One Step Up, and Two Steps Back (Healing Hands, Chapter 12)

Alright! It’s finally here now that Whumptober is finished! Chapter 12 has some heavy hitting moments in it, and I’m going to go ahead and apologize for the end! You can find the entire work here, or the current chapter on FanfictionorArchive! The first section is under the cut!

—————–

Tenzo woke up shivering hard enough to make his teeth ache. He curled tighter, surprised that he hadn’t rolled from the couch with the violence of the movement. Peeking an eye open revealed the cool dimness of his bedroom rather than the living room. A breeze blew through the opened window, stirring the black curtains that he normally kept closed. He took a moment to wonder how he’d gotten there, then the pain slammed into him full force. An undignified whimper left his lips, and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out.

Something cool and damp brushed across the man’s forehead. Forcing his eyes open a second time, Tenzo found Sakura running a cloth across his skin. He opened his mouth to speak, but the woman shushed him before the words could form. Tenzo hadn’t known what he wanted to say anyway. Another bout of nausea curled his body inward, and he tried to breathe through the sickness. He held it down, clenching his abs so hard that they shook.

Warmth flooded Tenzo’s body, temporarily erasing the agony. The edges of his vision softened, then blurred. He blinked several times to clear it, but the halo of green remained. Pressure against Tenzo’s shoulders guided him to lie back, then blissful darkness swallowed him.

Murky water surrounded Tenzo as he floated in the lightless room. He should have been frightened, but he couldn’t remember why. Cords wrapped his body like snakes. They were normal and familiar, like old friends. Instead, he watched flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the tanks around him with detached curiosity. One had broken open, spilling a puddle of glowing liquid across the floor.

The face gazing at Tenzo from the other side of the glass belonged to a stranger, what little he could see of it. Banadages swathed the man’s neck, cheek, and forehead, making his features difficult to discern. Black eyes, as hard as stone, stood out in clarity. Glass shattered with a sickening crunch, and the stranger pulled Tenzo into brilliant light. He went without question, barely noticing how he was inspected like an animal for slaughter. He didn’t know enough to feel anything yet.

Tenzo stood in the corner of a room no larger than a closet. The hard cot that he slept on left just enough space for him to get dressed. His body ached in dozens of different places, and his muscles trembled from chakra exhaustion. He’d pushed himself too far again, but Danzo expected results. The mokuton was difficult to master, no matter how much Tenzo focused. He went through the hand signs without chakra, building muscle memory as he ignored the tears on his cheeks.

Loyalty had always been simple: follow Danzo. No one else understood the man’s vision of Konoha, but once it came true, they would see that it was for the best. At least, that’s what Tenzo had thought, until this mission fell apart. He stared at Kakashi from the corner of his eye, wondering if the man knew that he’d undone years of blind faith simply by existing. Tenzo’s ROOT record was pristine, even though only a quarter of his missions made it onto paper. To abandon one was unlike him.

Icy metal bound Tenzo’s wrists. He recognized the fear flooding his body and wondered if it would have been wiser to kill Kakashi. Danzo hadn’t said what he planned yet, but the men and women that he once considered brothers had dragged him here on the man’s command. Fragmented memories added terror to Tenzo’s helplessness: cold hands, flashes of green and purple, bone shattering agony, a caress against his neck, and the pinch of a needle.

The images overlapped too quickly for Tenzo to fully grasp the memories. Warm blood sprayed across his cheek, but he couldn’t remember if it belonged to him or someone else. Fever hot skin burned his fingers. The scent of infection turned his stomach, but he forced himself to look. Blue eyes met his, filled with fear and pain, but the tiniest sliver of hope brightened them. Death paled them to grey.

Terror clawed at Tenzo, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Kakashi disappeared in a sea of enemies as they were swept apart. Itachi sobbed in the darkness, back toward his teammates. Blood dripped from Tenzo’s fingers, puddling on the ground. Torn bodies filled the edges of the room; the scent of cooked flesh was strong enough to gag him. A hand clutched Tenzo’s shirt, jerking him backward moments before a kunai sailed through the space where he’d stood.

Warm lips opened to Tenzo’s, and a hand tangled in his hair. Kakashi’s blood pulsed too quickly through his fingers. Someone screamed, and the voice was almost recognizable. A moment of indecision, then a flash of pink followed by white. Red chakra pulsed, tearing Tenzo’s palm open despite his efforts to contain it.

“Hello, Subject 214.”

Medicine burned beneath Tenzo’s skin. His arms and legs went numb, then chakra slipped beyond his reach. Laughter followed him into darkness. Pulses of red and white tore Tenzo to wakefulness. The taste of vomit corroded his throat. A pitch black room tipped one way, then the other. No one was coming. Tenzo was alone. He’d always been alone, and he would always be alone. A door cracked open, and pale light blinded him as his torturer entered the cell.

Panic, blood, pain. Tenzo couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back. Something forced his hands against stone, tearing the skin. He screamed as the needle pricked his arm.

(find more at the above links)

: |  (18+)

I went through a harder period, my writing got sloppy. This is what I came up with, finally. Enjoy it! <3

MINORS, DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS STORY.

Chapter III (previous chapter)

Wordcount:2,7k words

Warnings:vampire harassment, some spooky shit, blood, strong language.

BELLS

Her bare feet moved discreetly across the obsidian floors. Shivers embodied her, setting her on edge. Moonshine and candle lights accompanied her, following through the intimidating corridors. Bells couldn’t understand why she felt so lonely and spooked, trapped between those entangled walls. Maybe she didn’t actually hear it, maybe it was just her disturbed mind, weakened by the blood loss. The reminiscing thoughts clouded her judgement.

