When light started streaming into the room I got up and walked to the window. Once again I tried to put my hand outside but the barrier still prevented me from moving past where the glass would have been had the window been shut so I moved to the door, hoping I'd missed the sound of it unlocking during the few short hours I'd lain on the bed. Trying the handle I found that it was still locked. I shook my head and muttered, whoever or whatever that thing was last night he wasn't joking about keeping me here, but I was never really one to panic. To be honest I hadn't really expected either of the ways out of the room to be open, not after the episode with the… thing. What was it anyway?

I closed my eyes and pictured my 'host' as I saw him the night before. The long white hair, well almost silver really, I'd never seen hair that colour not even from a bottle; it gave him an almost ethereal look in the moonlight. His eyes were a golden yellow colour, I'd only seen menace in them at the time but there was some sort of depth to them now that I thought about it… and something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. His long nails were simply horrifying to look at, they looked as sharp as razor blades and could probably cut better. His clothes… I was finding it difficult to remember them, I'd been too preoccupied with his ears. They were so completely bizarre beyond anything I'd ever encountered. Two little triangles on the top of his head, sticking out from that ethereal hair like… little dog's ears.

I laughed at that. A dog? But that's what he reminded me of, apart from the humanoid features. Those deep eyes and white hair topped off with those ridiculous ears reminded me of a Scottish terrier. And the claws probably had something to do with it too, as I remembered with a wince the painful scratches that our little dog Molly had given me on numerous occasions. Unable to control myself I leant against the wall laughing hysterically until I was interrupted by something that scared the begeezers out of me.

"Bonjour mademoiselle," came the voice of the apparition from last night, somewhere in front of me, "Is anything the matter?" Trying to control myself, and making a mental note to be very careful about dressing and undressing, I shook my head in the direction I thought the voice was coming from. Then I thought about it.

"Actually there is something wrong," I said, trying not to sound accusatory, "It seems that your master has decided he wishes to 'extend his hospitality' further. He said I can't leave and locked the door and there's some sort of barrier thingy at the window," I motioned to the window which was still open, me being unable to reach out and pull it shut.

"Ah oui mademoiselle, I am sorry for my master's behaviour last night. He is very, how you say, protective of his manor. He does not care for intruders."

"I didn't intrude! Well not intentionally anyway. You said I could stay here."

"Oui mademoiselle, I am sorry. I did not foresee the master's reaction."

"Obviously," I muttered.

"In the meanwhile, is there anything I can do for you? Would you care for some breakfast?" I shook my head.

"No, I'm not hungry thankyou." To be honest I wasn't sure I could trust this place anymore, not that I should have in the first place. My mind wandered to Year 7 history and the legend of that Greek goddess who was kidnapped by Hades and the whole story of how winter came into being because she ate some pomegranate seeds so she had to stay down there for six months of the year and her mother was the nature goddess or something and got really depressed when her daughter had to go down to hell. Finally I realised the apparition was talking to me.

"Mademoiselle are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was saying I would talk to the master about unlocking your door. I am unable to physically do it myself however I believe there is no reason for him to keep you locked in here… one who willingly enters is unable to leave the grounds." My heart had lifted at the prospect of being let out of this room, with the possibility of being able to run away once no one was watching, but it fell again at his last sentence. It seemed the dog-man was determined to keep me here. Then it hit me.

"Why is he so worried that I'll run and tell if I can't leave the grounds anyway?"

"He does not know. There are many things about this manor that even the master does not fully understand yet," I raised my eyebrows in confusion but said nothing, "Well if you do not need anything I will go. If you decide you are hungry then simply ring the bell. I will speak to the master as soon as he has calmed down."

"Thankyou," I said, standing up off the floor, "Oh and by the way, what's your name?"

"Pierre," the apparition said and suddenly I felt alone.

"Are you still here?" I asked quietly. I received no answer so I assumed Pierre was gone. I sighed and looked around the room. I had a feeling I would be alone in the room for a while but there didn't seem to be anything in particular to do. Finally I decided to write a letter to Ella; I wouldn't be able to send it but at least it would give me something to do.

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A/N - I'm sorry this took so long to update. I just started my HSC year and things have been extremely crazy just at school... not to mention in my personal life. That and I've had major writer's block and I've had to put all the creative energy I could muster into my Extension 2 project. However I am now on my summer break (well I will be after Monday). I know this chapter is horrible... it's just a filler and something to get the guilt off my mind because I knew I should have been updating.

Anyway I can't remember who it was and I'm too lazy to check my e-mails to see but someone said they kept seeing 'the beast' as an elf... to clarify he is not an elf in any way, shape or form. He has triangular ears in the top of his head (i.e. not in the normal position). If you want to see a picture of him as I see him, go to google or any other image search engine and type in 'InuYasha'. Anyway Mum's chucking a damn hissy fit so I should go. Review!

Ta, Charlie