Marlena walked through the house not looking at anyone, nor seeing the other kindred. Inside, she was dying. The mental anguish tearing her up. "One tape. That's all it was. One lousy tape. They promised me that it would never get out. Now, he hates me." She winced as Kenneth's words to her echoed in her head.
"You are no longer welcome in my home." He said, his face impassive, his eyes revealing the rage within. "You betrayed my privacy."
She turned blindly and headed to the backyard. It was not Janos' fault. He was just as upset as she was when she told him that the evidence from the Tremere Tribunal had been leaked by one of his own and was now in the hands of the Prince and god knows who else.
Marlena felt like her world was crumbling. There were only two men in this region that she vowed never to upset: Janos and Kenneth. Now, one would no longer speak to her and the other had to clean up the mess that had been made. She thought of leaving and never returning. There was so much pain. Were it not for Janos, her one bright spot in all of this...
She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not hear the person next to her until he said her name. Whirling in surprise, Marlena saw Cash there. She relaxed her defensive stance. He was one of the few who had always treated her well.
"What are you doing here? You scared me." She did not mean to be rude the ex-Prince, and her Sire's husband, but she was not feeling tactful at the moment. Honestly, she was happy to see a familiar, friendly face.
Cash looked concerned. "I'm sorry. I saw you walking this way, looking very upset. I thought I could help." He stepped closer, looking around the wooded area.
Marlena tensed, then relaxed. "Thank you, Cash, but... I don't think you can help." She wanted to keep walking, walking away from this place. She was still so upset that she was shaking.
"Are you sure? Perhaps, I have some wisdom left in these old bones." He smiled a charming, reassuring smile.
She relented under his kind words. "I... I upset Kenneth." Tears threatened to well up again. Swallowing hard, Marlena forced herself to concentrate on Cash.
Cash frowned. "Really?" He indicated the path that she had been taking. "Let's walk and tell me about it. Kenneth and I have known each other a very long time. Perhaps I can help fix things."
Marlena considered it. 'What could it hurt? Maybe... maybe he can tell me what I need to do.' She nodded. "OK." Turning and walking up the path, deeper into the forest, away from the other kindred, she tried to gather her scattered thoughts. 'How do I tell him?' She wondered.
Suddenly, her Danger Sense screamed in her mind. Marlena immediately popped celerity and cloaked herself in shadows as she whirled around, gun in hand to see what the danger was. Her mind barely had time to recognize that a huge lion was leaping at her, before it slammed full into her, knocking her to the ground. She managed to shoot it once, in the ribs, as large paw punched her in the mouth.
There was a brief moment of panic as she realized that she could not open her mouth anymore and that her gun was silenced. There was no real sound to the struggle. No one to hear or to help. She clamped down on the panic and began to fight for her life.
Marlena grabbed her warded dagger, knowing, but not wanting to admit it, the lion attacking her was Cash. Someone she thought she could trust. Someon who had just offered to help her. Part of her wondered if Rachel had sent him to kill her. The thought hurt almost as much as the punch to her mouth did. She wanted to deny that Cash was attacking her, seemingly intent on mortal harm. She felt betrayed on so many different levels.
Pushing all of that aside, she fought like a wildcat. Moving at accerated speeds, Marlena buried her dagger deep into his ribs as his claws raked open her side. Pain coursed through her body, but she did not have a mouth to gasp in pain with.
"Shhhh.... it will be OK." Marlena heard Cash's voice invading her mind. It was utterly calm and completely insane. She tried to shut him out, feeling sick to her stomach. "I promise. It won't hurt much." He seemed to believe his own lie as his claws raked her side again, ripping open her abdomen.
Her mind battered at the mental attack as she stabbed him again in her pain and panic, unable to dodge the lion's next blow to her head that stunned her. Still, the ringing in her ears did not drown out his mental voice.
"Just think, now you will be part of a greater whole, Marlena." His voice was like silk in her mind, clashing with the physical fight they waged against each other at inhuman speeds.
She felt his thought tendrils seeping through her skull, probing deep. "NO!!! Stop!!" She inwardly pleaded as he seemed to flitter casually through her most intimate and cherished memories. Unable to combat the violation of her mind, she stabbed him again, praying that it would force him to retreat. His snarl of pain was a small victory.
"Oh Marlena, can't you see I'm doing this for your own good?" His mental voice was so very calm and completely devoid of any emotion.
That was what frightened her the most. Cash's utter lack of feeling. She felt him reach a decision and suddenly felt his hunger. Part of her curled up into a tiny ball and cried in terror.
Cash lifted his paw to hit her again and again, moving very fast. These blows were not to kill, but to stun - like a spider's poison does to the prey before it feeds. It was overwhelming. Marlena desperately tried to dodge, but her broken body would not respond. She knew she was helpless. Cash stopped when he saw she could not longer move. He shifted from his lion form to his normal human form, looking down at her for a second or two. "You know, Marlena, I've always liked you."
Marlena futilely tried to struggled, "This is it. I'm going to die." She knew it deep inside, where one cannot hide from the truth. This naked truth pierced her mind as deeply as Cash's claws had her body. Still, she could not give up as she forced her body to squirm weakly.
Cash looked down upon her and licked his lips. "This won't hurt a bit."
Marlena watched in horror, as tentacles pulsed, emerging from Cash's arms, eyes and mouth, snaking out to wrap about her, suckers digging into her flesh. Feeling the pain of her soul being ripped, bit by bit from her, she reached desperately for the man she loved with all that she was, ignoring the pain as best she could.
For one instant, Marlena felt Janos, touched him. Her last thought was, "I love you, Janos." as her soul was torn from her body, leaving an empty, lifeless husk.
And since this story was based on the Bedlam's Rest LARP. Here is what happened at the LARP: Marlena dies.