Downward Spiral by SupremeDramaOverlord

Chapter 8 - I Need to get a Restraining Order on my Stalker

Danny's POV~

Think about the last time you've felt immense anger and frustration. Next, remember that painful memory of when you were so humiliated, you wished the ground would swallow you whole. Go on, take your time. Got it? Good. Now roll all those emotions into one and multiply it by ten. Once you do that, you'll have a pretty good idea about how I was feeling as the pompous creep effortlessly carried me inside like a degraded sack of potatoes. As embarrassing as it was, not once did I stop spouting insults and threats at a seemingly indifferent Vlad.

Without using doors like a normal person, Vlad phased us through the walls. I didn't pay much attention to my surrounds as I wriggled around in my captor's grip fruitlessly. But I was caught off guard as I was unexpectedly dropped onto a chair and pushed against the side of a table. A quick glance around told me that I was in a large dining room. With a snobbish posture, Vlad calmly took a seat directly next to me at the head of the table. I scowled. There were only two chairs, and with angry movements, I scooted my chair away from the older hybrid. To my annoyance, this only amused him. I glared at the laughter shining in his eyes. What a jerk.

"Creepy, jerk-face Fruitloop!" I sneered. It irked me to no end that all I've managed to do was entertain my kidnapper.

Vlad grinned facetiously, "Despite your creative insults, I have been called worse."

It then occurred to me that without mom or dad around, no one was there to censor my language. A long list of foul, colorful names popped into my vocabulary. I opened my mouth to let out a few four letter words that I've never spoken before in my life, but before I could test any of them out, my spine tingled with a chill. Instead of profanities, a puff of blue mist poured from my mouth.

Instantly, I straightened in my seat and scanned the room in a frenzy, painfully aware of how vulnerable I was without access to my powers. From across the room, a ghost phased through the door and swiftly glided towards Vlad and I. I stiffened.

Realizing that I was about to bolt out of my chair, Vlad quickly intervened, "There's no need to panic, Daniel. Miss Raglan works as my personal chef."

I eyed the ghost warily. The specter was a squat woman who looked to be in her early fifties. She was wearing a glowing purple dress that looked like something out of an old western movie, and like most ghosts, her skin was a paranormal green color and her eyes were a bright cherry-red. Her flaming red hair was loosely tied into a bun, and I couldn't quite tell if it was on fire or not. She didn't really look aggressive or dangerous, but then again things aren't always what they seem. She gave me a benign smile, which I returned with a distrustful stare. When she came closer, I noticed that she was carrying two plates. Once she placed them directly in front of Vlad and me, she floated away without a word. It was only after she left the room did I reposition my suspicious gaze to Vlad. I remained in my tense position.

"You hired a ghost to cook for you?" My voice was laced with disbelief as I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"All of my employed staff are ghosts." Vlad explained with a careless wave of his hand. "I find that they are adequately more efficient than humans. They are sufficient, reliable, and they don't ask questions or report my doings to the authorities or public media."

My glare intensified. I wished I had my powers so I could make my eyes glow to appear threatening. "How convenient for you," I muttered disdainfully. "Just how many ghosts are here right now?"

Vlad responded without worry, "That is nothing you need to concern yourself with. Rest assured, they will not bother you." He picked up his fork and took a bite of his food before saying, "You better eat before it gets cold."

I wanted to mention how I wanted a go at the ghost who piloted the jet, but instead I looked down at the plate in front of me with unease. My stomach rumbled, and a pleasant aroma wafted into my nose, causing saliva to gush into my mouth. However, I didn't pick up any utensils. Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I eyed the deceitfully delicious looking food. I didn't really know what it was, it was some kind of spiffy looking omelet. Steam was drifting off it, and ignoring the tempting fragrance assaulting my nose and my pleading stomach, I leaned away from it while scrunching my face in distrust. I was not going to eat it.

Vlad appeared torn between amusement and exasperation, "Oh honestly, Daniel, I didn't poison your food."

I stubbornly folded my arms across my chest. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" I've already seen how great of an actor he was.

He scoffed, "Do you really think I would go through all the trouble of bringing you here, taking the precautions to make sure you can't leave, just to kill you during breakfast?"

