A Bloody Memory
"Wren?"
Katherine's voice sounded so young in her mind, especially then. She had been so naive. She was strong-willed and quite independent for her time, but that didn't change how much she didn't realize what she was getting into when she made the choice to become a creature of the night.
"Wren?" she called again.
It was so unlike him. He was usually awaiting her in the parlor when she got home, but not that night. Katherine remembered that night vividly and every time she allowed the memory to enter her mind it appeared to her in bright colors and sharp edges. But this was the first time in decades that she allowed it to flood her mind, because that's what it did. It flooded every sense, overwhelmed every other thought that would otherwise occupy her head.
Katherine almost collided with Jarred and she caught herself before she made a startled sound.
"Have you seen Renwick?" She asked, sure that her voice gave away her calm mask.
He shook his head, "No milady."
She tilted her head slightly, "Well? Did he go out?"
He shook his head, "Not that I know of."
Katherine sighed exasperated and pushed past him as she muttered something under her breath, something that sounded an awful lot like "you're no help". She took it upon herself to search the house. It wasn't like him. He always greeted her when she arrived home. Well more like schooled her, asking her what she had seen and heard, but she didn't mind. She liked the look on his face when she gave him a piece of information he did not already know. Katherine smirked to herself as she remembered it. He would gaze at her his beautiful face tilted to one side and for a moment and it was only just, he would look a bit unsettled, then his composure would fall back into place and it would be as if it had never happened. But she knew, she knew every time.
Katherine shook her head. Where was he? If had gone out he would have told Jarred...if not the where, then at least that he was going.
A scream.
Katherine's head turned quickly. She had been heading up the stairs to her room finally deciding that her quest was for naught. She shook her head she must have been hearing things, there was no way that... Another scream, raw and unadulterated, a scream filled with all the fear and pain in the world. Running her tongue along her bottom lip she turned slowly. It was unlike any sound she had ever heard before and so she followed it.
Opening her eyes Katherine found herself pressed against the rough wood of the basement door. Her mouth was dry and her fingers were splayed, palms itching. She pulled away from the door and curled her fingers around the door knob and opened slowly. It was almost picturesque the way the light from the sitting room illuminated the stairs. Down...that was all she could see. Her heart would be pounding if it could.
Another scream, more raw than the last now that it wasn't being filtered. At the bottom of the stairs there was another door. It was more imposing then the one that originally led her here, but there was no denying it, this was where the screams were coming from. Katherine wet her lips again and pulled it open. She swallowed hard.
She couldn't speak or scream, she just stood there. There was a man she had never seen before tied securely to a chair. He was covered in blood, his head lolled to one side. Her eyes drifted to his hands, most of his fingers were broken. Six to be exact one for every ragged scream she had heard, each scream that had drawn her to this exact spot. It was then that her eyes settled on the other figure in the room. Renwick stood with his back to her, his sleeves rolled up and blood covered his wrists to his elbows. He held a wicked looking blade in his hand and the man whimpered at the sight of it. Wren's hand met with the man's face with a deafening crack and Katherine was pretty sure he had crushed his cheekbone. A warm spray of blood fell across her face.
Closing her eyes she began to wipe it from her face slowly, and with as much grace as any one being could muster. When she opened them again both the man and Renwick were staring at her. Renwick had that look on his face, except it was different.
"Katherine...," he began then stopped as she licked the blood from her fingers and met his eyes.
"He tastes of fear, Wren," she said coolly, her eyes drifting to the blade still clutched in his hand.
Renwick watched her for a time, her own eyes were now on the man. A hunger rose in her but it wasn't one for blood, or at least not in the way that she normally felt it. Her eyes refocused and she realized that Renwick was holding the blade in front of her, and that her own hand had wrapped around his. He let go carefully and left it clutched in her fingers. Stepping to the side, he gestured to the man in the chair. Leaning over him she put the blade to his chest and began to cut and he began to scream.
