claudia | embry call

fifteen : hellfire

For the first two days, all Claudia could feel was fire. She couldn't remember or think of anything other than the deep rooted burning inside of her. For the first day, screams ripped from her throat and echoed off the cave walls, but her voice eventually died out. All she wanted was death. She felt like her body would be charred, if she managed to survive. Finally, after what felt like endless lifetimes of burning, the heat began to dull. And finally, after she could move her hands again, she heard Victoria.

"God, is this gonna take much longer?" Victoria's voice sounded close, almost like she was whispering in Claudia's ear, though talking at a normal volume. It was then that Claudia realized just how much she could hear. Victoria's breathing, rain hitting against the rocks and trees, animal's trotting around in the underbrush, birds' wings flapping in the wind, the light trickle of a stream falling over rocks. She could hear everything. "Stop doing that!" Victoria sounded frustrated. "God, I'm so sick of seeing whatever you're showing me. You know it's looked like hell to me for the last three days? Wake up!"

Claudia shot up, landing on her feet like a cat. Victoria's laugh filled her ears and her head whipped around, and she realized that she could see everything. The cave which they were in was bright enough for her to see each little detail of the rock that surrounded them. She looked towards the light at the cave entrance, and could see each drop of rain. She gasped, tasting the fresh rain, the thick pine trees outside, as well as the sweet undertone coming from Victoria. Victoria herself looked slightly different than she had before. She looked sharper, more flawless than she had before. Her eyes now almost glowed crimson, piercing towards her in a stare.

"Look at you." Victoria chuckled. "Finally, it took you long enough. Your gift is really obnoxious, you'd better learn to control it soon."

"What?" Claudia almost didn't recognize her own voice. It had a shimmer to it that wasn't there before, and had an almost harp-like quality. "What gift?"

"You've been making me see what you've been going through for three days." Victoria sounded annoyed. "It was like Hell, fire all around me." Victoria was in front of Claudia in a second, though Claudia could now see each of her movement. "Do you feel that stinging? That burn in your throat? The thirst?" Victoria's voice now took on an excited tone. Claudia nodded, and a sinister smile took over Victoria's face. "Good. Let's hunt."

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Claudia could feel her throat burning, almost like the fire from before that consumed her body. Victoria was a few feet in front of her, crouched low to the ground. In front of them were a pair of hikers, laughing as they set up a small campsite in a clearing. "I can't do this." Claudia said, though her voice didn't alert the humans. She wanted to tell them to run, but she knew it was no use. Victoria's head whipped back, her eyes slitted into a sharp glare.

"They're just meat." Victoria hissed. "So you either kill them, or I end you right now. Don't make me regret not killing you." The way Victoria's voice commanded made Claudia dip her head, nodding in fear. Victoria had already ripped her hand off for saying she wouldn't kill anyone, though it reattached after a few minutes. Claudia knew Victoria wouldn't hesitate to deliver on her threats, so she slinked forward and crouched next to Victoria in the bushes. "Follow your instincts, and save some for me if you can. I don't smell any others near by." Claudia hesitated, her fingers digging deep into the dirt. She swallowed out of habit, before letting her new instincts take over.

The pair of humans were dead in seconds, Claudia unable to control herself as she attached her mouth one of their necks. Victoria laughed, taking the other one for herself. Despite how good the blood tasted, and how it quelled the burning in her throat, Claudia couldn't help but feel disgusted with herself. After she'd drained her victim, she shot back sat sat against a tree, hungrily cleaning the blood from her hands. Victoria finished soon after, squatting down in front of Claudia.

"How was that?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"Incredible." Slipped passed Claudia's lips. Victoria chuckled, straightening up.

"Good." Victoria turned around, facing the trees where they'd come from. "Come on. I still want that human pet the Cullen's kept. And I'm sure she's back by now." With a glance down at Claudia, Victoria started to run. Claudia didn't spare a glance back at the hikers as she followed her. In her mind, she prayed the Cullen's had returned to Forks. She knew how they lived, and she knew that she was stuck with this life forever. Her only hope was the Cullen's, if they didn't murder her on the spot.

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"Damnit, Damnit, Damnit!" Victoria growled, kicking a boulder harshly. Whatever pieces didn't disintegrate under her strength shot forward, landing harshly in the water and knocking into trees. "What the hell are they doing back?" Claudia didn't answer. She'd hadn't been with Victoria for more than a week, but she'd already learned her place. The new rules of her new life. Even though she was technically stronger than Victoria, she didn't know how to use her strength. Victoria liked it that way. Claudia quickly learned not to question what Victoria said, as long as she wanted to remain unharmed and alive. Victoria now sharply turned towards Claudia.

"I thought you said they were all gone!" Claudia flinched when Victoria yelled.

"They were." Claudia defended. "But Bella left after one of them came back. That's all I know." Victoria growled again, pacing. After a few minutes, she stopped.

"We need a protector." Victoria seemed to be talking mostly to herself. "Someone who'll follow blindly, do whatever I tell him. Someone who could buy me some time." Victoria then looked to Claudia. "Get up. We're leaving."

"Where are we going?" Claudia dared to ask.

"Seattle."