Für Sarah

A Caged Nightengale

Magda's hands gripped the wooden head of her bed as Chagal's fingers brushed her bare ankle.

"Don't touch me." She warned in a deathly tone, her eyes staring daggers at the man who invaded her privacy and sometimes more than that every single night. "You are worried about make believe monsters in castles you say don't exist," the young maid spat. "Yet the only monster I see is you."

Chagal growled and removed his hand as Magda quickly sat up, pressing a pillow to her breast, holding it close.

She was terrified of him. But she wouldn't show it... not for the world. Magda was a woman, not a little girl who couldn't defend herself. She wasn't the same child he'd touched years ago in her first days of cleaning the stoves and fetching water...

  "Magda... sweet Magda..." Chagal scratched his white-touched beard. "Surely you don't mean that."

  The maid swallowed and curled her toes. "I most certainly do. Now leave."

  His hands found her ankle once more as he began to caress the small bit of skin exposed to him. Magda didn't flinch, nor did she command him to stop, but her body tensed.

She inhaled sharply as his fingers pulled the edge of her milky white night gown reveling the bare skin of her lower calf. "Why me?" Magda breathed. "Why after all these years do you come to me when I have given you no encouragement? I know you don't love me." The last bit was said with a sour scoff and she looked down.

"Because you are young and beautiful. And innocent." His answer made her eyes snap to him in shock at his sudden and harsh candor. "Which I am not."

Her gaze searched his face as he mirrored her actions, the silence tightening. Her lips parted to speak when...

A piercing scream sent the hairs on Magda's arms rising. Her heart race quickened as she recognized it.

  "Sarah!" Chagal's eyes were wide and terrified as he ripped himself from the maid's bed, dashing down the steeps to the second floor.

  Magda grabbed her shawl, throwing it across her shoulders as she ran after him, Rebecca colliding into her. "I-I'm sorry- I heard...Sarah!" The older woman's expression was filled with fear as she nodded quickly and together they quickly dashing down the wooden stairs and sharply down a corner into the guest's room... and through the threshold of the washroom.

Sarah was in the bath, covering her breasts, her legs curled up as she seemed to be gasping for breath. The older gentlemen had a hand beneath her chin and tilted her head away as he inspected her neck.

"Not a single mark. He was here... but... didn't bite her, my boy." The Professor released her and turned his head to feb crowed, paling. "Oh my... this is not what it appears, I assure you!"

Chagal cried out, raising a hand to strike the man when-

"No! Sir!" Everyone turned to see the young handsome lad trembling, "T-there was a man in here... a vampire... he was here, standing- kneeling- in front of Sarah-"

Magda's eyes opened wide as her jaw dropped and her breaths halted. But in a moment she was beside the terrified Sarah, wrapping her in a towel.

Rebecca was beside her quickly, sobs echoing through the room.

Chagal grabbed the young man's unbuttoned shirt, shoving him against the wall. "How dare you lie! Did you touch my daughter? Tell me!"

Alfred quivered and shook his head frantically. "No! It was that... that thing! The vampire!"

Suddenly, his words seemed to register to Chagal and his grip broke as he stumbled back. Rebecca began to truly weep, falling to her knees. Magda fell beside her, arm wrapping around her shoulders.

In an instant, Yoine Chagal was clutching Sarah's wet shoulders, his face contorted into angry fear. "Him? Sarah- was it him? The Graf? Did he touch you? He saw you! Was he here? Sarah are you lying? Did he touch you?!"

Magda looked up and saw the stunning child shake her auburn head, "No... no, Papa, he didn't touch me in anyway improper!"

Silence.

Sarah gasped, stuttering. She knew her mistake. "W-what I meant was, n-no one was here... I... I... didn't mean to--"

  "How could you! You wicked child!" Chagal tore his daughter from the bath as she shook, her small frame shrinking in fear, clutching the towel close. Rebecca tried to pry her husband's hand away from her daughter and Magda slid back against the wall, eyes wide in horror. "Yoine, she's just a child!"

But Chagal wasn't listening, he grabbed his shivering daughter and slung her across his shoulders, towel and all, before pounding out of the threshold.

"Papa!" The young woman cried, her voice breaking, hands trying to grip his shoulders and push away. "Papa s-set me down p-please!"

Rebecca screamed his name and tore after them, beseeching him to release their daughter.

Alfred was directly following behind- before Magda grabbed his forearm, digging her nails through his thin shirt to stop him. His eyes snapped to hers- kind, crystal blue eyes- frantic and fearful.

  "But Sarah-"

The maid shook her flaming braid. "You can't follow. It's not your business."

  The young man tore his arm from her grasp, and she was taken aback at how... short he was. Alfred was nearly smaller than herself.

  "Is he going to hurt her?" The man's voice was tight and the concern was even more puzzling to Magda. Had they spoken?

  "My boy, the woman has already made it very plain that this is not your business..." the Professor's voice startled both assistant and maid. "But what I wish to know, Madame, is why Chagal was not..." he paused as he searched for a word. "Shocked at the prospect that his daughter was nearly seduced and bitten by a vampire."

  Magda froze.

"It's not your business either, Professor-" the maid spat, hands clutching her dress to keep from shaking. "If that is in fact what you are!" And before they could ask another question, Magda fled the washroom and up to her own chambers. She pressed her back against the door and wept, a hand against her mouth.

Oh Sarah... poor, foolish, beautiful, heartless Sarah.

What would become of her?

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Sorry no video for this short chapter!!!!!!

Big meaty chapter coming up.

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