I want you all to know that it makes my heart so happy when I get that email that says I have a review on this story. I literally start beaming in the middle of public; you brighten my day! Thank you for all the love and support! I truly appreciate and read all of it.

From here on, we're obviously in the events of the musical. Things are going to be a little different from the show. Just little things here and there. I don't want to transcribe every single moment into this story because that would be boring for me and for you. I'll do some inferring that you've seen the show, but I'm not going to leave anything out so don't worry!

Moments might be slightly different because, for the most part, people don't speak in song lyrics. Also, there are some things that work on stage that just don't work in text. So they'll be changes here and there and I just wanted to give a heads up.

So here's your next chapter!

I love all your faces (even though I can't see them)

Sincerely,

Your Author

P.S.: I was asked which cast I'm envisioning as I'm writing. After spending a lot of thought on this, I decided I couldn't pick one. I think they've all got qualities I really like so I can't pick just one. If we're strictly talking staging, I'm basing this more on the later productions of Tanz. See, I have this theory that each time they do this show it becomes slightly more Krolock/Sarah ship-y. Like, it's real, guys. In the one with Mark and Veronica, instead of him almost biting her in the middle of Totale, they changed it to be him almost kissing her. It's real. Look it up on YouTube.

Anyways, here's more fanfic for you.

OOO

Things had become very strange in their little tavern home.

In a fiendish way, Sarah relished in it. She relished in the excitement and the gossip and the fun. She relished in knowing she was responsible for it. Or, at least, partially responsible for it.

There had been whispers. The vampires had been seen more often. Count Von Krolock had been seen more often. Outside the tavern, the whispers said. Gazing up at Sarah's window, said another. Sarah thought that wonderfully exciting but her father did not. Some nights, her father had nailed her shut into her bedroom. Like he thought Sarah was going to walk away in some hypnotic spell. Yet he never bared her window, but still Sarah never saw her angel.

Three more days. Three more days until she was eighteen and everything would be different. Sarah would be immortal. Sarah would live in the castle. He'd kiss her. Well, she thought he might kiss her. She was not sure why she still wanted that so badly, but she thought it often. Sarah would drift off to sleep in her bath and imagine warm kisses all over her skin…

She sat in the bath now, humming her favorite song and running the sponge up her arm. She thought of what it would be like at the castle. Would there be servants like in the great houses in Constanta? Would Sarah be a countess? She pictured sweeping down the stairs in a beautiful ball gown. It was silver, no gold. The ball. Sarah was the guest of honor. There had been more whispers. Whispers about the upcoming ball. No one knew it was for her. No one knew it was all for Sarah.

A princess. She would be a princess. Her foolish and childish little dream. Sarah remembered playing princesses with Maria around the school yard. Maria had not spoken to Sarah since that night. Marie decided she and Sarah need not be friends anymore. Sarah didn't have any friends anymore and she was so lonely at times she thought she'd die from it.

The bathroom door opened. Papa, as usual. Fuming, as usual.

"Sarah!" He bellowed. It was then she noticed two men behind him. There were usually not two men behind him. "How many times do I- Get out!" Too flabbergasted to think better of it, Sarah nearly stood before her father shrieked at her to stay and slammed the door behind him. Two men. Two men, good God, they'd seen her naked. She almost wanted to laugh. Though more ashamed than amused, Sarah fled the bath, slid into her nightdress and back into her bedroom.

My sponge, Sarah thought immediately. She rather liked her sponge. She'd bought it from a store in the city with Maria and Sarah adored it. It seemed the dream of living in the city was gone now. But Sarah would not let these men have her sponge. Not these strange men she did not know.

Sarah opened her door stepping into the bathroom and saw one of the men.

Well, not a man, a boy. A not particularly handsome but not particularly unhandsome boy. He was tall and gangly wearing clothes that looked a hair too short for him. His hair was light. Sarah so rarely saw boys with light color hair. He had to be from somewhere far away. Some place where men had light hair and clothes that were too short for them. And there was something about him that Sarah liked thought she did not know why. There was a light around him that she felt but couldn't really explain. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. He was holding her sponge.

The boy dropped it into the water and Sarah snatched it into her grip. He was still standing there. Then again, so was she.

