Heartbroken

Chapter 1

Vira speeds along the empty highway, the last image of Ryan still lingering in her mind. She slows to a walk, sighing deeply. She glances around, either side of the road is covered in forestry. Brown oak trees reach up to the heavens, trying to touch the sun with their leafy, green fingers. Vines string through the woods like web. Shrubble decorates the floor of the forest, sprouting up and out into beautiful green bulbs. The rushing sounds of the grass blades caressing one another as the wind blows gives Vira a wistful feeling. Something overtakes her, something familiar yet strange all at the same time. She longs for someone to be there with her, someone to help her face this new world. Her chest hurts and her breathing grows heavy. Sorrow washes over her, for she has no one. Or is it more the absence of Knithe? So deeply does she long for his touch, those rough fingers so appealing to her. His eyes, those chocolate eyes that held so much love for her. That smile of his, always making her grin along with him. Is this what heartbreak feels like? She'd forgotten... She's only felt that way once before, thirteens years ago, when her Mother and sister were taken away from her. Maybe a stroll through the woods can help her clear her mind. She rips her way through the vines, weaving through the shrubbery. The sunlight sprinkles through the leaves, gleaming down onto her face. She pauses, closing her eyes and taking in the feel of her surroundings. The slightly chilled wind caresses her, the smell of the earth underneath her, the warmth of the little droplets of sunlight that fall to her through the trees. Suddenly, a sound catches her ears. It's probably been there all along, but she's been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hasn't noticed. Large footsteps tromping on the beautiful shrubs. They're probably male, no female's feet could be that large. They're centered and precise instead of clumsy and precarious so he must be a vamp. The footsteps are only about four feet behind her. She turns on one heel, opening her eyes and bearing her claws. She glares at the giant in front of her,

"Hey now," His voice spills out deeply, "Why don't you put those away?" The vampire is tall, at least seven or eight feet. His hair is a crew cut with a fade. His jaw is squared off, his smile bright, straight, and shining. His nose is large and flat, two beady evil eyes perched upon it. Their irises are a vibrant red ring around the dark, black pupil. The smell of blood reeks from him, singeing her throat. She notices something strange about this one. He's not wearing clothing from the Victorian era, like many of the vamps where she used to live had. He's wearing a black suit with gray pinstripes and a matching fedora. Underneath is a white shirt with a black tie and below are shiny, black shoes.

"I don't think so." She growls, readying herself for battle,

"Such a pretty little thing, you're a vamp no doubt." He smirks, baring one fang. She snarls,

"Not such a vamp as you!"

"Hold up, you don't even know me." He takes a step closer, "I'm Toke."

"Know you or not, you're an evil vamp." She glares at him, stepping back once, "I'm not very fond of that."

"Every vampire is an evil vampire." He states, taking another step to her. She mimics with a step back. "We all love the taste of blood and we've all tasted it at least once." He takes a long enough step so that he's directly in front of her. The stench of blood is flowing from him, pouring over her face. He leans down a bit so that he can see her eye-to-eye. His eyes bear down into her, piercing her insides. "You know, it's a sin."

"Yes, I know. You're murderers, the lot of you." She rolls her eyes, trying not to show on her face the agony that wrings clear in her throat. "You are murderers."

"No, we're just the top of the food chain. It's the circle of life."

"Heh, you buffoon." She chuckles, "You sound incredibly moronic."

"You think I'm a moron?" He questions menacingly, "You think you're so high and mighty, thinkin' you're above us murderers. Let me ask you this: Have you ever killed anyone?" Vira only stares blankly, the memories of her last night with Knithe flowing back to her. She'd killed three people that night. She lowers her sai, bowing her head in shame. "That's what I thought." His deep voice slices right through her middle. She can feel her skin peeling away, layer by layer. Her insides are bare, open for the world to see. The ache in her chest, the crack in her heart. She'd killed a prince, her own sister, and the love of her life all in one night. What about Leo? Could it be her fault that he's been killed as well? If she'd never moved in with Knithe and Ryan, he never would've had to come and rescue her. Leo would still be alive. Everyone and anyone who's ever cared for her, they're all dead now because of her.

