Sold: The Vampire's Slave

Disowned

I awake in the basement, alone. The burn-in my neck is gone to my joy. I prop myself up on my elbows, yawn, sat up, and stretch my legs and my arms. In general, my neck aches still, but otherwise, I'd say I've recovered. The basement is quiet, but the pattering of feet upstairs suggests work has begun. I throw on my clothes, and race on upstairs before Madame can notice my absence. I reach the top of the stairs to find Madame is waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently. I smile innocently, but her scowl doesn't fade.

"Oh, there you are," she says, her eyebrows furrowing together momentarily.

"Sorry, Madame," I say as I curtsy to her. In mid curtsy, she takes her hand and presses my head down. I stare wide-eyed at the floor. My neck muscles ache at the strain.

"I need you to sort through my bedroom upstairs. Just a thorough cleaning in general for any month torn and stained clothes," Madame tells me. I nod my head and start towards the stairs.

"Do remember this is your last chance," Madame warns me. My legs stiffen, and I turn towards her. She is already sitting in a tall, red chair with her face in a book. Despite that she isn't even looking at me, I still feel a sense of authority and annoyance radiating from her towards me. The upstairs has a square open space that leads to other rooms. There are three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small closet. Two of the bedrooms are cramped, but both are lavishly well furnished. Perhaps she has a family that isn't around now, for they appear to be the rooms that belong to a couple of young girls. I can't help myself to not peer into those rooms; however, I wish I hadn't. They remind me of my own bedroom back home. Hours I'd find myself putting together a new dress for myself, holed up in my room. That would be, of course, if I weren't on the streets of the town. I tear myself away to find Madame's bedroom, furnished well-polished wood, and leather furniture. Her closet is full of clothes, more clothes than I own back home. I pick up the many dresses lying on the floor to hang them up. It looks like perhaps she had been trying on dresses. Maybe she has a party of some sort to attend, judging by the types of dresses she was trying. I order her books and manuscripts on a broad shelf and fix curtains over the window that hang slanted on a slightly bent rail. Besides clothes, Madame has a lot of makeup and fine jewelry. 'I thought vampires were the timeless beauties naturally? Perhaps it's just a myth,' I wonder. I press my lips together at the thought of mentioning that to Madame. I'd best keep those thoughts to myself, or she will surely be angry again. I notice a bag in the corner of the room. Inside I discover the new dress Madame had bought.

My fingertips lightly touched the fabric of another dress. It was made of expensive imported silk. Soft, shiny, sleek fabric. I carefully slide my hand in through the sleeve and press the glorious dress against myself in wonder. I tear my thoughts away from my noble dreams and pull a wooden hanger down. I carefully slip one sleeve in when the sound of tearing fabric breaks the silence. My eyes widen in surprise, and my knees locked up. I pull the wooden hanger off the dress to discover on the one side, there is a sharp fractured edge. Behind me, I hear a gasp. I drop the torn clothing to the floor and cover my mouth to keep from shrieking.

"I-it was an accident," I whisper. My hands shake. I start running my hands through my hair. My body trembles uncontrollably, and my jaw hangs open as I whirl around. I turn around to see she is directly behind me, practically on fire in her rage.

"Please, no!" I cry out knowingly. Madame rushes at me. I lash out at the women as if lashing out desperately at an attacking wild animal. I struggle like a crazy woman to keep her dreaded fang from piercing my neck. The memory of yesterday's canines in my neck forces me to fight. Madame is a vampire, a being possessing inhuman power beyond human imagination. Before I know it, her fangs strike my neck, piercing the soft flesh, and the world begins to dim. I raise a hand up in an attempt to push her away, but I am already feeling exhausted. My eyes shut, at last, it's just too painful to keep my eyes open any longer. There is a hazy, foggy, dim sense of intense pain that threatens to strangle me. I want to breathe in more air, but it feels like I've been dragged to the bottom of a deep and treacherous sea. My body is suddenly tossed aside outside, just barely cushioned by something cold and wet. My eyes open just barely to see soft, fluffy piles of snow. I don't remember her carrying me down the stairs. Two days with a vampire master and I was already being thrown out, how pitiful am I? Oh god, and my neck. My ribs hurt so terribly! Definitely, truly pathetic of me.