My grandmother and Gwendoline were hovered together at the foot of my bed when I awoke. They were talking too softly for me to understand their words, but it was clear they were concerned.
“What happened,” I asked as I struggled to get up.
Gwendoline rushed to my side and gently pushed me back down onto the bed.
“Ye need to lie still, lass,” she said gently. “That babe inside ye took a beating during your battle to save Luthias. He’s debating whether to stay in there or leave us.”
I could see the moistness in Gwendoline’s eyes as she struggled to control her emotions.
“I’m losing my baby?” I said incredulously.
My grandmother pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down to comfort me as she’d done so many times over the years.
“You fought ferociously, sweetheart. The strain on your body, combined with Sybil’s full weight slamming on
All thoughts of my dilemma with Geo and Luthias came to a halt when my grandmother burst into the room and announced Prince Vogel was outside with a band of vampires and was boisterously demanding the return of his wife.My blood went cold.“Stay in here and lock the door behind me lass,” Gwendoline hissed as she darted from the room.I found it incredulous that a witch as familiar with vampires as she was would tell me to lock a door to keep one out, but I padded my bare feet across my wool carpet to obey her orders anyway. My heart was threatening to climb into my throat as I pressed my ear against the door to hear what was being said on the other side. This was a time when I truly longed for vampire hearing.From what I could make out, my witchy protectors decided there was no sense trying to hide the cabin, since Sybil had already located it and the cat was out of the bag. Instead, they placed a force field around us and so far it wa
When I awoke, I felt more like myself. The overwhelming urge for human blood was now just a slight nagging in the recesses of my mind. The anger and excessive energy I experienced was gone. I smiled with satisfaction when I opened my eyes and the world looked normal again.I looked for Geo or Luthias, but neither was in the room. Although I was still bound to the bed, the heavy rope that pinned me motionless was removed, leaving only my wrists tied to the bedposts. I estimated that, if I really wanted to, I could break free. I just didn’t want to.What I wanted was Geo.I called out for him, but got no reply.I tried again.Still nothing.I looked out through the broken glass. It was morning. Soon the sun would be beating directly on me. I felt its intense rays even then. I needed to be free of the ties so I could move away from the window. I called for Geo again. When he didn’t respond,
It’s been over fifty years since the nuclear bomb was released during the war between the New World Order and the Brotherhood of Man. Some parts of the planet suffered more than others. A limited number of areas were fortunate to be only lightly kissed by the toxic radiation lingering over the earth’s surface like a thick blanket of fog. Most of those areas were remote and of no interest to the powers that be. It was the more populated cities that captured their notice. The rapid cleanup of these cities was placed as top priority for all scientists employed by the Order. The remote areas were left to the whims of Mother Nature.The majority of the planet didn’t fare well under the nuclear onslaught, nor did its people. Those who weren’t wealthy or connected enough to retreat to an underground facility when the bombs were released suffered bodily mutation of the most grotesque form. Plant life and animal life was also either mutated or
The ever-present warm breeze carried a hint of honeysuckle from the vines clinging to the decayed cinder block building. I slid my sunglasses onto my head and shaded my eyes from the blistering sun as I took in the wonder of a small butterfly cluster fluttering from one blossom to the next. Their graceful wings sported a brilliant kaleidoscope of colors that complemented the rich tangerine, trumpet shaped flowers. I looked through the view finder of my camera and adjusted the focus ring until I had a clear view of one of nature’s surviving and exquisite works of art.My finger hovered over the shutter release button. I started to sweat with anticipation. Scenes of this sort in this part of the world were highly sought after in the photographic art circle. I may not deal much with the world around my remote little nucleus, but my grandfather somehow managed. He had all the right connections to get my photos to the people who would pay top dollar. He&rsq
I lay in my narrow bed that butted against the wall of my small, but cozy, bedroom and focused on not vomiting my dinner. My conversation with my grandparents hadn’t gone as expected and my entire body was reacting. I practiced the controlled breathing method my grandparents were such strong advocates of whenever a stressful situation occurred.It wasn’t helping.I was about to give in and let it all purge forth.I was sitting up and holding a bucket to my chin when I heard a light tapping on my door. I recognized the tap. It was my grandmother.My emotions were mixed. I wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but I also knew the distraction would take my mind off my stomach’s rebellion and possibly quell it. Besides, there was no sense in delaying the inevitable. When my grandmother set her mind on a topic, getting her to drop it was like trying to get a dog to give up a juicy bone. I heaved a deep
The heat of the day, exertion of searching for Geo, and an empty stomach that was finally satiated took their toll on me. I’d no sooner lied down to take the nap that I was sure I wouldn’t be able to take when Geo was shaking me awake. I looked around, a little disoriented.The sun was set and there was very little illumination in the sky from the stars or moon. I questioned how he thought we’d make our way across dicey terrain to wherever it was we were going, but decided to keep my doubts to myself. After all, I may not have traveled very far away from home, but Geo had. In fact, I was fairly certain we were simply retracing his steps back to Sybil’s underground world.As we made our way across the desolate land that took me further and further from the safe cocoon of my home, I was thankful for the poor visibility. It kept me from looking back. We walked for several hours before I realized my eyes wer
Although he watched me from the corner of his eye, Geo said little for the remainder of the day. I knew I owed him an apology, but I wasn’t ready to give it. The truth was that I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. My pride wouldn’t let me admit that I was a naïve and sheltered girl who’d never been kissed, let alone anything else. I let the moment get away from me. Just thinking of it brought waves of humiliation. I concluded the world he lived in was far more open than my uptight grandparents could have ever allowed.The more time I spent with him, the more I realized what a baby I truly was. It was both embarrassing and humbling. Every time I imagined the sophisticated and worldly women he’d probably been with and how I paled in comparison, my cheeks grew hot. I couldn’t hide my virginity, but I could at least hide the extent of my naivety from him.“It won’t be long before we go underground,&rdq
From the conversations with Geo, I shouldn’t have been surprised to discover that he kept a home above ground just outside the entrance to Sybil’s subterranean kingdom, but I was. Perhaps it was more the type of home he kept than the fact that he kept it.After a quick breakfast, he gave me a brief tour of his place before hurrying me along to be reunited with Sybil. I was in awe of the splendor surrounding me. I’d only seen rooms like these in photos of modern, European homes on the internet. The humble cabin that was my home for the better part of my life paled so severely in comparison to the splendor of his exquisite place. As he pointed out the purpose of each room, he acted not the least taken by the quality of the satin, silks, and velvets that covered his sleekly designed furniture and broad windows. Nor was he impressed by the sheen of the highly polished brass and silver door knobs and lighting apparatus. Instead, he expressed his