She looks into the face of the man who's brought this all to mind, but he's faceless now. She sees nothing, she sees no one, only flaming hatred. She screams into the crisp morning air, extracting her claws. She swings in any direction. The amount of human blood that he drank over the years pours from him, even spurts, like a fountain. It sprays her and she can only laugh in revelation. She doesn't smell it and her throat burns not with the hunger for blood, but the white loathing that's lit inside of her. Seeing the red, all of the hatred, the man suddenly has a face and it's hers. It's not Toke she's angry at, it's herself. She raises one of her sai swords from it's sheath, bringing it down for the final blow. Toke's large fingers wrap around her wrist, mid-air, and stop the attack. His face, his entire body, all of it's slashed and torn. He pulls her up, her feet lifting from the ground. He shakes Vira angrily, she can feel her arm slipping from it's socket. All she can see now is a bloody, furious Toke who's ready to kill. He balls his other hand into a fist, raising it high. With all his force he brings it down into her face. The instant his knuckles smash into her nose, he releases her wrist, sending her flying. Everything comes back, all of the shrubs and trees. At that moment, everything is suddenly in great perspective. The prisms that are the dew drops on the grass, the veins of the leaves as they blow through the wind, even the deep, swirling color of Toke's burning eyes. His large being shrinks away from her as she flies through the woods.

She closes her eyes, trying to take it all away. Her nose is broken, the cartilage misplaced and possibly torn. Her arm is out of socket and flailing in the wind. How can she be so daft as to let emotions cloud her mind? That's how she got Knithe killed. Besides, combat is nothing to take lightly, especially when your life could be at stake. For instance, if your foe is two or three feet taller than you and has twice your body weight in muscle. Yet even still, the only thing she sees now is Knithe's face. So hard she tries to keep him from her mind, to distract herself in any way possible. No matter how hard she pushes him away, he always returns. That's how he's always been, even in the beginning, when they first met...

Her body slams into the bark of a tall oak tree. She can feel the wood splintering her skin, puncturing it in some places. Her spine rolls on the tree, snapping and crackling. She slides to the ground, scratching her back along the way. Her consciousness flickers and eventually fades.

*"Some hunters you are." She snarls, her sharp teeth extracting from within her gums and reaching out from behind her lips. The fashion at which the teeth bore themselves is that of a snake. They're frozen in shock, the weapon barely dangling from the larger man's fingers. She turns from them, running off into the the shadows of the silver buildings.

"Wait!" The man with the vampiric appearance shouts after her, but she's already gone*

*"Some help you were." She sneers, glaring to Knithe. She turns from him, walking steadily away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" He asks,

"None of your business."

"Where do you live?"

"You ask too many questons." She snarls, turning to him "Now, leave me!"

"I just want the chance to get to know you."*

*"What are you doing here?" A familiar, womanly voice spits from behind him. He turns his head to take another blow to the face. He tumbles back, steadying himself.

"Will you stop that?" He exclaims,

"Shut up!" It was Vira, her hand quickly flies over his mouth to prevent him from catching any unwanted attention.

"I've been looking all over for you." Knithe says once she releases his jaw.

"Why?" She growls,

"I just want to talk to you."

"You could've given away my location."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to lose the opportunity to get to know you."

"How do you know you haven't lost it already?"

"Well, if I have then I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it back." Knithe looks to her with resolution.*

She gains control of her mind again, not wanting to open her eyes. Lifting her eyelids will only confirm that he's not here with her. As long as she's out, she can imagine him right here next to her and he will never have to leave. She sees his face, his smile gleams just for her. His beautiful brown eyes stare down at her, just as she remembers them. His strong hand slides into hers and she can feel it. His large fingers entwined in her small, boney ones. His skin carrying callouses, feeling rough against her own, and yet somehow so oddly appealing to her. It's almost too like his touch actually, like she can really feel it. Perhaps... perhaps... is it really his? Could this hand belong to him? She squeezes it tightly in her own, probably only a drop in the ocean compared to the strength of his fingers. Her heart begins to pound as if it's the only vibration on the face of the Earth, acting as a sonar to try and find him. A grin spreads across her face, he's here. She knows it, she can sense it, he's right next to her. Toke must've killed her when he threw her against that tree, but all is well now that Knithe is here. She allows her eyes to flutter open, everything blurs. She hears voices, distant though the source is so close to her. The blur focuses and the voices grow clearer. Her heart stills as her grin falls, for the man next to her is not who she thinks he is. Depression settles in her soul, he really isn't here with her. He's not coming back. Her hand falls limp in the stranger's, her heart aching more than ever before. The realization hits her like an unstoppable force, striking through her every nerve like lightening, searching for her core. It eventually reaches it's destination, her heart, shooting a thousand bolts of electricity through it. For only a split-second, she shuts down. Just as it has made it fall, the lightening has jump-started her heart all over again and she comes back to reality. If only she could cry a river of tears to drown herself.

"She's coming to."