Take My Hand

[Tree]

Marina moved, helping him gently. Certainly she couldn't pick him up, but if he was wanting back on the bed that badly, he obviously was going to be able to help, at least some.



" Your speaking better."



She commented softly, holding to him gently.



" I'd prefer you not have to endure things like this for my sake."



She replied softly.

[Sushi]

"Breathing is a bonus as far as speaking goes." The man watched as she picked up his right arm tiredly.



"It is hardly as bad as you could think. See? You could break that arm right now and I would be none the wiser." He was trying to make her feel better. It was very difficult when you felt pretty bad yourself. Ephriam reached over with his left hand to gently remove her fingers from his sweaty arm.

[Tree]

Marina made a little face as she moved her hand placement, helping him get the rest of the way back into the bed, then looking him over, and then back down to her toes before climbing upon the bed with him once more.



" It's also hard not to feel guilt for what your enduring, for my sake."

[Sushi]

As he lay on the bed, he closed his eyes and for a minute or two it looked like he really might not ever move from that spot and position. Then he sucked in a lungful of air. Ephriam's brain still wasn't functioning at full capacity yet, however. That was a big part of the stupid thing he said next, though his heart was in the right place - the place that he had hoped would get her un-depressed.



"I am not suffering for your sake. I am suffering for my dietary needs, and you happen to be benefiting from the situation."

[Tree]

Marina looked to him, and merely held her tongue as she heard the thunder roar, moving to the window, poking an eye out, before pulling the curtain open a bit to stare at the night sky, alight with lightening, and the wind blowing hard as curtains of rain coated everything in sight.

[Sushi]

The man had by then had reached over and tugged his temporarily paralyzed arm over on to his body. He was laying on the bed with eyes shut until the moonlight spread across his face. He saw her silhouette against the window and spoke softly.



"And once I saw in the lover's way,

her heart shines bright in the dead of day.

Then I saw what I had lost,

but no longer missed the winter frost."

[Tree]

Marina turned back, smiling at him as she moved to the bed once more, moving to kiss him tenderly, nuzzling him softly.



" Love you."

[Sushi]

Ephriam smiled gently and let his eyes close again. He was resting at this point.



Sarah opened the door, carrying in some food on a tray.

[Tree]

Marina looked to Sarah, motioning for her to be silent, trying to figure a nice way to politely turn away the food, nestling down to ephriam.

[Sushi]

Sarah inclined her head and simply placed the tray on the side table. The woman then, without any more pomp or circumstance, turned and left.



Ephriam lay there for a long time without any movement, it was almost like he was sleeping. Jethro popped his head in for a minute or two just to check. The moon had almost curved over the entire sky when Ephriam spoke.



"Mmm..." He rippled the fingers of his right hand and opened his eyes, seeming overall a lot less tensed. The washed-out gaze shifted to the woman, wondering if she had drifted off.

[Tree]

Marina felt the faint movement, eyes fluttering over him to take him in as she yawned slightly, glancing to the window, noting the storm still going as she moved to close the curtains, and slipped back into the bed, under the covers now, merely watching her lover in silence.

[Sushi]

Ephriam turned slightly, brushing his lips across her forehead.



"You need to take care of yourself."

[Tree]

" I'm fine, don't concern yourself with me."



Marina replied simply as she nestled a bit tighter into the covers, holding to him gingerly, looking up at him.

[Sushi]

"I cannot help it." Ephriam looked down at her with a soft gaze.



Then Jethro walked in, speaking as though he had been standing there for last little bit.



"Which is a terrible habit. However, seeing as to the recent happenings, I'll let it slide. Look, I even brought you a present!" He sat a white box (a little bigger than a shoebox - kind of like those that hats are packaged in) on the beside table. He glanced at Marina now.



"By the way, I figure you're going to explode in the near future if I don't tell you that there is a bathroom behind the second door on the left."

[Tree]

Marina smiled, ever so slightly, nodding to Jethro. She did need to tend to that, however, leaving Ephriam alone wasn't something she was too keen on. With a little sigh, she moved and kissed Ephriam lightly.



" Don't try to get killed anymore while I'm gone."



she purred gently, probably gone for 15 seconds total, and it wouldn't have even been that long, but she wanted to wash her hands.



Once more all but a cuddle guard dog, Marina nestled close to Ephriam, ever watchful.

[Sushi]

Eph smiled ruefully as she climbed back into bed, though he didn't open his eyes. It wasn't like he needed to. He folded one hand over hers, but other than that he didn't move. One could almost mistake him for sleeping, even though he wasn't.



Jethro, however, was asleep. He was completely and utterly zonked out on a futon in the middle of the hall. In fact, he was in a food coma.



Something to which.... ((Girl)) could only shake her head to.

[Tree]

Marina sighed and stretched and looked over Ephriam, kissing him softly as her stomach growled. She couldn't avoid the call of hunger forever. That being said, Marina looked to Ephriam, speaking gently.



