The Underground
Night fell upon the city, the only light being that of the moon and what few dim streetlights still worked. There were a few lights still on in houses, but most of the city was dark, and silent. Under the cover of darkness, four cloaked figures stalked the streets. Avoiding the lit streets, they crept through the abandoned avenues, making their way towards the small residential area at the east end.
Reaching their destination, they stopped in front of a small one story ranch. Looking it over, the white house seemed to be in decent standing, though the lawn and shrubs had become a bit overgrown, starting to encroach on the sidewalk and over the garden.
"This look like a good place to hit?" one of the figures asked.
"Heard they've got a kid. Should make for a nice profit." another replied.
"Drevan, he's more than a kid, he's almost twenty. I've been scoping this place out for a while now." the foremost of the group sighed.
"Dammit, so much for making a killing on this one!" Drevan yelled.
"Shut it, I've already got a buyer in mind, and they're willing to pay a hefty price for this one. We go in on my mark." the leader of the group growled.
The largest of the group walked over to the door, getting within kicking distance.
"Brogan, do it now."
With that, Brogan kicked the door in with a single mighty blow. They quickly darted inside.
"You three make sure his parents are taken care off, I'll get the boy." the leader said as the group split up.
"Got it, Vyre." Drevan replied as he ran down the hall.
Vyre darted up the stairs and tested the lock on the door at its top. As the door opened, he found himself staring down the barrel of a handgun. The boy holding it was a little shorter than eye level, standing at about 5'4". His blue eyes focused on Vyre's chest as he aimed the gun. Judging by his matted brown hair and flannel pants, it was obvious he had just jumped out of bed.
"Get out or I'll shoot!" he yelled.
Vyre simply laughed.
"I mean it! I'll shoot!"
"Just put the gun down, boy, before you hurt yourself." Vyre laughed.
The boy took a shot at Vyre's face, nailing a direct hit to his forehead. As his head whipped back, the hood of his cloak fell. As he looked back at the boy, Vyre pulled the tiny bullet from his bald head and flicked it aside with ease.
"Now, come quietly, struggling will do no good." Vyre growled, getting agitated.
The boy staggered backwards, dumbfounded. He dropped the gun, realizing what he was up against wasn't human.
Vyre backhanded the boy across the side of the head, knocking him out cold. As the boy started to open his eyes, he found himself in a dank cell. He was accompanied by two other people, an older man in his thirties, his black hair having grown ragged and long. The other was a young girl of about fourteen. Her clothes were dirty, tattered, and had bloodstains along the neckline.
"Where am I?" the boy groaned, rubbing his head.
"This is where they keep us until they find a buyer. What's your name, kid?" the man said, his voice scratchy from thirst.
"Tim. What the hell is going on here?" he asked.
"Kids these days have no manners. The name's Clive, if you're wondering. Welcome to The Underground, as they like to call it." Clive gruffly replied.
"The what now?" Tim asked.
"Vampire slave trade." he groaned.
"Those guys are vampires?" Tim gasped in shock.
"What tipped you off?" the girl in the corner spat.
"Easy there, Kate. I know you've been through a lot but don't take it out on him."
Footsteps echoed off down the hall, quickly getting louder. Vyre stepped in front of the cell door, keys in hand.
"Alright, boy. You've got a buyer, out you go." he said, pulling Tim out of the cell.
"Lucky bastard! Not even here five minutes and he's already leaving!" Kate protested angrily.
"Never know, you might be better off than he is." Clive sighed.
Vyre slapped a metal collar around Tim's neck, pulling him along on a leash. He led Tim through the long hallway which was lined with padded cells. He stopped in front of the large double door at the end of the hall.
"Ready to meet your new owner?" Vyre said with a smirk.
Opening the doors, Vyre pulled Tim into the room. It looked like they were in the lobby of an old abandoned psyche ward. Across from Tim stood a beautiful brunette. Contrary to Vyre's gaunt bony figure, the woman had a fuller figure, her tight lavender dress further accentuating her curves. She smiled as she looked Tim over.
"You can take the leash off him, Vyre. I'm sure there won't be a need for it." the woman said firmly.
Her wispy shoulder length hair fell across her brow as a slight breeze rolled in. She walked over to Tim, her brown eyes inspecting him with great scrutiny. Putting a hand to his chin, she turned Tim's head to the side.
"A bruise? You hit him, didn't you..." she sighed.
"I had to knock him out somehow. Anyway, how we treat them before they're bought is our business!" Vyre spat.
"And nobody wants damaged goods. Now lucky for you, a bruise is something I can look past. It'll heal with time." the woman snapped.
Vyre simply stared back at her angrily.
"Here's your money." she said, tossing a briefcase onto the reception desk.
"You're still too compassionate..." Vyre began.
"And I'd rather be that than become like you, a snake and a coward making profit off of other's misfortune." she retorted.
"If you're so against it then why give me business?" Vyre asked, more to get her mad than out of genuine curiosity.
"I have my reasons." the woman said, turning for the door.
"Damn hypocrite..." Vyre muttered under his breath.