Without wavering my dubious glare, I poked at it with obvious mistrust. "You're the crazy psychopath, not me. I wouldn't put it past you."

Again, Vlad scoffed and he was about to say something when I interrupted, "Why did you bring me here, anyway? Whatever your evil plan is, I'll stop you!"

Vlad laughed and I failed to see what he thought was so funny. "Evil plan?" He chuckled, "Daniel, I am not some silly comic book villain."

"That's debatable, but not the point." I retorted while fixing him with a heated glare, "Why am I here?" I stressed my words angrily.

A sly smirk slowly spread across his face. I was instantly put on the alert. "If you eat your breakfast, I'll humor you and explain my so-called, 'evil plan'. How does that sound?"

Somehow I felt even more degraded than I already was. Did Vlad seriously just bribe me to eat my food like a five-year-old being urged to eat broccoli in exchange for dessert? I felt my face heat up in anger and embarrassment. That really stung my pride. My hands itched to throw my plate at the creep's egotistical face. The only thing restraining me from doing so was my thirst for answers. Besides, I was pretty hungry, and it didn't really make much sense for Vlad to try and poison me after everything he did to bring me here.

Begrudgingly, I made dramatic, pointed movements as I picked up my fork and aggressively bit into the omelet. Taste exploded across my tongue. It took every last ounce of self-control I possesed not to wolf it all down. It wasn't often I got to eat breakfast, I was always rushing out the door so I wouldn't be late for school. When I did have time though, it was normally cereal or a piece of burnt toast. I'd never admit it out loud, but this was probably the best meal I've eaten in awhile.

I ate without speaking a word to Vlad, the silence occupied with the clicks of silverware on the plates. He would occasionally send me pleased glances which I would openly return with loathing glares. It pained me to admit it, but instead of getting on his nerves, Vlad seemed ecstatic with my presence. This infuriated me.

I finished eating first and even though I didn't have long to wait, I glowered impatiently as Vlad finished his food with slow movements. The corners of his lips quirked up teasingly. I refused to dignify his purposely annoying actions with a vocal response.

When at long last he swallowed his last bite, I stared him down coldly, determined to get my answers. "Alright, I did what you asked. Now start talking, cheesehead! Why did you bring me here?"

"I would have thought it'd be obvious."

"Well it's not." I retorted with frustration.

"Has it occurred to you that I might have simply brought you here so I could spend time with you? To get to know you?"

I snorted, "Yeah, sure. I wasn't born yesterday." I refused to believe Vlad dragged me into the middle of nowhere just to get chummy and swap friendship bracelets. I nearly laughed at the ridiculous notion. The idea was borderline insane.

"I am being serious, Daniel. Furthermore, I still want to teach you how to properly use your powers, that was one of the main reasons for bringing you here." His lips curled into a cunning smile, "Ghost fighting has become problematic as of late, am I correct?"

My eyes narrowed, "How'd you know about that?" Now that I think about it, before he hauled me over his shoulder, didn't he say he knew that I didn't eat since yesterday morning? My jaw dropped as I gaped at Vlad, "Have you been spying on me?! You creep!"

Vlad placed a hand over his chest in a mocking manner to fabricate hurt, "Daniel, it is rude to accuse people of spying. Perhaps it never occurred to you that word simply travels fast in the Ghost Zone?"

"You've been stalking me!"

"Stalking is such a strong word," Vlad waved a hand airily. "I prefer the term, 'intense research of an individual'."

I scowled, "You have way too much free time." I sarcastically taunted, "You seriously need a hobby, or at least a girlfriend. Might I suggest internet dating? Or at least a cat?"

Vlad smirked. "How many cats do you think it would take to entertain me?"

"Whatever!" I growled, enraged that I failed to rub him the wrong way. "You're still a load of crap! And so is the idea of you teaching me. I don't care what you do to me, I'm never going to disown my family for a few ghost lessons."

A stern expression settled onto Vlad, "I've already told you, Daniel, I have no intention to cause you any harm. And although it is a pleasing thought, I am going to train you regardless whether or not you denounce your bumbling father or treacherous mother. I have complete faith you will do so in your own time."

