Path of the Vampire forum

He had no idea where he was and his mind spun with images of laughing, cruel, evil faces that were splattered with blood. His blood in fact. It pumped from his wounds as if he were still human and sprayed up at them. He moaned and lifted his hands to swipe at the faces - his empty hands passed straight through them and they only dissipated and reformed once more, continuing to laugh at him. He moaned and felt the pain of his dying body over and over - screaming at them to leave him alone. But they just continued to laugh. He curled into a ball and put his hands over his face, rocking and moaning slightly as his head was filled with laughter until a voice drifted through and into his mind.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Mister Pratt...I am at a loss for words. Truly. Please come back soon."

He recognised the voice, and it seemed to frighten the laughter away for a moment as he thought on the woman the voice belonged to. She'd been kind to him before, spoken to him politely and even debated civilly with him about the Blood Thieves and his profession and life choices. Life.... HA! What life? It had been taken from him, twice now..... and he guessed that it was down to Pi once more. Her face came into his mind and he snarled, the laughter stopping immediately. Her face hovered there and sneered at him, looking at him with such contempt and hatred that he believed she looked at him with every time she saw him.

Pi was the one who dictated the bounties. She upheld the masquerade in that Office of the Undersecretary she had for herself. She undoubtabley hired and controlled those who hunted the bounties just as she had controlled those who hunted the Blood Thieves before. Another growl escaped his lips and he punched the sneering, hate filled face and began to stalk this dark, run-down version of the city that seemed more than a little odd.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Good evening Mister Pratt. I cannot come visit you, so this will have to suffice, sadly."

Her voice again. He'd found a spirit and had been about to attack it to drain it of..... whatever it had that made him feel stronger and more whole. Her voice in his head had put him off, made him stumble and alerted the spirit to his presence so that it vanished with a light tinkling laugh at him. He grumbled slightly, annoyed at this intrusion. She knew he couldn't reply - so what was she doing?

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"But I try and speak with those I like or love whilst they are in the realms. So they are not alone. At least not completely. There is not much you are missing, or have missed to be honest."

He obviously wasn't going to get any peace and quiet from her - she was obviously in a chatty mood so he just sat his *** on the ground and waited. He hated - absolutely - hated the telepathic power that meant they could speak into his mind. His mind was his and his alone, what right did they have to be in his mind poking about and talking to him. And wait.... If there wasn't anything he was missing, nothing important going on - why on EARTH was she prattling inside his head?

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I do hope you will be coming back as soon as you can. I am certain Mora misses you"

Another growl escaped his lips as he thought of Mora. He'd promised her that he wouldn't leave her, that he'd always be there for her - and now he was here. Stuck for who knows how long - or if it might have been forever. He could hear the laughing starting again, a few blocks back and heading his way and it caused him to scowl and glower at the street. No other messages seemed to be forthcoming at that point, so he got up and went on his way with the laughter following him and a massive headache niggling in his temples.

If he ever got out of here - he was going to find a way to block that damnable power. Just wait and see.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"Oh my darling Robert - I love you, please come back. I miss you. Oh, I miss you."

He came too with a start. More voices in his head but this time it was a different voice, a more familiar voice, one that brought about a feeling of love and longing within him. She sounded filled with grief, a grief that almost pained her and which in turn pained him to hear. He'd sworn to protect her, to be there for her always - and first he'd failed her by not being there when she'd died. Now he'd failed her by being killed himself.

He dragged himself to his feet and looked around. Now, now he was elsewhere. Gone was the drab and dreary city from before. Instead he was surrounded by the city he'd grown up in, standing on the porch of his old house where he'd woken up on the old swing chair. He looked down at himself and found he was younger than before - back to his teenage years in fact. He blinked and looked around, not understanding. Everything was just as it had been. Or was it as it was? Had everything just been a dream? The death. The vampirism. Haprer Rock. Canada. The long walk. The mental institution. The court case. The accident...... The accident..... Diane.

"DIANE!!"