The woman grabbed Tim by the hand and walked him out the door. Walking outside, there was a black limo waiting for them. She opened the door for Tim, allowing him to get in first, following him in and closing the door behind her. Tim watched as the psyche ward faded off over the horizon as the limo drove away.
"So, what's your name, boy." the woman asked, pouring herself a glass of wine.
"Tim..." he replied hesitantly.
"Talia, pleasure. You can relax, I won't hurt you." she said, taking a sip of her wine.
"What the hell is going on..." Tim groaned, putting his head in his hands.
"Thanks to Vyre, the life you knew before now is over. There's no going back, unfortunately." Talia replied.
"So where do you fit into all this, what is it that made me the one you wanted?" Tim asked, still trying to figure out how this happened.
"You remind me of someone I knew once, in another life... but that's a story for another time. Let's just say I wanted someone to spend time with, and maybe help me with some housekeeping." Talia replied.
"Dammit why'd this have to happen to me..." Tim groaned.
"Consider yourself lucky. Most slaves are just used as a quick fix when our cravings for blood kick in. I'm not that cruel though." Talia said with a smile.
"That's reassuring." Tim sighed, a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"I could always take you back..." Talia laughed.
"Very funny." Tim sighed.
"So easy to assume I'm joking." Talia said with a grin.
Tim grew quiet for a minute, a wave of fear washing over him. He shot her a cold stare, just wanting her to let him go.
"Remember your place, boy. I'm compassionate, but your attitude is starting to piss me off." Talia groaned, shooting him an angry glare.
Tim gave her a fearful nod, his heart racing. After what felt like hours of silence, Talia looked over at Tim.
"What's the matter, scared? I've got a short fuse, and your complaining wasn't helping my mood. Before we get to the mansion, I want to lay down some ground rules. First of all, if I tell you do something, you do it, no questions asked." Talia said sternly.
Tim simply nodded in agreement.
Second, even though I can be compassionate towards your kind, it doesn't change the fact that you are merely my property, and that I will treat you as such." she continued.
Tim let out a sigh as he started to slouch. Talia's tone brought back memories of the none too many lectures he used to receive from his mother.
"Lastly..." she began "...you will address me with utmost respect, and only refer to me by name in private. In all other circumstances you will call me either ma'am, or mistress, whichever you choose I really don't care." Talia concluded.
The wind howled as the limo reached a small bridge. As they drove across the bridge to a small island, lightning flashed as it suddenly began to pour. An endless stream of water fell from the skies. Tim grew nervous, now unable to see out the window at all due to the rain.
"The weather is always like this around the mansion. My driver is quite used to it by now, so there's nothing to be afraid of." Talia said, giving Tim a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"But where did all this come from..." Tim thought aloud.
"There's a reason I'm more widely known as the Fierce Zephyr." Talia said with a laugh.
"And you couldn't be known for making sunshine and happiness because..." Tim sighed.
Talia let out an irritated growl as the limo finally reached the mansion. They pulled around the side into a massive garage, separate from the mansion itself. Talia stepped out of the limo, Tim not far behind. They walked into the mansion through the back door, stepping into a large indoor terrace. Water dripped from their soaked clothes as they walked inside. With the flick of her wrist, Talia summoned a strong gale whipping around them, drying their clothes.
"Come, we need to find you some more suitable attire." she said, leading Tim through the doors into the next room.
As Talia led Tim into the next room, she let out a loud whistle. A pair of maids dressed in black appeared with lightning speed at her beck and call. They wore black maid dresses with white aprons. The maids were identical twins, both wearing their black hair in pigtails, blue streaks running through the pigtails. Their blue eyes eyed Tim, a glint of excitement shining through their expressions.
"Go find something a bit more appropriate for him to wear. I'll join you in a moment with a few options of my own choosing." Talia said, dismissing the maids.
They grabbed Tim by the hands and nearly dragged him up the stairs. They led him into a small private bedroom and locked the door behind them. They slid open a huge closet, revealing an endless assortment of classy attire. They quickly stripped him down and dressed him in a fine black suit. Looking at each other, the maids shook their heads slightly.
"Too high end. Don't want you out-dressing the mistress now do we." they said as they tore the clothes off of him once more.
Next outfit was a pair of black dress slacks, a white button down shirt with a green vest slid over it. The maids once again looked at each other in disapproval.
"This one won't do either..." they said, stripping him down for a third time.
As they got another outfit ready, Tim had just about had enough.
"I can dress myself you know." he groaned.
"Of course you can, but this way's just faster." they chimed in unison, dressing him up once more.
This time it was a pair of brown khaki pants with a moss green striped dress shirt. The two maids smiled as they looked at it, but then looked back towards the closet.
"This one could work, but there might be one better." they chimed in unison, as always.
Their frantic searching of the closet was abruptly halted by a knock at the door.
"I've got something for him to try, but I want it to be a surprise. Blindfold him for me would you?" Talia called out from the other side of the door.
"Of course mistress." they chimed, grabbing a small blindfold from the tie rack in the closet.
