Nora’s eyes fluttered open and the first thing that registered to her was how lightheaded she felt. She remembered leaving the movies with Tryx and flying to a house. Then a sharp pain and nothing.
The rattling on chains drew her attention. She watched Bex roll around on the floor in chains, trying to get free. The faint sound of hissing filled the air. Nora looked down at herself, tied up in rope, gagged.
Panic quickly began to rise.
“Hermm.” Nora cried out through the gag.
Bex looked at her.
“Emm mmm,” Bex shook her head no.
“Hemm!” Nora cried out.
“Nnnn!” Bex looked at her.
Nora flinched when a loud latch clicked out of place and the heavy door pushed open. Her panicked eyes looked up at an unfamiliar face. A vampire stared down at her.
“You try anything funny and I kill you,” he put a knife to her neck.
“Emm!” Nora backed up against the wall.
“That’s what I thought.” He said before closing the door again.
Nora looked back at Bex who closed her eyes tight before breaking her wrist and thumb in one hand. Nora flinched and cringed away. Bex slipped a hand out, then she did it again for her other hand. Once both her hands were free, she crawled slowly and quietly over to Nora. The chains on her ankles scraping across the floor.
Bex took her gag off and then slipped Nora’s off.
“Shh!” Bex hissed.
Nora stared at her in fear.
Bex leaned in, her lips tickling Nora’s neck.
“Don’t scream,” Bex whispered before she bit down and began to drink her blood.
Nora let out a sharp gasp, her body flooded with unexplainable euphoria.
Bex pulled back after a moment, only drinking enough to heal up her hands and other small wounds.
“Who are you?” Nora whispered.
“My name is Rebecca Norwood. Technically, I am your godmother.”
“What!?”
“Shh!”
“What?” Nora whispered. “You are like the same age as me.”
“I’m a vampire, I don’t age. Technically, I’m the same age as your mother.”
“Ew!”
Bex giggled.
“An old lady just kissed me,” Nora made a face.
“I drank your blood.”
“Same difference.”
“Listen, Nora, I’m going to help you escape from here but I need you to do everything I say and be quiet.”
“Okay.” Nora nodded.
Bex turned Nora around and began to untie the rope.
“You used to watch me when I was a baby right?” Nora asked.
Bex paused for a second before getting back on task.
“Yes,” Bex said.
“What happened? Why did you leave? How come I’ve never met you until now?”
“There was an accident. When you were still a baby. Couldn’t even walk yet.”
“An accident?”
“It’s nothing, water under the bridge. Long story short, your moms are extra as fuck and banned me from ever seeing you again.”
“That does sound like my mom's.”
Bex smiled softly.
“Well, I’m kind of glad you’re here now. Who knew getting kidnapped sucked.” Nora snarked.
“I could have told you that, I’ve been kidnaped more times than you can count.” Bex loosened the rope.
Nora shrugged out of it and pulled her arms free.
Bex pulled back and looked her in the face. The two smiled at each other before Bex hugged her tightly.
“You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment.” Bex buried her head into Nora’s shoulder.
Nora awkwardly pat her on the back.
Bex pulled back and looked at her again, brushing Nora’s hair behind her ear.
“Look at you, all grown up.” Bex giggled through tears.
Nora blushed in embarrassment.
“I really wanted to be in your life, Nora. You have no idea. I wanted to be here for you, watch you grow up, teach you all about vampires and my world. I wanted it more than anything. That’s why… that’s why this is happening. People came after you because of me, and I’m sorry for that.”
“Eh, it’s not exactly totally your fault,” Nora said.
“What do you mean?”
“I may have let a pretty girl kidnap me.” Nora sighed.
Bex facepalmed.
“Don’t tell my moms, please,” Nora begged.
“No way am I telling your moms that! Rooney will blow her top.”
“I can hear her already,” They said in unison.
They both giggled.
“Man this sucks,” Nora brought her knees to her chest.
That’s when Bex laid eyes on the shoes on Nora’s feet and the sword necklace on her neck.
“Nora!” Bex whispered yelled.
“What?”
“Those shoes, that necklace, where did you get them?”
“Don’t tell my moms, I found them in a box of old stuff.”
“Yes! Nora, I love you.” Bex smooched her on the head.
“Huh?”
Bex took the sword off the necklace and Nora watched in awe as it grew to its actual size.
“Whoa.” She said.
Bex used the sword to pick at the shackle on her feet.
She cringed in pain as the hissing sound increased.
Then with a click one shackle came undone.
Bex quickly moved to the second one.
Nora watched her in silence.
Soon Bex was free.
She cut the rope on Nora’s feet and shrunk the sword down and gave it back to Nora.
