''Come closer and I will scream!'' His prey whimpered.
''Scream. I dare you.'' He growled.
Twenty-three-year-old Ilona Bukowski has always been fascinated by the supernatural, even when she shouldn't. This fascination takes her to Romania, where she...
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When Ilona stormed through the large doors, the hallway looked as dark and gloomy as before.
''Vlad!'' Her voice was hoarse, and it reverberated against the stone walls. Of course, he did not answer. There was not any sunlight shining through and after being outdoors for quite some time, Ilona's eyes had to adjust to the darkness that had become so familiar to her. That is why she almost knocked a large candelabra to the ground that stood beside the stairs.
''Shit. Vlad! I need to speak with you!''
No answer.
Fucking vampire.
Ilona stomped up the stairs, she had a vague idea where she was going, and she could only hope her feet remembered the way. After a couple missed turns Ilona finally stood in front of Vlad's office. For a moment she thought about knocking, but Vlad would have probably barged in, so that is exactly what she did. All was empty, except for two lone candles still burning on his desk. Ilona meant to turn around, leave the room, and look for him elsewhere. However, as her eyes roamed around the dark office, the could not help but feel lured towards the piles of papers on the desk. Her previous self would have had had a conscience, but after being locked up in a dungeon for days, Ilona felt she had the right to have a look. She approached the desk with caution, as if Vlad had set traps for trespassers. Although the notion was quite ridiculous, Ilona would not put it past him. With one final look at the door, to make sure it was really closed, and no one was approaching, she took some of the files on Vlad's desk. All were bills, nothing else and Ilona felt a great sense of disappointment wash over her. What else had she expected that he had confidential letters lying out in the open, for everyone to read? While Vlad might be a bastard, he was a far cry from ignorant. It took Ilona a couple minutes to snoop through the other piles, however, she came out equally disappointed as she did with the first. She even tried his drawers; all were locked except for the bottom right one. Her excitement flooded away once she found its contents.
Dear Miss Ilona,
I'll be absent for a couple days, there is some urgent business I need to attend to. You are free to roam the castle and its grounds, beware of the closed doors, and stay inside once the sun has disappeared. These are unsafe grounds and should not be trespassed. I must say I am pleased with myself you have found this letter, for it confirms that you have no inclination of self-preservation. Leave closed doors shut and stay inside when it's dark.
It's for your own safety.
- V.T
Ilona read the letter twice, her eyes scanning every word, and exhilaration swarmed trough her. He was gone, for more days than one, which meant that this could be her only chance to escape this hellhole and flee back to Oxford. Ilona wasted no time in slamming the drawer shut and sprinting through the hallways, towards the entrance of the castle, as fast as her feet would allow her. She had no idea where her luggage was, or her wallet for that matter, but she figured that once she got out of this castle, she could hitch-hike a ride towards Romania Airport and call Eydís, she would help her. The front doors came into view and Ilona could cry with happiness, it was still daylight, and no one would be able to chase her. Ilona's hand grasped the large handles and she pulled with all her might. However, the doors would not budge. Her breath became ragged, ''no, no, no,'' she muttered whilst still pulling.
