Reanimated Bones
Ch 5: Unwanted Empathy
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Empathy is a hard thing to ignore as a mortal.
And some uninvited guests.
----
I wrote the start of this in June 25- literally a year ago. But I guess a lil more plot now?
I might go through the earlier chapters and fix all the mistakes I can see
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The days had settled into an almost domestic routine.
Domestic in the sense of more jokes thrown your way. Your own dry humour retorting back and gaining different barks of laughter from your various supernatural 'hosts'.
Hostility nothing more than a second hesitation in accidental touch when passing food back and forth.
Simple curt words turning to conversations more akin to something between aquaintances or even friends.
You tried not to think too much on the eventual trauma you'd have to unpack if you ever got out of this.
How these conversations that seemed so natural, so friendly, would likely later clear the haze and remind you were still here against your will.
This wasn't some consistent sleepover or a trip away from home to stay with a few strangers-now friends, you were brought here against your will.
Now highly aware of the likely growing stockholm syndrome that would have to be picked apart thread by thread later on, a mush and tangle of thoughts and feelings.
Unable to determine if they were truelly your own or just a survival instinct you were playing so well into it felt real.
They almost felt like friends now, the type you would meet through a closer relationship but find yourself spending more time with the new group than the old.
They had a way of life in them despite their undead nature that was hard not to be a little envious of.
It was almost opposite to yourself. Your own living mortality entwined with death and the undead.
Different sparks of life through their individual mannerisms, little quirks and styles that separated them from eachother.
With nothing but your mind for company during the day, it was hard not to analyse and admire the little details.
..
The high induced discussions from Paul when none of the boys would indulge him on his little rants and excitement.
Almost catching you into a second-hand high as he smoked in the room with you.
-
"And then he's arguing I stole his jacket! Like dude i've had this since before you were born! I have sleeve tears older than the spunk in your dad's sac!"
You weren't entirely tuned into whatever Paul's rant was about now, the topic varying from moment to moment.
Your apparent lack of ability to leave the room making you a prime target for Paul's smoke-induced questions and ADHD riddled rants on whatever his mind has taken interest in now.
His packmates uninterested to listen to another story of a fight he got into at the boardwalk.
It gave you food for thought though, stories and tales of the boardwalk, the nightlife and any current happenings.
He was like your very own personal news centre, including the warped personal perspective and agenda to make himself seen in a good light, aware of it or not.
He was slowing down now though, the smashed up bedpost he sat on now almost entirely worn down as he picked at it with his nails as he spoke.
The joint hung lazy between ringed fingers and smoke curling out his mouth like a laze-riddled dragon. The soft haze of the weed easing your own muscles as you settled in for another of Paul's tales.
-
Marko passing by with a pigeon every now and again, both sat watching it swoop around and lovingly coddle into the jacketed night-creature's lap.
Eventual trust twining it's way between the two of you until you worked up the interest to ask why he called you passerotto when he knew your name.
-
"Little sparrow" he mused, eyes crinkling at the mischevious and amused smile that crept across cherubic lips.
"Full of life, fluttering around, tryna take on the big scary bats" He teased, index finger curling out to boop you on the nose with a grin full of predator's teeth.
Laughing at the scowl and playful, non-serious, bite you tried to catch his finger in, laughing as he allowed himself to float away from your space. Arms stretched and folded behind his head as he lounged out in the air like he was reclining across a couch.
His behaviour towards you not that unlike a cat amused by it's much more vulnerable and weaker kitten. Entertained by it's vain attempts to bite and hiss that would only come out as a pitiful mewl.
Something that you found frustrating but begrudgingly couldn't disagree with in the vulnerable state you had been in since meeting.
-
Sometimes Dwayne showed up, you weren't as close unlike between Marko and yourself.
Probably because of the past booting you gave him when you first graced their safe haven. Despite it causing no real harm to him, his pride taking more of a bruising than anything Marko had explained.
When he did come around it was mostly to bring food, dark brown hair curtaining his face as he would enter, tall and brooding and with little words spoken.
The tension eased a little when you asked Paul one night if he was always like that, the knowledge that Dwayne's nature was a little more reserved than himself or Marko putting you at ease that this was the norm for him.
-
The shared quietness between Dwayne and yourself was almost comfortable as opposed to the contrasting loudness and mayhem of Paul or Marko.
A layer of silence only broken by soft sounds from in the cave or the accompanying clinking of your task at hand.
Dwayne had appeared an hour earlier, silent but studying your form like he expected you to cause more hassle for himself. Instead settling down a task infront of you.
