A/N: First of all, I've changed a lot of the wording, simply because I didn't want to write a fic where people randomly break out into song, it just doesn't look as good written down on paper as it does on stage. Secondly, I've based this fic, the characterization, costumes etc on the German Tanze Der Vampire. I prefer not to think of the Broadway version. I don't mind if that's what you like, and want to picture while reading this story. But, in this story, Von Krolock's first name definitely is NOT going to be Giovanni!

I don't know why I've bothered explaining this, as there doesn't appear to be many Tanze fans on If by chance you have stumbled across this story and don't know what it is all about, look up Tanze Der Vampire. It's a cult musical in Germany, and has a cool story and fantastic songs!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tanze Der Vampire or any of the characters mentioned in this story.

Sarah dreamily looked out of her bedroom window. It had been so surreal, so incredible! She recalled seeing him, Count Von Krolock, the Lord of all vampires, peering in through the roof above her as she bathed. She hadn't known what to think. Part of her had been terrified, part of her had been amazed, but there had also been a bothersome voice in the back of her mind that steadily told her, this isn't real, he exists only in your imagination.

The voice stopped when came inside. He came inside; stood right in front of her while she sat there, naked, in the bath! And still his words of the passion and immortality as a creature of the night captivated her. It was all she could do to modestly cover her chest with her arms. He appeared almost as if he didn't notice her nudity. His eyes never left hers. She had never stared into someone's eyes for so long. With anyone else she would have looked away by now, but she felt like she physically could not wrench her eyes from his cold, dead, but so very beautiful, dark gaze. And suddenly, those eyes had been moving closer, and Sarah was vaguely aware that he was moving towards her, his fangs bared.

He's going to bite me! Sarah thought, almost numbly. She didn't know whether she was frightened, or just shocked. She had dreamed of him for so long, and now suddenly, here he was, and he was going to make her just like he was. But it didn't happen. She heard yelling from the other side of the door a split second before the door burst open, and the old Professor ran in. She looked back to where the Count had been only one second before, but he was gone. He had disappeared so fast that she was starting to feel that maybe she imagined the whole thing. The way her world had slipped from the dead of night surrounding his haunting voice, to cursed, real, chaos served only to confuse her further. Then her mother and father were rushing into the bathroom, adding more noise over the top of the arguing Professor and Alfred.

Sarah was too embarrassed to blush. Must Alfred see her again naked in the bath? Then she heard what Alfred was saying frantically to the Professor. A vampire! She couldn't hide the smile on her face at his words. She had not imagined it! He had been here, in this very bathroom, speaking to her, inviting her to his world! Even Alfred had seen him!

The smile left her face as her mother pulled a dressing gown over her body, still wet from the bath. Then her father carried her over his shoulder to her bedroom, and to her horror and humiliation, began spanking her!

"Don't ever disobey me again!" He was shouting. Sarah felt like crying each time the stinging blow of his hand found her backside. How did she disobey him? How could she have stopped the Count, even if she wanted to? But she didn't dare voice this, for fear of more punishment for talking back.

Finally, she was left alone. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked to her window, staring out at the night. The castle stood majestically on the horizon. She didn't know how far away it was exactly, for her father her forbid her from every walking in that direction. Was he in his castle? Or was he still near the house, watching her? A movement below her caught her attention. For one glorious moment, she thought maybe he had come back to take her away with him, but shadow moved under the light of the moon, and she saw it was the hunchback, Koukol. She nearly cried out. He was a horrid creature, and had frightened her ever since she was a young child. She ducked, hoping he would not see her from where she stood. Hiding just out of view of the window, she could still vaguely hear him shuffling around on the ground. Cautiously, she peered through the window again and found, to her horror, that Koukol was staring straight up at her. He was gesturing to something in his hands, then pointing back to the Count's castle. He repeated the exaggerated movements again, then buried the parcel in his hands in the snow. He looked up at her again, then lumbered off into the darkness.

Curious, she grabbed her coat and ran down the stairs so she could go outside to see what had been left for her. She was surprised to see Alfred standing outside. Had he seen Koukol? Did he see what had been left behind for her?

"Alfred?" She asked, trying to sound casual. He jumped at the sound of her voice and turned around to face her. She noticed with slight interest that he had been staring up in the direction of her window.

"Sarah!" he exclaimed.

"Shush!" She whispered harshly. "Don't let my father hear! I don't want him to know that I am outside."

Alfred grinned.

"I didn't think you would come," he said. "I mean, I was hoping that you would come, but I wasn't sure if you would," he stumbled over his words. "I really wanted to see you."

Sarah smiled genuinely. Alfred was so sweet and kind to her. If only she wasn't so infatuated with Von Krolock already. Alfred could hardly compete from someone she had been captivated with from such an early age. And it seemed he was captivated by her in return!

As Alfred spoke to her, her eyes searched the ground for where Koukol had left the parcel. She found a small patch of disturbed snow, and new that the parcel was underneath. She just needed Alfred to go away. She could not let him see what she presumed Von Krolock had left for her.

"Alfred, can you please go inside for a moment?" She asked, not really thinking her words through. He would surely be suspicious of her.

"Is there something you need, dear Sarah?" He asked her, ready to do anything that she asked of him.

"Yes, yes there is," she racked her brain trying to think of something, and said the first thing that came into her mind. "My sponge!"

"Your sponge," he repeated.

"Yes! It is inside!"

"Alright then, where did you leave it?" He asked. If Alfred was a bit disconcerted about her telling him to go inside to fetch her sponge – for what reason would she need a sponge when she were outside, in the snow, at night? – he did not show it.

"In the bath," she replied, hurrying him inside. Once he was gone, she ran over to where the parcel was and began digging in the snow. She uncovered a blood red shawl, which covered a pair of matching red boots, the most beautiful boots Sarah had ever seen. A note fluttered onto the ground. Scrawling red ink ran across the old parchment, simply saying:

'To wear to the Ball.'

Sarah put the boots on, and stood up. What else would she wear to the Ball? Would the Count give her a beautiful dress to wear with the boots? She smiled as she looked down at her feet, admiring her new shows.

"Sarah!" Alfred's cry came from inside. "I can't find it!"

Startled, Sarah began to panic. Surely her father would hear and find her outside! Without giving it a second thought, she ran off into the night in the direction of the Count's castle. She tried to ignore Alfred's voice as he came outside to find her gone.

"Sarah!"