*attempts to make Totale Finternis into dialogue*

But in all seriousness, I'm taking some artistic liberties because again, musicals and novels aren't the same things. So while Totale Finternis is like a four minute song, it can be done in like three lines of dialogue. So some things are changing, but I think you'll still like it. Hopefully.

Anyway, here's your next chapter! Love all the reviews and reads!

OOO

The moon shone brightly on the fallen snow and Alfred wanted to talk to her.

Sarah could not have… Well, he supposed she could have. He didn't even know her, not truly. One brief moment of speaking and he thinking she was… Never mind that part either. Alfred felt sick when he thought of that monster in the bathroom with her. How had he gotten in? How had Alfred not seen him? Why had not Sarah screamed in horror at the face of that thing? For that thing was hideous. Absolutely distorted. Alfred had never seen a thing so ugly.

And yet Sarah had not screamed. She had been hypnotized, he supposed. These creatures could do such a thing. It was good Alfred had seen. He'd thought he'd heard a noise and went to look and there the great black bat had been. He loomed over Sarah like a cloud made of dark fabric. His face had been pale and marble and sunken in in a way human faces were not. His eyes had been red as fresh blood. Yes, Sarah should've screamed so she must've been hypnotized.

Now Alfred stood in the cold night outside her window wanting desperately for her to come to it. After he'd called for help, her father had beat her and locked her in her room again. The professor had demanded to speak with her, claiming they were on the brink of a 'scientific discovery' but of course his demand had been denied. No one was to see Sarah and Sarah was to see no one. Alfred had the strangest feeling that this had happened before. The thought of it made him feel even more ill.

'Professor?' Alfred had asked while they'd scoured the bathroom for some sort of clue. Nothing was left behind, of course. A strange smell and nothing more. 'Will he hurt Sarah?'

'He seems to have given her a good beating.' The professor said.

Alfred breathed, 'No, not the father: the vampire. Will he hurt Sarah?'

'It depends upon what you mean by hurt, boy,' the professor snapped. 'Vampires are corruptors, villains! He could drain her dry or corrupt her to be like him.' He stood, obviously ticked he'd found no evidence. 'Now, get up, boy! We've work to do!"

Work, it seemed, meant reading so Alfred snuck out to wait beneath Sarah's window. Corrupt her. Who would want to corrupt something so beautiful? Who would want to turn something as perfect into something as hideous as that thing that had been lurking in the bathroom? No doubt this vampire had thousands of companions; he could leave Sarah alone. He could leave Sarah for Alfred.

Alfred heard a footstep behind him and felt his whole body turn to stone. The monster. The monster had returned.

"What are you doing out here?"

It was no monster, but an angel. Sarah stood behind him looking like a goddess in the snow. He turned and saw her standing behind him, a red bundle in her arms and a blue coat covering her body. Her eyes, they seemed her red and swollen from crying and her lips parted form sobs. On her cheek was a bright red mark from where her father had slapped her. Alfred could not believe anyone could harm something as sweet as Sarah.

"I, er…" Alfred stammered, thinking that he couldn't quite tell her he'd been waiting outside her window to see her. "I was checking the area. Making sure you were safe."

"I'm fine," Sarah bit. She sniffed and took a step back.

Alfred studied her, "What are you doing?" For a long moment, Sarah said nothing and he saw a million thoughts pass over her wide eyes. Eventually she trusted him.

"I'm running away," Sarah gestured to her pack. "At least, going away. I just…I just can't stay here anymore. I can't. They…. They aren't good to me, you know? And I… I just can't stay here. Not anymore."

"Where will you go?" Alfred stepped forward and wanted to offer to go with her. Yes, he'd go with her if she asked. He'd go anywhere.

From somewhere far off, a wolf howled and it chilled his bones suddenly. The moon was bright and full above them, romantic in a way. Sarah did look so lovely with the moon shining down on her. Alfred thought it would be wonderful to look at her every day with the moon shining down on her. Yet she looked so sad. He wondered if it was often that her parents were like this. She had said so. He imagined so. Alfred would never be so cruel to her. Alfred would never strike her or scold her. If she offered, he would go.

Sarah shrugged, "Away. I don't know. But I must go now before they realize I'm gone."

"Wait!" Alfred said before she even took a step away. Sarah leaving. He could not fathom Sarah leaving. It was not possible that she… The vampire. The vampire from the bathroom. Sarah could not be going to him, could she? "It's dangerous. You should wait until the morning."

"I'll die if I stay another night here," Sarah said with vitriol. "I must go now."

