This story, although it is from night world, is slightly different. For example, delos has a random brother named Gray, there is another random dark kingdom somewhere, and duh I'm not focusing on the apocalypse. Luckily, this is my story so I don't have to! ;P the characters will appear later, right now only my own lovely kiddies are in the story. Please enjoy and R&R

Prologue

My name is Arianna or Ari for short. I wanted to tell you my story... Why? Because darkness... has its charm. My story happened long ago; as a matter of fact, it started with birth. The exciting part is only from where I was seventeen and living on the streets, though. I lived in a very small town. You know, one of those towns where everyone knows everyone and a single infraction of any kind marks you forever...

My parents had died when I was little, so I had lived with my aunt Bella. Yes, past tense. This was because I was always slightly different from the rest of... well, everybody. I was that scary little kid who chewed her long, red-brown hair and wandered into the so-called haunted mansion for fun. I was pretty messed up, and my aunt hated me for it. I also had unusually sharp instincts. This is where my story began, when I predicted the death of a local girl, and my worst nemesis. How did I know? Well, I hadn't, I was just being mean. The townspeople blamed me for her death anyway. I was marked as a murderer. However, let me stop procrastinating and tell you what happened. Oh, did I mention that the dead girl was my hateful cousin? That's pretty important.

"Hey! Get your ass down here!" I heard my aunt call. It was only me she spoke to that way... I wondered briefly why she was always so rude, but didn't break my head about it. I glanced in the mirror, seeing my sullen green eyes hidden carefully behind the curtain of coppery waves which tangled together in light curls all the way down to my waist. "Well, Salty, another day in paradise," I murmured to the mangy grey cat as it brushed past me. Salty meowed softly before dashing out the window. Well, at least he could escape.

"Arianna!" That was the second bellow, and I figured wasting more time would only get me grounded. "I heard you," I told my aunt as I ran downstairs. She was studying her dog-like appearance with satisfaction in the spoon she was cleaning, but turned to glare at me like a bat out of hell. "I called twice! Get to school," she grumbled with her scratchy voice. I grabbed my bag and left, not needing to wait for my dimwitted cousin. She was a perky blonde girl, the most popular in the school, and a serious bitch at home. There was no one I hated more than her... Except, maybe, my aunt.

Eliza (my cousin) was no longer speaking to me. She had always hated me for daring to live in her house, but when we'd recently had fought, I had unwisely told her that a monster was hopefully going to chew out her throat. She hadn't found that amusing.

So the day at school passed, I sat (dying with boredom) in all the classes, doodling on my hands and imagining what my life would've been like if my parents had lived. They had been travelers, and the townsfolk had always looked down on them, but I couldn't imagine a better life than that of a traveler, seeing new things every day... "Ari! Would you mind paying a little attention?" my math teacher shouted at me. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slowly until, FINALLY, the bell rang and everyone rushed out. I took my time heading home, not very eager to meet up with my annoying cousin. So I dawdled on the way home, only to find that when I finally arrived, there were police cars parked outside.

"You little bitch! They ought to lock you up or kill you!" I flinched away when I saw my angry aunt storming at me. Her face was distorted with rage and tears, and she bellowed at the top of her lungs as one of the policemen held her back. What the hell...? "Uhm, what's...?" I asked softly, retreating a bit. "Arianna Macklehof? We need to ask you a few questions." The deputy told me, strolling over with a cold gaze. "Uh, sure I guess, what about?" I replied, my eyes studying the scene warily. He pursed his lips and glared at me, as did many of the others. "Did something happen? Where's Eliza?" I asked, confusion and dismay creeping into my mind. Why did they all seem so... furious? Did I do something wrong? I racked my brain trying to come up with a reason, but before I could the deputy's words froze me in place. "You're the chief suspect in the murder of Eliza Wingly." My mind stopped working and I choked. Eliza was dead? Wait, they blamed me? Nausea enclosed me and forced me to gasp for breath. "Eliza's... dead?

"Killed, mauled by a wild animal." He replied, and I noticed the police were carefully encircling me. "This... this is about our fight? Are you nuts? Why would I kill my cousin?!" I shrieked. "Grab her!" was he barked at his men. Without thinking I crouched down and ran. I ran like a creature chased by death, dodging between flailing arms and dark, accusing eyes. I tore over the ground with the speed of light and ran blindly into the forest. There seemed to be my only salvation... Hidden in a forest I knew by heart. I ran and ran my mind too numb to realize my breath was coming in short gasps and my lungs felt like they were on fire. The scent of rotting leaves and forest smothered me as I kept running, no longer listening for footsteps of pursuers, merely fleeing from all that was happening. Trying to rewind the last couple of hours and change them.

