Predator

Chapter 4

26. May, 2 pm

I've been here for a while, and I haven't seen my sister at all in the meantime. I spent the majority of my time in the cage, either taking short naps or simply lying down and listening to Luise chat to herself about her work.

I was anxious at first, expecting her to feed from me and be done with it, but she never did, so I eventually relaxed.

She did tell me that I could get out of the cage and nap on the couch at any time, but I never felt safe resting in such an open place.

The only time I would leave the cage was to use the restroom and eat with her family.

No one mentioned my sister's absence during those dinners, but knowing Calius, if something happened to her, he would be the first to make a joke about it.

Except for when both siblings would scold Calius for literally anything, the evenings were mostly spent in quiet.

I raised my head from the pillow and noticed a few papers near the cage. I placed my hand between the cage's bars and dragged those documents inside.

All of the pets were barely literate, so reading a document like this seemed impossible. I had a good idea of what was on these papers, it was just a bit harder to read all of it. 

I knew she was in charge of the castle's finances, but I never imagined it was something she had to do every day. It was a jumble of characters and numbers that made no sense. My eyes hurt just looking at them.

"Those are filled with errors Calius made. They're trash" Luise spoke from her seat at the table. I'm guessing my movement drew her attention.

It's no surprise they don't make sense.

On the other hand, it's understandable that the records she doesn't require are scattered around the floor. It would be strange if all of these were actually significant and were simply walked over every time someone entered the room.

She really needs to get a garbage can. This place needs to be cleaned, and unless I do it, no one else will. Plus, I'd like to do a quick lap around the room.

I emerged from the cage, still clutching the paperwork I had attempted to read earlier. Except for those around Luise's table, I gathered up all of the reports that had been left on the floor as I walked around the room. I wasn't sure if she'd allow me to approach her, so I didn't.

Finally, I walked up to the large table in front of the couch with the stack of documents. She would frequently go there to eat dessert, read a book, or simply relax from work.

"You missed a spot." She remarked on the spot beside the table.

So, it appears that I am allowed to be that near to her. As I approached the table, I kneeled to pick up the last documents.

The one that was just under her feet.

I stayed there waiting for her to move her foot, not daring to do it myself. After about ten minutes, my knees started to hurt from the hard floor. I'm not sure if I was allowed to speak to her unless she spoke to me first, but I was under this table for ten minutes and nothing occurred.

I shifted from kneeling to squatting and raised my head. I rested my chin on her table across from her, waiting for her to talk to me.

She gave me a short glance before returning to her job, not giving me even a second of her attention.

I looked around her table and noticed some shattered glass towards the edge. Don't tell me she smashed a cup and couldn't be bothered to throw it away. I reached for it, but my hand was instantly hit by her pen.

"Don't touch it. It's razor-sharp." She said casually, not looking at me.

So, I guess this is my opportunity now. "Can you raise your foot?" I asked, doing my best to maintain a normal tone of voice. Since I've been here, I've only spoken a few times, and each time I did, my voice sounded funny.

"What." She asked, now completely facing now.

"I need you to raise your foot," I said keeping as still as possible. I'd never told someone what to do before, much less a vampire, so I wasn't sure how she'd react. However, I had never had an open cage or the ability to go out of it whenever I pleased, so it was evident that this vampire was unique.

She looked beneath the table and reached for the document she had stepped on. "My bad." She handed it to me with a mutter and then returned to her documents on the table.

I piled the rest of the papers on top of the already-existing pile on the table and returned to cleaning up garments from all over the place. The clothes she gave to me were usually neatly folded, whereas hers were all over the place.

Sometimes I get the impression that her closet is solely for my clothes. She, on the other hand, is so preoccupied with her work that she hardly finds time to eat, so I can only assume she doesn't have time to fold her clothes.

At the very least, that's where I'm useful.

I've gotten into the habit of folding all of her stuff, including her underwear. I tried to avoid it at first, but she never said anything about it, so I think she doesn't mind.

As soon as I was finished, I opened the closet and categorized everything. Or, at the very least, where I believe the clothes should be.

The room looked much better now that it was actually clean but it still felt a bit stuffy here.

For the first time since I arrived, I approached one of the large windows she had near her bed and opened it. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing the sun to caress my face. I only saw the sun and moon for the first time when I arrived here. I had no idea how sheltered we were in the pet store.

"Do you intend to jump?" Luise's question jolted me out of my calm state, and I tensed up as soon as she spoke it.

"Not yet,"  I responded. Yes, I wanted to go outside and feel the grass, and maybe even try running barefoot on it. Or touch a tree and pick flowers. Look for little creatures living in the grass. But not yet. I don't think I'm ready for such a drastic change just yet. For the time being, I'll confine myself to my cage.

"You will die if you jump." I believe she was attempting to scare me.

"I'll manage," I replied, and she gave out a quiet giggle as if she found it funny. An unusual warmth spread through my cheeks.  Her laughing was very pleasant to listen to, and I preferred it to her angry tone. Despite the fact that it was usually directed toward her brother, I detested it. I felt great displeasure when she was angry or exhausted to the point of falling asleep at her table.

I gazed through the open window at the trees and something white caught my eye.

She's right there.

My sister, I was certain, was running on the grass. Everything was a haze to me, but I had a gut feeling it was her.

I couldn't determine who she was fleeing from, but based on the figure following her, I believe it was her master, Lord Leroi.

Is she running because he attacked her?

Did she jump out the window?

I needed to help her in some way, but I couldn't think of how. Perhaps if I jump as well, they will see that it isn't such a huge thing.

As I leaned against the window, I saw her come to a halt and sprint toward her master. What exactly is she up to?

I covered my eyes with my hands, partly out of fear of seeing him attack her and partly out of embarrassment at her poor sense of direction.

"If you lean any more, you're going to fall," Luise warned me.

"I won't," I said, trying to make sense of the events outside.

"Okay." She remarked as she rose from her seat and walked towards the door. "Let's go outside."