Friday Flash Fiction: Week 7

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place
have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday.

And here is the seventh picture prompt:

Here is my story:

Win, Lose, and Die by Michelle Greathouse

Elizabeth paced the confines of the terrace; a dozen steps, turn around, a dozen more.  Back and forth.  She had been locked in this room for three days.  Granted it was a palatial room, decorated with both modern and antique accessories.  Any other time Elizabeth would have appreciated the room and all its’ comforts - but as a prison, it left much to be desired.  Such as a way out.

As soon as Elizabeth awoke, she began searching for an escape route - and thought her prayers answered when she found the french doors unlocked.  Throwing them open she ran onto the terrace, determined to make her way over the rail.  One glance at the jagged cliffs below changed her mind - she was, after all - human.

The first human born into her vampire family in over a thousand years.  Her parents, all of the family for that matter, where ecstatic.  Elizabeth was a prize beyond compare and she had been treated as such her entire life.  As a human born to vampires, Elizabeth was prophesied to attain, on her 25th birthday, the power that would enable the vampires to once more walk in the sunlight.  

To say she was heavily guarded, is an understatement.  Elizabeth was never allowed to go anywhere alone.  She had armed guards at her door and four, specially trained female assassins slept in her room.  They even stood behind a partition when she bathed.  Her safety was first and foremost in the minds of her family.  Being human, Elizabeth was fragile in comparison to her vampire brethren - and if something happened, and Elizabeth died before her 25th birthday, she would return vampire - but would not fulfill the prophecy.  

Elizabeth grew tired of the restrictions placed upon her.  She wanted the freedom to go to the damn bathroom by herself - was that asking too much?  
Well now she knew that the old adage, ‘be careful what you wish for’ - was all too true.  Waking up in a bed other than her own, with no idea how she got there - and then finding out that said bed is housed in the home of none other than King Conrad - was more than even Elizabeth’s most fantastical daydreams could have inspired.

She turned when she heard the lock on the door disengage.  Walking back into the room she was surprised to see the King standing by the door.

“My family are coming for me, you can see them in the distance.”  Elizabeth said, indicating the terrace with a flip of her hand.

“I know my dear, that is why I am here now.  I can not tell you enough times how sorry I am that it has come to this.  I know that our clan is larger, and out victory is secure - but at what cost?  Some will win, some will lose and others will die.  Your mother will stake me herself if she gets the chance.”  The King shook his head. “She and I would still be together, I would be your father if things had been different.”

“What the hell?  Are you telling me this is all about who has the bigger dick between you and my father?”

The King had the nerve to chuckle.  “Ahh, how you remind me of your mother.”  Sobering he continued.  “No, this is not about something as trivial as that.  What this is about is the ability to walk in the sunlight.  Our curse is such that the sunlight gives the humans a chance at survival.  If we take that away from them - eventually they will be no more.  Not every vampire has the same... regard, for the humans, as I and my clan do.  We simply can not allow that prophesy to be fulfilled.”

Elizabeth was stunned.  So stunned she allowed the king to take her hand and walk her out onto the terrace.  She vaguely registered the fact that her family were flying close enough to see her mother and father at the front of the colony.
Elizabeth turned to the King, with a look of bewilderment on her face and he shot her in the heart.  Her human body was dead within seconds.  

The prophecy was averted, but the war had just begun.

The End

Word Count: 711  

I had such a good time writing this one.  :)  When I first looked at the picture - I thought about the colony of bats in the background, they stood out the most for me.  I don't know why.  LOL  That got me thinking - why would a large colony of bats be heading toward that woman.  Hmm, it is funny how imagination works.

I hope you enjoyed this one.

M