Tattered Roses - Chapter One

I decided I'd start posting some of Audrey's story here. This is just the second draft, and not fully edited. At least it's better written than it's original version, I'm a Vampire's Slave. And Pregnant?!

I also changed the name, since I wanted something shorter and something that didn't pretty much give away most of the story. 

Keep in mind I'm not a very professional writer. And the time frame is set around 2240, when Immortals (such as vampires, werewolves, demons, witches, fairies, etc.) have risen up and taken over the Human race. 

I don't know why, but it's some world inside my head. I don't even know how it came to be. 

But you should always take what your mind gives you and roll with it. 

And now, without further ado, here's Tattered Roses.

Chapter One

I hugged my old grey stuffed bunny closer to me as a young vampire boy pulled me through a darkened hallway. My heart was pounding and I had never been so scared before in my life. I had never been in an auction house before, nor had I ever wanted to be near one. My life as a human slave had been fairly simple up until this point. I was able to count my past owners on one hand. My most recent owner was a lonely vampire lady with no family who kept me for a majority of my life so she wouldn't be lonely. She was killed a few days ago by a demon, who was her ex-lover, because she refused to go back to him. I guess she wasn’t happy with him, but she never spoke about him or her life. The demon brought me here and sold me to this place.

“Here we are.” The vampire said as he stopped walking and let go of my wrist. I looked up at him; his long, choppy, dark brown hair with blonde highlights fell into his eyes. I was terrified and he had been the only one that was nice to me. He argued with a head vampire to let me keep my bunny. The vampire pushed me towards some black curtains and I grabbed onto one of the many silver chains hanging from his black skinny jeans. He looked down at me with his light grey eyes that were almost the color of blue. I didn’t want to go onto that stage and have all those horrid people throw money to get me and do what they wish with me. The guy smiled, his fangs showing, “Don’t worry, I have a friend out there who is going to get you. You’ll be okay.”

The vampire pulled my hand from his cold chain before pushing me through the black velvet curtains and onto the stage. A muscular male vampire with short brown hair grabbed my arm lightly and drug me out onto the center of the stage. He had a fierce look in his eye that terrified me but still seemed to calm me because his eyes matched the younger vampire's eyes. Upon seeing the hundreds of people in the room, I leaned my head down to try and bury my face in the soft fur of my stuffed bunny's head. I could feel my heart beating through my chest and the butterflies were  causing my stomach to turn to knots. My knees became weak and I felt like passing out. What if the guys’ friend was getting me for sex or to feed off me? I wouldn’t be able to handle that. What if he wouldn’t let me keep Oliver, my bunny?

“We’ll start tonight off with this little human. Her name is Audrey. She has no skills or talents. Age, seventeen. Do I hear one fifty?” A deep voice said. It wasn’t from the vampire holding me, but I was too nervous to look up from Oliver’s head. I didn’t hear anyone giving offers and was afraid the guys’ friend changed his mind on me.

“Six hundred.” A girl yelled through the silence, causing me to raise my eyes to the crowd of hundreds of immortals. I saw a girl about the same age as the younger vampire stand up. She had long blonde, almost white, hair and was wearing a form fitting black dress with a black cardigan. A vampire guy that seemed a little older than her with dark brown hair to his neck and tattoos covering his arms stood up beside her. The main vampire quickly ended my auction, “Six hundred going once, twice, sold to the pretty blonde!”

The vampire holding me gently pushed me toward some steps off the side of the stage. I was met at the bottom by the girl and guy. The girl was absolutely gorgeous and I instantly felt jealous of her looks. She smiled at me, her bottom lip holding a black hoop on each side and her bright blue eyes seemed to be lit up. I looked up at the guy. He was tall and his ice cold light blue eyes seemed to burn holes in me as he gave me a look of utter disgust. I cringed away from him slightly as he grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me from the bottom of the stage.

“Are you sure about this one, London? She doesn’t look very promising.” The guy holding me said, his deep voice cutting me like a wound. I held Oliver tighter and looked over at the girl, London. She smiled at me, “Absolutely, Dad. Just look at how cute she is.”

I felt blush rise to my cheeks. A vampire as gorgeous as her just called me cute. She couldn’t have really meant it. The guy looked back at me, his only visible eyebrow raised. I could see the resemblance between the two of them clearly. He didn’t even seem that old, but I know vampires don’t age quickly. I shrank back as he squinted his eyes at me. Did he not like me? He tightened his grip on my arm and pulled me out of the auction room. I tried to calm my rapid heartbeat and unsteady breathing. Was I bought to be a snack? Was I going to die from being fed on too much? I felt hot tears forming in my eyes and threaten to spill out. The guy pulled me to a desk where a plump redheaded woman was sitting. She smiled up at the guy, her fangs glistening and causing me to move closer to the guy. “Liam! I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Not since London was born.” The guy with the hold on me, Liam, said as he glanced over at London. The woman looked over at London, her smile getting bigger, “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady. You look just like your mother, but with Liam’s eyes.”

London smiled, “Thank you.”

Liam pulled a wallet out of the back pocket of his slouchy black jeans and handed the lady at the desk a red credit card. The lady swiped it before keying some things in on her computer. The lady looked at me and raised an eyebrow, “You wanted her?”

“Yes. She’s for my brother.” London said as she sent me a warm smile. The woman handed Liam a few papers and a pen. He let go of my arm and wrote on the papers. “She put up a fight when they tried to take that wretched stuffed animal from her.”

I held Oliver closer. He wasn’t wretched, whatever it means. With the tone she used I'm sure it doesn't mean anything good. He was the only thing I have. I don’t really even know how I came to have him in my possession, but I love him. London sent the woman a glare, “She’s scared. I don’t see what it hurts for her to have it.”