He turned and ran into the house and took the stairs two at a time. He headed straight for her room and burst in through the door, standing there staring like a wild animal while puffing and panting. She turned and looked at him, a quizzical look on her face. Her mouth moved, a pained look on her face, and she spoke.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"My Robert! - I miss you, I fear I made a mistake,"

He moved into her room and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms with a frown. He kissed her head gently while his arms tightened around her in almost a desperate fashion.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"I sired someone, I'm not sure if it was out of madness or out of grief for my loss of you. "

That made no sense. Sired? Diane wouldn't say the word sired. She wouldn't have need to and it was all wrong in relation to her. He sat back, pushed her away from his body and looked deeply into her eyes while his hands cupped her cheeks. His face echoed the confusion within his mind, it was etched on his face for all to see as she continued to speak.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"All he wants to do is fight my darling! - I fear I cannot control the young one, so much death. Robert, what have I done! I need you here. Come back to me, I love you."

She began to cry, weeping and collapsing into his lap and curling against his body. His hands remained frozen in the air as he stared into the space her face had once filled. It made no sense until it made a little sense. The voice she'd used, the accent was wrong. It wasn't his sister's voice at all - it was Mora's. Mora, the older version of his sister in looks and personality. The woman he loved and wanted to protect just as any big brother would want to protect his little sister.

Slowly he realised what was going on - and he began to weep softly. Mora was back there in 'real life' dealing with things and he was stuck in this hell hole. She had an issue, a childe she couldn't control and who was violent. He thought she feared for her own safety and his heart broke at not being able to be there and to protect her. However his heart was also breaking because he realised it had all been real. That moment of hope that all of the past few months had been a dream had been dashed and he knew it all to be lost.

His sister was dead. Mora was in pain, frightened, alone and in need of him. And he was a vampire.

"****!"

He'd spent quite an interesting day - yes, day.... with sunshine and everything. He'd spent the time with his family, back when everything was good. It had been peaceful, quiet and full of love, happiness and joy. He'd played with his sister, watched sports with his father and chatted with his mother about his new 'girlfriend'. They'd gone out for some of the day and he'd even managed to grab a spirit or two as they'd chatted and had fun and just been.... together.

Then reality had snuck back in again.

Madison sent you a telepathic message:
"Your death shall be avenged, already one has fallen. I miss you Robert..."

He immediately felt guilty. Yet again, this was someone he'd promised to stand beside, to never leave and to look out for forever. Yet here he was in "hell" while she was alone in the city and trying to fend for herself. He was torn - so very torn. Part of him wanted to stay here in this idyllic place with his family to live the life he'd lost, while the other half needed to return to her to ensure his promises were kept.

He looked around at his family who were all now sitting by the fire after a filling meal of good food and sighed softly. He knew they didn't need him, he knew he'd be happy here forever. But her voice. Madison's voice. The way her voice had trailed off as she'd said his name - he knew he had to be there for her. That was where he belonged now, by her side as her guide and protector. Where he was needed.

He got up and without a word headed out of the room, the house and away from their lives completely. He walked and he walked as the tears streamed down his cheeks unbidden. He was giving up a lot in doing this - but he was responsible for her and he would not turn his back on her as his own family had done to him. His human family and his vampiric family. He wouldn't treat her as he'd been treated himself. He was better than that.

He turned to look back at his family home and saw nothing but the dark and shabby city streets once more. "Hell" surrounded him once more and he curled in a ball by a wire fence and hugged his knees to his chest. He wasn't a strong man, nor a confident man. He simply knew what was right, what needed to be done - and then did his best to do it no matter the cost to himself.

The laughing faces of his murderers were back and surrounded him - Pi's face hovering in the midst and slightly above them all to indicate she were the leader. Around and around they swum with their laughter coming in waves - until the pain started once again. Each wound he'd received was dealt again and again to his body. Over and over and over again while the laughter continued and engulfed him - the pain taking him in it's grasp until he passed out into nothingness, with only a single word whispered from his lips.

"Madison!"

He'd taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way and had ended up in what seemed to be a hall of mirrors. Each mirror he looked in showed him something from his mind, some form of madness that had passed through his mind at one stage or another. They were grotesque shapes of people long forgotten or never quite let go of. All of them distorted in some form or another within the mirror - all of them laughing at him.

