As I slipped under into the land of dreams. One began to form. A word played on repeat as the images flashed behind my retinas. It was as if someone planted a seed in my mind. The word you ask? Maenad.

In the land of dreams, a beautiful woman with long wild tangled curls came into focus. She danced with her sisters. They bemoaned in anguish, they were in longing for something or someone. They spoke in a language that was foreign to my ears. As they chanted up to the red moon the words made my blood boil and my skin tingle with anticipation. I could sense I was in danger.

I crept in the shadows as to not alarm those wild women of my presence. The dance was only beginning. They were bare. I watched as their flesh bounced and they moved in wild ways. One of the women held a skull in her hand. She bellowed into the sky as if calling the heavens down. This dream soon turned dark. I watched in earnest interest as those beautiful wild beings brought a young boy to the center where they circled him.

I watched as they tore that boy apart and feasted upon his flesh. His bones burned on a pyre, they laughed and howled into the darkness waiting for something to come.

I awoke in a hurry. My bed was drenched in sweat. Bill was gone. I ran into the bathroom to empty my stomach of its contents. My heart was still pounding. I sank to the floor with my hands above my head trying to slow the thumping.

Maenad!

The word just kept repeating. I closed my eyes but the boy's screams echoed in my ears. I tried to convince myself it was just a dream. But to no avail. Bill rushed into the room looking concerned and frightened.

He found me on the floor still covered in sweat. The vomit floating in the toilet, he flushed it and then helped me into the shower.

Thankfully he didn't ask me anything. He just sat on the floor while the water beat down on my face. I couldn't bring myself to cry. They burned in my chest as I tried to remove the image of him pleading for his life. They laughed at him as he burned.

After a long while, I spoke.

" Do you know what a Maenad is?"

" Yes. I think they were the worshipers of Dionysus. A chaos god, why?"

I didn't say anything else. I got out of the shower and stripped my wet clothes off. After I set about changing the sheets. Bill followed me around waiting for an answer. I just kept doing what I was doing. For some reason, I had a feeling of distrust towards Bill.

I decided to not listen, I needed to come clean!

" Tonight at Fangtasia, when you left to bring the car around. I went to the bathroom. The lights kept flickering until suddenly I was left in the darkness.

I heard something or someone but I couldn't see them. I was stuck in there. I screamed and banged on the door but no one helped.

Amid the fear, I heard a voice. It wasn't my own. It told me to turn around and place my hands out. Once I did, a ball of light came out. It burned so brightly I physically couldn't open my eyes.

The darkness disappeared and the door opened. When I came out, it was as if none of that had occurred. People were near the bathroom door. I was losing it in there. No one heard!

Tonight I woke up from a nightmare. It seemed real! There were these women they were wild. No, more like feral. They were tall, beautiful with flowing hair.

They danced under a blood-red moon, I watched them eat this boy alive. Just tore him to pieces while they danced and laughed under the night sky.

After they tossed his bones to burn. The flames licked at them until a thick black smoke billowed... I woke soon after that. "Bill seemed to connect the dots, his body went rigid.

"Bill, I'm scared. That thing may be after me. " He shushed me and tried to keep me calm.

Despite his efforts, I could tell he was scared too. A car pulled up into the drive loud music blaring from its speakers making the windows shake.

" Who is that?" Bill asked alarmed.

"I think it's Tara"

"Sissi, it's 4 in the morning, why is she pulling in like that?"

I shrugged, Tara is a grown woman. I don't police when she comes in. I put a robe on and went out to greet her. I saw Tara opening the door with that woman behind her. She grinned at me before speaking

"I'm so sorry, did we wake you? I'm Maryann. I just moved here, I threw a party at my place. Tara got too drunk to drive so I brought her home."

"That's so sweet, you're the lady that bought drinks and food for everyone at Merlotte's right?" She chuckled.

"Oh yes, I just couldn't help myself. I just wanted to meet and mingle. You know have fun. Were you there?"

"I'm pretty sure I was your server," Bill called after Tara and tried to lead her into her room.

"Come on Tara ... let us get you into bed," Tara slurred her speech and laughed but didn't fight. She just kept going on about biscuits and gravy for the morning.

Maryann apologized again for waking us up then left. She was up to something. I just couldn't let my hunch go. I immediately grabbed my phone as soon as she was in her car. It kept ringing, so I called again and again. Until finally that blonde bastard picked up.

" Trouble in paradise?" It was Pam, I wasn't in the mood for our normal tête-à-tête.

" Pam put Eric on the fucking phone."

It came out more aggressive than I wanted. She didn't take offense. She just laughed, a sarcastic replying could be heard. I waited until I heard his breath over the receiver.

" Does Pam answer all your calls ?" It was a serious question. Every time I've been contacted by Eric it was through Pam.

