I'm so happy to see that some of you know the movie! Thank you again for the kind reviews and all the alerts! It warms my heart up :)

So here comes the update with a few answers for some of you.

Chapter 2

Sookie stood in the middle of the room trying to figure what had happened. She went to the mirror to check on herself and when all seemed normal she decided to go to bed. A good night of sleep would cure anything.

In the morning when she woke up, she felt like nothing had changed and started to think that Freyda's curse was just an insignificant warning.

She stood up and as she was taking her shower, she heard a voice in the house. She was surprised to hear someone that early and concentrated on the voice.

… I can't believe that she left me like that! I'm sure that bitch slept with Mitch last week. I'm going to kick his ass… and where is she? I don't have all morning!

"I'm coming! I'm in the shower" Sookie called out from the bathroom. She hurried drying herself and put on her clothes.

How does she know I'm here? I didn't even knock on the door.

Sookie stopped her moves as she heard him. She tried to understand what he meant but just shrugged and went downstairs.

The deliverer was waiting for her just outside the door and it surprised Sookie because she was sure that she'd heard him inside the house.

"Hi, your delivery is here Miss Stackhouse" the man said as she opened the door.

"Oh thank you!"

"Just sign here please" He added and pointed her where to sign. I don't have all day long, especially since I have to kick his ass and then have some talk with that bitch

"Yes I'm signing!" Sookie grabbed his pen and signed. "There you go! Now you can go and kick asses!" she added smiling.

"What?" The man stared at her like she was crazy.

"That's what you said"

"I didn't say anything!" He exclaimed stepping back. She's crazy

"I'm not crazy!"

The man gasped and shrugged before walking quickly to his car. I never said it loud! How does she know?

Sookie couldn't understand what happened, she was so sure he had said it loud. She neither understood why he left like he'd seen a monster.

She closed the door and put the box in the kitchen. For a second she wondered if it had something to do with the Witch but she shrugged the idea off; it was just ridiculous to think that she really had cursed her. She stored the tea and the ingredients in the closets and started to bake before the costumers would come.

When lunch approached the first costumers arrived and soon enough the tables were all occupied. Sookie started to feel a strange headache and thought that it was noisier than usual. She couldn't understand why at first because there were only six tables in her little tearoom. But then she started to hear strange things.

As she served the tables, she realized that she was hearing more than the words that were speaking out loud and when she understood that she could hear their thoughts, she couldn't stop the words from invading her mind. It became louder and louder, an unstoppable noise filling her head. The headache became terrible and even when she tried to hide herself in the kitchen, she could still hear the perpetual rumble of the thoughts around her. She started to feel nauseous and just when she was heading the bathroom she fainted.

When she opened her eyes, her friend Tara was staring at her with worry.

"Sookie we need to take you to a hospital"

Sookie touched her head and looked around. She was lying in her bed. She tried to remember what happened and realized then that she could hear nothing else but her own breathing. She exhaled with relief and lied back in the bed. She wasn't cursed after all.

"Thank you Tara, but I feel better."

You sure don't look better.

"What do you mean?"

"What?"

"You said that I don't look better."

Tara stared at her the same way the man did earlier this morning. "I didn't say that"

"Sure you did!"

"I didn't say it aloud Sookie…" Tara stood up and stepped back. "I thought it!"

What is she, a fucking telepath? She can hear my thoughts? Oh my God she can hear me now!

The terrible headache suddenly crushed Sookie back and she had to hold her head between her hands to try to make it stop.

"Tara stop!"

"I didn't say anything! " What's happening to her face?

"My face?" Sookie asked concerned.

Tara stared at her with shock. What is happening? Her thought was like a scream of terror in Sookie's head and she let a cry of pain. Just then Tara turned around and ran to the door.

Sookie stood up, feeling nauseous and dizzy and just as she reached the mirror she gasped in horror. Her face was completely swollen as if she'd been beaten.

"Oh my God what is happening to me?" Tears ran down her cheeks.

Freyda the Witch of Waste had really cursed her. Not only could she hear people's thought but it had completely distorted her face.

What was she going to do? She couldn't stay home like that, she couldn't keep living while hearing people thoughts. People would know about her curse and they would talk about it, stare at her like a freak.

She looked around, tears in her eyes. She had to leave. She grabbed a bag and filled it with some clothes, she added a few things and some food and went to the door. As she closed it, her heart broke.