He could feel his anger building at those silent faces until his head buzzed, and buzzed - the buzzing pounding behind his eyes and between his ears. He gasped and dropped to his knees, his hands clutching his temples while the mirrors swarmed him and showed him Liz in various situations - muttering as he did.

Eugene sent you a telepathic message:
"Thischick'stitsarereallyniceI'dliketofuck... wheredidIputmy.... dearlordhowlongisthisgoingto.... VAMPIRES.... IsweartogodI'mgoingtokillmyself.......... PUFFCAKE........... PUFFCAKEwhatthefuckisgoingon..... howamisupposedtodothisshit............. hellooooo....... Is it me you're looking foooor?!~ . . . . . . . . ****. ****. ****. I'MGOINGTOKILLTHISBITCHI'MGOINGTOKILLHERIFICAN'THAVEYOUNOBODY ----Beautiful Dreamer..."

He groaned, unable to tear his eyes from the mirrors that showed Liz in what his mind guessed the words meant. The man eyeing Robert through the mirror, then heading for a woman while rubbing his hands and drooling. Robert reached out as he heard Liz comment on her tits, cried out for her to run - but Liz pounced and the mirror blacked out and the next one came in. He was shown a flash of the man - Liz - sitting on the sidewalk and rifling through his own pockets while muttering to himself, until he pulled out a small silver square with a triumphant look on his face.

Robert shook his head and whimpered as the next mirror came in and showed him Liz walking the streets and running his hand through his grubby hair, muttering about how he was still tripping out. Randomly he screamed about vampires and then began considering killing himself. He had a knife in his hand - oh gods. Where had he got a knife from?! Robert watched in horror, unable to tear his eyes away before Liz turned and once more looked right at him through the mirror and called for him.

He felt something inside snap as the poor, dishevelled, delusional man asked him to his face what to do and how to go on. That was where he was supposed to be. That man was his responsibility. WHY was he HERE! He got up and began smashing the mirrors, one after the other they came at him and showed him the same thing over and over. His childe - his Liz - going about his life and messing up, confused and alone and without a clue. He needed to get back. Needed to get to him. Before the fucks that got him - got Liz too.

Afterall - Pi didn't like him for not understanding the whole masquerade thing. She killed him for his views. So what would she do to Liz if she found out about him?! No. He needed to get back - and so the mirrors needed to die!

Nothing interesting had happened and he had no idea how long he'd been down here for. It might have been a few hours, days, months, years. There was no sense of time passing and instead it was an endless murky grey. Even the little instances where he seemed to be elsewhere, he always ended up back in the grey, disease ridden, detritus strewn city. He was seeing people as well. People who didn't seem to be quite all there, that he could see through and who seemed to shimmer and flow with the.... wind? But there wasn't any wind. He wondered if others could see him in that way too, how he looked to others who were paying attention when he wandered idley by.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Good evening, Mister Pratt. I forgot to tell you, incase you did not know. You need to find spirits "

His head snapped upwards, an unconscious reaction based on his idea that this was hell, therefore the real world would be above him. Right? She was back. That voice in his head, paining him, annoying him, reminding him of what was lost for now.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"they will help you heal quicker. Then when the time is right you must find a door to leave."

A door? He looked around and saw numerous doors in the old and rotten buildings. He just had to walk through one of them 'when the time was right'? When would the time be right? How would he know?

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"When you are able to leave, you will find yourself outside the Morgue. I can try and meet you there."

Hang on. She was jumping ahead here. He groaned slightly at the uncomfortable feeling her voice and powers created in his mind and ran his hands through his hair vigorously - leaving it spiked up and messy. When he's able to leave? How would he know how to leave? What door did he have to walk through?

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I would not mind any. I will see if Mora will join me. I will be bother you later."

Bother was certainly the right word for it. He walked over to one of those shivering people and kicked the crap out of them, making himself feel better in the process. Seriously. If Elizabeth didn't have something useful to say then she should really just shut the **** up. Because all she was doing was confusing him, irritating him, paining him and frustrating him. He stomped off through the city - now that the messages seemed to have ended - wondering if he'd have another acid trip soon and if this was what Liz's life were like constantly.

