From Hell...

~~~FROM HELL...

Corinne emerged out of the blackness, a bell still resounding in her ear. All at once her senses were inundated with a variety of odors, garbage, stagnant, putrid water, rotten fish, sewer.
Corinne gagged. Where the hell was she now?

Well, she was in an alley, she figured that out.
As she walked on the broken cobbles, she saw a light, an old fashioned street light. She walked quickly toward it, and at the end of the alley, under the hissing gas lamp stood a man. Like no man she had ever seen!
Dear God, what now? And who the hell was this??

All at once, she knew he was waiting for her. His eyes were dark and hot, their gazes locked.
"You came...I knew you would, I knew you would take the bait." His lashes lowered seductively. "Did you even consider my warnings, my sweet?"

Corinne gasped, trying to take in air. She studied him. She did not know him...but he knew her...what else was new? She sighed inwardly.
A terrible urgency washed over her, moisture began to trickle between her breasts, the heat coming in waves.

He started toward her, walking with the grace and stealth of a black panther. His strides were long and with purpose, but he did not rush. There was so much promise showing in his face, all of it sensual.
His lashes lifted. The want and desire shocked Corinne, she backed up against the wall. Her pulse was slamming in her ears.

"I wanted you to come..." he whispered. "Brave, beautiful...and bold."
Corinne was feeling faint. So much desire had gathered in such a short span of time, it was consuming her.
"May I teach how to be very bold before before this night is through?" He purred. He was even sounding like a panther!
"You may teach me anything you wish..." Corinne found herself replying, where did that come from?

He lifted his gloved hand and drifted his fingers across her flushed cheek. Pleasure jumped like sparks from nerve to nerve, from her face to neck and all points below. Her nipples stiffened. She could not speak.
He let a forefinger slide down her throat, letting it stay there, he could feel her pulse.
He knew.

One arm went behind Corinne's back, the palm of his other hand was stroking her breast, above her dress, the glancing touch was like fire. He then reached up and stroked her pulsating throat again.

"In one night, I can only do so much..." he murmured, his smile was filled with secrets she did not understand. "But in one night, I will teach you all I can. I hope you are prepared for endless pleasure..."
Corinne could not help herself, she moaned...loudly.

Corinne pulled away. This was too much, too fast. This was far more intense than...than anything...her flesh was throbbing with growing urgency. The man came up behind her, his hot sensual breath in her ear. The hardness of his thighs pressing against her back. She moaned again.
The heat coming from him was searing.
"I think I can give you pleasure right now, shall we find out?" He whispered.

He grabbed her roughly and swung her around to face him, his mouth moved over hers, Corinne closed her eyes and began to tremble violently. His tongue stroked every inch of her mouth.
Corinne was lost, she threw her arms around his neck and then wrapped one long leg around his waist.
She heard him grunt with satisfaction.
His gloved hand began to lift her skirts, she felt his hard, hot body throbbing next to hers.

She heard a noise, it was fabric tearing...
She didn't care.
He was reaching down, undoing the flap on his breeches...
She didn't care.
His tongue thrust deeply, slowly, he moved her against the wall.
Corinne momentarily went still, realizing what he was intending. And before she could draw a breath, he was inside her. Corinne heard herself whimper. Oh this was all so sordid, so savage... in an alley no less!
She didn't care.

He reached down and grabbed her buttocks, the thrusts growing more urgent, his lips trailing down to her throat. Corinne grabbed his shoulders and held on, going for the ride. The pleasure was so intense. She was aware of him moving fast and hard now, his ragged sensual groans filled the deserted alley.

Corinne had no shame, she splintered into a hundred pieces, she cried out in ecstasy.
The man at once tensed, and his cry followed right on top of hers, a low guttural sound.
Still joined, his lips stayed on her neck, she could feel the points of his teeth, he was nibbling. God it felt almost as good as the act itself! Slowly, the teeth began to sink into her soft neck...

All of the sudden a deep voice boomed, "Get away from her Vladimirov! NOW!"

Corinne tried to focus, her eyes beheld a handsome, fair haired man dressed in black. The man who just ravished her so thoroughly and with her eager invitation, backed away from her, adjusting his clothing. Before he did, his hot, probing tongue stroked her neck, licking up a few drops of blood that had appeared there from his eager nibblings.

Corinne lowered her skirts, she was suddenly covered in embarrassment. How could she have let this happen? And to have some stranger witness God knows how much...

Vladimirov stood behind her, his arm still about her waist. "This has nothing to do with you Van Helsing, she came to me of her own volition. She gave herself freely, eagerly I may add. She is mine." He hissed in a deadly tone.
Corinne turned away, she could not look at either man. This dream was turning into a nightmare. It was a dream surely. Never had she felt such shame before, such disgust with her own behavior. But if she were to be honest with herself, she liked it, it was all so hot, so dangerous.
