Vampires are supposed to cower in fear of pious, religious believers, their various ornaments and doctrines; you know... the Bible, crucifix, Holy Spirit and whatnot. It was all a convenient lie, and because of it, they infiltrated our lives without a single suspicion… well, maybe one or two, but those unfortunate buggers rarely ever lived to tell the tale. Me? I am a special case... they haven't finished using me yet, sadly.

It was only when my back impacted with the smooth, stone tiles that I decided to regain consciousness. Cold, hard, and incredibly uncomfortable; fortunately after precisely three o'clock in the afternoon, this would no longer be my mattress. They thought it was a fitting punishment. I think they are bastards; but hey, I should cut them some slack, seeing as they are never going to reach the golden gates of heaven… if they even exist.

The only thing that got them was the stake, too bad I didn't have one.

The first face that came into view was the face of the mystery that carried me through the double doors and dropped me so gracefully on the floor. Isaac. Through every other girl's eyes, he was a handsome, natural charmer with dark hair and enticing magenta irises. Through my eyes, he was a prick who cropped his hair too short - it would look so much better if it framed his face a little more… but I was never really one for crew cuts.

Those eminent eyes met mine, and I could feel his deep-set scowl. That boy never smiled, ever - because there was never anything to smile about. I would probably hate it too, if I was stranded in a monastery with next to a hundred adoring fans coming at me from every angle. God knows how he survives every day; or maybe it was some sort of divine punishment for taking part in the practice of soiling the name of the house of God, and all things worship.

I don't even know why I personified them... or even allowed myself to think of them as remotely human; it just sort of happens when you live with several ignorant girls gushing all over them every waking moment. They all thought they were the luckiest girls in the world. Oh, how wrong they were.

This monastery is one of many - the heart of the heart - and I was sent here because it was the only place where they could keep an eye on me successfully. Troublemaker, were the exact words of my… loaner? Pimp? Previous owner? It was morally degrading to refer to myself as a possession, but seeing as I had been sold for solid cash, I highly doubted that there was another more fitting analogy.

However, it's not the vampires that I'm afraid of.

This prison is our slaughter house, housing next to a hundred young women from the age of thirteen to twenty-one. Why? We're not food. They can feed themselves easily. They've been doing that for centuries.

No. It's worse. So much worse that it's impossible to describe. So much worse that it hurts to remember. It hurts because what will happen behind these walls in a matter of weeks, days or even hours will determine our fates; even though they were pre-determined when we arrived here.

This home is a breeding ground. A factory. A science lab, and we are the lab rats. Over a thousand girls worldwide had been taken from their homes four years ago, with minimal suspition, to do the one thing that vampires can't do. Multiply.

They don't even have to touch us. We're just carriers for the plague of their species, and they lie to every single one of us so we agree to it willingly. All those naïve, young girls think they're carrying the stem cells that will give birth to over a thousand Messiahs. What a joke. The only message that the vampires want to spread across the world is the message of destruction and pain. The end. The apocalypse.

I was one of them, one of the first. One of the few unlucky girls that got sent here by unknowing parents for a mysterious lump sum of money. Enough to pay the bills for a family plagued by unthinkable debt and do a little extra, like buy a mansion or a yacht, or even a jet fighter. Why not send their children away to boarding school, to practice the art of the religion they loved so dearly, to be blessed by God? Of course, they weren't told either. That lump sum of cash was a meagre replacement for the lives that were to be stolen.

Their mistake was accidentally mixing me in with the group of girls undergoing trial runs, when I was too young to want to cooperate. They couldn't make me without creating an uproar - and because of that I found out their darkest secret. I'm their liability.

"Sit up." I grimaced; scooting around to face the elegant woman perched on a throne of solid iron. How anyone ever thought that someone with such a domineering, evil appearance/aura could ever be benevolent was beyond me. She was oozing with death every second I saw her, and nobody else even noticed. "Have you learned your lesson yet?"

"If I say yes, will you promise you won't try to burn me alive again?"

