Hope Remains

Marcus was already stepping up to the receptionist's desk when Adriane came through the door. She assumed that it was Gianna, and was pleased to see surprise in her eyes as she looked first to Marcus, then back to Adriane. People obviously don't last very long around here, she thought to herself.

Marcus repeated what Aro had said in a dull voice, not bothering to get a response from Gianna before he walked to the elevator. Adriane just barely made it through the doors before they closed in her face. "Would you mind slowing down some?" she complained, "it's not like you don't have enough time on your hands".

Marcus gave no hint that he'd even heard her, though he did slow his stride down enough that she could keep up with him. An awkward silence followed on Adriane's' part. She coughed and picked at the fabric of her sleeve. "…Sooo", she said, "Have you been here long?"

She had no idea what vampires liked to talk about in their down time, though apparently she hadn't asked the right question because Marcus didn't answer her. Instead he continued to stare unseeingly down the hallway. He brought her through a small entryway that opened up into a sitting room. Marcus turned right and continued down a hallway lined with ornate wooden doors.

"Wow", she muttered, "is this were you guys sleep?" she asked. A long pause followed her question until Adriane thought that he wasn't going to answer her again.

"No", he finally said.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now".

Pause. "No".

"What, am I not good enough to talk to someone such as you, oh Lord of the Underworld, oh Ruler of Nightmares. I shall bow before you and beg for your favor", here she gave a low bow, bending all the way down to the floor. "Shall I kiss the hems of your cloak as well?"

A very long pause ensued. "Do you usually talk to your food?" he asked.

Adriane might have laughed if the meaning behind his words wasn't so grotesque. "Well," she challenged, "I don't usually come across food that can talk back".

"Yes", he stated simply.

What a strange man. He finally brought her to the last door at the end of the hallway. He turned the handle and switched the light on for her. Aro hadn't been lying when he'd said they treated their guests well. The room Adriane walked into looked like a hotel suite you'd find in New York City.

"This will be the room you stay in", Marcus breathed. He turned to go but Adriane rushed to him on impulse, backing up again as he slowly turned around to face her. Best not to tempt a vampire, if you know what I mean.

"Wait", she said, hating the desperation she heard in her own voice. All kidding aside, Adriane was terrified that she'd never make it out of the high-end crypt she'd walked into. "How long are they going to keep me here?"

The longest pause of all occurred after this question, making Adriane dread hearing the answer. "As long as Aro is kept…entertained".

Adriane felt like she'd been hit in the stomach. "So there really is no hope then? It's either act like a party favor or die?"

She reached for the edge of the king sized bed and sat down on it, not trusting her own feet. "They will either kill you or change you", Marcus said slowly, "Which they will choose I do not know. Either way, you are their slave".

"What do you mean by their slave?" she cried, "You're a part of this too! In fact you're just as important as Aro aren't you?"

She knew that she was desperate, but Adriane couldn't help but look at Marcus's blank, emotionless face. He met and held her gaze for a long time. His eyes were filmed over, almost as if he suffered from cataracts.

"No", he said at last, "there was once a time when I was as powerful as Aro, but long has that day come to pass. I stay because I have nowhere else to go". He paused and looked away from her, almost seeming surprised at his own words, which Adriane could tell right away were true. There was a certain complacent edge to his voice, as if he'd resigned himself to this fate long ago.

"I am just as much a prisoner as you are". This was said so quietly, Adriane wasn't even sure if she'd heard it.

"If you're not happy, then you shouldn't stay", she replied.

Marcus turned away from her again, the look on his face never changing. "I must go".

He gave her a small nod. "Rest well", he said. Adriane was left staring at an empty wall, where a moment ago Marcus had stood, only to disappear before she'd even had time to blink.

Adriane slipped off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. The brave face that she'd put on slipped away and a look of despair crept into her eyes. She sat trembling on the floor for a couple seconds, before finally letting the tears fall down her face. "What have I gotten myself into?" she whispered.

The next morning Adriane awoke cold and huddled on an unfamiliar floor. It took her a couple of seconds before she remembered where she was. Horrible flashes from the night before swam through her mind.

Adriane shook her head, trying to get the images to go away. She hauled herself up off the floor, almost falling down again from the pain in her back. She grimaced and lifted up her shirt. As she'd expected, she had bruises on her back from where she'd landed on Demetri. She looked about the room for a door other than the one she'd entered through the previous night. Seeing it on the far left corner of the room she made her way towards it, wincing with every step.

Pleased to find what she was looking for, Adriane hobbled over to the large bathtub and turned on the hot water. Stripping off her worn clothes she stepped into the tub and let the hot water soothe her aching muscles. Finally, she turned the water off and looked around. A bar of soap, along with shampoo and conditioner were sitting on the side of the tub. After she was clean, Adriane emptied and then refilled the bath back up before leaning against the wall. She sighed and closed her eyes.

When Adriane woke up the water was cold. She quickly drained the water and got the towel from the side of the tub. She looked down at her soiled clothes and decided not to put them back on.

A fresh pair of clothes was waiting for her in her room, as was a bagel and a tall glass of orange juice. She'd half expected blood. Adriane wondered what time it was. She looked around for some sort of clock but found none, mentally cursing herself for not bringing her cell phone with her. Both cell phone and charger were back on the nightstand in the Hotel she was staying in.

Adriane made to put on her clothes but stopped. Instead she picked up the tiny white flower she found on top of the pile. She ruffled through the remaining articles of clothing looking for some kind of explanation but found nothing else. Bemused, she sat down and looked at the delicate flower in her hands. Without knowing why, she suddenly felt a small ray of hope.

~Well, writting a narrative for Marcus is proving to be quite fun. He's so different from any other character in the story. Anyway, thanks to the people who've reviewed. Please send me some more of your opinions, I love hearing your imput. -Jen