Outside the sun was getting lower in the sky. She took a deep breath and started to walk. An hour later she finally reached the woods and just as she stepped between the first trees, she stopped.

She knew the woods were dangerous but she couldn't stay in town where she would hear everyone's thoughts. She shrugged and went into the woods. It was silent all around her. The only sound was made by her footsteps on the grass and the dead leaves. She was now deep in the woods and as she looked up at the sky, she could see that night was very close. Her heart started to beat as she thought of the creatures that would rise with the night. Where would she hide?

Just then a sound of moving branches behind her made her heart skip a beat. She didn't move, hoping that whatever it was wouldn't notice her. But the sound came closer and closer. Sookie's hand was clenched against her heart. Suddenly a ginger red dog appeared from the bushes and Sookie let out the breath that she was holding.

"Dear God you scared me" she said to the dog who barked at her moving his tail happily.

"Maybe you can help me find somewhere to sleep for the night?" She asked him scratching his head.

The dog barked and ran in front of her, disappearing in the woods.

She exhaled. "Well I could try"

She started to move in the direction the dog took. She walked eyes wide opened, afraid to see something on her way. She was praying in her head for her safety, banning at the same time Freyda the Witch of Waste for her curse.

A few minutes had passed when she heard bushes moving in front of her. She looked around trying to find a place to hide and just as she found a large tree, she heard the familiar barking of the dog.

"You again?"

He barked twice and turned around. He barked one more time looking at Sookie then in front of them.

"You want me to follow you?"

He barked twice and jumped around her before moving straight ahead.

She followed him, wondering why she was trusting a dog but then she realized something was appearing in front of them. She thought at first it was an old ruin but then she realized it was a house, a big house. No, a castle she gasped.

She looked down at the dog who sat next to her.

"You brought me to the Dead Castle?!" she was exasperated. The dog had brought her to one of the most dangerous places.

She looked back to the trail she'd taken, then back at the old castle. She had nowhere else to go. Eric the Viking only cared for beauty and as she recalled her face in the mirror, she was certainly not pretty, so she had nothing to fear from him, right?

She scratched the dog's head while looking at the door.

"Okay, well… I don't think I have another choice, do I?" The dog barked. "Well thank you…Sam, I'm going to call you Sam, it fits you." The dog barked twice and Sookie laughed.

She started to move to the door, her heart beating faster as she came closer. Her hand reached the doorknob and she could see it trembling as she pressed the doorknob down.

She looked down at the dog and stepped inside. The dog hadn't move.

"Aren't you coming in?"

The dog barked and ran back in the woods.

"Okay, so it's me on my own…"

She closed the door and turned around. She was standing in a big dark room and her steps echoed around her. Despite the darkness, she could distinguish couches, armchairs and tables by the walls with a little kitchen in the corner. She walked some more and noticed some light. It was coming from a very large fireplace.

She moved towards the warmth of the fire and sat on a chair in front of it.

"A castle? A ruin if you ask me"

Just as she was sitting, she realized how tired she was, and her eyes began to close.

"In terms of curse, yours is quite one!" a voice said.

Sookie's blood froze and she opened her eyes fixing in front of her.

"And it won't be easy to free you from it"

The voice was coming from the flames. Her eyes went wide open.

"The fire is talking" she said to herself.

"You can't talk about your curse to anyone?"

"Are you Eric?" She asked suddenly feeling stupid.

"No absolutely not. My name is Cataliades. I am the Demon of fire."

Relief came through her. "Then you can free me from this curse?"

"Of course not!" He said. "You'll have to free me from the curse that keeps me here, then I can help you."

"Like a pact with a demon? But how will I know that you will keep your promise?" she asked.

"A demon never promises." Cataliades said through the flames.

"Then I can't help you" Sookie replied and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.

"You have to help me! I am bound by this pact, trapped in this fireplace! Because it's thanks to me that the Castle is protected from the creatures!"

Sookie stared at the demon with surprise.

"If you discover the secret of this pact, I will be free from this curse and then I will be able to free you!" His voice was filled with hope.

"So we have a deal" Sookie said with a yawn before she fell asleep.

Next morning, Sookie was woken up by someone knocking at the door. She opened her eyes and noticed some light escaping from thick black curtains that let her distinguish the place a bit better. Everything was dusty and old.

The banging was going on and Sookie heard footsteps coming down from a staircase. Just as the steps came closer, Sookie closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

The footsteps stopped right behind Sookie.

