"Why should I care if vampires are real or not?" I squeaked shapely at him, before jumping backwards- his proximity was uncomfortable. And all I cared about was what on earth was going on.

He shrugged; I watched as he rolled his ruby eyes around in their sockets. Then he said, "well, I just thought you would like to know that you are now the specific chosen prey for, may I say so myself, a rather lethal and ravenous vampire,"

I gaped at him. What on earth was he talking about? I mean- well, there isn't such things as vampires...they did not exist....they're only a myth... aren't they?

"I know what you're thinking- 'crazy, he is- never heard such nonsense'" he chuckled to himself thoughtfully, "but, what I tell you is true, Alice. Everything I tell you has meaning- you just have to believe"

I shook my head; how could I believe this, especially when I barely knew this man. And, well- even if I did know him, how could he prove this to me...he'd have to- well, show me this vampire's pointy teeth- and, ermm... whatever other features a vampire may have- which was what...?

Oh. This was ridiculous! Why on earth was I suddenly thinking about what a vampire looks like- I mean, I had perhaps heard the odd comment on this uncanny myth- and that was when I was a young child- when my sister and I had played and schooled with the other children in our neighbourhood, while the eldest of the children had been trying to scare our wits away with fear. However, I was barely scared. Not since the visions. And then the thought of my little sister- Marilyn- close enough name to my first name- Mary- Marilyn- Mary... Alice. I loved my sister, and when I suddenly thought of her, I desperately began to miss her...

"Try to believe..." said George, his velvet voice brought me back me back to the damp-wooden floor boards of the real world, leaving my sister behind in the dream land I had created in my mind for her to sit patiently.

"I- I just can't-"I began to stutter. For some reason, tears began to roll down my face; I quickly wiped them away.

"You can- there is no such a word as can't. There is always hope, and I believe in you- and take this from someone who knows- a friend, even" he smiled. His smile was beautiful- not that I felt anything towards him, only that it was possibly the most beautiful thing I had yet seen- except for perhaps the sun rising in morning, and breaking at dawn...and my sister.

I groaned "how can I believe what you are telling me is true or not? - You have no proof" I shifted my body weight from one leg to the other- while George's baleful red eyes traced my movements.

"I have me," he whispered shrewdly, "don't I not!?" there was something in his voice- a change of note- that made me aware that he was different-if not weird enough.

Then he noticed how I was glaring at him. He shrugged uncomfortably, then – with long, claw like fingers, combed his hair back from his eyes and laughed a booming laugh- a sarcastic laugh. I stood there, my mouth opened in disbelief; what was so funny? He had just been telling me that he believed in me for- what I knew, an unsigned purpose, and now he was laughing as if he'd made up some overly humorous joke.

"Ahem. I'm sorry," he apologized when he noticed my dumbfounded look, and then looked down at his feet- obviously ashamed. 'Serves him right', the baronessvoice I'm my mind barked, 'and so he should be ashamed- that is no way to treat a young-'I cut the voice off before it could finish its sentence. I blinked; when I reopened my eyes I gasped silently to see that the young man was no longer in front of me, but moped in one of the corners of the sombre room, shadows engulfing him whole- except for his brilliant white-blonde hair. He wasn't facing me. He didn't even flinch... he didn't breathe.

This was worrying me. I cleared my throat slightly, hoping he would look up- or down, at me. He stood as still as a statue- had he heard me?

I harrumphed; loud enough that he should of heard me this time. But he did as much at stare at the ground, his crimson eyes fixed into the shadows, staring into pitch darkness. He looked as though he was an ice sculpture, carved so smoothly and delicately- yet, his features all painted with woe all over his god-likeface...

...god-like...GOD-like! My mind buzzed unevenly- or maybe it was my stomach- god-like though, where did that come from, then?

I remembered one of my dreams, the visions- it had been not long ago. There was a man- a man so heavenly he was considered a God. He, in the vision, had held out his right-hand to me, and I took it. He had led me towards a gate- a large, golden gate that shone like a million diamonds in the sun, and when I reached to touch it, I found that to touch it was like bare hand to snow. Yet, it was the most beautiful thing to gaze upon- and I was nothing but a dull, fragment of the earth gazing up at it in ore... but, behind the beauty, there lay a deep, tangled forest, and all openings of the weed-like tree's were chocked-up by a sinister obscurity. I knew then, that darkness trickled through the beauty- it had revealed its true nature...

