Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE
         I sat beside the dazzling Lady Eudora and stared out of the dark tinted window.  An uncomfortable silence lay between us, mostly due to the awkwardness of the situation.  The only sounds to be heard were the pavement passing beneath the car, quiet breaths, and every so often a ruffle from her Victorian dress.  On one hand I wanted to despise her for the atrocities she was partaking in, and on the other, I simply wanted to lay my head in her lap and hear her speak words of comfort.  There was something about her that made her seem like she could be trusted, but her eyes and hair would suggest otherwise.
         "I do hope that we will eventually come to be on speaking terms, my dear.  Although you do not realize it, I have saved you from a possibly worse fate.  I promise, you shall find some small happiness here," she cooed as she rested her hand on mine, as a gesture of kindness.
         "Where are we staying?" I inquired while continuing to gaze out the window.
         "The Halifax Manor," she replied as she withdrew her hand, a bit stung.
         "I thought that's where you might be living.  Judging by how you dress, it seemed to suit you," I said, this time offering enough respect to look at her as we spoke.
         "Yes, it suits me very well.  In fact, I have always owned it, though now I need not run it as a bed-and-breakfast."  This spark of actual conversation caused her tone to shift to that of an eager schoolgirl.
         "Well, it seemed very nice, going by the only time I've been there.  Is it really haunted?"
         At this, she laughed.
         "Of course not!  Oh look, we're finally here!"
         The Jaguar came to a slow stop and the chauffeur stepped out of the car.  He came around and opened the door for Lady Eudora while I let myself out on the other side.  I stood at the bottom of the steps leading to the front door of the house, indifferent to the snowflakes falling to rest on my face.  I had been here about two years ago during the summer; my family had eaten lunch here and taken a tour of the building which was well-known and said to be haunted because of a set of family suicides.  Who would have guessed that I would be returning under such wretched circumstances?
         I followed Eudora inside and trailed behind her as she gave me the tour.  The dining room looked much different; there were no longer several small dinner tables but one large, rectangular, mahogany table that took up much of the space of the room.  Everything else appeared to be unchanged; rich carpeting, antique furniture, dim lighting.  Eudora led me upstairs and opened one of the doors.  Before she spoke, I took in the beauty of the room.  There was a simple twin size bed but it was covered in ornate bedding, with green and blue florals.  The wallpaper had a very similar design, but all green.  The wood floor was shiny and spotless.  There was a writing desk in the far corner with an oil lamp setting upon it, and a bookshelf sat in the opposite corner.  It seemed like every girl's dream room.
         "This will be your bedroom.  You should find it quite generous, being in your position.  There are clean clothes in the dresser, servant's dresses and nightgowns.  The dresses in the closet are very exquisite, and they are there for you to wear, but only when you attend to me on certain outings," she explained as she opened the closet door.  From what I could see, the dresses were more beautiful than any clothing I had seen before.
         "Where is the bathroom?  I need to take a shower."  I felt so filthy after all that had happened.
         "Oh, of course.  It is two doors down, on the left.  Well, I'll leave you to it then.  I have another servant, Brigitte.  She will wake you up in the morning and show you what work is to be done.  She sleeps just in the next room.  If there's anything you need, be sure to let her know.  Goodnight for now."
         Eudora quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.  I continued to stand there for a few minutes, staring at the dresser.  What type of servant was I, to be treated so kindly?  My expectations of mistreatment and abuse were far from reality.  I took the time to go through the drawers ad inspect the clothing.  The first few drawers contained simple white cotton dresses; beside these folded dresses were aprons and sleeveless over dresses of various drab colors.  The bottom drawer had simple white nightgowns that were almost completely lucent.  With a sigh, I wondered why this Lady Eudora had been thoughtful enough to provide me with rich and ornate dresses, but not underwear.  I reached in the bottom drawer and took a nightgown with me into the bathroom.
         Standing before the great mirror above the sink, I began to undress myself; there was not much to take off since I was only clad in a tank top and underwear.  I leaned over the sink and closer to the mirror to get a closer look at my face.  My eyes were red and puffy, drawing attention from the grey irises that everyone found to be so beautiful. My hair fell forward, greasy and tangled, obscuring the reflection of my breasts.  My eyes began to tear as I realized that this was the condition in which Owen had seen me before our separation.  I turned away from my reflection and began to fill the bath water, since there was no shower head.  There were no bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash; only a single bar of soap.  This only seemed to emphasize the fact that things would never be the same.
         The entire time I lay in the bathtub and the bed, I thought of all I had lost that night.  As I once again thought of my parents, I had to try to muffle my distraught cries.  Owen was my only hope; I longed for him terribly.  In a crowd, he might not stand out very much to others; he was an average height, average build.  He always reminded me of some Roman god, with his tan skin and dark, curled locks.  Though his hair was of the darkest, deepest brown, it appeared ashy at times with the sprinkles of premature grey hairs.  His appearance, up close, was made startling once having gazed into his vibrantly green eyes.  My mind clung to his image as I drifted off to sleep....