"Who is she?" asked a woman's voice.

"Shreveport's door" Cataliades called out ignoring her question.

"When did she come in?" asked the woman again while walking to a table taking a black heavy cloak and putting it on. "I'm coming!"

She turned a lock one time and opened the door.

"I would like to talk to mister Northland"

"My master is out of town. I'm taking his messages during his absence." The woman answered with boredom in her voice.

"Here is an invitation from the Queen. The war has been declared and the Queen would like her best fighters on his side. Mister Northland is therefore essential."

Sookie stood up from her chair and grabbed logs down beside the fireplace that she threw in the flames.

The woman closed the door and walked towards Sookie.

"Who are you?" she asked her.

"Cataliades let me in."

"It's not true! She came in by herself, she comes from the woods."

"The woods?" The woman asked curious. "That's strange. You're not a Were, are you?" She took off her cloak and revealed herself to Sookie. She was a beautiful blond woman with very pale skin and Sookie wondered if she could be a Vampire, but it was daylight outside.

"A Were couldn't enter the Dead Castle." Cataliades answered the woman with conviction.

There was another banging on the door.

"Baton Rouge's door!" Cataliades called out.

The woman put the cloak back on and turned the lock twice before she opened the door.

Sookie approached the windows carefully as she heard the voice from outside say

"Good morning. Is this where Mister Northman lives?"

"Yes why?" asked the woman.

"The Queen would like to see mister Northman. Tell him he's urgently required. "

"I will inform my Master." The woman said before closing the door.

As Sookie stared outside, she realized that she was looking at a street with people and cars moving. There were no trees from the woods, just buildings and cars.

She went to the door and opened it. The smell of the town hit her and as she looked from right to left she couldn't believe that she was indeed in Baton Rouge. She closed the door and turned the green lock which showed now a red colour just above it. When she opened the gate again, she wasn't in Baton Rouge any more but in Shreveport. She gasped, this Castle was magical! She closed the door again and turned the lock three times, becoming blue. When she opened the door, she was back in the woods she came from.

"Stop playing with the door!" The woman told Sookie, clearly annoyed.

"So this castle is really magic?"

"No kidding" The woman replied rolling her eyes.

"If I turn again, where will this bring us?"

"You will have to ask to Eric."

The woman put her black cloak on the chair and moved to a closet in the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle and opened it. From where Sookie stood, she couldn't tell what it was but she couldn't help the cold shiver running down her spine.

As she looked at the woman drinking, Sookie's stomach started to growl. She went to her little bag and found some bread. She heard the woman grimacing.

"I hate it when it's cold."

"What?" Sookie dared asking.

"Blood" The woman replied smiling showing her bloody fangs.

Sookie gasped and didn't move.

"Oh don't worry, I won't bite you."

"You're a Vampire?"

"Yes Sherlock, I'm a Vampire." The woman rolled her eyes again and took a gulp with another grimace.

"But I don't understand, it's daylight outside."

"It's Cataliades' work."

Sookie turned to look at the fire.

"See? I protect this place." The Demon said with pride.

Then something hit Sookie. She couldn't hear her mind.

"Do you mind if I eat?" Sookie finally asked to the woman.

The woman just shrugged. Sookie turned back to the fire wondering if she could use it to boil water. She looked after a kettle and finally found an old one in the little kitchen that she rinsed and filled it with water. She went back to the fireplace with her kettle.

"Don't even think about it." Warned the woman.

Sookie turned to look at her. "Why not?"

"Cataliades only obeys to Eric. Why do you think I drink my blood cold?"

"Exactly!" added Cataliades.

"Oh please Cataliades" Sookie pleaded. "Be nice and let me boil some water for my coffee."

"I don't have to be nice!" Replied Cataliades "and I don't take orders from anyone else!" He added with large flames moving around.

Sookie leaned closer and whispered "You'd better obey me or I will tell Eric about our deal."

Cataliades gasped "Wha- what? Why did I let you come in!?"

Sookie put the kettle with an iron stick carefully in the flames that were moving violently around.

"So what do you decide?" Sookie asked with authority and Cataliades finally yield to her kettle.

"There you go!" Sookie added satisfied.

"I can't believe it, Cataliades has yield to her" said the woman behind them.

Sookie was watching the flames when the lock on the door started to move by itself. Then the door opened and a man entered, his head bent down, his long blond hair covering his face. He seemed exhausted.

