It wasn't typical of me to sit and follow orders. I found it extremely difficult to stay within that room especially when my mind was focused on obtaining Mikael back into my possession.

However, I did as instructed of me. Five nights had passed and I hadn't stepped a foot outside of Chris's manor, nor did I even venture far from the room he had banned me to. I hadn't seen Chris either, yet made use of CiCi who came to visit me often to tend to my wants and needs.

She would allow me to drink from her, most times granting permission for me to hold her comfortably and taking enough blood for me to sustain myself. Wrapping my arms around her torso as she sat still upon my knees, I lowered my fangs to her collar. She panted, her heart beat pounding within her chest as she reached into her pocket to retrieve a capsule.

A few of those nights, we sat upon the bed discussing things like her recovered memories and how her life has been during her stay.

“Why do you stay here now that you have found yourself again?” I asked of her.

She hesitated a moment, looking down at the floor. “I have no where else to go. No one waiting for me nor have I heard of anyone searching for me.” A tear ran down her cheek. “I don't think any one cares.”

I situated myself closer to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. Showing affection and caring when someone was in pain... wasn't usual of me either.

“Ah, you really should tie back these curtains. At least see some of the night if you're stuck inside.” She wiped at her rouge tear, stood up and walked towards the window.

I scooted back upon the bed, relaxing up on the pillows.

“Why don't I take this curtain down and wash it for you?” She flashed me a smile.

She went to the side of the room next to the table, pulling the small stool over and setting it in front of the window. Carefully she climbed the stool, slowly gathering up the curtain and slipping it off the rod. The stool rocked as she leaned forward to unhook the end of the curtain.

I quickly jumped off of the bed and caught her just before she came crashing down with the stool and curtain in hand.

“Careful.”

“I got it. Thank you, Lucious,” she assured me as I set her to the floor.

I sat back up on the bed, relaxing where I was before.

“Anything else for me, tonight?” she wondered.

“No, thank you.”

She began to walk towards the door when she stopped and turned back to look at me. “I really hope you save Mikael from that place soon.”

I gasped at her comment. Lowering my eyes to the floor, I asked her “Why is that?”

“It's in your eyes... you miss him. I miss him too. He was always friendly even if I barely knew him at all.”

“Thank you, CiCi.”

With the curtain in her hand, she walked towards the exit flashing me another of her beautiful smiles before she closed the door.

 

Sitting still upon the bed, my mind quickly began to focus on Mikael.

“You miss him...”

It was true, indeed, I missed him. Five days locked up in this room and everyday I could not manage to freeze those thoughts and memories. I could not extinguished them from my mind although each and every passing moment meant longer that I was away from him.

I could not find a solution, a way to retrieve him from Serena's grasp. It was difficult enough being bound to this forsaken room stripped of even the slightest pleasure of feeding... barred of seeing the night sky.

So as I lay there, silent and still those memories of Mikael crept up on me once more just like they had been for the past twenty years.

It was 1989, we were in Northern city, Chris and I... what we were doing there? I really don't remember now. I had been avoiding Serena's grasp for almost 60 years with Chris by my side the entire time. Like partners in crime we were then. For decades we would seduce our pray, usually two or three at a time, engage in their activities and then take them for all they were worth.

We had happened to stumble down an old, run down part of Northern. The streets were normally busy during the day yet at night, they were cold and empty.

“Tell me Lucious, why just the jeans and shirt?” Chris asked while we walked. He hadn't looked much different then than now, though his hair was longer to go along with fashion style. “A suit would be much more fitting for you.”

I never could understand his fascination with finely pressed suits.

“I'm not a yuppy, Chris. Jeans and a shirt is just fine,” I had declared.

He was always much more formal than I. Wearing his suits and ties with dignity, his hair pulled back, and his face clear of any residue from a previous feeding.

Unlike him, I often wore my hair down, messy and unbrushed like now. I didn't care if my jeans were ripped nor if my shirt wasn't ironed.

It was such a useless conversation.

