Callie POV

Everything is dark, the temperature of where I am isn’t cold. Still, I can sense something looming in the dark, just out of reach.The silence is almost deafening.The last thing I remember is getting shot. Oh no Rick! I can’t help but throw a quick prayer to the gods: Please let him be safe.  

“I’m sure that your vampire is well. However, that cannot be said about you.You could be moments from death, little girl. It’s your choice child: Do you trust yourself to make the choice? Do you truly love and trust your vampire?”

I look around and find no one. “Who are you, and how do you know Rick?” I demand of the air around me. I must be going crazy since I’m talking to my myself.

 

Then a deep chuckle sounds as a man dressed as if he was from ancient Rome appears. His hair is cut short like he had been in the military: A general I think. “Why, I am his master, Appius, my pet. I’m surprised Rick,” he sneered at the name like it was beneath him, something which should never have left his lips, “never spoke of me. Tell me child, does my child treat you well? Does he tell you the truth? Are you his equal? Maybe my son needs a new lesson?” He sounded — cheerful at the thought of teaching Godric a lesson, which just made my stomach churn since the tone of his voice as he said teach didn’t sound like something from a  classroom setting.

His voice was sickly sweet like he was setting up a trap. “Yes, he tells me the truth, and he treats me as an equal: He treats me like a queen.”

 

He smiled like the cat that got the cream. “Oh really?” He said, “his name is Godric, your stupid girl, not Rick.” I guess Rick could be short for several names, but could it be? Is he the one I’ve wanted to meet for so long? And his child? Eric? And Sookie? “He thought he could escape me by imprisoning me all this time.” I froze.  He had imprisoned his Maker? But why would Rick…No, Godric not tell me the truth? Oh gods! I gushed about Godric at dinner. I am such a fool. He smiles, showing all his teeth, including his fangs,“So much hurt and confusion in your face my pet. I am sorry to have to tell you this, but your little fling with my errant child is nothing but a joke to him. I’m sure he has been laughing at you.” I feel anger harden into a stone in my stomach: Godric is Rick, and I love Rick! And he may even care for me! This poser thinks he knows us?!

“I love him,” I shouted, forcing my anger, and my love, through. “It matters not that he  has kept his true name from me, now leave me alone.”

 

The man’s face twists into a dark and menacing mask. “Insolent child,” he mocks. “I should whip you like I used to whip Godric, but I will leave you to your fate.”  For some reason he actually sounds disappointed at not whipping me!

A chill shoots down my spine and suddenly it’s black again until the sky turns bright blue and the sun warms my skin. I start to walk down the cramped road until I hear a man shout, “slaves, young strong able bodied slaves. Good for working in your fields, or maybe one to warm a lady’s bed? Come one, come all.” I feel my stomach turn and I have to fight back the urge to vomit. I have never understood how anyone ever thought that it is okay to own another person. By the look of the people and their clothes I am in Rome, but why? And how? This is certainly not my idea of heaven. I love history and all that jazz, but man I would want something a bit different, definitely there would be no slaves there. Everyone is equal, I don’t care what race  you are.

 

I glance up to the platform and I can feel my chest tighten. There, with messy, too long hair, and sporting his tattoos stands Godric. This must be Godric’s memory. But how? He stared out at the crowd defiantly, daring someone to buy him. His sign reads 100 denarii, there is more written on the placard, but Latin was not my strongest subject: I wish I had paid more attention to the subject in school.

“Fifty denarii for the Gaul,” I heard someone shout from the foot of the platform. The voice belongs to a tall, rugged looking man.

 

“Nonaginta duo denarii, domine bonum. Et quod a puero usque ad sanus. Puer esset habentes bonam agri,” the slaver argued.

 

The ragged looking man countered, “Sixty Denarios LX. Et ipse vultus amo multus of opus et labor est ante subjici reducte.” If my basic knowledge of latin is right, the horrible man has managed to lower the price. I run the words over in my head, trying to figure out what I missed. Then it hits me, Godric must not be easily controlled.That is the only reason that makes sense. He hands over the chain that connects Godric’s wrists and collar together, but the man is not the same one I saw minutes ago. As I follow him, the world goes black again. The next scene comes into view and it’s night-time now. I’m in an open room, alabaster pillars surround a huge pool. In the distance there’s a cracking noise. At first I’m not sure what it is. Until I hear a scream. I run forward, not really sure where I’m going.

The scene I stumble upon horrifies me. There, tied to a blood stained  post is Godric! He’s slumped against the post, or is it holding him up? I draw near and see the man from before. Appius seems pleased with himself. I can barely see through the tears that have started running down my face. I run to Godric and touch my hand to his face only to have it go right through him. At the same time the whip comes down again and again. He can’t feel me, and I’m sure he can’t hear me to know that someone cares. This is not heaven, this is my personal hell!

The one thing I can’t stand is a loved one being hurt and not being able to help them. Godric looks so weak, so tired, and my heart breaks for him. This can end anytime now, I don’t want to watch this horror anymore.

