HH Chapter 4

Charles and Victoria ran frantically, trying to escape the chimera, but it easily keeps pace and smashes through the door into the house. Its claws dig into the walls and floors, leaving deep gashes and tearing through the furniture. The house shudders as it stomps and roars through the halls, trying to track the terrified Victoria and Charles down. Victoria leads Charles to a hiding place and helps him scramble into a small closet, barely closing the door behind them in time. The house continues to shake as the chimera moves all around, its heavy footsteps causing vibrations throughout the structure.

Victoria faces the chimera and digs deep within herself, unleashing her vampirism powers. Her eyes and teeth become sharp and pointed, her claws extend out of her nails, and her body ripples with power. The chimera roars and moves forward to attack her, but she's too fast. She leaps towards the chimera and sinks her teeth into its neck, tearing out its lifeforce and draining it of strength. She falls back against the wall, exhausted. But the chimera is dead.

Victoria slumps down the wall next to Charles and breathes heavily as she rests for a few moments.

"That was amazing! Are you okay?" Charles asked her.

"I'm fine Charlie dear. Now help me up, we need to keep moving." Victoria asked him, reaching her hands out.

Charlie helped her up and led her out of the door. They sneaked there way through the streets and around the bushes. They stayed low and took frequent breaks. The other houses around them seemed dark except one house much further back which seemed to be under attack by zombies. There was no saving them as they had already gotten inside and the screaming had abated.

Charlie was about to lay her down again when he spotted a huge mansion down to the street on the left hand side of Sunshine Drive.

"There's a big mansion up ahead." Charlie whispered to Victoria.

Victoria peered up ahead and then smiled as she nodded in agreement.

"Let's check it out." She agreed, helping herself back on her feet.

They enter the abandoned mansion and are stunned by its beauty and grandeur. The place is full of cobwebs and dust, but they can tell it was once a place of opulence and comfort. They wander through the rooms, their steps echoing through the corridors as they take in their surroundings. Charles admires the decor and craftsmanship while Victoria is drawn to the many cabinets and drawers, searching for any hidden treasure. They eventually find a dusty study with an old desk, and the pair start looking through the drawers.

They reach the staircase and start to climb, slowly making their way up the old stairs and through the halls. They take in the ornate carvings and artwork, and both of them are fascinated by the place. The floors are covered in a thick blanket of dust and debris, and their footsteps make loud crunching noises as they continue up the stairs and into the upper chambers. They approach a large, elegant bedroom. As they step inside, a strong breeze blows through the curtains and they watch as they flutter. The wind picks up and the curtains start to move erratically.

They enter the bedroom and find it is still in good shape, despite its dusty and abandoned appearance. Victoria steps forward and cautiously approaches the curtains, their fabric moving erratically in the breeze. As she touches it, they suddenly whip upward and she is almost knocked over by a gust of wind. Charles rushes to grab her by the waist, catching her just in time. He smiles and kisses her as her eyes become hazy and her gaze wanders. She smiles back and their eyes are locked as they press even closer to each other, their lips brushing as they breathe.

Victoria and Charles are in the bedroom, the curtains gently blowing in and out with the wind. Their fingers lace together and they look at each other in silence, lost in a moment of connection and intimacy. Victoria turns her head, her eyes drifting slowly towards Charles' neck. Her gaze softens and she moves closer, the curtain brushing against her hair as her lips caress his neck, her sharp teeth digging into him. Her eyes are locked on him, and she can feel his blood draining into her. It's delicious.

Charles looks at her, his eyes filled with a combination of fear and pleasure. He tries to pull her away, but she's surprisingly strong and her grip is fierce. She continues to drink from him, her claws scratching his arm and her teeth buried deep in his flesh. He struggles against her, but can't escape her grip. He stares at her face, it's soft and warm and her eyes are still filled with the intimacy they shared moments ago. He feels weak, and his strength is fading fast. Slowly, he stops struggling and lets her feed.

Charles watches as the curtains flutter lightly in the breeze, the fabric brushing against their arms and hair. But something is off about the atmosphere, a sense that they are not alone. A sense of being watched.

The curtains begin to move more erratically, the wind picking up and carrying with it a subtle sense of dread. Victoria and Charles exchange a worried glance, but there is nowhere to hide. The curtains whip upwards violently, catching Charles off guard and he stumbles back against the wall.

Victoria stares at the curtains, her eyes darting around the room, searching the shadows. Charles recovers and moves to her side. The curtains flutter some more, their movement growing more aggressive and disturbing. Victoria can feel the air shifting as though something nearby is disturbing the currents. Her eyes narrow as she peers deeper into the shadows.

A cold breeze blows through the open window and then abruptly stops. Victoria can hear footsteps throughout the mansion, but they're not hers or Charles'. Something moves past the doorway, casting an eerie silhouette on the wall.

Charles pulls Victoria behind a door and the two press against it, their hearts beating rapidly. They stare at the entrance to the bedroom as a female shape passes by, but it's too dark to make out the details. The footsteps continue, moving throughout the mansion and then a new pair joins it. It sounds like several people, and Victoria's heart races as she can feel her breath quickening. She squeezes Charles' hand tight and tries to quiet her breathing, her eyes still scanning the shadows.

The footsteps walk around the house with a soft thud, moving past the doorway and then away from it, their voices hushed. A cold breeze blows through the curtains again and the footsteps start to move back towards them. They press harder against the door and try to keep quiet and still, but their hearts are still beating wildly and Victoria is shaking from the cold. Charles squeezes her hand back and she squeezes his, trying to offer some reassurance as she stares at the shadows. She can see something moving past the curtains but the darkness is too thick to make it out clearly.

They heat giggling and turn to look but they see a shadow pass by a vase in the hallway. They close the door and hide behind it.

Victoria's eyes are fixed on the curtains, trying to make out the ghostly figure lurking within the shadows. The footsteps move closer and closer, its voice growing louder and louder. Victoria takes a shaky breath, her nerves on edge. She can feel her fingers tightening around Charles' hand and her breath grows shallow as she stares at the curtains, her eyes filled with fear. The footsteps get impossibly close before they stop and she can hear the sound of breathing. Victoria tries to stay quiet, but her heart is racing and the curtains are rippling all by themselves.

She stares at the curtains, trying to make out a figure or movement within the shadows. But suddenly, something moves into the light. A female figure walks into the room and into the frame of the mirror, the curtains flowing wildly behind her. The figure is obscured by shadows, but the sight of it breaks Victoria and Charles out of their trance. They turn to face it and stare in awe as the ghost moves closer. It stares back, its eyes cold and unbothered as it observes them calmly. Victoria's heart is in her throat and her stomach is twisting into knots.

"Get out of MY HOUUSE!" The ghost screams with rage, her empty eye sockets flaring with red flames.

Charles and Victoria whip open the door and flee down the long hallway. The ghost flies out of the door and chases them down the hallway screaming.

"You all will DIE!"

Victoria grabs Charles and they both slide down the banister at flank speed. They reached the bottom and hopped off the rail. They no sooner turned around when they see the female ghost floating down the stairs with her hair waving wildly like wild animals. Her face sunken and her eyes glowing blood red as it contorts into a hideous visage.

"Get OUT!" Ger voice deepens to an inhuman level.