18

Fate

"I'm sorry to wake you Miss Thorn, but I have bought your lunch and some clothes for you to try." I outstretched my arms giving a tiny yawn as I had to admit that was the best sleep I have had in a while. The satin sheets felt cool on my body which instantly made me fall to sleep.

"That's ok Lorna, lunch smells amazing what is it." The beautiful aroma filled the air around us as I sat upright rubbing my hazy eyes.

"It's lasagna I hear it is your favourite." She smiled placing the tray on top of my legs as nostalgia hit me hard. That's why it smelt so good it smelt similar to when my mother would make it.

"How do you even know that?"

"The chef was asked to prepare this just for you. I think the master may have taken a liking to you." She bowed her head smiling as I bit the inside of my mouth knowingly I never told the master anything of the kind. I said I could bake it not that it's my favourite dish, maybe he was mistaken either way it was comforting to be able to have this meal in front of me.

"Will you be joining me for lunch Lorna there is so much here."

"Oh I possibly couldn't Miss I have strict times I am allowed to eat." She busied herself by hanging exquisite clothing into my wardrobe.

"Says who, Louis." His name spat from my mouth with a bitter taste.

"He is ok once you get to know him, he has a lot of built-up frustration I know, but he has a lot to do in this hotel it's exhausting for him." She smiled awkwardly and carried on.

"He's a bully Lorna, the way he talks to people it's disgusting."

"Miss please I don't want him to hear us speaking about him in such a way, we could be in serious trouble if he does." Her face became frail and white as she placed her hands together and held them to the tip of her nose.

"It's ok I know who he is he told me last night."

"So you will understand why he is like he is. He has big shoes to fill."

"I will never understand him, just because you are a son of somebody who has decided to destroy a small town it doesn't make you any better than anyone else." I stabbed the lasagna with my fork before rapidly losing my appetite pushing the tray to the side.

"Miss Thorn you have to leave this. Otherwise, I fear what may become of you."

"Ok, ok for now I will, but please sit and speak with me for a while."

"Oh I am not sure if that is a good idea, if Louis sees us, he won't like it."

"Please sit we can say we are taking more measurements for dresses if he walks in." I patted the bed next to me as she humbly took a seat. "Thank you."

"So what is it you would like to talk about."

"Normality would be good, tell me you mentioned you moved to Sitka just before this all happened where did you move from."

"Italy Miss, we lived in a pretty little town called Burano. It's an island just off Venice, I think you would love it with its colorful homes, and we are famous for our beautiful lace."

"It sounds wonderful I've always wanted to go to Venice."

"My house Miss Thorne it was tall and the brightest of red, tourists would travel on boat to walk around our little town I always loved to meet new friendly faces when I would work in my parents small shop selling the wonderful lace they would make." Her eyes drifted of into another world as she fondly remembered her life before all of this.

"It sounds incredible why did you move to Sitka?"

"My father took a job flying the seaplanes, we did not make much money with the lace I am afraid. Prices rose which meant living was hard, so here we are."

"That's so sad, I'm sorry, Lorna." My hand brushed down her arm as she smiled softly to me.

"It's ok, I believe everything happens for a reason, this will all end I know it will, I'm a firm belief in fate." She took my hands and squeezed them reassuringly as I sighed aloud.

"Do you think this is the only town they have taken over I do you believe there may be more."

"I would not know, but I pray everyone else is safe, that's all we can do."

"Lorna do you ever see any other humans here I don't mean ones that have turned 18 I mean parents that were taken from us."

"No, I can't even begin to imagine what happened to them, maybe we should not talk about that." Her smile was wry, and she pushed herself up from the bed beginning to look uncomfortable now with where our conversation was heading. "Please eat you need to keep your strength up."

"What do you think happened to them Lorna please I need to know."

"Ok, some were kept here for a short while whilst they taught the ones that were 21 and under there skills, but then they were taken I can not be sure of where, but you could sometimes hear the god awful screaming coming from the cellars below. The shrieks still haunt me to this day." She whispered as every tiny hair on my body stood tall.

"They were used to feeding on wasn't they?" My stomach wretched as she nodded without speaking another word on the matter. "Oh my god, they are just pure evil, my mother, and my father, oh god I feel sick." I could taste the bile that gathered in my mouth as she rushed to my side.

"Miss Thorn we just need to forget about everything we have just spoken about that is our past lives we now need to concentrate on this one and staying alive it's all we can do."

"I'm sorry, I've just never really come to terms with my parents being taken, and now I have realised what has become of them." I blew out air as I felt dizzy.

"I know, I know Miss Thorn but if we are going to survive this then we have to look forward ok."

"Ok." I nodded reluctantly as I watched her pull out the most spectacular emerald dress I had ever laid eyes upon.

"I have chosen this one for tonight, what do you think do you like it." It draped elegantly across her arms as the tiny diamonds sparkled in every colour.

"It's stunning, I've never seen a dress more beautiful." My hands ran along the silk fabric as I drew in its beauty. "Please tell me why do I need to wear such a thing here."

"If you stand up we can try it just to make sure I do not need to do any alterations to it before tonight."

"Lorna, please I need to know."

"Room eighteen is a significant room, it is wear the high-paying clientele choose to spend their evenings." Her voice lowered as her lips twitched.

"I knew it, just looking at this room I knew it." Panic overtook my body as I began to shake uncontrollably. "I am nothing more than a sex worker oh my god they have bought me here to be a prostitute to vampires." I clutched my chest as I gasped for air.

"Miss Thorn please you need to calm down, you will get yourself killed if you act like this in front of them. Please take deep breaths for me." She rubbed my back as I lent forward. "That's it, keep breathing."

"Will I have to sleep with them?" My voice quivered as she smoothed my hair with her fingers.

"The higher paying clientele can be extremely diverse. Some like to let the other vampires know how wealthy they are whilst others are more reserved about their lifestyles. Miss Leyton was the same as you when she arrived but day by day she grew stronger and even began to form a friendship with Mr. Louis."

"I dealt that man is capable of friendship with anybody."

"She studied each one of them as individuals, she knew what to talk to them about and more importantly how to stay alive."

"But that's just it she didn't stay alive did she."

"Please Miss Thorn I worry about you, I do not think you are ready for this."

"I will never be ready for this life Lorna, I'd rather be dead than have to entertain these monsters for the rest of my life."

"Miss Thorn it isn't usually sex that they thrive for."

"Then what is it they want."

"Blood."