"Is everything alright or did you interrupt my feeding to discuss how I conduct my calls." I ignored his tone.

" The woman I told you about. I believe she's the creature. Don't ask why, I just do. She's a Maenad." Eric stayed very quiet and spoke gravely.

" I'm on my way." Eric was true to his word. He now sat in my kitchen along with Pam.

"What did you do to make her so testy Bill? " she looked at me and winked

" You know Pam, some would think you like me" She rolled her eyes and sneered.

She went searching in my fridge, probably looking for some Trueblood. She found an old bottle Bill left behind.

If I were to describe the creature before me. I'd say freakishly beautiful. Eric held an ethereal beauty. Bone straight blonde hair hung past his shoulders. He was Nordic I believe. His eyes were a piercing steel gray. His build was muscular but lean.

His attitude? Pernicious. He was plot-full. You never saw him coming but you always knew it was him. Hungry. Anything he desired he managed to obtain with sheer will. Especially if you didn't want him to have it. Not to be fucked with! Eric Northman was someone I'd have to watch. I still don't know the story between him and Bill.

Pam was his progeny. His child so to speak in vampire terms. Being around vampires all the time clued me in on their life. They tended to talk around humans. Most think of us as pets to keep or meals. So they never have their guard up when they should.

She was gorgeous. She knew it too. She pranced around in little outfits to keep all eyes on her. She was a bitch with a capital B. I loved it! Her body was tall and lean, statuesque. A bust that seemed to pop for her frame and a little perky butt to match. Strawberry body waves framed her face and her glittering jade eyes struck daggers at everyone.

"Explain! How do you know there's a Maenad in town?" Eric barked at me.

" I thought I told you not to ask why, Eric ."

He motioned for me to sit next to him. All four of us sat around the kitchen table and listened as he spoke.

"In the earlier days, my maker and I stumbled across a creature. She stormed through the village we were occupying.

It took one week to ensnare every human.
She held them under her spell. Forced them to do.. things. The worst part was that whatever she did to them turned the blood. Made it poison! We were affected by her too.

We weren't harmed by her spell so she kept us as entertainment. Forced her slaves to do things. Torture us for her amusement. She was a maenad! So explain what you said and why you believe it to be a creature like that! "

I retold the story with great detail. I didn't want to miss a single thing. The way he's acting, if I lied, I might not make it to see the end. Eric looked alarmed. Which was strange. I've never seen that before. He's has such a killer poker face.

"You witnessed a sacrifice of a young boy? Describe him. Did you see what he looked like?"

Eric moved his body forward, his eyes darting across my face, his hand clutching mine. It squeezed tightly. The fear evidently etched across his face.

I closed my eyes. I allowed the image of the boy to come forward. Pushing it towards him. I spoke aloud as I described him to Eric, I began to feel his fingers trembling. It was so subtle that it barely registered. When my eyes took in Eric's expression it told a tale of deep sorrow.

"We need to collect your things... there's nothing we can do, I'll protect you."

" No. I'm not leaving my home! Grans, Gran's home. ." Eric stood over me, leaning over the table, and whispered.

"I can't save them, I'm sorry but you are too valuable to just let rot like the rest.." his voice was low and menacing, near the end it broke.

"Too valuable? I'm not some fucking possession! These are my friends! My home. People I've known my whole life!"

My words clipped with rage. I met his gaze as I breathed heavily, ready to fight if need be. Pam and Bill reacted to the situation. She grabbed my shoulder trying to de-escalate while Bill took a defensive stance.

"Bill, that's enough! ..." Her eyes met mine. " Alright?" The moment in the bathroom came to mind. Her warning to me. To my surprise, Eric backed down first.

" I'll help you. If only to protect my investment. You're more powerful than you let on. On purpose I see. "

Pam looked shocked. She mockingly smoothed the wrinkle her hand made in my robe.

" There princess, happy, seems you've got powers of persuasion as well."

She sneered at Eric and walked away. Tara came out of her room, she was in nothing but a t-shirt and thong.

" What the hell is all that noise?" She looked better. Her words no longer slurring her. she saw all the vampires and held out her hand to point to them.

"look I don't know what's going on but I have to work in the morning while all y'all pasty asses are sleeping. Shut up!"

She kept cursing under her breath while she walked in the kitchen and got water, muttering about how I'm too comfortable with them and went back into her room. Pam burst into laughter once Tara finally shut her door.

They spent the night at Bill's. It was too close to sunrise for them to make it back to Shreveport. I couldn't sleep. I felt as if eyes were plastered on me the entire night. I eventually fell into a restless slumber.

Thoughts about the Maenad weighed heavy on my mind, so much, even in my dreams, I pondered. More so? Eric. I couldn't get him out of my mind. The way he reacted, the emotions that I felt pouring from him. They gripped at me still… his agony is endless.