“How are your kicking skills?”
“uh… average?”
“Switch shoes with me.” Bex took her shoes off.
“Ew no.”
“Nora, no time to argue.”
“But I don’t want to.”
Bex eyed her.
Nora stared back.
“If you don’t do it I’ll tell your moms you let a girl kidnap you because she was pretty.”
“That’s playing dirty.”
“I’ll do it.”
Nora sighed and slipped the shoes off.
Bex put the silver-plated boots on and handed Nora her sneakers. Nora grumbled before slipping them on.
Bex pulled her hair up into a tight bun and stood up, helping Nora to her feet.
“Now what?” Nora asked.
“Now we wait.”
“For what?”
“The signal.”
“Signal?”
“Obviously Lyssa will come to save us, whatever commotion she causes will draw everyone away from here, giving us our chance.”
“Okay.”
“Just trust me.”
‘I told you not to do it.’ Jinn said.
‘shut up.’ Nora shot back.
“Let’s stand over here in case they come in early, this will give us a chance to fight back.”
“So… how do you know my moms?” Nora asked as they sat back down on the floor.
“You don’t want to know.”
“I do,” Nora said.
“Well you asked for it, Joan and I grew up together. We even dated for a moment.”
“Ew!”
“Shh!”
“Did you two like… do it?”
“Once.”
Nora gagged.
Bex giggled.
“Don’t tell her I told you, but your mom was kind of in love with me. There was a time I almost gave in to her. I guess you could say I loved her too. I like to think in some other timeline we are together and you are my actual daughter. Is that weird?”
“Yeah, very.”
“Joan and I could have been together if I hadn’t met Lyssa and she hadn’t met Rooney. But I fell in love with a vampire, thus my current predicament.”
“So like, when you met the vampire, you just knew that’s what you wanted?”
“Something like that. It was actually a pretty bumpy ride, even after I got changed. But Lyssa is my soulmate, literally. We are in love. We always come back to each other.”
“Are you guys on and off like my mom's?”
“No, we are always on, but there have been a few tests in our relationship. A couple of years ago she met this girl who was gaga for her. I got so jealous. It was a disaster. But we worked it out. Trust me when I say no one is like your moms, those two are an utter disaster.”
“Were they always on and off? Weren’t they ever just happy?”
“No, they were always on and off. Joan even dated other girls between their breaks. Let me tell you, Rooney gives crazy ex a whole new definition.”
Nora laughed.
“I’ve been keeping tabs on your moms over the years. I really missed them.” Bex said.
“What’s Lyssa like?”
“Grumpy, all the time.”
Nora giggled.
“But she’s also sweet, and loving, and secretly a big softy. She’s valiant, courageous, heroic. Anything a girl could ever want. She cares so much. Sometimes too much….” Bex trailed off a sad look on her face.
“She’s gonna come, I’m sure of it,” Nora said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Bex stared off at the wall.
“What do you mean?” Nora asked.
“If you think I’m old, wait till you meet Lyssa.” Bex changed the subject. “She’s over 200 years old.”
“What! Whoa!”
“Shh!” Bex giggled.
“Wait so technically you’re married to a grandma?”
“I’ll be sure to tell Lyssa you said so.” Bex chuckled.
“Ew, how can you be with someone so old?”
“You wouldn’t know I was old unless I told you. She looks just like me and you. We don’t age, so though I may be old, I’m still young. Perks of being a vampire.”
“That’s so weird.”
“Enough about me, I want to know about you. Tell me.”
“What’s to know? I’m just me.”
“What are your grades in school?”
“B average.”
Bex eyed her.
“Fine, c…” she relented.
“I was the same.” Bex smiled.
“I play drums in band. Snare drum. Sometimes I play the aux cart which is like random assorted instruments from symbols to cowbells. I played the gong once. It was so cool. But I accidentally broke the mallet.”
Bex felt a warmth in her chest as Nora went on about herself.
“Destiny is my best friend, we grew up together. We tell each other everything. I broke my arm once. That sucked. I’m a pretty boring person. My moms are always working so I just stay home or go to aunt Darci’s house.”
“What about that cute girl? You like girls?”
Nora blushed and shrugged.
“Tell me, I won’t tell your moms, promise.”
“I guess I just like everyone. I don’t care, girl or guy, or nonbinary. I had a crush on this guy, Ross. He’s like super cool and popular. I asked him to the school dance and got laughed out the door.” Nora pouted.
“What a jerk.”
“I know. But I don’t care anymore. I met this girl, Tryx. She’s like super pretty and nice, and…” Nora trailed off into a dreamy sigh.
Bex giggled.
“She’s a succubus. She said her mom was making her kidnap me. That the existence of her race depended on it. Seemed like a good enough reason to me.” she shrugged.
