Ludwig's house was big, and old. His house was located away from the city, surrounded by nothing but forest and marsh land. The front doors were big, massive and tall. I laughed to myself as it made me think of Dracula's castle. Not that it looked like a castle made of stone, but because it was so secluded and big.

We made it to his house just a couple of hours before dawn. In the house, Ludwig barricaded all the windows. He claimed that some days, he doesn't sleep at all now and this way, he can stay up and do other things. One of these other things must have been watching movies because although the rest of the house was fairly empty and plain, he had one entertainment room that was totally amazing. Complete giant screen with surround sound. I was amazed by the size of that room and the top of the line equipment.

"My only little sin" He simply said with a devious smile. That smile had to hide more sins than just this room. I just looked at him and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

He wanted me to sit down and spend the day with him but I was so tired, I couldn't stay up for long after the sun was up. Usualy, a new vampire just simply won't resist the sleep when the sun is barely coming up. Because of Lestat's blood, I realized I was more resistent to the calling of the sleep of the dead but not immune to it. Ludwig noticed and showed me a room where I could rest. It wasn't a coffin, or a hole in the basement. It was a room with a bed and no windows at all. It was actually pleasant and I felt good with him so far. I went to sleep till evening came around.

When I awoke, Ludwig was standing in my room. That was kinda weird. Did he watch me sleep all this time ? This morning, I was too tired to ask but now, I remembered how he said that Gabrielle was here. So I asked if I could see her.

"Yes, you can see her. She'll be available a little later."

"Okay"

"I really shouldn't stay too long. I hope to see her before I have to go."

"Have to go ?" Ludwig was laughing. "And where exactly do you have to go? You have no life anymore, no place to stay, no job, no family to speak of, unless you're planning on going back to Lestat?"

I thought that wasn't too nice of a thing to say. I suddenly wanted to leave now as a matter of fact.

I got up to face him and said. " Yes, to Lestat. We have unfinished business and I'm not letting it go."

" Yes, unfinished business, you certainly have that for sure."

" What's that supposed to mean?"

Ludwig just put his hand on my shoulder and said " Come now, let's feed. I'm sure you're hungry."

With this statement, he took me to his arms and started caressing my hair and speaking softly.

"We can make this pleasurable for both of us. There's no reason to be crude when we need to feed."

He was now caressing my neck and pulling my head towards his chest.

" Why don't you go first. Afterall, you are the youngest, most vulnerable, weak vampire here."

Ho boy. Something told me that I should have listened to Lestat now. I pulled away and try to keep my cool. I simply said. "I'm sorry but I'm not into this. I will go out and feed myself, alone, now." And I turned to leave, but Ludwig wasn't ready to let me go just yet.

He was now laughing as he faced me and grabbed me by the shoulder while keeping his disance. "You are so amusing. New vampires are always amusing to me. How they keep their human morals and way of life. It's all right. I probably am too forthecoming. Afterall, we hardly know each other. Come with me, I have just the perfect victim ready for you."

I'm not sure I liked the sound of that but I went anyways.

Ludwig took me down a staircase that led to a room way down underneath his house. Seemed like a dungeon to me but he assured me that it wasn't. In fact, it wasn't even there when he moved in. He added this extension because of his needs and his guests' needs for darkness. The light was dim but it didn't matter cause I could see well in the dark. At the end of the room, there was a cage of some sort, where a rotting, but breathing body was lying.

" You want me to feed on that?"

Ludwig opened the door to the cage. " Yes and no. It isn't what it looks like. Go inside, go see."

" No way, I'm not going in there. I'm leaving now." And I turned to go up the stairs.

Ludwig was faster and stronger than me. He was in front of me before I could start going up the stairs and grabbed me and shoved me in the cage.

"Let me out !" I shouted. I was in a panic.

"Not yet my dear, I'm not finished with you just yet."

"Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?"

"Nothing at all but unfortunately, I needed you."

Ludwig was turning to leave.

"What are you talking about? This is about Lestat isn't it?"

Ludwig pressed a bottom and a blinding light came on all around the cage.

" All around the cage you are surrounded by solar light. Vive la Technologie Moderne. You will not escape here unless you are ready to burn. So I suggest you make yourself comfortable."

Then he turned to leave again, going up the stairs.

"Ho yes, I was forgetting. Gabrielle meet Julia, Julia meet Gabrielle. There you go, introduction are done."

" What ?"

"Man you are slow sometimes. You are sharing a cell with Gabrielle, who is starving by the way, in case you didn't notice. She has been in there for way too many years. So try not to tick her off because although you are stronger, she is hungry for anything and everything she gets her hands on."

I was horrified. This thing was a corpse, a rotting vampire corpse. Nothing but skin and bone. It was repulsive I wanted to throw up and couldn't. It was obvious that her senses were awake by the smell of blood on me. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do.

"Ludwig, what do you want from me."

"What I wanted from you was a DNA sample, which I got when you were sleeping. I want nothing else from you. I don't care if you live or die. But I'd prefare you live because I'm sure I could use you to get Lestat. Lestat, is who I want. He warned you about me. Too bad you have to be as bold and disobediant as him. I used all that to my advantage and it was way too easy. Almost no fun in it really."

With that he was gone.

Why did he want a DNA sample from me ? Never mind that, I had more serious problems. I was caged with a very, very hungry vampire. Not any vampire but Lestat' mom. My own blood too. And since she didn't seem to have any mind of hers other than instinct, it might be that only one of us would survive, if I couldn't reason with her. Alive or dead, I always find a way to get in trouble.