was safe Vlad let go and looked at her “How do you feel?” Maddy felt befuddled, hazy but most of all she felt “Hungry” Vlad threw back his head and laughed “Well hurry up and get dressed” Maddy looked down at the towel she was wearing and blushed. Getting to his feet Vlad looked down at her trying not to pay too much attention to her bare flesh “I’ll explain downstairs” On the other side of door Vlad leaned against it and groaned, his concern was Maddy but he could not help his reaction as he held her damp body.

Downstairs Greta handed Maddy a glass which she finished in three swallows then asked for more. Greta went back to the kitchen and returned with another glass, this time Maddy drank it slowly. “What you felt was what we call the Rage, it’s more common within the first few weeks of turning but to happen now has been heard of” Maddy sipped her drink “Will it come back?”  Greta gave a comforting smile “Possibly, it’s our body’s way of saying it’s not getting enough blood…..” Vlad added “You have been drinking barely enough to survive, the body will and can only take so much then self preservation kicks in” thank god she had been here. Maddy shuddered “I didn’t like it” Marcus looked at Vlad then back at her “You remember it?”

“Kinda, it’s not that I remember but felt, it was dark, very dark, all I wanted was to feed, to have blood and it would have killed for it” Vlad understood, he had seen the rage a few times over the years normally in new turnings who hadn’t the sense to listen to their bodies but nobody had ever been able to remember. “Have you had it?” she looked at the three of them, Vlad and Greta shook their heads. “I, err, well…yes” Marcus looked at Vlad sheepishly “Not long after I was turned, I was too sure of my self control” Images of the night he had met Marcus flashed into Vlad’s mind and he laughed “Da, you tried to rip my throat out” Marcus joined in the laughter “And I made a right fuck up of it” Vlad told the story of their meeting.

Vlad had felt the rage and gone to investigate. Finding himself at a frozen lake he spotted Marcus on the other side. “Unfortunately I had to get to him first” Marcus explained that in his haste he had run onto the ice only to lose his footing and go skidding across the ice on his ass. Maddy giggled as the image of Marcus scooting past Vlad came into her mind. Greta having heard the tale before went into the kitchen to wash the glasses. Looking up from the sink she peered into the darkness “There’s somebody outside”

The two men exchanged looks, they too had felt a presence “You stay with Maddy, I’ll take a look” Marcus headed for the door.

Part 7                                                                Part 9