Beyond Us | Mature Harry Styles

III - Instructions

I am awakened by the sound of my personal monitor ringing relentlessly. I wipe my eyes and reach my hand over to touch it, but it doesn't do anything. I try pressing all of the buttons located on the sides, but still, nothing happens. Now completely awake, I bang my fist on the screen, but it still doesn't stop sounding the alarm.

King Dexter suddenly appears on the screen, scaring me. I gasp, almost falling off the side of the bed.

"Good morning, Ms. Vance. I forgot to tell you about the alarm... my deepest apologies. You'll figure out your monitor as time goes on... but, for now, just know that you turn off your alarm by saying "off." Your monitor will recognize your voice and your voice only, and therefore turn off the alarm. There are several different commands you can give your monitor... again, you'll figure it all out with good time. Did you sleep well?"

It is way too early in the morning for all of this information.

"Yes."

"Good, good. In the top drawer of the dresser to the right of your bed, you will find your clothing for the day, along with your rings. The clothing may look a bit odd, but it is typical attire for Vampires. You will get used to it eventually. Get dressed, and I will be there soon with your instructions for the day."

His face disappears from the screen and I wipe my eyes again. I guess this is something I will have to get used to. As soon as I take a step off of my bed, the lights around my spacious room turn on. There must be a sensor on the floor or something... I am not going to try to figure everything about this place out. I would be thinking for years.

I trot over to the dresser and slowly creak open the top drawer. I squint my eyes in an attempt to see better, but what is in front of my eyes doesn't change much. I grab what seems to only be a small piece of black fabric from the top drawer, and stretch it out to reveal that it is actually a shirt... somehow. It is the smallest shirt I have ever seen, and much different from the things that humans wear. I have never seen anything like it.

Under the "shirt" is a black skirt, which is more acceptable but yet still hard to get used to, and under the skirt are a pair of... fishnets? Are these supposed to go on my arms? No, no... they're too long. They definitely go on my legs. Then, to the right of those, are a pair of long, black boots, and my rings.

Vampires wear this stuff?

Not only is it all black, but it all seems to be very... revealing. There is a long, black coat to the left of the dresser, with a small note on it:

I am sure you have discovered by now that the clothing of Vampires is much different from that of humans. Feel free to wear this over your new clothes, but make sure to take it off once you've reached the end of the tunnel.

I feel much better knowing that I can wear at least something that is somewhat normal... until I get to the end of the tunnel, of course.

I change into the clothing minus the coat and slip on my rings, and glance at myself in the mirror that is next to my bed. I have never seen myself look this way before. I look... sexy? Hm.

I shrug before putting on the long coat, which instantly makes me feel more secure. Not much longer after that, King Dexter shows up at the door, as promised.

"Ready for your big day?" He asks.

He has two men accompanying him; one that I recognize from yesterday, and another that looks almost identical to the other. Both men are dressed in all black, and have no expression on their faces.

"I guess." I reply.

"Very well then. We have a lot for you..."

I watch as King Dexter and his two minions walk over to the kitchen counter in my room and place several different items onto it. I try to figure out what some of it is, but quickly realize that I have absolutely no idea.

"First things first, this is a portable monitor that you will have on you at all times. You will keep it hidden at the bottom of your right boot. It has the ability to record any audio, or even video through the boot. We will only have it recording at certain times... only when absolutely necessary."

King Dexter walks over to me and bends down, pressing a button on the bottom of my right shoe that I would have never even noticed. A small space is revealed with only enough room for the tiny monitor. He slips the device in and closes the space.

I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.

"Next, we have an earpiece, which we will use to guide you through any tasks that we may need. We can use the video from your boot to figure out where you are, and therefore guide you to where you need to be or what you should be doing by talking to you through this. It looks like an earring."

He places it in front of me, and I slip it into my ear.

"This is a backpack that you will carry with you at all times. It will have the necessary gadgets that may be needed for that specific day as time goes on and we figure out what's going on. Oh, and your lunch."

He opens up a compartment of the backpack to reveal a packed lunch, and I can't help but laugh a bit. It is the first comical relief I have felt in the past two days.

"Today is going to be all about you simply figuring out your way around the castle. The Vampire castle is much different from ours... civilian Vampires are free to visit and even walk around their castle on a daily basis. There is only one section of the castle that is dedicated specifically to their king and his crew and that is prohibited to almost everyone else. They live much different lives than us... their territory is not nearly as strict as ours. You will find out more about them as you spend more time in their territory."

I take a deep breath before swinging the backpack around my shoulders.

"Lastly, if you need anything at all or if there are ever any emergencies, you can contact me on this monitor." He hands me a small screen in which I slip into the side of the backpack.

"Anything you will ever need will always be in that bag. Again, today will be easy, as you are to simply figure out your way around the castle, and make your way back around six o'clock."

I nod, trying to understand what my life even is, now.

"Any questions?"

"What if someone asks who I am?"

"You tell them your name."

Simple enough.

"What if someone asks why I am walking around the castle?" I squeak.

"They won't."

"What if they find out I am a human and--"

"Ms. Vance.. I can assure you that they won't. You have nothing to be afraid of."

I sigh.

"Oh, and, just so you are aware, their king's name is Victor. Refer to him as King Victor."

I nod.

"You've got this, Ms. Vance. Once you reach the end of the tunnel, you will know where to go. Follow the other vampires until you reach their castle. It will not be hard to find."

"Okay."

"Also, just remember that vampires are... a lot different from us, of course. You may see things that will surprise you, but remember to remain calm and unbothered. You may even see them attacking animals at times... that is supposed to be their only source of sustenance, according to our agreement with them after our second war. But, with the drastic decline in humans recently... we just can't be so sure. Be sure to not be seen eating your lunch... again, the only food they know is animals."

I try my best not to appear frightened. It's like I am a piece of meat and am being thrown into a lion's den. There are so may rules to follow, and I have got to be so cautious...

"You are the only human that can handle all of this. Good luck, Ms. Vance. These men will escort you to the beginning of the tunnel."

I nod, forcing a small "I've got this" smile at King Dexter.

The two almost-identical men gesture for me to follow them, and my feet begin moving before I can comprehend what I am about to do.

Here goes nothing.