Eternal

The evening light died slowly. The landscape swallowed the last lights and tucked the rolling hills surrounding the village into a sheet of night. Lights decorated the outsides of the buildings, each one cradling a delicate flame.

My mind was wandering to and from that stranger’s memories that haunted me. As I pushed through the wooden doors, I took tucked my head down, staring at the dull boards of the tavern. The noisy atmosphere was the highlight of the building.

Three Shots was a tavern for those who wished to meet with friends, exchange stories, or just come for a good drink. The room always smelled like the sticky alcohol and sweaty men who had traveled my miles. Yet, the Three Shots was full of fond memories and was a great place to visit.

Beer, brawls, and broad swords-that was the “three shots” part of the name.

Sitting myself down on a bar stool, I pushed my hood back. The cloak swayed around my ankles. A man leaned against the old wood as a large party entered the area.

“So what can I do for you, Jynx?” Old man Vince asked. I smirked a little with thoughts still adrift.

“Usual, please.” I nodded to him. He took a tankard and filled it with some fresh brewed ale. Vince took the mug, mixed it with some cider and “watered” it down. He always did this for my mom’s sake so I didn’t come home drop dead drunk from a night at the bar. I mean, I never really did, but my mom would always worry. Passing him a few coins my mom spared me, we exchanged and I gulped down the cold liquid.

“Thanks, Vince.” I grumbled, head down in my drink. With a short bob of his balding head, he went to go tend to customers with two very sharp broad swords.

Sipping my drink, I cast my eyes about the surroundings nervously. It seemed like there was something out of place here, but I couldn’t put my finger on it…

“What’s an innocent girl doing in a bar full of strange men?” A soft voice asked, just barely heard above the roar of boasting drunks.

Turning around, my coordination not exactly on key, I whirled towards the stranger that I had met earlier in the barn today. He took a seat next to me, tattooed arms bare and exposed around a light shirt he wore.

How could he wear such thin fabric when winter was fast approaching and the temperature is dropping quicker than a stone into water?

“Well, I should ask you why a strange man is hanging around me, the innocent girl.” I chuckled, slightly tipsy. I had downed that ale faster than before. I guess this man was just making me a little nervous and I was drinking faster. It was a fearful habit!

“Well, I just came in because I heard good points about this bar. Care to elaborate?” His voice questioned, golden eyes trained on me. I could’ve sworn they turned a deeper color….

“Well, Vince is a great guy. He waters down my ale, though.” I grumbled to the stranger. The man chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you even allowed to drink something past warm milk?” He teased. Growling, I slammed my tankard down. Oh man, I was going to get drunk soon if I kept this up.

“VINCE! Another please!” I groaned. This time, I fished another couple of coins out of my pocket. It was my own money I had gotten from selling some baskets I had made a while ago.

“Only one more, Jynx.” Vince slid me another ale, loaded with honey in it. Just how I like it.

“Thanks.” Muttering my response, I took another swig. The drink settled heavily in my stomach. I should probably be heading home soon.

“Anything else I should know about here?” The stranger touched my arm. It was cold on contact. Without thinking, I shivered.

“Watch your head on the way out.” I slurred the words and closed my eyes sleepily.

“Why?”

“People like to swing their swords around.” With the last mutter, I pushed my finally empty tankard from my form. Pushing away from the bar, I longed to get out into the open night air. This man was making me a little uncomfortable and the bar had grown heavy and crowded.

“Let me walk you home at least.” He offered. I shook my head to decline and pushed away from him, but the man was persistent. It was like a rabbit after his prey.

As soon as I stumbled down the porch steps and onto the road, my lungs thanked my body. Gulping in fresh air, my mind started to defog. The ale had really messed it up.

“Here, let me help you.” He put a hand on my shoulder to steady me as I tripped my way back home.

“Thanks.” I sputtered. As we reached my house, I leaned against the side wall to compose myself. Only when I looked up could I really see the man for the first time. The moon seemed to bathe him in an unearthly light.

He was stunning, beautiful, and tall. The night around us was soaked into his pale skin. The only thing that I could see at this point in the dim light was his piercing eyes. They were golden-brown and hungrily staring down at me.

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate you walking me back to my house.” I murmured to him, trying to rip my stare away from his hypnotizing look. This stranger had been the only one in the village that took the time to speak to me. Over the past few days, the man with cat like eyes and pale skin had paid attention and made me feel loved. No one did that anymore.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, miss. You are quite beautiful.” His last words caught me completely off guard. It was if I could trip over the sentence and fall on my face. We halted just to the side of my house. By the barn, a horse whinnied an urgent call.

The stranger’s hand reached up to my throat. At the nearness of it, I shivered. Lanky fingers stroked the clasp of my cloak. It was a simple clasp of silver.

“T-thank you, but I really should be going to my sister now…” I trailed off. The words stuck in my throat. As every moment passed, I grew more frantic. This was starting to get to the point of uncomfortable closeness.

“It’s been so hard to resist you for this long. Alan would be proud.” The smooth voice broke off and chuckled at the other name. Tilting my head, the blonde hair fell around my exposed skin. Fingers of cold crawled up my spine.

“Please, I must go.” I tried to move, but his hands caught me, holding me closer to him. The more I squirmed in his cold grasp, the tighter he held me. His strength, this stranger’s power….was unnatural.

“Oh, you smell so delicious.” His lips neared my throat. Before I could let out a strangled cry for help, two pricks of numbing pain left me paralyzed. His lips sucked at the skin when my brain finally racked up the answer to his mysterious words.

Vampire, of course he was a vampire.

How had I not seen this with the cold skin, hungry eyes, and the way the animals feared him?

Drawing back and wiping a stray drop of blood from his mouth, my brain faded and shut down my systems.


Waking up was hard. My eyes were cement bricks and I was forced to lift them up. My weak arms were pressed against cold stone. The entire air was chilly, but from a sense of fear. Soft shuffling steps surrounded me.

As my eyes adjusted, I made out a cell that I was trapped in. A figure was outlined in the corner. Faint torches glowed as beacons outside my chambers. I had been in my village with the stranger, no the vampire, one moment, and now I was here. I was supposed to go to my sister! What would she be thinking when I went missing!?

“W-where? W-what happened?” I asked feebly, my voice swallowed by silence and overpowered by the stench of dirt. The figure shuffled around, the outline of the head turned towards me.

“Welcome to hell, sweetheart.”

Notes

Hello my fellow wolves! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! I think you might have an idea who this "stranger" is now that we've figured out the name of one of his companions!

Are you guys still interested in the story? Is it keeping your attention? Please comment and let me know! I'll only be writing more if I get some feedback. All I want to do is make it more enjoyable for the readers, you guys!

So stay beautiful and keep on being awesome!