I awoke to an earth quake. I whipped my arm out, grabbed someone's ankle and pulled, causing them to topple over with a yelp of surprise. "What?" I growled in to my pillow. I heard a growl…of a stomach. I looked up and saw Darren and Evra staring at me. I looked to the other side of the bed. "Mr. C's out and about." Evra informed me. I sat up and stretched. "So I see. Now, what the hell do you want? I'm freaking tired and want to sleep." I complained. Evra laughed and pulled me out of bed. "Mr. C said to wake you up when the buffet downstairs opens." He said. I frowned and sighed.

"Okay, just get out and let me get dressed." I said. They nodded and walked out, closing the door behind them. I sighed and walked over to my bag, throwing on my sweats. I walked out of my room and looked at the boys. "Okay, take me to the buffet." I yawned. They laughed and we all walked out the door.

It was pretty late and there wasn't much left at the buffet, but I didn't mind, I wasn't very hungry. I soon became bored and left, having hardly touched my plate. "Vann, where ya going?" Darren called after me. I threw a wave over my shoulder and went back to the hotel room, looking for decent clothes. I pulled on some jeans and a button up shirt and was putting on my jacket when I heard a knock on my door.

"Room service!" a male voice called out. I frowned. Room service? Who got room service? The voice wasn't quite right either. There was a lack of…sanity to it. I grabbed a knife off my nightstand and slowly walked to the door. I opened it and froze. Crap… I raised my knife against the fiend but he was more experienced than I. he grabbed and twisted my wrist. I yelped and dropped the knife. I tried to punch him with my free hand but he caught it. Then he laughed and released the foulest breath I've ever smelled. The last thing I remembered was a crazy voice singing out, "I've got his pretty! I've got Creepy Crepsley's pretty!"

Darren and Evra were walking down the hall to their hotel room when they saw a purple man with red hair wearing a suit sling a girl from the doorstep of their hotel room over his shoulder as he hummed a familiar tune. Evra gasped. "Hey! Let her go!" Darren cried, running towards his best friend in an attempt to save her. The purple man looked at Darren and cackled. "Looks like Murlough and his new pretty needs to go!"

Then he ran and jumped out an open window at the end of the hall. "Vanessa!" the boys cried out. Darren and Evra ran to the window but, it was too late, their friend was gone. They sighed miserably and went into their hotel room, trying to find a way to break the news to the older vampire.

A few hours later, dawn approached and a tired looking vampire trudged into the room. He looked up at Darren and Evra and frowned, not seeing his first apprentice. "Where is Vanessa? Has she gone out for a walk?" he asked. Then he froze and sniffed the air. He went over to the door and sniffed it also. He turned back to Darren and Evra, fear and hatred burning like fire in his eyes.

"Darren, Evra, where is Vanessa?" Darren looked at Evra who was scared out of his wits. Darren sighed. "Vanessa had gone back to the room before us and when we came back, we saw a purple man at the door, slinging Vanessa over his shoulder. We tried to stop him but he jumped out the window…" Darren hesitated and looked at his mentor. "He called himself Murlough, do you know him?" Mr. Crepsley collapsed in a chair, and let his head fall into his hands. "I knew I should not have brought her here. She should have stayed at the Cirque where she would be safest." He groaned. Darren and Evra shared a glance of worry. In all the years the boys had known the vampire, they had never seen him so…grief stricken.

Evra placed a hand on the vampire's knee. Mr. Crepsley looked up at him. "It wasn't your fault, Mr. C, she'll be fine, she's a tough kid." He said in a soothing tone. Mr. Crepsley nodded. "Yes, she is quite a tough one, is she not?" he said, hopefully. Then he sighed and stood. "I am retiring to my room, good day boys." He said.

My eyes snapped open and my body jerked up. I was gasping, trying to calm down. Then something touched my face I tried to scream, but a hand was pressed against my mouth. My eyes soon focused and I saw a purple skinned man with red hair and dark, blood red eyes looking down at me. He seemed to be wearing a dress suit and the way he looked at me…well, it seemed he was off my rocker.

He took his hand off my mouth and waved an arm around the room I was in. I looked around and realized that I wasn't in a room…I was in an abandoned sewer pipe. Suddenly there was light I looked to the source and saw the man lighting candles, humming madly to himself. I froze when I saw a girl on the ground…a dead girl.

I looked at him and tried to get off the coffin, but I felt something tighten against my ankles, something cold and hard. I looked down and saw that I was chained to it. I glared at the man. He smiled and started cackling. "Oh, silly pretty! Did my new pretty really think that Murlough was so stupid? Of course not! Murlough has to keep his new pretty! He has to keep her from Creepy Crepsley!" he said. I froze.

Murlough.

I've heard of this man. He's an insane Vampaneze, he has had his brilliant moments, but he's certifiably insane. He started to circle me. I mashed my teeth together. "What do you want with me?" I demanded. He laughed and pulled on my hair. "I want a playmate! Murlough needs someone pretty to be with him! Murlough just has to make his pretty a Vampaneze and then Murlough and his pretty can play together!" he giggled. Ewe…

I snorted. "Good luck with that." He frowned and yanked my hair—my head along with it—back. He had a quizzical look in his eyes. "What did you say?" he asked me, insanity dripping in his voice. I glared. "I said good luck with that. Do you really think you can blood me? You'd kill yourself." I growled. He yanked my hair, slamming my head back onto the coffin. I gritted my teeth. Don't show fear.

He sat on top of me. I wheezed as his weight squished the air out of me. He giggled. "Why would my pretty say that?" he giggled. I wriggled under him, trying to get him off and I replied, "I mean I'm already a full blooded Vampire you dip stick." He frowned at me, and then grinned maliciously. "Ooh! My pretty must be this Vampire Princess that Murlough has heard about!" he cackled. Then he pulled me off the coffin, snapping the chains and opened it. He pushed me in. "Morning! Time for bed!" he sang, crawling in with me. Then he slammed it shut and my own personal hell began.