dELERIUM by dIN OF sILENCE


sEQUENCE oNE: wITHIN

There are some select few that would look on my power, my division, and see Opportunity with a greedy eye. I suppose that is why HE interfered. Changed everything. It's rather ironic, for in doing so he set my will polar opposite of improving those skills he wished to make elite. But that was years ago, and I can do nothing about what I now am.

He is calling me again. Expecting me to toddle along like some mindless thing. To be a part of his pack. He picked the wrong one if that was what he was seeking. I wish I could just run, and keep running, and never stop.

But I can't escape him, even in the sacred sanctuary of my mind.

I hate it. This leash, these chains. I am not a dog.

But nobody else would know it.

For now I refuse to answer his call. Something I will regret later. But something bigger calls my attention...


sEQUENCE tWO: sIBLINGS

It had been a long week for Jack Darkness. First a new sireling, and Riff-Raff's attitude problem, a strange encounter with his sire and Jill, and now the little lady turned up missing. He sighed, pressing the fingers of one hand to his temple.

"You know, you'd find her better with your eyes open."

His lids pryed open with slight frustration. Against a tree leaned a young woman, slender and pale-skinned; so pale, she was nearly to the point of glowing in the darkness. She had hair like liquid moonlight, and a soft face so emotionless it was tragic. Except for her eyes: they smouldered like huge clear pools of amber. She appeared vampire, but something was distinctly different about her that couldn't quite be placed.

"So, you haven't found her. Wonderful."

The woman grinned at his obvious sarcasm, flashing the trademark fangs of a vampire. "I figured you would be glad, Brother. At least she hasn't been caught in the sun somewhere in the Badlands."

"Of course I am glad, Kaerth. Positively brimming with glad."

At that moment, an excitable chittering overhead preceded Bettie swooping down on leathery wings. Kaerth smiled, watching the bat leading Jack through the curling mists.
 

sEQUENCE tHREE: aNGER

I was leaning against the wall of Jill's room. She lay face down, and I was helping to clean her wound up and make her comfortable. I wasn't expecting her to stir. I went to hold her down, but it wasn't necessary: she nearly screamed just trying to move. I'm sure anyone would if they had an axe chucked at their back.

"Woah, take it easy. You'll be better soon."

There was a knock at the door. As Jack came in, I went out.

"Thanks Sis," he said as he passed.

It was some hours later that the trouble started again. Jack had finished healing her, left her to sleep. He went in close to the morning hours to check on her, and I suppose a riot nearly ensued. Topaz, Maila, and I glanced at the door to Jill's room, where muffled shouts seeped from around the door frame. They could almost ignore it, but I hadn't seen, or heard, one of their personality clashes. It sounded almost comical. Had it been anyone else, I might've laughed.

Some time later, Jack strode from the room, fingers pressed against his temple. From the dull thuds echoing from her room, I suppose Jill must be pretty ticked.


sEQUENCE fOUR: aCQUAINTANCE

So I had stayed in my room for a couple nights. I couldn't nurse my anger when I felt so lethargic. Jack was in the living room. And someone else, sitting on the sofa across from him. Her skin was sickly pale; she wore a greyish kimono with white around the cuff of the sleeve, the neck, and the hem. Her face was creepy...set in stone, but with weird eyes. Like a wolf. Everything about her reminds me of a wolf.

"Who's THAT?" I said bluntly.

"This is Kaerth, who is as a sibling to me." He didn't even have the decency to look up from his book when he answered.

"Nice to meet you," I grumble.


sEQUENCE fIVE:cONFRONTATION

They had been arguing again. If I had not left the room, I think I might've done something regrettable. And I really wouldn't want Jack angry with me.

She stormed past me. I grabbed her arm.

"Let go of-" I cut her off.

"Have you ever once stopped to think how easy your fledgling life is?"

"What? YOu're craz-"

"Consider how different your life would have been had say, Orlock been your sire. And consider yourself lucky."

"I've been turned into a vampire for crying out loud!"
Mo
"Yeah? So have the rest of us. Suck it up. Trust me, there are plenty of sob stories worse than yours."

"So what's YOUR sob story then, huh?!"

I fell silent for a few moments.

"I am the daughter of a normal human mother. My father was the alpha of a pack of northern Direwolves, a fierce race of wolves with the ability to disguise themselves as humans. Being half human, I was shunned from the other Direwolf pups. And being part Direwolf made me a freak among people. Then this guy Trent comes along and slaughters my entire pack, then decides I'm prime choice for a vampire. Let me put it further into perspective for you: Trent was a LOT like Orlock. So you tell me Jill, where do I belong?"

She didn't say anything.


sEQUENCE sIX: rESOLUTION

I woke up with a dull pain in my back, but it was bearable. I felt along where the axe had entered, as far as I could reach, but nothing was there. I gently turned onto my back, and stared at the ceiling for a while, waiting for the dark to set in. There was a small spot in the window coverings where the setting sun peeked through, dancing on the ceiling in bright gold. I mulled over my dream for a while, thinking of the woman with amber eyes. Kaerth. Did I really invent her in my delirius dreams?

Her words were still loud and rough in my head, like a jagged blade slicing through my thoughts. So have the rest of us. Suck it up. Consider yourself lucky.

I had to drag myself out of bed, still not really awake and alert. But I had to.

I stumbled to the door, and was relieved to see he was in the other room, alone.

"Jack...?"

He looked up. I moved over to stand in front of where he sat, moving slow to keep my balance. One hand gripped the elbow of my other arm. A nervous habit. I couldn't look him in the eyes. I stared at the floor. It came out as a choked whisper.

"I..I'm sorry..."

I didn't hear him stand up, but his arms were around my shoulders, pulling me close.