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Special Note
In the Darkness is a constant work in progress. Everything you read is subject to change as I continue to add more to the story. Also, please note that this means this is not the final peice.
In the Darkness: Chapter 1
Katheryn made her way down a side street on her way home from work. She worked as a waitress at the local diner and had agreed to work the night shift - anything to get her out of that house, she had told herself when she agreed to take the hours. She hated to stay in that house. Ever since her parents died, she avoided it like a bad memory. Not to mention lately she felt like she was being watched.
The wind whipped around her and she quickly wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself tight against the cold. She scolded herself silently for not bringing a jacket. But why would she? It was the middle of summer, after all. Another gust of wind sent her stumbling forward. She fell to her knees, the concrete hard and cold under her. She cursed under her breath and started to pull herself back up as a shadow fell over her.
�Are you all right, miss?�
Katheryn looked up to see someone standing over her, holding out his hand. She ignored his attempt to help and stood up. �Yea, I�m fine.� She mumbled, embarrassed that anyone had seen her.
�You took quite the fall.� His voice was deep, confident, and flowed smoothly as he spoke.
Katheryn raised her eyes to meet his and took a sharp inward breath. Dark, intense eyes met hers. He stood a few inches taller than her with pale ivory skin. He looked so familiar to her, but she didn�t know how that was possible. She couldn�t remember ever seeing him before. He had a face that she would definitely remember.
�Are you all right?�
Katheryn blinked, bringing herself out of her thoughts. Realizing that she was staring, she immediately shifted her gaze. �Yeah.� Her voice was distant in her ears and suddenly she couldn�t seem to think straight. Her thoughts turned into a bunch of mumbling incoherent sentences. He bent his head to meet her gaze and she collapsed, the world fading to darkness.
�Selene! Selene, where are you child?�
The girl sat in the middle of the garden, ignoring the summons from the old woman that her mother had hired to take care of her.
The gardener crouched next to her and smiled. �Don�t you hear the summons, little princess?�
�Yeah.� She grumbled miserably and fell backwards, stretching out across the grass.
�Your tea will get cold if you don�t hurry.� The old gardener was feeble and brittle, but kind. He awkwardly stood back up and sauntered off.
She just sighed. She hated the awkward silences that her and her mother shared during their afternoon tea. She had decided a long time ago that they had nothing in common. Her mother had responded to her ideas of adventure with short, terse words that killed her ambition and kept her quiet.
At age 13, she was very mature for her age. She excelled at all the classes her mother assigned for her and astonished the professors that worked in the palace. But none of it mattered to her. The lessons were boring and meaningless in her eyes. Who cares what happened in the past? The present is the only thing that matters.
Staring up at the sky, her mind started to drift. The sky was a deep blue, not a cloud in sight. She closed her eyes and draped one of her arms over her eyes, shutting out the light. It wasn�t long before she drifted off to sleep, the sun warming her skin.
Katheryn slowly opened her eyes. She felt weak and there was a sharp pain at her neck. Her arm felt heavy as she reached up and touched the side of her neck. Her fingers touched something wet and her eyebrows creased in confusion. Looking at her fingers, she found traces of blood, illuminated by the dull light of the room that she was in.
Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she looked around the room. What happened? She tried to sit up but a rush of dizziness flooded her mind. She groaned and lay back down.
Suddenly, a girl entered the room. �Oh, you�re awake!�
Katheryn�s head snapped towards the voice, causing another wave of dizziness and a massive headache. The girl stood no taller than Katheryn. Her hair was long and dark, angled around her face and flowing down past her shoulders. A simple black dress hugged her body and stopped right above her knees. Her pale skin seemed to glow with it�s own luminosity.
�I must tell Michael.� She exclaimed then spun around, leaving as quickly as she came. Katheryn just stared after her.
�Where am I?� She asked the empty room. Slowly this time, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked around. Her bare feet touched the black plush carpeting that layered the floor. It was soft to the touch and molded around her foot as she added a bit of weight onto it. Her gaze wandered towards the walls which were covered in a deep blue design. Only the contrast from the carpet proved the walls to be blue, for they looked black. The furniture stood out most of all.
It was all a soft cream color, clearly the brightest color in the room. Katheryn sat on the couch, and she noted a lounge chair to her left and a love seat to her right. Separating the three pieces was a small, dark wooden table with a glass top. In the middle of the table was a vase full of deep red roses that she noticed for the first time. As she glanced around the room, she found similar vases scattered randomly.
"So, you've awoken?" A voice said from the doorway.