         The next morning I awoke to my body being violently shaken.  Once completely awake, I rolled over to face who must have been Brigitte.  I tried to control the muscles in my face but my expression must have given me away.  She stood only about five feet tall; the exposed parts of her body were covered in scars, her back hunched, one eye was blind, and tufts of her light blonde hair were missing.  The frightening part was that this was not an elderly woman, but a woman who was at the most in her late twenties.
         "Are you going to gawk, or are you going to get up?" she asked in frustration.  "I've been trying to rustle you awake for the last ten minutes!"
         She limped over to the corner, staring at it with her arms crossed.  I hopped out of bed and quickly changed into one of the servant outfits; I did not want to further her anger by stalling.  After brushing my hair and having a bit to eat, we left the house for the market.
         "How long does it take to walk to the market?" I asked Brigitte, breaking the silence.  I hoped it would be a quick journey, for it was beginning to snow and all I was wearing was a simple dress.
         "About half an hour.  We'll probably spend an hour there, and then of course it's half an hour back.  You should be glad though; this is probably the hardest you'll have to work," she resentfully replied.
         "Well," I began defensively, "I'll be helping to cook and clean, and-"
         "You'll be expected to do no such thing!" Brigitte snapped, cutting me off and bringing our movement to a halt.  "I'll cook her meals and you'll serve them to her; I'll wash her laundry and you'll put it away for her.  While you two go off to late night parties, I'll be cleaning the house!  She didn't hire you for a servant, she wanted a companion!"
         Her face was so close to mine, I could smell her breath.  I continued to wince even after her yelling, half expecting to be backhanded.
         "Why would she tell me to do these things and dress like a maid if she only wanted me as a companion?" I hesitantly asked.
         "Because it's not fitting for a vampire to have a human for a friend," she plainly replied, beginning to walk once again.
         "Excuse me, but did you say ‘vampire?'"
         "Yes.  That's what they are-," and so she continued to tell me all there possibly was to know about them.
         As she spoke, I held my breath.  It all seemed so bizarre!  Besides the fact that a single group of people had taken over a country, they were taking over the whole world, and they were vampires!  Brigitte explained to me that they were not exactly like the image once portrayed by pop culture, but still similar in certain aspects.  They drank blood but did not depend upon it for their survival; because of their battle for survival during the first stage of this virus, they did not like light, but their bodies could withstand it.
         By the time Brigitte had finished speaking, we had arrived outside of a large warehouse which I took to be the market.  For some reason I had envisioned it as an outdoor market, though it would not have made much sense in this weather.  Brigitte opened one of the doors and I followed behind; so far, following was the only thing I was capable of doing.  The inside of the warehouse was bright; I suppose it need not be dim if the humans were the ones doing all the shopping.  There were dozens of booths, all selling something different:  fruit, vegetables, dairy, baked goods, perfumes and hygienic products, clothes, shoes.  I assumed the vendors to be human, based on the fact that they all looked to be about my age, which was sixteen.
         "Lady Eudora gave me a list of things to buy.  I'll take care of all the food.  She has written down for you to buy yourself a coat and other clothing necessities.  Whatever you choose, just tell them to put on the Lady's bill.  Meet me back here at the front in about an hour."
         Brigitte bitterly limped to the produce stands, brining to mind a waddling distempered goose.  I gazed around the full warehouse, wondering where to look first.  The smell of fish was attacking my senses, but as soon as I moved farther back into the building it began to disappear.  From that point and beyond, it was all manufactured goods.  I wandered by the stands, but it was not he clothes that were the center of my attention; it was the faces of the vendors.  Young teenage boys and girls with dark bags under their eyes, dirty, and emaciated.  All of them held their heads down, staring at their hands or feet, unable to look anyone in the face.  I stopped at a stand that had coats and jackets for sale.
         "How much is it for a coat?" I asked the vendor, a young oriental beauty whose splendor was slightly dulled by her circumstances.
         "It depends.  Which one are you admiring?" she questioned in a small mousy voice.
         There were only three different coats.  There was a long leather coat, but it appeared to be made for men.  The other was a beige trench coat, but definitely not ideal for the bitter cold.  My eyes fell on the long wool coat, grey and feminine, and the perfect length for me.
         "This one," I replied, feeling the bottom of the sleeve with my hand.
         The girl told me the price, but I was not up to date on the currency rate.  I hoped that it was fairly priced and asked her to put it on Lady Eudora's bill.  After this, I leaned over and shyly asked her to point me to a stand where I might purchase bras and panties.