“Come with me.”

Fuck.

It scratched her ears again, but this time she was sure she heard it. She grabbed her t-shirt, trying to keep her heart in her chest. She could run back to her room, but at this point she no longer knew which way was the right way. All the lights were hugged by darkness and her head was close to spinning. All she could do was follow the melody, the thing that should have stayed in her dreams.

“Come with me.”

She didn’t know why, but her eyes looked instinctively at the freezing window on her right. She spotted something white, something light, down in the garden. It moved ghostly around the rose buds. They started blooming under the night sky. Was it something or was it someone? She couldn’t tell if one of her nightmares manifested into real life. It looked like something caught between life and death, floating towards an arching entrance. There was something right after the garden.

“To the sea.”

Giggles embraced her ears too. They started running around, small figures that were familiar to her.

No, no, no, no.

Everything should have stayed in her head, but memories started to flood the long hallway. Shooting stars clouding the dark sky. Spheres of light blinking. Something she didn’t mean to remember.

Why am I seeing this?

But now she had to revisit that memory.

There were 3 of them. They were small, yet mighty kids, no older than 5 years old. They didn’t have to worry about what was outside of the big, grey house. They ran through the hallway, chasing each other and laughing. No evil could hurt them, only the monsters of their imagination and invented games.

“Bells, Bells, I’m going to get you!”

“Not if I run faster than a car!”

“Waaaait for me!”

Except for one. Miss Lorraine.

“What is going on here?”

That’s when the other two suddenly stopped running. Bells looked back, rookie mistake. Her skirt was too long for her age, she stripped on it and fell on the floor. It slightly hurt the child, she looked up in pain. 

Miss Lorraine stood above her. She was taller than the highest mountain. Furrowed brows and lines hardening her face. Their eyes met for a moment. Bells’ reflected fear, Miss Lorraine’s reflected disappointment and anger .

“What is going on here?” She repeated.

The giggles stopped. No one laughed anymore. The other two just pointed their fingers at Bells. They wanted her to become the guilty one.

“You are aware of the rules.”

Nothing.

“And you broke them.”

Again, nothing.

“This is why I have to punish you, Arabella.”

She grabbed her arm furiously. It was too tight. She was hurting her.

“Come with me.”

No.

“Come with me.”

NO.

“Come with me.”

“NO!”

Bells opened her watery eyes. Her heart wanted to run laps, it felt caged inside her chest. She no longer felt the memory reflected in the hallway, because she was no longer there.

Shit.

She found herself surrounded by tall, hedge walls. The air tried to tickle her blue locks. Her shivers weren’t caused by her doubtful fear. It was the cold breeze’s fault, it marked the season of death. Her toes were stroked by chilly grass. Bells turned her head around, trying to figure out where the actual fuck she was. Her eyes found several stone benches circling a running fountain. Her ears couldn’t focus on the sound, her heart was still echoing in her head. The statue of a woman stood in the middle of the circle. If it weren’t for the marble, Bells would have thought the woman was actually breathing, smiling, blinking. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t alive. The sight of her soothed Bells’ breathing.

Somehow she wanted to relate to the statue, but she never felt beautiful and unfortunately, she was still alive, trapped in a mansion crawling with nightwalkers. Yet, she somehow got out. Bells looked around, it must have been the heart of the maze. This one was standing still, not beating crazily like hers. She was pretty sure Oliver told them about it when he gave them the mansion’s tour, but she could care less about his words. Now she wished she actually listened to him.

The melody started again.

“Come with me.”

And Bells was so fucking fed up.

“Come with me.”

She picked a random path, following the voice. She wanted all of it to be done and go back to sleep.

“To the sea.”

Bells found the way out. It was the path leading towards the woods. And she took it.

“Jump in!”

She did. Bells jumped over a rotten log, a few mushrooms and some moss crowding it. The moonlight guided her no more, but the scratching of her ears. Tall trees started distorting around her as she got closer to the source.

“Jump in!”

She couldn’t jump over the thorny bushes. She went through them, scratching her uncovered skin. Bare feet, unclothed legs, naked arms. Not even the logo of the t-shirt survived. Bells didn’t want to think about the metallic smell. She was close. Too fucking close. She bit her lip hard, trying to let no whimper out.

“Oh, Jack!”

She walked through mud, until her path ended. She felt cool cement under her feet. She knew there was another line to the song, she heard it in her dream. And that’s when she saw it, standing in the middle of the open road. Bells thought she dissociated, understanding no more the difference between essence and appearance. It stained the road in white, being so close, yet too far away from her. It was haunting and breathtaking.

“I’m waiting for you…”

The melody ended on a soft, feminine note. It was barely a whisper. Bells was mesmerised for a second, but the illusion soon ended as she grasped the situation she was in. The phantomic figure stood still, no other sound coming out of it. Bells wasn’t too sure, but the figure reminded her of a woman, a spectre, a siren. A white rabbit that led her towards a Nothingland. An empty road that went somewhere and nowhere.

So she broke the silence.

“Who… Who the hell are you?”

Nothing. Bells’ patience was running low. She looked straight at it. She hoped this was a dream again or the product of her rotten, bleached and dyed head.

“Hellooo? Can you hear me?”

Again, nothing.

Fuck, that’s it.

