Once again, Vlad was starting to forget which day of the week it was.

They all just merged into one, and this cloudy head he had didn't help. He always had it, but it was worse for a couple of days after he'd had the medication. He couldn't concentrate properly on anything, and every movement he made felt slow and uncoordinated. The slayers said that the meds just removed all the vampire abilities he had. He could have sworn he'd never felt so heavy and slow like this before he was a vampire... but maybe he'd just forgotten.

It was the mid morning break they always had. There was a small grassy quad somewhere in the middle of the facility with a huge white dome over it where the vampires were given a few hours each day to get some exercise or chat amongst themselves. Most of the vampires sat in little clumps around the quad, muttering inane things to each other about the good old days, or how much they hated the artificial blood they were given for breakfast.

Vlad didn't really partake in these conversations, mostly because he couldn't see the point any more. The courtyard was dotted with trees, and Vlad plonked himself down by the base of one in the corner. He didn't know what else to do really. He didn't know any of the vampires in the camp very well, and none of his family were there, a fact which sometimes worried him. As this was a male only camp he was sure Ingrid was in the female equivalent. What worried him was his dad. He was powerful and rather renowned, wasn't he? Vlad would've thought he'd be in the high security prison with him.

Of course, of all people, Renfield was in the camp. He hadn't been a vampire much longer than the camps had been up and running, and he definitely wasn't locked up in the same one as Vlad because of his vampiric abilities. If the boil infested butler had been mad before, he was now more crazy than Ingrid when she lost a game of Vamponopoly. If Vlad leant back on his hands and looked around the benches he could just about see Renfield trying to swim in the wilted flower garden, with the occasional shout of 'all aboard!'

Vlad closed his eyes and leant his head against the tree he was leaning on. He tried to imagine the wind rustling through the leaves, or the feeling of the starlight across his pale skin. He tried to remember what it felt like to be free, but the memory was rotting inside his head. In time there would be nothing left at all.

Vlad must have been there for longer than he'd thought, because when he looked around the whole courtyard was deserted. At first he wondered whether he'd drifted off into the dream world, but on checking the clock on the wall he saw that their break had ended ten minutes ago.

Vlad stood up and started walking across the courtyard when a group of slayers with a football entered.

Their laughs and friendly jeers were immediately silenced as they saw him.

'What the hell are you doing here on your own?' said one of the slayers at the front, walking up to him.

'I didn't hear the bell...' Vlad began, trying to focus on them as the clouds circled his brain. There were about five or six of them, and they started to surround him as he tried to make his way out of the courtyard.

'Look guys, the little vampy wamp is all alone. That can't be good,' said one guy who somewhat resembled a large long soup spoon; kind of lanky with a very round head.

'What've you been plotting?' snarled a particularly small and mean looking one, who's eyes kept bouncing around in his skull.

'Chill it, Tim. He probably just wanted a bit of alone time,' said one slayer from the back, but the rest of the slayers circled even closer.

'Let's show him what happens when bloodsuckers try to have some 'alone time',' another slayer said with a sneer.

Vlad felt a strike on his back before he even had time to turn around. He stumbled, and the small and feisty one aimed a kick at the back of Vlad's knee. He fell to the ground on all fours, and several pairs of boots started beating into him like nails in a coffin. He felt sick. His head was spinning with dark swirling clouds, and his eyes blurred as pain shot through his chest and back. It was all he could do to make himself as small as possible as heavy guard boots came at him from all angles.

Just when Vlad thought he was about to pass out the jeers and insults ringing above him stopped. The guard's shadows moved off him as a female voice sounded loud across the yard.

'Oh my god! Stop! Stop!'

The slayers all moved back and began straightening themselves out. Vlad winced as he tried to move, attempting to prop himself up on his elbow.

'What the hell...?' the woman under he breath.

'Look, Anna, it had to be taught a lesson...' one of them grumbled halfheartedly.

'Come on, Craig,' said another guard, and they all left the yard without another word.

Vlad pushed himself up so that he was kneeling on the muddy grass and tried to clear the swarms of bats that were flying around his head.

'Are... are you...'

Vlad looked up. The young woman was still stood there, staring at him. He made to get up, but winced as pain shot across his rib cage.

Anna didn't know what to do. Was she meant to say something to ease the tension, or try and help him up, or just leave? She had no idea, so she opted for the incredibly awkward 'freeze and stare' option.

She hadn't even known it was the black haired boy from before until the guards had all left.

'Should... should I...' She stumbled over her words, so just went back to standing and staring. She could tell he was trying to regain his composure, and she would've said he was just taking long deep breaths if she hadn't known any better.

'You can leave if you like.'

Shivers went shooting down her spine as she heard him speak. It was perfect. The way his lips moved to form the words, the way his voice rang crystal clear on the air. She thought about what he'd said. She could leave... she probably should leave, but she didn't want to.

'No, wait,' she said as he attempted to get up again, this time with more success. 'You should stay still, you look hurt.'

'I'll be fine,' he said as he stood up slowly, pressing his hand to his ribcage as he tried to hide the pain in his face.

Then Anna thought of an ingenious way to find out his name.

'You could be concussed... Do you know what day it is? What's your name?'

The beautiful black haired vampire straightened up slightly, frowning. 'I'm not sure, two or three days after Monday. What day is that again?'

Jesus, she thought, maybe he is concussed.

'It's Wednesday,' she said, now wearing a bemused expression to match his. 'What's your name?'

'Vladimir,' he said, closing his eyes briefly.

Damn it. She had been hoping he'd have a horribly ugly and scary name like Severed Fingers, or at least something silly like Batty. She knew there was definitely a biter in this place called Throttle...

Vladimir. It was almost... elegant, and it suited him perfectly. Even when he was standing battered and bruised in front of her, his eyes shone like dark pools of still water, framed by the dark nights sky of his hair and the cool white ice of his complexion.

She was pulled suddenly from her sinful thoughts as he started to walk towards her. A flash of panic stirred as she realised she was standing unarmed and alone with a vampire, and she instinctively took a step back.

He stared at her for about three seconds and she almost felt embarrassed. She stood to the side to let him pass and watched as he walked as quickly as he could out of the quad and down the corridor. She clutched her arms to her sides and tried to stop thinking about the buzzes of excitement that were zipping through her. Anna had never felt like this. But it was stupid... he had barely even spoken a sentence to her.

He was wrong. He was evil.

She had to keep telling herself that.