Blood red love by Dripping Creativity

Blood red love 

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Charlie lay on her bed and traced the stone patterns on the ceiling. It was like watching clouds on a summer day. If you relaxed your eyes, you started to see shapes. There was a bunny in the corner, a motorcycle on the left part of the roof, and some stones over her bed reminded her of Vidar’s profile. Okay, the profile was not really a profile. It was more like a blub, but if she squinted and tilted her head, it almost looked like a profile and it could have looked a little like Vidar. If you really, really wanted it to. And at this point, Charlie was desperate for anything that reminded her of Vidar. She sighed and rolled around to her stomach and wished she could be back home with him, or anywhere with a shower. She had tried to use some of her water to wash herself. But she still had on the same clothes that she had been taken in and her hair had started to itch. She sat up quickly when she heard Millard’s steps closing in. Maybe he would bring her some new clothes? But he arrived empty- handed. 

“Good evening, Charlie,” he said. 

“Hi,” she said. 

“I think we are making progress, Charlie. You have been my guest for a while now and I feel. like you have warmed up to me. I’m thinking it’s time that we formalised this relationship with a bonding ceremony,” he said. Charlie looked at him. He had been coming by regularly, talking to her about the most boring things, never asking her how she was or what she thought. Then he would leave. How he thought they were getting closer was beyond her. She had been nice, or rather, she had been passive. But she had to say something now. 

“Millard, I’m still imprinted on Vidar. There will only ever be him. I don’t care how long you keep me here,” she told him. She saw him going from calm to livid in a blink of an eye. 

“How dare you mention that fucking low life under my roof? Don’t you have any decency? You are my finance and I expect you to act like it!” he screamed at her. There was a long silence where Charlie just looked at him. 

“Your what? I have always known something wasn’t quite right with you. But this? This shows how truly screwed up you are! You think I’m your fiance? You have me locked in a dungeon, a freaking dungeon, complete with metal bars and stone walls! What do you want from me? If you are waiting for me to get over Vidar and fall madly in love with you like som 

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fucking Stockholm–syndrome, then I will die before you get your wish,” she shouted back at him. 

“What do I want? What the fuck do I want from you? I want you to give me a fucking chance, Charlie. I want you to see me for who I am, to give me the same curtesy you gave Vidar from the moment you met him.” 

“Give you 

you a chance? You kidnaped me! You lock me in a cell! Oh geese, what a freaking nice guy. I wonder if he’s single. He tried to kill me by shooting me and has gone on a rampage. Why don’t I leave the man that would do anything to keep me safe? Why don’t I give up the only man that have accepted me and my choices, for the man that won’t accept a no? Sounds like a fucking amazing idea, almost as good as go swimming in shark–infested waters after taking a hike through bramble bushes!” Charlie has lost control of her temper and the iron. bars gave her a false sense of safety. 

“I never tried to kill you,” Millard told her. He sounded almost offended. 

“What do you call trying to shoot me? The night I met the werewolves,” she reminded him. 

“Oh that. I was just trying to show you that Vidar couldn’t been a little bullet in your shoulder.” 

n you safe. It would have just 

“A little bullet? A little bullet in my shoulder? Are you out of your mind? I’m human! A little bullet in my shoulder could kill me,” she informed him. 

“You are exaggerating. And why are you human he asked. 

“I’m guessing because both my parents are human.” 

“But you are a maiden. Why haven’t you turned yet?” he clarified. 

“It’s a big decision. I don’t need to explain myself to you.” He sighed and looked at her like she was a disobedient child. 

“I was thinking about it the other day and I had the idea that I maybe should use the elixir to turn you. But then your bloodline would be sullied,” he told her and made a face that showed how disgusted he was at the idea. “And you wouldn’t be able to bear my children. I can’t have 

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that. On the other hand, it would sever the imprinting you have. Maybe it’s okay to use it since you are a maiden. Maybe it won’t affect you like it does others,” he thought out loud. Charlie became cold inside. Millard was crazy enough to do it. She knew it without a single doubt. “I will have to think about it,” he added and then looked at her. “It would be better if you make your decision on your own. The elixir is a nasty thing. I have seen it work and you don’t want to do that. Either way, you will be mine.” He walked away and left Charlie shivering on the bed. She tried to think of a way to buy herself time. Vidar had to be getting close to find her, he had to. After thinking about it some more, she changed her mind. She didn’t have the luxury of waiting for someone to save her. She would save herself and get out of this place and contact Vidar. How hard could it be to break out of a dungeon cell made of iron and stone? Really, she had solved worse situations than this. Who was she trying to fool? She had never been in a situation like this, but she would do her best. 

