The group all headed out from the patio and down onto a path behind the gardens that led into the forest. The moon was bright and hanging higher in the sky now. The sky was pitch black with just a few clouds passing by. "So what are we doing out here, exactly?" Vivienne asked Claire as they walked, leaves and twigs snapping under their feet. Claire's hands were stuffed into the pockets of her coat and she let out a small breath which quickly turned into vapors.
"We're going to go see something." Claire pulled her hand out of her coat and held it out to Vivienne. "Hold my hand?" She asked with a pained smile. Vivienne quickly took Claire's hand and grasped it gently. Claire seemed nervous, like even she wasn't ready for what they would see. Vivienne had to wonder what it was like to be Lionel's daughter. He seemed not as horrible as she originally thought. Was it because she liked Claire so much already?
"Miss Westing." Lionel spoke over the crowd, eyes pinned on her. "Come." Vivienne and Claire walked ahead of the group to fall into step with Lionel. "I heard you took a visit to your uncle's classified laboratories this evening on your way here." His eyes continued forward. "Yes... I did." Vivienne said slowly, wondering how he even knew that. "Your uncle worked very hard with those creatures for a long time... He has done endless hours of research on them so that he can make this world a better place for all of us... Us and them."
Vivienne was quiet now. She wanted to know every detail, she just wanted to understand and had so many questions. But she knew that right now wasn't the right time to ask them. She waited to hear what else Lionel would explain, hoping it would give her more insight into the shock she had earlier. As they walked she heard something more now than the twigs snapping and leaves crunching. It was a growl... a hiss... The sounds were animalistic but still human in some way. "The vampire that you saw earlier has been benefitting from your uncle's research and lending us a hand in learning more about what we can do about this problem."
Lionel gestured forward and the sounds grew louder as they stepped closer and closer to its source. Vivienne looked at Lionel and then slowly turned her attention forward. They walked into an open clearing. It was a small clearing and the moon was casting a healthy glow on the green forest floor. Once she stepped into the clearing, Vivienne gasped and clutched Claire's hand. She stopped moving. Her heart beat faster and faster until it was pounding in her ears.
Tied to a tree near the back of the clearing was a man. Or what used to be a man. His clothes were ripped and tattered. Certain places on his body were black and badly burned. His long brown hair was brown and tangled, matted, like a feral animal in the woods. Lionel spared no time and paid no attention to her fear or her shock.
"This here is one of those creatures... You see when a vampire drains a human of their blood but doesn't allow that human to drink their blood, they don't die. They turn into this. Rabid, monstrous things." The way Lionel spoke she could feel the hate seething off of him. Her mouth hung open as she moved her eyes slowly from that thing to Lionel. The vampire back in the laboratory didn't look like this.. He looked by all means healthy and like a normal human other than the eyes and weird behavior. This looked more like a zombie from a movie or video game. It barely looked human to her anymore and its eyes were a dark red that was almost black. It scared her and sent chills down her spine. She felt her palm shaking in Claire's hand and she couldn't stop it.