Blood started boiling inside of her. She couldn’t take it. “Show yourself, for Christ’s sake! I’m bleeding, I’m covered in scratches, I’m tired and dirty. Who the fuck are you?” 

Bells made two steps towards it, trying to cut the distance between them. The closer she was getting, the harder she could see it. Agitated hands were grasping for something in the air. “I followed you all the way to nowhere, half of it I wasn’t even conscious. What the fuck do you want from me?!”

 Something felt frozen.  “If you are like one of those assholes, go ahead!” 

The wind wanted to murmur, to moan, but Bells’ voice was covering it. “Have a drink and eat me up! I’ve got nothing to lose. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I’m done with your bullshit! GODDAMIT, ARE YOU LIKE THEM?!” She screamed with all the breath she had left. She had no other words, stillness settled.

The woman turned her head. She looked at her.

“I’m worse.”

And the stillness was gone.

Just like Bells. She sprinted in the opposite direction, her mind couldn’t grasp what she just saw. That memory was imprinted inside her head, but the sudden, strong lights blinding her vision were much worse than the woman’s appearance.

Woman, woman, woman…

Light, light, light…

Car, car, car… 

CRASH!

Bells stood there like a deer in the headlights. Her body froze, it felt clawed by a force of human nature. Fear. She was too disoriented to understand what happened right in front of her. A car horn didn’t stop screaming. Her vision was blurry; her arms shielded her body, until a pair of hands started shaking her.

“Oy, oy, oy! Can you hear me? Can you hear a fucking word I’m saying?!”

Bells’ vision was clearing up.

“Huh?”

“Huh? That’s all you have to say, you fucking Smurf?!”

His fingers pressed tighter into her shoulders. She got a better view of his face, it was the only thing her eyes could grasp. Narrow, dark chocolate eyes fixed her with a frown. A small mole was placed under his right eye. His nose bridge was perfectly straight, his lips were slightly pressed together. Long, blonde strands of bleached hair hugged his oval face. He looked like a being that left heaven, but not without a fight for the gold that shimmered all over him. Several golden piercings decorated his ears, he even had one in his nose. Chains dripped on his neck, protecting the colourful tattoos hidden by his golden shirt. He looked like a fallen angel. A stolen treasure. A fucking idiot, that chose to fly too close to the sun.

The scratching of her ears vanished. Bells knew who was standing right in front of her.

Kinzou.

He opened his lips, his tone was calmer than before. Calmer than usual. “The fuck happened to you? Why are you wandering around like this? I could’ve ran you over.” He looked into her eyes.

She couldn’t hold his gaze. She stared at the bright yellow car behind Kinzou, it crashed into a tree. Bells cleaned her throat, the words were slowly coming out. “I… I… I don’t… I don’t know… I walked around… S-somehow…”

Kinzou let go of her. “So, I crashed my car into a tree just because you were fucking walking around. Did I hear that shit right?” He looked behind at the smashed vehicle, moving his fingers to his temples. 

“Yeah…” Bells kept hugging herself.

His jaw clenched. “Is that so?” He licked his lips.

She blinked twice. Bells chose to not say a word.

He is too fucking calm.

And then it came out. His real behaviour. Bells didn’t have to blink a third time. Her back hit a hard tree, he pushed her into it like a feather.

“You are a fucking bitch.”

“W-what? L-Let me go!”

“I don’t think I will.. That was a pretty expensive car.” His fingers found her neck. “I hate it when people ruin my expensive, personal things. And you will pay for that.” Kinzou leaned in and whispered, grabbing her whole neck with his right hand. “Slowly, ‘cause I’m feeling fucking generous.”

Bells’ eyes widened. 

Shit, shit, shit!

“You shouldn’t waste your precious blood like this, all scratched up.” His left hand ghosted over one of her arms, spotting tiny cuts. He brought his coated fingers to his lips; he took a lick.

Bells grabbed his arm with both of her hands, trying to push him away. But it was like he was made of stone.

“Y-you fucking moron! Let me go! There are blood bags in the house, just let me go!” The corners of her eyes were watering.

“I prefer my blood right from the force.” He caressed her neck in a manner that could be mistaken for tenderness. The brushing of his fingers… The thirst in his eyes… Kinzou was most likely looking for her vein.

Something changed, his face. His eyes darkened, his irises went bloody red. Bells could see sharp fangs peeking out of his twisted smile, his tongue as well. She felt a wet stroke on her neck.

“Ow, fuck you!” Was all she could whimper before she felt the long puncture in her neck. So he bit. And it all started spinning around.

The spheres of light were gone, only flashes of wild colours possessed her as she closed her eyes in defeat. Bells’ night seemed to resemble what happened to her a couple of weeks ago. Those fluorescent images kept flourishing inside her head, whispering to her over and over again that no one will ever save her this time. Maybe a nightwalker sparred her then, but the greedy Kinzou was not going to. Not when there was so much at stake…

Money…

Blood…

Power…

Control…

Rays of pink begined wandering the ground, announcing the arrival of something new, something different. 

Kinzou pulled away from her neck in a second. 

“Shit.”

***

The estate laid still as the others were already sleeping during the beginning of a new day, but not these two brothers. Their voices echoed through the East Side of the X Mansion, Oliver’s laboratory, a place of sacred science and experiments that sometimes functioned as a nurse’s office. 

“I knew that to a certain extent you were not the brightest in this family, but I never thought you would reach such a level of stupidity.”