Suddenly, though, I did stop. I stopped and stumbled, falling face first into the ground. What... was happening? A man stood in front of me. Could the police have caught up? Had I accidentally taken a wrong turn? How... was he in front of me? Wait, there was only silence... no voices, no angry shouting or running... Only silence. "You are mine, Ari." He spoke softly, but his quiet voice carried through the entire woods it seemed, and reverberated in my mind. I... was his? He stepped forward slowly, the light falling on his features. He was tall, with dark hair and unbelievably pale skin... His dark eyes seemed amused by my fear. Was I afraid? Yes, I was. I was afraid of the long, sharp canine teeth which gave away the fact that he was not human... "w-what are y-you?" I gasped, my voice croaking from my burning lungs. "Like you don't know..." he growled lowly. There was a sudden movement and he grabbed me from behind. I shrieked, trying to tug away, but there was a hard hit to my head, and then darkness took me...

A bizarre Vampire

When I woke up, I had no idea where I was. My head pounded like a sledgehammer and I shivered from the cold. My eyes stayed closed, I wasn't sure if I wanted to see where I was. I slowly tried getting into a more comfortable position – I was lying on my side with my hands behind my back – when I felt a sharp pain in my wrists. My eyes shot open and I flinched, which only put more pressure on the ropes which bound my hands together. I was lying on a stone floor, facing the wall. I tried sitting up without causing the ropes to cut any deeper into my wrists, but soon gave up and lay still.

Where could I be? There was no scent except that of the stone walls and floor, and I couldn't see anything, tied up as I was. Why had that strange... Creature attacked me? Has he really, or had I somehow gone insane? Oh, wait... Could he have been the one to kill Eliza? And... Did that mean he wanted to maul me as well?

I shivered, wishing I could see what's behind me. Wishing I could curl up in my bed and hide beneath the blankets from whatever was out there. Was he - it - watching me, even now?

Clap, clap... Footsteps! Someone, or something, was slowly walking toward me. The sound was muffled, but it seemed like whoever was coming made a point of being noisy. Did he not want to frighten me?

Click.

The key turned in the lock and the door creaked open. For a moment there was no sound, then a light chuckle as I kept frozen, nearly forgetting to breathe.

"I know you are awake, Ari. There is little you can hide from me."

Damn, how had he known?

"Who are you?" I asked, just as I had back in the forest.

"Oh, where are my manners? You may call me Gray Redfern," his voice seemed taunting, as though he dared me to speak his name.

He walked closer and I cringed away as his cold hand touched my shoulder.

"Now, now, you'll hurt my feelings if you act like that," he murmured, before taking me by my shoulders and easily shifting me into a sitting position with my back against the wall. I watched him cautiously, taking in the room with my peripheral vision. It was nothing interesting, only a big stone room with nothing in it.

My gaze switched back to his face as he smiled.

"I know, the room is pretty dull. I will decorate it more adequately soon. For now, I am afraid these surroundings will have to do for you," I glared at him, but the dark gaze betrayed nothing.

"Why am I here?" I asked him, cursing the hint of fear in my voice.

"Oh, who knows? Maybe I'll feed on you, maybe I'll just keep you here... Life is no fun if everything is planned out beforehand, don't you agree?"

He laughed when I frowned at him, confusion all over my face. Was he insane? He seemed so friendly, yet...

"Shall I remove the ropes? I apologize for the manner you were left here, my servants have no vision." I tried watching as he spoke, but the long canines weren't there, his teeth only seemed slightly more pointy than anyone else's.

I nodded when he raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled again. "All righty, then," he said cheerily, before tugging me to my feet. My legs were still asleep from lying so much and I stumbled into him.

"Well, we haven't even had dinner yet," he murmured into my ear as he caught me, then roared with laughter when I wrenched myself away from him.

His good humor seemed to fade, however, when he caught sight of my bleeding wrists.

"You're harmed... Are you okay?" He asked searchingly, withdrawing slightly when I flinched away from his hand on my wrist.

"Why should you care, you just kidnapped me," I asked him angrily, then I cringed as I realized I wasn't in the position to snap at him.

He watched me silently, some emotion in his eyes I'd never seen before.

"Forgive me," he said, then quickly ripped through the rope around my arms. What was he apologizing for? Was he playing with me? Trying to catch me off guard before he devoured me?

"I shall bring you something to eat soon," he said, abruptly turning and storming out, slamming the door as he exited.

I knew what I did not want to admit: Gray was a vampire. He was a dangerous demon who killed humans on a daily (weekly?) basis.

He was just so... Bizarre.

Daily confusion

"Wakey, wakey!" I jumped up, nearly falling to the floor as Gray shouted at me. I quickly tugged the blanket over me; he was letting in a cold breeze by opening the door.

Wait, blanket? When did I get the blanket? I stared at the room, my eyes nearly popping from my skull. It was a perfect replica of my room back home. The familiar dresser, the sheets on my bed, even the bedlamp with the chip in the glass lampshade on bedside table was exactly the same.

"What...?" I began, but Gray cut me off.

"I figured you'd be more comfotable this way... You're aunt had throw out all of your things after all.