"Eric, there you are!" said the woman. "I have messages from the King addressed to Northland and Northman.

Sookie turned her head and her heart jumped in her chest. It was her savior from the street. She looked back at the fire, not moving and fixed the kettle with her eyes as he approached her.

"Cataliades" His soft and warm voice gave Sookie gooseflesh. "Are you boiling water now?"

"She forced me!" Cataliades whined.

"That's new, it's unlike you. And who are you?" Eric asked Sookie gently.

Sookie felt suddenly very nervous but then realized that he couldn't recognize her with her distorted face. "My name is Sookie" then she added "your new cleaning lady."

"Let me help you."

He leaned against her and pushed her kindly aside, taking the stick from her hand. She noticed on his right forefinger a ring of white gold and a blue crystal at its center. She could smell his cologne and it reminded her of the time she was in his arms.

"And who hired you here?"

"I hired myself. I've never seen such a dirty place." She replied with confidence.

"Mmmh"

Eric turned to the woman. "Pam, give me two bottles of blood please."

He put the bottles beside the flames and when the water was finally boiling, Eric prepared the coffee for Sookie. He brought the kettle and the two warm bottles to a dusty table and sat down with Pam.

"Pam, you'll buy some food for Sookie today."

"It's not necessary" Sookie said as she sat down with her bread.

"We don't have human food here." Pam told her in her monotone voice.

Pam gave her a cup and Eric filled it with coffee.

Pam and Eric were drinking their blood and suddenly Eric stared at Sookie.

"Sookie, can you show me what you have in your pocket?"

"What?" She shrugged and her hand found something in the pocket of her dress. It was a tiny piece of paper "What is it?" She asked surprised.

"Let me see" Eric said and Sookie handed it to Eric.

Just as his fingers touched the paper, it turned into flames and burned the table letting words appear in the old wood.

Both Sookie and Pam gasped in surprise.

"What the hell?" Pam said.

"It's a message from Freyda. It's powerful magic, very ancient." He read the words out loud.

"O you Vampire who captured a Demon, O you insensible man, Your soul will always be mine."

He then stood up. "Cataliades, intensify the shields around the castle, will you? And prepare some warm water in the bathroom."

He went upstairs and disappeared.

Pam stared at Sookie with suspicion.

"Is it Freyda who send you here?"

"Certainly not!" Sookie replied with offence. "That Witch cursed me, she-, she-." Sookie tried to tell about her curse but she couldn't pronounce a word, it was like her mouth couldn't mutter what she had in mind. She hit the table violently and stood up with anger.

Sookie spent the rest of the following hours moving around the floor to find what she needed to clean the castle. She dusted off then moped the floor of the ground floor, cleaning all the closets, couches, tables and chairs.

Cataliades called after her "Sookie! Sookie, I need wood! I'm going to die if you don't give me a log!"

The flame of the Demon was indeed getting smaller on its little piece of wood. Sookie came to the fireplace and instead of giving the Demon a log, she grabbed a clamp and gripped the piece of wood where the Demon's flame was attached to and put it in a little bucket.

"What are you doing?" Cataliades asked and she could tell by his voice that he was worried.

"I'm just going to remove the ashes. It will only take a minute."

"Hurry I'm dying here!"

Sookie dusted off piles and piles of ashes.

"Hurry Sookie, I don't want to die!" The little flame was fighting with its little log to stay alive.

Sookie put all the ashes in a large old dirty sheet that she moved on the door and threw them outside in the woods.

Outside she could here Cataliades calling her name "Sookie, Sookie, hurry!"

When Sookie came back inside she saw Eric standing in front of the fireplace holding Cataliades in his hands and blowing on him. The little cold flame which had become blue, slowly turned back into a red and warm color. Eric carefully put the little flame back on two new logs in the fireplace. The little flame came back to life and returned to a stronger fire.

Sookie just stood there, astonished by what she was seeing when Eric looked back at her.

"Please be gentle with Cataliades. We all need him here."

He passed by her and stopped at the opened door.

Pam appeared from the staircase not knowing what was happening.

"Master where are you going?"

Eric closed the door and turned the lock until it became black.

"Pam, tell the cleaning lady to calm down."

When he opened the door, there were no streets or woods, just a void and flames far away.

Eric flew in the void and disappeared. The door closed itself behind him and the lock turned back to blue.

So did you like the update? Please let me know!