Kinzou kept his hands in his pockets, leaning against a stacked bookshelf. He was now wearing a white t-shirt, his hair pulled in a half-bun. “Me? Stupid? You wanna go for a round right here, nerd? I’m warning ya’, I might break some of your bottles.” His tone was a warning, but his eyes fell on Bells’ figure sleeping on the velvet couch. She was covered by a wool blanket, skin so pale he could see through it.

Oliver pulled out a syringe and bent over. He carefully injected her arm, ignoring his brother’s remark.

“Feeling remorse?” He asked.

“Never.” Kinzou replied.

A smile fell on his face. His round glasses reflected the light as he discarded that used syringe. He went back to her.

“Since when do you behave like Brutus?”

“Since you started bossing people around like Ginsei.”

“He left me in charge though, not you. That speaks more about you, than it speaks about me.” He pulled out his stethoscope. “But that answer seems reasonable,” Oliver murmured as he took a look at the sleeping girl’s heartbeat, “it makes you an even bigger idiot than you already were.”

“The fuck is that supossed to mean?!”

“Nothing.”

“Ow, you are lying.”

 Oliver rose to his feet. “More than nothing then,” he paced around his desk as he was satisfied with the examination, “I talked to Ginsei over the phone while you were changing from your bloody etire.”

Kinzou got quiet for a second. Curiosity shone in his eyes. “And what did he have to say?”

“That you are an idiot.”

The blonde rolled his eyes. “Besides that shit?”

“Well, you are to be punished.” Oliver put down his stethoscope. 

“Punished for what? Not running her over? The fuck are you even talking about?”

“His words, not mine.” He removed his gloves and started washing his hands.

Kinzou rolled his eyes, he straightened his back. He wasn’t interested in Oliver’s words anymore. He scratched the back of his neck.

“I know that you practically do not care, but she is fine. I gave her a shot and she is going to have a fine sleep.” Oliver wiped his hands with a towel. “She walked around without any of us noticing, so I told Akin to scan the area. We did not sense anyone nearby, that’s strange.” He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, a habit older than history itself.

“And?! How does that excuse what happened to my car?” Kinzou snarled. “Chain her to a chair or something! Put her in the dungeon! ‘Cause if I see her again on that road, I ain’t hitting the breaks!”

“First of all, it is the 21st century, we do not have one anymore. Second of all, you are barbaric, I hope you are aware of that, at least. You know they are allowed to leave as they please, right?”

“Pffft!” Kinzou walked towards the door, but the thought of his older brother stopped him. “Before I leave, tell me what Ginsei had to say.”

“Oh, he just stated that we should be more careful with what happens in his absence. Or something between the lines.”

“I see no fucking punishment in that.”

Oliver’s lips curved in a sardonic smile. “We demanded that Bells needs a guardian, someone to escort her. I gave him a suggestion…” Forest eyes shone under thick lenses. “You.”

: |  (18+)

Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is going to be a smutty and productive year. Here we go again, with Bells’ perspective!

MINORS, DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS STORY.

Chapter II (previous chapter)

Wordcount: 2,5k words

Warnings: strong language, slight mental breakdown.

BELLS

Nothing could ever compare to one of the few elements that bound all rational creatures together.

A feathery touch that turns into carnal desire at the blink of an eye. Could it be lust?

No.

A seizing hurricane of tumultuous emotions that could take down a whole town. Could it be feelings?

Ha, no. 

A sphere of light. Once something new occurs, such a thing lights up. If someone dares to touch it, it starts blinking. It reminds them of something. Could it be a memory?

Yes, a sky full of memories. Just like stars.

Shades of cobalt settled behind her gaze; millions of memories shone inside them. For a moment, Bells didn’t even realize her eyes weren’t the ones causing the mellow sound of running water, but the open sink. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her wrist, some light concealer came off. She took a wipe, she had to take her make-up off properly. At least this time.

Bells didn’t stop the sink. She liked it, she enjoyed the sound. It flooded her with memories.

***

Audrey took a break, she went to the bathroom. Bells couldn’t blame her for that. She ran a hand through her already messed up and greasy hair. Her fingers’ shape was imprinted on the armchairs, she was feeling overwhelmed too. The most innocent one was spared from the conversation that was about to follow.

“So you just let her run away? Didn’t you have some business to finish?” Kinzou complained again, Bells could no longer count for how many times he did.

Ginsei took a sip from his tea cup. “I am not a monster, Kinzou. She can go to the bathroom if she feels like it.”

“Shit, I can’t wait to get out of here.” He mumbled to himself.

Ginsei’s face didn’t move, but Bells knew he was mentally rolling his eyes. 

“I hate to say it, but he is kind of right.” Four-eyes spoke.

Kinzou jumped dramatically, trying to contain his chuckle. “Wait, wait, wait! Hebeingme?Fuck, I can’t believe it. Somebody, write down the date! Oliver admitted for the first time this century that I was right! Ha, ha!”

Oliver sighed. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

Kinzou continued to laugh, and Ginsei raised his eyebrow. “Oliver, go on with your last idea.”

“Yes, right,” he cleared his voice, “you are leaving next week and this is the last interview of today. It’s them or nothing.”

Ginsei didn’t hesitate. “Hand them the contracts, Oliver. Renard, make sure Audrey comes back. In one piece, please. We’re hiring them.”

“You are talking to Renard, not Akin.” Kinzou started to laugh again at Brutus’ joke.

Bells’ mind was about to get lost in their conversation, but Ginsei’s remark made her look at Ramona with widened eyes. And Ramona looked back. They didn’t expect it; they were both shocked. Bells got railed up again.

