𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟-𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟 | ᴇɴ-

𝟐𝟏

My eyes flutter open a moment, glancing at the bright room before closing again. It burns my eyes. And I'm so tired. So so tired. I can hear the distant voices of the orphans playing in the courtyard. If they strayed a little into the back of the house, they would see me. I could beg them for help. But they don't. And I'm too tired to try. My throat is hoarse from all the times I tried. They never listened.

I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten in days. Or maybe a week. I'm not sure how long it has been since the Mistress chained me here. Time started to act funny by the second day without food. The woman kept her word. She has locked me and won't give me food or water. I think she's trying to starve the vampire inside me, hoping the human remains after it is gone. But I think the human will die before the vampire does. Right now, my new instincts are the only ones keeping me going.

She has visited twice. To check on my progress. I tried to escape by knocking her out or something, but it didn't work. I only ended up tripping over myself and earning a pitiful laugh from her. I've been alone ever since with no sign of life in sight. Except for the other day when I woke up to find water and bread sitting by the door. It was only once though, and all evidence disappeared the next day as if it had never even been there. Perhaps I imagined it.

I wonder if my hyungs have noticed I'm gone. I wonder what the Mistress is doing to them. I know she did something to Sunoo-hyung and locked him in his room too. As for the rest, I'm not sure. If she does something to Sunghoon-hyung, though, I'm worried he won't survive it. He told me he had started to throw up blood and already he was skinny and sick. I wonder if I'll see him again, or if I'll be too late.

A knot rises in my throat. I don't know what the Mistress is doing to my hyungs and I haven't seen them in days. Where are they? They probably don't know where I am. I tried yelling for them, but this room is too far away from the rest of the building. Nobody has come.

Tears spring to my eyes. I'm so tired and hungry and afraid. I need to get away from here. I need to get out. For the millionth time, I knock myself into the wooden door. Even though it never budges, I do it over and over. I punch the stupid thing until it wears me out. I probably shouldn't waste my energy on this, but I refuse to leave without a fight.

A few minutes later I'm panting, leaning on the wall and catching my breath. My eyes feel heavy again. I feel so tired. My head spins and I lay down, trying to gather enough strength to go back to the shadowed corner. Standing under the sun wears me down. It doesn't help that the whole ceiling is made of glass.

I crawl back slowly, my breath coming in shallow puffs. My whole body feels heavy. I wish I could just rest. I wish I could see my hyungs one last time. Maybe if I try hard enough I can convince the Mistress to believe that I am cured. But she isn't coming and I just want to rest. I want to let go.

Just as my eyes begin to close, I hear the door opening, and maybe it's my brain playing tricks on me, but I think I see Jake-hyung stepping in. I must be very food deprived if I'm already having hallucinations.

The next second, darkness overcomes me.