"I'll go with you!" Alfred offered suddenly. "It's dangerous to go out at night. I can escort you wherever you want to go. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"You really are so nice," Sarah responded after a beat. It seemed her cheeks had flushed but perhaps it was just the reflection of her red bundle. "But I can't ask you to do that for me."

"It's no problem," he insisted. Alfred stepped forward wanting to hold her hands but thinking she might not want that. "I'll go with you."

"Will you?" She asked in a teasing way.

Alfred nodded fervently, "Yes, yes! Anywhere you want to go, we'll go! I've wanted to travel the world for my whole life."

She laughed, "Me too. The world is so…free."

"Yes," Alfred agreed. He almost took her hands. Almost. "We could go anywhere you wished. Anywhere at all!"

"I…" Sarah stammered and for a moment he thought she would agree. Alfred was waiting for her to agree. He pictured it all. They'd go off together. They'd be happy together. They'd travel the world and be in love and be married and have a family…. "I forgot my sponge!"

Alfred blinked, "Your sponge?"

"Yes, ah…" It seemed to greatly upset her. "Will you go fetch it for me? I can't be without my sponge."

"All…all right," Alfred agreed. It seemed to make her much happier. She smiled at him her twinkling smile again and touched him arm kindly. They were going to run away together, they were going to do it! Alfred just needed her sponge and everything would be good. Yet when he went to find it, Alfred found nothing. It was not in him room nor the bathroom nor anywhere at all. It was fine, he told himself. It wouldn't matter. When they began their travels, he'd buy her a new sponge. He would buy her a thousand sponges.

After his searching, Alfred went back outside and found the yard empty. Empty. Sarah was gone. Alfred cried her name and Sarah was gone. She was not in the trees and not by the shed and absolutely nowhere.

Panic seized him: He'd taken her. That monster had taken her. Or she'd left Alfred. Or it had all been a trick and she'd left Alfred.

And it was all Alfred's fault.

"Sarah!" Cried another voice from behind him. Chagal appeared at the door with a crazed look in his eye. His wife soon followed, her look equally perplexed. "God, no! Sarah!" He ran about like a maniac, but Alfred could no longer move. Sarah was gone. Taken or left, he no longer knew. He no longer knew what to believe.

She had been here. Just moments ago, Sarah was here. They were going to run away together. They were going to-

Chagal cried, "He's taken her! My daughter, my only child. My girl! My Sarah!" He held up little black shoes. Sarah's black shoes. Why had she left her shoes? Where had she gone? Alfred had a thousand questions and no answers in sight. Sarah gone. Sarah was gone.

In a blur of declarations and cries, Chagal ran into the snow for his daughter while his wife cried a cry to rival that of the wind. Alfred could say nothing. Alfred could think nothing. Sarah was gone. Sarah was taken. Sarah had vanished and it was all his fault. Why had he left? He should've stayed with her. Sarah had been in a dangerous spot and he should've stayed with her. That monster had taken her because Alfred had left her alone.

Sarah was going to be hurt, and it was all Alfred's fault.

OOO

"Master, there's a girl on the grounds."

"A girl?" He inquired immediately, something sparking inside of him. Sarah. It had to be Sarah. He'd never imagined she'd come to him. He'd aimed to come for her... At some point, he would've come for her. He should've taken her this night as he'd intended to but for whatever reason...

Von Krolock stood, walking to his window. The snow fell in sheets upon the ground and he could not think that such a little thing as Sarah could've survived such a trek. Yes, surely she had not come all this way for him. The girl on the grounds could not be her, and yet he glimpsed her through the snow. How had she born this? How had such a child born this?

"Can I have her, master?" Asked the creature standing in the room with him. Von Krolock had forgotten he was there. "I haven't hunted in days." Insolent, starving thing to even consider requesting such a thing. And perhaps Von Krolock's reaction was untoward, but he grabbed the man by his throat and bared his fangs in intimidation.

Von Krolock sneered, "Touch her and I will gut you from nose to navel. The girl is mine." He released the man, not caring about the quizzical look of his face or the stench of his fear. Sarah. Sarah had come to him. Sarah would be his. "Now get out. If I find you or any other has touched a hair upon her head, you'll face pain far worse than any you've ever known."

The man bowed and left the room, the stink of his fear staying behind. Von Krolock cared not for his hungry subjects and insolent courtiers: Sarah was here. Sarah was his.

The thought propelled him as he descended the staircase and opened the grand doors. Sarah was there, frozen and shaking but she smiled to see him. Sarah was here. She stumbled into the castle, her hair frozen and wet, and the sound of her chattering echoed all around. Sarah, his Sarah. Von Krolock reached a hand for her and she took it with trepidation. She looked at him like he were made of something magical.