“What the hell?! That’s all it took? Blind luck?”

Oliver was about to choke on his cup of tea.

“Are we for sure hiring someone that speaks like this?”

Renard got up, his posture resembled a feline, but his smile looked more like a canine. “Do I really have to go when the drama begins? You know it makes me thrive.” He whined.

“Get out.”

“Oui, oui.”

So he left.

Ramona stared at the emptiness of her tea cup, she didn’t feel like refilling it. Not now, at least. “You asked us such pointless things, maybe I should be the one asking the important questions now that we know you have no options left.”

Oliver scoffed and handed them some papers. 

“What do you mean by that?”

Bells’ gut tightened, the room started to feel heavy. She felt like the ceiling was about to crush her; she no longer burned, she was about to become dust.

“Why do you need blood donors?”

Silence sank in. They were about to drown. 

Shit.

“The first time this century, said Kinzou.”

Bells begged for the first time in years.

“Ramona, don’t do it.”

“What are you?”

Bells wanted to drag her feet across the floor and burst through that door. That was her first instinct. But her eyes glued to the five people.

People. If they were people.

Ginsei spoke. “I am a businessman. Oliver is a chemist and botanist. Though, I can’t speak for the rest of my lazy brothers.” His tone told nothing. His eyes told nothing. Ginsei was a statue.

Bells expected a protest from Kinzou or Brutus, maybe a first word from the silent Akin. But they let him speak like the leader he was.

After all, he looks like the head of the family.

“This answer won’t ever satisfy me. And you didn’t answer my first question. Do I have to repeat myself?” Her amber eyes were scanning the papers thoroughly, her fingers kept turning the pages.

She is actually reading them. Should I do the same thing?

Bells turned one of the pages, the job was stated as “donor”.

“You require a weekly quantity of blood that seems impossible to acquire from only three people. I wonder how much we get to live if we sign this. A week? Two weeks? A month?”

“I’ve met your kind before, Ramona. You are an intelligent woman, therefore none of my answers will ever satisfy you. You figured it out already.”

“And I’ve met yours before. Once.”

No.

Ginsei took another sip. “Did you?”

“Yes. In a dark alley, much fancier than this place.”

Ramona, stop.

Bells tried to interfere. “Do we get any paid vacation? What about health insurance?”

But they didn’t care about her, no one ever did. It was a fight between two beings above Bells.

“Can you tell me what happened there? In that dark alley?”

Ramona turned another page. “It states here that you won’t require any emotional or sexual services from us. Yet, you will allow us to live here for the three month trial period. You want to keep us a little bit too close for three blood bags a week per each. How is that even manageable?”

“Answer me.”

She stared at him, he couldn’t stare back. But he did hold her gaze.

“I learned that your kind doesn’t bark, but it bites.”

Nightwalkers.

Bells bit her lip. Hard. She hoped blood wouldn’t come out. Not now. Ginsei was somehow feeling proud, the left corner of his mouth moved up.

Did this motherfucker just smile?

“And this is why I’m hiring you.”

“I never imagined that a creature of the night would ever hire me.” Ramona looked at the last page. “But it pays too damn well to turn it down.”

They continued drinking their tea and Audrey came back eventually.

***

Her make-up was off; she took a steamy shower, scrapping all the collected dirt that crawled on her skin for more days than she wished upon. The white towels were stained blue, so were the dark marble walls and the shower cabin. An over-sized, dark, band t-shirt served as her pajamas, barely covering her thick thighs. She rubbed her wet hair again, then took a look at a cobalt strand of hair. 

Yes, that’s the perfect shade.

But it wasn’t enough for Bells. She wanted more. She tried to ignore the mess made in the sink, but her nose definitely couldn’t ignore the chemicals. All the stuff that she borrowed from that shitty Erin was spread around there: two bleaching kits, cheap blue hair dye, several hair brushes and pairs of scissors. 

She wiped the foggy mirror and grabbed the sharpest pair.

“It’s show time.”

As she started to cut, another memory unfolded.

***

A week after signing the contracts, the girls were back at the X mansion. Vincent had welcomed them, not allowing the rays of  sunset to come in. He was just like them. Bells didn’t carry much, only her patched up backpack and a huge sack containing some of her not-so-destroyed belongings from Magnolia Motel. 

Don’t think about Mr. Cho, just don’t.

Audrey and Ramona were so unlike her, presentable, polished, Bells could name only a few adjectives. This time, Audrey wore a much longer wig, the ends of her hair reaching her hips; a shade of black that faded into brown at the ends. It was straight now, but it had bangs that faced her perfectly, just like the last one. Her dress was baby pink and short, but it had some rounded, puffy sleeves. And she carried so much luggage. A little too much.

Ramona’s look resembled her last one. She traded her green turtleneck for a beige one. Beige pants, beige coat, beige everything. Maybe even beige underwear. Her chocolate locks were up in a milk-braid, keeping her long hair away from her shoulders. Gold shone around her neck. Bells wanted to laugh when she saw it. Who else would have the courage of wearing a cross in a house filled with blood-suckers, if not Ramona? Bells was soon expecting it to turn upside down.

That chick for sure is crazy.

But in her case, nothing was presentable, nothing was polished. She wore the same shoes and the same pants. What was different now was the gray hoodie she found at the thrift-store. And she was so sick of her grown out, faded hair. It had to go. Now.