"Keep you from going braindead on us" he had simply answered when you gave a questioning look between the taller man and the set of dirtied tools set before you.
Now you found yourself wiping away the grease, mindlessly cleaning the well-used metal of grime and any rust.
A feeling of contentment at the given task, it wasn't big or anything difficult but the small stimulation for your mind was well taken. Giving you a feeling of control over your situation even if it was simply cleaning.
By the end Dwayne had leaned over, giving an approving hum low in chest that left yours blooming with warmth.
-
Finally there was David, you hadn't had the same little interactions with him like you did the others.
Small quips and snarky sarcasm passed between the two of you that gave you a sense of shared appreciation from the resident chain-smoker.
-
David stood against the cave room wall, smoke billowing from his lips. His brow furrowed in thought as you finished eating.
Stealing glances between bites to get a better look at the bleach blonde. On the fourth bite you glanced again only to meet icey blue eyes staring back.
Air catching in your lungs as you coughed rather ungracefully, form heaving over to ease yourself.
You hadn't expected the almost cackle like laugh that broke from David, smoke filtering through his nose. A rather spirited look, entertained by your pathetic coughs as you regained your composure.
'Asshole' you'd muttered out, sending a glare his way. His eyes crinkled a little at the edges as he gave a knowing smirk.
-
Each small time spent with the boys had you seeing the human that once was, hidden behind the visage and fear of deadly creatures of the night.
Marko's playfulness
Paul's passion and excitement
Dwayne's thoughtfulness
Hell even David's dry sense of humour.
Each factor bundling up around you and tugging on your own empathy that came with your humanity.
---
So when you awake that night, to the now familiar damp smell of the cave. With the surrounding creeping moss and a moth-eaten blanket wrapped around you (Paul had brought it through one night while blazed and just 'accidentally' left it with you).
The sound of hushed voices was out of place to say the least.
Blinking blearyness and sleep from your vision, shifting your weight to sit up more in your makeshift jail cell.
Mind wondering if you had finally began to lose it, the thought of your brain finally snapping. Dragging you into insanity to comprehend the muted stimulation of the world around you.
Again
You heard it again, soft, quiet shuffling and in the distance, the harsh beam of light reflecting off the stone ground.
Not the Lost Boys
No.
This was another presence, others, not vampires.
People.
Explorers? Maybe but there was a sense of uneasiness that wasn't just your own.
And yet..
Something kept you from calling out.
From calling for help out of this nightmare.
Maybe it was your own uncertainty of who they were
Or maybe your own mixed and swirling feelings that you had yet to figure out was stopping you.
Your whole situation along with your captors was complicated to say the least.
Still, you dare not break the silence.
Palms laying down wide across the cold damp stone below your body. Using your strength to shift your body as slowly and quietly as possible as to not rattle the shackle still keeping you here.
The voices were young, hushed and quiet like they knew of the creature's that lurked in the shadows of this concaved scar of a cave.
The light was faint as it sweeped past the opposing wall of your prison, not close by but still a contrast to the dark depths.
It had to be day, if these intruders did know of the gang that lived here, whether they were vampire or not.. No one in their right mind would come looking for them while they were awake with the night-life and roaring across their turf.
You strained to listen to their whispers, but they bounced off the walls, creating a concoction of uncertain mumbles.
Something else would have to work.
In that moment you were grateful for the slowly decaying bat that was left in your 'room' over a week ago.
Larger holes gaped through it's wings and it likely wouldn't last very long flying now, but it would have to do.
Tuning out the muttered voices, you willed your mind to focus.
To tap between the whispering space between the living world and the dead, calling out for the spirit that had belonged to the little creature.
You hoped it was aware of the gratitude you felt when it willingly relinquished to your call.
Sewing it's way back through the small bat's body.
Breathe leaving partial and shaky, shared by yourself and the other.
Mind working harder to take in the visual and sensory information of not just your own body but the small mammal.
Lifting itself yourself upon weak wings, climbing bit by bit up the cave wall to gain height.
Your own eyes closing to provide more focus for the bat's senses. Feeling the air under wings that both felt your own and of a strangers as it dropped from the ceiling.
Weakly flapping it's your way quietly out of the half hidden cove you lay in. Following the sound of voices that grew louder with more sensitive, albeit rotting ears
Tiredness tugging at it your wings making it you land on a small stalactite. Able to be much closer to the voice's owners.
Two kids. Early teenagers at most.
Which granted, it wasn't unusual for kids to come exploring, trying to quell curiosity and the lack of responsibility they still ran with.
But this deep into the cave? With the feeling of uncertainty and displaced bravery stupidity it made your stomach churn with a feeling you didn't like.
