12. Taste Of Death
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THE AIR STOOD STILL AND QUIET AS IT SURROUNDED THE SPACE OF THE BALLET STUDIO. Countless mirrors reveal reflections of light coming through windows from the upper level. Casting a glow of the late afternoon, but within a few minutes, dusk would soon fall. Replacing the warmth of the light to the pale moon, standing lonesome in the skies.
Particles of dust floated around as ghosts of memories danced where joy consumed. Eerily casting the void, making it feel less isolated than before. However, it soon vanishes as the sun sets from the horizon, leaving the bitterness of reality.
As the beams of light weaken, it visibly shines on the wooden floor. Showcasing an unconscious Swan lying in the middle of the room. Her body was limp, weak, and vulnerable, cold from the abandonment of care. Brown hair scattered all over her face, hiding innocence and sparkle that would long before fade away into anguish.
Her delicate lashes slowly flutter open, with her vision adjusting to the environment. Dylan groaned, slowly sitting up, her hands supporting the weight. She briefly touched the temple of her head, feeling the tender spot where it formed. Dylan looked down at her hand, seeing nothing but her bare fingers. Not an ounce of blood stained on her skin, making her suspect the side of her head was bruised. The girl winced as more feeling came rushing to her head, where it started to throb.
She sighed, standing up on her feet, and glanced around at the familiarity of being in her childhood ballet studio. That alone confused her as she hadn't attended lessons here since she was eleven. Dylan pondered for a moment until she remembered someone kidnapping her from her room. Panic settled in, and her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Her breathing came unevenly as her blue eyes searched for the entrance that led out of the studio.
Dylan's breath hitched, and eyes widened as she sprinted to the brink of freedom. The loud thuds of her shoes smack the wooden floors, echoing as an alarm of the prey escaping. When hands meet the cold metal of the doors, she pulls it, only for it to retreat. She frowned before tugging it again, struggling to open it with all her might, but nothing budged, and she was trapped.
The Swan girl quickly turned around, scanning the room for any signs of an escape. She frantically checked every door, hoping to release her from the impending doom. Dylan couldn't give up, not yet having to find a way out of here, looking behind her back as she checked every door she saw. The feeling of a shadow watching over, observing her doings, made Dylan's skin crawl.
She knew something was lurking around the studio; it was like her senses were overworking, telling her to leave. Fear started to overwhelm her as she became more desperate. When she checked the last of the two doors, the hope there was now frail. Dylan expected it to be a windowless room, but to her surprise, a small window beamed with welcoming arms, waiting for the girl to make her escape.
A loud crack echoed across the room, making Dylan waste no time and enter the closet, locking the door behind her. She stepped away before noticing a desk beside it. Dylan quickly headed over and pushed the end of it to barricade the door. Letting out a grunt at the heaviness, the girl used the strength she could muster and forced the desk to cover the door.
Catching a breath, Dylan glanced at the window before running towards it. Opening the latch and sliding it open, the fresh breeze whirls through her hair as she sticks her forearm out. She was only a few feet shorter and needed an extra foot to boost her up. Retracting her hand back in, Dylan scanned the narrow closet until stopping on a chair. When grabbing it, a sudden scraping sound occurred behind the door.
Alarming Dylan as she heard a menacing chuckle. "Well, well, what do we have here?" The person's voice was muffled but coherent to the ears. "A little Swan trying to fly away?"
The girl quickly placed it in front of the window. In mid-step, she gasped, hearing the old rusty door knob start to turn. The haunting chuckle soon turns into a laugh before loud bangs erupt on the wooden surface of the door. Dylan fully stands on the chair as the wood splits by the inhuman force.
The girl didn't look back as she stuck her head out the window. While trying to fit her way out of the frame, the belt loop of her pants got caught on the hook of the window. Pausing her movements, Dylan struggled, trying to free herself while being halfway out. Fright shines in her eyes as she catches a glimpse of black soulless eyes peeking through the slits of broken wood.
She tries to hold in a cry while trying to free herself, but the window seal starts digging into her abdomen from the pressure. The bangings got louder, making Dylan focus on unbinding the fabric from the hook. Once it's released, her eyes lit up, giving the girl a push of strength to go on and ascend the window.
The hope on her face suddenly morphs into a horrified expression as a cold hand wraps its deadly claws around her ankle. Roughly pulling her down and dragging Dylan away as she screamed, she saw her ticket to freedom grow small and faint. She thrashed in the person's grasp, trying to fight a way out before being harshly thrown to the ground of the studio floors.
Dylan felt like a rag doll, tossed away as if she was nothing. She rolled on her side before using her right hand to stabilize herself. Sitting, she presses the other hand against her chest, wrist aching in pain from landing on it.