Ok, I'll admit it. I snapped like a twig. But can you really blame me? There was a lot of stress and frustration building on my shoulders by this point, and hearing Vlad blatantly insult my parents was the last straw! Growling with uncontrollable rage, I sprang from my chair causing it to fall over backwards with a loud bang. I slammed my palms on the table as I shook with anger, "Don't you dare talk about my parents like that! Get this through your head - I don't need or want anything from you! I'm doing just fine on my own and I'd rather go to my dad for advice than you! He's better a better man than you'll ever be!"

A strange mix of terror and satisfaction ignited within me as it seemed that I finally got under Vlad's incredibly thick skin. Not even a second went by when I finished my last sentence did he spring from his seat to tower over me. Jeez, was he always this tall? The guy was nearly two feet taller than me. His eyes radiated with a deadly fire as they shined blood-red. Even though I was overwhelmingly frightened, I at long last figured out how to tick him off. However, I sorely questioned if it was worth it as a pinkish, ghostly aurora surrounded him and the air fizzled and sparked with supernatural energy. The lights on the chandelier flickered as I somehow managed a shaky scowl on my face. I did, however, break eye-contact first.

After what felt like hours when in reality was probably only a couple of minutes, Vlad's eyes changed back to their normal icy-blue. He glared down at me before furiously hissing, "You can pretend all you want, you can deny it all you wish and remain in the delusion that your idiotic parents love you regardless of your ghost half, but that doesn't change the fact that their love is not unconditional! If they were to ever find out they would never accept you! And even now, in their ignorant state of mind, they have proven to be neglectful caretakers. The sooner you realize this, the better off you'll be. As for training you how to use your ghost powers, you desperately need my guidance and you're going to get it whether you want it or not!"

Vlad took a slow, deep breath and then he seemed to calm down significantly. The dangerous sparks in the air died away and the lights ceased flickering.

Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut, but I was still determined to find someway out of this mess. Feeling some of my bravado return, I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "You're forgetting about my sister, Jazz." I pulled out my trump card with smug grin, "Jazz is the most overprotective sister in whole world and I was supposed to call her yesterday night! Right now, she's probably up a roof with worry. I'll bet she's already got the police to label me missing."

Any lingering traces of anger vanished from Vlad's expression only to be replaced with his usual arrogant demeanor. I wasn't really sure which mood I preferred him in. "The thing about that is no one will expect you back until the end of the week. If you don't call, your family will probably shrug it off and believe that you're enjoying yourself too much to be bothered to call them. And besides," Vlad smirked rather nastily, "Law enforcement has never been a concern to me before. Why should it now?"

Panic began to twist my stomach into knots and I began to regret ever eating that omelet. I was out of ideas. Vlad had a point, my parents definitely wouldn't be worried about me until the end of the week. And even if my sister did get the police involved, what could they possibly do? Number one, they wouldn't give a crap about some missing C student nobody, and two, why would they ever suspect Vlad Masters billionaire as a culprit? Not to mention the fact that nobody was going to come looking for me in the Rocky Mountains. I was powerless and trapped with an unpredictable kidnapper and potential murderer. Despite how hard I tried to keep it together, I could feel myself slowly start to hyperventilate.

I looked up when Vlad cleared his throat to gain my attention as his facial features softened somewhat. "How about we make a deal, Little Badger?"

Ignoring the painfully humiliating and confusing nickname, I fixed him with a suspicious glare as I shifted my feet. "A deal?" I asked skeptically. What was he playing at?

Pleased that I didn't scream aggressively or throw insults for once, Vlad nodded encouragingly, "Yes, a harmless little deal. If you cooperate during training and give living here a try, I promise to return you back to Amity Park safe and sound by the end of the week."

I opened my mouth to have another rebellious outburst, but then I hesitated and actually gave it some thought. So far, every defiant action, no matter how small, has backfired on me massively. Not to mention, it wasn't the wisest course of action to poke an unstable stalker with a stick - especially when I was so vulnerable. If I was going to escape, I would have to be sneaky about it. I'd have to lure Vlad into a false sense of security and pretend to go along with it. I frowned. That would involve me to actually listen to the creep. I'd have to do what he says.