With some struggling, they forced the blindfold on Tim, and held his hands down to keep him from pulling it off. He could feel them tossing something over his head, and making some adjustments. He heard the door open, assuming Talia was walking in.
"Okay... take off the blindfold..." Talia said, desperately trying to stifle her laughter.
As the blindfold fell, Tim realized he was wearing a black maid's dress, in fact, the same kind that the maids who accompanied him were wearing. Tim's face reddened with a mix of anger and embarassment.
"What the hell's this?" he yelled.
"I don't know, I kind of like it..." Talia sighed.
"You seriously plan on having me wear this?" Tim snapped.
"I was originally doing this as a joke, but if you keep up the attitude, maybe I will have you wear that. I think it suits you quite well. Never thought you'd look so good in drag." Talia replied, a sly grin on her face.
Timothy just let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"You can take it off now. Wear this for me." she said, tossing him a pair of black dress slacks, white shirt and a blue vest.
Talia walked out of the room as the maids once again undressed and dressed Tim. He walked out of the room, noticing Talia waiting outside for him. She gave him a nod of approval and led him down the hall.
"It's almost morning. I should be getting to my bedchambers now, though I should at least show you the way there should you need anything." Talia said, leading Tim down a long set of stairs.
They reached a small door at the bottom of the stairs. Talia flipped on the lights and let Tim inside. The room was painted a pale shade of turquoise, a blue rug spread across the floor. There was a massive canopy bed fitted with green sheets in the far corner of the room. There were large ornate dressers lining the walls, and a full wall length mirror hanging at either end of the room. Talia closed the door behind her, a devilish smirk on her face.
"I've been having some... urges... lately. I was hoping you could help alleviate the problem." Talia said, leading Tim further into the room.
"Fine, just make it quick..." Tim groaned, tilting his head to the side.
"Wrong kind of urges..." Talia sighed, shoving Tim onto the bed.
Talia undid Tim's vest and shirt, tossing them aside. As she unbuttoned his pants, she looked up at him.
"You've never done this before, I can tell by the look in your eye, that nervous twitchy look..." Talia said with a smile, as she continued undoing his pants.
"Are you really sure you want to do this? I mean we only just met!" Tim protested.
"Shhh, remember what I told you in the limo, you are my property..." Talia smiled.
"But..." Tim began.
"I like the innocent ones, makes things more interesting." she interrupted, sliding his pants off.
As she climbed on top of him, Tim quickly realized Talia wasn't wearing anything under her dress. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she pinned Tim down.
"I usually don't jump right into things, but it's been so long." she moaned as she began moving her hips.
"Don't I get a say in this..." Tim panted.
"Nope, now do something other than just lay there... or do you want me to go and get the maid outfit again?" Talia joked.
Tim started working his hips, trying to keep rhythm with Talia best he could. Her eyes shot open, getting short of breath. She leaned in, wrapping her arm around the back of Tim's head.
"You're remarkable for a first timer, you sure you haven't done this before?" she asked between breaths.
Before he could reply, she began kissing him as she picked up her pace. Tim could hear her muffled moans as her tongue worked the inside of his mouth. She started convulsing as she let out one final scream. Her body went limp, collapsing on Tim.
"I know you're not done yet. Don't worry, I won't leave you like that, just need some time to recoup." she panted.
Tim slid out from under her a little, too tired to deal with supporting her weight. Before he knew it, Talia had dozed off, and by the looks of things she was a heavy sleeper. Tim managed to wiggle free and rolled out of bed. Unable to sleep, he got dressed and wandered back upstairs. He began wandering the halls of the mansion, looking for the front door. Suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder, he stopped and turned his head. Standing behind him were the twin maids from earlier, smiling at him eagerly.
"What are you doing up this late?" they asked, speaking in unison, as always.
"Couldn't sleep." Tim replied.
"How unfortunate, something we can do to help?" they replied.
"I'll be alright, just exploring." Tim groaned.
"Well, just so long as you don't wander outside you'll be alright. The winds right now would blow you right out to sea." they giggled.
"So I'm stuck here, great..." Tim sighed.
"Why don't you get some rest. I'm sure Master is lonely without you." the twins replied with a smile.
"So what? Does it look like I really care? I just want to go back home and live a normal life as though none of this ever happened." Tim said, trembling with sadness.
"We all know what happened can't be undone. Although she can be harsh at times, our master really is a kindhearted person." the twins said reassuringly.
"If she's so kindhearted then why does she buy people like property!" Tim snapped in frustration.
"All I can say is it was to your benefit. If she desires, Master may very well give you her reasoning behind it. Until then, your guess is as good as mine."
"But..."
"We're tired, so I think I'll call it a night. I'm sure she'll explain in due time. Good night Tim." they chimed, walking upstairs to their room.
Tim started to sulk as he wandered the halls of the mansion. Making his way through the winding corridors, Tim soon found himself to be completely lost.
"I'll find my way back eventually. It's not like I have anything to do..." he sighed as he explored the halls.
After a few minutes of wandering, Tim stood before a large double door. He opened it a crack, greeted by darkness from the other side. Stepping inside, he found it near impossible to see. There was only a faint light coming from the ceiling, which was a massive glass dome.
