The True Nature of a Beautiful Flower

      On a wet and stormy night, a girl lies on the side of the road, bleeding from the many wounds that cover her body. She is so close to death that she can't feel the pain anymore. She has given up on calling for help; no one can hear her cries. As her eyes begin to close, a dark figure appears. The figure lifts the young girl off of the ground. As he begins to walk, the girl falls into unconsciousness.

         Where am I? was the first thought Belinda had upon waking up. Her eyes opened slowly. She expected to see light pouring in through her window, but that was not the case. Instead, the room was dark, yet she could see. She sat up and looked around.
         This isn't my room, she thought. A chest of drawers stood across from her, a candle atop it. It was lit, giving off a soft glow. There were no other sources of light, so how was she able to see so well?
         Deciding to get up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Now she was facing a window, heavy, black curtains drawn over it. She crossed the room quickly and gripped the curtains, ready to pull them open.
         “I wouldn't do that, if I were you,” said a voice from behind her.
         She turned quickly, her mind screaming at her to run.
         A man, dressed all in black, stood just inside the room, staring at her. A small smile was playing on his lips. “I know what you're thinking,” he said. “'Where am I?' 'Who is he?' 'How does he know what I'm thinking?' No, I do not read minds.”
         Belinda closed her mouth, for she had been about to ask that. She feared this man, even though she had only just met him. She watched as he came farther into the room, his hands behind his back. Her fingers gripped the curtain fabric tighter.
         “My dear, all your questions will be answered, in time. But first...” He brought his hands from behind his back. In one hand, he held a brown package. In the other, a small, white box. “I have two things for you. The first is this.”
         He laid the brown package on the chest of drawers. Belinda watched with mild curiosity as he pulled the lid off of the white box. Even in this light, she could tell exactly what it was. A ring, just her size, the jewel set into it a blood-red ruby.
         Belinda suddenly felt light headed. She swayed a little on her feet, ready to fall, to pass out. And suddenly the man was there, holding her elbow, steadying her.
         “Now, this ring will keep you safe during the day,” the man said. “You must never take it off when you go outside, or you could burn up and die.” He slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand.
         Belinda blinked and looked down at the ring. When she looked up, the man was at the chest of drawers again. How does he do that? she thought.
         He picked up the brown package, then looked at her. That smile was on his face again. “This is the fun part,” he said. He tossed the package to Belinda. Miraculously, she caught it. Before, she would have tried and failed, but now... How had she done it?
         She stared at the package, unsure of what to do. At a loss, she looked to the man for answers. But he wasn't there. She searched the room with her eyes, wondering where he could have gone. Her eyes went back to the package. She tore the paper off, then screamed.
         A baggie full of dark blood sat in her hand. Revolted, she dropped it on the ground. She heard the blood sloshing around as the bag hit the floor. Nausea came over her, causing her to double over, her hands covering her mouth. The bag had a small slit in it, and blood was trickling out.
         Then something happened to her. She felt something sharp poking at her lip. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off the blood. All thought left her mind and she dove for the bag. In one move, she picked the bag up and brought it to her lips. Without hesitating, she tipped it back, letting the red liquid drain into her mouth.
         The taste was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. It tasted like the smell of roses, like the ripest cherries. It was an explosion of flavor, and she wanted more. In seconds, the bag was empty and lying on the floor.
         Slowly, her thoughts returned. She stared at the bag--now--empty, horrified. She touched her lips with a shaky hand. When she pulled it away, it was stained with blood. She began to shake, to tremble. And finally, she fainted, hitting the floor with a thud.