“Good evening, ladies. I hope the family’s butler, Vincent, welcomed you well.” The voice that echoed from the head of the stairs was not Ginsei’s, but Oliver’s. 

What took Bells by surprise was how the interior was back to perfect. No more holes in the wall, no more missing columns, no more glass everywhere. That was the power of money, that was the power of the nightwalkers that she was about to work for.

“Good evening,” Ramona replied, “he sure had.”

“Glad to hear it.” Two more joined Oliver - Akin and Brutus.

Inside her head, there was a vague image of Brutus lingering from last time. He was the one that commented once in a while, the one throwing stuff around. She knew not to get on anyone’s bad side at the X Mansion, especially his. But what seemed to clutter Bells’ head was the presence of the other one, Akin. If Brutus was a Greek sculpture, Akin was an unknown myth lurking in the shadows. He towered them all, he must’ve been at least 2 meters tall. His skin was dark and velvety like the night sky. His head’s sides were shaved and the rest of his long hair was gracefully braided. Her eyes couldn’t grasp the idea of such an intriguing man. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the fear of getting eaten alive, but something lurked inside of her when she saw him in the candle-lit space. 

Shit.

A soft voice spoke. “Are you here to help with our luggage? I kind of brought… A lot.” Audrey’s tone trembled, just like her legs. She was filled with embarrassment. 

“Yes, Audrey. That’s why my brothers are here.”

She clapped her hands. “Oh, thank you!”

Bells’ eyes couldn’t help it, but glance at Akin’s muscular arms. He rolled his sleeves and grabbed Audrey’s things. “And why are you here? Shouldn’t someone with a cane lead us through the mansion blindly?” She scratched the back of her neck as she spit the words. 

Brutus contained his laugh. They came down and grabbed their belongings, Oliver continued to talk with his hands behind his back. His lean and skinny figure reminded Bells of a popsicle man.

“Such eager eyes you have, hope they don’t cut just like your tongue.”

“Cut the crap.”

“Brutus, Akin, let’s show them the rooms.”

Oliver pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath and waited. For his answer or for someone else’s. They all came up, swaying through the long and eternal hallways. It was a maze of marble, vintage paintings and candles. Tall windows mirrored the wild woods guarding the residency.

Ramona’s voice leaned towards Bells, but not her body. She was staying away, she didn’t want to associate with someone like her. “You don’t pay much attention to details.”

“What?!”

Oliver and the others didn’t turn, but they definitely heard her. Audrey didn’t bother to listen, she was too intrigued by the decorations. Oliver was telling her about the paintings.

“Keep it civilized, will you?”

“No, thanks. You keep it enough for all of us. You like a tight leash, don’t ya?”

“Are you starting a fight with me? Again?”

Bells was about to, but the sight of the brothers helped her control her impulses. She clenched her fists.

“No, I’m not.”

Ramona scoffed. “At least I listen to people,” Bells didn’t reply, so she continued “last week they were so rushed to get someone to work for them, because the head of the house was leaving for business.”

“Are you talking about that Ginsei guy? The one with the cane?”

“Yeah,” Ramona rolled her eyes and repeated her words, “that Ginsei guy. The one with the cane.”

“Audrey, here is your room.”

***

Those were some fragments of her memories. What was said before or after that, Bells didn’t bother to remember, now that her body was lying comfortably between freshly washed bed sheets. She inhaled the unfamiliar smell of cleaness. She was used to sleeping during the day and staying up during the night, so adjusting to the brothers’ schedule was no problem to her.

Her eyelids were heavy. She wasn’t supposed to go to sleep this early. She wanted to at least masturbate once in this expensive estate, but after Oliver took some blood bags from them today, she could no longer battle her tiredness.

She fell asleep.

***

Something shifted.

Her nose caught a rancid smell - rotten eggs and spoiled milk.

Bells was in her old apartment; a place that had everything and nothing. Dirty plates and untidy clothes crowded the connected living room and kitchen space. 

That living room was actually her bedroom. It reeked of her. She reeked of rotten eggs and spoiled milk.

She was alone, Erin was most likely busy with one of her shows.

Bells might have been dreaming, because several indigo flowers popped up from nowhere. They never had flowers.

“Come with me.”

She heard it from somewhere.

“Come with me.”

Or was it from nowhere?

“To the sea.”

She had to be dreaming.

“Jump in!”

She turned on her heels, searching for something.

“Jump in!”

Her head was spinning.

“Oh, Jack!”

She didn’t know a Jack.

“I’m waiting for you!”

The flowers smelled like rotten eggs and spoiled milk.

***

Something tickled her ears. It was suave and gentle, a sound so endearing that it woke her up instantly. Bells was used to sleeping like a rabbit, always expecting something bad to happen. She got up in an instant, searching for a source of light in the emptiness of the dark. The moonlight helped her, it highlighted everything in the room.

“It’s only 5:15 AM.”

She mumbled to herself after looking at the old fashioned clock hanging on a dark wall.

The sound continued to tickle her ears. It was a song, coming from somewhere. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

So she decided to start wandering around the mansion.

Well, I didn’t get to post weekly. Here is the second chapter though. Nothing too fancy.

MINORS, DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS STORY.

Chapter I (previous chapter)

Wordcount:2,1k words

Warnings: vampire harassment (everytime they are shady as hell I’ll use this), blood, strong language.

AUDREY

“Have a seat, please.”

As they sat down, a grandfather clock made its company known. It wanted to fill in the silence.

Tick, tack. Tick, tack. Tick, tack. 