But even if I didn't find a way to escape, maybe I wouldn't have to. If he was being honest (which was a stretch), he'd just take me home by the end of the week. Still, it couldn't be that easy. There had to be something I wasn't getting.

I glance at Vlad who was waiting patiently for my response. "So," I asked hesitantly, "I stay here for a week, let you train me, and you'll take me home? Just like that?" Vlad nodded, relieved that I was acting 'civilly'. I narrowed my eyes incredulity, "What's the catch? Nothing is that cut and dry when you're involved."

Vlad laughed humorously, "No catch, dear boy. It'll be just like I told you. Get comfortable, let me train you and by the end of the week I'll send you back to Amity Park. Think of it as a vacation."

I fixed him with a hard glare, "Promise?"

Vlad's tone was sincere, "If you cooperate, I promise to send you home by the end of the week."

There were a few minutes of silence while I thought it over. I couldn't really think of any other plan that would get me out of my predicament. If I wanted to escape, it looked like I was going to have to play to Vlad's tune. Not happy in the least, I folded my arms across my chest while mumbling, "Fine. It's deal." An idea occurred to me and I tried to sound as casual as possible, "Can I have my duffle bag back? I'm going to need it if I'm staying for the week."

Vlad laughed heartily, "I'm afraid not, Daniel. Don't worry; you'll have no use for your parents' ecto-weapons during your stay here. Everything you need is already provided."

I withheld a frustrated growl. My jig was up before it even started. Good gosh, I wanted to punch that victorious gleam out of his vainglorious eyes. Vlad reached out to ruffle my hair as I resentfully jerked away, "Don't touch me!"

"Just give this a chance, Daniel." Vlad exasperatedly sighed. "For all you know, you might not even want to leave by the end of the week. You'll find that I am a better father than that fat oaf, Jack."

Heat surged angrily into my cheeks. I hated how he would insult both my parents like it was a second nature. The urge to compare Vlad to my dad was hanging on the edge of my tongue, but the memory of the last time I did that kept me silent. Even though I loathed the conceited creep, I'd be lying if I told myself that I wasn't terrified of the guy. Still, I wasn't going to reply to the jab to my dad.

When all Vlad received was a heated mistrustful glare, he sighed with irritation, "I can see that you are still upset-"

"Understatement of the year."

"Why don't you have some time to yourself?" Vlad suggested while ignoring my comment. "I have a few things I need to check on. While I'm gone, why don't you go upstairs to your room and get cleaned up? It's the first door on the right, everything you need is up there." He swiftly turned and headed out the door before I could voice any smart-aleck remarks.

My blood boiled. What did he mean by my room?! As if this was all just an ordinary day for me! I had half a mind to completely ignore everything he told me, but the other half was regrettably weary of making him mad again. And the thick layer of dried sweat and grit covering my skin wasn't too comfortable either. With a growl that would have sent a lion cowering, I stomped out the dining room doors and up the stairs into the room where Vlad directed me to. I entered the nightmare of a bedroom that I woke up in only hours before and grouchily swung open the walk-in-closet door.

I glanced skeptically around the abundant articles of clothing. While none of it was overly fancy, it was more formal than I was used to. I selected a pair of jeans that looked relatively normal, though they were fitted. Then I picked out a blue oxford shirt. Yup, you heard right. Oxford. There was not one T-shirt in this entire closet. Not one! At least the shoes were relatively normal. In the back of the closet, there was a shelf of high top converse in every color of the rainbow. As I grabbed a pair of black shoes, I decided to rank Vlad above clowns on my creepy meter.

After finding a pair of socks and boxers in the dresser, I entered the last door which to my correct guess was indeed a bathroom. By this point, I wasn't really surprised that it was far more wider and spacious than my bedroom back home in Amity. The extravagant overhead light reflected the glistening counters and tile floor. Tch, Vlad sure did have gaudy style. I shook my head as I closed the door behind me.