“Nora,” Bex shook her by the shoulders.
“I learned my lesson!” Nora defended herself.
“How are you not my daughter?” Bex pulled Nora into her arms.
Nora giggled.
“I don’t care what Joan says, after this, I’m not leaving you again.” Bex rested her chin on Nora’s shoulder. “We are going to be close. Like bff's. Gal pals.”
“No one says that anymore.”
“I’m not that old.”
“Kinda are.”
“In vampire years a hundred is like the new 25. And I’m not even a hundred yet. So there.”
“According to that logic Lyssa is like over 50, and you’re like 12. Which is really gross if you think about it.”
“I can see why you give your moms a hard time.” Bex commented.
“They give themselves a hard time.” Nora shot back.
Bex giggled.
“Uh you can let go now,” Nora said.
“No,” Bex held her tighter.
“Ugh.”
“I’ll never let go,” Bex said softly, burying her head into Nora’s back.
“Just because you’re my godmother doesn’t mean I like hugs,” Nora pulled herself free.
“What do you like?” Bex asked.
“Chips are my favorite snack. Especially salt and vinegar chips. Cherry vanilla swirl is my favorite ice cream. Rock is the music to my soul. I like Screamo too. Pop-punk stuff. My favorite food is chicken tenders or nuggets. Especially when mom makes them. Least favorite is asparagus. Taste nasty.” Nora made a face.
“I can’t remember what that tastes like,” Bex said.
“Good, you don’t want to. It’s awful and my mom makes me eat it. Rooney is just an ugh!”
“She’s not so bad. But she can be a…”
“Bitch?”
“I was trying to find something nicer to say,” Bex admitted.
“She’s always on me about this and that. Drives me crazy!”
“Shh!”
“Well, she does.”
“It just takes a long time for her to soften around the edges is all.”
“Well I’m 16 and she still hasn’t softened.”
Bex giggled.
“Were you and Rooney ever close?”
“Hardly,” Bex snorted. “She hated me at first. Literally tried to kill me a few times. She was so jealous of me. I was kind of jealous of her too. I never thoughts she was good enough for Joan. But as the years went by, we actually became pretty close before you were born. She’d call and rant to me about Joan. Sometimes I’d go visit her and we’d hang out. The thing with Rooney is, once you betray her trust, she gets cold and hateful towards you. It’s hard for her to let people in. After the incident… she blocked me out. She actually hasn’t really spoken to me since the incident. It’s like our friendship vanished into thin air.”
“Wow, so she’s always been like this.”
“Emm.”
“I thought it was just me,” Nora pulled her knees to her chest.
“What happened?” Bex scooted closer to her.
“After she left my mom the first time, she became like that. Cold, distant. Never coming to birthday parties or school events. When they were back together she’d almost act like I didn’t exist. Almost like she blames me for something. When she does acknowledge me she’s always mean and judgmental. When she comes around again, everything just starts falling apart. We always argue and fight… she’s just… not the mom I remember.”
“Have you tried telling her?”
Nora shrugged.
“Just talk to her about it.” Bex rubbed her shoulder.
“I can never get the words out, I just get so angry all I want to do is yell at her and hurt her feelings. Hurt her like she hurts me. When I do manage to tell her something she’ll fix it for a little bit but in only a few days, things go back to the way they were. It’s almost like… she wants me to feel bad. Is that weird?” Nora turned her head to look at Bex.
“No. Maybe you’re picking up on something else. Maybe it’s not so much that she wants you to feel bad, but more of she’s jealous of you.”
“Me?”
“Of the affection you get out of Joan that she can’t get. She’s always been that way when it comes to Joan. Maybe she’s subconsciously pushing you away because she’s lonely and wants more attention. She probably doesn’t even realize she’s doing it.”
“Well, whatever it is, I wish she’d stop.” Nora buried her head into her knees.
“I’ll talk to her for you, how about that?”
“Really?” Nora looked up at her.
“Of course, what are awesome godmothers for? She’ll listen to me, that way you won’t have to get all mad when you try and explain it. I used to be the same way, just ask Lyssa. Sometimes it’s hard to properly express one's emotions in a way that makes sense to others. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.”
“I may not know you very well, but I think you’re pretty cool Rebecca. We can be, bff's.” Nora rolled her eyes.
The two of them giggled.
Bex pulled Nora in for another hug.
“Ugh, no, no hugs.”
“Too bad, better get used to it because I’m not letting go.” Bex squeezed her.
“On second thought—”
Bex giggled. But she made a vow to herself right then and there. She was going to save Nora and get out alive. She wasn’t going to let go of Nora, not this time.
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