Midnight Hype

Day Seven

        A few days passed, Mavis didn't seem to lighten up in the slightest and Ericka's symptoms just kept getting worse. Almost constant nausea, tiredness, and being so sore she loathed every second she had to move. Along with an on and off insatiable appetite. If she didn't eat enough, she'd throw up. If she ate too much, she would also throw up. It was an impossible task. She rarely left her room unless it was absolutely necessary as trying to stand up felt like trying to walk on feet that weren't her own. On the seventh day of her accelerated adventure, she had her first vivid nightmare. And it wasn't pretty.

She had gotten ready for bed after nibbling on a granola bar she dipped in ketchup. She found it quite tasty despite it being a wildly strange combination.

Although she was constantly tired, she had trouble falling and staying asleep. Drac asked if she wanted him to cuddle with her to see if it would help and she graciously accepted his offer. He ended up falling asleep before she did, but she enjoyed his company, conscious or not. In his protective embrace, she drifted off and was given peace of mind.

Not long after she disconnected from reality, she was already forced into a dream. Almost like she was teleported. Muffled smooth jazz played as she observed the new environment. The walls were cut so light softly showed through the holes, casting the pale pink light onto everything around it. She glanced down at her outfit and gawked. She was wearing a form fitting, white, sleeveless, bedazzled, slitted dress. Only being supported by a neck piece that connected to the dress. She continued to gaze at her outfit, only being drawn out of her fashion daze by some soft chatter down the hallway. She started to make her way down the narrow hall, the aloof ambiance noises growing louder. She ran her hand around the corner and saw it led to what looked like a lounge. Comfy chairs with glass coffee tables in small groups whilst a live band played in the corner. The quiet mood setting music lofted through the lounge, her eyes trailing over to the corner bar on the other side of the room, the rims lined with the same rosy lights that lit the environment. She noticed a man in a formal black tuxedo receiving a lavish cocktail from the bartender. He shifted his sight off of the drink and looked over at Ericka, they locked eyes. It was Dracula. A smile glinted on his lips when he saw her. Ericka's face turned crimson as she sauntered over to him, still not really sure what was going on. As she made her way over to him, she realized that she didn't feel sick or fatigued at all. Worry was overtaken by tranquility.

"I thought you'd never come." Drac softly commented as she sat down on the stool next to him.

"Hah yeah I'm sorry about that!" She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face but it wouldn't stay back. He helped her brush it back with his hand.Him tracing his fingers down behind her ear and drawing them up her cheek. She didn't know how to respond as he leaned closer to her.

"You look ravishing~" He murmured, still pulling her face closer to his. She could feel his gentle breath on her face laced with a fruity scent. She felt mildly uncomfortable with his progressing actions, and he picked up on her uneasy voiceless language. So he pulled back, his smile starting to waver at her not seeming to reciprocate the feelings.

"...Sorry..." She said faintly, fidgeting with her hands in her lap, avoiding eye contact.

"...D-Don't be," He replied, taking a sip, "everyone has boundaries." She nodded in agreement as she heard the bartender grabbing something out of a plastic bag around the back of the bar. She didn't know quite what he was doing, but she rested her hands on the counter and tried to see what was going on. Drac glanced over and saw her hand freely sitting next to his. He slid his hand on top of hers and interlocked their fingers. He thought she'd pull away, but she stayed, her hand so small you couldn't even see it underneath his.

The bartender strode over to them with a tuliped rimmed glass and a glass flask filled to the brim
with a beautiful, dim, pure, amber liquid, corked with a metal butterfly topper. The bold word LEGACY delicately engraved in the neck of the bottle.He placed the glass on a coaster in front of her, the ice cube clinking against the sides of the glass. He pulled the cork off and was about to pour it into the glass when she stopped him,