The vampire's lips stretch into a grin, seeing his prey quivering. Her blue eyes showed nothing but fear. He circled her like a shark waiting to strike. "For being a twin, you sure are feisty." He spoke with such excitement, his smile never leaving his pale complexion. "Blood sweeter and much richer than others. Your sister's is nothing compared to yours."
A whimper left her lips as she gently clutched her injured wrist closer. "Why is that?" He continued, stopping a few feet behind her.
"Why are you doing this?" Dylan's response was weak, turning her head to the side to keep her eyes on him. He lets out a chuckle, seeing as she ignored his previous question.
He started walking again, their eyes meeting. Dylan watches him closely as he stops in front of her. "I believe Edward answered that question for you, Dylan."
The girl pondered for a moment before her eyes formed into a glare. "James." She called out before the vampire pulled a pocket knife from his jacket.
"I was worried I knocked you out too hard for you to remember." James flicks open the blade as it shines in the moonlight. He tilted his head with a sinister smirk. Black irises intensely look into her scared blue ones.
Dylan worriedly glanced at the knife he held proudly in his hand. Her life was on a thin line, ready to be snipped with scissors. Leaving her no choice but to freeze in her spot as he stalked closer, her heart beating at a fast pace, pumping the blood he desired.
At a rapid speed, James harshly pulls Dylan up to her feet, pressing the knife against the exposed part of her chest. She gasped, feeling the sharp metal lightly graze as James held her from behind. "Do as I say and maybe your death won't be so pitiful." He whispered while she tightly shut her eyes. The girl could practically feel his sadistic smile as his breath clouded over her ear.
Dylan's eyes snapped open as she heard the noise of a phone ringing and the sound of Bella's voice on the line. "Dylan? What's going on? Why does the cell say you're home?"
"That's because she is," James spoke before Dylan could. His grip tightened as the girl let out a wince. She could hear Bella lightly gasp on the other line.
James chuckled, "You didn't think her blood would redirect me from Edward's plan did you?" He sighed in contentment, hearing the line go silent. "You and the Cullens are even dumber than I thought."
The vampire then takes the phone off his ear before showing it to Dylan. "Don't forget what I told you," He said in a serious tone. The younger Swan glanced at him before nodding slowly, the phone placed on her ear.
"Bella?" Her voice was shaky as Bella yelled her name out in panic.
"Dylan! Where are you? Did he hurt you?!" The older Swan asked frantically, and Dylan's eyes started to water.
She lets out a small chuckle, "Far from it," The grip tightens from James, not liking her answer. Dylan winces again, but more audible to the point of Bella calling her name repeatedly.
"Tell her you're okay," James spoke sternly, annoyance evading his voice.
Dylan heaved a breath, "I'm okay,"
James spoke again, "Tell her where you are. If she comes, we'll negotiate for me not to kill you." He finished, watching Dylan contemplate his words.
"Dylan?" Bella called out, hearing nothing but silence as Dylan turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting a ruthless stare.
"How will I know you're telling the truth?" Dylan whispered more to herself.
James smiled, "No one will die if you follow what I tell you. Otherwise, it'll be you who's responsible for both your deaths and your precious dad who's worried sick back home." His threat made her breath hitch at the horrible thought.
"Dylan?" Bella repeated the girl's name, but this time more desperate.
James mimicked a ticking sound, toying with Dylan's emotions like a puppet on a string. "Every second that goes by is time running out and so is your life."
Her body shuddered from the threat, and Dylan's mind became coherent as she snatched the phone from the vampire's cold hands, her voice clear and alert. "Bella, whatever you do, don't listen to him, he'll-"
A painful screech throbbed its way out of Dylan's throat, her legs losing all strength as she collapsed to the floor, now holding her broken wrist. Screams grow louder while James picks up the phone from the floor beside Dylan. Sobs echo throughout the studio as James smirks, hearing Bella shout through the phone.
"Don't you hurt her! Dylan! Dylan-"
"You can still save her," The vampire interrupted, glancing at Dylan, who tried to hold her wrist with a shaky hand. "But first, you're gonna have to get away from your friends-"
"Bella, no! Don't come! It's a trap! He's going to kill us both!" Dylan yelled out, and James sent her a glare, instantly silencing her. But that didn't stop Dylan from giving him the same stare back as she tried to control her whimpers from the aching pain of her wrist.
"How about that old ballet studio?" He continued, slowly walking away. "And come alone. I would know if you didn't. Poor beloved Dylan would pay a heavy price for that mistake." James then hung up the phone before Bella could say anything else. He turned around to lock eyes with the trembling Swan.
"Why couldn't you just kill me instead? You said so yourself, my blood was more desirable than hers." Dylan struggles to speak, her face contorted in pain as she presses her lips in a tight line. She looked down at her wrist, seeing it start to swollen from the internal pain of her broken bones.