... Yet the Angel led on.

***

"...George...Roger?" I whispered. I was aware that I still stood in the dim-lit room, but now I could sense something...something different. George looked up, conscious of my change in tone- his animal-like eyes fixed on my face.

"Yes?" he whispered smoothly.

"Who are you?"

George just continued to stare at me, a smile curving at the corners of his lips. I gulped; I felt awfully uncomfortable. I mean, why in god's name he was looking at me like I was- well- as if I was dinner!?

"I've already told you." he laughed, then to himself he said," my, you humans have bad memories"

I shook my head impatiently- he obviously didn't get the point I was trying to aim. "What I mean is- that I- that you- well...," I stuttered, then- taking in a deep breath- asked, "what are you?"

George shook his own head at me, only in a more civilized manner, "Miss Brandon, haven't you already got it into your head that I have already given you the answer- that I'm a-"

"A vampire!" I cut him short, putting on my best lecture voice "and how do you expect me to believe that you are- well, a vampire. I mean, it's preposterous of you to mention it...it's an absurd thing to say. And a grown man should know better than to make up silly concepts to scare young girls- alike myself- into believing such non-"

But just as I was about to finish my speech with the concluding word of 'nonsense', I found myself being lifted up towards the ceiling. I was so stunned; you'd think I had been hit in the stomach. Then suddenly the world began to spin before I had chance to realise what was eyes where rolling around in their sockets, just like my head was swaying violently around on my neck. I began to scream, feeling weaker and dizzier every time my head rolled. I could not believe it- I was being swung around like a lasso!

And then it stopped, just quickly as it had started. I swayed around dizzily as I regained my feet. And then something touched me. I shivered; the touch was as cold as ice. I turned my head- and it ached like heck- towards whoever the touch belonged to. The artful Roger-(my new name for George) - looked back at me with an I-told-you-so expression.

I gaped at tiredly- that lasso thing had put me in a bad mood, and now all I wanted to do was have a nice long rest. I hope he knew now that I wasn't impressed with his little joke- not to mention the 'look, I'm super strong and super fast' thing. And a for the 'ice-cold touch' thing, well, it was quite cold in here anyway.

His expression dropped-and so did his hand from my shoulder- to one of disappointment. He looked quite hurt, to be honest. "You still don't believe me?" his tone seemed patient, but I think he was annoyed inside.

"Well, it didn't help you swinging me around like you did- it's not very gentleman like!" I squeaked back my reply.

"Very well, i agree- and I am sorry- little human. But, I don't think it is very lady like to start being rude about how cold I am, and as for the 'oh, look, I'm so strong thing', I think it you exaggerate what I said- because, in fact, I said nothing-"I think he finally noticed the way I was staring at him, because he stopped abruptly, shuffling nervously, "yes?"

I said each word individually, saying it mostly to myself; "I- did-not-say-that-out- loud" I gulped, then looked hard at George, "I thought it to myself, did I not?"

George- or the artful Roger- seemed uneasy. He shuffled a few steps this way and that way, before speaking in a quiet voice, "okay-err, Alice- don't think I was intruding on your thoughts or anything- but, it just- well, happens- mostly when I touch people and animals. It's a thing we can get- vampires, I mean. We- when we are new-borns, we sometimes develop abilities-these powers- depending, on say a talent we had when we were humans-"

I gaped at him even more, what was he saying? What Abilities? Intruding my thoughts?

"-And, I guess my talent was being able to read expressions so well, I could even tell by the heat of their skin how they felt- " he wasn't able to finish his sentence, because suddenly, just then- it clicked. I knew why it sounded familiar. Goodness, I am so silly- this is an asylum, for pity sake!

"OH my Goodness," I squeaked, "George- You're a telepath!"

Hey, Hey, Hey. Wow, i haven't updated 4 like ever. Well, no one seemed 2 read it :(. but hey, i hope you like this chapter- its like 4 pages long or something- wow- and, i Know my Alice isn't really that Alice like, but hey, its all Fun:) hope u enjoy this chapter!!