Chapter Twenty One: Daniel

I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I followed his car northwards anyway. I kept a distance from him and then suddenly, without indicating, he made a right turn into the forest. I slowed as I reached the place and found that it was a simple, unmarked track. I took it. My heart thumped in my chest, I had no idea what I'd find at the end of this track. I'd driven this road hundreds of times and never even noticed this turning was here. Fear coated everything. Daniel had been close to me on countless occasions. He'd touched me, kissed me once and even shared a bed with me on occasions. All that mattered not one bit; because all of it had been replaced by one word: Vampire. I didn't know for sure if he was one, it was just a conclusion my head had arrived at, based on nothing more than a bottle of wine, a TV show and an Internet message-board. Some evidence! Hopefully, he'd laugh in my face with this one.

The track went on forever. There were no turnings and it was too narrow and too tightly bordered by trees for me to turn and head back. I had to drive to the end – wherever it was – Idaho at this rate. Eventually, I came out into a clearing and was stunned to find the most beautiful old house. I stopped the car whilst I took it in. The house was painted white and was three storeys high. Around the base of it ran a deep porch. It was elegant and quite the most beautiful house I'd ever seen. On the far side of it I saw the back of Daniel's car. There was every chance that he knew I was here already, so there seemed little point in backing out, so I parked up next to the Jaguar.

In the trees the birds were already in full voice and my feet made the only other sound as I walked up the steps to the front door. I hesitated, fearful of so many things. The last time I'd seen Daniel I'd told him to go and that I didn't want anything to do with him. I didn't know exactly what I was going to say, but at the very least I could give him an apology for not letting him explain. I knocked on the door.

In my head I counted. Ten seconds passed, fifteen but no answered. Perhaps he was in the shower and couldn't hear me? Perhaps he was in the barn to the side of the house? Or perhaps he knew I was here and just didn't walk to talk to me. Even though I didn't have an atom of evidence to support that theory, it felt like the truth. That must be why he wasn't answering the door and I turned to go. As I put my foot on the second step the door opened and I turned back around to see Daniel.

"Stephanie." He said simply.

"Hi. Could I…talk to you? Please?"

"Sure, come in." He opened the door wider and let me in.

I found myself in a light, open and airy lobby. Where the outside was very traditional, inside it was modern and trending towards the minimalist.

"Could I get you some coffee?" He asked.

This appeared to be a surprisingly hard question to answer. "Uhh…" I couldn't decide.

"Are you OK, you don't look so good?"

I shook my head. "I…I… didn't sleep."

"How about some herbal tea?"

"Tea would be good."

"Sit down; I'll be right back." He indicated to the living area and went off to the kitchen. I walked slowly into the living area and cast a glance around it. There were three large cream sofas arranged in a 'u' shape and over to one side, a grand piano on an elevated area with its lid raised. Along the far wall ran bookcases and the wooden floor was covered with a large modern rug. Here and there were dotted the occasional vase or clock, but there were no photographs, no personalisation that could give me any more indication of who Daniel was. The room was neat and ordered but not intimidatingly so. All things considered I felt relaxed here, despite the shouting and screaming that had set up in my head. Seeing Daniel again had set it off because I now saw what I'd been reading about on the website. I chose a sofa and sat down, but that didn't feel right. I got up and walked over to the piano, looking out of the windows to the forest beyond. The sky was lightening into a beautiful clear blue, holding the promise of a warm, sunny day ahead.

Apart from the ticking of clocks the house was silent and I assumed that Daniel was here alone. Looking around, I'd have never have put him down as someone who would have a house like this. I'd expected a smart apartment not something as spacious as this. This looked like a family home, but whose? He'd spoken of a brother who wasn't strictly speaking his brother, but who he thought of as such. Were there others… like him?

Footsteps on the wooden floor alerted me to his return. He came into the living room with a cup.

"Here, it's blackcurrant, I hope you like it."

"Thanks."

He placed the cup on the coffee table and sat down, indicating to the sofa opposite. "You can sit." He said and gave a little smile.

I shook my head. "Not right now."

I could do with the drink, but I was fearful of being any closer to him than this. My tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth.

"So, what can I do for you?" He seemed a little uneasy.

"I don't know exactly, but I think I owe you an apology."

"I can't imagine what you'd need to apologise for."

"For what I said the last time I saw you."

"You don't need to apologise for that. I heard what you said."

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain." Did I want him to? My head couldn't decide between yes and no. Did I want him to confirm what I suspected? Perhaps he read the indecision in my face.

"Do you want me to explain?" He asked. "I don't want to cause any difficulties between you and Mike."

The mention of Mike confused me for a moment. "There is no me and Mike. Mike's with someone else." I stared at the crystal bowl on the coffee table, hesitant to meet his eye.

"I'm sorry."

"It's OK. I'm pretty screwed up anyhow." I shuddered against a spike of cold that went through me; the fear of him was back.

"Are you cold? Can I get you a sweater?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine." Nothing was further from the truth. I was absolutely not fine. I turned this way and that, reacting to the rising anxiety levels within me and I started to gasp for air. Daniel, clear that something was wrong, came towards me. The sight of him approaching me was enough to galvanise a decision in my head. Right now, he looked like what I suspected he was and he was coming for me! I started to back away and caught my heel on the piano stool. I felt myself fall, but the next moment I was being held by arms that steadied and righted me.

I screamed. I was prepared for him not to release me, to have to fight for my life. But he simply took his hands from me and walked away. He wasn't doing what he was supposed to do if he was a…. I couldn't even say the word in my head. I was sure in that moment that I'd been right, but now I wasn't so sure. Always so many questions and no god-damn answers!

That appeared to release the floodgate within.

"You see? That's what I want answers to! Things that don't make sense! I've been carrying all this around in my head for months and it's freaking me out!"

Daniel was stood back over by the coffee table. "I'm sorry for causing you distress. It was never my intention to hurt you. Seeing you like this makes me realise that I should never have intruded into your life." He sounded sad, defeated and very much like he was releasing me.

I didn't want to be released! "And why is that?" I snapped.

"I think you know why."

"I don't!" I had a suspicion, but I didn't know.

"You do, you've worked it out. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't."

"I haven't worked anything out; all I have is a big old mess in my head!"

"Tell me what you suspect?" He said quietly. "Say it out loud. No matter how bizarre you think it is; tell me what everything in your head is pointing to."

I shook my head, embarrassed. "No..."

"Just tell me."

I shook my head. "I can't say it." I could barely even think it.

"Why can't you say it?"

"Because, it changes everything!" I wailed. I grabbed handfuls of hair on my head and tears burst from my eyes. "I can't say it!" I stared up at the ceiling.

"Stephanie, I can't get you any closer to the line than this. One sentence and you're there. Just say it. Accuse me of it." His voice was as full of emotion as my eyes were full of tears.

But still the words wouldn't come; they were stuck in my throat and my mouth was as dry as a desert. I looked at him through eyes blurred with tears.

"Three words." He said gently. "That's all you need to…"

"You're a vampire!" I blurted out, covering my hand with my mouth as if something had escaped from it that I hadn't wanted to.

I saw his eyes close and a small furrow appear between his eyebrows. He opened them again slowly and looked at me with eyes of the brightest gold.

"Yes."

Everything went black.