Sarah moved back to her room and shut the door. The boy did the same.

This was, Sarah thought, one of the strangest things to have ever happened.

OOO

Von Krolock watched as Sarah lay upon her bed toying with the pores of her bath sponge.

It was not possible that she… he cursed himself, it was perfectly possible that she favored the boy. Sarah was young and affection at such an age was sudden and all consuming. It was not like the way he felt for her. The way he felt for her was slow and deeply burning. It seized him entirely and he did not quite know when it had consumed him whole.

Sarah would not be happy with a boy. Such affections burn brightly and quickly and then she would be left alone. This boy did not know her. This boy would not care for her.

No. No this was sentimental nonsense. Von Krolock cared not how the boy felt nor how Sarah felt. Sarah was his. Sarah was his and he had not waited twelve years for her to decide to belong to someone else. She was his, this strange creature, and he would not hesitate to take her. Not now. Not now when everything was different. Sarah was his. Damn the guilt and damn the morality. He had not considered either in months. She was his and he would not allow anyone else to have her. He had cursed her with him.

This was not love, he decided. For in love one must think of the better for the object of their affections. The loved one must be put above all else, above reason, and always given the better option. This was not love for Von Krolock would not let Sarah go. He could not allow Sarah this better life with this human boy. He could not allow it. Sarah was his. She'd been his for twelve years. No: she'd been his for centuries. And soon he'd have centuries of Sarah. He'd have her and her milk white skin and soft lips and starry eyes and kinky hair. She'd be in his arms and his home and his bed and Sarah would be no one else. This was not love. This was not as sweet as love.

Sarah stirred from her bed and moved to the window as though to look for him. Softly, he began to sing that song she liked so much. The sad folk song from hundreds of years ago. He'd always quite liked it, though he knew not why. It was a melancholy tune. It was a sensual tune.

She smiled to hear it. Sarah pressed her palm on the cool glass and wanted to see her angel. I haven't forgotten you, she wanted to say but knew he would not hear her. Even with the boy, Sarah could not forget her angel. Sarah could never forget her angel. Her angel had been so kind to her. Her angel had loved and protected her far better than anyone had. He knew how to keep her safe without nailing her door shut.

But this boy…things would be less strange with this boy. He was human, Sarah was certain, and with a human boy things would be far different. It would be far more familiar. Could they be married, she and this boy? They'd be married and take over the inn for papa. She and the boy would have beautiful light haired children. Sarah would make sure to have many of them: it was so lonely to not have any siblings. They'd have a brood big enough to fill all the rooms. The silly boy with his silly smile would smile at her until they were old and grey.

It was familiar, this life. It was a life Sarah had seen hundreds of thousands of times. Love, have children, die. That was it. It seemed…easier than this fantasy she had created. And yet she could not let the fantasy go. It was childish, wasn't it? Vampires and ballrooms and princesses. Surely it would not be as grand as Sarah had imagined it. Surely she had imagined the whole thing. Did he really love her like she thought he did? Even that felt childish. Sarah knew what men often wanted and she knew how infrequently it was love.

Sarah… She heard a whisper from the shadows. Was it real or was she being fanciful again? Perhaps it was time to stop being fanciful. Everyone said that the vampires were bad. Everyone. Everyone. Even Maria had come to believe them to be bad so why had Sarah not listened? Surely, they were bad and whatever was intended for her was bad?

This boy. Why had this boy suddenly switched everything for her? It seemed now that he made her see things in a new light. A new light that was crowned in sunshine instead of moon glow. This boy and his promise of love and life and children. Or maybe she was simply being fanciful again, but Sarah liked to think she was not. This boy filled her with an entirely new feeling.

Sarah, whispered the voice again. It seemed much nearer and much more insistent. Even a little bit angry. Could she give up her angel? Could she give up her ball gowns and parties?

She trotted to bed and wrapped her blanket into her arms. She pressed her nose into it and it smelt like her. It smelt not like her angel that never appeared to her. Was he truly real, this angel? Did he truly care for her?

Before she went to sleep, it felt almost like someone were stroking her hair. Sarah convinced herself she had imagined it.