It happened in a blink of an eye. One minute he was walking through the streets and investigating the various doors, to see if he could find one of these special doors Elizabeth had told him about. The next, he'd walked through one of said doors and found himself in a 1950's hair salon surrounded in giant hair dryers with old women in curlers under them and girls chatting and laughing about hair, boys, food and general gossip. He turned to walk out again and caught sight of himself in the mirror and simply stared. Then stared some more.

He apparently had a large beehive hairstyle upon the top of his head - which had a pair of dangling earrings peeking from under it while his face was perfectly made up with lipstick, foundation, blusher, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and gods only knew what else. A white shirt.... no.... blouse was buttoned up almost to his adam's apple and this was topped and covered with a lime green cardigan that was buttoned over his chest and open above and below that. His eyes continued to travel down his body to find he wore a full, below the knee, lime green skirt that had from the feel and looks of things many, many underskirts to it - a patent black belt highlighting where the blouse tucked into said skirt. Further down, he discovered white socks that were rolled down around his ankles and black patent leather mary jane shoes.

"Well..... this is different."

He mumbled to himself, before he was grabbed by one of the many women within and led to a salon chair and pressed to sit down. He once again looked in the mirror and the hair dresser that came to do his hair had morphed into Mora's face.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"Robert! Are you gobbling spirits? I hope you are well. I miss you, you are in my every thought."

He couldn't really answer her. This was just much too freaky to be able to comprehend it, never mind form a cohesive thought to answer her in an intelligent manner. But it was ok, because like all good hairdressers, she continued to prattle on regardless.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"I painted my nails today - I painted them red, just thought I'd share."

True enough, the hands that were currently cutting his buffon had perfectly painted red nails, highlighting their tips. He managed a small smile, nodding his approval but still unable to respond as he took in his surroundings and her new look - not to mention his own. His eyes never left her face, her sweet face that had such a look of concentration on them as she focussed on cutting his hair that he just wanted to wrap her in his arms and squish her in a hug.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"My darling Robert, I think I am falling madly in bed with you."

Now - that was unexpected. However, this was his dream world and his mind - so here she blushed and chuckled as she lifted her eyes to find his with an apologetic shrug. Obviously she'd not meant to say that to him, or not meant to say the word bed. Whatever it was - it had obviously come out wrong in some way. He just smiled back at her kindly and shrugged his own shoulders to shrug off the comment in a nonchalant manner.

Mora sent you a telepathic message:
"Not long left my darling - Keep strong."

His hair was done and she's brushed away all of the loose hair from his shoulders and patted them gently as if to say time to rise and leave. He got up and paid for the haircut - without really knowing where he'd pulled the purse from that held his cash. He turned his back on the chattering laughter of the other women within and headed for the door once more and let himself out. As soon as he stepped into the street the chattering stopped immediately as if someone had pulled the plug on the speakers. He looked down and he was once more in his suit, and when he turned to look at where he'd come from - all that greeted him was another of the run down buildings like all the other buildings he'd come across here.

"******* weird *** ****!"

He chuckled at his words, deciding this was definitely what Liz must live through on a night to night basis. He was even beginning to sound like the man!!

He groaned softly as he rolled over and once more dragged himself to his feet. He was more than a little sick of this nothingness and a part of him simply wanted to hunker down and forget about everything. He was so very tempted to just lie down and give up on it all, to ignore what he'd come from and what was left up above. After all - was there really a point to it all? Why was he doing this to himself when he could curl into this nothingness and drift away from everyone's minds, let them go on with their lives and forget all about him. Wouldn't that be so much better than the constant fight every night that he'd face and would face again?

Then he thought of Liz, Madison, Flame, Aurora and Mora. He needed to get back for them. To protect them and make good on the promises he'd made them. They wanted to keep a hold of their humanity, to be more than just a killer, a monster, one of those things that go bump in the night. An idea was sparked in his head at that, a small smile crept over his face as the idea grew and became more than simply an idea. It became a plan as his feet once more pounded the pavement as he checked the different buildings around him.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Good evening, Mister Pratt. I believe you should be able to get out tomorrow."

