Fan Fiction ❯ Cry of the night ❯ The Dream, Morning, the Capture (Chapters 1-3) ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or anything like that. Other than the brief reference to it and its character, the rest is solely my idea, except of course, the existence of vampires and what they are, but anyway.

 

Cry of the Night

 

 

Chapter 1: The Dream

 

S

he woke up screaming. Thirty seconds later, she realized where she was and sighed, she had had the dream again. Slowly she got up from the ornate bed and walked into the equally ornate bathroom where she splashed water on her face and looked at her strangely pale and even more strangely, slightly translucent reflection in the mirror. She yawned, revealing her partially developed fangs that she also looked at intently, as if checking that they were still their correct size.

“I can't believe it, I had that nightmare again,” she said to the mirror girl. She just stood there for a minute or two, almost as if expecting an answer before continuing, “And my reflection is even more transparent, it's getting worse everyday.” Again, she fell silent, staring at the mirror. The nightmare was the same every night, haunting her, calling her into darkness. She didn't understand it, but she knew it had to do with her vampire side, and it scared her.

“You had it again Rel?” asked a boy who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, casting no reflection in the mirror.

“Yes I did Medren,” answered the girl, taken by surprise due to the lack of warning. The lack of warning partially due to Medren's silent approach, “I can feel them trying to call me to their side. I hear their cry and it scares me, because on some level, I do want to be one of them, on some level, I already am.”

“Rel, you aren't like them. We may be half vampire but we're also half-human. You have a heart, and a soul, they don't,” Medren replied, looking her in the eye.

“It's easy to forget that sometimes. I seem more vampire than human, I can't walk in the sun and I drink blood, what on me is human?”

“Your heart, but if you mean physically your fangs aren't fully developed, you have a reflection, and you don't have the ability to walk without making any sound. Beyond that, there's your eyes, they're much too kind for a vampire.”

“So, except for the fangs, eyes, and unnatural paleness, everything physically vampiric on me is human on you and vice-versa huh?” Rel asked jokingly, smiling at Medren.

“Yeah, it would appear to be so.”

“Thanks Medren, I'm glad there's at least one person I can count on to understand.”

“Always Rel. I'll be there to help you for ever, in any way that I can,” Medren answered, suddenly serious.

“And I'll always try to help you,” Rel answered just as seriously, then changed the subject abruptly, “By the way Medren, how did you get in?”

“The window was open in the dining room. I came because I felt something was wrong with you.”

“What do you mean you felt something was wrong with me?” Rel asked, more than a little confused.

“I don't know, maybe it's just a vampire instinct or something.”

“Okay, if you say so. Well, since you're here, would you like to stay for breakfast?”

“I probably shouldn't, your mother will wonder how I got here, and when,” Medren replied softly.

“Good point, but you could always go out and come back in, couldn't you?” Rel asked almost pleadingly.

“Alright, I suppose so. What time should I knock on the door?”

“Five should be good; we usually eat around five thirty.”

“Than I'll see you in half an hour okay?” Medren asked concern evident on his face.

“Yeah, that's great,” answered Rel smiling.

Medren left out the balcony window by the rope ladder Rel kept stored in her room for that exact reason. She pulled it up behind him and put it back under her bed. Then she got dressed in a dark blue and silver shirt and a pair of dark jeans and sat back down on her bed. She looked around the room. It was all the dark brown of oak, and the silver and sapphire blue that were her favorite colors. When she looked around it as she was doing at that moment, she found it calming, the room was always there; always the same as it had been, never changing.

 

Chapter 2: Daylight

 

“Relainia! Someone's here to see you!” her mother called up the stairs about ten minutes after Rel was ready.

“Coming Mom!” Rel called back. She ran down the stairs stopping just short of the wall. This was pretty mush a daily occurrence, though today she felt there was even more reason for it.

“One of these days you're going to hit that wall,” her mother admonished, just as she did almost every other day, and just as uselessly.

“Will not. So, who's here to see me?” Rel asked innocently.

“A young man almost as pale as you is actually”

“Medren!” Rel exclaimed, sounding convincingly surprised.

“How do you know this boy Relainia?”