OOO

Madame Chagal had whacked the professor over the head with a loaf of bread. Chagal was sleeping with a maid, or attempting to sleep with a maid. There were certainly vampires in this village and yet it seemed no one wished to talk about them. Sarah was the most beautiful girl Alfred had ever seen.

Alfred scribbled all of his findings into his little warn notebook but ended up tearing out the page. The professor would not care about such arbitrary things. They needed real proof. Real answers and no one here was keen to give them away. Sarah might. If Alfred could just talk to her, maybe Sarah would tell him about the vampires. She had to be so frightened. How could someone raise children in a bleak place like this? In a place teeming with monsters? Sarah was so beautiful. It could not be safe for someone so beautiful to be in a village full of vampires.

There had to be some kind of a castle. According to Professor Abronsius's notes, there was a very old, very powerful vampire nearby. There were many rumors of a castle infested with them that was meant to be not far away. A castle, of course, they were having no luck in finding. There were theories that such a place could be hidden by the glamour of the vampires. Vampires, like witches, could manipulate the mind to do many things. If this vampire were as old as they thought, he would be able to do fantastical things indeed.

It was morning now and they were safe from whatever dangers the night would bring. Alfred hadn't slept at all, but for fear or for thinking of Sarah he was not quite sure. She was so beautiful. He had never seen a girl so beautiful. Her eyes shined like stars and her brief smile had possessed his mind. He sat out in the cold with the professor, but his eyes kept looking towards Sarah's window. Was she awake? What was she doing?

But the professor insisted there were things to observe so Alfred followed him about dutifully. In the moment they were gone, a strange and hunkered man appeared. He muttered something as he looked at Sarah's window and Alfred felt his stomach turn. Did this thing mean to hurt her? After discussing something with Chagal, the thing was gone into the trees.

"Who is that man?" The professor demanded in his usual way. It made Alfred nearly die from embarrassment. In his pursuit for knowledge, the professor would froget every social grace. "That hunchback: who is he?"

"A cripple," Chagal said with an easy smile. "We provide him things he cannot get for himself. Poor soul." He clicked his tongue and went back to this work, his wife eying him eerily. Things were very strange here indeed. There was quite clearly some very massive thing they had all grown adept at ignoring.

The professor whispered, "A cripple. Hmm! I wonder if he knows of the castle."

"Why would he know of the castle, professor?"

The old man sniggered, "Why would he know of the castle? Honestly boy, where would you be without me?" He pulled Alfred close as though the others were listening (which he didn't doubt). "No doubt he is their servant. Many creatures of the night will keep such in their employment."

"Why, professor?"

"Why?" The professor groaned. "Because, such persons have little hope in life. The hope of immortality is enough to get their servitude free of charge. Hmm!"

Alfred supposed that made sense and they didn't talk much more as they sat watching the others do their chores. He almost expected Sarah to come out and assist but she never did. The mother must've noticed how Alfred's eyes kept darting to the window for she pulled him near and spoke to him.

"Sarah would be joining us for chores, but it's nearly her birthday, you know?" Rebecca said cheerily as she plucked feathers from a goose. Why these people wanted to do chores in this snow was beyond him. Perhaps it was always like cold so far east.

Alfred just smiled and nodded, afraid to say something that might make her cross.

"She's very sweet, our Sarah," Rebecca pressed again. "About to be eighteen."

"An important birthday," Alfred noted and it seemed to upset the woman. Eighteen. Alfred was one and twenty but very usually didn't feel so in his place of servitude. He decided to change the subject. "Do you know any places where the professor and I could go and work on our studies, Madame Chagal? A library perhaps. Or a castle…"

"There is no castle," Rebecca said as the others had the previous night. Alfred's tongue felt like cotton. "There is a library in the city, but the city is far. Would you not rather just have a nice warm meal here? You needn't go out in such weather-"

"Well, the professor and I made this trip to study. We've heard of a castle nearby and would very much like to see it."

"Do not bring such ill omen upon our house, young man." The woman stopped very abruptly, her voice low and her eyes sharp. "We want none of that here."

A voice burst though, "None of what, Madame Chagal?" It seemed the professor had been listening it. He traipsed over and raised his squeaky voice. "We've come to help you, but we can't unless you tell us what is going on! What and where and why and how and who, Madame? Who is this person you all fear?"