Katheryn snapped back to reality and spun her head around to face the sudden intruder. Her eyes widened briefly as she recognized that unforgettable face. The embarrassment came back to her as she remembered what had happened only a few hours before. The sensation mixed with confusion cause her to act on the defensive. "What have you done to me? Where have you taken me?"
"Calm down" He replied smoothly, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. He walked over to Katheryn and she nervously edged away from him. "I didn't do anything. You hit your head."
Katheryn narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. She tried to remember what happened, but it was all fuzzy in her mind. "Why bring me here?"
"What? Would you rather me have left you in that alley?" He replied with a slight edge to his voice.
"Well... no" Katheryn replied, looking away from.
�I didn�t think so.� He sighed, sounding annoyed and tired. �Get some rest, princess. You won�t be going anywhere anytime soon.� Their eyes met for a moment and Katheryn was hit with another strong wave of familiarity. She watched as he left the room then sighed heavily and deflated into the couch.
Soon after, the girl returned with a tray in her hands. �You must be hungry.� She smiled and set down the tray in front of Katheryn.
The tray was filled with an exquisite breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast were arranged elegantly on the plate. A large glass of orange juice sat in the top corner of the tray. Katheryn just stared at it for a moment before looking up at the girl. �Excuse me?�
�Oh, it�s not poisoned or anything.� The girl explained quickly, her face almost shocked at the very thought. However, Katheryn�s face showed her distrust. The girl frowned. �I apologize. We haven�t had... guests in a very long time.� She explained, pausing half way through.
Katheryn softened a bit and looked back down at the tray. The warm, sweet smell of the syrup reached her nostrils and her stomach growled with hunger. It was too tempting.
Slowly, she picked up the fork and stabbed at the eggs. She stared at the fork for a moment before she glanced back at the girl. Her face was eager, which only made Katheryn nervous. Shutting her eyes, she slowly slid the fork into her mouth.
�Well? How is it?� The girl asked.
�Mmm, very good.� Katheryn replied. If it�s poisoned, I might as well die with a full stomach, she decided.
The girl smiled triumphantly at the compliment. �Oh, thank you very much.� She started to turn away but stopped. Katheryn looked up at her, confused. Hesitantly, she turned back towards Katheryn. �My name is Vanessa.�
Katheryn�s worry suddenly drained away as she picked up the plate and held it in her lap. �I�m Katheryn.� She put another fork full of food in her mouth as her eyes wandered once again around the room. Vanessa watched her for a moment then turned reluctantly and started to leave.
�Can I ask you a question?�
The girl froze in the doorway then turned towards Katheryn, looking hopeful, �Yes?�
�Who�s the guy that brought me here?�
Vanessa hesitated, trying not to show her disappointment, but answered truthfully. �His name is Michael. He owns this house.� Katheryn nodded mutely and went back to eating. Vanessa disappeared out of the room.
Suddenly, Katheryn heard a crash from one of the nearby rooms. She quickly set down her plate and stood but the action was returned with another wave of dizziness. She held her head as the room began to spin and she fell back onto the couch. She waited for the room to stop spinning, then tried again. This time she succeeded.
She slowly made her way out of the room she was in and down the hall. She heard voices coming from the room not far away and paused outside to listen.
"Milord, don't you think this is too sudden? She�s not ready." Vanessa's voice was pleading and shaking.
"She stays. End of discussion" Katheryn recognized the voice of Michael as he replied forcefully. There was a pause before the kitchen door opened and Katheryn found herself stumbling in. �Hello, Katheryn. So nice for you to join us."
Katheryn glared at Michael as she regained her balance. "I want to leave."
Michael laughed and turned to Vanessa. "Go find Chris." Vanessa nodded, bowing her head, then hurried out of the room.
Katheryn clenched her fists tightly at her sides, her nails cutting deeply into her palms as she repeated slowly in case he missed it the first time, "I want to leave."
"You aren't going anywhere." He reached for her but she jerked away.
A boy of about 14 entered the kitchen. His short brown hair was cropped in impossible angles. But surprisingly, it looked good that way. "You wanted me, milord."
"Show Katheryn to her room." Michael told the boy.
Chris nodded and walked over to Katheryn. "Follow me, please." She decided it was pointless to argue at this point.
Chris paused at the door and slowly turned, looking at Michael. "Milord, there is only one room left and that room is--"
Michael interrupted Chris, his voice held a bored and slightly annoyed tone. "Yes, I know." The boy nodded and left, with Katheryn following closely behind.