" Are you sure you'll be alright if I leave for a little bit?"



She purred in his ear, kissing his neck lightly.

[Sushi]

Ephriam gave a weak smile, nipping lightly at her ear.



"What could happen to me? Aside from Jethro's mischief..."

[Tree]

" Don't let me answer that. Your not talking to the right person on the ' what could happen' scale. I am a horrible worrier, and you know it... so are you sure?"



She asked softly, looking him over, clearly concerned.

[Sushi]

Eph shook his head now, actually smiling a bit.



"I am positive. Go."

[Tree]

Marina slowly nodded and kissed him softly, hands lightly skating over his chest and then slipping from the room.



Really, she was leaving the house. Why on earth would she trust the food in his house now? With that thought, she wondered off into the down-pouring rain, making her way to what she thought was the lights of the town.



Feeling her dress saturated, and her eyes burning from her water-proof( Some how it didn't count rain as water?) mascara, entire body shivering in the pitch black night, as the lights she thought were the town, turned out to be nothing..... All she wanted was a Taco Bell or McDonalds......



In the mist of the down-pour, she happened to loose both high-heel shoes in the rain, and she was starting to think she was getting hypothermia, so when a pair of hands wrapped about her waist and over her mouth, she was more then aware.



The scream was muffled and her efforts to break free didn't work at all as she quickly discovered what had her either was a body builder or super natural. Feeling her clothes trying to rip as she continued to worm and fight she felt the hands about her waist move to her neck and darkness over took her.

[Sushi]

Ephriam blinked a few times. His head echoed for a minute but then... He couldn't figure out what was going on but then it hit him. And in a whirlwind of confusion, he tried to sit up and just managed to half yank himself - flopping over in the floor.



"JEEEEEEETHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pant. Pant. Pant.

[Tree]

Waking, who knew how long later, Marina's face instantly wrinkled as she saw her new garb, spitting with disdain at how cheap it made her look. then the smell of sex rolled over her as if to try and suffocate her, causing her to cough and gag a bit.



Slowly she went to move from the bed and discovered she was held by one long chain upon her left wrist. Not think enough to weigh her down, but heavy enough she'd not be able to break it. What the heck is going on here?



Little did she know she'd have her answer soon as the stranger from before walked in.



" Hello Lovely."



He purred, his voice sounding like the scraping gates of an old graveyard. what bothered Marina though was the faint red glow seeming to roll off his skin, and the way his eyes seemed to be never ending pools of black... it was nerve wrecking... What was this thing?



Slowly the being advanced until he was just out of her reach, but he could easily reach her, towering nearly two feet above her, hand lightly walking down her cheek.



" You know, humans fetch a lovely price in a Netherworld Brothel...."

[Sushi]

Jethro, however didn't wake up.



It was Sarah that walked in.



"Good grief. What did you do, Ephriam?" He actually fought against her as she tried to move him back into bed.



"Stop. I. No. She. STOP!" Sarah stumbled back as he pushed her, actually startled. She often forgot how powerful vampires were, even when incapacitated.

[Tree]

Marina's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she quickly put the pieces together, stepping back further from the man, swallowing hard. This couldn't mean anything good.



" Oh yes."



the man before her hissed, smirking.



" As a matter of fact, I have a man whom paid me off handsomely to have the first night with you. Vampires tend to be one of the best buyers for little humans. It's like a show where dinner is provided."



He teased as he left little Marina shaking and hiding in her crummy bed, the lights going out, the door letting the man leave, and a pair of glowing eyes in.

[Sushi]

Inventory list in the aftermath of what Ephriam had to say:

Sarah:

- sprained wrist

- horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach



Jethro

- sleep stolen

- one bite

- two scratches

- a headache

- horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach



Ephriam

- colorless eyes that seemed about to bleed

- a little reinjury

- a feeling of horror beyond horror

[Tree]

As the night wore on, Marina was sobbing before much had happened, as vampire's strength were so massively superior, she had already been bruised and violated, she was merely glad she'd had ephriam prior to this event.



However, she screamed as she felt his fangs pierce her neck, and she fought for a small while until that insane ephoric high took over. She couldn't explain it, but she did start freaking out when he didn't stop... certainly you weren't allowed to kill the women? then again, for the right price.....



That's not what happened though..... it was daylight out, hence all the curtains, but the fact of it was, this vampire was new enough not to realize he'd drained her to the point of either turning her or killing her... since he didn't have he funds to kill her, he merely went about turning her, by force, then left her unconscious body on the floor, her screams already forgotten.

[Sushi]

Ephriam was fueled mostly by adrenaline at the moment, he didn't feel anything. Still, Jethro had to support him. It would have been wiser for the healthy man to go alone, but on the other hand... Ephriam was the one with the connection, and he was not about to be left behind.



