Savagery at the mansion

[Jessica's POV]

The stench of blood almost knocks Jessica off of her feet as she enters the basement of Elizabeth's mansion. The cells are filled with the slaughtered remains of the bloodslaves and house servants. The wanton massacre makes Jessica's stomach turn. When did they even have time to do this? Jessica wonders. Catherine was with Elizabeth and Jade at the mansion. Miko and Diana were with me. Unless, she commanded the hybrids to.... Jessica suspects that Elizabeth ordered this just to shake her nerves. It worked. She can't imagine the horror of the last moments in the basement.

For the first time Jessica considers the numbers that they are up against. If the hybrids all fall in line....the odds seem impossible. Our only hope was surprise, and even that's gone.... Jessica snaps out of her train of thought when Catherine speaks:

"What an awful waste" Catherine says. "So much fresh blood...wasted."

Jessica can hear the anger building in Catherine's voice. Jessica is angry, too.

"We had a good thing going here!" Catherine yells, punching the wall. She leaves a dent in the concrete. "And Elizabeth was to trade this for... what.... to become fucking farmers?!" Catherine screams, her fists shaking with rage.

Jessica looks down. She can feel her courage slipping out of her, like sand through a sieve.

"Maybe we should run away. Just leave this place, forget Elizabeth, start over" Jessica suggests sheepishly. Catherine just starts to laugh. The laugh's manic nature frightens Jessica.

"Are you that stupid?" Catherine spits. Jessica feels herself blushing, a very human response. She doesn't say anything. "Where do you think we would go, exactly? Hiding from Elizabeth is hard now. If she succeeds, it will be impossible. If we run, we're dead. If we stay, we might die, or we might not. I'd rather go down fighting than die in a hole, hunted like some dog."

Catherine's tone softens. She gestures to the massacred humans in the cells. "Imagine this on a global scale. That is what happens if Elizabeth wins."

There is a long silence. Jessica knows that Catherine is right. Like it or not, we've made our beds. Jessica feels her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she sees a new text from Mary.

Mary: Found Elizabeth! It's the house I texted about before. I only see Diana and Elizabeth here. Jade came, and left, not sure where to. Could be heading to mansion. Come soon.

"Mary found Elizabeth" Jessica says, happy to move past the awkward silence.

"Great. Let's go" Catherine says.

"Help" a voice says weakly from a cell at the end of the hall, startling both of them. Shit, are there survivors? Jessica thinks. Catherine raises an eyebrow. Jessica and Catherine walk to the end of the hall, and see one of the bloodslaves cowering in the corner of a cell. She is injured, but seems steady. under other circumstances, Jessica would think she was pretty. Jessica watches as Catherine's fangs extend.

"Might as well finish the job" she says, sighing. Catherine walks into the cell. She bends at the waist, and yanks the frightened human to her feet by her arms. "I'll make it quick" Catherine tells the girl, before driving her fangs deep into the human's throat. The girl whimpers but doesn't fight. Jessica watches, feeling her own thirst rising. Catherine looks up at her, exhaling, blood dripping from her lips.

"Come join me, she has a full tank" Catherine says, biting back down.

She's done no matter what, and I need to be at full strength to face Elizabeth Jessica rationalizes. She walks forward, and brushes the girl's hair off of her neck. She bites into the other side. Catherine and Jessica drink the human together. Catherine reaches around, caressing Jessica's back and ass as they feed. After a few moments, the girl is drained. Catherine and Jessica drop her onto the concrete floor.

Jessica is immediately consumed with regret. Mary was right. I can't... won't control myself. Tears form. Catherine reaches out, brushing Jessica's cheek with the back of her hand, but Jessica bats it away.

"Let's go get Elizabeth and finish this" Jessica says, mentally cursing at her maker.