How could I be so stupid?
Why did I kiss him and tell him so many things?
I almost wanted to collapse because of the nausea that was digging so aggressively into my abdomen.
Dwindle wasn't going to like this.
He said he didn't mind if I slept with him but I knew eventually that it would bother him.
How could my heart love them both?
I wasn't even sure of I even loved Mansfield but with Dwindle it was unmistakable, it like was a intoxicating surge of electricity that went through me everytime he was in the room.
When he touched me it was almost as if he was a part of me but with Mansfield it was like I was touching a man for the first time.
It was exciting but frightening at the same time.
Dwindle made me feel powerful, he treated me like a real woman, a woman who was always in control but was taking a vacation from her independence.
Mansfield almost treated me as a mother treats her child, cute but not yet ready for the world.
I think now he was finally realizing that I was more than just a innocent face.
"So how do you like the place?"
Sidney bit his lips, wet his lips with his tongue and then awkwardly shoved his tongue to the side of his mouth.
It was old colonial styles house with yellow and white striped columns, somebody thought it would be a good idea to add a few gables as well as a few spindly turrets on the roof.
It was not very pretty and not all the impressive until i went inside.
There were cheery orange wallpapers, pink fringes, mahogany bannisters, dark burgundy floors and black and white pictures were all over the walls, pictures that had aged in such a way that the eyes no longer had even a hint of life in them.
Their eyes were the color of tar, at first I thought it was but then I realized that the coloring of the eyes was much more prominent then the rest of the faded backgrounds and yellowed corners.
It had obviously been done on purpose.
Every step I took had a eerie echo.
"It's not bad. The color scheme is a bit off.
Those photos are really unnerving.
The eyes are all wrong.
It's almost as if it was done on purpose.
Its kind of unsettling, actually.
I don't think I like it."
"You're not supposed to.
You're job is to read the room, listen to its story and hopefully you'll find out what it wants.
So use your mystical powers and commune with the spirits."
Sidney ooohed mockingly at the overall spookiness of the place.
"Look, I'm sure you think you're terribly funny yet let's be serious for once shall we.
I want to get along with you, I really do but you are making it very difficult.
Mansfield said I should be patient with you and honestly I'm trying so hard to see the good in you but everytime I come close to seeing the real you, you resist me and you push me away.
I don't understand what you have against me.
Why don't you like me Sidney?"
His eyes were vivid and alive with a fierce sort of confusion.
"Whaat?
I don't dislike you.
I like you, I like you a lot actually.
I assure you I have nothing against you.
I don't understand why you would think that.
Seriously what gave you the idea that I disliked you?"
"You glare and leer at me all the time, you're constantly sneering and frowning at me, you consistently mock me and scoff at me, then you tell me it's all just a joke, a part of your sick sense of humor, yet after all the laughter you turn all morbid again.
You walk around like you have big cloud over your head.
I just seriously think I'm missing something.
Did I do something to you that you resent?
Just let me know, I'll apologize, I'll change, l'll fix this just tell me what the problem is."
Sidney looked very different, his austere appearance, was rather glamorous and he shimmered as if tiny specks of glitter were on his skin.
His eyes were vibrantly awake as a tiger was during his nightly hunts, prowling for his prey while slinking in the shadows awaiting the perfect moment to strike.
It was difficult to look at him straight in the face because those eyes gave out the same intensity of a lighthouse, it was blinding me, very similar to the way Dwindle's eyes glowed in darkness.
I unknowingly withdrew from him stealthily and steadily towards a cob web ridden corner of the manor.
"Look, Splendor, you've done nothing wrong.
I'm the one that's to blame here, I'm the one that's at fault here, so there's nothing to fix, there is no problem to solve, I am the problem, I am always the problem, I'm a problem with Mansfield and now I'm a problem with you.
It's the story of my life sadly."
"No I don't think you're a a problem. I just think I might be a problem for you." I looked at him dead on in the face.
Sidney's voice had a thin creepy twang.
"No not at all, you aren't a problem for me Splendor.
I wasn't prowling outside your house just because I felt obligated to.
The truth is, I was there to see if you were safe, I wanted to make absolutely certain that you lived within a safe environment.
Your uncle is not a sane man and then there's that demon you told me about, I was worried.
Can you blame me?
So I ventured inside, I looked around, there was nothing of interest as I said except...for...all the lights...they were all broken.
I thought that was rather strange."
"Demons will do that, it's all part of the show.
He did it for my sake, he was just trying to scare my Uncle so he'd leave me alone you know".
