Inside the mirror

"Where are we?" Shimon asks, "Will we meet that pretty thing here?"

"Shh, Christian isn't feeling good Shimon!" Mars argues, Christian is lying down on his side ignoring their bickering.

His eyes closed to everything, "We got to get out of here!" Shimon shouts, his screams bounce off the unseen walls around them, there is nothing in this deprived environment devoid of any sort of life.

Mars smacks the sword out of Shimon's hands, "You don't need the sword here idiot!"

"I would watch your tongue human!"

"You aren't worth my time!" Mars says walking away, he goes to sit by Christian.

He turns away from Mars miserably, "Are you sick still?" He asks.

"Leave me alone..."

Reclining his back against Christian he looks around, "Shouldn't we be finding a way out of this place?"

"It doesn't matter..." Christian replies.

"What doesn't matter?"

"Everything...go look on your own..."

Mars was picking up on a foreign magick, strolling elsewhere he wonders if he is walking around in circles as everything is the same no matter where he goes.

"Maybe I am in Hell..." He says to himself, "Because I didn't want to study."

"Don't be too hard on yourself little one." A sweet voice calls out.

"Who said that?" Mars replies looking around, "Hello?"

The gentle voice laughs, "My Master is also that way."

"Who is your master?"

"He is kind of small, usually shy..."

Automatically he envisions Alex right away, "I think I know." he says snapping out of it, walking forward he realizes there are bars in front of him.

backing up he notices the very large golden birdcage sitting in the middle of nowhere, Alice dressed in a long white gown; her lengthy hair combed perfectly past her shoulders, "I thought I felt a new presence."

"Are we going to be stuck here forever like you?"

"Absolutely not, I can help you escape!"

"That's great! I will get the others!" Mars says jogging off back to the spot to find Christian throwing up, Shimon gawks up at him coming in.

"Mars, where did you go?" Shimon scolds, "I think he really needs help!"

Running over he can hear him visibly wheezing, "The fusion...Shimon."

"What do you mean fusion?"

"I bet he had a hard time turning to a vampire too."Mars states.

"I don't know since I wasn't there," Shimon responds, Christian lies motionless in his arms disoriented; he gazes ahead.

"I am not well versed in the magick that could help him, Shimon."

"So instead of the useful one, I am stuck with the failure!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me useless, you have the capacity to learn instead you decided against it!" Shimon says grabbing Christian by the waist, he boosts him up.

Anger pulses through Mars's body, "So I shouldn't be allowed to be happy?"

"Better to learn to be useful! Idiot!"

"If Christian wasn't sick I would clobber you!"

"Try it human!"

His thoughts are interrupted abruptly, "Shimon, come with me please!"

"You found something?"

"I found another person!"

Reflecting for a second he recalls how he saw someone in the mirror before, he only smiles, "It must be that woman I saw before."

"I assume must be the same one."

Shimon tries to move the slightest, Christian's legs wouldn't budge; his arm slides down dropping from his grip, "Christian!" Shimon yells.

Mars catches a crumpling Christian, "He is so heavy!"

"I will carry him, give me a moment."

"Wait..." Mars says halting Shimon, "The problem with fusion is you can go brain dead if you are splitting."

Pulling down his collar he finds swelling around the neck, "What happened?"

"Depending on the split I might be able to help, but we need to get out of here...his swelling is in a normal spot, but he still needs help."

"He might be able to fight it or we might need magick assistance."

"So you seem to know, but can't do anything to help him?"

"We need to get out of here to help him even if I knew!"Mars criticizes his thoughts.

Christian gasps for air, it sounds like his throat is suctioning around his esophagus causing him to pant for air; Mars touches his forehead searching for a spell with his eyes closed to ease his pain, "Please calm down, please...please..."

He feels foolish all of a sudden for not taking his grandmother's training, or his mother's many offers to travel with her to her workplace to learn.

It hit him, the proper chant to say and swiftly at first coming out as gibberish, he tries again till his chant is correct loosening grasp over Christian's body.

He coughs out, his eyes flutter open, "I would rather die than deal with this anymore."

Shimon pats his head, "Don't do say that you idiot!"

Getting help to stand from Shimon they finally decide to follow after Mars, it feels like they are walking endlessly; he feels like they have been walking in circles.

Faster, slower, he decides to stay focused to keep walking where each step is counted on their journey, "Are you sure you saw anything?" Shimon chimes in.

"Saw what?" Christian questions.

"There was a woman in a cage...she was beautiful."

"You must be going nuts in here too, don't worry," Shimon replies.

To Mars's dismay, the anguish of their way out all a sudden has evaporated out of thin air, the indescribable pain of emptiness swelling deep in his heart.

He was more than sure that she was here before, who was he talking to?

Despite the fact he knew that the vampires were not going to harm him, he feared they could go hungry and feast on him out of desperation.

Shuddering he lightly pinches his hand chalking it up to his imagination, he doesn't know how long they will be inside this desolate dark place.

Shimon thumps to the ground with Christian as he was showing signs of heavy breathing again, "How are we going to get out of here without one less?" Shimon evaluates in his usually sour tone.

"Christian, are you going to be okay?" Mars asks, he motions his hand slowly and exhaustedly sitting back.

"I will be fine, I just have a headache."

"Maybe you should just rest Christian?" Shimon responds patting his lap.

"I just want to relax, shut up please!" Christian shouts, the two quiet.

Mars knocks back sprawling on all fours looking above though there is nothing to look at, he ends up falling asleep.

Several hours later he recalls where he is at, feeling everything has become futile.

Shimon unsheathes his blade, Mars is instantly shocked to see the blade vibrate so hard you would think it would fall out of its grip, "Why is moving?"

"My sword is a "she" to you and she is usually recharged by the moonlight."

"Charged by moonlight?"

"Why does she need to be charged?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Why do you have a weird sword?"

"Why do you have such a weird face?" He shouts settling the score, Mars freezes.

"You are horrible, I never dealt with creeps like you."

Shimon shakes Christian in an attempt to wake him up, he inhales in one long breathe gawking up at them both, "I am alive..."

He gazes down at Christian guiltily opening his collar, "Christian, you really don't look good, I offer my blood to help you."

"It's okay, I am okay...I just need rest..."

"What kind of rest will help you back on your feet like this?"

"I can feel your fear from here kid," Shimon says watching his expression melt away to alarm, Christian doesn't move at any time given the proposal.

"H-how can you smell fear?"

"Well now we can hear it in your voice, it's okay really." Christian spouts from the ground repeatably smacking his hand around lightly.

"We get you are bored!" Mars yells.

"Give me something better to do then."

Giggling could be heard in the distance, they all sit up at the same time.

"Did you hear that?" Shimon asks.

The laughing is heard again, golden butterflies seen above their heads beckoning them, "Come and play with me!"

Christian wobbles to his feet, "That voice..."