"If not for all the clouds, this would be a great place to look at the stars..." Tim thought, staring up into the night sky.
Hearing footsteps, Tim turned to see Talia standing in the doorway.
"So this is where you ran off to..." she said with a smile.
The clouds suddenly cleared, allowing the moon to shed its pale blue light upon the room.
"The sky looks beautiful tonight." Talia sighed.
"That it does..." Tim replied hesitantly.
"Why did you leave me?" Talia asked with a pout.
"I couldn't sleep." Tim replied.
"Why don't you come back to bed." Talia said calmly, putting her arm around him.
"I'm not tired." Tim groaned, shrugging her arm off of him.
"I know you're upset about everything that's happened, but there's no going back to that life. You really have nowhere else to go." Talia sighed sympathetically.
"What do you mean? I can go back home to my parents." Tim snapped.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Vyre probably killed them when he came for you. That's how the sick bastard breaks people." Talia growled, the thought of Vyre making her sick.
"But my parents weren't home..." Tim thought out loud.
The lights suddenly went out, the entire mansion covered in darkness.
"I'm sure this happens a lot." Tim groaned.
"Something's wrong. This place runs on two generators, so if anything happens to one there's always a backup to pick up the slack almost immediately." Talia replied, a worried tone in her voice.
She ran down the hall, Timothy following close behind. She opened the door at the end of the hall and made her way down a long spiraling stairwell. Tim tried his best to keep up, just barely able to see Talia through the darkness. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Talia stopped, staring across the room. Set into the wall were two massive generators, both of which were covered in a thick sheet of ice.
"Tim, go back upstairs." Talia growled.
"What's going on? If I can help..."
"Go upstairs, now!" Talia snapped angrily.
As Tim turned to leave, the way back had already been completely frozen over. Eerie laughter echoed through the small cavern, sending chills down Tim's spine. He looked up to see someone gracefully skating down the frozen steps, spinning and twirling all the while. Reaching the bottom, she brushed her snow white hair out of her face. Tim's attention was immediately drawn to the bandage over her left eye. Her other sky blue eye was staring right at him. She smiled as she rose to her feet, dusting the frost off of her black dress.
"Looks like you found a new toy." she giggled.
"What do you want, Adelle?" Talia groaned.
"You know damn well why I'm here!" Adelle snapped, pointing to her bandaged eye.
"Yes, I remember. How long have you been trying to make my life a living hell, three centuries?" Talia scoffed.
"Don't mock me!" Adelle replied, a blade of ice forming in her hand.
"You know you're no match for me, Adelle." Talia groaned.
"But your toy sure as hell is." Adelle said with a smirk.
"You wouldn't dare!" Talia yelled, starting to panic.
"So, he's important to you..." Adelle replied.
"No, but he's new! I just got him!" Talia protested.
"What if I take him on you, just like you did to me?" Adelle growled.
Talia simply glared at her, strong winds building up around her. Using a strong gale, Talia rushed at Adelle, eyes burning with rage. A wall of ice suddenly formed between her and Tim, Talia slamming right into it. Adelle grabbed Tim, putting her sword to his throat.
"Don't move, or I'll kill him." she snapped.
Talia did as she was told, not wanting to put Tim in any more danger. Adelle put her arm around Tim and flew up the stairwell. Watching as Tim was stolen from her, Talia's heart sank as she let out a loud mournful wail. A massive wind struck the wall of ice, shattering it to pieces. The twin maids rushed down the stairs.
"What's wrong, master?" they asked.
"It's Adelle... she's got Tim. Find her, now!" she screamed.
Tim panicked and shut his eyes as he flew through the air, Adelle's arms wrapped tight around him. Adelle looked down at him as she flew to the north, eventually reaching a small snow covered island. Opening his eyes, Tim could tell he was nowhere near the city, home, or Talia's mansion. Tim shivered in the cold as Adelle put him down on the ground. In front of him was a large mansion, snow and ice covering the building. She opened the door and led Tim inside. As he followed her, he felt a warm breeze blow over him, the door closing behind him. Adelle fell into a large recliner at the end of the room, letting out a sigh of relief as she kicked off her shoes.
"Massage my feet, boy." she said with a grin.
"I'm not some kind of pet..." Tim groaned.
"As long as you're under my roof, you'll do as I say. I have no qualms about letting you freeze outside in the cold, understand?" Adelle snapped, baring her fangs.
Tim walked over and started rubbing her feet, trembling in fear.
"That feels so good." she groaned as she stretched her back.
Tim continued, waiting to see if Adelle had calmed down before he spoke. She simply closed her eye and grinned in pleasure.
"What happened between you and Talia anyway?" Tim asked.
"What's it to you?" Adelle groaned in reply, her body suddenly tightening up.
"Just curious." Tim said quietly.
"I don't feel like talking about it, and did I tell you to stop rubbing?" she replied, giving Tim a light kick to the cheek.
Tim continued rubbing Adelle's feet, letting out a sigh.
