Chapter 110: Laughter

Book 3, Chapter 9 - Laughter

Day 2

It was night again. Jack's senses were enhanced. He had a better feeling of all the pain in his body. He was more aware of which bones were fractured and what part of his skin was torn. His mother was weaker than him. All she could do was mutter an apology as she lay on her side with her head placed on the dirty floor. It smelled disgusting in the prison cell. There was no designated area for one to relieve themselves.

A brown haired Vampire guard arrived and left moldy bread outside of the iron bars. He was the same one from the day before. But he was not the same one that came every morning to whip Jack and his mother.

Jack lunged at the bread, grasping it with both hands. He brought it up to his mouth, eager to appease his hunger in any way necessary. He heard his mother mumbling. Jack turned around, feeling a suffocating grip in his chest. A pain that rivalled the gnawing void in his stomach. He picked at the molded spots on the bread and ate them, pinching his nose to avoid the putrid smell before crawling to his mother and offering her the unspoiled portion of the stale hard bread. She nibbled at it, her eyes half closed and red.

Jack stroked her hair. There were a few small critters crawling about in it. He gathered them in his trembling hands. And then brought them to his mouth. Hunger clouded rationale. He pushed the things inside and forced himself to chew. And swallow.

Moments later, everything he'd consumed came out of his mouth.

The stench within the cell grew stronger. Jack closed his eyes and grasped at his own vomit before desperately shoveling it into his mouth.

Day 6

Itchy rashes marred the surface of Jack's pale skin. He huddled in a corner of the cell opposite his mother. His golden hair was muddied by the dirt in the cell and had become a nesting ground for insects. His bare back was covered in lash marks. The same markings were on his mother's back but redder, and more visible. His Vampire blood helped him heal faster. But not fast enough. Especially not with a lack of nutrition.

Sarah lay curled, her dress falling from her shoulders. The whipping had torn most of it to shreds, leaving a barely functioning apron and dress front. She wrapped the rags over her shoulder and curled into a smaller ball, whimpering. Jack watched, unable to do anything.

His stomach growled. He wasn't particularly famished. He had caught a centipede a little while ago. The palate did not differ from other insects. And nor did his disgust for them change. But keeping the things in his stomach was growing easier by the day. Sarah was less fortunate. She frequently puked out what little she managed to swallow. Her figure was thinning. Jack was thin as well, but not as much. Unlike his mother, he found nourishment elsewhere.

She muttered to herself as she drew lines in the filth wrought floor of the prison cell. She cried. And laughed. Her mind had been broken. She looked toward her son and smiled. “Jackrin dear, come here won't you?”

He hesitated. He subconsciously backed up further against the wall. He knew what would happen if he went. He looked at his mother's face. That same smile that he once ran to without worry. That same smile that warmed him during even the coldest of days. She was his sun.

Was .

He stared at her now, afraid. He looked at her eyes. She stared back, but unlike him, she did not see his eyes. She could not. The cell was too dark. “Jack dear, your mother is lonely. Come rest your head on my lap,” she said, sitting up. Her dress fell from her shoulders again. The apron still covered her torso.

Jack stared for a long, hard moment. He wanted to go. Was desperate to go. He longed to have his hair caressed again as she sang him to sleep. Longed to be held by those warm loving arms. He looked at her eyes. And then her neck. And then her eyes again. Slowly, Jack crawled to his mother, but what brought him there was not the desire for love but the desire for something else. He lay his head where she asked and she ran her fingers through his hair. “Have you been playing in the mud again? Dear me. There's bugs crawling about. You need to take better care of yourself, Jackrin. You have my golden hair but you look just like your handsome father.”

Father had bright hair too. Does she not remember?

Her voice was hoarse. But this close to it, this close to her warmth, it sounded like a melody.

She smiled. Her lips parted again.

Hush now hush now please don't cry

Mother's going to stay with you through the night

Sweet dreams sweet dreams far and wide

Mother's going to sing you a lullaby

Restless children are naughty

Stay still, sleep well, and grow pretty

Dream of white doves and lilies

Know that you are loved and will always be

Hush now hush now my sweet child

Less you wake the wolf of the wild

Big and bad and scary too

Don't fret, mother will come hug you!

For a moment Jack was at peace. His eyes began to close, his desires forgotten.

“Ah I wonder when my dear will come home. There's much I need to say. You have stories too don't you, Jackrin? About all the adventures you've had out in the woods.”

“Yes ma,” he mumbled, now half asleep.

“I wonder when the sun will come up. Oh it has been dark for so long. Drayca will need to be home before the sun is up. He's weaker in daylight. I fear for him.”

