Chapter 3 Emily (POV)

By the time I awoke it must have been days. I was in an unfamiliar room - it looked like I had stepped into the past. The only thing that kept me from believing it was the presence of electric appliances and light switches around the room. The drapes were drawn but from what I could tell it was near dawn. There wasnt a sound to be heard.

I climbed out of bed and padded quietly to the window to look out. Drawing hte heavy drape asside, I stifled a gasp. It was an estate - THE estate, that I drove past almost every other day. I wondered how many people actually knew this place existed.

A large gravel drive lined by flowerbeds filled the front cortyard and led up to an enormous gate. The whole estate awas surrounded by high thick walls. They obviously valued their privacy. I pulled away from teh view, and decided to instead eplore the room. The cream colored panneled walls held numerous paintings - all equisit, and, I´m sure, costly. But I couldnt recognize any of them.

The room itself held antique wooden furniture: A large cupboard, a dresser topped by a huge mirror framed with delicately carved mahogany, a breathtaking couchset and coffee table (yes im a sucker for furniture) and, of course the bed. It was amazing. Four poster, down quilts, feather pillows, black silk sheets, everything! One look at it and I understood why I´d slept for so long.

I wandered over to the mirror. I was a bit hesitant to see te state I was in after sleeping so long, but curiosity overcame me and I stepped infront of the mirror. It took a few moments for the differences in me to sink in. I looked pale - deathly pale, but for some reason I wasnt worried. And it seemed, oddly enough, that my wavy perm had suddenly decided to undo itself. My eyes seem to have become a more icy, piercing blue and my lips had become strangely fuller and redder. Even my hair seemd to have taken on a deeper red hue, and to my delight, looked a lifetime healthier. I scruitinzed my hair with not too little glee; "Just like the Garnier adverts..." I thought to myself with a slightly conceited giggle.

I flounced joyfully over to the couch set where I´d seen a set of clothes laid out (had I been half naked all this time?) I was quite hapy with how my life was behaving just now so I wasnt incredibly surprised when the clothes fit me perfectly, and, on further mirror inspection, complimented me insanely well.

"Gosh, but I look a thousand dollars!" I said to my reflection.

"Yes, in fact, you do."

I spun around, caught off guard, not having noticed the man who entered my room. It was the same olive skined man from last night - or, which ever night it was.
"I see you´ve made yourself at home. Wonderful! My name is Jarol, and this is my estate. I hope you find it to your liking, and come to embrace it as home, as we too have done."

Whoa whoa, hold a sec - HOME? He must have seen the confusion in my face and the fact that I couldnt process a coherent word made him stifle a laugh for a moment, till suddenly a troubled look slid onto his face.

"You know why you are here, do you not?"
I just managed a slight shake of my head. What did he think? He freaks the bajebuses out of me, abducts me, and ten sneaks up on me and tells me I´ve got a new home.. two plus two just wouldnt make four in this scenario, hard as i tried to decypher it.
"So, you mean, you werent trying to find us?" Again, I had to shake my head.
"And all this time, we thought you knew..."

Whoooooo-okay, now he was really running me in circles, not to mention getting more cryptic with every word.
"What do you mean..?" I cautiously replied, though my gut instinct told me I probably would not like the answer.
"Well, how about we sit down?" Oh gosh, that´s never good. Nonetheless, I followed him over to the couch set and we sat, facing eachother. He sighed, and rested his forehead on his folded hands for a moment. Suddenly i felt like a child again, about to be told that, once again, my life would be completely uprooted and spun wildly about.

"Emily," He yanked me out of my reverie, "You must take what I´m about to tell you very objectively. I know that mindsets have been imgrained in you, in all humans, but," he rose from his couch and came to mine, "you must try to override them. Do you think you can do that?" I nodded again, gulping back aprehension. He crouched down infront of me, his hand resting on my knee. "Remember also," he continued, "that what you have always been taught is bad isn´t neccessarily so, when looked at from a different perspective." I nodded once more, holding my breath. But I could have never anticipated in a million years what he said next.

"We are vampires."

I almost laughed out loud, relief flooding my body. Vampires!They didnt exist! What were they, some kind of wierd cult sprung from a fairy tale? I looked into his eyes, searching for a mischeivous glint, a hint of myrth, SOMETHING, to show me that he was joking. A firm, dead-serious gaze locked with mine and the grin was instantly wiped from my face.

"Wait. You´re serious? Your a vampire?" I had to know.
"Yes." was all he said before he got up and strode to the door. He turned back a second before exiting. "And so are you."

The door closed with a thud so final it turned my heart to ice.
I´m a vampire? Not a chance.

I had to get out. This Jarol fellow had gone loony and I didnt know how many others there were like him. He´d said "us" though, which meant that he definatly wasnt alone. "No more!" I said to myself wtih finality. "No more foolish wierd rituals on me. They can find someone else. I´ve had enough of this in my life."

I glances around the room and noticed a black leather jacked hanging in the bathroom. I grabbed it and threw it on. perfect fit - again. Now ironic. Well it seemed these loons were clever enough, they´d done their research. Too bad it was all going to end up for nothing.

I cautiously cracked the door open and peered out with one eye. the hall was dark and deserted. I crept out quietly, testing the floor boards for creaking. Satisfied wtih teh result I sprinted down teh hall and down the huge flight of stairs, and made a dash for the enormous front doors.

Curious that there was no one around. I gave it no thought as I heaved, all my weight against the solid oak door. It suddenly gave way and I went stumbling onto the top step. As I looked up, the sun rose over the distant mountains and a terrible piercing pain shot through my eyes and began crawling over me, like a million hornets stinging every inch of my exposed flesh.

I screamed out in agony, barely able to push myself to my knees before colapsing back onto the step. I was growing weaker by the second. I was seeing stars, blacking out... A pair of leather gloved hands grabbed me and I was hauled back inside, the solid door slammed sturidly shut. The cool darkness soothed my skin and I weakly looked up into Jarol´s piercing eyes.

"Emily! Emily, are you alright??" His words echoed, again, as I lost conciousness.