"Is there a problem?" Adelle growled.
"N-no..." Tim stammered.
"Good." Adelle sighed, patting him on the head with her foot.
"So what was the point of dragging me all the way out here?" Tim groaned.
"Well it sure wasn't for idle chit chat. Rub a little higher, my calves are sore." Adelle replied.
Tim reluctantly did as she commanded, tolerating her for his own safety. Adelle looked over at Tim, a coy smile on her face. She rose to her feet, yawning as she stretched her back again.
"I think it's time I turned in for the night. I'll show you where you'll be staying." Adelle said, taking Tim by the hand.
She led him through a door at the back of the room. Taking him upstairs, they walked down a long hallway. Reaching their destination, Adelle opened the middle door on the left, revealing a large bedroom. The room had a very cold feel to it, the dark blues and greens giving it an almost aquatic feeling. An open door at the far end of the room revealed a massive walk in closet, packed with all kinds of dresses, blouses, gowns, and other clothing. A large dresser took up most of the left wall. On top of the small desk at its center was a tri-fold mirror, some makeup and cosmetics scattered about in front of it. Adelle walked over to a large canopy bed fitted with sky blue sheets. She slipped out of her dress and tossed it over to Tim.
"Hang this up, and make sure it doesn't wrinkle." Adelle sighed as she undid the sheets.
Tim did as she asked, taking the dress into the massive walk in closet. He hung it up next to a few of the other blouses and turned to walk back out. As he passed by the door, he noticed a small riding crop stuffed in the corner of the closet behind the door. Shuddering at the thought of what that might be for, Tim walked out of the closet, closing the door behind him. Adelle waved him over, having already crawled into bed.
"I'm too tired for this..." Tim groaned, laying down next to her.
"What do you mean?" Adelle asked, confused.
"You want me to please you, right?" Tim sighed, just wanting to sleep.
"Not at all. I gave up on men a long time ago. I just wanted the company." Adelle replied.
"Oh, that's a surprise." Tim said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Even if I said yes, it's not like you would have refused." Adelle said with a smirk, patting him on the head.
"Would I have had a choice?" Tim replied.
"No, but that wasn't the point, you find me attractive, don't you?" she said with a smirk.
"Yes, but you're not really my type..." Tim said hesitantly.
"It's the eye, isn't it..." Adelle sighed.
"No, it's the fact you held a sword to my throat, kidnapped me, and treat me like your personal lapdog." Tim replied with a groan.
"Fair enough." Adelle said, brushing the hair from her face.
"What do you have against Talia anyway, just curious." Tim asked.
"Do you really have to ask..." Adelle replied coldly, pointing to her eye.
"How did it happen I mean." Tim continued.
"It happened a long time ago. I had fallen in love, oh the naive nature of a young heart. His name was Ignus Dimitrov. Adelle began.
"So where does Talia fit into all this?" Tim asked.
"Quiet, I'm getting to get to that. At the time, Talia and I were quite close. We were still fairly young, by our standards anyway. We were still developing out elemental affinities, but that's neither here nor there. It would only stand to reason that we had both become acquainted with Ignus, well, more than acquainted." Adelle sighed.
"I think I'm starting to understand..." Tim thought out loud.
"In the end he chose me, although this didn't keep Talia from making moves towards him. When I confronted her on this, things..." Adelle's voice trailed off for a moment.
"Things what?" Tim asked.
Adelle looked up, slightly startled as Tim broke her train of thought.
"Lets just get right to the point then. We got into a bit of a scuffle, and a rock caught up in one of Talia's cyclones took out my eye." Adelle growled.
"And so Ignus left you over that?" Tim asked.
"Of course not. Turns out the lecherous bastard was seeing both of us at once." Adelle spat, getting more frustrated as the story went.
"So what happened to him?" Tim asked.
"I killed him." Adelle said with a grin.
Tim's blood ran cold as the words rolled off her tongue.
"It sounds like all this was Ignus' fault, so what do you have against Talia?" Tim asked.
Adelle simply pointed to her eye, giving Tim a dull stare.
"But it sounds like it was an accident..." Tim began.
"Accident or no, she still took my eye." Adelle replied with a pout.
Adelle rolled over, resting her head on her pillow.
"Sleep well, Tim. I'll be sure to wake you come nightfall." Adelle sighed as she drifted off to sleep.
Tim rubbed his head, exhausted from the past twenty-four hours. Casting aside his reservations about his safety around Adelle, Tim rolled over and started to doze off. The night dragged on as Tim kept waking up, suddenly realizing with each kick that Adelle moved in her sleep. After much struggle, Tim finally managed to fall asleep.
He slowly woke up, groaning as he stretched his back. His eyes adjusting to the nearly nonexistent amount of light in the room. Tim was surprised to find himself in a small padded cell. Noticing the door was slightly ajar, Tim wandered outside to explore. Tim looked down the long hall of doors, each with a small glass window to peer through. As he walked down the hall, he could hear the soft sound of laughter echoing through the halls.
"Hello?" he called out, a chill running down his spine.