“We met at the library a while ago,” Rel answered simply, looking at Medren as he entered the hallway.

“We were researching our family histories,” Medren added with a slight smile.

“Oh, well I'm sure you two learned some very interesting things,” Rel's mother answered.

“Yes we did mother. Are you aware that most people are under the assumption that vampires can't have children?” Rel asked with an only slightly hidden smile.

“Why are you speaking of vampires Relainia?” her mother questioned warningly.

“Because there's a reason he's so pale, he's half vampire too.

“But you were out in the sunlight,” Rel's mother exclaimed.

“Yeah, I'm a day walker, I was lucky,” Medren replied calmly.

“Oh, well would you like to stay for breakfast? I was just getting it ready,” she asked politely.

“I would be happy too, if it's not an inconvenience to you.”

“Oh it's not, there's plenty of food here. Mom doesn't seem to get that I don't eat food, but you do so we're fine,” Rel answered quickly, giving her mother no chance to respond.

“I suppose we're agreed then. Would you help me finish breakfast Relainia?”

“Of course, happy too,” Rel replied happily.

“I'd be glad to help too,” Medren answered.

Medren took the eggs from the counter and began making the scrambled eggs. Everything was done in about 15 minutes and they all sat down to their breakfast, sausage, pancakes, and eggs for Medren and Rel's mother, and pig's blood for Rel, along with a little bit of food.

“So you're half vampire as well. I didn't know there was anyone else around here in my daughter's unique position,” Rel's mother said after a few minutes, “her father said it was rare.”

“Yeah, it is really rare. Usually what happens is that the father either turns the would-be mother, thus destroying the child, or turns both after the child is born. My mother drove a stake through my father before I was born, so I survived. It's also rare because only males who were turned at a young age can even have children,” Medren explained emotionlessly, as if it was something he had said over and over again and knew by rote.

“We were lucky I suppose. Relainia's father had such a strong sense of familial duty from before they turned him that he wouldn't hurt her and helps provide for us. He won't come around here though, he's afraid of what he might do,” Her mother explained, looking at Rel at the end.

“He sounds like he was a decent person.”

I guess so. Hey Medren, are you aware that we've never spoken about your mother? I was just wondering about her,” Rel asked softly.

“She died in an accident,” Medren replied simply.

“Oh, sorry I asked.”

“It's alright, I was a while ago.”

“So Relainia, what were you studying today?”

“Um, I don't know. I haven't heard yet from the teacher,” Rel answered with a confused look brought about by the abrupt topic change.

“Well, then you have the day off, your teacher can't make it today,” her mother explained, pausing before glancing at the clock then looking at Medren, “Shouldn't you be getting to school?”

“Actually, I graduated on the advanced program last year, and my first college class isn't until two o'clock,” Medren answered politely.

“Oh, well I didn't want you to be late. I need to get to work now, so could you two clean up breakfast?” She paused and Rel nodded to her, “Alright, I'll see you when I get home then Relainia,” her mother said smiling as she picked up her bag.

A few blocks away in an almost completely dark room, a vampire slowly rose from her bed, an evil smile on her face as she spoke, “At last, the two of them are together, with no one else around to interfere.”

“Mistress what are you planning for them? Don't forget, Relainia is my daughter,” another vampire, this one Rel's father, asked.

“I plan to turn them, to bring them to what they should be. And I haven't forgotten your connection to the girl; it shall make it even easier to bring her to us.”

“Yes mistress, of course,” he replied, his voice perfectly steady, though his expression, hidden by the shadows, was one of rebellion. His daughter was one of the few people he cared about at all anymore, now that he was a vampire, and to him, what she wanted mattered, though if it had been anyone else, he'd hardly have had a second thought about it.

“You are wise to agree. Even now, I plant the seeds of darkness deep inside them. They will come to me in time, both of them.” The vampiress lay back down and dismissed the man saying, “You may go. And see that none disturb me.” Relainia's father left the room and walked off, lost in thought.

“Makaren, what's wrong with you?” a vampire asked, passing him in the hallway.

“Nothing, just thinking about my daughter. I wouldn't care, but she wants to turn the girl,” Makaren answered, stopping in the middle of the dimly lit and ancient hallway to talk to the other vampire.

