26 images in her head

Tanya’s

My voice was a dangerous hiss. “What do you mean you lost her? I assigned you to watch her, follow her everywhere, so if there was a chance we could kidnap her, we could do it immediately. You were my fastest subject, Paloma.”

“I’m sorry, Tanya. One of the pure-bloods saw me lurking around as I watched Aliyah walk into the building alone. There was nothing I could do. I had to back out. Don’t worry, we still have time. Next time, I’ll make sure she won’t be loose again.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. There was nothing I could do about it. I didn’t know how much time we had left, but maybe Paloma was right. Maybe there was still time.

I grabbed a goblet of blood from the refrigerator, taking a long, slow sip. I fought the urge to indulge in the elixir woman’s blood. I’d save that for a more important time.

“Ma’am, we hear that the girl has been seen with Raige. She was spotted with the son of the King of Pureblood Vampires in the west.”

I closed my eyes, frustration welling up inside me. This was the hardest part. If it hadn’t been Raige, the King’s son, it wouldn’t be this difficult.

“Is anyone still following him?” I asked, my voice sharp.

“Ma’am, Raige’s mansion is too secure. No one can get inside. Even his servants are handpicked, so no one can slip in easily.”

********
Aliyah

I snapped my eyes open, startled by the unfamiliar surroundings. But as I took in the details, the ornate furniture, the rich, dark wood paneling, a flicker of recognition sparked. I’d seen this room before. This was Raige’s room. What was I doing here?

“Sierra! I mean Aliyah, go back to bed. You need to rest. Raige said so.”

I turned to see the girl, the same one who had helped me the first time I came here. She was calling me by the wrong name again. I sighed.

“I have to go home. I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

Panic flickered in her eyes. What was her name again? I couldn’t remember.

“Look, hmmm… what’s your name again?”

She sighed, a wave of disappointment washing over her face. I didn’t understand why, but it felt like a judgment. Why was she disappointed that I didn’t remember her name?

“Jammy. My name is Jammy. Please don’t forget. I’m not used to you acting like this. You’re supposed to be bubbly, full of life.”

I scratched my nape, feeling a wave of confusion. Was this the same girl Raige had mentioned? Was I that girl? What was happening to me?

Wait. Why couldn’t I remember how I got here? I closed my eyes, trying to piece together the missing memories. The last thing I remembered was being at a party with my best friend, Aria. She had gotten a call, and I’d felt the urge to go to the bathroom. I’d gone to the nearest building, the agriculture building. And after that…

Yes, that was it. The figure lying on the ground, the blood, the metallic, almost putrid smell. And the creature I had never seen before, not even on television, or anywhere in the world.

Panic seized me. I remembered the monster chasing me, the human who’d helped me, the feeling that it was the last time I’d ever see the Earth. Then, Raige had helped me back to the party, but I couldn’t remember anything after that. I had collapsed.

I clutched my head, a torrent of images flooding my mind. Images I had never seen before, faces of people I didn’t know. And then, I saw my own face, younger, transforming into a grotesque, monstrous visage.

“Ahhhh!” I screamed, fear clawing at my throat.

“Aliyah, what’s happening to you?” Jammy asked, concern lacing her voice.

I couldn’t answer. My head throbbed, the images relentless. Jammy helped me back onto the bed, but the visions lingered, a confusing, terrifying puzzle I couldn’t solve.

“Jammy, I’m afraid. What’s happening? Why am I seeing monsters in my head, even you!”

I shook my head, fear gripping me. I looked at Jammy, but in my mind, I saw her monstrous form, laughing with me as we hunted animals.

“Calm down, it’s okay,” Jammy said soothingly.

How could I calm down? The images were relentless, a terrifying carnival of horrors in my mind.

“What’s happening? Did someone get in? Is she in danger again?”

I heard Raige’s voice, tinged with panic. He was worried about me. That man… I still couldn’t believe he’d fallen for me, a simple woman like me.

I tried to take a deep breath, inhale, exhale, over and over. But the images persisted, swirling in my mind. I couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t calm myself down. The terror was overwhelming.

"Damn! You’re too fast. What happened to her? Did someone get in? I thought this mansion was secure.”

I heard a man’s voice, sharp with worry, but I couldn’t place it. Who was it? God, why should I care? What mattered was what I was seeing in my head.

Maybe it was just a hallucination. Maybe it was a reaction to whatever had happened at the party, whatever I’d seen in the woods, the terrifying creature that had pursued me. Maybe it had caused some kind of trauma, and that’s why I was seeing monsters.

“No one got in. It’s just Aliyah. I think she’s seeing images in her head, like she said.”

I heard Jammy’s voice, but I couldn’t catch my breath. The images in my head were overwhelming, too much to bear. I felt myself slipping, on the verge of collapsing again.

I tried to open my eyes, struggling to focus. I saw Raige’s face, his handsome features etched with worry. He was walking towards me, followed by another man.

Raige and Jammy switched positions. Raige sat on the bed and gently placed a hand on my forehead.

“She has a fever,” he said.

“Call a doctor, dimwit. What are you sitting there for? This is your home, not mine,” the other man snapped, and then everything went black.