The Vampire's Prey

chapter 2

I spent the entire day roaming around the mansion like always. There was nothing else for me to do but get bored. I wonder what it is he did all day? He never steps out of the mansion either but I don't know what he does to entertain himself. I've tried to find things to do here but now all I do is count days. At first counting time here was useless since there was no hope of me getting out of here but that changed recently.
I remember how during the first few days here I would run all around the mansion trying to find escape but even if there were doors and windows, an enchanted barrier kept me from going through them. I couldn't even step out to the balcony. It was suffocating. Living in the darkness without a breath of fresh air, it was so hard to get used to it. I became depressed and hopeless after failing my attempts to escape but I still didn't give up. I had all the time to myself in here so I did nothing but explore. Till finally a few days back I found it!
I went there to check again and ensure that my escape route was still available. It was in a store room in the basement. A broken window with a hole large enough for me to crawl through and no enchantment outside of it. I stuck out my hand through the window and it went through easily. Crawling out might mean hurting myself due to the cracked jagged broken glass but I could easily do it...just not yet.
The thing is, even if I escaped I don't know where to go. I need to remember some things first, know a little of where to go, make a plan and only then I can escape. Also there is another risk of me just running out without a plan and that is that I'm neither a vampire nor a normal person. With that scar on my neck I'd be a stray especially if I run away from him. If I don't belong to him then someone else might just take me as their prey. Normal humans will never accept me with that scar and at the moment I have no where else to go, I'd only run into worse situations. I need to be patient and think things through first.
I decided to go back now before he saw me here and found out what I was planning. I walked around the dark old mansion some more with nothing else to do. Except in my room and bathroom, all curtains were drawn closed during the day so that sunlight wouldn't harm him. No one else lived here but us two so many places were filthy with dust and termites and god knows what else. Most of the rooms were locked since there was no need of them and so I never saw what was inside those rooms. There was a library but I got easily bored by reading and there wasn't much interesting to read anyways.
The weather was getting colder and colder now, I guess winter is near. I stared at the view of the forest outside one of the windows. It was getting foggy but the greenery was beautiful, the nature called me. How long have I not smelled the scent of the grass and breathed fresh air and felt warm winds. I really wanted to go outside of this prison. How long do I have to wait for me to step outside again?
Then suddenly I heard music from a distance. A sound of a piano echoes through the halls. I followed it all the way upstairs to a big room. I knew there was a piano there but I had never seen him using it before. I stood outside the door silently and peeked into the room. The piano was in the middle of the room and he sat there gracefully playing it. I guess he got bored like me and decided to play something to entertain himself. The music felt nice and soothing but also...familiar. A forgotten memory began to resurface. I closed my eyes, listening carefully to the music and focusing on the memory.
'Aden I'm bored,' I heard my own voice moan.
'So what should I do?' I heard his voice from my memory.
'Go! Do something to entertain me!' I ordered. There was silence. 'Well? Isn't there anything?'
'Would you like to hear piano?'
'Yeah whatever,' I said with an attitude that I was having hard time believing as my own. Then I remembered him playing the same song on the piano.
"What are you doing," his deep husky voice suddenly made me open my eyes to see that he had stopped playing the piano and was looking at me. I was startled. I stared nervously back at him. "What is it?" He said, "do you want something?"
"No," I replied softly, "just keep playing the piano. It sounded nice." He just stared at me, either annoyed or confused by what I just asked. Or maybe he was just shy and didn't want to continue playing it in front of me. "I've heard the song before," I added, for some reason I felt like keeping up the conversation. "Have I heard you play it before?"
He looked back at the piano and mumbled, "yeah I guess you have heard it."
"Won't you play it?" I asked, he seemed hesitant. "Are you afraid my memories will come back because of it?" Wait why did I ask him that, now he'll make sure I don't remember anything. This was the first time something of my past came back. He stared at me.
"Why did you ask that? Did you remember anything?" He asked.
"Nothing much..."
"Its okay, the potion wasn't that strong, there's bound to be things that bring back your memories." Really, I thought, so will the potion start to wear off? Will my memories finally return sooner or later? He started to play the piano again all of a sudden and it suddenly made me smile. I liked the song it was such a soothing beautiful melody. Moreover, he looked so cool while playing it. He looked like a Prince from a fairytale.
I started to walk towards him, I was slow and hesitant but eventually I ended up standing right next to him. For some reason seeing me approach him made a small smile appear on his face. The smile would have been unnoticeable but since I've never even seen him smile even a little before, I noticed it. He smirked as he continued to play. I ended up sitting on the floor next to his seat.
Then finally the song came to an end. He became tired and he leant forward taking a deep relaxing breath. "Lea," he whispered looking at me sitting like an entertained child beside him.
"Hm?"
"I said I will repay you for all that you've done for me so far. You've treated me so well regardless of how I've treated you...so I decided. Name ONE thing and I promise to give it to you."
"Anything?" I asked suddenly excited.
"Why do you have something in mind?"
"I want...a day out," I finally dared to ask, "I know you'd never let me free but I haven't stepped out for so long...so just one day, a long walk around." He stared as he thought it through. "I won't run away!" I added defensively just in case he thought I was trying to trick him and believe me its not a lie. I won't run away, not yet but its true that walk is part of my plan to run away. If he gives me a chance to look around then I will be able to at least plan where I could run to.
"Okay," he finally said, "let's wait for a cloudy day when I can go outside and I'll take you for a walk...but on one condition!"
"What is it?"
"You're not allowed to let go of my hand! Not even for a moment."
I grinned with all the happiness inside me and said, "deal!"
Seeing me smile made him smile a bit too but he instantly turned his face away to hide it. Then he just got up to leave. I got up from my awkward sitting position as well and watched him walk away. He walked out the door and I followed him out while keeping my safe distance from him.
Suddenly, halfway down the hallway he seemed to have suddenly gotten weak and dizzy as he staggered and leaned his head against the wall while panting. He blinked hard as if trying to focus his senses and then began to tremble soon after.
"Aden," I whispered with a concerned voice, "what's wrong?"
I stepped a little closer to him and suddenly he said in his suddenly weak voice, "No stand back!"
I knew exactly what was wrong..."Are you thirsty?" I asked softly.
He gulped and then nodded.