"If you're asking for mercy, then it's clearly working." She was looking bored, heaven forbid. The head of the monastery, the top of the top, the Domina, looked bored. Maybe today, she would let me off scot-free, or not... as was the usual, but nobody said that I couldn't be a little hopeful. "As you should know, I do whatever is in my power to set an example for the other girls. You are well aware of what chaos would ensue if next to a hundred girls ran rampant here, and you also know what we are capable of. What are one or two lives to us? At a hundred or so, though, people would start asking questions. We only want what's best, after all."

"I didn't think it mattered, seeing as they are all going to die anyway, all one thousand of them - unless your idea of governing in peace stops once the first batch is born." I had made her mad... again. It wasn't my fault that I enjoyed being the bad seed, I just loved to watch all their careful plans go to pot. "Though, you know I won't do anything too drastic. I love myself too much, and I also don't want to live to see a bloody massacre. Enough of the vile, red stuff has been spilled within these walls."

"Embrace your destiny, Jade, don't fight it." My whole body felt hot with anger, as if her words alone were a violation of my pride; my dignity. Destiny? What kind of twisted idea is that? That horrific smile graced her insanely gorgeous features, I hated her enough already, but she was just turning me into an indignant wreck. "Don't lower yourself, it's pitiful to watch." She scolded unforgivingly. "We did promise to take good care of you if only you would just sit and do as you're told. Disobedient children should learn to face the consequences of their actions."

"You disgust me." I spat, feeling the unyielding grip of strong, yet inhumanly smooth hands that clamped down on my shoulders. As they tugged me back on my heals, dragging me by the skin of my teeth out of the room, I watched her summon the poor, frightened boy that sat at her heals; and, instinctively pressed my eyes shut at the sound of his blood curdling scream. It was more than disgust, it was a pure, unfaltering loathing; and she deserved every ounce of it.

"Jade!" Not even Lynn could stop the fit of sobs that wracked through me as they slammed the door shut behind us. Lynn, my roommate, had been assigned that post as she was one of the most devoutly religious and dedicated of them all. Too bad, she was forgiving as well. It was like a package deal. "I told you that struggling will only make it worse."

I still hadn't told anyone they were monsters yet, she wouldn't believe me anyways; I would probably lose an amazing friend if I did. Lynn was just about the only thing that kept me sane. Instead, I let her come to her own conclusions. "This place is messing with my head, Lynn. It just gets worse and worse, and they aren't even trying to help me."

"It's only because you do silly things and get into trouble." Not even a comforting hug could stop the rampaging thoughts in my head. I wanted to shake her and tell her to run, but my arms just hung limp at my sides as I stared longingly at the window. Latched and bolted shut. The iron bars weren't just for decoration. "I'll make you something… tea? I'm sorry, it's all we have, Andrea used up the last coffee sachets on her last visit. I tried to tell her, but you know how those girls are."

"Tea is fine, Lynn. Don't fret over it, I don't mind, see?" It was pleasantly distracting to watch her totter around the room, trying to cheer me up - though it didn't last for long, when I remembered that the cotton gown they shoved on me this morning had been soaked to the bone. Without disturbing Lynn, I slipped into a pair of stone washed denims and my favourite tee: 'I just love to make you angry'. It had been a collective present from my roomies and the head chef, Heath - we were on good terms, though I'll save the explanation for another time.

Checking myself in the mirror out of habit, I stared at the gaunt looking girl in front of me. I hadn't always looked so malnourished, but that's only the result of biding my time in the cellars as another one of their 'fitting punishments'. It was a relief to finally be able to see Lynn again, and the comfort of my just-about-bearable bed. It was better than nothing.

"Tea is ready! Come out or it'll get cold." Lynn's fist rapped against the door of our room. We shared, but we weren't the only ones in our apartment. Everyone was split into groups, and we had about eight people living in ours - but we didn't see them most of them time. I didn't, because I was almost always locked up; and, whenever I wasn't, the majority of the time they were out in a town some hundred leagues from here. If you were good, the vamps let you stretch your legs. Blatantly, they couldn't trust me not to run away - I never left the monastery without an entourage of armed guards on my tail. It made me feel so special. "Here."