That was when the girl swooned.

He caught her. She was in his arms again and this time she would not leave them. Sarah was here. Sarah had chosen to be here. Von Krolock shut the door, clicked the lock, and carried the girl in his arms up the stairway. He'd find her a room and food and something not so icy to wear. Even so, she was so warm in his arms. Her head fell back and her neck was long and porcelain and he wanted to... No. Not yet. The time was not right yet.

There was a room, a room he'd had made up for her. He stepped in and set her on the bed, her iced clothes crinkling on the surface. Sarah was here. She was right here in front of him and there was no one to see or to interfere. He touched her cool cheek softly but the girl did not stir. She was so little. She was so young. Perhaps he should not... He dismissed the thought. Sarah was here. Sarah wanted him.

Sarah would not leave.

OOO

The room she awoke in was unfamiliar, but Sarah quickly remembered to where she had traveled. The castle. This was the castle from her dreams and her fancies. This was the place she'd longed to be for so many years. The castle. Sarah was in the castle.

How long had she been resting? The bed was so lush and soft that Sarah did not want to leave from it. The room was more beautiful than any she had ever seen. She wondered if it were still dark but the windows were shut up so she could not see the outside. She imagined it was still night; it had only just been growing dark when she left. The nights were so long in winter, especially in a winter as bad as this one.

There was a bowl on the table. Soup and a piece of bread, both still warm. She had not been asleep that long. That was good. Though she wasn't sure how she was expected to eat now. Sarah was in the castle. Sarah was in this place she'd dreamed of for nearly her whole life, how did they expect her to eat? Her stomach rumbled to spite her, but she felt she'd hurl if she ate even a crumb.

On the vanity chair was laid another nightgown. A white nightdress, similar to the one she already wore but certainly not as cold. Her clothes hung against her, wet and chilly, and Sarah yearned to wear something that was not so. Easily, she slipped from her belongings and put on the other nightdress. It was far finer than any she owned and made of far finer material. Maybe she could eat. Sarah was so hungry.

The soup and bread were finished in what felt like a moment. What was she meant to do now? Would someone come for her? Would he come for her? Sarah remembered that look on his face when she'd come in the door. Her angel had been elated to see her come to him. There had been a look in his eyes Sarah couldn't name but knew all too well. Where was he now? What was she meant to do?

She sat for several minutes feeling quite idiotic, and then decided to go exploring.

OOO

Alfred wanted out of this hell of a place.

The castle had looked barbaric and grotesque from its perch atop the mountain. Though it had seemed a behemoth from the outside, it seemed even more so from the inside. Alfred supposed you could fit hundreds of castles into this one it was so vast. The hunchback had led then down a labyrinth of paths Alfred was sure he could not repeat until they reached their assigned bedroom. A disgusting bedroom that was not cleaned and filled with dust. Did Sarah have such a room as well? Did these creatures have such little regards for humans?

"We have to find Sarah." Alfred proclaimed when he and the professor were alone in the room. One bed. They had been given one bed. Alfred took it as an insult, which it certainly was. This Count Von Krolock was domineering and pretentious and Alfred despised him. What a strange looking man. A vampire, he had to be. Who else could it be but this strange looking man?

This had been the creature from Sarah's bathroom. It had been, yet the professor was not convinced. They needed "evidence". They needed proof.

Alfred thought all the proof they needed was this strange looking was this man. Alfred could not understand how Sarah had not retracted in horror at the first sight of him. He was tall, too tall, and his strange edges and lines to his face. He did not look old and at the same time was the most ancient thing Alfred had ever seen. He could hardly describe it, which was not good for surely the professor would make him take notes upon it. To be frank, Alfred cared not for notes or studying anymore. He cared not for evidence and science, he cared for freeing Sarah from this awful place.

Alfred remembered how depraved Sarah's father had become. Was Sarah that way now? Were they already too late?

Sarah was caught in some sort of spell, surely. It was the only explanation as to why she had come here in the first place. Even the man himself had said he was a magician, a hypnotist, and that is what he had done to Sarah. He'd tricked her and was now keeping her captive. Alfred clutched her sponge to him, pressing it against his nose and trying to catch the scent of her. All he could smell was soap. He hoped she was alive.

"'A night bird'," the professor mused to himself. He walked around their awful bedroom, perfectly enchanted, while Alfred was crumbling apart on the inside. How dare the professor be so charmed by the place? How dare he not see the danger? Where was Sarah? Alfred could never find her blindly. Surely the castle was crawling with these creatures. The son. Ugh, the son. Alfred did not like any of this at all. They had to find Sarah. They had to save her and then leave.