 

The evil man laughed and walked towards me. On instinct I back away and around to the other side. That is a big mistake because there, right in front of me ais the remains of Godric’s back.

If I could vomit I would, but…I haven’t seen any of these scars on Rick.  If this happened when he was human then wouldn’t he have scars?

 

I hear a crunch and peer in front of Godric:  the bastard is feeding him blood, but not enough to heal him fully, just enough so there’ll be scars.

Godric accepted the blood  that was given. Oh my poor… wait, what is he to me? I’m not sure if we made anything official. I shake my head, so not the time to think about that. The vile man spoke and sent shivers down my spine. “What do you say slave?” he growled.  Godric’s voice came out weak.“Thank you for healing me master. I will not run away again.” Oh shit! He had tried to run, not that I blame him, but even I know what is next, Godric didn’t walk with a limp so his Achilles tendon wasn’t cut and he had all his other parts.  So that left…my stomach rolled again as the man produced a white hot branding iron with a symbol I know from reading my history books must be the mark of his house.

A loud scream and the unmistakable smell of burnt skin fills the air. The brand was left there, on poor Godric’s shoulder for a long time before it was removed.“You will never be able to leave me again,” his Maker state with a sound of finality. He then sank his teeth into Godric’s neck and drank greedily. I could do nothing but cry when the monster fed Godric more blood and took him inside. I just saw his turning. I’m hurt and angry at being forced to watch something I didn’t wish to see, and angrier at the way Godric had been treated.. Suddenly the scene shifts and all is dark again. All I want right now is to go home but there is this pull keeping me here.

The next thing I see is a peaceful looking little town. It looks kind of like something Thomas Kinkade would paint. Relief sweeps over me, maybe the nightmare part is over? I enter the city and instantly recant my earlier thoughts. Bodies are everywhere: women, children and men. All slaughtered. I draw a deep breath and walked on. In the center sits Godric, holding a child, lifeless in his arms as he drinks. For a mercy, Appius is not with him. Then I realise he must have trapped his maker already. I will have to ask him sometime how he did it, but the man before me now is not the one I know and love. Godric is covered with blood, a lot of it. I can tell it is weeks old. Does he not like to bathe?

His eyes are black, feral almost. I’m shivering even though I can’t feel the wind or anything. Fear grips me: he’s scary, more animal than human. The scene changes but doesn’t go black again. Instead there is a field. It looks like a war of some kind. I see the shield wall and know it’s a viking battle. Vikings? If Rick is Godric, theAlex Skarsgård  is Eric Northman and Suzanna must be Sookie Stackhouse! Whoa!

 

I draw closer to a dim light and hear voices. I can’t quite make them out yet but I hear screams. By the time I get close enough, I see Godric caring for who I figure to be Eric. And then we’re in another town. This one, too, has bodies. Godric is holding a little boy out to Eric. “Drink. When there is no other choice. you do what you must to feed.”

 

Eric speaks as he shakes his head, “he is the same age as my son, I will not kill him.” Godric snaps the boy’s neck and I scream. How could he be so cruel?



I’ve had enough. My knees give way and I fall to the floor.  “Have you seen enough? You must hate him now,” the man I now know as Godric’s maker jeered, “all the innocents he has killed, the lives lost. He has no remorse. You saw him snap that boy’s neck yourself. A good girl like you must hate him.” His lip curled up into a mocking sneer, “Good. Fear my child, human.” “He will only take your life in the end.”  He laughed harshly.

 

“ This is a fucking joke to you! So what if he has a past., We all do, and it would be foolish of me not remember that. He was a monster you made. Now leave me alone, I am done with you,” I shout before I start crying. I believe what I said for the most part. I’m scared. And to be honest, I’m a bit mad as well. He could have told me!

“See child, do you see the horror that my son is? And before you interrupt to defend him, he hid the truth from you. Poor little girl,” he made a tsking sound, “even I can see from here the pain you hide. It goes deeper than your sadness for my son. So alone, even with friends. Friends who lie to you.” What’s he talking about? Pain? Friends who lie to me? Tina and Mickey have never lied to me. Sure Rick, or Godric, or who ever he is has hidden secrets, but doesn’t everyone have secrets? He and I will just have to have a talk.

 

“You don’t know me!  Or my friends! You are just a soulless monster,” I declare vehemently.

 

He smiles at me, now so close I can feel his breath on me. “Foolish child,” he says, shaking his head, “I loved once, and love is a useless emotion. Remember my words, and happy dreams.” He is gone again. What the hell  is this? What did I just hear? Is my life based on lies? What am I going to do? I just want to go home. I just want Octavia. I want my bed.

“Callie, I love you please, wake up I need you to wake up.” The light burns my eyes as familiar eyes gaze into mine: There is fear in those eyes. Then there is relief. I can see the room is full of people, but that doesn’t matter, it’s Godric’s eyes boring into mine. I throw my arms around him I hold him tight, “my vampire,” I say and kiss his neck. I heard a small gasp and just smile. The room starts spinning so I lay down again.