Paranormal Twins: The New Beginning

I woke up and groaned, pushing myself off the hard floor. I rubbed my head and winced, a throbbing pain resonating through my skull. I glanced around before realizing I had no clue where I was.

It was a small room, and I could make out a door on the other side from where I was, but it was too dark to see anything in detail. There were no windows and no light that I could see. I tried to pull myself to a standing position when I felt a tugging on my ankle. I glanced at my foot and saw a clasp with five-foot chains locking me onto the wall.

I heard a something rustling and moving far to my left and I backed up, trying to get away from whatever was making that noise.

“Is someone there?” I heard a feminine voice ask. A light flicker on and a girl with turquoise hair appeared in the light of a flashlight.

“Who are you? Where am I?” I asked quickly before she could say anything. The girl crawled over until the chains on her own legs made her stop. I realized her chains were longer, almost eight feet long.

“I’m Marina.” She answered. Instead of answering my second question, though, she asked her own. “Who are you?” she asked.

I hesitated. “My name is Jakki,” I told her. “Where are we?”

She ignored my question for the second time. “When did you get here?”

I bit my lip, trying to remember something, anything. I couldn’t remember anything after seeing my sister with Tadashi. “I don’t know. I just woke up.”

She thought about that for a second. “Were you kidnapped or sold?”

I was taken aback. What kind of question is that? “What are you talking about? Sold?” I stopped again, a memory flashing back to me. “The last thing I remember is borrowing some woman’s perfume in the bathroom.”

Marina nodded. “You were kidnapped, then. That was Aerina. She’s the only woman in the group and the only one who can use magic. The perfume was probably a potion to make you pass out.” She looked like she was going to say something else, but a door creaked open and I heard footsteps down a stairwell I assumed was on the other side of this room’s door. Marina backed away and turned off her flashlight before the door opened and someone turned on the overhead light above us.

On instinct I hissed and hid my face, the light burning my eyes. I heard a manly laugh and a muttered, “stupid Vampire.” I slowly uncovered my eyes and saw the man putting a plate of food down in front of Marina.

“Hunter,” Marina said, smiling fakely. “What’s up, Wolfie? What’d you get us this time? Not a four-course meal, I gather?” The man grunted and walked over to me. When he bent down to hand me my food I saw he had yellow-green eyes and claws instead of fingernails. He looked up at me and smiled, showing his sharp teeth, before walking out, leaving the light on.

The second he left and she heard the stairs creak, Marina reached towards her glass and practically chugged her water. “Finally. They finally give me salt water.”

I shook my head and mumbled. “What… What was he?” I asked. She glanced up at me curiously.

“You know about Supernaturals, right? You aren’t just some human they picked up for a meal?” She shook her head and answered her own question. “Of course you’re not. You’d be dead by now.” She looked me over.

I averted my eyes, uncomfortable under her gaze. “I… I know about the Supernatural… A little bit, at least… I only found out a week ago.” I pondered that. It’s only been three weeks since my house burned down. A week since I met Sierra. A day since I met Jay. My twin. My brother. “I’m a Vampire.” I bit my lip, deciding to keep my fire powers to myself. I decided that they might come in handy as a secret. In case someone was somehow listening. “But I’ve never seen… Someone like that.”

Marina smiled a little. “He’s a Werewolf. They usually look normal, but he went Rogue. They look different when they’re Rogue. Scarier.” She took another sip of her water. “I’m a Mermaid.”

I widened my eyes. Mermaid? “Mermaids are real, too? Is there anything that isn’t real?”

Marina thought for a second. “Fairies. Fairies aren’t real.” I rolled my eyes and sniffed my drink before taking a small sip. I grimaced and put my glass back down.

“What’s wrong?” Marina asked in a worried tone. I pointed to the glass.

“It’s disgusting. It’s like… Stale or something.”

Marina nodded. “They don’t give you quality stuff here. They keep you alive, but they won’t make you comfortable.” She looked at the glass that I didn’t want to pick up again. “It might even be animal blood.”

I grimaced. “I’d rather not.” I pushed the glass a little farther away from me.

Marina laughed and shook her head. “I wouldn’t either, even if I was a vamp.” She shook her head. “Depending on what they need you for, you can get more or less comfort, but they won’t treat you kindly by any means. I’m guessing they aren’t using you the same way they’re using me.”

I bit my lip. “What are they using you for?”

She smirked and leaned back on her hands. “Entertainment. I used to be an entertainer at a Vampire Bar- They love using Mermaids and almost never sold them, unless they had the right price. And King, well… He had the right price.”

“King?” I asked.

“He’s the one that runs his little… Rogue group. King and Aerina are the big bosses. Hunter is their companion, though they treat him more like their pet. He doesn’t seem to mind it, though. And there are other people that come and go, bringing news to King or whatever else.” Marina took another bite of her food.

I bit my lip. “What did you mean, you’re here for entertainment? How old are you?” Marina’s smirk fell and she looked down.

“I’m 17.” She said quietly. She didn’t answer my other question, and I didn’t push it.

“What do they need me for?” I mumbled quietly to myself.

Marina shrugged and looked at me sadly. “I have no idea.”

The door opened and Hunter came back in with a ring of keys. He unlocked Marina’s chains and pulled her up. Her mood changed quickly from forlorn to sarcastic.

“Has it been 72 hours already? Man, time flies when you’re locked in a basement.” He jerked her arm and pulled her towards the door. Marina looked back at me. “Going for a swim. Be back soon, sweetie.” She winked at me before Hunter pushed her out and closed the door behind him.

I stared at the door, not understanding what happened, but I decided I would just ask Marina later. I glanced down at my food and grimaced. I looked away before deciding that I’d rather deal with gross food than starve to death. Though I would not touch that blood.

I just hoped I wouldn’t be here for long.