“So, you should have turned her when she was born.”

“I know, but I don't want her turned. I want her to be herself.”

“That's not possible now; the mistress always gets her way.”

“Yes, of course.” Rel's father answered looking away, “I have to go.”

He walked away from the other vampire and hurried to his room.

Makaren looked extremely worried about his daughter, if worried was a word that could be applied to a vampire. He sighed at the thought of the life he had to endure everyday, a life of pain, of darkness and loneliness unending. It was a life that was hard to lead, and a life in which there were no friends, only temporary alliances, which were betrayed when stronger allies were found. Of course, there was the rare vampire here and there who had a tie to another, a brother or a sister perhaps and sires always had some kind of connection to the ones they turned, but the former was extremely rare, and the latter rarely strong enough to make any difference at all.

His daughter on the other hand, happily talking to Medren, was unaware of the further development in the plans concerning her fate.

“Medren, do you want to do something?” she asked.

“Uh, sure, what do you want to do?” Medren replied smiling.

“Well, I don't know. I guess we can watch a movie. That okay?”

“Yeah I guess,” Medren answered. They both got up and Relainia led him to the living room. She picked out a movie and put it in the DVD player. When the movie started, she sat down next to Medren, who switched off the lights.

“What movie is it, Rel?”

“It's Spirited Away. I like it because even though Chihiro is in this strange world, she still has someone she can trust, someone she can depend on. She's not alone. That and that she has to be herself, no matter what happens and what it might mean. I know what it must feel like to not really fit in.”

“But you're not alone either.” Medren replied.

“No, I've got you and my mom. Now be quiet, the movie's starting.”

The two half-human children watched the movie in relative silence, speaking only to comment on a particularly funny or emotional moment. After the movie was over, Rel looked over at Medren and smiled brightly.

“It's kind of sad though. I mean, what if they never meet again?”

“They will, Kohaku promised. Besides, Chihiro had to go back to her own world. She didn't belong, and Kohaku, now that he has his name back, is finally free. You see, you have to be yourself, or you can't be anyone at all. That's what it shows; you can't let anyone get in the way of what you believe in or let anyone control you.” Rel said happily. Somehow, watching that movie always made her more confident, and more able to be confident in who, and what, she was.

Medren smiled in return. “Just remember that's true in real life, too.”

“Of course Medren. You know, you remind me of Kohaku, always reminding me I am what I am.”

“I try. Well, I guess I'd better go now,” said Medren, getting up from the couch.

“Well I guess so then. I'll be seeing you later,” said Rel.

Relainia and Medren hurried up the stairs and she opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a man holding an umbrella and wearing a dark, heavy overcoat despite a sunny day, or rather, because of it.

“May I come in?” the man asked.

“No, you may not. What do you want?” Rel answered suspiciously.

“Oh, I don't want anything, but my master does,” the man, actually a vampire, replied calmly.

“Tell her we aren't interested!” Medren replied angrily, almost shouting and Rel tried to close the door.

She didn't succeed however, because the vampire had grabbed it, “Now, now. None of that, I'm just a messenger. The time is coming when you will both be tested and she will have you. Your human sides are weak and they will fall. It will be sooner for you Relainia, you're already getting more and more like us every day,” the vampire said while holding the door. When he was done, he left, leaving the two children to each other's counsel.

“He's right, I'm getting more like them,” Rel said after a moment. She was indeed correct in that assertion, though no one would have known that from looking at her. Her reflection got less distinct everyday, and her blood lust got worse as well. She had tried to suppress it, but couldn't manage it. But the truth of the matter was that these changes were minimal, Rel was imagining most of the changes she was referring to, her fangs were exactly the same as always, and her temper hadn't been getting any worse for her than for the average teenage girl.

“No you aren't. Come on let's go sit down,” Medren said comfortingly. The two walked back to the living and sat on the couch. Medren once again reassured Rel that she wasn't like them, but she found that part of her too strong to ignore.

“Oh Rel,” Medren said, taking her hand, “It's alright, you aren't alone, I'll help you.”

“Promise?” Rel asked, almost crying.

“Promise. I won't leave you all alone, not if I can help it.”

