It was cool, gloomy as I sat there in that mansion of hers. I hadn't moved since arriving back from that place. I came in... I sat down. Sebastian immediately presented her with that poison.

What was it about him that was so... familiar to me. Exactly who was he?

“I'm your creator... I made you what you are,” His words rang out to me. And I stared at him, in shock, in disagreement. Yet something just wasn't right. His voice, his face, his... touch all too familiar to me.

I heard Serena's words echo out from the library. “Mikael, come share this precious luce with us.”

I sat in silence, refusing to answer.

I heard her footsteps approach. “Hun, don't you care for a taste?”

I looked out and found her standing in front of me. “Is that all that is important to you, your precious light?” I asked.

She placed her hands upon her waist. “You’re as important to me... that's why I care enough to give you some.”

“I don't want any tonight.” I mumbled, setting my chin back upon my curled up fist.

I remained still as she quietly sighed.

“What is wrong with you? You haven't moved an inch since you came home,” she questioned.

“Who is he?” I grumbled.

“He?” she repeated.

“That vampire you brought in a week ago.” My voice grew louder. “Why did you bring him to me?”

She straightened her spine and stood in silence for several minutes.

I sat still waiting for her answer.

“He's an old friend of mine, that is all,” she finally said.

“And what purpose did it serve for you? You drugged him, brought him to me and watched us...” My voice trailed off.

My mind wandered at that moment. I had wanted to finish my sentence but cut short by the vivid images of him. Inside that dark bedroom, blindfolded, caressing me with such lustful embrace. Exactly what was this painful feeling bubbling up in my core now?

“You ask too much, Mikael,” she spoke, cutting that memory in two. “It was nothing, really. Maybe I felt to do so.”

I had hoped she'd leave me to myself just then. To walk off, leaving me to those memories of him from before. Such vivid images. However, she persisted to be a bother.

“Come, join us Mikael. Forget about it and join us for a drink.”

I caught a whiff of smoke rising into the air. A blurred image of him... that vampire laying on the floor. Clouds of vapor surrounding him. Something just wasn't right.

“Do you... see that?” I wondered, raising my head.

“See what, Mikael?”

Exactly why was I receiving these images of him now?

“Something’s burning,” I answered, standing up from the chair.

“I smell nothing.” Serena looked around her mansion. “Whatever it is, it's none of your concern.”

“Nothing is of my concern, is it?” I grew furious with her.

“It's probably just a small house fire...” She wavered.

I stopped fighting her and calmed a moment. Those images persisted in my mind, that stabbing feeling growing like a sharp knife poking me in the sides. Asking, begging me to come. Escape this place. Go to him. Save him.

Had I shared a connection with him?

“I... I must go!” I stumbled away from her.

I went to the front door. She followed closely behind.

Standing just outside the door, I spotted clouds of smoke wafting through the atmosphere from blocks away. Nothing but a small hill and a couple of city streets stood between the mansion and Chris's manor. Was this billowing smoke coming from there?

Just then I heard Serena's voice behind me. “What is it, Mikael?”

“Something is wrong.” I told, looking back at her.

She stepped out onto the porch. “Yes, it does look quite chaotic over there. But why worry, it doesn't involve you.” Serena looked out at the smoke and back at me.

“It's coming from Chris's manor!” I announced loudly.

She looked back up at the sky, at the rising smoke. “No. I really don't think he'd let his home burn to the ground, Mikael. Now come, back inside with you.”

“No!” I looked away and back at the sky. “It's him... that vampire... he's inside.” It was like I could see him. Laying on the floor, eyes closed, fire ablaze all around him. And that stabbing feeling from before began rising up into my throat. It stayed there, making me choke.

“What's all this commotion?” Sebastian's voice hollered from inside the mansion.

He walked out onto the porch. I didn't care to meet his questioning gaze.

“Mikael thinks there's a fire,” Serena explained.

“Oh, is that so. It does seem like there is somewhere, but why does he care?” Sebastian stepped onto the porch next to Serena.

“Chris's house,” Serena stopped short.

Sebastian remained quietly at her side.

I maintained my worrying stare up at the gray smoke in the air. It was heavy, the smell came to me as if the wind had blown it here just for me to take in. It seemed as if I was the only one who cared.

I choked on that feeling. The smoke overtaking my lungs making it hard for me to breath, making it hard for me to even move. And those images of the manor, of him trapped in the flames.

I didn't turn to announce myself, I didn't make it obvious one bit; I took off as fast as I could towards the fire leaving Serena and Sebastian there to ponder.

“Hey! Get back here!” I heard Sebastian's voice call out.

Then there was silence.

 

***

 

Just as I had sensed, the fire was at Chris's manor. I stood in shock just atop the bridge crossing the pond. The firefighters just on the other side of the manor were fighting desperately to put out the blaze. I felt a slight sprinkling rain from above as they scattered with their hoses, spraying the water through the windows and over the roof of the home.

Where was Chris and the others? How could he have let this happen? Most of all, where was the one who lay there helpless within the smoke?

I stopped and quieted myself for a moment. Those images came back to me again. More vivid, clearer than before the visions came to me. Lead me, guide me to where you are. Please!

Upstairs, I found the door leading in from the deck. The flames were harsh up here. I felt the heat rise up and blast my face, scorching at my skin. I dashed through regardless of the risks, which were slim. I was a vampire after all.

Those visions were persistent, however I knew I was close by as that same sense I felt before at Serena's had now began to poke at my entire body. As if voices were calling out follow me.

Indeed, I did as instructed. I stepped forth through the flames and into the hallway. All around me, the building began to collapse as I heard the crackling of the fire eat away at the home. Explosions boomed from downstairs as the flames found the gas lines to the oven.

I found myself on my knees with the rumbling blast.

“Shit,” I spouted to myself as I scrambled back up and immediately found myself in front of a closed door.

I stood for a moment as that stabbing sense rose back into my throat. He was just inside, I could feel it.

Quickly, I threw open the door. Just as those visions had told, he was laying motionless on the floor. With the blazing fire all around him, he was left here with no one else in sight.

How could this have happened?

“Hey!” I yelled out. He didn't move.

I scrambled to him and knelt down beside him. I leaned in, taking a better look. His eyes were closed, a drunken grin planted firmly on his lips. Upon further inspection, I found it odd for the button holding his jeans around his waist to be undone. The bottom of his shirt had been lowered, in an attempt to cover his loosened pants.

“Hey, wake up!” I placed my hand upon his shoulder.

Suddenly, his words came back to me once more. Those words I had tried to deny.

Yet, it was impossible! How could he be... my creator?

I had to get him out of here.

I picked up his limp body and threw it over my shoulder. Dodging the incoming flames, I made haste for the balcony door.

Those images that began earlier had stopped now the minute I walked into the burning room. However this strange sensation did not. A sensation, a deep pulsating beat within my core as I hurried away with him in my arms.

“I am your creator... I bit you... found you again and cured you of denial.” His words whispered in my ears as I jumped from the second floor down to the ground.

Denial... Serena had told me of that disease once before. I couldn't believe I had been saved from that appalling, suicidal fever. However, I couldn't explain the visions and strong intuitions I had been experiencing throughout my stay at Serena's.

I shook those thoughts from my head. I needed to get out of here.

As I set to the sky, I looked once more down at the fire below. I didn't see Chris or anyone there. Only the firefighters and a crowd of onlookers who gathered at the scene.

How could he have been left to die here alone?