         Brigitte and I somberly began the walk back in silence.  I was wearing my new coat which was in much better condition than hers; for this, I felt guilty.  I carried in my arms wrapped packages containing undergarments, socks, and a pair of satin slippers, while Brigitte carried paper bags full of food.  At that moment, it occurred to me to ask her something.
         "Brigitte, how long have you been Lady Eudora's servant?"
         She glared at me from the corners of her eyes before replying, "Two years."
         "How can that be, if they only raided citizens' homes yesterday?" I asked suspiciously.
         "They've been watching some of us for many years and picking us off a little at a time before last night," she grumpily answered.
         I made no remarks.  She sounded delusional.  She had probably made up the whole vampire thing to toy with me because she was jealous.  If Lady Eudora did indeed desire me as a companion, perhaps she would not mind my asking her....

Cautiously, I walked up to the room I assumed to be Lady Eudora's, after considering that it was the largest bedroom in the house.  Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead and my heart beat at a quickened pace.  My breathing became faster and more shallow.  There were so many reasons as to why I was afraid to knock on that door.  Perhaps she would be upset at me for coming; perhaps, if she would humor me and answer my question, I would not like her answer.  There was only one way to find out.  I forced myself to rap on her door.
         "Come in," she sternly called.
         Slowly, I turned the door handle and let myself in.  The ringing in my ears commenced from all the stress I was suddenly putting upon myself.  I took a moment to gaze around the bedroom.  There was a fine oak desk with a large, filled bookshelf standing beside it.  The wallpaper was a baby blue with a white lacy design.  The bed was a queen size, and fit for a queen at that; a gossamer off-white canopy lie over it.  There was also a vanity with an antique lamp and large mirror; this is where I found Lady Eudora sitting.  She saw my gauche reflection in her mirror.
         "There you are, Layna.  I haven't seen you all day.  Would you be a dear and brush my hair while I apply my makeup?  I will be meeting with an old friend tonight," she said as she held out her hairbrush.
         I awkwardly stepped forward and took the brush in my hand.  I could tell she had just recently bathed and that her hair was finally drying.  Carefully, I took a handful of her long, luscious red hair.  The many curls made me think it would be a challenge to brush, but it was quite the opposite.  Although her hair would have been perfect after ten minutes, I continued to groom it.  I found it entrancing, to feel its silky softness and watch the light of the lamp show off its gorgeous sheen.  After a few more moments, I remembered my reason for coming to her room.
         "Lady Eudora, I had a question for you," I sheepishly admitted.
         "Oh?  What was your question?"
         "Well, while Brigitte was telling me about my... duties, she said something rather odd.  She told me that everyone who is currently in control, and including yourself, is a vampire.  Is that true?"
         Her complete silence frightened me.  Was I out of line?  Would I be in some sort of trouble?  Oh no, I should have never knocked on that door!
         "Yes, to an extent," she finally replied.  "We do not like to use the term, but many of us accept it; our disease has been called ‘hemomania,' but being called a hemomaniac just sounds so offensive.  ‘Vampire' makes it seem so... romantic.  If Brigitte has been saying distasteful remarks about myself or my kind, I would rather you did not speak to her," she stated sardonically.
         Well, there it was.  Brigitte was not completely crazy after all.  I needed to control my thoughts and emotions, otherwise I was going to vomit.  The ridiculousness and yet severity of the situation finally threw itself upon me.  This was my doom until Owen would come to my rescue.
         For a brief moment, I forgot all of my worries as Lady Eudora stood up before me.  Anyone, even I who was not a man, would have been stimulated and felt their heart quicken upon beholding her.  Her milky white skin had a perplexing glow; her formal evening gown made her appear even more radiant, with its blood red silk and golden inlaid designs.  Everything from her neck, to her breasts, to her fingers would drive a woman mad with envy.  Her icy blue eyes which I had at first found to be terrifying, were dancing pools that were the embodiment of temptation.  Thin black eyeliner and golden shadow set off bother her eyes and the gown.  One would think that so much red on a woman would be distasteful or excessive, but it was neither; when you looked at her you wanted more red, more gold, more milky skin.
         "How do I look?" she asked with a smirk; she knew she was gorgeous.
         I summed up all my thoughts into a single word:  "Wonderful."
         "Excellent.  Well, I'm off then.  Don't worry, next time I will take you with me.  I just thought you would need more time to adjust.  Tomorrow we will have a visitor, so I would greatly appreciate it if you could assist Brigitte with the cleaning."
         I walked out of the front door with her to see her off.  Before getting into her car, she gave me a dazzling smile and a wave goodbye.  As I went back inside, I gave a long sigh and thought to myself, "I'm going to hate enjoying myself here."  I ran up to my room to cry into the pillow, once again upset over my parents' deaths, but also upset at myself for not having held this against Eudora and allowing myself to like her.