“Thanks Medren. With you around I know I'll be alright you under-” she broke off shuddering violently for about thirty seconds. Medren took her in his arms until she stopped.

“What's wrong?” he asked, extremely worried.

“I don't know. It's probably nothing, just something else weird,” Rel said, the panic in her voice betraying her calm words.

“I hope so. Do you feel all right now?

“Yeah, just a little tired,” Relainia answered.

“Then I suggest you get to bed early tonight.”

“I will. Do you hear something?” Rel asked glancing toward the door.

“Yeah, I do. Maybe it's your mother,” Medren answered. Medren was right, as they both learned when she called from the other room.

“Yes Mom, I'm right here,” Rel called back.

“Medren looked at the clock then stood up saying, “I have to go now, or I'll be late. Are you going to be alright with your mom?”

“Yeah, of course, I won't be alone. See you later then.”

“Of course,” Medren replied, hurrying to the door but still being perfectly silent.

A few moments later Rel's mother came in the room. She looked over at her daughter, and noticing her worried look, came over and sat beside her. She asked her what was wrong but Rel told her she was just wondering why she was home already. To this her mother replied that it was nothing important.

 

Chapter 3 Capture

 

While Rel chatted with her mother, Medren began his walk to the bus stop. It wasn't really far and it was probably quicker than walking home to get his books. For once, the bus was actually on time and he quickly boarded, heading home.

But unbeknownst to him, someone was watching. A man was sitting in the back of the bus completely hidden by a dark cloak. Medren's eyes passed right over him without any outward emotion. The man smirked as he watched the half-human boy sit down, clearly having not recognized him for what he was.

“It won't be long boy, and you'll be one of us,” he said under his breath.

Medren turned around for a moment, hearing the man, a look of certain recognition on his face, but turned around again before the vampire noticed. In truth, he had realized it the second he saw the cloak, but was only now certain, though he hid it relatively well, and the vampire didn't realize he'd been found out. Medren resolved to wait, and if the man got off when he did, knock off his cloak. But when Medren got off two stops later, the man didn't follow. He got his books from his house and went to school for a normal day.

At least it started out that way. On his way home, it started to get dark. As it did, Medren's features changed almost imperceptibly, as they did every night. He became more vampiric. He was used to it, it happened to all day-walkers, but tonight it set him slightly on edge as his improved senses told him that someone was following him.

Medren spun around, but saw no one. Undaunted he called, “Come out here. I'm not stupid, hiding won't work!”

“No, you aren't stupid, simply naïve,” said one of the five vampires stepping from the shadows.

“Five, you must really want me then. Too bad I'm not in the mood to cooperate,” Medren replied, sounding far braver than he felt. He pulled a stake from his boot and prepared to fight.

One of the vampires rushed him, but Medren easily dodged and staked the vampire in the heart through the back, turning him to dust.

The other vampires were smarter, or just more cautious. They surrounded him and attacked all at once. Medren tried to fight back against them, though he knew that he was outnumbered. The first dodged his attack and another tried to grab him from behind. Medren writhed out of his grip, spun around, and staked this vampire as well. He pulled out the stake, but as he went to turn around one of the remaining vampires grabbed his wrist and disarmed him. Medren tried to get the stake back, but the vampire, who had grabbed it, having no use for it, flung it away from the scuffle. Medren kicked one of them, but another had grabbed him, and he was unable to maneuver. He tried to get free but he was stopped when they bit him, draining just enough blood to make him dizzy. The vampire released his grip slightly after this, having forgotten that half-vampire blood was slightly poisonous to vampires, and so in almost as bad a state as Medren, who had taken advantage of his captor's distraction to get away from him, only to find himself on the ground, too dizzy to stand. They took advantage of this momentary weakness to knock him out and carry him to a nearby car. In the now completely dark night, no one noticed this rather odd occurrence, and so his disappearance went unnoticed until he missed class the next day,

And at her home, Rel was in convulsions again. Her mother ran over to her in fright and gently held her still. After a few minutes Rel stopped, though she was still shaking and felt weak. She went to stand, but her mother sat her back down.