"Corinne..." The deep voice said gently. "Come away from him, let me take you home. Come to me."

The kind cadence of the deep voice lured her at last from the man Vladimirov. She slowly walked toward the man called Van Helsing. Her knees were shaking under her torn skirts, Her body still throbbed from Vladimirov's touch, his essence was all over her. Corinne's hand went across her stomach, it rolled and lurched uneasily.

"Did he hurt you, truly?" Van Helsing whispered. His eyes traveled up and down her form. The large cool blue eyes rested on her neck.
Corinne reached up and touched where he was looking, she was bleeding slightly. She quickly wiped it on her shoulder. She coughed, trying to find the strength to form words. "No..."

"Nothing happened to her that she did not want to happen. I did not force her. She came to me. She will come to me again, mark my words." Vladimirov hissed. "Always the hero, Van Helsing, I find it most tedious. Take your damsel in distress and begone."

Van Helsing grabbed Corinne's hand and led her out of the alley. Corinne could not help herself, she stole one last glance at the man Vladimirov, his blatantly sexual gaze seared her flesh.

"Come, I have a carriage waiting..." Van Helsing urged.
Corinne pulled from his firm grasp. Now far enough away from the man in the alley, she no longer felt as if she were under a spell. Some semblance of reality entered her conscious. "Where am I, and what year is this?" She asked in a firm, determined voice.

Van Helsing snorted. "You are that disoriented from being with him? Fine, you are in the East End of London, it is 1887. Does that clarify things for you? Now come, Garrard awaits you, he is frantic for your return!"

Garrard? She searched her brain, so many men, so many memories...of course! The man in the castle with the sons and grandsons who looked no older than him! Was this another offspring? No, she reasoned, he did not look like the man Garrard. Her eyebrows knotted in confusion.

Van Helsing sighed. "You are Garrard's ward, think Corinne, focus!"
WARD??? This Garrard certainly didn't act like her guardian! Or did he? When he put his arm around her, did she mistake his intentions? Why did she feel such a wave of excitement go through her?

Van Helsing helped Corinne into the carriage, he banged on the roof, the driver snapped the reigns and the horse moved forward. They were silent for quite sometime. The only sound was the horse's hooves clomping on the cobblestones, the carriage wheels reverberating in response.

"Who...who are you?" Corinne whispered. She stole a quick glance, he really was quite good-looking, well built. She began to feel the same pull she felt when she was near Garrard...and that man Vladimirov...what was wrong with her?

"This is most disturbing. Fine, I will humour you. I am Edward Van Helsing Jr. Let's just say I am a family friend. You should not have come out tonight Corinne, and to give yourself to Vladimirov. He is Garrard's sworn enemy. I am shocked at your behavior, to come upon you in the alley behaving as a common strumpet...shameful." He said quietly. "Garrard must never know, he would be shattered at the news. You must promise me you will never see Roman Vladimirov alone ever again."

Corinne turned away, hot shame covering her. Edward's quiet smackdown of her behavior affected her more than she cared to admit. A few stinging tears clustered on her eyelashes. She watched the scenery through the window. Wretched, filthy buildings, the air was foul, the fog thick and acrid. So this was Victorian England.
Finally, Edward spoke. "Corinne, before I take you to Garrard, I will take you to my home. You must collect yourself. Do you agree?"

Corinne nodded slowly. She was completely and thoroughly confused. Everything felt real and nothing felt real. Were these dreams, or not?

Roman...his name was Roman.

As she soaked in the tub in Edward Van Helsing's stately home, her brain raced. It was like a scene out of the Johnny Depp movie, about Jack the Ripper, what was the name..."From Hell." yes...that was it! All that was missing was the absinthe.

Sordid sex in a grotty alley in Victorian England, so was this one of her fantasies? Dear heaven, the man in the alley wasn't Jack the Ripper!?!? No...someone else.
She thought of her 'dreams', medieval, the 1940's, why the cabin, a letter...Gabe...Morpheus..it was confusing.
So if it wasn't a dream...was she some kind of time traveler?? Corinne shook her head, she had seen way too many movies, read way too many books...

Edward Van Helsing entered the bathroom without warning. He knelt before her.
"I have one question, Corinne. Did you taste of his blood?"

Corinne looked down at the bubbles that surrounded her. "I do not know what you mean."
"Yes, I think you do..." Edward gently reached over and grasped her chin, he turned her head toward him and examined her neck. He stroked her cheek gently before he let go.

Edward lowered his eyes, they were hooded with intensity...interest. He watched Corinne for sometime. That feeling was coming over her again, that ripple of sensuality.

"He barely broke the skin, I arrived in time, at least for that..." Edward exhaled. "I will ask again, did you taste of his blood?"