"Leave you alone. What do mean by that?
Oh no, Oh dear, he hasn't assaulted you has he?"
His eyes trembled with dreadful concern.
"Let's not change the subject.
You really need to stop over analyzing everything, there isn't always a hidden message behind everything I say.
The lights aren't a issue okay.
The only issue is the fact you weren't honest with me in the first place.
I know you were in the house and I doubt you were concerned over a couple of cheap light bulbs.
You saw something.
You can keep that to yourself or you can tell me what it is you saw while you were in Redrum Manor.
The choice is up to you".
"You knew?!
Oh wow, you are tricky.
Damn, that is clever.
You see I was under the impression that you only saw my shadow outside but you saw my shadow in the house as well.
You made me think you were oblivious and naive to my presense but you knew all along didn't you?"
I nodded while I feared that he'd blow up on me at any moment.
"You think I'm seriously that clueless and naive after being sent to Morningside so many times?"
I smiled a surreptitious and smug smile.
"It seems I've underestimated you Miss Bentley.
So yes I saw something far more interesting than a few broken lightbulbs if you must know.
I don't know how to word this but I suppose First I should start off with asking you: Are you a donor by any chance?"
"Why? Are you in need of one?"
"No not unless you're offering".
I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of his witty response.
"I could be if you wanted me to".
I decided to say that to mess with him which just served to alarm him even more as I saw a fresh flame of panic bloom in his bright eyes.
"No thank you, I'm covered, I have my supply and it's enough for me.
Now are you a donor by any chance?"
"Why does this matter to you so much?"
"Because I saw a vampire at your house that's why."
I had to smile at this.
So he thought Dwindle was a vampire. This was almost too good to be true.
This could work to my advantage since Sidney hated demons perhaps it would be best for him to assume he was a Vampire instead of telling him the bitter truth that this demon was my lover.
"You have to understand I'm not angry or vexed by the situation
I've no problem with it, I've no problem with him, just as long as it's consensual, I have no objections.
It does strike me as odd that you bear no marks of any kind.
Do you cover them up with make up or something?"
Sidney outstretched his hand but I repulsed and practically flew out of the corner rather erratically, nearly tripping on the wooden trim that enclosed the bottom of the manor walls.
I decided to keep walking as if I was continuing on my silent tour of the house.
"No, really how did you remove the bite marks?
Are you some sort of healer?"
"No, I'm not, he is.
He knows a bit of magic, he dabbles here and there.
I have absolutely no soreness because of him.
I bet you can't do that can you?"
"Healing? Goodness no, I've dabbled in a bit of magic myself but nothing that fancy mind you.
Healing is a rare gift and I find it strange that he has the gift of healing in the first place.
Vampires don't usually take part in any kind of magic, we are magic so there's no reason to practice it.
Magic runs in our blood, so we use magic without books, spells, or incantations.
The magic we have is unlike any other, it is in itself unique.
However I suppose he may just be a very rare breed of vampire, perhaps one I'm not familiar with.
There are a great many of us, so naturally I can't keep track of every family. Tell me what clan is he from?"
I heard a long drawn out whisper tear through brain.
Frolock. Finster Frolock.
"Frolock, the family Frolock."
"Frolock? Are you sure?
A very strange name.
I feel I've heard it before yet no matter.
I assume it's a very ancient family.
It has been around awhile right?"
"Oh yes, very ancient, they've been around since forever, an eternity even.
Millennium after millennium in fact.
They've not been in the states long so perhaps that's why you aren't familiar with them."
"I didn't say I wasn't familiar with them, I just stated that the name was strange, strangely familiar if you will.
I'm sure I've heard the name before, I just don't know where.
Nevermind that, we have business to attend to. Enough chit chat, what of the pictures?"
He gently unhooked a picture frame from the wall and then handed it out to me rather expectantly.
"The pictures are just off, the eyes are all blacked out.
If you notice the black in the eyes are more prominent then the rest of their features.
The eyes are crystal clear while the other black hues are splotchy and faded.
This was done afterwards, I can tell, it's almost like a bad retouching, yet this was done maliciously not lovingly for the sake of respect and restoration."
There was a burst of blinding blue, that illuminated the room with speckles of purple embers.
There was absolute silence, all sounds of life went still and I noticed that all life was still as well.
Everyone sparkled as crystalized ice, the hues of purple melted into the blues which seeped through into everything the light touched.
"Hesterly Vicklewood was quite the character, let me tell you.