His curiosity getting the better of him, Tim continued down the hall, the laughter getting louder as he went. The end of the hall slowly faded into sight. There was a lonely cell at the end on the far wall. A small light could be seen shining through the window on the door. Tim looked inside to see a young woman inside, laughing to herself. Her messy black hair fell across her face as she slouched in the corner. She was wearing a white straight jacket, the sleeves having somehow become unfastened and hanging down at her sides. The rest of the jacket was tightly pinned around her body. Looking up at Tim, she smiled wide, licking one of her fangs. Standing up, she walked over to the door, pressing her face against the glass to look back at Tim. She slowly knelt down out of Tim's sight. Feeling something at his feet, Tim looked down to find she had slid a key under the door. Picking up the key, he suddenly felt a wave of fear wash over him.
Jumping up, Tim nearly fell out of bed. Adelle turned, looking at him.
"Bad dream, right?" she asked.
Looking down, Tim noticed he was holding the key given to him in the dream.
"I'll take that." Adelle said, taking the key from his hand.
She walked over to her dresser and unlocked one of the drawers. As she opened it, Tim was amazed at what he saw. The drawer was full of identical keys. Adelle simply dropped the key inside and locked the drawer shut once more.
"You'll get used to that dream real quick." Adelle sighed as she crawled back into bed.
"Where was that... and who was that girl?" Tim asked.
"The less you know about her the better off you'll be. Let dreams stay dreams, then again, even there you should avoid her..." Adelle said sternly.
"But what was she doing there? Why did she give me that key?" Tim continued.
"She'll reach out to anyone she thinks will help her. I've ignored her ever since she got here." Adelle sighed.
"Here, you mean in this mansion?" Tim asked, slightly surprised.
"This place doubles as a prison. Even in our society, there are some individuals who are too dangerous to let roam free. She's one of them, so keep away." Adelle warned.
"But how did I get that key? She gave it to me in a dream... how the hell did I..." Tim thought out loud.
"She's more commonly known as the Dark Nightingale. Tormented by her own nightmares, she enjoys drifting into the dreams of others. Unfortunately, she's also completely insane, her ravaged mind being left with only the most primal instincts." Adelle continued.
Tim gave her a nod and tried to fall back to sleep. When he awoke, he once again found himself in the dirty prison. Ignoring Adelle's warnings, Tim went down the long hall to pay the mysterious girl another visit. Reaching the cell door, Tim looked inside. The girl was sound asleep in the corner. Tim gave the door a light knock, rousing the girl from her slumber.
"Who are you?" Tim asked.
"Evalyn, you?" she replied with an eerie smile.
"Tim. What do you want from me? I know you're bringing me here for a reason" Tim asked hesitantly.
"I want you to understand." she replied.
"Understand what?" Tim continued.
"Not telling." she teased, tilting her head to the side.
"Fine by me. What're you doing in here anyway?" Tim asked.
"I don't play well with others." Evalyn replied, an evil smirk creeping across her face.
"Okay..." Tim replied, hesitantly stepping back.
"Don't worry, I like you." she said with a smile.
"Well that's relieving..." Tim sighed, starting to relax a little.
"Wanna run away somewhere?" Evalyn asked, an energetic gleam in her eye.
Tim hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. A part of him wanted to help her, unable to imagine what her life must be like, but despite this, Adelle's warnings nagged at him ceaselessly. Tim's mind then suddenly jumped to Talia and what she might be doing. He wondered if she was worried about him, or if she had already found a replacement. All these thoughts racing through his mind, Tim found it impossible to give her a straight answer.
"I don't know just yet. We've only just met each other too..." Tim replied.
"Thats fine. I'll be here when you do make up your mind." Evalyn said as she slid a key under the door.
Tim reached down and picked it up. As he did, he once again found himself in the waking world, back in Adelle's room. Hiding the key in his pocket, Tim quickly rolled out of bed. Adelle looked over at him.
"Enjoy your rest?" she asked sarcastically.
"Could have been better." he groaned in reply.
Might as well put you to work. No point in having you sit here and do nothing all day." Adelle sighed, rolling out of bed.
Adelle slipped out of her nightgown and threw on a short black dress. Taking Tim by the hand, she led him all the way downstairs into the basement. Opening the door at the bottom of the stairs, she led Tim into a large bloodstained room. Tim began to tremble, fearing for his life.
"This is where I feed. Your job is to clean it." Adelle said, tossing Tim a small scrub brush and a bucket of soap.
"But it looks like this has been stained here for ages! How the hell am I supposed to get this out?" Tim protested.
"Not my problem, boy. Keep on protesting and the blood you'll be scrubbing out might just be your own." Adelle threatened.
"Yes, ma'am..." Tim groaned as he got to work scrubbing the floor.
Adelle left Tim in the dark room, alone to toil away at scrubbing every inch of the dark and bloody room. No matter how much Tim tried, it seemed scrubbing alone was no good. Getting frustrated, Tim kicked the bucket across the room, spilling soapy water all over the floor. He suddenly felt light headed, the room starting to spin. Falling to the floor, he clutched his growling stomach in pain.