No one spoke. Alfred's chest felt like it had scorpions in it.

The professor relented, "Fine then! Ignore your problems and live with your infestation. Come, boy! There's a library in the city and there is no answer that cannot be answered inside of it!"

Alfred groaned. He would never tell the professor, but the promise of a hot meal did sound far more amusing than a library ever could be.

OOO

Sarah had expected the boy at dinner, but he was not there. They'd gone into the city, her mama informed her, and probably wouldn't be back until late. That disappointed Sarah and she didn't know quite why, but her mind was set on other things. Koukol, the hunchback, had spoken to her this afternoon and the words had perplexed her. Tonight. She would come to the castle tonight. Which was peculiar, for it was not yet her birthday. Was he not to wait until her birthday?

Tonight. Sarah would go tonight. It seemed so sudden for whatever reason. And she wouldn't see the boy again. Sarah wasn't sure why that upset her, for she didn't even know him. Tonight. Sarah could hardly focus for the anticipation. She pictured a beautiful ballroom and beautiful dresses and a beautiful her. Tonight.

Sarah would not see that boy again. Why did she keep thinking about him?

At dinner, Sarah hardly ate even a bite. Tonight. Would he make her into a vampire tonight? Sarah couldn't imagine vampires ate anything so she should eat. This may be her last meal. Or maybe it was all some horrific trick and he was going to kill her. No, no Sarah could not think that true. If he'd wanted to kill her, wouldn't he have done it already? Why prolong it? Tonight. Sarah barely ate two bites of her stew.

The boy. Sarah kept thinking about the strange boy. He was handsome, she imagined. He was golden haired and for some reason Sarah thought he must be very nice. Yes, it seemed he would be very nice. Thinking about being with him did not give her all these knots in her stomach. As she looked at the faces of her parents, Sarah knew that her parents wouldn't mind if Sarah fell in love with the boy. They would certainly mind if she went to the castle. It would break their hearts if she went to the castle. Could Sarah break their hearts?

They've broken my heart a hundred times, thought a voice in her mind. I don't care if I break there's.

Her parents seemed alarmed when Sarah announced what she was doing, but she went up to her room regardless. It was still rather early. Certainly a vampire would not be out this early. God, what was she meant to do? She couldn't just lie around, she'd go absolutely mad. Was she meant to pack? Sarah supposed none of her things were good enough for a castle. The things he'd given her maybe…

Sarah heard a noise from the bathroom. The boy. The boy was back. It excited her and Sarah didn't care that she didn't know why. A bath, that's what she should have. Yes, she'd smell so wonderful and look so beautiful after a bath. It would take her mind from everything and everyone. Sarah wouldn't mind everything so much if she were in a bath.

"Excuse me?" Sarah opened the unbarred door and the boy nearly jumped from his skin. Sarah laughed to herself. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"

"N-no," the boy stammered. His eyes were so wide. Sarah had never seen a boy with such wide eyes. It made her feel bashful. "Not at all, miss."

She blushed, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to… Never mind it. Enjoy your bath." As she gestured, she dropped her sponge right onto the ground. The boy went to grab it as she did, and they ended up nearly touching hands and sitting very closely. Sarah wondered suddenly what it would be like to kiss this boy…

"Thank you," Sarah stood suddenly. Words poured out her before she could think about them. "You really are very nice." And he looked at her like she was insane. "Forgive me. I don't meet many people." Absentmindedly, she gestured to the bared door.

The boy hesitated, "Does your father always lock you in your room like that?"

She shrugged, "I'm nearly eighteen and he treats me like I'm a baby."

"How do you stand it?"

"I have my escapes," Sarah said bashfully. Suddenly, she thought perhaps she'd said too much. Her eyes trailed to the sponge that was still in his grasp and quite immediately he offered it to her. "Keep it." She decided. "It's fine; I have two."

The boy studied it, "Beautiful… I mean, the sponge is beautiful. Uh…" He was stammering nonsensically and it made her laugh. He did like her, this boy. Sarah had thought so. It made her happy to know so. "Can I give you anything?"

