A vampire.

Charlotte's mouth hung open, and she found herself backing away from the door. Vampire's don't exist. She continued to move backward until she was pressed against the cold wall opposite Mr. Crepsley's door, and then she slid down to the floor and sat in shock. She hugged her knees close to her body, feeling sudden anger toward Steve. Is this some kind of joke? Does he think this is funny?

A few minutes passed. Charlotte brushed her ebony hair from her eyes, and slowly got to her feet. She sauntered forward, once again pressing her ear to the door.

"I want to be a vampire," Steve was saying.

"No," came Mr. Crepsley's stern reply. "This is not the kind of life that I wish for anyone."

"But…" Steve pried desperately, "I can be your… assistant. I can help you."

Mr. Crepsley hesitated, as if considering Steve's suggestion. "In becoming a vampire," he finally spoke, "you will have to leave your old life behind. You do not mean to tell me that you are willing to abandon everyone you love?"

"… I am."

Charlotte felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

"That girl," Mr. Crepsley said, softly now. "The one you kissed. It seemed that she means a lot to you."

Steve paused. "Charlotte," Steve's voice cracked, "means more to me than anyone I have ever met. But— But not… not enough to stop me from becoming a vampire."

"If you are certain, then I will test your blood. Step forward please, and give me your wrist."

Charlotte's mind was blank, her emerald eyes staring hopelessly forward. She extended her hand, pressing her pale fingertips to the cold door. She tried to swallow, but for her suddenly dry mouth, it was a painfully difficult task. Steve wanted a different life, and the life he wanted was not one she was a part of. He would rather be an isolated, heartless blood-sucker than be with her. Did she really mean so little to him?

A peculiar sound was audible, a sound like a cat lapping milk. Violent coughing and sputtering followed not long after, and Mr. Crepsley cried out in disgust.

"You have bad blood!" He spat, resigning himself to another coughing fit.

"What do you mean?"

"You are evil!" hissed the vampire angrily, "you will never become a vampire!"

"But—no! I'm not evil! Y-you're wrong! Please!" Steve whimpered, though he sensed it would get him nowhere. "I need you to turn me."

"Never. Vampires are not evil, we take only what we need and nothing more. We mean no harm, I assure you, it is not our way. I cannot turn you."

After a few moments of hesitation, Steve's voice flared in anger. "You'll regret this! I'll become a vampire hunter, and one day I'll track you down… I'll kill you, Larten Crepsley, I promise you that!"

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat as she heard Steve dash toward the door. Instinctively, she backed away, moving further left down the narrow hallway until she was hidden in the shadows. Steve burst through the door, tripping over his own feet in the process. He grunted as his frame connected with the cool floor. Quickly, Steve jumped to his feet and sprinted off in the direction Charlotte had come, and she watched him with wide, unblinking eyes as he was swallowed up by the darkness. A soft, almost inaudible gasp inevitably escaped Charlotte's lips, and in realizing her mistake, she clapped her hand to her mouth— only to make more noise in the process.

In less than a second Mr. Crepsley was in front of her, seizing her wrist and yanking her into the room. Charlotte shrieked in terror, her back to the vampire as she was shoved inside. Her piercing scream was cut short by Mr. Crepsley's hand clamping over her mouth.

"Quiet," he hissed, his chilled lips touching her ear. "Do you understand?"

Charlotte tried as best she could to nod, though she accomplished scarcely more than a twitch of her head with his strong grip stifling her movement.

"I will release my hold on you," whispered the vampire softly, "and you will not run."

"Mmm…M-hmm," Charlotte managed, her small body trembling uncontrollably. Slowly, Mr. Crepsley removed his hands from her mouth and wrist. Charlotte hesitated, trying to regain her composure before turning to face the vampire. Putting on her best brave face, she bit her lip as she raised her eyes to stare into his. Neither of them spoke for several moments.

Mr. Crepsley finally broke the silence. "I mean you no harm… Charlotte."

Charlotte blinked back at him, her fear beginning to dissipate under his sincere gaze. Her eyebrows knitted together as her original purpose in finding the vampire's room returned to the frontmost part of her mind.

Mr. Crepsley caught the determination in her stare. He raised an eyebrow. "There is another reason why you are here, is there not? Make your intentions known, girl."

Charlotte shifted her gaze to the ground and then back up at him. "You have something I want," she replied. A tiny smile found its way to her lips.

"Yes? Just what might that be, girl?"

"Your spider," Charlotte cocked her head to the side. "Madam Octa."

"Whatever would a teenage girl want with my spider? I was under the impression that most young ladies would scream merely at the sight of—"

"I am not most young ladies," Charlotte interrupted, the venom evident in her smooth voice. "I will do anything for that spider."

Mr. Crepsley allowed himself a few moments to take in what she had just said. "Anything?" he replied curiously.

"Anything. I need her."

"If you are so certain, then perhaps…" the vampire paused carefully. "Something can be arranged."

"What can be arranged?" Charlotte bit down on the inside of her lip, tasting blood.

Mr. Crepsley was not going to give her a direct answer. "Your boyfriend did not have an entirely misguided idea in the request he proposed to me…"

Charlotte tasted bile at the mention of Steve, and her lips parted in a silent "o" as her brain registered the rest of the sentence.

"You want me…" she choked, "to be your assistant." She clenched her small fists.

"Yes."

"Get… Get someone else!" Charlotte shouted angrily.

"I am afraid I do not want anyone else," Mr. Crepsley took a step closer to her. "There is something… different… about you, something I have never seen in anyone else before this night."

Charlotte attempted to back away from him, but her shoes caught on each other and she faltered. Mr. Crepsley's hand shot out and grasped her wrist tightly, preventing her fall. When she regained her footing, he dropped his arm back to his side.

"What do you see in me? What's so special about me?"

The vampire did not answer. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder at Madam Octa's cage, which sat atop a coffee table.

Only then did Charlotte notice the coffin that rested nearby. She cringed.

Mr. Crepsley moved swiftly toward the table, leaning down and gently lifting the spider's cage by the handle. He returned to Charlotte, holding the cage out before her. "She is yours," he said quietly.

"Wait… What? Why?" Charlotte's mind was whirling. Her eyes fell upon Madam Octa, who blinked back at her from inside the cage with several minuscule eyes. Charlotte felt the tug of desire on her heart, and her hand darted forward to take the cage from Mr. Crepsley's grasp.

Mr. Crepsley leaned in close to her. "Because," he replied, "I know you will be back."

"I'm sorry," Charlotte set her jaw, her voice cold. "But I don't think I will." She took a few steps backward, and then sprinted out of the open door without a second glance.

The vampire watched her leave, making no move to stop her.