Later she heard the footsteps of Loyd. She knew he was the weakest link. If there was something she would be able to break, it was him. 

“Happy birthday, miss Charlie!” he happily called out as he saw her. Charlie forced a smile. 

“You remembered,” she told him and pretended to be happy. 

“Of course I did. Birthdays are important,” he told her. 

“They are,” she agreed. “How do you celebrate your birthday, Loyd?” she asked as she slowly. collected the empty water bottle and empty food can. 

“My mom always makes me a big cake and my brothers and sisters all get to gather with their partners and children and we spend a day having fun,” he told her. Charlie smiled a genuine smile. 

“That sounds lovely,” she said, and she was honest. “I wish I could get a little dressed up. Maybe celebrate with Millard when he comes by later,” she told him. 

“The boss would like that,” he agreed. 

“You think?” 

“Oh yes, 

the boss really like you, miss,” he told her. She smiled at him. He was a nice guy, and 

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Charlie hated she had to use him. 

“Do you think it would be possible for me to get a shower and maybe get some new clothes?” 

she asked. 

“Um, I don’t know. The boss says you need to stay here,” he said. 

“I know, and I am so grateful that he is keeping me safe. But I haven’t showered in a week and to tell you the truth, I’m starting to stink.” She said the last part in a whisper. He looked surprised, and then he looked like he was thinking hard. 

“And if you did get to shower, you wouldn’t go anywhere?” he asked. 

“I would follow you to the showers without trying to run or go anywhere than the shower,” 

she told him. 

“I think the boss would like if you got to shower. He likes pretty ladies. Okay, but I need to hold your hand,” he told her. Charlie smiled again and held out her hand. “One moment,” he told her and walked away. When he came back, he was holding a large key. He unlocked the 

door and held his hand out. Charlie didn’t hesitate, but put her hand in his. He started to walk down the tunnel, and Charlie needed to jog to keep up with his large strides. They 

walked in silence and Charlie could tell that Loyd was nervous. The tunnel held several cells like the one Charlie had been in, but these didn’t have any furniture and looked like they 

hadn’t been used in decades. They came out into a room, it was as empty as the cells, but Charlie assumed it once had been a watch room of some kind. They started climbing stairs and came out in a nicely furnished hallway, charfe could still see they were in a castle, but it 

had been modernised. There was electricity and furniture from different time eras. Loyd led her to a door and opened it, there was a bathroom with a shower, a toilet and everything looked clean and well kept. 

“Thank you so much, Loyd. This is the best birthday gift ever!” she told him. He smiled at her. 

“Do you 

think you could get me some new clothes as well? I would hate to get all clean and then put on dirty clothes.” He looked worried at that. 

“I don’t know. I think I need to stand here to make sure you don’t go anywhere,” he said. 

“How about I go inside, take my clothes off and give them to you? You can throw them away 

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or something. I think they are ruined. Then I would be in here naked. Would I go anywhere. without clothes?” she asked. The giant man actually giggled.. 

“No. No one goes around naked,” he said. She nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. 

“Thank you, Loyd. You are my angel,” she told him. 

“Um, I’m a giant, miss,” he corrected her. 

“Of course, how 

silly of me.” Charlie got into the bathroom and stripped down. She opened the door a little, hiding behind it as she handed her clothes to Loyd. 

“I’ll be back soon,” he told her. 

“Take your time. I will be in the shower enjoying myself.” She closed the door and turned on the shower. Then she pressed her ear to the door and, to her relief, she heard Loyd’s heavy 

footsteps walk away. Charlie looked around the bathroom and saw some towels. On closer inspection, they were far too small to cover her properly. Shower curtain it is, she thought ast 

she hurriedly took it down, wrapped it around herself and looked in the mirror to make sure it covered the important bits. She gave the shower a longing look, but she didn’t have time. She left it on and carefully opened the door. The corridor was deserted and she quickly hurried off. There had to be a phone or computer somewhere.