I woke up and for a moment forgot where I was. It was still pitch dark. It was a little cold. There was something heavy and restricting around my neck. My hands found the positively mideival iron collar. Oh, yeah. I was in the basement of a vampire bar in Shreveport.

I started to cry again. I didn't know what else to do. It didn't seem like I had any hope at all of getting out of this situation. Would someone come looking for me? Would they even know where to look? Jason and Hoyt would know where I was, when it was discovered that I was missing. And dispite everything, I thought that Jason would definitely realize in the next couple of days that I wasn't in Bon Temps and he would come looking for me. When I didn't show up for work today (was it today? How long had I slept?), Sam, my boss, would call around to find out where I was. I had never missed a day of work without calling in to let Sam know. That was just bad manners. Sam would know this. He would realize it was unusual. He would call Jason. Jason would come looking for me, or maybe he would even report me missing to Andy Bellefleur and the whole Bon Temps police force (all four of them) would come to get me out of this horrid little dungeon. Ok, so I didn't hold out much hope for that last scenario. But Jason, he would definitely come back for me when he realized something was wrong.

Until then, I had to pull myself together and formulate a plan of escape. I scrubbed at my eyes and swallowed another wave of tears. I had to think straight. I had to get my head in the game. Ok, here were the facts.

I was in a dungeon. What little I had been able to see of it before the door had shut and taken the light, there was a concrete floor, quite dirty, and weird chains and manacles and devices that I didn't really want to contemplate attached all around the little room on the walls and the ceiling and the floor. The chains qualified it as a dungeon, I thought, instead of just a regular old basement.

I was put here because... Well, I don't really know why. It was probably a direct consequence of opening my big mouth and telling a powerful vampire that I could read minds. I knew it was risky and I knew there might be consequences to my actions that I could not have accounted for, but I was left with no choice. There was no other way out of the situation with my brother and Eric, no other way to save Jason. And I do believe that I had saved his life when I volunteered myself to Eric, no questions there. I didn't know exactly what he did with punks who couldn't pay their debts, but I'd seen enough Mafia movies to know it wouldn't be anything good.

I thought that maybe I had acted a bit rashly. I had been naive to think all vampires were at heart decent people. Bill had been decent. Mostly. He had cheated on me, sure, and broken my heart seven ways to Sunday but that's just normal guy stuff, right? This, this was on a whole other level. This was inhuman. It was un-American.

But Eric was very obviously not like Bill. I had been foolish to think I could deal with Eric on my own, like a normal human being. I had been naive to think that he saw me the same way I saw myself, as his equal. The way he had thrown me over his shoulder like a sac of flour, how he had manhandled me without a word, without an explanation, chained me up down here like an animal, like something less than human, something without feelings. No, Eric did not see us as equals.

The dark and the quiet were starting to get to me, and some very personal needs were making themselves known, but I very much doubted there was a toilet anywhere down here. The floor felt damp and gritty under my butt. I shifted around to find a more comfortable spot. I strained my eyes into the darkness, trying to see anything. I thought I heard something not very far away, maybe a chain rattling. My heart immediately sped up. "Hello?" I asked the darkness. No answer.

I looked around me intently, but it was so black I wondered if I even had my eyes open. Was something moving on the floor? I squinted. Something long, slithering across the cement, coming towards me. A snake! I yelped and shot up to my feet, smacking my head on some low-hanging metal something. I grabbed my head in pain and my eyes teared up again. The snake was gone.

Was I going crazy? I had read an article somewhere about sensory deprivation, about how people would start hallucinating when they were deprived of any sensory input. But how long did that take? How long had I been down here? It seemed like days, but I just didn't know.

I felt something on the edge of my senses. On the edge of my "other" sense, to be exact. A mind. Jolted, I reached out for it, clung to it like a life-ring at sea. It was coming closer. It was a woman. There was a foreign quality to her thoughts, like she wasn't from here.

What some people don't understand is that people don't think in any certain language. I can read a Spanish person's mind just as well as an English-speaking person's. People don't think in words for the most part, they think in concepts. I percieve these concepts, these ideas and I can translate them into language. It's hard to explain. In any case, this girl was thinking something like asshole! make me come out here in the middle of the day I've got shit to do I'm not on the clock what the fuck does he mean take care of the woman in the basement what is Eric doing keeping a woman down there I don't want to know and why the fuck does he think I'll need a gun?

A flash of panic had my whole body tensing up before I forced myself to think through what I had heard from her head. Ok, so she had a gun, and she had been thinking about a woman in the basement (that's me!), but she didn't seem to know why she was ordered to bring a gun. From the way she thought about Eric, I had to assume she was an employee of his, a human employee obviously. Eric had given her orders to "take care of" me.

Oh god, did that mean she was supposed to kill me? Yep, the panic was back. That's what they always said in the movies about Mobsters when they were gonna kill somebody. But why did he want to kill me? He said so himself that I would be useful, he wouldn't kill me, right? It didn't make sense! Ok, ok, maybe she was just here to actually take care of me. Maybe like bring me some food and show me where the toilet was, for God's sake! Well, that just made me sound like the pet dog, huh? Feed her and take her out to pee like a nice little pet, that's me.