We reached the alley and I looked over to see my next feast, unsuspecting as he came out from his door with a bag of trash in hand.

Chris stopped to stare as well. “Such a perfect opportunity,” he whispered. “Will you be indulging yourself, or shall I?”

“Of course,” I whispered back “I will.”

No one else was around, this was a prime chance for me to play with my meal as I often enjoyed to do. “Watch this.”

Immediately, I ran up to the man just before he reached the dumpster. He jumped back, dropping his bag, allowing the contents to spill upon the ground.

“Who are you?” The man asked, shaky with fear in his eyes.

I grabbed him by his shirt collar, pulling him closer to me. “Death...” I smiled, baring my fangs for him to see. “It only hurts for a moment.”

He gasped as I tightened my grasp on his collar. I had pulled him closer, his eyes peering straight into mine. Never had I seen such blue eyes as his. They sparkled in the dim light and I caught myself fascinated in their bloom.

Quickly, I slid behind him as not to loose myself. Still holding him tightly, I wrapped my hand around his neck to restrain him.

“Prepare yourself,” I whispered as I tipped his head back.

I felt his heart beat fast within his chest, the rhythm pulsating into my hand as I held him tightly. Just before I could dig my fangs into his neck he began to whine.

“No, please.. no!”

“Tell me then,” I asked of him. “What is there in your life you have to live for?”

A question I normally asked of my prey. It really wasn't to make fun of their life, or to even understand what I was taking away from them. Maybe it was to pry... I hadn't lived much of a mortal life myself, so asking them before they die in my arms was just of my own curiosity.

Yet, this man only writhed in my arms. He inhaled, choking on his breath as I tightened my hold upon his neck.

“Tell me!” I demanded.

The man sunk to his knees, taking me with him.

“What have I done to deserve this?”

I looked out towards Chris who stood impatient for me to finish. He pointed at his wrist like signaling at the time. In the rush, I lowered my fangs to the man's neck.

This man was unlike any I had encountered before. A lifetime of nights of fun and exciting prey, sometimes feeding upon two at a time. I took pleasure in their agonizing screams, in their gratifying moans as they embraced their pain and their death. Feeling their heart beat fade as I drank the last drop of their life caused me delight in this sadistic ritual.

However, for a moment, as I slowly drained this man of his life, I did so regretfully. His eyes, the fear in his voice, his weak body shrinking in my arms... and I faltered.

I released my fangs and looked over at him as he trembled in my arms. He returned the gaze to me, his eyes tired and sluggish, and I beheld their color once more... his amazing blue eyes with that same spark as before.

Immediately, I dropped him to the hard ground below and stood up. I darted past Chris out of the alley way.

“Lucious!” he hollered out to me.

I heard him... but didn't stop.

I had found my own suffering again that night. Remembering back to when death hovered over my shoulders waiting for me to give in, I wasn't the same after meeting Mikael.

That cold night in Northern... the first night I had ever felt uneasy, the first time I had anguished in my victim's pain. I knew I had left him there, undead with my virus pulsating through his veins.

It was only a year after when I realized that I must seek him out. If I was to heal his pain, then maybe I could govern my own torment, yet I didn't envision that I would come to feel such affection for him as well.

I sat there atop of the bed, that memory winding down now when suddenly I sensed him approach the manor. He closed in fast with Sebastian at his side.

Quickly I jumped up off of the bed and went towards the window to look out. There they stood on the balcony, preparing to walk towards the front door.

I stood and watched them carefully. They walked to the door and Sebastian knocked only to be welcomed by Chris. I tuned into their conversation.

“Ah, Sebastian. Did Serena send you for more?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, can we come in?” Sebastian wondered.

“You can... but he cannot.” Chris pointed at Mikael. “He's no longer welcome here.”

Sebastian turned to look at Mikael, his lips curled up in confusion. Mikael softly spoke, and then turned back, crossing the bridge that lead to the back of the house. Had he decided to leave?

Chris smiled, welcoming Sebastian into the house and closing the door behind them.

I had to get out of this room and stop Mikael before he left...