Kidnapped

Juri enjoyed the freedom of being outside, even though it felt like they lived in a bubble, it didn't stop her from smelling the salt of the sea in the air or stopping to touch the bright corals that lined the path.

The crunch of sand beneath her feet as she walked, without Marino by her side to overwhelm her senses she was able to take in the serenity of it all. Finally, she started to feel like Eileen, like maybe she could belong in this new world and make a home here with Marino afterall.

A girl gots to eat though, walking so long after inactivity she started to perspire and buld up an appetite. Her stomach growled and she even skipped breakfast in her need to see Eileen and figure out stuff.

After she finished her visit with Selene she planned to stop by the fish market and do some shopping, she secretly craved seafood paella. Surely Marino would like to try something new, even though he was a vampire he would still have meals with her.

Even though he spent most of time just watching her appreciate and eat her food wth gusto. Mentally she started to prepare a list of ingredients like mussels, clams and shrimp. Cooking was something she used to enjoy and it would be nice to resume it again.

She always yearned to be independent and here in this new world was a chance to do just that, yes she had to wear what she secretly nicknamed the dog collar around her neck when outside the mansion but it had its uses, when other Vampires saw her, they left her alone.

Seeing that hers was made out of solid gold, it meant she belonged to a high ranking Vampire and lesser vampires knew better than to poach from those far superior to them.

"Was it this way," she muttered out loudly to herself.

What had seemed like a brilliant idea a while ago now seemed like a nightmare as she found herself with a faulty memory, a muddled mind and most unfortunate of all she was unequivocally lost.

These vampire mansions all looked identical to her in broad daylight, then she remembered seeing an unusual bronze statue of a venus bust. She decided to turn down a narrow lane figuring it might be a short cut, a big mistake. The so-called short cut only led to a dead end.

"I give up," she sighed.

"Are you lost missy, need some help?"

These were three of the most unsavory looking men she had never laid eyes on before followed her down the street. Had they followed her deliberately down the street to trap her, she pinned her hair back, to move the loose strands out of the way so that they could see she was collared.

"I'll be fine when you move out of my way."

She added an extra steel to her voice to let them know she wasn't joking and she wasn't afraid. Juri inched around the three men with her back to the street, certain she almost made it out when she bounced into what felt like an immovable brick wall.

Juri had backed right into another one and this man was huge and the companion he had beside him was quite as big. There were five of them and only one of her and they had her completely surrounded on all sides. She started to panic.

Before she could even think of screaming, a meaty hand came up from behind her and grabbed her by the waist. The other hand covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming and alerting others, they didn't want to risk drawing unnecessary attention to themselves.

By then she started to struggle but it was too late. She feared the worst for herself and her future when another man approached with a rope to bound her hands. She bit the hand that held her and he didn't even flinch.

Next thing she knew not only were her wrists tied but her feet were bound as well. She was forced into a huge burlap sack and then tossed over the beefy kidnapper's shoulder like she weighed nothing at all.

She tried to back kick him in the balls and he got annoyed and knocked her hard enough on the head that her vision blurred for a few seconds. Then it dawned on her that these men were uncollared, so does that mean they weren't human, and why did they stink of fish?

Her arms and legs started to feel numb in the uncomfortable burlap sack. She heard their laughter and congratulations at a job well done, bits and pieces of their phrases of conversation floated to her eardrums. They were planning on auctioning her once they found a way to neutralize her collar the cretins.

If that happened Marino would have a more difficult time locating her, his property. Bile and uneasiness rose up in her throat, think Juri, now was not the time to panic. Juri was trapped in a burlap sack and she needed to calm her nerves and just think.

She was still in the vicinity; surely plenty had laid eyes on her. She could still escape somehow. Surely many had seen her walking down the road and browsing the stalls, when she should have hurried straight to Selene's.

Surely Marino with his vampire skills could pick up on her trail, what was she thinking, he wasn't a houndog. Oh, if only she had listened to Eileen and waited for Marino to come home. She wouldn't find herself in the predicament that she was now.

Anything could happen and he didn't get to read the note, for example a sudden gust of wind blowing it away. She must not think the worse and continue to have hope that Marino will come to her rescue.