You

Lara rubbed her aching head, and sat up. She was back in the room she had been in before, laying on the red silk bed. Dracula! Her thoughts came rushing back to her, of the previous night. Dracula had returned! She needed to escape!

She stood up, stumbling; still dizzy on her feet like a young child taking it's first steps. She stumbled over to the door and tugged on it. It wouldn't budge. She was locked in the room. She stumbled back over to the drapes and flung them open. From what she could see, in the murky darkness she was at least 50 feet up. There would be no way that she could jump. Besides there was no way to open the window, as it was locked. She rested her head against the cool glass, looking out at the dark sky. She could remember the first time she had seen Dracula. Even though she had been only 4 years old she could remember it like it was yesterday.

The villagers laughed while they danced around the village well. There were shouts of joy as the villagers' feasted and drunk vast quantities of wine and ale. Lara danced with her baby brother Toby, holding him while he punched his fists in the air in time with the music. "Be careful Lara," her mother shouted out to her as she danced in time to the furious jig. "I will not drop him Mama!" she shouted back. Today it was the birthday of Velkan Valerious, the gypsy prince and there was a big celebration in honour of that. Suddenly the shouts of joy turned into screams. A handsome man of 30 stood over the well dressed in black. He grinned when he saw the villager's frightened faces. "Boo!" he said. Suddenly the village was in chaos children running, women screaming, grown men running away knocking over crates as they went. "Lara!" cried her mother. But Lara could not here her mother. She knew this man to be bad, so she had hidden under a crate with her brother. She peeked out from underneath it. This man seemed to be amused at the chaos he had caused. A man with an eye patch strode out. It was Boris Valerious, Velkan's father. "Leave Dracula, you have no business here!"

"Oh really?" said Dracula. "I seem to have mislaid my invitation but I thought I had better congratulate the birthday boy and fill up on a few party snacks." He grinned and Lara saw two of his teeth grow long and pointed. Suddenly the man turned into a large bat creature terrifying to the eye and leaped off the well. Lara ducked back under the crate.

If Dracula was going to feed off her, why had he not done it after she had fainted? He was obviously playing with her, like a cat plays with its food. She knew she would be dead very soon. She wished that she did not have to die so soon.

She wondered if anybody would come to look for her. What would it matter? Dracula would finish with them, just as he was going to do to her. She pushed herself off the glass and turned around. She screamed, standing behind her was Dracula! Taking this opportunity he leaned forward and kissed her passionately. Lara pushed at him with all her might, sending him a few paces backwards. She ran to the other side of the room trying to get as far away from him as possible.

Suddenly he materialised on top of the cupboard, which was behind her. She screamed again and ran, and tripped on to the hard cold stone floor. She stayed where she was. Dracula laughed, watching her try to run from him. Casually he jumped off of the great cupboard and walked over to her. Lara found that once again she could not move, she was so petrified. He ran a finger through her silky hair. He crouched down besides her, running a finger delicately over her neck, smelling her hair at the same time, as if the smell was intoxicating him. "What do you want!" cried Lara. "You," he whispered into her ear.