She suddenly screamed. Jack woke from his slumber with a start and prepared for what was to follow. “Where... Where am I? A cell? Drayca? Drayca is this a joke? No. I remember now. No please no. Let it be a dream. Flames, why? What did I do to deserve this?” She looked down at her son. “You. It's all your fault. Your father was killed because of you. My love was stolen from me because of you. We are here because of YOU!”

Jack curled up as his mother began beating him. He did not feel very much. She was now very weak. And he had built up a resistance against pain. But still he wept. His heart ached with more pain than any whip or stone or fist could ever dole out. And in his pain, Jack laughed. The high pitched laughter echoed through the prison cell.

“You-you darkspawn,” she muttered. “Why were you born? If only you didn't exist. My life was perfect. How could my womb produce such an abomination?” The beatings continued. Slowly Jack crawled away to the other corner of the cell as his mother mumbled with her knees tucked in.

“The whore human's at it again,” a voice from beyond the cell said. The dungeon guards. Jack had heard them laugh and mock him and his mother many times. “Serves them right. Giving birth to a half-blood. They deserve to rot. Filthy backstabbers.”

One day. One day I will kill all of you. And then I will laugh. Atop your corpses I shall dance. One by one I will snap your bones in half. If only I but had a chance.

“Jack. Oh Jack, I'm so sorry,” Sarah wept.

“I know,” he whispered. He looked up. Looked at his mother's exposed neck. He crawled back to her and she held her arms out for him. He ignored them, his decisions clouded by his desire again. He leapt forward and bit into her neck.

“No!” she screamed. “Get away from me you monster!”

But he was not listening. The sweet taste of blood filled his mouth. New found strength coursed through him. The euphoric feeling eased all pains —even that of his heart. He eased his fangs out slowly. Already thin and frail, Sarah collapsed. She had lost consciousness. Jack returned to his corner and cried again. His mother was on the edge of death. He looked back at her neck, the primal desire now not as strong. His thirst had already been satiated.

Atop your corpses I shall dance. If only I but had a chance.

The sound of maniacal laughter echoed throughout the many chambers of the dungeon.

Day 14

How many days has it been? How long have I been here? Jack's vision was hazy. Even at night, he couldn't feel or see much. He touched his face, feeling the outlines of his jaw and cheekbones. They felt as if they were broken and protruded against his skin. Sarah was in a far worse condition. He could barely hear a faint heart beat coming from her chest. Jack struggled to feed Sarah what scraps they were given. All the while searching for insects for himself. She hardly made any sounds anymore. A moan could be heard every now and then. She was nearing her end. And he was killing her. The whippings had stopped. Jack and she were too weak to endure them further. But he was still half Vampire. He needed blood to survive. And the only source he had was his very own mother.

Another piece of moulded bread was left before the cell. Jackrin crawled towards it, scraping his hands and knees in the process. He thought of eating the whole piece himself. Thought of not sharing any with mother. It would help ease his hunger for a while. And perhaps his thirst too. That way, she would survive longer. He would need less blood if he had nourishment from elsewhere. He looked back at her. At her shrivelling form and hollowed eyes. They flickered briefly towards the food in his hands. A moan escaped from her mouth.

Jack crawled back to her. He forced her lips apart and held the molded bread to her mouth. Slowly she nibbled. He held the food there until it was all gone. His arm was tired. A tear fell out of Sarah's eye. Jack closed them and allowed his mother to sleep while he crawled about in the cell, searching for things that he could eat.

Day 19

Karine paced back and forth in her chambers. Over two cycles had passed since she'd imprisoned her stepmother and half-brother. She hadn't gone down to visit them a single time. Going by reports, they were still alive. Though, she no longer heard anymore cries at night. She had ordered the whipping to stop when hearing of their miserable condition. She wasn't sure if it was out of pity or cruelty. Screams ensured they were suffering. While the quiet gave Karine peace, it made her think Sarah and Jack were dying. She didn't want them to die yet. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll go down there and ask them about the dagger.

And maybe ask for a muffin. And some garnished blood.

Karine slammed a fist into the onyx walls. The scenic paintings hanging from them shook. She clenched her teeth. What was she thinking? They were traitors. Backstabbing murderers.

And also ask if I can take Jackrin out to the woods again.

She blinked down rising waterworks. Karine resolved herself to visit the dungeons. It was early morning and she was tired. She lay down on her bed with the intent to sleep. Old memories came back to her. About the time Drayca first introduced Sarah to her. Karine had cried then. She couldn't help but remember her mother, Aianese. Sarah looked exactly like her.

Karine would often descend the mountains and come visit her stepmother. To keep an eye on her. Make sure she wasn't scheming anything. She was human after all. Keep an eye on her or something else…? She was welcomed every time. Treated like a daughter. She liked that. But never admitted to it. She remembered all the times Sarah had baked for her. Oat cookies. Carrot cakes. Blueberry muffins —her favourite. A part of her still wanted to taste her stepmother's treats.

