Chapter 12
Ava was curled in a tight ball on the window seat, confusion set clear in her silver eyes and pale complexion.
'Katie…Kathryn…Dracula…what is the connection? How do they know one another? Why wouldn't she tell me?'
'Think about it! Who would tell that they are the undead? Common sense now…''But she is my best friend my sister practically!'
'Some things such as that are best left untold…you have no reason to be angry with her…but with Dracula…don't you feel stupid?'
She sighed watching the endless snow clatter onto the large window and into the deep abyss.
"Hello Ava, my dear…" a soft voice filled her resting chambers and her door snapped shut.
Turning slightly, she saw the beautiful form of Verona approach her, concern and worry etched in her face.
"Hello Verona…am I bothering you? Do I need to leave?" Ava began to rise, but was pushed back down gently by Verona, shaking her head.
"No, my dear, you are not the worry I am anxious about at this point and time…"
Ava narrowed her eyes, studying Verona's tense composure.
"What is the matter?" she asked timidly backing slowly away from the vampires.
Verona smiled and replied smoothly,
"No need to back away, I have already fed…I just need someone other than the undead to talk to…" she sighed exasperatedly and leaned against the window.
Funny how Ava just noticed how old and weary the infamous vampire was, there was dark black rings under her cobalt eyes, her skin seemed a more sicker color and her hair just hung limp around her face.
"Okay…" Ava responded unsure settling herself back down.
After a fw minutes of awkward silence Verona said,
"Sometimes I wish I would have done the same thing as Kathryn did…" she sighed deeply and bore her eyes to the ground,
"But his wrath scares me, but he is my master, and I only serve and please him…" Ava pondered these words in her head and replied immediately,
"You to know Katie?"
Verona looked into her eyes a glaze was filled in them, and there was amusement in her features,
"Yes, I knew her…"
…
"Oh Kathryn darling…would you please come here?"'What now!' the thirteen-year-old Kathryn thought exasperatedly to herself.
She sighed in exhaustion, wrung out the dripping wet rag, threw it in the water pail. Rising from the floor she felt a series of cracks and pops in her back,
'Oh I am going to be sore in the morning…'
'It is impossible to keep these hallways decent for at least two hours!'
"Coming Mistress!" she called wearily trotting over to the banister a glum expression on her face,
'Sewing? Scrubbing her floors? WHAT!'
Marishka and Aleera were always working her to the dirt, Verona stayed away from her, and she saw Dracula only at dinner times…
She knelt to the floor honorably as Aleera commanded,
"Kathryn, please fix this tear in my dress will you?"
'Knew it…'
"Yes Mistress…" she replied weakly taking the dress from the vampire's hands and grabbing the needle and thread from the vanity nearby.
"Be careful with the material…it is very fine…and easily…YOU LITTLE! HOW DARE YOU!"
In her dead like state, poor little Kathryn's hands were shaking violently and the tear grew a hair bigger.
"Mistress! Forgive me! My hands are clumsy! I shall fix it right away!" she begged holding up her hands in submission, this was not the first time something like this had happened, and she had the marks to prove it.
"OH YOU WILL FIX IT…AFTER I AM DONE WITH YOU!" Aleera screeched grabbing the terrified girl by the hair and yanking her off the ground viciously.
Kathryn yelped in pain and fear, tears welled in her eyes and she felt as if her head was going to split apart.
"Aleera dar…WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" Dracula had come through the door with a thin dress in his hands, a look of pure rage in his eyes.
"THIS LITTLE WHORE TORE MY DRESS!" Aleera howled in agony.
The vampires threw the child into the floor brutally and spat on her cowered figure,
"Ma…s…t...er…it…" she could not finish, the pain overwhelmed her and she grew limp on the cold floor, bleeding from the head and her ribs were cracked.
Dracula eyes were blood red, his mouth of fangs razor sharp and long,
"How many times must I remind you…she is never to be harmed! NEVER!" he snarled advancing on Aleera's weeping form,
"How many dresses do you have? That is but one dress! You have others to replace it! GO! OUT OF MY SIGHT NOW!" he roared and at once Aleera sprang out of the room screaming in terror.
…
"She is not easily forgotten by Aleera in the least…" Verona chuckled quietly.
"How do you know Katie…please tell me…Dracula…"
"He wouldn't tell you…it infuriates him even today…I guess I have no choice but to tell you…but you can never speak of it in this castle or around the Master…his wrath is not so pleasant…understandable?" Verona asked simply giving Ava a hard look.
"Understood…" she grew silent as the vampires began her friend's real story and made past confusions abruptly disappear.
A/N: btw, this major flashback is not only to help explain Katie's past, but it is a controlled dream…by none other than….hehhehheheheheh you should know by now…: ) R/R! Please!