He was such a character that he summoned a demon from the nether world in hopes that he could control the demon that came through yet instead the demon took control of him.
The two bonded permanently untill Hesterly was no more, Hesterly became a new creation, a contemptible and despicable one at that but eventually Hesterly died, leaving the very demon that had possessed him.
So the demon was known as Hester long after the death of Hesterly himself.
He has another name but I have no right to speak it.
Bad things come to those who speak the true name of a demon.
Look at Hesterly, he's dead and buried out back in the family cemetery."
Dwindle came in first as a faded amd transparent form but then his form became solidified.
"And What's Hesterly's Story?"
I challenged Dwindle to tell me more.
"Oh it's not all that exciting.
The man was a Confederate through and through, he despised the African American Community and Any Union Flag out there.
He was a racist and he was completely content with it until he discovered a book concerning the subject of Necromancy.
Necromancy as you know is the darkest magic known to man, It wasn't even intended for regular use let alone being used by a mere human.
Nothing good ever comes of Necromancy because it is a deception in itself.
It claims to bring life but in the end it is only the imitation of life and eventually it brings death to those that use it.
A soul cannot be returned to the body it has left so another soul must be put in it's place, the art of soul swapping has been abandoned even by the demon community because of how unreliable and unpredictable it can be.
Reanimating a corpse is no picnic believe me, I've seen it happen and it always goes wrong, every single time yet every once and a while some human thinks they can handle it, so they try their hand on the art of Necromancy, then like an Idiot they sit there, blinking obliviously as if it was some big surprise that it didn't work out the way they thought it should.
Hesterly was no different, he thought he was capable of mastering it.
His family was successful and extremely rich, so in his arrogance he thought this venture into necromancy would be a success as well.
Hester the demon however in his bitter resentment of being summoned into the world of the living, got back at him by claiming the life of his only daughter, Demora.
There are some rumors that there was some trickery involved with Demora's death.
Some say she even survived.
There are those that even go so far as to claim she plotted against her Father with the demon that he had summoned from the Netherworld.
Demora was a gifted young lady much like yourself, she had the gift of sight, she understood the great secrets of the Universe, so it's quite possible she used her powers to escape her father and the demon that was bound to him.
I don't know the real story.
I just know the basics."
"Maybe we can find out the real story together".
"That's the spirit.
So this is Sidney Salazar.
The wannabe lawyer and the ever vigilant Bodyguard.
Yes I remember him.
You know it's the most curious thing but I do recall Wastrum mentioning he had heard the name before.
Call me crazy but I think your friend here was involved with one of those infamous court cases, the ones Wastrum refused to show up to.
The two most likely never met, at least not face to face but I can tell he's sore about something.
It is a pity that he's sore over me.
I do wish I could explain to him that I wasn't even remotely involved with the disappearence of his daughter.
I'm a demon not a guardian angel, so I don't know why he expected me to protect her.
I did watch over her for a time, his wife would talk to me when she was at home but no one spoke to me more than this oddball right here.
I never revealed myself to him but he knew I was there.
He felt my presense and he knew I wasn't a malicious entity.
I never threatened them, I never so much as layed a hand on them, seriously I never harmed them.
I was good to them, I was kind towards them, I never did anything that would have compromised their happiness.
You have to believe me, I was in shock when I returned from the netherworld to discover his wife Gala weeping by the fire and Sidney was hiding his face with his hands while detectives asked him a bunch of useless questions regarding his daughter.
Really I had nothing to do with it.
I didn't steal her away, she was already stolen when I got there.
It broke my heart that I wasn't able to save her.
I should have been there but I wasn't, I was just moping around in my own personal nether realm, It was selfish really and selfishness cost them their daughter."
"Dwindle no one is accusing you of anything.
I'm not accusing you.
I know you are innocent in this.
You aren't guilty of anything except caring too much for those that don't see your true worth."
"Sidney knew my true worth.
He understood the value of our friendship but as soon as daughter disappeared, he forgot about it, he forgot about me and all the kindness I gave to him and his family.
Then when his wife left, he truly began to change.
This change was almost instant.
He became erratic and wrathful.
One day he took out his wrathe on me.
Shortly afterwards he sold the house and he never came back to visit and I thought he'd never return but apparently he has come to the house several times.
Once to drop you off and then once last night, a few hours before work.
It concerns me that he comes to your house unannounced, sneaking around the manor, looking at everything and smearing his fingerprints all over the place all for the sake of your safety, when he knows I'm not threat to anyone and that I'd never harm a single soul.
