Missing

4.

Cara slams her hand on the floor in frustration as the door closes with the click of a key in a lock. As she hears the footsteps walking away, she gets up from the floor and strides to the door. Testing the vintage doorknob, she finds it is indeed locked.

Well, shouldn't be surprised there.

She walks back to the bed and glares at the collar accusingly.

No fucking way.

Looking at the collar, she notices it is actually made of 3 separate sections with a link between them to allow it to sit flat at the base of the neck. If she didn't know what it symbolised, she would have found it beautiful. As she stares at the finely made metal, a smirk crosses her face – an old-fashioned lock, and a thin bit of metal. This she could work with.

Picking up the collar and taking it to the door, she kneels and inserts one of the ends into the keyhole. A few minutes of careful maneuvering, and she is rewarded with the sound of the lock releasing. She pauses, listening for any sounds on the other side of the door, before carefully turning the handle and easing it open, leaving the collar still jammed in the lock.

Taking a deep breath, she peers out into what appears to be a hallway running perpendicular to the door. Reminiscent of a hotel, there are a couple of doors further up the hallway on either side, before the hallway takes a sharp turn, creating a U shape. Not a soul, undead or otherwise, to be seen.

She slips out, closing the door gently behind her. Left, or right? She chooses left, walking quickly towards the bend in the hallway. Again, carefully easing her head around it, she spies two things that make her heart soar: an empty hallway, and elevator doors at the far end. Without a second thought, she starts running down the hallway. 50 metres to freedom.

She reaches the door and starts pressing the button faster than a hyperactive 5 year old. There is no display to show her how far away the elevator is, nor to indicate what level she is on. Time seems to stand still as she desperately stares at the metal doors, willing them to open.

"Pressing the button won't make it come any faster, you know."

Cara almost jumps out of her skin as an eloquent female voice speaks behind her. She spins around and finds herself face to face with a black woman with hair cut close to her skull. The woman's mouth smiles, casually showing her fangs, but her black eyes are cold as ice.

"What are you doing out here all alone, little girl?"

The woman steps forward and Cara, trying to keep her distance, attempts to slip past her. A toned arm shoots out, hitting the wall and blocking Cara's escape. The other arm comes up behind her, trapping Cara between the woman and the wall.

"No collar, huh? I didn't realise we were doing free range dinner tonight."

The vampire steps in, pressing her body against Cara's. Cara instinctively tries to push her back but the taller woman catches her wrists and deftly pins them above Cara's head in one hand. She tilts her head, studying Cara's face.

"You're a quiet one, aren't you? Normally they scream by now."

The other hand drops down between them to the top of Cara's buttoned blouse. With one quick movement, she rips it, sending buttons cascading to the floor, exposing the tank top beneath. The woman's hand moves to the strap on Cara's shoulder, slowly sliding it down.

"How about now? Will you scream for me now?"