James chuckled darkly, "Now, where's the fun in having only one twin to play with when I can have both?" He answered before heading to one of the shallow closets across the room.
Dylan watched his movements closely, seeing him open the doors before rummaging through the shelves, taking something before turning to face her. "Nice house you got here. Found this treasure in your room, sitting on your nightstand." James grinned, holding the camera up proudly.
The girl gasps, terror in her voice. "You're sick," She said in disgust, tears beaming at the waterline, ready to fall.
James' grin widened before flicking the camera open. Her words excited him as he moved closer. Dylan saw a red dot light up from the camera, indicating a video taken. The Swan girl tried her best to avoid him as he revolved around her, making comments about a plan to kill them both.
Minutes pass by as Dylan thinks of ways to save Bella and her. It was two against one, but he's a vampire, and they are humans. That problem seemed to take a halt in every plan she tried to make. She hated to admit to herself, seeing how there was no possible way of them making it out alive. They were going to die. And she blamed herself for it. If only she'd left with Bella, Dylan wouldn't have caused them to be in this predicament.
She felt hopeless, sitting there with tears staining her face, finally accepting her fate. Not knowing this was the way she was going to die, the feeling of death awaiting at its door for her, knowing what was about to come, terrified the girl. Pulling away the long life ahead she strived for, stealing opportunities she would one day want to pursue. She began to think of the people she loved and the horrible ache they would feel. Hearing the news of both their deaths further dragged her into a pit of guilt.
It was her fault, and she was now paying the price for it.
She used her other arm to hug herself, desperately trying to find comfort. It was all she could do before Bella arrived, and even then, it still wasn't enough to console her. Dylan flinched when James abruptly got too close in a taunting manner, practically shoving the camera in her face. In response, she turned her head away, making the vampire chuckle, and stood up from his bent form.
"This would make a good housewarming present for the big move to Florida." James' comment made her look at him.
Her glare hardened, "What a thoughtful idea." Dylan remarked sarcastically.
Dylan watched as he stopped recording and lowered the camera away from her view. His eyes seemed to look in the distance. Focus on hearing the environment around them. "Seems like the real fun is just about to begin." He smirked sinisterly, his dark eyes piercing into her soul. And in a blink of an eye, he was gone.
In a panic, Dylan looked around, unaware of his next move. That was until James appeared from behind, grabbing her by the upper arm and dragging her while she screamed.
"No! Please, stop!" Dylan cries, her desperate pleas doing nothing to phase James as he throws her in the open closet, slamming it shut.
The girl quickly gets up and bangs her fist on the door while twisting the knob, but no luck. She continued to pull on the handle before stopping, pressing an ear against the door. Everything was dead silent as she stood. Dylan suddenly perked up, hearing faint footsteps audible on the other side as she hollered out. "Anyone there?! Bella?!"
"Dylan?!" Eyes widening, Dylan yelled again, "Help! The door won't budge! James locked me in!"
Some shuffling occurred before a voice spoke. "Hold on! Dylan, I'm coming." Dylan steps back, listening for a moment before the doors burst open.
"Bella!" She cried, the twins bracing themselves into a hug.
The older twin pulls away, scanning Dylan. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She asked, as her sight lay on the girl's injured wrist.
Dylan shook her head, "Just my wrist, but Bella, we need to be careful; James is somewhere around here, watching, listening." She whispered the last word, almost mouthing.
Bella hesitantly glanced down, discreetly moving her hand to show the pepper spray hiding in the back pocket. Her expression is unsure if it would be any help in defending them. The younger Swan nodded, looking at Bella with hope in her eyes. "At least it's something," Dylan said, weakly smiling, trying to bring some light into the situation.
A vile laugh startled the twins as Bella turned around, her hand immediately latching onto Dylan's. The older Swan gasped as Dylan's body tensed, seeing multiple mirrors showcase James' wicked smile before walking out from the side. Bella tugs on Dylan's hand as she pulls them back.
James studies them, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "Awe, such a heartfelt conversation almost made me cry." He mocked while stalking closer, making their backs hit the wall, corning them.
He moves over to Bella, using his arm to press her against the wall. Dylan leans closer to her side, doing as much as she can to cover Bella. James hums, smelling the scent of the older Swan. Dylan watches in disgust, feeling helpless, seeing Bella tremble from where she stands.
"Sorry, but you both made it all too easy," James spoke, as Bella moved keeping her distance away from him, avoiding his eyes. "So, to make things more entertaining, I've started to make a fun little film of our time together." James reaches to hold Bella's chin in place, keeping eyes on him.
"I borrowed this from your house, hope you don't mind." The vampire showed the camera again before glancing at Dylan as she shrank underneath his stare.