         When she awoke what seemed like hours later, she found herself sitting in a chair in another room. She groaned and sat up straight. “Where am I?” she whispered, looking around.
         “You're in my study,” came the mysterious man's voice. He was standing in front of a bookshelf, his back towards her. “I took the liberty of bringing you here after you fainted. That was quite a show. I've never, in all my life, seen a newborn have that kind of reaction.”
         “Newborn? What are you talking about?” Belinda asked. Suddenly, all the questions she'd built up came spilling out of her. “Who are you? Where am I? How long have I been here? What's wrong with me?”
         He turned around, laughter erupting out of him. “Slow down, flower, you'll get your answers eventually.” He seated himself in the chair across from her. “I'll only answer some of your questions. To start, I am Cethin, but you must call me Master Cethin. You are in my home, as is obvious.”
         “Why am I here, exactly?” Belinda asked.
         He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands. “Have you ever wondered what your name means?” he asked, dodging the question. “It means 'beautiful'. Belinda...I like that name.”
         “That did not answer my question,” Belinda muttered.
         “It's been a while since I've had a guest in my home,” Cethin said. He smiled. “I quite enjoy the company.” He stood up. “Go ahead and have a look at my collections. I'm sure you'll find some...interesting selections.” Without another word, he exited the room, leaving Belinda staring after him.
         Belinda sighed. “What a difficult man,” she murmured. She stood up and began to look at the books. Master Cethin seemed to love to read historical books, as the majority of his collection was on history. But it seemed that he was not interested in normal history, but supernatural history. Most of the books were on vampires and werewolves, something Belinda had only thought to be fiction. She took one book off the shelf and opened it.
         There was a passage that caught her eye. For one reason or another, she decided to read it aloud. “Vampires are horrible creatures that cause mayhem and destruction wherever they go. It is said that the vampire will drink the blood of any living creature, animal or human, to get the life-energy they need. Without blood, they will not have the energy to survive.”
         She looked up from the book, her mind reeling. Blood. She had drank blood. Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. Had Master Cethin turned her into...a vampire?
         She dropped the book and put her hands on her head. “No...” she whispered. “NO!” she yelled.

         Cethin smiled to himself as he sat in the lounge, a cup in his hand.
         “Sir, why are you smiling?” his maid, Amethyst, asked. She stood next to him, holding a bottle labeled 'Type AB'.
         He laughed and sipped from his cup. “Because, my dear, I have finally found my beloved princess,” he said joyously. “And it seems she has just found out her true nature.”
         “Why did you not just tell her?”
         “That would spoil the fun,” he said. He held his cup up, and Amethyst poured more of the liquid into it. He laughed once more, his smile ever so feline. “She is definitely going to make our lives all the more interesting. It shall be the most fun I've had in over a century.”
         “Are you going to give her answers?”
         “Only the answers I feel like giving,” he replied, waving his free hand dismissively. “She's smart enough to figure things out for herself.”
         “Yes, but will she do it with an open mind is the real question you should be asking yourself.”
         Cethin looked at her, pure displeasure in his expression. “Why do you say such nonsense?” he asked.
         “I sense something in her. She is strong, but she is stubborn. You may want to watch her carefully.” She set the bottle on the side-table and curtseyed. “If you will allow it, I would like to return to my chores.”
         “Yes yes, you may go,” he said, waving his hand. He watched Amethyst go. When the door clicked shut, he set his cup down. There was a look of anger in his eyes. “She will be mine, stubborn or not,” he said to himself, staring at the door.

         Belinda had wandered around the house aimlessly, her mind spinning. She had managed to get herself lost, as she did not know her way around. The room she had ended up in was spacious and empty, aside from a few chairs and a table in the corner. It was simply grand, but she didn't care much for it at that moment.
         She sat down in one of the chairs, her face in her hands. She just couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was a vampire. She of all people, who had always thought of vampires as myths and legends! That also meant that Master Cethin was a vampire. He was the one responsible for her suffering.
         Her head snapped up. The sound of footsteps could be heard in the hallway outside of the room. She stared at the door, her breath held in anticipation. Slowly, the door creaked open. A person appeared, but it was not who she expected.
         “You are Belinda, correct?” the girl asked.
         She blinked a few times and nodded. “I thought you were Master Cethin,” she said softly.
         The girl smiled. “I am his maid, Amethyst. I've been looking for you. Master wishes to see you.”
         Bitterness came into Belinda's voice as she said, “I do not wish to see him. I know he will dance around answering my questions once again.”
         Amethyst's smile was sympathetic. “It is the way he is. I apologize, but I cannot disobey an order. Please come with me.” She turned and exited the room. Belinda sighed and hurried to catch up with her.
         “Maybe...you can tell me why he...turned me,” she said slowly.
         Amethyst looked at her. “I thought you would remember by now,” she said.
         Belinda looked confused. “Remember what?”
         “What happened the night he turned you,” she replied. “You had been attacked and were nearly dead. Master happened to come upon you at that moment. He was going to leave you, but something about you had changed his mind.”
         Belinda stopped walking, staring at the floor. “I...was dying?” she repeated softly. She had no recollection of it. In fact, she couldn't remember much from before today.
         Amethyst studied her. After a few seconds passed, she cleared her throat. “I don't mean to be hasty, but we really do need to hurry. Master hates waiting.”
         Belinda looked up at her with a feeling of dread. “I'm not so sure I want to see him anymore,” she whispered. “I don't understand what's going on, and I'm not getting the answers I'm looking for. I don't even understand myself anymore! I'm...I'm a vampire...” The last sentence was barely audible.
         Amethyst was watching her with steady eyes. Slowly, she walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “You have to give Master Cethin time. It has been a very, very long time since he has had another being like himself around. He will give you answers, but not all at once.”
         Belinda's eyes had filled with tears. Stubbornly, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I should just leave. That would be better for him.”
         “That would be unwise, Belinda. You don't know enough about your nature to survive on your own,” Amethyst said.
         Belinda broke out of her vice-like grip and backed away. “You don't know anything about me,” she said, shaking her head. She turned around and fled to another part of the house.
         Amethyst sighed and, shaking her head, continued down the hall.