"Shit... I haven't eaten... in so long..." he groaned
Trying to ignore the fatigue, Tim tried to continue cleaning the floor, but it only made things worse, and he eventually collapsed on the floor.
His vision blurred, Tim slowly awoke. He saw Adelle kneeling by his side, pressing a wet towel to his forehead.
"Eat." she said, giving him an emotionless stare as she put a cup of soup to his mouth. Tim slowly sipped the hot soup, his head throbbing. Adelle smiled, noticing Tim was starting to feel better.
"Finish up this soup and get back to work. I'll be in my room if you need me." she said, rising to her feet.
"I nearly died and you want me to go right back to work?" Tim protested.
"Naturally. You didn't finish." Adelle replied, walking off.
Tim looked around, finding himself in the small padded cell from his nightmare. Walking down the hall, he headed for where Evalyn's cell was. Reaching the hall, Tim slipped the key out of his pocket and unlocked the cell door. Opening the door, he looked over at Evalyn.
"Let's go." he said, waving over to her.
Evalyn flew out of the cell, wrapping her arms around Tim. After a short hug, she slung Tim over her shoulder and bolted down the hall. Running up the stairs, she leaped through the open door, catapulting herself through the main foyer. Adelle's guards giving chase, Evalyn broke down the front door and took flight, making her escape. Tim held on for dear life as they soared through the air. The freezing air started to warm as they flew south, back towards civilization.
Passing over the city, they approached a large castle on a hill in the distance. Evalyn's eyes lit up, and a grin crept across her face as she began to speed up. She landed in the courtyard of the small castle, putting Tim back down. Opening the doors to the castle, she led Tim inside. They were greeted by a small army of butlers and maids. Bowing in unison, they greeted their master's return.
"I thought you said you didn't get along well with people." Tim said in confusion.
"I did." she replied, planting her feet to the ground in front of one of the maids.
She wound up and gave the maid a strong hook to the side. To Tim's surprise, the maid didn't even budge. Tapping against the maid with her ring, a metallic clang rang out, echoing through the room.
"They're not people." she said with a grin, dismissing her servants.
As Tim was about to speak, his stomach began to growl again.
"Hungry? I'll have one of my servants run to the store for you, but it could take a while." she said with a smile.
"Thanks, I really could use some food." Tim replied.
Taking out a small blade, Evalyn ran it between her fingers, letting the blood drip down her middle finger.
"Here, drink this for now. I've been told its very filling." she said with a blush.
"You sure? I'm not really comfortable with..."
"I don't think you realize how long it will take for my servant to return. We're not exactly a hop away from town. Now drink." she said with a smile, once again offering her hand.
His hunger getting the better of him, Tim took Evalyn's hand and placed it to his mouth. He slowly sipped at the blood, the taste or blood repulsing him at first, but quickly turning sweet. After a moment, she slowly pulled her hand away with a smile.
"That's enough for now. Did you like it?" he asked.
"Actually, it wasn't bad." Tim replied, still surprised at the sweet taste.
"Good. If you ever want more, just ask." she said with a wink as she lead Tim upstairs.
She led him through the hallways to one of the small bedrooms. Closing the door behind her, Evalyn took in a deep breath. She breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing a change of clothes from the closet. She slipped out of her straight jacket and threw on a suit jacket and a short black skirt. Turning back to Tim, she sat on the bed.
"How long were you stuck with Adelle?" Evalyn asked, motioning for Tim to join her.
"Not long. Only about a day or so..." Tim replied, joining Evalyn on the bed.
"Interesting. Any other previous masters?" she continued, curious of Tim's background.
"Just Talia. She really wasn't all that bad. It's a shame I was only there one night before Adelle ran off with me." Tim sighed.
Evalyn grinned with pleasure as she listen to Tim tell about his experiences with Talia. She looked over at him, scratching the back of his neck.
"I like what you're thinking about. I had a feeling you weren't as innocent as you looked." she said with a smile.
"Could you stop reading my thoughts please? It's a bit unnerving..." Tim sighed.
"It's too fun to stop." she teased.
Tim sighed as he rubbed his head.
"Sounds like you really like her, despite your short time together." Evalyn said, laying down.
"Yea, I guess you could say that." Tim replied.
"It's been quite a long day, I think we should get some rest." Evalyn sighed, crawling under the covers.
"Where should I sleep." Tim replied.
"You can join me if you'd like. If not, the servant's quarters are down the hall." she said with a grin.
Tim got up and left, walking down the hall. Opening one of the side doors, he entered a large lavender dormitory, the walls lined with beds. Tim got undressed and crawled into bed, passing out from exhaustion.
He awoke in Talia's arms, her warm body against his back. Kissing his neck, she put her lips to his ear.
"I missed you..." she whispered.
"I know, been through a lot..." Tim sighed.
She began massaging his chest sliding her hands down to his waist. Tim turned his head to kiss her, but stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Evalyn leaning against the wall.
"Would you mind?" Tim sighed.
"Dreams are so fun to watch though, especially these kinds." Evalyn said with a giggle.