Only one of them spoke in the beginning, he matched the stillness perfectly, yet he knew how to make himself heard; the others listened to himandhim only. Audrey slightly tuned out the sound of his dead voice, her eyes could only focus on her surroundings. Similar to the spacious entrance and long hallway, this room was also painted in shades of purple, grey and black. Her chest relaxed, her breathing regulated. The room held an air of mystery, intrigue and aristocracy.

Their six future employers sat at an obsidian, half-moon table that rounded their three seats; some seemed bored, some seemed excited, some didn’t show any emotion at all. Spirals of shadows and plum clouds hugged and fought as lovers and enemies on lavishing wallpaper. Tall windows were covered by everlasting curtains, their ends seemed to merge in with cold, onyx tiles. 

Her head smelled smoke, not her nose. 

So she stared at the wallpaper again. 

They didn’t pick red, it would’ve been too aggressive, too stubborn, too threatening. They didn’t pick blue either, it would’ve resonated too much with her gloomy heart. They chose a safe colour, something to remind her of a dollhouse, of the twilight sky, even of misty berries. They knew what they were doing, keeping the three of them tame. Especially the fierce Bells, her behaviour changed from the moment they appeared.

The charcoal, oak door opened. The butler that had welcomed them in the beginning showed up again, holding a metal tea tray. It was enough for only six people. Three guests, three employers. Maybe the rest of them didn’t like tea.

“Thank you, Vincent.” He perfectly picked up his tea cup, his eyes not breaking contact with their trio. It was like he was staring at those same shadows stirring behind their backs. He wasn’t looking at them directly, he wasn’t able to. “If you may, accept my apologies for keeping you waiting. Many people came in today, there was plenty to manage. Furthermore, accept my apologies in the name of my younger brothers. Incidents of this kind rarely happen, I hope you understand that clearly.”

The only reply came from Ramona, she nodded and picked her cup of tea. That was all.

He continued his monologue. “Thank you for coming in today. We went through several candidates, but none showed signs of being the right fit for our household. You are the last of the herd. What makes you so special?”

The monologue was finished. “Are you really asking us that?” Now Audrey knew where the smoke was coming from. “After all the shit that we saw today, you really think my mind is shitting answers to crappy questions like this?! For fuck’s sake! I’m poor and I need a job. End of the story.” Bells gripped the purple armchairs; her eyes were bloody and her eyebrows arched. She no longer feared what she didn’t understand, maybe she knew that fearing what you actually understand is practically worse.

“Well, poverty isn’t a quality, nor a talent. And it doesn’t make anyone special, so it nullifies her answer.” The one sitting by the leader’s right commented and took a look into some papers. He wore a pair of round glasses.

“That one is feisty. I’m into that.” Another purred.

“Shit, Renard, stop being a freak! Ginsei, why did you allow him in here? He’s gonna scare them, just like the others.” The blonde named Kinzou protested and moved impatiently in his seat.

Ginsei, that Ginsei. 

“Definefreak, you punk,” Renard’s voice coated the room in honey even in its most fatal moments, “am I a freak of nature for admiring the purest and rawest emotion? Is there something wrong with feeling coruptuous rage? Maybe we should ask our brother right here.” He pointed towards another blonde, but with shorter and curlier hair than Kinzou. “Brutus. Care to join? It’s your field of expertise.” Brutus of Rome, a destroyer of columns. 

He isn’t looking at the purple. 

“Mm,” only a murmur came out of his lips.

Renard nodded. “Well, isn’t that a vague answer. I was expecting more from you today. You became a sentinel, just like Akin sitting over there.”

“What the hell do you want me to say?” Brutus snapped.

“Ha, there it is!”

Renard chuckled, while Kinzou leaned into his armchair, throwing his head back. “God, you annoying little shits!” His hands called for an unknown God. There was no God there, only several.

“Yes, I would call them the same thing, but in a different way.” The one with the round glasses added.

He is searching for something else.

Ginsei raised his left hand. His right chilled on a silver cane. They stopped talking. Again, he didn’t need to turn his head towards them.

He is blind. 

“Alright, you are poor. What about the others?”

“Well, I do not share Bells’ opinions or statements. I came here looking for an available job, not to declare my material situation. And about that question… What makes me special?” Ramona moved her finger towards her lips, she pretended to care about the question, just like Ginsei. She probably went to many interviews before. Maybe too many. “Nothing, absolutely nothing. I do the bare minimum, I jog everyday and swim three-times a week. I maintain a healthy diet and never eat sweets. You most likely have the rest in your files. I speak 5 languages: English, Spanish, French, Latin and Greek. I’ve read more books than pages touched by the two sitting right next to me.”

Bells jumped in. “What the fuck, Ramona?”

She continued. “The blood type is there, my height and weight are there. My family history is there. I know you are cautious people. But besides all of this information, why would you share it with your butler? It’s unprofessional and uncalled for.”

“Measure of safety,” Ginsei replied.

She scoffed. “Like you actually need it.”

“She has a point there,” Ginsei’s right hand said, “anything else to add before we end this?” 

“The third one didn’t speak yet, I want to hear her before I make a final decision.”

Audrey didn’t even hear the question, it was difficult to follow their rhythm. 

“Don’t you mean us?” Kinzou shouted. 

“Not at all.”

Abyssal eyes fell upon her. They weren’t able to peek at her or anything at all. They lived in deep, thoughtful darkness. Sharp features and short, inked hair matched them. If he ever dared to speak at midnight, in a cemetery surrounded by untroubled souls, his voice would’ve matched them perfectly.

