A Skip Into The Future

The pair of explorers walked through the woods quietly. They had very little to talk about, having just met at the very beginning of the hike. The mile-long trek through the woods was nothing compared to their goal for the day. There was a cave at the very end of the path that was said to go down hundreds and hundreds of miles with more twists than France's catacombs. Though the two boys highly doubted all these ridiculous rumors. Alex Braughtmen and Walter Louis were going to be the first men to ever lay their eyes on the inner workings of the cavern.

Alex was a photographer of many things, but he enjoyed showing off the beauty of the Earth. That was why this petite man had to be on this mission. He was lucky enough to be reached out to by the 'great' Walter Louis. He was hired to document anything deep within the cavern walls by this new, well-paying customer. Though his employer didn't explain much about his need to take this dive into the cave. The topic was set aside several times. Then again, the pay was nice enough that it didn't entirely matter.

The photographer was rather short for a man, around five foot six, though he was also lean and stick-like. His hair was brown and frayed, but tucked up into a manbun. Walter Louis was nearly a foot taller with the mind of someone who had been around for hundreds of years. His hair reflected the sun's rays with darker roots and curled wildly like the forest around them. Alex looked around his twenties and Walter may have been a few years older.

When they reached the entrance of their goal, it was covered by large, conveniently-placed bushes. The pair would have completely passed it if it weren't for the fact that the dirt path came to a complete stop, they would have passed it up. "I'll lead the way. Follow close behind." Alex didn't argue with the man, far too busy taking a shot of a rather colorful bird soaring above them.

The descent was difficult for the photographer to slip through. The guiding expert, Walter, traversed through the winding tunnels, like his bones were made of jelly. Alex, though, was stiff and hardly graceful. It was obvious who had the real right to be there. The tunnel would unexpectedly have a turn every now and again and their bodies could barely slip through some of the entrances. The roots on the walls of the rocky sides grew larger, as though they were being led away towards wherever the tunnels may have ended. Perhaps even toward the Earth's core? 

It was three hours into their exploration of the new territory when they decided to have a break. They sat in one of the largest rooms that they had come across with Alex still snapping blinding pictures.

Walter laid out the dirtied and crinkled paper onto the flattest part of the floor to continue to update the makeshift map. That wasn't what they were using for their directions back, but, as a pioneer to the cave, he took it upon himself to map out routes taken for the less experienced. His head lamp made the paper glare back at him and he had to strain his eyes.

"I can't believe that we're actually underground right now!" Alex's voice ricocheted off the walls loudly and they could hear the screeching of bats from a higher portion in the cave. Now Walter seemed to be glaring down at the paper for a whole new reason, which went unnoticed by the trigger happy cameraman. Sometimes Walter nearly regretted bringing this companion, but he needed him for this. Let's just hope he doesn't end up killing himself in the meantime. "You're actually unbelievable for doing something like this as a means of work."

Walter let out an ugly grunt as he smudged the paper accidentally. "And you're 'actually unbelievable' for trying to make a career out of snapping pictures," he snapped. Not noticing the flinch when he hit a nerve.

The photographer dropped his camera so it was suspended on his chest by the strap around his neck, "If you didn't like what I do, then why'd you even invite me on this expedition!" Walter didn't even offer the man an eyeroll. He should have done more research on this one before he picked him. He just didn't want a knowledgeable explorer or photographer. He needed someone young, dumb, and trusting. That was all that Alex was. A placeholder. "Can we just start moving again?" The boy growled at the mapper. Walter didn't even attempt to finish the line he was working on. It didn't really matter when the rest stop was entirely for Alex.

They continued down the hundreds of tunnels until they finally made it. A total of six hours, most because of the whining photographer, all for this. The tunnel opened up into a large room where the roots on the walls were the largest they had ever gotten. The centerpiece made Walter's breathing stop entirely. 

The roots of what Alex thought were from one of the large trees at the surface seemed to explode outwards from it. It had their head bowed low in exhaustion. Each limb stretched to its farthest with the pulsing vines holding its joints hostage. The hair was a curtain around the face of whatever was being caged, a thick and snarled mess like the vines around it.

Walter took a step forward in awe. Alex thought this was the happiest that he had ever seen his newly-found partner. Another step forward and the cave's centerpiece snapped its head up, making both men freeze. It wasn't a beast, Alex realized, but a beautiful woman covered in mud and roots. An alive woman that was staring him in the eyes. Walter was completely ignored, which made Alex's heart stutter.