A droplet fell to the floor. To think that all this time, Sarah had just been wearing a second face and deceiving Karine. Was that really what it was? Or am I just looking for someone to point fingers at?

And then there was Jackrin. Her adorable half-brother Jackrin. Jackrin with his bright hair and blue eyes. Jackrin with his heart melting smiles. His constant curiosity. His cute complaints and cries. Jackrin who looked up to her. Grabbed her leg when afraid. Hid behind her skirt to escape Sarah's scolding. She had watched him grow. Played with him. Protected him even.

Karine found it difficult to hate the child but whenever she remembered Jack, she inevitably remembered the monstrosity as well. He had human blood in him. The blood of liars and backstabbers. She couldn't fathom the reason for such a cruel betrayal. Did humans despise the Vampire race so much so as to want to eradicate them? Or was it for the purpose of power? Perhaps Sarah had planned to use Jack to obtain the Vampire throne.

Karine had assumed it to be as such. But was that truly the reason? Was the woman that seemed to have loved her as a mother capable of such cunning? If not, then how did Drayca die? Who was strong enough to kill him? There were humans that believed Vampires to be darkspawn. The Astral Union in particular. But they were hundreds of miles away. Two nations lay between them and the Kal'Kar Mountains. For them to come all the way to the Kal'kar just to kill Drayca…

“No. It makes sense. To kill the Vampire king. Why wouldn't they? Make us angry and drag us out rather than besiege the mountains.” But where did Sarah fit into all of it? Did she fit at all?

Old emotions clouded Karine's thoughts. She could hold her tears back no longer. She was queen now. She needed to be strong and decisive. She would make all of her decisions the next night.

***

Pale. Limp. Lifeless. Cold.

Not a sound could be heard. Not a breath. Not a heartbeat. Deep blue eyes as vast as the ocean, now frozen solid. The child's hand closed the eyes shut. Sarah Winters' dehydrated corpse lay with its arms crossed in the centre of the dark cell. There was hardly much else other than skin and bone before. But now, the corpse almost truly resembled a skeleton. Jack cackled loud as despair rolled down his cheeks. He felt powerful. Invincible.

He would have his vengeance this night. He glanced one last time at his mother's lifeless body, shedding one last drop of sadness. He wiped his eyes and held the iron bars of the prison cell with fierce determination. He pulled and the bars bent. A maniacal smile spread on his face. Nothing would stand in his way. He was free at last. He would extract the debt of his imprisonment and avenge the unjust murder of his mother. All the blood he had just consumed had increased his strength greatly.

“When do you think we'll get our rations?” A voice croaked. The dungeon guards were Jack's first obstacle.

“Can't say. My throat is parched. Haven't had any blood to drink in a long while. My eye sight is getting hazy too.” the second one said.

“Why don't we drink from the whore in the cell? She's half dead anyway.”

“Are you crazy? Queen Malkieri will kill us if—” the guard suddenly fell to the ground, struggling to breathe. Jack had thought his fist would be strong enough to kill but at least the man's windpipe had been crushed.

“Huh? How did you—”

Jack swung wildly but the guard avoided the attack. He stood up, his figure towering. Jack picked up the fallen guard's spear and crouched, getting ready to lunge. His foe stabbed at him multiple times but he avoided them with ease. The guard's movements appeared sluggish. He pounced at an opening and thrust with all his might while letting out a feral scream. The spear impaled his foe. The remaining guard gripped his ankle tight and stared up at him with hatred, still struggling to breathe. Jack stomped as hard as he could on the man's head. And stomped again. And again. And again. Then one more time. He was dripping red from shin down when he'd finished, squished entrails beneath one foot. It felt little different to stepping through cold slush.

He did not have the urge to drink however. For a Vampire to drink a kinsman's blood is poison. Its very smell was repulsive, and the smell was greater with his enhanced senses.

Jack laughed manically. “Not half dead. She's full dead. Just like the two of you.”

He moved along, clutching the iron spear tight. The sound of his bare feet tapping against the stone floor was like that of a drop of water. The floor was cold. But Jack's heart was even colder. Icy hatred emanated from his blue eyes. His mouth still bore a wide grin. He climbed up the steps of the dungeon. The walls slowly changed from dull grey stone to a pitch black yet polished texture. As if the entirety had been made of a black gemstone. He was still in the black palace. He recalled that much. It was coming back to him now. They had dragged him and his mother through the streets and then through the great halls of the black palace. How many cycles had passed since they had been locked up? Or was it a full season? It did not matter. Jack would slaughter every living person in the palace. Even his half-sister, the current queen.

He would even kill Karine.