My eyes opened slowly to see a young man no older than early to mid-twenties with blonde hair sitting on the edge of the bed I lied on. I did not know him, but his features were so soft and gentle that I immediately trusted him. I had no fear, and when he spoke, his dialect appealed to my senses and soothed my thoughts.

"I am glad to see that you are finally awake. My name is Carlisle. I'm a doctor. How are you feeling?"

I blinked a couple of times at him trying to remove myself from the tranquil space so I could reply, but as I did, I saw another figure move into my line of sight. I recognized this man, slightly younger in appearance than the first with straightened, black hair. I could not stop the sound bursting out from inside of me, and I screamed.

The moment I did, Carlisle held down my arms and began to smooth my hair back in a comforting gesture. "I think it best if you step outside Demetri," he said to the other.

Demetri watched me a moment longer as my body shook and my breathing came out in a panicked state. With another look from Carlisle, he left the room. I tried to calm myself, but I had to warn the doctor. Had Demetri brought me here? Did the doctor know what he was? Why was I still alive? "He's a vampire…" The words were quiet and breathy as I did not expect the doctor to believe what I had said, but I knew what I had seen. What human would suck the blood from another in such a way?

"Shh, they must have been hallucinations, little one. Your bloodstream was full of drugs which cause adverse side effects such as those. Demetri brought you here to me fearful that they would kill you."

He could be right. They could have been hallucinations, but he had killed them. I knew that part was true. He had killed them and brought me here to who knows where. "Am I in a hospital?"

"No. He was too afraid to take you to one, but I'll take care of you. You're going to be fine."

I took a deep breath and went over the events that I last remembered occurring. The memories were not clear, but each time, I saw Demetri leaning over and biting the two men's throats. If that was not real, then how did he kill them? I was too far gone to believe anything I may have seen now. The doctor was right. Drugs did terrible things to the mind.

The door to the room opened, and my head snapped to it expecting to see the other, but instead, it was a woman with caramel hair and a loving appearance. Her heart shaped face added to the compassion I saw in her warm smile. Carlisle looked up at her and put his arm around her waist as she approached before turning back to me. "This is my wife, Esme. She's been very concerned about you."

"I have some soup heated up on the stove if you think you could eat some," she said to me.

I smiled at her and gently nodded my head. I could feel my stomach rumbling, and warm soup sounded amazing. Esme kissed Carlisle lightly on his cheek before turning and walking back out of the room. I looked down at the IV in my arm and up at the drip. "How long have I been here?"

"Just over a week," Carlisle replied.

It was silent a while longer as Carlisle asked to check my vitals. I allowed him to do so, and he seemed pleased that they were all normal. Esme soon arrived with the soup, a water based lentil from the look and taste of it. I ate it slowly.

"I believe we have yet to ask you your name," Carlisle said to me.

I looked up at him and questioned whether I should divulge that information or not. He was a doctor, and perhaps, he would help me get home. I did trust him already for some unknown reason, so I told him. "Ari. Ariana."

My voice was still weak, but they had heard and smiled at my reply. They asked no more questions as I continued to sip on the soup. When I was finished, Esme took the bowl from me and left the room, Carlisle following behind saying he would return in a short moment.

I lied back down on the bed and waited as the minutes passed. When the door opened again, I had thought to see Carlisle returning, but instead, it was the dark haired stranger from my memory. He entered silently, and my breathing picked up once more. It was then that I caught it, the part of this man that had changed. Earlier, his eyes were black, but now, they were a burning crimson.

I choked back another scream as he made his way to the bed. When he was only a mere foot away, I spoke. "Stay away from me." It came out as a whimper, and he ignored it. He took another step and stood at the side. "Please…"

The door quickly opened again, and Carlisle appeared in the doorway staring the other down. "Demetri, you're frightening her."

"Shouldn't she be?"

I wanted Carlisle to tell him to leave again or to do something to him, but he did not. He stood there watching closely. "You don't have to do this."

"It was his orders. He does not trust her to think elsewise. The girl comes back with me." Demetri spoke as if it was a command, as if we had no choice, and Carlisle relented, bowing his head in surrender. "When she is strong enough, we'll leave."

"I understand."

I watched the exchange between the two, confused to their reactions. What was going on? Where was Demetri taking me, and on whose orders? Why was Carlisle giving in as if he had no say? Why did they not ask me? My mind was full of questions that I did not dare ask. The red eyes of the stranger frightened me to mute.

Demetri looked back at me before he disappeared from sight. My eyes widened wondering where he had gone. I scanned the room, but the only thing giving sight to his location was the open glass door leading off into the trees. I stared at it wondering if it had been opened the whole time or if Demetri had really just disappeared into thin air. It was then that I really started to wonder if the whole thing was a dream, and I was still really asleep, an unconscious trick of the mind to take me away from the situation I was in.

Carlisle came to the bed and sat on the edge. He put his hand along my cheek, a frozen touch against the flush that appeared once more. "I am sorry."