As a loud crash echoed through the castle, Tim sprung up out of bed. Evalyn stood in the open doorway, a grin on her face.
"Looks like we have a visitor." she said, walking back out.
Tim followed her down to the foyer. The splintered remains of what was once the front door were strewn across the floor. The moonlight cast a large shadow across the main hall.
"If you so much as laid a finger on him, I swear..." Talia yelled from the doorway.
"I was wondering who made all that racket. Falling for humans again it seems. Remember how much trouble that got you in last time?" Evalyn laughed.
"That was a long time ago, and things are different now!" she snapped, a tear rolling from her down her cheek.
"Aren't you going to say hi, Tim?" Evalyn asked, nudging Tim towards the stairs.
Tim slowly walked towards Talia, still unsure if he was dreaming. She took a step forward as Tim approached.
"Now attack..." Evalyn murmured.
Unable to control his own body, Tim charged at Talia.
"You drank her blood... dammit, you idiot." she sighed.
Looking for something sharp, Talia grabbed at one of the swords on the wall. Snatching it up, she squeezed the blade in her hand. Tim continued to attack her, all the while wishing he could stop. Seeing an opening, Tali rushed in, knocking Tim off balance. She caught him in her arms and forced her bleeding fingers to his mouth. Licking the blood from her fingertips, Tim slowly started to calm down. Once Tim was himself again, Talia let him back on his feet. Looking up at Evalyn, Talia clenched her fists.
"Time to put you back where you belong, and I've brought an old friend to help." Talia said with a grin.
A man stepped in behind her, his red hair burned bright as the fire in his eyes. Looking up at Evalyn, a smirk came across his face.
"Normally, I make it a point not to his girls." he sighed, stepping forward.
"Than you're useless." Evalyn replied.
"I'll have to make an exception in your case though, you kind of deserve it." he continued.
His hands burst into monstrous wolf-like claws as he leaped through the air at Evalyn. Tackling her to the ground, he lifted his claw to strike.
"Is that any way to treat an old flame, Atris?" Evalyn sighed with a grin.
"Were you expecting something more civil? You made me miserable, remember?" he growled.
"But toying with your emotions was so fun. It's a shame things had to end the way they did." she sighed with a grin.
Rage built up inside of him, murderous intentions swirling through his head.
"I know you want me dead. Go ahead, kill me, I won't stop you." Evalyn giggled.
Taking a few deep breaths, Atris calmed down and cleared his head. Clenching his fists, he backhanded her across the side of her head, knocking her out cold.
"Call Adelle and have her locked up. Last thing we want is a repeat of last time." Atris sighed, getting off of Evalyn.
"Thanks for coming, Atris, though I was kind of hoping you'd kill her." Talia groaned in disappointment.
"As much as I'd love to, I promised myself I'd never take a life." he replied.
"Come, Tim, we're going home. You're welcome to join us, Atris. Its been so long since I saw you last." Talia offered with a smile.
"I'll take you up on that offer just as soon as I finish up here. I'll wait here until Adelle arrives. Hopefully this is the last time I have to deal with her." Atris said, stretching his back.
Talia led Tim outside the castle to where the limo was waiting. Opening the door, she ushered Tim inside, closing the door behind her as she joined him.
"I'm so glad to see you, what have you been up to these past few days?" Tim asked.
Talia took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before turning her attention back towards Tim.
"What the hell were you thinking letting that monster back out into the world, and you drank her blood on top of that! Are you retarded or do you just have some kind of death wish? Do you even know what she's capable of, the trouble she's caused in the past? I'm sure Adelle must have warned you about her as some point, and you ignored that too! She loves to torment people, cause misery, pain, death! She's the reason my last..." Talia suddenly caught herself and stopped.
"She what?" Tim asked.
"I'd rather not dwell on that right now, but what you did was just damn stupid! I almost lost you, or did you not realize that as well?" she snapped.
"I didn't know..." Tim stammered.
"That's no excuse, but I'm just glad you're safe." she said, pulling him into her arms.
Stifling her tears, she held him the entire ride back to the mansion. Drying her eyes, Talia regained her composure and stepped outside the limo. Tim followed her through the back door, the flowery scent of the terrace filling the air. Talia walked into the living room and collapsed on the couch, exhausted. Tim sat down on the armrest and started rubbing her feet.
"Mmm, so you learned something from Adelle after all..." Talia groaned in pleasure.
"I guess so." Tim replied with a shrug.
"How about you rub a little higher." Talia giggled as she guided Tim's hand up her thigh.
"Talia, please, I'm tired..." Tim groaned.
"Oh come now, I have to punish you somehow for letting that bitch out of her cage." Talia grinned.
"I really had a rough past few days. Adelle really worked my hands to the bone with all that cleaning..." Tim sighed.
"Well, I'm sure she didn't make you lick anything clean." Talia said with a wink, pulling Tim towards her.
"At least let me have some time to rest. Later, I promise." Tim pleaded.
"Forgetting how things work around here so soon? Looks like you've been away too long, and we can't be having that." Talia laughed, grabbing Tim by the hair.