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Rose struggled in the back of the wagon, throwing herself at the door. She could hear James and his followers cheering aloud as they wandered off in the dark. Her shoulder was becoming raw from hitting the door.

"Rose," Maurice sighed. "There's nothing you can do."

Rose shook her head, straining her eyes in the darkness. "There's always something."


*


Gerard sat with his head cradled in his hands, alone on his balcony. His memory was a little fuzzy but it was starting to come back as the effects of the alcohol began to wear off. His head ached from the memories and booze. He had let her go and, now, he was prepared to spend an eternity rotting away on the inside while he kept his 28 year old looks on the outside, eyes hollowed out by agony and lips pale and hardened, never to smile again.

"Gerard!" Frank ran into his room, pushing the doors open with such force that they broke on the hinges. Mikey, Ray and Bob followed suit. "They're coming!"

"Who?" Gerard mumbled, lazily lolling his head to the side. He peeked at them through his hair; Expression blank.

"The townspeople!" Ray said. "They've got torches and they don't sound like they're coming to welcome us to the area. We need to do something."

Gerard shrugged, falling further into his chair. He could see the small flames in the distance, growing bigger and bigger with each second. They would be here within the hour. "Let them come."

"But, Gerard," Mikey pleaded. "We have to do something! We can't just sit here doing nothing."

Gerard remained unswayed.

Mikey growled, frustrated. "Frank, you go scout out and see how many men they have. Stay hidden, we don't need to cause anymore of a panic." He turned to Ray and Bob. "Start barricading the doors, windows. Everything."

"Yeah," Ray nodded, pulling Bob along. "Come on, Bob."

"And, you." Mikey grabbed Gerard by the collar, hoisting him up onto his feet. His eyes smoldered as he looked upon his brother; Pathetic and crushed. "You have to do something. You can't just sit here and wait for them to come barreling down on us! You have to get yourself together, Gerard. If not for me, fine. If not for the guys, fine. But, what about Rose?"

"What about her?" Gerard mumbled.

"She's probably worried sick about you, Gerard, and honestly--"

"Worried?" Gerard scoffed. "She's probably in her warm house, with her warm bed and her father to keep her company. That's all she ever wanted. She doesn't care."

"You're such a fucking idiot!"

"What?"

"That girl is in love with you, Gerard. If you can't see it, then you didn't deserve her in the first place. She fucking adored you. We all saw it. The way she looked at you, how she talked about you. Even the way she said your fucking name. So, if you want to throw that all away and sit here doing nothing... Be my guest." Mikey tossed him down, not glancing back as he walked to the door. "Me? I'm gonna fight."

Gerard watched him leave. He looked out into the darkness and saw the mob was getting closer. He clenched his fist, drawing a bit of blood to the surface of his palm. Mikey was right. He had to fight. If not for himself, for Rose.

"Fuck."


*


Frank ran through the forest, bypassing the mob. He had watched them and counted them. For a moment, he even thought about picking off a few stragglers in the back, but he knew better. He had to get to town before they got to the castle. He had to find her.


*


"Rose, it's no good." Maurice sighed. "We're not getting out of this thing."

"You're being negative, Papa. I have to try." Rose griped her elbow, sticking her shoulder out and prepared herself for impact as she ran towards the door. She closed her eyes.

"Rose!" Maurice panicked as he watched his daughter fall into the dark. "Rose?" He ran to the now open door and gasped at what he saw. One of the monsters from the castle was holding his baby, almost protectively. "Rose? Get your hands off of my daughter! You horrible--"

"Are you alright, Rose Petal?"

"Rose Petal? Rose, who is this monster?"

"Frank?" Rose smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How did you find me? You have to hurry! James.. He's coming, he gathered the town to attack you! You have to warn the others."

"They know, they're preparing the castle." Frank grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his back, making sure he had a good grip on her. "We have to hurry, though. They'll be there soon."

"Is Gerard okay?" Rose whispered. "Is he alright?"

Frank chewed at his bottom lip. He didn't want to tell her how horrible he looked when he left. He didn't want her to know he gave up. "I think he'll be better once we get you home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. Where you belong." Frank sprinted towards the forest, keeping Rose on his back. He could see the lights getting closer to the castle. He just hoped he beat them there.


*


James and his group reached the front of the castle. He looked up at the eerie structure, holding his hand in the air, signaling for the men to be quiet and hold their position. "You men," He pointed to the first seven. "Find something heavy and break down that door. The rest of you, once you get inside, take no mercy. These monsters need to be dealt with."

"What are you going to do?" One of the men asked.

James gestured to an open window, not far off the ground. He smiled to himself, unbelieving how ignorant they were to leave such an easy entrance unguarded. "I'm going in through there. Be careful, men! Take heed."

James climbed a nearby tree and balanced himself on the outermost limb to reach the windowsill. Once he got his leg in, he leaned his body forward, crawling in through the open space. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The room was mostly sparse except for a few pieces of Gothic architecture. He could hear his men downstairs banging down the door and some scattered shouts from inside the building. He smirked, knowing they were all downstairs, keeping tabs on the door. Maybe he could sneak up on them and surprise them.


*


Gerard watched the man enter his house. He knew he was there the whole time. Such an ignorant human. Keeping himself hidden in the shadows, he skulked behind him, following him down the hallway. He crept closer to him; He could smell the blood pumping through his veins. His salivary gland watered from the smell of human blood.

He was just nearly upon his neck when something called out to him, distracting him, and catching the attention of the pitiful human, as well.

"Gerard!" Rose called out, running from the room with the window. Her eyes wet with tears.

"Rose?" Gerard turned his back, almost forgetting completely about the man.

Rose faltered, watching as James rose his knife into the air. "Gerard! Watch out!"





A/N - Okay so I know this story hasn't been updated in a long time and I apologize for that. But, on the flip-side, I am planning on hammering out the last chapter very soon. And, I mean soon. So I hope people are still reading this. But, to excuse my absence I am pleased to admit that I started college a little over a year ago and am entering my second year in the fall. And, I recently got engaged. So yay! But, enough about me. Please, don't forget to R&R and thank you SO much for reading! I love all of you readers. xoxo - Esther Rose.