Wastrum is a understandable concern but he knows I'm no danger to you, so I'm curious as to why he's so concerned about your connection with me.
I honestly don't know why he despises me so much."
"Because he's an asshole that's why. He said so himself, I'm just quoting him that's all.
The reason he was sneaking around last night is plain and simple, he's incredibly nosy, highly inquisitive and he is a predator after all."
"Oh yes, the predator on the prowl, I almost forgot about his heritage.
However if he decides to prowl outside your bedroom, I will make sure he breaks both of his legs from the fall of course.
Your bedroom is rather high up so I hope he doesn't get any ideas of flying up there just to get a peek.
He won't be able to see me so when he has that little tumble he'll think it was a mere accident.
Don't worry he'll recover, Vampires regenerate exceptionally well and quite quickly if I may add.
It will teach him not to prowl around your bedroom window."
"He's not that kind of predator.
He doesn't even feed on live prey anymore, Mansfield provides him with sustenance.
There's a blood bank on the studio premises that provides him a constant and ample supply of blood."
"Oh and I suppose he has no desire to feed on live prey anymore".
"No I never said that, I'm sure he wants for the real thing now and again.
I don't think it's about what he desires, I think it's a matter of what he believes is right.
He suppresses his appetite, he has a lot of self control and he's never approached me about his desires.
His thirst has never been a issue between us.
It's more of his constant mood swings that are the issue right now".
"Mood Swings that are no doubt caused by his immense suppression he has to go through every time you're in the room.
He's so supresessed in your presence, it looks like it hurts".
"Would you be quiet.
Oh by the way, this is a nice effect, the crystal purples and blues.
I'm curious what do you call this?"
"I don't really call it anything.
It's just a simple time spell paired with a tiny adjustment to reality.
Otherwise it's not really reality that we are in , It's more like we were transferred to another one so to speak."
"That's called a alternate reality.
Great you took me to the Multiverse.
You did some Doctor Strange shit and now I'm in a entirely different version of reality.
Did you ever think to ask before you dragged me away to a alternate dimension?"
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't think of that. Wow, that was impulsive of me yet come on you can't say you didn't enjoy it, Am I right?
Come on you enjoyed it.
Don't be shy, you can say it you know".
Dwindle revealed perfectly normal teeth, it was a cheesy Hollywood type smile, the kind Mansfield used so often.
"I enjoyed it yes, it's just unsettling and rather alarming that you were so impulsive that you forgot to even ask me beforehand.
Oh well, I'm not going to dwell on it, I have a job to do, so I need to focus.
What were we talking about?
Oh yes we were discussing family history and Demora, the daughter, you know the one that might have escaped from this place."
"We were talking about that an eternity ago, besides I was talking about Sidney Salazar but then I was interrupted by your pure bewilderment and your utter astoundment of your new surroundings.
This marveling came right after you told me to quiet myself.
I don't follow orders, I hardly take suggestions right now, so moving ooon, let's face it Splendor, he hungers for you.
You can argue with me but the fact remains that he is a vampire and you are fresh blood, it's not that hard of a concept to understand.
It is very noble of him to hold back his hunger for your sake but if he's mentally compromised in any way,even for a moment, he'll have a lapse in judgement, his logic will slip away and that self control he prides himself so much in will crumble and be blown off into the wind.
Plus have you seen this place, it's an exceptionally evil atmosphere, the air is thick with corruption, no doubt you'll have a strange immunity to it but your friend here might not be so lucky.
A hungry vampire with very little impulse control can be very dangerous not to mention problematic for the rest of the crew."
"I thought he was only hungry for me, is he going to hunger for the whole crew now?"
"It's possible, let's just say once you start it can be awfully hard to stop.
So yes there is a likelihood that he may keep going yet hopefully we can avoid that...somehow".
"And how do we do that exactly?"
"Simple, just distract him from the rest of the crew".
"Dwindle that's not funny.
I'm not a piece of meat or a object of desire, I'm a person."
"No but you are a person of desire, people desire you, which I suppose makes you more of a muse, you are for me anyway".
He knew exactly what he was doing, by giving me sugary compliments he was hoping to divert my attention my drawing out my affection for him.
"I'm you're muse now? Really?
You know I'm working right now don't you?"
"Yes you are my muse in this life.
Perhaps you could be my muse for all eternity.
Why did I incite something I shouldn't have?
Maybe you need a bit of inspiration yourself".
"Oh there's no need for that, inspiration is my job, I'm the muse remember?
So I should have enough inspiration already on my own.
Now Let's move on".