"Anything?" She repeated. Her eyes moved to the tub full of hot water and bubbles and she felt a yearning in her chest. She did like this boy and maybe in a different world they could… But Sarah was going to the castle tonight. She needed to prepare for the castle. "There is something."

"Yes?" The boy pressed.

"It's just…something I like to do to relax, you know. Most girls do."

That seemed to alarm the boy and Sarah was not quite sure why.

"Do you mean…" The boy stammered again. "But your father?"

Sarah scoffed, "Well, he gets upset about everything, but I can do what I want. Do will you help me?"

"Help you?"

"Yes," Sarah repeated. He seemed to not be a very smart boy, come to it. "You're so nice; please, let me have it."

"Well," the boy was flushing and Sarah suddenly realized what he was thinking. Oh, it made her want to laugh. "I suppose so." Oh, she felt awful, but more so found it delightfully humorous. Sarah had never been much of a coquette before, and it was proving quite fun to be one.

Sarah smirked, "Good." And she decided to tease him a bit more for he flushed so wonderfully well. "You need to get out while I undress." Sarah pushed him from the room and it was like he were made of feathers. "Thank you for letting me use your bath. It's really very kind of you." With a brief kiss on his cheek, Sarah pushed him from the room and locked the door.

A laugh burst from her, a deep laugh, as she undressed to get into the water. Maybe it was a bit mean but it had been absolutely hilarious. Sarah hadn't had a good laugh in… She could not remember the last time she laughed. The thought was a bit sobering, so Sarah let it slip from her mind as she slid into the hot water and foam. Somewhere far away, it sounded like someone was singing that ballad she loved so much. Sarah hummed along, letting the soap slide over her skin.

She heard the music, but thought nothing of it. Sarah heard the song so often in her own mind that she hardly recognized when she was hearing it aloud. It soothed her, this melody, in a way it had not before. Like a lullaby, the song passed over her and made everything feel different. Yes, the air felt alive, didn't it? Sarah couldn't name what had happened when the boy left, but suddenly everything was different.

It had just been a moment. Just a moment before Sarah had made the boy leave her to her bath. She felt slightly wrong about that, but it had been fun. Now she was alone. Now she could be free and...

Sarah nearly screamed. There was a face at the window. Her angel. Her angel's face looking down upon her. It could not have been real. Sarah did not believe it was real. Her skin felt like fire as he stared at her.

"Do not be frightened," she heard, though she should not have been able to hear him. "Do not be frightened of me."

My angel, Sarah's heart was soaring from her chest.

"I come for you, my darling. I've waited so long for you."

Then suddenly, he was in front of her. He was in her bathroom and he was standing there like some dream come to reality. He had come for her. Her angel had come for her. Two days early, even, but Sarah didn't care. He was real it. It frightened her how real he was. She could reach out and touch him, but found she could not move.

"Or, you could stay here, couldn't you?" He spoke strangely as he gazed at her as though she weren't stark naked but she very fiercely knew she was. "Stay here and live a life like all the others. Boring and short and bitter. Would that be enough for you, my princess?"

Sarah shook her head no. No, it would never be enough. Damn whatever foolish thoughts she had the night before. Damn whatever strange dreams she had conjured. Sarah didn't want them. Sarah wanted him.

"It would never be, would it?"

Sarah shook her head fiercely.

"I've come to invite you, dearest one, invite you far away from here." He moved nearer and Sarah sat up straighter. She didn't care that she was naked. She didn't care at all. Sarah moved up onto her knees to be closer to him. His index finger slid beneath her chin, guiding her gaze to his. His eyes were as red as beautiful roses. "A midnight ball at the caste, wouldn't you like that? Everything you've ever wanted. Eternity. Night after night and never growing older. Don't you want that?"

Sarah nodded again, his long nail pressing into her skin. His hand brushed her face before pulling away suddenly. It seemed he'd grown possessed with something as he stared at her. Perhaps Sarah had been too. Suddenly too, his hand grasped the back of her head and held her a bit too tightly.

"You'll come with me?" He asked strangely.

"Yes," Sarah said, aloud this time.

"You will be mine?"

"Yes."