"Thanks." I whispered, giving her the usual appreciative nod before burning my tongue on the scolding liquid. It took my mind off things, and Lynn knew that too. She made sure to keep it as hot as possible. What an amazing friend.

"So, what did you do this time?" I licked my lips, thinking carefully. Damn it. I had run out of excuses, and Lynn was watching me with fatal precision. I did what any normal person in my situation would have done, I shrugged.

"I can't really remember - must have been bad because I think I lost consciousness this time." Lynn lost the gleam in her eyes, concern radiating from every inch of her body as she crooned over me like an overprotective mother. "I'm fine now. I think."

"They really went overboard this time, didn't they?" Her hand rubbed circles in my back soothingly, as if I had just burst into tears. I had, actually. "I bet it was him again. It always is - he's such a brute, that Isaac. You know you can tell me if you feel that he's singling you out, Jade. I'm always on your side." Not really, but it's the thought that counts. I tried to force a smile to wipe the anxiety out of her hazel eyes.

"Yeah." It wasn't Isaac. It had never been Isaac. He was a prick, and a vamp, but the detest that I had for him was nothing in comparison to the Domina. Still, I wasn't complaining. If it made Lynn happy that she got to rant and rave about him, then I would let her. She was one of the only people who didn't gush at him either, and I would let her do whatever she wanted to keep it that way. "It makes it easier when someone else cares."

"Everyone cares, Jade." I couldn't argue with her. If I did, it would be difficult to keep everything to myself. "Look, I know you're going through a hard time… but you have to remember that you're not alone. We're all here for you, if you'll let us." That was just it, I wasn't alone in this, and it made it so much worse. I was a sitting duck here, and they were just going to butcher every single one of these girls, even Lynn. Even Lynn.

My hands clung onto her jumper, making sure that she was still there, that she was still safe. It was all I could do, but at the time, it seemed like enough. "Lynn, promise me if they call you out you will tell me first. Promise me." She just stared, the confusion evident in her eyes as she observed me with some hesitation.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Jade. Tell me what's wrong." Like a child, I shook my head. It would be unfair to scare her, seeing as we were pretty much trapped here. As they say: ignorance is bliss. "Jade?"

"Please, Lynn. You have to trust me." She nodded carefully, slowly, her eyes never leaving mine.

"I promise." That was all I needed to hear. Relief washed over me as I got up, stretching myself out, my eyes were still puffy and red. Delving into the bottom drawer, I pulled out two socks, miss-matched because I was too lazy to sort the chaos in there. Lynn followed me as I stumbled to the door, slipping on my grey (once white) converses. "Where are you going? You're not leaving, are you?"

"Just for a couple of minutes. I'll be back soon; I just need a breath of fresh air to calm my nerves a bit. It's been a while since I stepped outside." She didn't need to know the details about this morning - it was hard to tell that bit without the vampire part. Lynn was one of those people who believed that God would never create a miracle to intentionally hurt someone… and he didn't, but our hosts did.

The rubber soles squeaked against the marble floor, the occasional glance in my direction was to be expected - as everyone had been warned to keep their distance when possible. It might have explained the constant absence of my roomies. I was used to it, so I wasn't about to make a big deal about anything. It would be a wasted effort.

Carla was glaring daggers at me again, marching across the green of the courtyard with her chestnut tresses flowing behind her. Amused, I followed. It was now five o'clock, just in time for another one of her 'missions' as she called it within her circle of friends. Such a shame that they weren't tongue tied, because girls like those had a tendency to let things slip… I just happened to overhear of some of it (eavesdropping? Me? No.), and have been tailing her ever since. I would be surprised, however, if she hadn't noticed.

Now probably aware of a presence, even if it wasn't me that sprung to mind, she picked up the pace; her heals click-clacking against the paved flooring. Talk about frivolous. I always assumed that platforms were a little bit excessive for the house of God, but in the house of Dracula, I guess a few worldly privileges would be overlooked in the case that they weren't going to last much longer anyway.