Chris led Katheryn upstairs. She didn't realize how big this house actually was.
The stairs were made of thick black marble and a thin, deep red carpet ran up the middle of them. The marble was ice cold on Katheryn's feet and she cursed herself silently for not looking for her shoes. She quickly hopped onto the carpet and continued to follow her young guide. The hallway was eerily dark, and Katheryn noticed the lack of windows. Only a few elegant wall lamps hung on the walls. They gave off a soft yellow glow that made everything seem alive. Katheryn moved closer to Chris.
Chris stopped in front of a set of giant oak doors. Katheryn looked at the doors then back at Chris, question showing on her face. Chris' bright blue eyes just stared at Katheryn for a moment then shifted to the door. He took a set of keys from his pocket and fitted one of them into the keyhole. The locked clicked and the doors swung open.
The sudden light blinded Katheryn causing her to pause at the entrance. When her vision returned she couldn't believe what she saw. This room was beautiful. The sunlight poured in from the huge bay window. White silk curtains hung loosely in front of the window and she noted the thicker deep blue curtains that were tied back gracefully at each side. A seat was set into the window, a light blue padding covering it and several assorted pillows were assembled neatly in each corner. As Katheryn's eyes slowly moved across the room she saw something that made her gasp. A giant canopy bed was set up against the right wall. Matching curtains hung down on each side and were tied back by a silk ribbon on each of the bedposts. Katheryn tried to resist the urge to throw herself on top of the silk comforter and numerous pillows.
Chris waited patiently while Katheryn looked around. After a few moments he spoke quietly, breaking the silence. "This will be your room." There was sorrow in his voice, but when he looked at Katheryn, she saw curiosity. "Melinda will be come to take your measurements."
"Measurements? For what?" Katheryn snapped back into focus as everything seemed to hit her at once.
"For your clothes" Chris answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Clothes? No, I'm not staying here!" She argued. She didn't care how beautiful this room was, or the little voice in the back of her mind that was telling her to stay. All she wanted to do was get back home. Or so she thought.
Chris turned away from her. "I'm sorry." Katheryn was taken aback by his reaction, he truly did sound sorry.
"May I ask you something?"
Chris looked at her. "Yes?"
"Why can't I leave?"
Chris' eyes fell to the floor as he answered, "Because Michael has taken a liking with you. I'm afraid you belong to him now." Chris walked over to the door. "Melinda will be in, in a moment." He walked out before Katheryn could get a single word out.
Five minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. A girl entered who Katheryn guessed to be Melinda. She gazed around the room for a minute, almost as lost in the details as Katheryn was.
Melinda looked older then Katheryn, maybe by a few years. Her hair was long, straight, and dark, falling down her back in a single braid. Her skin held a slight tint of color. She looked at Katheryn and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, milady" Melinda immediately apologized.
"Huh?" Katheryn's eyes widened. Did she just call me milady?
"I'm here to take your measurements." Melinda told her as she reached in her pocket. She took out a cloth tape measure and measured Katheryn as she stood there in a daze. Then she bowed her head again and left as quickly as she had come.
Katheryn stared at the door as it closed. This is getting weird. It's like a dream... yea... I'm sleeping.
She walked over to the bay window and looked outside. All she could see was a closed in courtyard. Large, thick concrete walls lined each side.
But like the rest of the house, it was beautiful. There was a small pond in the center with large, flat boulders surrounding it. There were trees and flowers and... Roses? Yes, black roses were crowded together in one of the corners.
I've got to be dreaming, Katheryn thought. She blinked then pinched herself. It hurt.
"Don't hurt yourself."
Katheryn spun around to find Michael standing behind her, his arms crossed in front of him as he lounged comfortably against the wall. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" She snapped.
"It's my house." He shrugged.
"So much for privacy." She mumbled as she turned her back on him.
"Enjoying yourself?"
She laughed and spun around to face him. "Enjoying myself? Enjoying myself! I'm stuck in this house like a prisoner!" Katheryn yelled.
Miachel laughed at her reaction. "So you like the house?"
Katheryn didn't answer him. She turned back around and looked out the window. Michael stepped forward and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. It sent a shiver up her spine.
"What's out there that you want to go back to so badly?" He whispered into her ear.
She thought about it. She was a bit of a loner. Her parents died the year before in a car crash. She was so badly hurt by the experience she distanced herself from other people. She was alone.
Katheryn suddenly realized that Michael wasn't behind her anymore. She turned around and the room was empty.
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