“Relainia, what is it? What's wrong?” Her mother asked in a worried tone, looking her daughter in the eye and holding her arm lightly.

“I'm alright; I should probably just go to bed early. It's okay,” Rel answered, trying to sound calm. She really wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't want her mother to worry about her anymore than she would normally. Relainia understood that her mother tended to overreact if anything was wrong with her only child.

“We'll check in the morning, for now you're right, the best thing to do is probably to sleep,” Her mother answered, evidently fooled by Rel's falsely calm manner about the problem.

“Alright mom,” Rel answered, getting up slowly to avoid being dizzy. She walked up to her room and dressed for bed. She put on a fancy seeming blue nightdress trimmed in silver that matched her room, feeling she should look acceptable, just in case Medren stopped by. She lay down on the bad and tried to sleep, despite the bad feeling she was getting.

“The time is coming when you will both be tested,” the messenger had said. Rel wondered if this was the test he had been talking about. She tried to get comfortable, but she was too worried.

Rel stood up and opened the door like window leading out to her small balcony, where she stood, breathing the fresh air and trying to be calm. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly and deeply.

Since her eyes were shut, she didn't see the dark shadow moving across the lawn, nor did she see the man hiding under the balcony. But she did hear when the jumped onto the balcony as the other man climbed the rope.

She opened her eyes in shock, and turned to go back inside, where she knew the vampires couldn't follow without permission, but before she could, the vampire grabbed her. She kicked him and got free for a second, but a second was all she needed. She stepped into her room and knew she was safe. At least, she would have been, if she had stayed there. But that was not to be the case. Just as she began to close the door, she convulsed again, and fell forward, right into the waiting vampire. He caught her, but she rolled away from him, and got most of the way into her room again before attempting to stand up. Unfortunately, when she stood, she fell again, and fainted, still partway outside the room

He pulled the unconscious girl the rest of the way out, slung her over his shoulder, and smirked at his partner, “And they said she would be hard to capture.”

“She was, if she hadn't gone and had a fit, she would have gotten away,” the other answered.

“I still don't see why Makaren couldn't help. It's his house; he could have entered without the issue of getting permission to enter.”

“Because, he's needed later, and he can't see her yet,” he told the younger vampire in a patronizing tone.

“Whatever.”

“Come on.” They climbed down the rope, the elder carrying Rel, not trusting the first not to do something stupid. They took the girl to a car and drove to a building not too far away. The car was parked next to the one that Medren had been transported in no more than an hour before.

She was placed in a sparsely furnished room and left alone. They locked the door and another vampire stood guard outside the room, though they weren't expecting a breakout because she had not yet regained consciousness.

The elder of the two kidnappers headed down the hallway and entered a dimly lit room, elegant but old and forlorn looking. And sitting in a chair by the make-up table was the woman from before. He looked at her for permission to speak and she nodded slightly to him.

“Mistress, we have the girl.”

“Good, inform her father that both children have arrived, he must start preparations.”

“My lady, I mean no disrespect, but is it truly wise to have him do this, given his failure to turn the girl at birth, as he should have?”

“Yes, he will still be the best for his task. Do not worry yourself.”

“Yes mistress,” he replied tonelessly, not wanting to explain his true reason for his worry, something that the mistress had never been aware of about her faithful servant. The vampire hurried off, thinking of his true worry, something that very few knew about Makaren. He had a peculiarity that made him different from other vampire, and in the vampire's eyes, weaker. His sire had been a half-vampire who had been turned as was going to be done to his daughter. That much wasn't exactly common knowledge, but it was no secret. What most did not know was that they had retained part of their soul, and that he had thus been left with a portion of his own and had never lost it. It hindered his ability, especially on things that caused humans strong emotional responses. With serious misgivings, the vampire knocked on Makaren's door. After about thirty seconds, it was opened. Rel's father took one look at the other man and smiled.

“Let me guess, the children are here,” he said quietly, not really guessing as he was certain as to the answer, there was no other reason for the man to be at his door.

The vampire affirmed Makaren's guess, and asked him if he was sure he was up to it. Makaren assured him that he would do his duty as he always had. The vampire left Makaren to prepare, still slightly uncertain about his ability to do what he was called on to do.