She was like a siren. Her eyes were weird. Neither of them shared the same color, but that was what made them so hypnotizing. Alex would stare into them for eternity if she allowed him to.

The photographer took a step forward. To do what, he didn't know. He didn't get to find out. The vines and roots around her pulled away all at once. Like a spell had been broken. She fell to her knees at the sudden pressure, but stood up just as quickly. She stumbled towards Alex, whose heart raced wildly behind his rib cage. That seemed to make her move faster. He tried not to move an inch, terrified to ever break eye contact. When she was a foot away, she did something that he never expected.

She lunged. Her dirty nails dug into the flesh of his shoulder, which was what she grabbed first, letting his blood bubble from the crescent-shaped cuts. She ignored the red liquid and dug her sharpened canines into his jugular instead. His strangled cry was the only thing that was heard as she drained him dry. The honey-like substance ran down her throat, feeding her for the first time in so many years. She felt like she had been dehydrated for centuries and she probably was. She no longer knew where or when she was. Once the human no longer pumped blood throughout his body, she dropped him to the floor. Nearly detaching parts of his neck with how much she dug for the beautiful taste. Her eyes then slid over to Walter.

The man put his hands up in surrender, "I understand you're angry and hungry, but I need you to hear me out. If you can help me, I can help you." She sneered. She was shorter than him by a couple of inches, but the way she posed herself made her seem a foot above him. "I'm not the one that put you in there, alright? I want you out, so you can finish what you started."

"I don't think you are old enough to know what I've started, witch." She ripped away the long sleeves of the same nightgown she wore the night she was caged. She staggered towards the entrance to find herself a new snack, one not laced with magic. 

Witches had the same ability to quench a vampire's thirst, but the magic that also laced her veins acted like a sedative. She just woke up, so Walter knew she wasn't going to try and put herself back to sleep any time soon. Walter ran in front of her with his hands pushed out her way as if to make an imaginary wall. His stance was wide, as were his eyes.

"Hear me out!" She looked him up and down. Walter hoped it was her looking for his seriousness rather than thinking about how easy it was to kill him. The leach stayed silent, so he took that as his time to begin. His throat cleared, "You've been down here for a long time. Honestly, you're barely even a legend now. The first vampire, and woman, to try and take on the Liscivia Council and nearly succeeded."

"Yet here we are." Her arms stretched out to gesture at her prison. The hybrid's eyes never strayed from his body with a sharp gaze with her head cocked to the side. 

He flinched at the statement, then picked it up again. "Because you were alone! The Liscivia has so many enemies now that anyone would be willing to follow your lead!" He took a step forward and she didn't move. She wasn't going to be pressured backwards. Walter saw that. Walter used that. "Let me help you get used to this world so that we can finally get rid of them."

"You would like me to fix your problems, then you'd like me to sit aside while you put me back into this prison? No. I do not abide by you witches and your empty promises and your nasty rules." The undead siren slinked around the witch, but he moved again to stop her from trying to leave the stone walls of the cave. "You are going to die if you try to stop me again, boy. And I promise you that I won't hesitate."

His palms began to clam up, but he needed to do this. She couldn't leave as she was the key to putting the world back into balance. He decided to take a different approach. "Fine! You don't have to help us. Just let me help you. I will get you clothes and help you understand the culture of this time." 

She watched him wearily. Like he could actually do anything to harm this godly creature. Her blood-stained hands were itching to help him truly understand what she was capable of, but she did need to understand how the world changed in the time she was in comatose. 

"I swear you are under no obligation to help me if I help you."

The woman stood still, glaring up at the shaking man. She had to admit, she forgot how good it felt to be feared. Even in her weakened state, she bristled with the energy that came from his terrified gaze. She nodded. Automatically, a grin scrunched up his face. He motioned for her to follow, but she was gone before he had fully turned away. So he was meant to climb all the way back up again on his own? Fine. He grabbed Alex's expensive camera and let it hang around his neck as he began the climb.

He huffed, narrowing his eyes in the direction the woman stood. Her eyes were wide as they took in the forest surrounding the cave's entrance. For a second he was confused, then remembered she was stuck underground for most of her dead life. That would mean she was completely conscious during the time she was hooked up to the Earth in that cave. He couldn't imagine being stuck in the dark that long. He couldn't imagine the vines and roots snaking their way through his limbs.

He had originally decided to be careful around these people, but now he had to be sensitive to the situation as well. She must have heard his heartbeat, because she turned his way once again. "Let's get going."