I looked up at London. I guess this means they are going to let me keep Oliver, even though slaves aren’t supposed to have possessions. Maybe they won’t be so bad. Maybe her brother just needs company like my old owner. The woman handed Liam a black bracelet with a round black charm on it, “Since she’s going to be a personal slave, she needs to wear the charm on this bracelet in some way, all the time.”

“Why?” Liam asked as he took the bracelet.

“It’s just a precaution on if she ever runs away or gets lost and is turned back in to an auction house. If we key in the number on the charm, it will pull up all of your contact information. It’s a new way of organization.” The woman said in a snooty voice, as if Liam was supposed to know what the bracelet was for. Liam slid the bracelet into the front pocket of his jeans as he put his wallet back into his back pocket. He took a folder of papers from the lady and handed it to London before grabbing my upper arm again, “Thanks, Betty. I’ll see you around.”

Liam pulled me out of the building and into a large parking lot filled with many vehicles. I had no choice but to follow the two vampires through rows of vehicles until Liam stopped me at a black Jeep. It looked exactly like the vehicle that belongs to Nolan, the demon that brought me here and killed my old owner. I felt a lump form in my throat at the thought of him. I could tell no one was in the vehicle, so I seemed to be safe from him. This was it. I was about to start a new life and I had no idea what was going to happen. Were they going to be nice to me? Or are they mean? I was terrified, to say the least. London grabbed Liam’s arm, stopping him from getting into the vehicle, “Dad, can we wait out here for a bit? Atticus said he would bring us some extra clothes for her.”

Liam sighed before leaning back onto the Jeep and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it before taking a hit. He looked at me, causing me to want to shrink out of his gaze, “You won’t run if I let go of you, will you?”

I shook my head. Why would a human try to run from a vampire? It would be a lost cause. Vampires can move a hundred times faster than humans. I wouldn’t think it smart. Liam let his grip go of my arm and I couldn’t help myself from taking a step closer to London as she texted on her cell phone. Liam pulled the black chain bracelet out of his pocket before grabbing my left wrist and pulling it towards him. He wrapped the cold bracelet around my wrist before clasping it. I gasped and jerked my hand back as his cigarette touched my hand. Liam put the cigarette back in his mouth. London grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand to her, examining the burn mark on the back of my hand where the cigarette touched me. Her cool skin felt nice against my sweaty palm. “Dad, did you burn her on purpose?”

“No. I couldn't get the bracelet to clasp. It was an accident.” Liam said as he took a hit from his cigarette, its smoke going into my face. I looked at the round black charm, the numbers 961713 clearly imprinted on it. London ran her thumb over the burn, the pain of the friction causing me to jerk my hand back. “Sorry. So your name’s Audrey?”

I nodded before leaning my head on top of Oliver’s head and looking up at her. Oliver’s warm cuddles comforted me slightly. London looked down at Oliver and smiled, “May I see your bear?”

“He’s a bunny.” I said softly, afraid of correcting her, but still handing him over towards her. She took him gently and moved his grey fur out from around his chocolate colored eyes. London examined him, from his long floppy ears to his fluffy white tail, “He’s so cute. Does he have a name?”

I nodded as she handed him back to me, “His name is Oliver.”

“I like him.” London said and smiled. I cuddled him close to me and smiled into his fur. At least London likes Oliver. Liam ran his hand through my long black hair that stopped at my waist, catching the knots that had formed in the recent days. I felt awkward and didn’t know what to do. Why was he touching my hair? He exhaled; the smoke going into my face again and making me close my eyes. “Her hair is too long and it needs to be brushed.”

“Well, Mom will cut it if you think it’s necessary.” London said as she rolled her eyes. I guess she disagreed with her father. Liam threw his cigarette butt onto the pavement and stepped on it with his solid black Vans, making sure it was out. London pulled a black hair brush out of her purse before walking behind me and starting to brush my hair. My last owner, Ramona, took great joy out of brushing my hair every day. She rarely let me cut it, which is why it’s down to my waist. I wouldn’t mind if they cut it, but I don’t want it all gone. I cuddled Oliver, enjoying the feeling of my hair being brushed. When she finished, she braided it. Liam raised his eyebrow, “So, human, what were you owned for if you have no talents?”

“My last owner kept me for company.” I said softly, almost not hearing myself. I knew he heard me. Vampires have great hearing. Liam folded his tattooed arms across his chest; the look on his face seemed annoyed. London sighed, “Dad, be nice."

Liam rolled his eyes, "I am being nice, London. I just know your mom is going to bitch at me for this."

After London looked at her cell phone and back up at Liam, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the driver’s side of the vehicle. He opened the door and lifted the seat up before pushing me into the small back seat of the Jeep. I whimpered slightly as my wrist caught me in a painful way. Liam and London both got into the Jeep and closed their doors as Liam cranked the vehicle and started to back out of the parking space. I cuddled Oliver closer to me and curled myself up into a ball. Was this really happening? I wanted to be back with Ramona. I closed my eyes tightly. Maybe if I wished hard enough I could be transported back in time. I felt the vehicle stop and I opened my eyes, peeking at what was happening. London climbed out of the Jeep and went to the young vampire who was now standing by the large building.

I wanted to stay with the young vampire. I watched him as he handed London a bag and within minutes she was back in the vehicle and Liam was driving off. I cuddled Oliver even tighter to me, taking in the only bit of comfort I could. London went through the bag, pulling some clothes out. I recognized a few of them as what I was wearing before I came here. London put the clothes back, "We wear the same size. I was worried we didn't. Oh, and Atticus said she's really shy. I don't want you to scare her, alright Dad?"

Liam glanced at me in the mirror, making me shrink back a little, "That takes away all the fun."