"Would you shut up" One whispered, insistence lingering across their voice.
Urgency in an awareness of nightmares many would toss to the wind and laugh at the thought of truelly existing.
Sneaking around corners, they had no immediate weapons at least.
Scouting maybe?
Scouting for what. The boys?
When the fuck had you started referring to them as 'The boys'..
Boys was too placid.
Monsters. Blood-suckers. Leeches. Those titles were a much closer representation.
Your little spirit waited, observing from the rafters. Taking in the little way the kids seemed to be taking note of specific tunnels and crossing off others on a notepad.
You could wake the vampires.
Wake the undead not alike your own abilities.
But that would be sentencing these boys to death.
To be murdered in the most gruesome way possible, torn apart piece by piece.
Bled dry to satiate the never ending hunger that kept these creatures moving.
You wouldn't.
The chance you alerted them for help would likely end up waking the vampires in an attempt to get the shackles keys.
Something in the back of your mind twisted a little.
How alerting the kindred would benefit your own situation.
Gaining trust with these monsters. Allowed out of this hell.
But the price would be too great. You may dance with death but you didn't kill.
You wouldn't.
Reality was brought back as the two moved on, making their way out the cave.
Their uneasiness apparent in the way they tried to make quick work of being in the cavern, especially in the deeper darker tunnels.
The winged critter followed, stalking along the walls and ceiling, watching them leave.
The stabbing feeling of watching one of the only chance's of your frieedom leave driving it's way into your heart.
..
You weren't sure how long you stayed like that, just watching the entrance.
Almost longing for the return of the kids all the while hoping you would never see them again.
The light darkened slowly, sun turning to dusk as shadows stretched across the cave.
-
Your senses were rather roughly dragged back into your own body as a cold hand gripped your jaw, shaking you a little.
Connection snapping between yourself and the bat's little body, eyes quick to open as your body scrambled back away from the touch as quickly as you could.
"Woah! Woah, chill out babe" Paul's voice broke the silence. Hands raised away and another heavier hand clutching down on your shoulder.
Firm in keeping you still.
"Don't fucking do that!" You exclaimed, voice the loudest it had been, breaking partially in rasp.
Breathe catching in your lungs and eyes wide like some deer caught in headlights.
"Y/n." David's voice cut clear through your mind, echoing through your ears as breathing settled back into a subconscious movement.
"We thought you were finally broken" Marko provided, a smirk tilting his lips but a slight furrow in his brow.
Gaze glancing to the side at the heavy hand still holding your shoulder, some oil still under sharpened nails was enough of a give away.
Dwayne.
His touch an anchor and David's voice a lifeline in a grounding effort.
"Where were you?" The lilting tone in David's voice held suspicion for you, gaze scrutinising your dishevelled form below the grouped vamps.
"Oh you know just enjoying the sun on the beach. Where do you think" You snarked, eyes rolling sarcastically.
An amused look crossing Paul and Marko at the small amount of mouthing off at David.
Dwayne's hand digging in a little on your shoulder that had you trying to pull away from his grip.
Attention drawn to David as he crouched down infront of you, balancing on the toes of his boots.
His gloved hand reached out, as you jerked your head away before catching in the leather clad touch.
Holding your head still, giving you nowhere to look but David's eyes.
You glared back, squirming a little in an attempt to break the feeling of his fingers fluttering through your mind.
A sensation of nosing through your memories until he found what he was looking for.
Confusion was an interesting emotion to cross the leader's face. His brow furrowed and he seemed almost genuinely baffled at your past actions.
"Why didn't you call to them?"
Ah. So that was what he was looking for.
So now he knew a couple kids had come scouting. Searching through their haven and marking areas as if they planned to return.
Even if they didn't find the resting vampires.
Your chin was let go of, skin buzzing a little as the touch of David and Dwayne left.
Watching as looks of curiosity passed over the others.
David must have shared his discovery from your own mind to the minds of the others.
The 4 standing in a sort of half circle around you, waiting in unusual silence for your answer.
"You would have killed them" You answer, pointing it out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Shared glances were thrown between them all, David shifting to stand back up fully.
"Maybe.. Could have escaped before we did though"
"What the fuck do you want me to say David?" You snapped, blunt teeth bared through words.
"I want you to stop bullshitting" the vampire struck back, voice curt and pushing as the others descended in teasing.
"You like us" chimes Paul.
"I- no!"
"Aw little witch, worried we would get hurt?" Marko teases.
"No! I don't care what-"
"You don't hate us" Dwayne's voice a firm statement, amusement lilting through his words.
"I-.... fuck off.."