He blinked and looked around at the woman standing beside him - then he realised that once more the whole place was different, decorated and lively. His attention was drawn back to the woman who'd spoken to him and he couldn't help but snigger behind his hand. It was very definitely Elizabeth, her face, her features, her body - but aged. She looked like she was at least 70 years old with her greyed, whispey hair, crow's feet that had spread to cover her entire face and of course the middle aged spread that had become the old aged droop.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I do hope you have managed to find some spirits to help you heal until you are able to leave then."

He knew the sort of spirits he wanted to get his hands on, but he knew that if he did - he'd simply be violently ill. Though really, he was tossing up the idea that it might be worth it for the taste and burn. The burn of course running both down and then up once more. He looked around more thoroughly this time and realised he was in some sort of women's coffee morning in a church. Tall ceilings with bunting running around the walls complete with home made posters declaring what was being sold on each stall. Slowly, he moved inside further and began to nose at the stalls - all of which were manned by women of a similar age to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"There is not much going on in the city still. This evening, I purchased a paintball gun"

She waved at one of the stalls that held toys for the garden and home on it and he just nodded in recognition at her. He looked her over and smiled slightly. Her ugly brown shoes with tassels led up to baggy brown tights that had slipped down to gather around her ankles. Further up, her brown and green tweed skirt began at her knee and continued up like a tube around her legs and hips. The matching jacket then covered her body, with a polo necked jumper underneath. Of course - an outfit like that wasn't complete without a set of pearls nestling perfectly upon her chest. Once more, that smile crept over his face - thoroughly amused by her outfit and the things his mind had done.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I hope Mora will invite you to our festivties when we as a family have a tournament."

If the family festivities were anything like this - he was sure as **** not going to be showing up. Who would want half of this stuff anyways? Little home knit and home croched doileys. Toys of the same. Jams, jellies, chutneys and spreads - not to mention pickled EVERYTHING you could imagine. Hell, if these women could fit it into a jar, they'd pickled it. Plants, plants and more plants. Then of course - the stall with the calendar on it with Elizabeth's face smiling from the cover while holding a couple of cakes and standing in front of a third. He felt decidedly ill at seeing the wrinkled flesh that was thankfully tastefully covered - though in his mind it could have done with some more covering up! He hastily moved on from that stall and began to nose around the rest of the place.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I am not very good with a gun, but many in our family seem to use them. "

Well, dressed like that he could totally imagine her coming from a family of posh sods who liked to hunt at the weekend for poor defenseless birds that were beaten from the bushes. So it didn't surprise him.

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Today, in case you do not have a sense of time is July the third. You have been dead four eves now."

Yup. Thanks for the reminder. Like he didn't know he was dead. Though at least he now had some idea of how much time had passed..... and WHAT sort of shape was that vegetable?!

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I hope Mora will invite you to our festivties when we as a family have a tournament."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, sure that she'd already said that a few moments ago. He looked around and found the women all traipsing off into another hall that had a notice upon the door, declaring what was to happen within.

"SOS for Honeybees"

Elizabeth seemed to be heading inside, but he shook his head politely and backed away until with enough distance he turned and ran from the crazy ladies and their women's institute. An institute was where they needed to be!





(( Click the link and it will take you to the UK Women's Institute. Yes, they are real. No, it's not a joke website. Yes everything described above is common practice. ))

(( Saving space and as a reminder - losing track in the alert logs! ))

Madison sent you a telepathic message:
"I failed you....I'm so sorry Robert...I lo...*dead* "

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"Mister Pratt, I am sorry to tell you this, but your childe Madison is dead."

Elizabeth sent you a telepathic message:
"I hope you can find her and stay with her. Protect each other."

(( And again. ))

Sophia Moretti sent you a telepathic message:
"It is unfortunate you are dead Robert. However, do not fear. I intend to make good on my promise. "

Sophia Moretti sent you a telepathic message:
"However since I am a polite business woman. "

Sophia Moretti sent you a telepathic message:
"I shall let you pick the body part I shoot off. "