Her parents were quieter then had been only giving her a smile now and
then, which she politely returned. Mr. Rhan had left at sunrise for the
market and wasn't expected back till sunset. For early morning, the sky was
dark with thick clouds as usual but she paid it no mind. Adrian spent most
of the morning hurrying through feeding the animals and cleaning the stalls
then turned all her attention to teaching herself how to milk a cow. She
had watched the children at the orphanage do it many times, and it looked
relatively easy, but looks could be deceiving. It took around ten minutes
for Adrian to herd a cow over to where she had placed a stool and bucket
then another thirty minuets trying to keep it still until she resorted to
tying the animal to the barn. After practicing on two cows, Adrian brings
the buckets to the house and leaves them on the bricks inside the kitchen.
She wanders back out to the barn after finishing her housework and finds it
getting dark. She spots her father and he smiles at her, telling her not to
stay out too long. She frowns and asks if she can stay out late. She pleads
and begs until her father breaks and says yes and that they will save her
dinner. Adrian opens the gate and scans the area for Jetta. She spies her
grazing near the woods and calmly walks over to the horse. Adrian runs a
hand along the horses back and Jetta replies by lifting her head from the
grass and pushing her nose against Adrian's hand. She scratches Jetta's
forehead and smiles, "Father said you are a fast horse, but will you let me
ride you?" She leads the horse back to the barn and ties her to the barn.
She walks into the barn and returns carrying a rather light saddle. She
coaxes the horse and places the saddle lightly on Jetta's back. The animal
shifts some under the weight but not as much as Adrian expected. She gently
pets the horse's neck to calm her and attempts to put the bit in. Jetta
jerks away from her refusing the bit rapidity. Adrian gives up and tosses
the bit and reigns away, instantly making the horse calm. "So your not
going to take the bit are you?" she asks the horse in frustration. She
unfastens the saddle and takes it off then leads the house out to the
field. "Would you rather be like this? No saddle? No reigns? Fine, I can do
that!" she puts both hands on the horse and jumps onto her back, making
Jetta run full speed forward. Adrian closes her eyes tightly and clasps her
hands around the horse's neck to keep from falling of as she runs into the
dark woods. Adrian opens her eyes and runs a nervous hand down Jetta's neck
over and over again, trying desperately to calm the animal. "Jetta." She
whispers into the running horse's ear, "Jetta, its ok. Its ok." The horse
slows down and stops upon reaching the fence marking the end of the
property. She cautiously releases her hold on the horse's neck and looks up
through the trees at the dark sky. The sun was gone completely, leaving
woods dark and the path gone. She was lost. "Perfect." Adrian whispers into
the night, "You had to keep running, didn't you Jetta?"
"Do not blame the horse for something that is clearly your fault." A voice says from the shadows.
"Who's out there?" She calls, and then remembers she was unarmed.
A figure steps out from a shadow making her jump slightly seeing him so close with out having heard any steps. It was a rare miss for her. He appeared to be in his thirties with his pure black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore all black and a black cape followed behind him. The black he wore brought out the paleness of his skin, and his eyes...they were so easy to get lost in, almost hypnotizing. He apparently saw her jump and smiled, "Did I frighten you, child?"
His voice was like velvet and it made her melt inside. She refused to show the weakness she felt. "No, I'm not frightened and I am not a child." He laughed at this and approached the horse, which shifted slightly. He offered his hand up to Adrian to help her off the horse. She was hesitant about taking his hand and leaving Jetta. If anything was to happen, only Jetta knew how to get out of the woods. She looked at the nervous horse then at the man. 'Please don't leave me Jetta.' Adrian thinks to herself, and then reaches out to take his hand. Before she could grasp his hand both of his hands had grasped her around the waist and he had lifted her completely off the horse. It was a longer drop down then she thought, but the man was extremely strong and gently lowered her to the ground. Once he let go of her, she backed over to Jetta and put a hand on her, wanting her to stay close.
The man's smile was soft and comforting, yet strange, "If you refuse to have me call you child, then may I have your name?"
"I am Adrian."
His expression grew to one of confusion, "Adrian? How odd, I thought that the young girl who lived her was named Viviana."
"She was. She died a few days ago."
"Ah. I am sorry." The smile was back, "How did she die?"