"He nearly gives himself away, boy!" The professor exclaimed gleefully. "We're here! I can't believe we're actually here! I gander few humans have been here at all boy. The castle is coated in powerful magic. Only those who he wants to see it can enter."

Alfred wondered why the beast had let them through them. Probably to make a sport of us.

"She's in the castle," Alfred said. He lifted up his sponge and then clasped it to himself again. "Sarah is. I know it. He said that she was. We have to find her."

"He could be tricking you, boy," the professor said without even looking. "Using the thought of this girl to get you to wander about at night. It would be unwise. It would be best to stay in this room until morning when they are weaker."

"Until morning!" Alfred bellowed. No, no. They could not wait that long. It was hours until morning, ages until morning. The nights were so long this far east. Anything could happen in these hours. That monster would take Sarah. That monster would do something awful to her. It turned Alfred's stomach to imagine it. How that monster had looked at Sarah in the bathtub… Oh, he was a vile thing to look at her like that. Sarah was a lady. A beautiful girl and that monster looked at her like he owned her.

"N-no," Alfred stammered. "We cannot-"

"We must, Alfred." The professor never used Alfred's name unless he was being exceptionally stupid or the professor was being exceptionally caring. He was not sure which was applying at the moment. "I heard talk at the tenant house that there is to be a ball at this castle tomorrow night. It's some strange, annual thing for these creatures. We must trust that if anything is intended for this girl, it will not occur before tomorrow night." The professor looked at him. "We must trust."

With a deep sigh, Alfred nodded.

It was going to be a most excruciating night.

OOO

Sarah had never been in a place so beautiful.

The castle was larger than it had appeared from the outside, and every inch of it was lavish and lush. Sarah wanted to stay in it forever and ever. No more stupid house that always smelt or garlic, ale, and sweat. This was place was clean and grand. Sarah felt like a princess to just be inside of it. They had welcomed her inside of it.

It was very dark in this castle. Candles lit parts of it, but there were not enough candles in the world to light it all. It was so vast. Sarah could not believe how vast it was. The ceilings in some parts seemed to reach right into the stars and far past them. The walls had been covered in tapestries or portraits. They were so old yet they did not crumble. The whole castle was covered in magic, just as Sarah thought it would be. For he was magic, her angel, so the castle was magic as well.

The air was cool as she explored and she felt eyes upon her as she wandered about. These eyes didn't frighten her though. She did not know why. Nothing about this castle was frightening to her. As she wandered, Sarah found many rooms but nary another soul. She saw naught her angel nor any of the others. For there were others, she was certain. She could feel them all around her but saw them naught. It was as though they were frightened of her. Sarah thought that very silly.

She liked this exploration. For all of her life, such things were forbidden from her. Such things were forbidden because Sarah was marked as cursed the moment a vampire had smiled at her. Sarah was meant to be locked in a tower because she was different and to be different was to be dangerous. She had been so lonely for so very long. She just wanted…she just wanted to not feel so lonely. She continued on in her journey.

She found a library. She found a music room and a sporting room and several studies. Sarah did not find the door or how she had come in. Her angel had tucked her away in some far off room that Sarah was not even sure she would remember how to get back to. Finally, she found the ballroom. So badly had she wanted to find the ballroom. It was more beautiful than she had ever imagined. A great smile grew as she studied it.

Ornate beams reached up the heavens and were lined in silver and gold. Portraits lined every bit of the walls and the walls themselves were a deep red. Even the floor was made from spotless tile. A staircase bigger than any she had ever seen stretched up before her and at the top was…

Sarah froze. It was him.

"Sarah…Sarah…Sarah…" Whispered voice from behind her. Sarah turned suddenly, expecting others to be there but saw nothing. "Be prepared, Sarah…" It whispered from her side but again she was alone. "Precious Starchild…" Said another voice but still no one was near. "Prophesized…" Began another and soon the ballroom was a cacophony of unseen voices. "Sarah!" "Starchild!" "Prophesized!" "Be prepared!" "Run!" "Starchild!' "Different!" "Chosen!" "Sarah!" "Run!" "Different!" "Chosen!" "Different!"

"Sarah."

A clear voice. A living voice. Sarah turned to see her angel had come much closer to her. There were tears in her eyes; those voices had scared her. They'd whispered those things she didn't want anyone to whisper. Different. Something was strange about her.

Her angel brought his hand to her face and wiped her tear away with his thumb. He had such strange hands. Everything about him was wonderfully bizarre.