"When were you at my aunt's? And when did you sneak everything in here?" I asked, utterly confused and disoriented from waking up so quickly.

"Doesn't matter. I brought you breakfast," he told me, and I gave him a wary stare. "It's nothing... Vampirey, is it?" I asked cautiously. "Actually, that'd be vampiric, and no, oh don't think you'd enjoy my kind of... Diet," he smiled slightly, humor dancing in his dark eyes.

"And does your diet have anything to do with why you're keeping me here?"

I shot at him, trying to keep any fear from my voice.

"It might... Or maybe I just enjoy your company," he answered playfully, a dangerous smile playing around his pointy teeth.

"You've never had my company," I retorted, refusing to back down so easily.

"Well then, let's assume it's because I AM intending to feed on you, does that make you feel any better?" He laughed when I cringed away from him, before quickly disappearing, then reappearing with a tray of bacon and eggs, and some orange juice.

"Interesting..." I mumbled. "Vampires can cook."

"Of course, we're not exactly wild beasts," he said irritably, before once again abruptly storming out and slamming the door. I stared at the closed door in utter confusion, uncertain whether or not it was even safe to eat the food.

"Well, the old Greek tales about Presephone would suggest not... But I'm no fair maiden," I murmured to myself, before digging in.

The rest of the day - or night, It was impossible to tell without any windows - passed quietly; he didn't come visit me again.

Maybe it was day and he really couldn't be out in daylight? Or maybe he was off killing people... The tiny voice in the back of my mind snarled, and I wondered why he had decided to kidnap me. If he was hunting, why did he need me? And if he wasn't, what other legends about vampires were true? Was there a chance I could kill him and escape?

I doubted it.

Wham!

"Honestly, could you stop slamming the door before it breaks?" I snapped at him, once again startled from my sleep.

He chuckled silently, watching me tug the blankets over my head. Would he... Try to kill me? Why was I here?

"I know you didn't go back to sleep," he told me, and I fake snored. Like hell was I going to let him know he scared and confused me, he was a predator after all. A merciless killer... He could probably sniff out fear like a bloodhound.

"You know... You smell nice," he suddenly murmured in my ear, and I shrieked.

"Don't be so noisy," he told me, lying on the bed next to me, hands behind his back and his eyes on the ceiling.

"Why do you keep me here? Let me go home already," I growled at him, trying to get up off the bed. His hand shot out and grasped my wrist, tugging me back beside him.

"Let me go," I struggled to pry his fingers from my wrist, but he only chuckled and laced his fingers through my own.

"Relax, I'm not hungry..." He whispered, tugging me into his arms and holding me.

I froze, unsure whether or not it was time to panic. My entire body tensed as he moved his mouth to my neck, but he only kissed it and chuckled.

"Scaredy cat," he laughed at me, suddenly standing by the door again.

"What...?" I began to ask, but he once again cut me off.

"You know, you really should take it easy, you'll get wrinkles.

"Go to hell! I'm not some old lady!" I growled at him, and he blinked, then burst into laughter.

"You know, you really have spunk. For someone who tenses when you're kissed, you're pretty confident when there's no one in your personal bubble."

I glared at him, unconciously hugging the blanket into me. I stopped when his eyes zeroed in on the movement, but it was too late. He laughed again, watching me with those dark eyes which were light at the same time.

Suddenly he was right in front of me again, pulling me off the bed and onto my feet.

"Let's dance," he spoke into my ear, and his warm breath made me shudder.

"You're supposed to ask whether or not I want to dance," I reminded him softly, feeling both fear and something else beginning to crawl up my spine. What was he planning to do with me? Why did this creature keep me here? It was true that I had no place to go home to, but... I didn't want to stay a kidnappee all my life either.

"Just relax," he whispered at me as he began twirling us through the room, his graceful movements were like that of a cat, and whenever I step out of whatever rythm there was in his head, it seemed his tune changed and the dance-pattern shifted. What the hell?

"Uhm... Why are we dancing?" I asked, trying to keep my attention with his quick feet. I blushed uncomfortable as his gaze studied my face.

"I like dancing," he stated easily, making the dance more complicated so I had less time to think. His strong hands held me up and he spun me around, before quickly changing the dance again... My head spun as I tried to gather my bearings, and I decided to get my mind somewhere else and let my instincts take over.

"The room is interesting," I told him, still curious about the lack of windows.

"So are you," he replied, and I glanced at his dark eyes.

"Uhm... What...?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, it was too softly to hear, but I felt the sound go through his chest, and involuntarily drew closer to him.

His lean muscles moved gracefully as we danced, and I found myself wondering whether we'd have gotten along if he'd been a human.

"Ari?" He asked quietly.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, listening to the sound of his voice in his chest.

"There's something you don't know about me yet."

"There's a few things I don't know about you," I said, not really paying attention.

I felt another deep chuckle go through his body, before his next words froze me.

"Vampires like me... Can read minds."