Corinne shook her head. "No, I didn't."
Edward stood suddenly. "Finish your bath, I will wait for you in the next room."

Corinne soaked in the luxurious bath until the water turned cold. Dressing, she then walked into the hall and into the next room, there was the man Edward Van Helsing. Her heart did a flip in her chest as she watched him tend the fire.
Who were these men? And why did they have such an aura of sensuality and danger about them? They were all so devastatingly virile.
Blood. Sex. Danger.
It was if a curtain was lifted in a dark room...it came to her...these men are vampires! She thought incredulously.

Yes, that explains so much...Vampires, something she had been infatuated and fascinated with since her early teens! The movie with Gary Oldman, such romance! Of course, this WAS a dream! Another of her fantasies! Wasn't it?

Edward turned to face her. He was beautiful, she looked closely at his face, she could see the translucence, the small veins showing through the pale, alabaster skin. He was one of them.

"Do you feel better now, Corinne?" The deep voice asked.
Corinne smiled. This man had been nothing but kind, he rescued her...but did she really need rescuing?
"Yes, thank you...Edward." Corinne whispered.

"It was reckless of you to go out alone, to meet Vladimirov. But I suppose he lured you there against your will. You have to be strong Corinne, you are but 18. Garrard cannot protect you if you act so foolishly."

18!?! Ok...if that is what the fantasy requires...Corinne gasped aloud as Edward moved closer to her. These men just oozed raw masculine sensuality and danger from every pore.

"Tell me he lured you, that you went against your will, because Corinne, I could not bear it to think you went to him willingly...that you...enjoyed it." Edward said in a hoarse, emotion filled voice.

She was speechless. What could she say? Damn right she enjoyed it! Let's face it, she may have an advice column to the lovelorn, but how many times had she had sex in her life? She could count it on one hand! How many times was she in a romantic relationship? None!

Edward began to caress her cheek. He left a trail of red hot flame.
"You must be aware of how I feel about you Corinne..." He purred sensuously.
Corinne felt as if she were falling into a warm pool.

Edward took her hand. His touch was cool, but heated at the same time. He kissed her hand, his warm, luxurious lips caressed each knuckle. Moisture began to collect between her thighs. These men were unbelievable! The slightest touch sent her on waves of ecstasy!

"I have sent word to Garrard that you are under my protection. He will be sending his man to collect you, he should be here anytime." Edward said.
Corinne felt a little bereft, she did not want to leave! Vampire or not, she did not want these feelings to end!

Edward took her downstairs, and their was the carriage...and Morpheus! Edward turned and left. Anger and frustration began to bubble and boil inside Corrine. She had had about enough. She wanted an explanation, and quick!
She walked up to Morpheus, quickly and with purpose.

"I demand to know what is going on here!" she stated angrily. "Are these dreams? And who are you, the dreamweaver??"

Morpheus crossed his arms in faint amusement. "Do they feel like dreams to you?"
"Don't you dare answer my question with another question!" She fumed. "They felt like dreams at first, but not now. Answer me!"

"You are right Corrine. They are not dreams, I am merely your guide through your adventure, an adventure you wanted, you longed for this, did you not?"
"Why am I back here, with these...these men?" Corinne snapped. "Will I go back to that medieval castle, or the night club..."

"Do you want to? It can be arranged if you wish...I took you to a few time periods, to see which one fit...this one seems to suit you. Nothing is etched in stone, you can visit more than one era, shall we say." Morpheus smiled slyly.

"Who is Gabe? And what is this interest in a letter, and a box?" Corinne asked pointedly.

"Ah...well, not all will be revealed, I am not at liberty to discuss that at all. Not now. Not here. I will tell you Corinne, that you will see this to the end."

Corinne stared at him. She remembered suddenly being in his arms...and enjoying it...they were dancing, in some barren landscape, who in hell was this man?

"What do I do now...take a drink of the red crap?" Corinne laughed sharply.

"That drink, the Delirium is only one of many possible triggers. It is effective. The question is, where do you wish to go now? I will give you a choice, do you wish to remain here, go home perhaps...back to the cabin..."

Corinne smiled slightly. "I don't know..."

"An honest answer, why not leave it to me? I am your guide." Morpheus crooned seductively.

His voice was as sultry as his moon-coloured eyes.



Corinne sighed, well, she wanted and adventure, she was certainly getting it. Many questions remained unanswered, she still was not convinced. Perhaps they were dreams, her overactive imagination weaving a complicated web of her deepest fantasies. Or Perhaps not. Talk about confused.

Everything started to dim...and Corinne felt as if she were being pulled through some warped portal, the faint sounds of a piano playing in the deepest recesses of her brain....

Tagging....??? Someone volunteer!