And so they teleported.



However, when the man's eyes fell upon Marina, he transformed completely. Ephriam was filled by rage ten-thousandfold. Jethro was shocked and actually would have dropped him had it not been for the fact that the man could now stand on his own.

[Tree]

Marina didn't stir as she laid upon the floor, in the now abandon brothel. The owner and occupants had left when they felt the hostile appearance of Ephriam.



However, little Marina, still chained even, lay upon the floor, still not awoken from her turning process and still covered in tears and a few bruises, laying naked upon the floor.

[Sushi]

Ephriam walked over and literally ripped the chain out of the wall. He had meant to break it, but... well, that would do too. Little bits of the ceiling fell down as he looked at her with eyes enough to burn through the sun. The man for once hated the sight of her pristine flesh splayed out in the night. He reached to take off his shirt, only to remember that it had been removed for him while he was sick. Next best thing: he reached over and forcibly ripped Jethro's from his body, wrapping it around the girl with surprising tenderness for the anger that filled him.



Jethro, meanwhile just stood there. He knew his friend's rage. And he knew how best to deal with it. Let it run its course. But he did follow, carefully making sure his still slightly weakened friend made it home.



The only thing that kept Eph from going crazy, that ensured he would lay the girl in the bed and stay by her side was his promise. He promised that he would stay there with her. And he did.

[Tree]

When Marina finally did come too, it was all so weird, and she thought she was still where she had been, that she literally started creaming and crying, and running, all at once, hiding before she realized she knew where she was hiding. However, she didn't come out from her stop, completely scared of everything, not knowing what was going on, or why she felt the slight tugging urge to randomly going walking outside, as if she wre drawn to someone.....



sobbing hard, no longer scream, she was literally contemplating figuring out a way to die. She was terrified.

[Sushi]

Ephriam had left for just a minute, and it wasn't for his sake. He had a feeling. And so he had gone to retrieve something for the girl. Now the man twisted the doorknob and walked in. It was strange. He moved as though he was completely calm, even though his true emotional state had not changed one iota. He was livid, though not at Marina. The man had healed by the point that he set his eyes upon that conscious girl.



"You return to the land of the living." He didn't have a problem finding her, after all. He knelt down, setting the wine bottle on the floor. Still, Ephriam did not approach her. He remained there a good three feet away, staring at her with pale eyes and elongated teeth. In reality, he was judging her state.

[Tree]

As much as she wanted to leap into his arms and hide herself in their comfort, Marina burried herself deeper in the closet. She was too scared to trust, she didn't believe what she saw, or even felt at the moment. She ignored whims of hunger, or of anything else, not caring as she hid under the pile of clothes that were on the floor of the clothes, deep in the back corner.

[Sushi]

Eph peered at her for a moment more before looking away. The man picked up the bottle that he had gone through the pains of warming. He reached and uncorked it. The smell to him actually wasn't as bad as he expected. Then again, this was thanks to Jethro. The bottle was no more than two days old with the aid of a friend. Human blood just didn't keep well.



Ephriam sat it on the floor and then stood up, walking to the other side of the room quite calmly.

[Tree]

Marina couldn't help the overwhelming feeling as she smelled that intoxicating aroma drift towards her. However, she was literally too spooked to move, so as a result she started sobbing more, fangs now out and eyes dark, entire body shaking. This was like being a starving person with a steak waived infront of your face, and a lion in wait on the other side.

[Sushi]

Ephriam frowned deeper. This was even worse than he expected - which was saying something, seeing as his anger had moved him to all sorts of horrible imagery. One could almost see the rage peeling off of him. However, for Marina's sake, he took a deep breath. Eph walked over and picked up the bottle. He held out both hands so that they could be seen and carefully edged to the closet, reaching in and setting down the bottle within her reach before backing up again.

[Tree]

Marina had plastered herself to the back of the closet when he'd entered, and covered as much of herself as possible, including her face. When he left however, and the door shut once more. She couldn't help but drink the offered food, as she had it in her reach. afterwords, feeling a bit better, she started realizing all the things that could have been done to it, and was scared once more.

[Sushi]

Ephriam took another breath so that his voice would be smooth.



"Do you require more, Marina?" He spoke through the closet door, not opening it.

[Tree]

Marian didn't answer, she was literally terrified of everything. Even though she wanted to just set in his arms and sob, she merely let herself cry in the closet as she still felt like her body wanted to drag her away and toward soemthing else.... or someone else.

[Sushi]

There was a crunch and a thud and a long moment before Ephriam looked down to see what had happened. He found himself holding the splinters of a once nice decorative table. Said table had now fallen down seeing as it was missing a leg. Still, he forced him voice to remain calm and emotion free. It hadn't been this difficult for decades.



"I cannot say anything. You hold the cards." His fists balled up as he glared at the table, ignoring the Jethro that stood there, eyes shifting between the two of them.