He moved closer and Sarah saw the fangs that protruded from his gums but she didn't care. For whatever reason, the thought of him doing that was infinitely exciting and Sarah could hardly breathe for the anticipation. Perhaps it was earlier than she had expected, but she would be his. Yes, she would be his and it would be so lovely to be his. He was so magical and she wanted to be with him. Sarah wanted him like nothing else in the world. And he was an inch from her, just a breath from her when the door opened and Sarah's world shattered. They were screaming. The boy and the old man were yelling things Sarah couldn't hear and her mother had come in. Her angel was gone. Sarah's moment was ruined. He was gone and would forget about her and everything was ruined...

"Sarah!" Her father pulled her from the tub while her mother pushed the robe back onto her arms. "What have you done? What have you done?"

"Wha-?" Sarah couldn't speak in all the excitement. The boy and the old man were darting about, the boy clutching a crucifix and a bundle of garlic in his hands. "The smell of decay!" The old man bellowed like he were mad. "He was here, boy! He was here! You must tell us who that was!" The old man grabbed Sarah's arm but her father gruffly pushed him away. Before Sarah could catch another look she was pushed into her room and slammed against the bed. It struck into her chest like a great blow.

Her mother was muttering things in some high pitched voice Sarah could not understand. Everything seemed to be moving in stop time since her angel had left her. He had been there. He had held her and promised her everything. Would he forget now? Was her angel gone for good? Sarah couldn't breathe. She couldn't even move. Her father slapped her across the face and she barely felt it. Her mother scolded him but did nothing to stop him from doing it a second time. Sarah didn't care. Her angel was gone. Everything was ruined. Everything was broken.

Her father grabbed her, "What did you say to him? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Sarah whimpered. "I just wanted to have a bath. I didn't do anything, papa. I promise."

"Don't lie to me, girl!" He said and then struck her again. Sarah did not know what she ever could have done to warrant such treatment. Why was he so upset? Everything, Sarah thought. Everything. He's upset for taking me to the castle when I was six. He's upset about the bear and about the snow and about the castle and the beach and the attack and the rumors. I'm the vampire girl. I'm the vampire girl and he doesn't want the vampire girl as his daughter.

Sarah felt tears on her face. "I'll never bathe again, papa. I promise. Please, papa. I didn't do anything! Please!"

"Yoine!" Rebecca stopped her husband before the fourth slap could be struck. It seemed the three before had been warranted in her mind. "Perhaps Sarah did not-"

"I want that beast nowhere near her!" Her father bellowed but this time it was not towards her. The he looked at her like he wanted to say something. Sarah thought he might apologize. Instead, he grabbed her mother and stormed from the room. Stormed from the room as though she were some dog meant to be beaten and then cast away. Sarah cried. No, not cried: sobbed. It seemed all she did lately was cry or sob and frankly she despised it.

Sarah waited as she cried and no one came to her window and no one sang to her and no one came to her rescue. Her angel, it seemed, had flown back off to heaven and left her alone and in hell. That's what this was, wasn't it? This was hell. A hell where they did not love her and did not want her and would beat her like a dog and not apologize for it. They were mad at her for tempting a vampire she'd never truly intended to tempt. Sarah could not live her any longer.

Sarah could not live here any longer.

I'm going to run away, she thought suddenly. It was strange that she had not considered it before. Run away. It was so simple. Yes, she'd go far away. So far away that no one would ever find her again.

She went to her floorboard and pulled it away. She was not expecting was new items within it.

A red rose. Bright, new, and glorious the blossom was. Beneath it was her blanket and beneath that were all her beautiful jewels tied in a handkerchief. Like for a journey. Like for a runaway.

He wanted her. Her angel wanted her to join him. He did. He'd said so. He'd held her and said that she was his and would dance with him at the ball. The ball. Yes, it was for her. It was all for her. It was all for her to run away to and all she had to do was go. Just go and then she'd get it all. Everything she'd ever wanted would be hers and soon. Her angel wanted her. She had to go to him

Sarah grabbed the items: the jewelry, the blanket. She covered the floorboard one last time. Sarah took her coat from the closet and shoved the handkerchief into the pocket. In the red blanket she wrapped up the red rose. She was running away. It filled her with a fiendish desire to think it.

Her angel wanted her, and Sarah was not going to be late.