Katherine's voice sounded so young in her mind, especially then. She had been so naive. She was strong-willed and quite independent for her time, but that didn't change how much she didn't realize what she was getting into when she made the choice to become a creature of the night.
"Wren?" she called again.
It was so unlike him. He was usually awaiting her in the parlor when she got home, but not that night. Katherine remembered that night vividly and every time she allowed the memory to enter her mind it appeared to her in bright colors and sharp edges. But this was the first time in decades that she allowed it to flood her mind, because that's what it did. It flooded every sense, overwhelmed every other thought that would otherwise occupy her head.
Katherine almost collided with Jarred and she caught herself before she made a startled sound.
"Have you seen Renwick?" She asked, sure that her voice gave away her calm mask.
He shook his head, "No milady."
She tilted her head slightly, "Well? Did he go out?"
He shook his head, "Not that I know of."
Katherine sighed exasperated and pushed past him as she muttered something under her breath, something that sounded an awful lot like "you're no help". She took it upon herself to search the house. It wasn't like him. He always greeted her when she arrived home. Well more like schooled her, asking her what she had seen and heard, but she didn't mind. She liked the look on his face when she gave him a piece of information he did not already know. Katherine smirked to herself as she remembered it. He would gaze at her his beautiful face tilted to one side and for a moment and it was only just, he would look a bit unsettled, then his composure would fall back into place and it would be as if it had never happened. But she knew, she knew every time.
Katherine shook her head. Where was he? If had gone out he would have told Jarred...if not the where, then at least that he was going.
A scream.
Katherine's head turned quickly. She had been heading up the stairs to her room finally deciding that her quest was for naught. She shook her head she must have been hearing things, there was no way that... Another scream, raw and unadulterated, a scream filled with all the fear and pain in the world. Running her tongue along her bottom lip she turned slowly. It was unlike any sound she had ever heard before and so she followed it.
Opening her eyes Katherine found herself pressed against the rough wood of the basement door. Her mouth was dry and her fingers were splayed, palms itching. She pulled away from the door and curled her fingers around the door knob and opened slowly. It was almost picturesque the way the light from the sitting room illuminated the stairs. Down...that was all she could see. Her heart would be pounding if it could.
Another scream, more raw than the last now that it wasn't being filtered. At the bottom of the stairs there was another door. It was more imposing then the one that originally led her here, but there was no denying it, this was where the screams were coming from. Katherine wet her lips again and pulled it open. She swallowed hard.
She couldn't speak or scream, she just stood there. There was a man she had never seen before tied securely to a chair. He was covered in blood, his head lolled to one side. Her eyes drifted to his hands, most of his fingers were broken. Six to be exact one for every ragged scream she had heard, each scream that had drawn her to this exact spot. It was then that her eyes settled on the other figure in the room. Renwick stood with his back to her, his sleeves rolled up and blood covered his wrists to his elbows. He held a wicked looking blade in his hand and the man whimpered at the sight of it. Wren's hand met with the man's face with a deafening crack and Katherine was pretty sure he had crushed his cheekbone. A warm spray of blood fell across her face.
Closing her eyes she began to wipe it from her face slowly, and with as much grace as any one being could muster. When she opened them again both the man and Renwick were staring at her. Renwick had that look on his face, except it was different.
"Katherine...," he began then stopped as she licked the blood from her fingers and met his eyes.
"He tastes of fear, Wren," she said coolly, her eyes drifting to the blade still clutched in his hand.
Renwick watched her for a time, her own eyes were now on the man. A hunger rose in her but it wasn't one for blood, or at least not in the way that she normally felt it. Her eyes refocused and she realized that Renwick was holding the blade in front of her, and that her own hand had wrapped around his. He let go carefully and left it clutched in her fingers. Stepping to the side, he gestured to the man in the chair. Leaning over him she put the blade to his chest and began to cut and he began to scream.