The Forgotten

Luther's POV

Standing in the crowded marketplace, I watched the carriage carrying the queen parade by. I tried to hide in the shadows of my sister's market stall, not wanting to call attention to myself, for I knew of her demands for the humans that lived in this and the surrounding villages. Once you entered the castle, you either came out as one of them or never came out. I wanted neither scenario to befall me, and I should not have come into town today.

What a mistake!

My hiding place was insufficient, for two of the queen's guards grabbed me from behind and dragged me to her carriage. The coachman opened the door, and I stared in disbelief as my eyes fell upon her. Queen Estella was one of the most beautiful women I had seen in my limited human existence, with one exception. Her skin was porcelain white, and her eyes were a magnificent shade of cerulean blue, as clear as the tropical ocean waters. Her long black hair cascaded down in waves that framed her face. With lips as red as blood, she smiled at me with her long teeth, allowing her fangs to grow slightly.

Seductively, she let her tongue trace her fangs while her eyes bore into my soul. As she spoke to me in her heavenly voice, my heart started to race, for my carnal desires would betray all my survival instincts. I wanted to let go of all my fears and give in to her every wish. I had to shake myself from the dreamlike state I was falling into, saying urgently, "No! No! Please just let me go. There are others, but not me. Please do not take me!"

She laughed at my pleading words and let her ice-cold fingers run along the bottom of my chin, taunting me, "Now, now, Luther. I think you know as well as I do that your fate has been sealed. If you refuse me, you shall be tortured and jailed until you come to your senses. We shall sit here quietly until we arrive back at the castle, and by then, I anticipate you will reach the correct solution."

I became defiant, crossing my arms and pouting. I sat there for twenty minutes before finally shouting, "I shall not be turned into a monster by you or any of your other bloodsuckers. I am human, and I want to stay human. Full stop! So, no, thank you! Just stop the carriage and let me out, and I will walk back to the village from here."

She smiled sweetly at me before the carriage came to a sudden stop. The queen didn't say a word as the carriage door swung open, and two burly soldiers reached in and pulled me out, throwing me down upon the muddy forest floor. Landing on a tree branch, the first of my ribs snapped in two as I let out an ear-piercing scream that cascaded through the forest, but no one was around to save me. They continued to beat me until I was but a breath away from dying.

I vaguely remember a boot on my back, shoving me down to the ground, and dirt filling my mouth as my head smashed into the muddy earth again. With each kick and punch, I faded away slowly until I was nothing more than a wisp of the man I once was.

Broken.

I was surrounded by blackness, but I must still be alive, for the stench surrounding me in this hell hole was utterly unbearable. The cries of the damned filled my consciousness as I came back to the land of the living. Dread filled me with the horrific situation that I found myself in. I was in the queen's dungeon, seven stories below the grand entrance to the castle.

All hope was lost.

Through the darkness, I felt a hand grab a fistful of my hair, pulling my head back and placing the edge of a blade to my neck. The voice from the abyss snarled, "Luther, your choice. The queen or death."

I just whispered one word.

"Death."

Author Notes:

I started writing this little dastardly tale on an airplane coming home from a business trip. Playing around with the style, I decided to write four short stories with 25 episodes each about poor Luther and his miserable luck. I loved his zany character and his temper tantrums that get him into trouble. Poor Luther!

To read the entire story, you can find it on Kindle Vella: The Forgotten on KV or The Forgotten on KU.

If you love my little stories, please subscribe to my page, so you won't miss my new stories, have fun reading through the old ones, and feel free to leave comments. I really want to hear from you!

Here's a link to all of my stories: KA Stefana's Stories.