He asked it so calmly. She had never heard anyone ask about death that way, other than her. "I do not know."
"Yes." He said disappointed. "But then, who truly enjoys talking about a loved ones passing?"
"I didn't know her."
His eyes shine, "So you are an orphan."
The way he said orphan made Adrian shutter, "I have parents now." She said, a trace of anger in her voice.
"Yes you do, but you can not honestly call them your parents. Your family." He spat 'family' like it was a dirty word.
"They took me in, fed me, gave me a bed. It is only polite to call them my family." She had unknowingly moved away from Jetta, who was still standing in the same place. The man had begun to circle her and she was reminded of how predators circle their prey before killing it.
"Tell me, how did your parents die?" He asked it so calmly, as if asking for the time of day.
She was beginning to get angry, "I would rather not tell you." She smirked, "But then, who truly enjoys talking about a loved ones passing." She could tell instantly that he was mad. No, it wasn't madness. Anger didn't even begin to cover it. He glared at her, making her back up against Jetta once again.
In an instant, his expression changed again and he was smiling. "Forgive me, I have forgotten my manners. I am Dracula." He gives a slight bow.
Adrian gets uneasy, where had she heard that name before?
Dracula gives her an amused smile, "You have not heard of me?" He laughs, but this was a darker laugh and it sent a shiver up Adrian's spine. "Perhaps I should remind you." Adrian stares in confusion at Dracula as he removes something from his inside pocket and holds it up for her to see. The color drains from Adrian's face as her eyes fall upon her knife. 'But he took my knife' she thinks over and over again. She looks up at Dracula and quickly turns, flipping herself up onto her horse and looks at Dracula, who is now standing in front of them. She stares at him hard and Jetta backs up as her approaches, holding her knife at his side.
He speaks soft yet serious, "Do you want it back?"
Adrian wants to answer but stops herself.
"I know you do. I can feel it. I can hear your heart beat getting faster."
Adrian tries to calm down but fails.
Dracula places a hand on the horses neck and stares up at Adrian with his cold eyes, "Do you want it?"
"Yes."
A smile crosses his face; "I will give it to you if you come with me."
"No." she meant it to be soft and calm but it escaped as a yell.
The knife dropped back into his pocket as the hand on the horse moved down its neck and onto Adrian's knee. She shivered, how can his touch, like his eyes, change so quickly from warm to cold. She was staring into those beautiful eyes and felt so relaxed, so warm. "I'll tell you a secret. I killed Viviana." It hit her like a fist. She knew what he was doing and kicked the horse with all her strength causing Jetta to pull forward. They raced through the woods turning every so often to avoid a tree. Adrian hears a screech behind her and turns to see Dracula in his vampire form flying at them and catching up quickly. She kicks Jetta again and they pick up speed, seeing the edge of the woods ahead. As they break through the last line of trees into the very back of the field Dracula flies at Adrian from her side, knocking her off Jetta and onto the ground. Adrian hits the ground on her side and rolls. She stumbles to get up but a pain in her side prevents her from getting far. She hears footsteps but keeps her face to the ground still attempting to get to her feet. She stops moving and just lays still on the ground refusing to look at Dracula. She breathes hard and feels Dracula lower to his knees beside her. His soft hands grip around her arms and pull her onto her back to face him. Adrian lashes out at him and tries desperately to get out of his hands. He holds her wrists with one hand and forces her to look into his eyes with the other. She stares helplessly into his dark eyes and begins to get very tired, then every thing gets dark.
"Do not blame the horse for something that is clearly your fault." A voice says from the shadows.
"Who's out there?" She calls, and then remembers she was unarmed.
A figure steps out from a shadow making her jump slightly seeing him so close with out having heard any steps. It was a rare miss for her. He appeared to be in his thirties with his pure black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore all black and a black cape followed behind him. The black he wore brought out the paleness of his skin, and his eyes...they were so easy to get lost in, almost hypnotizing. He apparently saw her jump and smiled, "Did I frighten you, child?"
