"It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter."
- J.R.R Tolkien
Lyall's Pov
"Good work today Lyall!" The old man said. I looked back at the old man with a smile. He wasn't tall but tall enough to look down at me. Had a big bush of white hair on his head and wore old fashion clothes with a clean, crisp white shirt over some blue overalls. "Your welcome sir." I smiled. I walked on after that. A year ago I was nothing, living in an abandoned building with my dog Dracula. But now I work at a cute bakery/cafe but a lovely old man named Azai. We met at the park. I was looking out at the water, lost by its beauty. He stood beside me and said to me "Beautiful… is in it? And I'm not talking about the water. How come a beautiful girl like yourself is out here alone and sad.". After that I just confessed everything to him. God, I cried like a fool but he held me and told me he understands. I didn't give too much away, nothing about my father or my gift or even Vlad. Just the bare minimum.
He looked me in the eye with such tenderness I almost fainted. He said " You are the bravest women I have ever met. Let me help you. I want to see what you will become. Let me help you live… happily." He smiled. Funny thing was that it was on my birthday when my life changed completely. He told me he owns a small bakery/cafe and has a small cottage house that his daughter used to live in. She passed away so the place needed a new owner. He gave me the cottage and a job no questions asked. I tried to object to this but he would not hear of it. He said to make me feel better that I can pay 10 pounds for rent. That made me feel so much better. He gave me the card of his bakery with the address which was in Perrins Court. I hugged him real quick and ran to the house.
I was so excited to tell Dracula that were getting a new home. But… when I got there… Dracula was nowhere to be found. I searched high and low in the house but he wasn't there. I thought he might have gone hunting again so I waited for him. I waited to the very next day but… he never came back. I cried so much, I thought he may be lost or dead. With one final sniff I packed up what I have and left to my new life. Whispering " Goodbye Dracula.". Closing the door on my way out.
And now 17 year old me has a roof over her head and a job. I was really thankful. "Still… I miss Dracula." I thought. After a good 10 minutes I came across a small, cute cottage. It was a wooden cottage built with lodges along with a stone chimney and stone stairs. Below the stairs was a carved of an owl with piercing golden eyes watching over the cottage. I walked up the stairs and grabbed the key from my bag and open the dark oak door. Inside was the living room which consisted of an old fashioned fireplace with lodges of wood ready to be burned, and wooden coffee table and a black couch. Walking further into the cottage was the kitchen with just a simple stove, fridge and table. After walking back into the living room there was a door on the left. It was painted a simple white with a gold door knob. I open the door to my room. The bedroom had a single bed with a green quilt laying on top of the sheets, then two windows draped with white curtains, the floor was a smooth and wooden, there was also a small table at the end of the bed with a picture of my mother. I dropped my bag on the floor and plopped on the bed.
I snuggled in the sheets and quilt and sighed with content. Even though this cottaged was warm and cozy I still felt… empty. It wasn't truly my home. I felt a throb coming from my marked hand. I hissed and raised into my chest. Holding and squeezing it in order to relieve the pain. After I moved into the cottage the mark started shooting shots of pain into my body. Everytime it felt like I was being shocked by an electrical force. I know that I have to do the favor that Elisabetta has sent for me but… I tentatively reached and grabbed the necklace that Elisabetta had given me. "I don't trust her." whispered. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Dreaming about my no face Vlad.
Little did I know that I will be seeing Vlad again very soon enough.