She was right above me now, I could sense her mind as she moved around the bar. I heard a heavy door unlocking and opening and light flooded the stairwell. I sucked in a breath and threw an arm over my eyes, the sudden light stinging them in the darkness. She was coming down the stairs now.

Thinking so fast it was almost instinct (I had always been pretty plucky, if I do say so myself, and my wit had gotten me out of quite a few tight spots in my day) I picked up my lenghth of chain and clutched it to my chest so it wouldn't make a sound when I moved. I slid behind a pillar, quiet as a breeze, so light I fancied my feet had barely touched the floor. I calmed my breathing, focused on making it as silent as possible. I never would have gotten away with it if this had been a vampire, but this was just a normal human. I waited.

"Hey, woman!" she said now from the bottom of the stairs. She had a thick accent, something European I think. I couldn't see her, but I heard her take a couple of steps forward in some heels. Her thoughts were still centered around annoyance with Eric, the gun in her purse, and wondering where I was. Ok, so I knew she didn't have the gun drawn. That was good. I wouldn't give her time to.

She continued to step further into the basement, peeking around the equipment and straining her eyes into the darkness, looking for any sign of a woman. When she stepped past the pillar I was hidden behind, I attacked.

I jumped behind her and put the chain around her neck and pulled before she could even scream. "I'm so sorry, I don't want to hurt you!" I told her, and truthfully I didn't. But, well, I'm a survivor first and foremost. And short of killing (an innocent person) or betraying a friend, there is nothing I won't do to survive. You learn things about yourself when you're dealing with vampires that you never would otherwise, like just how far you would go to protect your own life. I had learned this lesson the hard way.

She dropped her purse and gripped the chain with both hands, trying to pull it away from her throat. Another thing funny thing is that you never know how strong you can be until you're in a life-or-death situation. She fell to her knees, still struggling weakly, but she was about to pass out. Or at least I hoped. Because no matter my convictions, it was getting difficult to keep this up in all good conscience (what was left of it, my god I was a horrible person) when she was making such awful noises.

Finally, she went limp. As soon as I heard her brain click out, I loosened the chain and eased her to the ground. "Oh, I'm so sorry," I told her unconscious form. "I know you're not really a bad person and you were just doing this on orders, but it was either me or you, and I choose me." I felt her neck for a pulse and hovered my hand over her nose to feel her breath. She was still alive. I sighed in relief. If I had killed her, I really don't know how I would have lived with myself.

"Ok, ok, what now?" I tried to steady my breathing. "Keys!" I grabbed her purse and sure enough, there was a ridiculously huge iron key ring with a huge, old key on it that looked like it had come straight out of a movie set in the 1800s. If I wasn't more than a little frazzled, considering I had just strangled a lady into unconciousness, I might have taken a moment to appreciate the awful cheeseyness of this whole dungeon set-up this Eric had going on. As it was, I just fiddeled around in the lock on the back of my neck for a long minute before the collar was released. I sighed in relief when the weight of it left my neck. The damn thing must have weighed ten pounds at least, not to mention the chain!

Having finally freed myself, I paused indecisively. I grabbed her purse again and set aside the little handgun I knew I'd find inside. Then, I lifted the woman's head and slid her purse under it as a pillow. That's what you're suppose to do for an unconcious person, right? To help blood flow, or something, or maybe just to make them comfortable. I don't really know.

I snatched the gun up and bolted up the stairs. When I got to the top, I took a right in the hallway and headed straight for the head-vamp's office, thinking my keys and my cell phone had to be in there. Damnit! The door was locked! I quickly thought about shooting the deadbolt with the gun, but I didn't really think it would work, and the bullet could ricochet or I could be hit with shrapnel besides. Ok, what now? On a whim, checked the door sill for a key and shook my head at myself when I didn't find one.

Well, there had to be a phone out in the bar, right? There's nothing like a fresh rush of adrenaline to keep you thinking fast. I headed out to the main area and looked behind the bar, quickly locating a wall phone. I mentally cheered and laid the gun on the counter before picking up the phone. I hesitated, wondering if I should call the police or my brother. Well, the obvious choice was the police, but if they really looked into this they would find that my brother was in some seedy dealings with these vampires in the first place and he could get in trouble. Or could he? Had he really done anything illegal? I wished I had my cell phone so I could call Sam; I didn't know his number off the top of my head.

While I was considering my choices, I had apparently been so engrossed mentally that I hadn't noticed the woman's mind click back on downstairs, or that she had snuck up behind me. Hey, I'm a telepath, alright, but that doesn't make me immune to carelessness! I only heard an excited sort of mental uproar from directly behind me a split second before something blunt connected with the back of my skull and the world went black.

...

I don't know how long I was knocked out, but I do know that when I finally came to my head was pounding. I woke up on the floor behind the counter of the bar where I had fallen, and when I peeked open my eyes the woman was standing over me with the gun pointed at me. I groaned. "So close."