His voice was like velvet and it made her melt inside. She refused to show the weakness she felt. "No, I'm not frightened and I am not a child." He laughed at this and approached the horse, which shifted slightly. He offered his hand up to Adrian to help her off the horse. She was hesitant about taking his hand and leaving Jetta. If anything was to happen, only Jetta knew how to get out of the woods. She looked at the nervous horse then at the man. 'Please don't leave me Jetta.' Adrian thinks to herself, and then reaches out to take his hand. Before she could grasp his hand both of his hands had grasped her around the waist and he had lifted her completely off the horse. It was a longer drop down then she thought, but the man was extremely strong and gently lowered her to the ground. Once he let go of her, she backed over to Jetta and put a hand on her, wanting her to stay close.
The man's smile was soft and comforting, yet strange, "If you refuse to have me call you child, then may I have your name?"
"I am Adrian."
His expression grew to one of confusion, "Adrian? How odd, I thought that the young girl who lived her was named Viviana."
"She was. She died a few days ago."
"Ah. I am sorry." The smile was back, "How did she die?"
He asked it so calmly. She had never heard anyone ask about death that way, other than her. "I do not know."
"Yes." He said disappointed. "But then, who truly enjoys talking about a loved ones passing?"
"I didn't know her."
His eyes shine, "So you are an orphan."
The way he said orphan made Adrian shutter, "I have parents now." She said, a trace of anger in her voice.
"Yes you do, but you can not honestly call them your parents. Your family." He spat 'family' like it was a dirty word.
"They took me in, fed me, gave me a bed. It is only polite to call them my family." She had unknowingly moved away from Jetta, who was still standing in the same place. The man had begun to circle her and she was reminded of how predators circle their prey before killing it.
"Tell me, how did your parents die?" He asked it so calmly, as if asking for the time of day.
She was beginning to get angry, "I would rather not tell you." She smirked, "But then, who truly enjoys talking about a loved ones passing." She could tell instantly that he was mad. No, it wasn't madness. Anger didn't even begin to cover it. He glared at her, making her back up against Jetta once again.
In an instant, his expression changed again and he was smiling. "Forgive me, I have forgotten my manners. I am Dracula." He gives a slight bow.
Adrian gets uneasy, where had she heard that name before?
Dracula gives her an amused smile, "You have not heard of me?" He laughs, but this was a darker laugh and it sent a shiver up Adrian's spine. "Perhaps I should remind you." Adrian stares in confusion at Dracula as he removes something from his inside pocket and holds it up for her to see. The color drains from Adrian's face as her eyes fall upon her knife. 'But he took my knife' she thinks over and over again. She looks up at Dracula and quickly turns, flipping herself up onto her horse and looks at Dracula, who is now standing in front of them. She stares at him hard and Jetta backs up as her approaches, holding her knife at his side.
He speaks soft yet serious, "Do you want it back?"
Adrian wants to answer but stops herself.
"I know you do. I can feel it. I can hear your heart beat getting faster."
Adrian tries to calm down but fails.
Dracula places a hand on the horses neck and stares up at Adrian with his cold eyes, "Do you want it?"
"Yes."
A smile crosses his face; "I will give it to you if you come with me."
"No." she meant it to be soft and calm but it escaped as a yell.
The knife dropped back into his pocket as the hand on the horse moved down its neck and onto Adrian's knee. She shivered, how can his touch, like his eyes, change so quickly from warm to cold. She was staring into those beautiful eyes and felt so relaxed, so warm. "I'll tell you a secret. I killed Viviana." It hit her like a fist. She knew what he was doing and kicked the horse with all her strength causing Jetta to pull forward. They raced through the woods turning every so often to avoid a tree. Adrian hears a screech behind her and turns to see Dracula in his vampire form flying at them and catching up quickly. She kicks Jetta again and they pick up speed, seeing the edge of the woods ahead. As they break through the last line of trees into the very back of the field Dracula flies at Adrian from her side, knocking her off Jetta and onto the ground. Adrian hits the ground on her side and rolls. She stumbles to get up but a pain in her side prevents her from getting far. She hears footsteps but keeps her face to the ground still attempting to get to her feet. She stops moving and just lays still on the ground refusing to look at Dracula. She breathes hard and feels Dracula lower to his knees beside her. His soft hands grip around her arms and pull her onto her back to face him. Adrian lashes out at him and tries desperately to get out of his hands. He holds her wrists with one hand and forces her to look into his eyes with the other. She stares helplessly into his dark eyes and begins to get very tired, then every thing gets dark.