         “Of course you can't expect her to come willingly,” Cethin said. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen. Though he didn't eat, a kitchen was necessary whenever he was entertaining human guests.
         Amethyst was standing in the doorway. “What are you going to do?” she asked. “She needs answers, Master. Until you talk to her, she is going to remain stubborn.”
         Cethin drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He was thinking, trying to decide what to do. “Perhaps...I should go talk to her...” he finally said.
         “That's a good idea, sir,” Amethyst said, nodding in agreement.
         With a sigh, Cethin got to his feet. “This will be difficult, but it is necessary. After all, I do want to keep my princess.” He strode past Amethyst without another word.

         Somehow, Belinda had ended up back in the room she'd woken up in. The soft candlelight seemed comforting after all the unfamiliar rooms she'd been to that day. She collapsed onto the bed, her energy drained.
         “I don't want to be here anymore...” she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes, hoping for sleep.
         “I see you found your way back.”
         Groaning, Belinda sit up, turning to face her master. “Look, if you're just here to tease me and dance around my questions, could you just leave? I really want to sleep.”
         “I came to talk to you,” Cethin said. He walked inside the room and sat on the end of the bed. “This is...difficult for me,” he said slowly. “I don't really have contact with others often, aside from Amethyst. I'm not very good at expressing how I...feel, I suppose.”
         Belinda watched him carefully. This is a joke, she thought. “How do I know you're not playing with me?” she asked.
         “Just listen to me!” Cethin exclaimed. He closed his eyes, calming. When he opened them, he looked pained. “The night I changed you...was a difficult one. I was out in the city, just strolling about, when I heard someone screaming.” He paused and searched her face. “When I finally found you,” he continued, “you were so close to death, I nearly left you. But then...I felt something. Something about you changed my mind.”
         “I think...I'm starting to remember,” Belinda said. She remembered pain, excruciating pain. She had been stabbed repeatedly. “You were the figure I saw right before I fainted,” she whispered.
         Cethin nodded. “I couldn't let you die. So I saved you and changed you.”
         Belinda stared at him, unsure of what to say. “I...Thank you...for not letting me die.”
         Cethin smiled sadly. “I wish I hadn't condemned you to this nature, though. It's difficult to get used to.”
         “I'm going to try,” Belinda said. “But I'm going to need your help.”
         “I'm willing to help you, as long as you want my help.”
         She nodded. “Thank you...master.”
         He laughed. “You don't have to call me master. Just Cethin is fine.”
         She flashed a smile. “Okay, Cethin it is.”
         Cethin stood up. He pulled a bag out of his pocket. “I recommend drinking this before you rest,” he said. He set it on the bed then walked toward the door. “Have a good sleep.”
         After he was gone, Belinda picked the bag up. “Blood. Of course,” she muttered. With a sigh, she opened the bag. “This will definitely take some getting used to.” She drank the blood quickly, grimacing. It still disgusted her, but she knew she needed it.
         Then she laid down and pulled the covers over her head, ready to finally sleep in peace.

The End