"Do not be frightened," he said to her.

"I'm not." Sarah responded, but she was certain she did not sound very convincing.

"I wish you to be very happy here," he said. Sarah smiled as he spoke. Everything felt odd now: warm and sort of out of focus. The fear was gone so Sarah didn't mind it. And she was here with him, so she did not mind it. "My beautiful Sarah."

She smiled brighter as he led her off. Sarah did not know where they were going, but it had grown darker now. Some knot was forming in her stomach: worry. Fear. Something about him was scaring her but…no, Sarah wasn't scared of him. He was her angel. He wanted to make her happy.

"I want to make you exquisitely happy." He said as though he had read her thoughts. Happy. No one had really tried to make Sarah happy before. "My Sarah. My own."

They were in some different room now. Everything was very strange to Sarah now. Everything was a swirl of beautiful warm colors at the pinpoint of him. He led her gently and she followed serenely, wanting nothing more than to be near to him. He let go of her hand and cast her off into the room. It was the room she'd been in earlier, her room, yet different. She could not explain how it was different. One thing was for certain different: there was a red dress on a stand before her.

Her eyes widened as she stumbled forward to touch it. Sarah had never seen such a beautiful gown in all of her life. She touched it lovingly and found it all the more ornate as she studied it. She'd never dreamed she'd own such a gown, let alone touch one.

"It's beautiful," Sarah breathed. She did not even know if he was still there. In fact, Sarah did not even know if he had really been there at all. Everything felt like a dream. A wonderful, wonderful dream. He touched her shoulder and they were flying again. Well, no, they weren't flying. Sarah did not even know if they had moved at all. It seemed to be her room and yet everything was very dark now. There was only him. Sarah so wanted him. Did he want her? Sarah wanted to be made like him right now. She did not want to wait. She'd become a vampire now, go to the ball tomorrow, and she'd be the most beautiful vampire of them all…

Sarah had pulled off her red shawl. She was not even sure when she had done that. It seemed, for a moment, that he was going to do it. He came very close to her like he was going to do it.

"Not yet, my precious." Her angel said after several long moments. He touched her face again and Sarah felt like she was dreaming. Wasn't she dreaming? What did anything matter then, if she were dreaming? Sarah could want him and kiss him if she were dreaming. How badly she wanted him. It felt like aching how she wanted him. He took her in his arms and Sarah felt enchanted.

"Tomorrow." His voice was as low and as soft as a lullaby as she rested against him. "Tomorrow at the ball you and I will be together. We will be one. We must wait. We must not forget ourselves. It shall be all the better if we wait."

Sarah nodded for whatever reason, wanting to rest there in his arms for eternity. Yes, she would be so happy here. Here was far better than home or the city or anywhere else in the world. Why were people so frightened of him? He was good and kind and…warm. He wrapped her in his shadow and everything felt as it should be. Nothing in her felt like it were missing or broken or wrong.

"You are a wonder," he said almost to himself. Sarah was in love with him. Was he in love with her? At least she thought she was in love with him. Yet this felt like something different than love. Sarah was not quite sure what.

He pulled away and looked at her again, and again she wondered if he was going to do it regardless. Or would he take her to bed? Were they even still in her bedroom? Sarah knew not where they were or what was going on. Nothing felt real; everything was a dream. That knot come back into her stomach. What was he doing to her? Was this that hypnosis she had been told about? Everything was so strange.

He kissed her. Well no, not kiss. Kiss seemed too sweet a word. It was not a sweet kiss like the one from Samuel had been. Samuel's kiss had been soft and light and smelt of cinnamon. His hands had been light upon her skin and his lips warm and gentle. This kiss was very different. Her angel's mouth was hard and determined against hers and Sarah knew not how to kiss in such a way. It seemed a very grown up way to kiss someone. No one had kissed her in such a way. It was like he meant to inhale her and leave a shell of her left behind. It was passionate in ways Sarah had not imagined in her many fantasies. She did not know how to kiss this way. But she wanted to try.

Her angel tried to pull away from her but Sarah grasped him back and held him there. The strange dream layer was fading away and Sarah knew where they were. Would he take her to bed? Sarah had the sudden notion that it wouldn't frighten her that much if he did. Did he love her? It felt like he loved her.

Her angel stopped, "We must not lose our heads."

Sarah was unsure if he was saying that to her or himself. He kissed her brow.

"Tomorrow, dear one." He spoke. Her angel took her hands in his and kissed them. "We'll be together tomorrow."

Sarah fell upon her bed and was suddenly very, very tired.