"I already filmed some of your sister. But don't worry, it's your turn now." He takes a step back from them, directly pointing the camera at Bella as he flips the screen open. "And action."
The vampire was awed at the sight of the pair's powerless state, catching them holding hands for solace. He zoomed on it, smirking. "That'll break Edward's little heart." James comments, making Bella angrily lunge forward at him.
"You have-Edward has nothing to do with this!"
James reacts by pushing her back on the wall, smiling as the camera keeps rolling. "But he does," He crackles a laugh, shaking his head. "His rage will make for more interesting sport than his feeble attempt to protect you. Failing you will only add to his way of insanity for not being able to save your sister."
Dylan backed her face away as he attempted to reach out and touch her. "And let's continue." James declared, switching his focus from Bella to her.
Before he could do anything further, Bella quickly pulled out the pepper spray and maced him in the face. Giving the twins time to run away before he could recover. Dylan felt her heart in her throat as she sprinted to the doors with Bella. Air screeches above as James leaps rapidly towards them in outrage. He lands in front, blocking them, ceasing their movement.
In brisk motion, James flings a shiny object right at Dylan, aiming at the side of her chest. Her body falls limp on the floor as she gasps out a cry. Bella shouts out her name while attempting to move at her aid. And before she could James grabs ahold of her and throws her across the room, where she bumps into the wall, injuring the back of her head.
Dylan's eyes open in shock, feeling the intense pain of the knife still penetrating her skin. Deep crimson oozes from the wound, staining the fabric of her shirt before traveling to the floors she lay on. Lifting a shaky hand, she puts slight pressure on the gash before letting out a yell. Tears started to well up, blurring her vision as she saw James's figure creeping near.
Blood puddles around with the strong smell of iron filtering the air. The scent intoxicates the vampire as he stands over her, showing a remorseless look, enjoying the sight of her suffering. He then hovers over, staring right into Dylan's eyes, he smiles before speaking. "Pitiful human," The vampire hums, reaching to touch her cheek with the back of his hand.
All Dylan could do at that moment was weakly push his hand away, only for him to grab ahold of it. He deeply inhales the strong scent of her blood, drugging him more as he lets go, and her hand drops to the side. The girl was frozen in fear, her body paralyzed in terror.
"Let's have a taste shall we?" James comments, putting the camera down. His face lights up, finally savoring a taste of the blood that drove him to this point. He takes a finger and wipes across her skin, coating it red. The urge for it intensifies as he places it in his mouth.
The smirk vanishes into a sour expression as he violently coughs, placing a hand on his throat, and choking. James begins to spit out her blood, mixed with his venom, gasping out as he struggles to speak. Vomiting nothing, but the stinging sensation of the metallic taste. He scrambles up to his feet, hissing as the burning grows, making him yell in agony.
"Damn hea-" He is interrupted by another cough surfacing up his throat. As James recovers he gives her a familiar look, eyes narrowing into a hard stare, face in utter revulsion.
He gives another glance before deciding to leave her there, lying in her blood. Dylan's sight is on the ceiling, unable to move, hearing nothing but James's taunting remarks towards Bella. Tears roll down the sides of her face as she hears Bella's scream.
Noises of broken wood and mirrors shattering happened around her. Bella's scream was heard again. The smell of smoke entered her nose as she took desperate breaths. The heat of the fire lightly nipped at her skin as the glow of orange overshadowed the walls. Eyes began to droop, blurring her sight, in hopes of protecting the last bit of innocence.
A body of a silhouette appears beside her, making the girl let out a small sob. "Please, don't kill me." She said shakily, wanting nothing, but to get away from James harming her further.
"Dylan, it's Emmett, everything will be okay," Emmett reassured, swiftly removing his jacket.
The Swan girl fell into relief, her sight becoming a little clearer seeing familiar topaz eyes staring down warmly. "Bella?" She calls softly, eyes slowly blinking, trying to keep herself awake.
Emmett glances over, watching Edward back away from Bella after successfully taking the venom out. "Bella's fine, she's gonna make it." He replied, gently placing the jacket onto the wound.
His words comforted Dylan, making her lessen the fight to stay awake. Emmett listened closely, hearing her breathing turn shallow, with eyes beginning to close. "Hey, stay with me, Dylan." Emmett persisted, gently applying pressure to her injury. He momentarily turned his face away, her blood testing to keep his thirst under control.
Listening to what he said was hard as tiredness overtook her. Wounds numbed to the touch only added to how drowsy she started to get. Another person appears alongside Emmett, catching a glimpse of blonde hair before her eyes close.
"Her body is in shock she'll go unconscious soon. Keep applying pressure to the wound." The voice Charlise is the last thing she hears before drifting away in a restful state.
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