"You shut up!" She waved the gun at me threateningly, which wasn't all that impressive since her hands were shaking and it was obvious she had never really used one before. Still, a gun in the hands of even an idiot could be dangerous. I could see some dark bruises around her throat and wanted to apologize, but more than that I was angry. I rolled gingerly to my feet, keeping my eyes on her the whole time. My vision swam in front of me as all the blood rushed back to my head and I put a hand on the counter to steady myself, trying not to let her see my weakness.

I tried not to make any fast movements for fear of the quivering gun in her hands, but glared at her all the same. "Listen- ma'am! I don't know what your boss has told you but I'm being kept here against my will. That's illegal, you know! And when I get hold of the police, Eric is going to vampire jail! But, listen, I don't think you really want to hurt me. I think you're just doing what you're told," I tried to reason with her, lowering my voice to a less angry decible. "If you help me get out of here, I won't press charges against you."

She just looked at me like I was crazy, which wasn't a look I was entirely unused to. "You choked me, you little bitch!"

"I know, and I'm awful sorry for that!" I tried to placate her.

"Well, you are not getting out of this place! Eric wants you kept here, and if I let you get away he will kill me," she was calming down now, her shoulders relaxing. She looked almost regretful. As she looked me over, I could see in her mind that she felt sorry for me and wished she could let me go. But her fear of Eric was a lot stronger than any urges of altruism.

Giving up for the moment, I felt the back of my head and was relieved not to find blood, only a knot that was getting bigger by the minute, but I could deal with that.

"My name is Sookie," I told her, remembering my manners. I held out my hand to shake, but she just looked at it distrustfully. Well, couldn't really blame her there. I did try to strangle her just a little while ago.

"Yvetta," she answered simply, her accent stronger when she said it.

"Nice to meet you." Well, this was kind of awkward. I grinned nervously. "Um, what did Eric send you here for exactly?" I asked, cautiously shifting from foot to foot. Damn, but I had to pee like a derby horse.

As if remembering herself, her back snapped straight and she gestured with the gun to the restrooms at the far end of the bar. "I will let you use the bathroom. And I brought you some food and a drink. But then I have to take you back downstairs," she said apologetically. I just sighed and did as she told, heading towards the bathrooms gratefully. She waited outside the door with the gun presumably.

After I took care of my business in the stall (I knew the definition of relief now), I took my time washing my hands at the sink and looking myself over in the mirror. I was a mess. My ponytail was all askew, my hair was dirty and tangled, I had circles under my eyes and I was my clothes were filthy from sleeping on that nasty cement floor. I scowled at my reflection and rinsed my face off. I combed through my hair with my fingers and tried my best to make it look some semblance of clean. By the time I left the bathroom, I felt a little more human.

Yvetta was waiting for me at the bar. She had somehow produced some McDonalds for me and I sat down and dug in gratefully. A greasy burger and too-salty fries had never tasted so good.

"So, you work for Eric?" I asked Yvetta. She was leaned against the wall behind the bar, watching me eat. Maybe a little conversation would make this situation less uncomfortable.

"Yes, I am a dancer here." I looked over her skimpy outfit and bright red heels that I would have broken my neck in. Ok, a dancer. At the same time she was staring at me contemplatively. She cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. "Why are you in the basement?" she asked me cautiously.

She was thinking that I was very pretty, but could use a shower and some make-up. (Thanks for that, as if I wasn't painfully aware of my dirty state after a night in the dungeon). She was also suspicous that maybe Eric was trying to replace her. I shuddered. My gran would kill me.

"I don't really know," I told her truthfully. "I made a... deal with Eric, and then he just chained me up down there with no explanation!" I clenched my fists as I remembered my fury from the night before. "Like I was a dog!"

She gave me a pitying look that I didn't much care for. Her posture relaxed even more and she leaned forward. "Sweetheart, let me give you some advice," she said in her thick accent. I think it was Russian. "This little bar here is a castle, and Eric is the King. Here, you are dog. He is cunning and he is ruthless. He does not think like us, like human. He owns you now, and if you are smart you will not... what is the words, 'make waves.'"

Well that just got my hackles up. "Nobody owns me! This is America, for God's sake!"

Yvetta just shook her head. "Vampire is vampire, no matter what country. Human laws have no power here. Eric's word is law. Remember that, and you may survive."

I finished my meal in angry silence, stewing over what she had said. I had only ever met a few vampires in my life, and I knew they were different, but Bill was never like this. Bill wasn't human, sure, and he was maybe a little scary sometimes, but... Well, he had had some common decency! He had treated me with respect and dignity! He had never looked at me like he thought he was better than me, like I was anything less than his equal. Could Yvetta be right? Was this the real face of vampires? Was my Bill (Lord, I hadn't thought of him like that in a long time) the exception and not the rule?

When Yvetta led me back down into the basement, kind enough to leave me with a glass of water and a flashlight, she told me that Eric would be back at sundown, in just a few hours. Instead of the iron collar, she let me wear a manacle around one of my ankles, which was at least a little more dignified. She said she was sorry, but that was the most she could do for me without getting in a lot of trouble, and I thanked her for that. When she finally left me to my thoughts, I settled in for the wait for Eric. I thought of all the things I would say to him when I saw him. And boy did I have alot to say.