"Mm..what time is it..?" I mumble as I reach for my alarm clock.
1:28 PM
I jumped out of my bed immediately, "It's 1 PM?! And nobody woke me up?!" I sighed, sitting back down on the edge of the mattress. "I gotta hurry up then.."
I got up and stretched, letting out a yawn. I went to the bathroom and was about to reach for my toothpaste in the cabinet, when I noticed a bottle of pills inside.
"Vlad told me to take it right after waking up.." I reminded myself and reached for the bottle of pills, taking one out and putting it in my mouth.
The taste is awful, but I have to endure it, unless I want a 40 minute lecture from him… "It's his company, why can't he make it taste at least edible…" I mumbled to myself.
As the pill dissolved in my mouth, the taste got even worse. I immediately spit it out, coughing. "I can't take this.." I say as I wipe my mouth, surely he won't know I didn't take it, right?
I finished brushing my teeth and splashed some water on my face, drying it using a towel. I went out of my room, looking for Vlad.
"Vlad?" I called out, my voice echoing around the empty halls.
I looked around, there were no maids in sight either. "Where is everyone? Dammit, I'm so hungry.." I muttered to myself, pressing my hand against my growling stomach.
I kept walking, searching for anybody that could be near, but I found none.
Just then, I heard a noise coming from inside a room. I immediately walked towards it, opening the door, I peeked Inside. The room was completely empty. The walls were painted a soft sage green, with only a few pieces of furniture draped in cloth.
Out of curiosity, I slowly entered the room. But as soon as I did, the door slammed shut behind me with a loud thud!
I froze for a second, before rushing to the door, banging on it out of panic, "S-someone, open it! Please!" I pounded on it harder, trying to kick it open even. My heart raced more as I spent another second in this room.
After a few minutes of banging, I gave up and sighed, "Seriously, I swear if there's a ghost in here…" I mumbled to myself, trying to calm my racing heart.
I glanced around a bit, hesitantly walking towards the dusty furniture. "Great, now I'm locked in here." I mumbled in frustration, resting my hands on my hips.
I was about to touch one of the covered pieces of furniture, when suddenly, somebody grabbed me by my throat from behind, lifting me off the ground.
I let out a scream! But it was quickly cut off as my air supply vanished. My trembling hands flew to my neck, struggling to break free, but the pressure only tightened. I tried to turn around to see who it was, but my vision blurred, the whole world around me beginning to fade.
Tears filled my eyes, "S-stop…I can't- b-breathe.." I forced the words out, using every bit of air left in my lungs.
My vision was dimming, and my heart raced so hard that it might burst out of my chest. Desperate, I gathered all the strength I had left and kicked back at whoever was choking me, praying it would be enough to break free.
We both collapsed on the floor, I gasped for air, my throat burning as I struggled to breathe. my vision blurred with tears as I turned to look at the person who was choking me.
"Vlad..?"
My eyes widened as I saw Vlad on the floor, a terrifying smirk on his face. His eyes were cold and lifeless, sending a wave of dread through me.
Is he trying to kill me..? Was he hiding in here the whole time..?
Without wasting another second, I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the door, pounding on it with everything I had.. "Please..! Someone open the door! He's going to kill me!" I screamed, my voice cracking in panic as I banged harder, desperate to escape.
Tears streamed down my face as I frantically tried to open the door, but it was useless. My heart pounded as I slowly looked back and saw Vlad getting up, running straight at me with a syringe in his hands.
The sight of him charging towards me, ready to end my life, sent pure terror throughout me. I screamed as loud as I could, my voice filled with fear.
Just then, the door behind me swung open. Vlad rushed in and immediately wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. "Annette! Stop it!" he urged.
I squirmed in his arms, sobbing and struggling against him with all my might, "Let go of me!" I screamed, desperately trying to free myself from his arms. But he was too strong and my attempts were useless as I continued to fight him.
Vlad tightened his grip on me, holding me even closer. His eyes softened as he noticed how shaken I was. He kissed the top of my head, his voice a soft whisper, "Shh, it's okay, Annette…it's okay.."
"No! Go away!" I cried out, tears still streaming down my face as I continued to struggle and squirm in his arms, my body trembling. But eventually, exhaustion took over and I finally gave up, resting my head against his chest as my tears subsided.
Vlad pulled me closer, gently running his fingers through my hair as he whispered in my ear, "Good girl, there we go…" his voice sent a shiver down my spine, both comforting and unsettling.
My heart, which was racing with fear, began to slow as I calmed down in his arms. Slowly, I looked up at Vlad with tear-streaked eyes, full of fear and confusion, "What… what happened..?" I asked him, my shaky voice barely above a whisper.
Vlad noticed me trembling and gently squeezed my hand, his gaze softening as he leaned down and pressed another tender kiss to my temple. "Shh.. just focus on breathing for now, okay..? We'll talk about it later, Sweetheart." He whispered, gently wiping my tears using his thumb.
I nodded weakly, his words soothing me. I could still feel the fear clinging to me like a shadow. I glanced around the room, it looked the exact same. I just hoped Vlad doesn't send me to a mental hospital after this.
Vlad lifted me effortlessly, carrying me in his arms as he closed the door behind us. He walked towards the living room, then carefully set me down on the sofa.
He softly patted my head, his voice calm and reassuring. "I'll go and make some coffee for us, then we can talk about it, okay?" He said in a warm tone as he turned away to leave.
As Vlad was about to walk away, I reached out with a shaky hand, grabbing his wrist and pulling him closer. He raised his eyebrow, his gaze questioning as he gazed down at me. "What is it, dear?"
I sniffled, my cheeks getting puffier as I tried to hold in my tears. I met his eyes, my own filled with desperation. "Stay…" my voice was fragile, barely above a breath, but it carried all the pleading I couldn't put into words.
Vlad smiled sat my words, his hand gently cupping my cheek as he caressed it with tenderness, "It's okay, you're safe now. I'll be back, I promise." His words were soothing, but the uncertainty still gripped me. Slowly, I let go of him, watching him leave the room and head towards the kitchen, leaving me all alone in the living room.
A flood of unwanted thoughts rushed through my mind. Was I dreaming? Was it all just a nightmare? Or had I been hallucinating? I wonder why I saw the thing I did, and why was it Vlad, of all people, who I saw? If he hadn't come for me at that exact moment, I wonder what would've happened..