Hey guys! Okay, I've got some good news and some bad…

First, the good news: I'm leaving for Austria (the 30th, actually) – the music capital of the World, the birthplace of Mozart and the home of The Sound of Music!!! I'm going with my church's mission group of six teens (including me) and three adult leaders to a youth summer camp, where I will be sort of camp counselor/leader for a small group of teens. I've got a ten-hour flight to Zurich, Switzerland, then we'll get on a train (my first time on a train) and go through the Alps (how cool is that?) to Vienna, Austria. My group and I will be staying at a youth hostel there (for most of the time), and from what they've told me the view is amazing – one side looks to the mountains and the other looks to the valley. Isn't that cool? And if everything goes as planned, we will also be visiting Czech one day, which, as you all should know, is where Van Helsing was filmed. I'll be on the lookout for any mysterious, shadowy figures. xD On our way back, we will take a 'sleeper train,' which is supposed to be really, really nice. But I guess I'll see for myself. Um… in total, I'm going to be gone for about two weeks! Which brings me to the bad news…

I might be able to get Internet at the camp I'm staying at, so don't count on any updates until I get back. When I do, however, I plan for my updates to be on a pretty consistent basis.

And that's it! Just wanted to give you guys the spill of what was happening. On to the chapter…

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The first day of official work as a maid wasn't too bad for Sophia. Yes, she had gotten up at five a.m., worked a long day until eight p.m., barely had any breakfast, lunch or dinner, had been awfully tired and worn when she climbed into her bunk that night… but after it all, she was optimistic. She hadn't seen the Prince nor was forced into any compromising situations – that was a good thing. It was the second day that was more of a challenge.

She was stiff, sore and still tired when she woke up. The entire day had dragged on and on and on. And she found herself repeating in the exhaustion: "You'll get used to it." But the third day wasn't better.

Or the fourth. Or the fifth. Or even the sixth.

In what was becoming the never-ending weariness from the lack of sleep and small proportioned meals, Sophia did the same jobs, the same work. She gathered the same linens; scrubbed the same floors; dusted the same rooms; beat out the same rugs. The head maid worked her harder than a dog and the other maids and servants offered no companionship or sympathy. If fact, she was treated as an outcast by everyone except Mary. But they didn't see each other often. There were two stories going around about Sophia and why the Prince had decided to make her a maid, when from the start it was obvious he wanted her for more personal reasons.

The first was that there was something wrong with her, whether physically or mentally, and that was why the Prince had 'sent her from his presence' as they would say. So naturally, they wanted nothing to do with her.

The second story was closer to the truth, but with a less kind response from those who heard and believed it. They said she had flat out refused Prince Dracula to his face. Now, although they made her out to have been very haughty and blunt with it, they didn't understand nor care to hear her side. They couldn't understand what woman in her right mind would deny the Prince, especially when he was offering so much with his money and power, and was far from being ugly or fat. What any of them would do to not have to clean the castle or sleep in an uncomfortable bunk again. And there were some that only dreamed of spending one night in Prince Dracula's bed. Further, if it was her self-respect that had held her back – they hated her more. They couldn't see how sleeping with the Prince could possibly be worse than being the maids and servants they already were.

However, Sophia had always looked at things differently than most.

It seemed the only comfort she could find was in her bunk at night. She would fall asleep quickly though, from the fatigue and her growling stomach. The darkness and black of her mind was the only thing that could offer her any sort of comfort from the day's troubles, but alas, tonight was the first that was not the case…

Sophia was starving; she hadn't been this hungry in years.

She sat in a chair at the end of a dining table. Before her, on the table, was a basket, with its contents wrapped in a cloth to keep it warm. With her keen sense of smell, the faint hint of the fresh-baked goods was killing her. Hastily, like someone was going to catch her, she reached out and folded the cloth over to see the bread inside the basket, and she removed a small, warm loaf. Her whole torso was aching from the rich smell and it felt like her stomach was going to collapse any minute if she didn't eat it.

Yet, something held her back.

Oh, did she want it though. She turned it in her hand, the hard exterior and its uneven texture never feeling so wonderful. It was the perfect golden brown color – baked to perfection. Her stomach rumbled; she had to eat. So without holding back, she curled her fingers around the end of the loaf and dug her long nails into the crisp casing, slowly pulling a piece from the whole. Hard flakes fell on the table, as the white, fluffy center was revealed and the aromatic steam rose into the air. She inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering from the dizzying smell. Again, her stomach growled, rather loudly.

With hesitation, she lifted the chunk of bread to her mouth, parting her lips to take a bite, then stopped. She lowered it, eyeing the proportion and decided to tear it in half. Now the piece was barely the size of a large coin. She brought it to her mouth a second time, closing her eyes tightly, before popping it inside then snapping her jaw shut.

She could feel it on her tongue as it turned to something she had expected but had hoped not to happen. Immediately, she covered her mouth as the gag reflex kicked in and she part choked, part spit the strange matter into her palm. Still trying not to gag, she held out her hand.

Ash. Cinders and coal. Black and gray smut.

It was what remained in her hand of the lovely, appetizing piece of bread. She quickly shook it out of her hand by her side and coughed some, getting more out. She knew that was going to happen… just didn't want to believe it. This was denial. An act of despair.

There was an extreme heaping of disappointment, as she looked back at the basket of bread, so misleadingly enticing.

"Try as you may for the otherwise, it will always taste and come out the same – ash," spoke a deep, familiar voice from behind her chair. It was so very recognizable, but at the same time…not. "You know what you must do… yet you continue to deny it and grow weaker with each passing night."

She looked around, searching the room for the owner of the voice that she knew so well, but couldn't find him. Although she could swear he was somewhere in the nearby shadows, lurking and watching her. A smile formed on her lips and she waited for him to speak again – the sound the most beautiful thing to her ears.

"You must drink of the life, my dear. The crimson stream of strength and vitality… then, and only then, will you sate your hunger…" his words echoed in her head…

The scene changed in Sophia's mind as she continued to dream more bleak, dreary things. She unknowingly tossed and turned, furrowing her brow and softly mumbling in apparent distress and torment.

She was not without an audience.

It seemed two light sleeping servants had woke to her sounds and were both whispering gossip while observing her behavior.

One scoffed. "I don't care how much more work they give her. Serves her right. You won't see me pitching in to help; I do enough around this place. The more they give her – the better, I say. It's less for us too."

"True. She is too used to the freedoms of being, well, free. This is too much for her. Mark my words… she can't handle our way of life."

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There you have it! And just fyi, Sophia's dreams DO NOT take place in any chronological order. Basically, what happened in one, might not have already happened in another. I like it better that way, mixes things up a bit. Oh, and every person who guesses correctly at who was in her dream gets a cookie!!!

lotr5016: I'm glad you are enjoying it, and thanks so much for letting me know! I hope to hear from you again!

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