Walking over to the closet, I opened the door and was instantly assaulted by an explosion of fragrance. I nearly choked. Glancing around, I noted that labeling the sizable room a 'closet' was a bit of a fib. It was probably the same size as the walk-in-closet. Unsurprisingly, I had my pick of countless selections of extravagant soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. I can promise you that you wouldn't find any of these products in your everyday grocery store. None of the bottles were made from plastic. Instead they were all made of different colored glass with elegant writing on the outside to advertise the names. Heck if I knew what any of them read. Most of them were in written in foreign languages and the ones in english were in indistinguishable cursive. Rolling my eyes, I randomly grabbed what I needed to scrub off the grime and dried sweat. Poking around, I found the softest and biggest towels that I've ever touched in my life.

When I went to look for the shower, I was briefly thrown in for a loop. Instead of a bathtub, there was massive jacuzzi that was deeper than I was tall. On the other side of the room was a curved alcove lit with a soft blue light. Curious, I walked into it while staring in bewilderment at the numerous, flat, silver buttons stationed on the inside wall. Without really thinking, I pushed one.

Big mistake.

I shrieked as freezing water gushed from all around me in powerful jets. They sprayed at me from the left, the right, the front, the ceiling - heck, even the freaking floor spouted a mini geyser! Flailing my arms around wildly, I beat the wall in hopes of turning the crazy thing off. When I managed to shut it off, I was soaking wet in ice-cold water. My shirt was twisted around at an odd angle and my jeans clung to me like a second sticky skin. Not to mention how awful my wet socks felt. I spit out a mouthful of water.

You think that I would have learned by now that I shouldn't press strange buttons.

Shivering, I grumbled under my breath as I toyed around with the controls with a bit more caution. Once I got the jets to flow significantly gentler and the water a pleasantly warm temperature, I discarded my soaked clothes and stepped back into the bizarre shower. By the time I was drying myself off, I smelled strongly of coconut and my mood had improved somewhat. True, I was still angry with Vlad, but it felt nice to be clean again.

After I got dressed, I walked over to a cabinet next to the sink, the mirror fogged up with steam. I wasn't surprised to discover a basket full of dozens of tubes of different kinds of toothpaste. None of which I recognized as anything you could find in a Walmart. The same went with the box of brand new toothbrushes. Electric or otherwise. Not really caring anymore at this point, I randomly selected what I needed and after brushing my teeth, I just left the items on the glossy counter.

I didn't really bother to find a comb. I was content to leave my wet locks clinging to my skull. Normally, I would have just phased the water off, but that was an impossible task thanks to Vlad's stupid accessory. I scowled at my wrist. The black band was plain and felt like simple rubbery material. However, there was no doubt that inside the thick bracelet, there was advanced technology. Even though I knew it was pointless, I tugged. It pulled at my skin as if embedded in it, the area around it growing red from aggravation. Every time I pulled against it, the bracelet would tighten its hold. Holding my irritated wrist, I left the bedroom while slamming the door behind me.

Pausing in the hallway, I listened for any sign of Vlad. Relieved with the silence, I warily walked down the stairs and into the living room. I was about to head over to the front doors, but I had froze where I stood. My jaw went slack as I slowly turned in place, examining my surroundings with disgusted horror.

Vlad had sick décor taste.

Taxidermy of bears, mountain lions, elk, and countless other species of woodland creatures lined the walls and pelts laid draped over the furnisher. I gaped at my surroundings. Some of you might not find that disturbing, but what sent goosebumps crawling over my flesh was the disturbing positions they were in. Faces were frozen and twisted into permanent snarls, the creatures with claws were posed ready for the kill. The dim lighting and the knowledge of who's house I was in deeply unsettled me.

Then I looked down.

With an undignified squawk, I leaped away from the bear rug. The head was stretched wide open to display massively sharp teeth. I felt incredibly grateful that Sam wasn't here to see any of this. The goth ultra-recyclo-vegetarian would have blown her top off.

Giving the room one final mortified stare, I turned towards the exit and hurried outside.

I had to get out here.

Special thanks to Mollie Nail and to all my lovely reviewers! The reviews are so sweet, ya'll are making me blush!

Gwntan12: Yup, Danny sure is waist deep in trouble this time! He's gonna have a hard time getting himself out of this one. Thank you for the review!

Guest: Squeee! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much. Thanks a lot for the review!

Olliepops16: *Blushes furiously* Thanks so much for the nice compliments! I'm really happy you enjoy the story so much!