Never mind that. I continued to follow, hooking my converses onto my fingers because they were too noisy. The floor was so clean anyway; you could probably eat off it. Note to self, don't say that out loud, it will give them ideas. "What are you doing, Carla?" It was Isaac, he sounded tired, aggravated, and clearly she wasn't helping. Who knew that a vamp would bother to remember her name? Not me.

"I came looking for you, because you forgot to meet me again." My eye brows shot up, back now pressed firmly against the wall. This was a regular thing? I wonder what the Domina has to say about that. Then I stopped, realising it was the perfect disguise. No one would realise if he pretended to develop feelings for one of us - it also saved him a heck of a lot of trouble. "Three o'clock, I told you, and you stood me up. Why?"

"I was busy, Carla." I knew where he was, and he was doing a great job of hiding it. Kudos to him. "Please, go. I don't have time for this right now."

"You never seem to have time for anything anymore, Isaac. You turn on the charm, and then you pretend that you never had any interest at all." Oh please, he was just using you. There's no point in getting so hot and bothered about it - aren't you supposed to be a nun anyway? You're even worse than I am. However, I bet in situations like these, they overlooked it too. I wonder how many girls knew that they were going to be mothers.

"Isaac, aren't you being rude? You should treat your woman with respect." The words were a suave purr, echoing from the far end of the room. I could practically feel the astonishment that was rippling through Carla; hadn't been expecting visitors, had she? "Why are you being so quiet now? Tell her."

He didn't even hesitate. And the Oscar goes to… "You have to come with us, Carla."

"Am I in trouble?" It was almost a whimper - very out of character for someone like her. "It isn't because of us is it? Oh, please don't tell me that I got you into trouble, Isaac. I'm so, so, so sorry." He just glared. She thought he was pissed at her, but for the wrong reasons. Unintentionally, the girl was stalling. I might admit that I don't like her, but I never wished anyone to a death as painfully languorous and gruesome as the one that awaited her… that awaited all of us.

My heart stopped when he grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her away. Her face was the perfect picture of bewilderment and wonder. They had already started, and I could only stare in wide-eyed horror as she disappeared. That could have been Lynn. That could have been me… no. I already knew. They would probably wait until I had watched someone die again before they tried to disembowel me with their macabre methods.

Standing there was making me feel queasy. Not even fresh air could calm my nerves this time, so I ran. Stumbled occasionally, tripping over my feet as I clambered up the stairs towards the dorm, door slamming open.

"Back so soon?" Evelyn was stuffing her face with Lynn's homemade biscuits on our sofa; dismissing the no crumb rule with a flick of the wrist. She looked like a squirrel stocking up for winter. "I guess I should say welcome back home, but we don't know for how long… here, have a seat." She patted the cushion next to her, proffering me one of the few crumbs left on the plate. I declined as politely as I could.

"We heard from Lynn. Seriously, though, you need to calm down, Jade." Andrea was back, with a mug of coffee. She was a caffeine addict, and everyone knew, but the coffee cups seemed to appear out of mid-air and the campus' emergency supplies. "Though, I guess you're still taking time to adjust. I know it's a big change and all… but…"

"It's fine. I just need the toilet." With that, I disappeared behind the whitewashed door, emptying the contents of my stomach into the bowl.

Yeah, I felt fantastic.

A/N: This was fun to write... like, not that my others weren't, but I really genuinely enjoyed writing this. What's the inspiration? A dream I had last night... it was really disturbing... haha - though that's for me to know and for you to find out, if you care to.

I'm not letting anything slip about the story - if you want to know more I'll keep writing, if not, I'll stop. Haha, but there will be three weeks from the 31st to the 20th of august this year when I won't be writing AT ALL because I will be on the other side of the world with my bezzie eating yoo-boo-cho-bab and jamming to k-pop. XD so yeah, apologies in advance, but I haven't seen her since she left a year and a half ago, so cut me some slack.

What do you think? Is it a crummy story? Uuuuu. With my luck, it probably is, but oh, well. I can only try - and 'if at first you do not succede, try, try again.' Best quote EVER - it dictates my whole life in one short summary.

THANK YOU FOR READING! xxx :D :D