“What makes you special, Audrey?”

Her eyes faced his. She heard him this time.

But Kinzou interrupted them, once again.

“You know what? Do your own thing, I’m out of here.”

He rose to his feet, eager to get bored somewhere else. A flash of silver stopped him, pressing into his chest. Ruby eyes shone alarmingly between those purple walls; only they dared to breathe. A valuable goat topped the fearful cane. The goat’s gaze stared at Kinzou instead of its owner’s eyes.

“Stay,” Ginsei simply said, “put.”

Dust settled in its place, so Kinzou decided to sit down as well.

Audrey knew it was her time to speak, she kept playing with her fingers in her lap. The purple walls tightened, putting pressure on her, squeezing her in. Her chest ached. “May… May I go to the bathroom? I just need a minute.”

A pair of glasses looked at Ginsei, seeking approval. He shook his head.

“Of course. Third door, to the right.” His right hand replied.

She couldn’t look at the other girls when she left the room, Audrey was too focused on her aching stomach. She found the bathroom quickly. This time, pearly walls circled her, but she was too focused on taking her panties off. Then she saw a bloody stain.

Red, it’s red.

“It came too early.” She whispered to herself.

She left her purse in the other room and the girls were out of reach, all that she could do was make use of their high-end toilet paper. A handful of it.

Audrey came back in the hallway, trying her best to maintain a normal appearance. Her eyes spotted something red, again. It was a troubled fox, leaning against a wall. His long, ginger waves cascaded on his shoulders hugged by a beige, satin shirt. 

“There you are, petit agneau. I thought you lost your way coming back to your flock.” The last time she heard him speak, his words were coated in honey. Now it was like he was taking his time in the early morning, with a piece of freshly toasted bread topped by butter and strawberry jam. “I will give you the benefit of the doubt, because we haven’t officially met.”

“What are you talking about? We were in the same room earlier.”

“Yes, but I never got the chance to kiss your hand.”

Her cheeks felt warmer. 

“Is that so?” She gave her hand to him and he gently took it.

His lips ghosted her hand. They were cold, too cold. Like his hand holding hers.

“So sweet,” he murmured, “a real pleasure to meet you, Audrey. My name is Renard.”

“Likewise.”

She was ready to pull away, but Renard was still holding her hand.

“I can’t help, but catch the fragrance phantoming on your wrist.”

“Daisy by Marc Jacobs.”

Bright, coppery eyes smiled at her mischievously. “Fascinating. But I wasn’t referring to that.” His fingers anchored around her wrist.

She couldn’t catch his gaze back, instead she stared at his slender fingers. “What do you mean?” Words came out of her lips as a mumble.

“What do I mean?” His lips spread in a sly smile. “You smell so, so sweet, that I could pick wild berries waltzing under your velvet skin.” Renard turned her palm; he catched a glimpse of her pulse. It throbbed under his finger.

“P-please, let me go…” 

But he went on. “I can already feel the taste on the tip of my tongue. Syrupy, silky, whispering sticky thoughts like an unnamed lover. It tempted me; it called to me earlier. I knew the others could hear it too, but they couldn’t dare with Ginsei present.” He looked at her. “Let me have a taste, just to satisfy my craving. I’ve got a burning desire, Audrey, and that desire is running through your veins.” His tongue caressed her wrist. It was moist, it was agitating. She slightly trembled.

So the fox and the lamb finally met.

“No.” She pulled her hand harder and he let go. “I need to… I have… I have to get back there.”

 Renard accepted his defeat, watching her leave. “Go, go, petit agneau. Never stray too far away, ‘cause next time a wolf might actually welcome you.”

His words echoed behind Audrey as she entered the meeting room again. They were all still in their places, some enjoying the last drops of warm tea. They all looked at her.

Except for Ginsei.

Audrey settled in her armchair.

“Now that you are back, you can also read the contract.” The one wearing the glasses handed her a couple of papers. “It’s a temporary contract, for a three month trial period. Take your time, make sure that everything is in place.”

She looked at the two others. On one hand, Bells spread the papers around, but she didn’t even look at them, she was ready to sign right away. On the other hand, Ramona read them vigorously. She didn’t want to miss any details. Audrey’s eyes widened, she assumed they all passed the interview. Somehow.

“You gave her the papers to sign, yet she didn’t provide an answer to my question.” Ginsei added.

“Really? That shitty question again?” Kinzou could no longer take it.

“I don’t think I have to repeat myself.”

The door opened, the fox joined them. Audrey only wanted for all of it to end, nothing else.

Is there anything special about me? Anything at all?

She spotted that foxy smile again resting on Renard’s face.

That might be it.

“I like to paint, many people paint, but I’m aware of that. And I’m sweet. I think that’s it.”

Ginsei raised an eyebrow. “Sweet?”

“Yes.”

“Prove it.”

She felt Ramona’s and Bells’ eyes on her. Everyone’s eyes. Both of them wanted to whisper something, to reassure her, to encourage her, to tell her that there was nothing to prove, but Audrey took the lead for the first time in a long, long time. She reached to her ears, the little pearly earrings hid well behind her curls, and she took one out.

And that’s when it started to drop. Crimson on white, staining the paper. It filled the room with sweetness, it was almost overwhelming. For Ramona or Bells? No. For the others. Some clenched in their seats trying to ignore her finger, others seemed to be unbothered by it. And that was it.

She signed in blood.

“Welcome to the X Mansion.”