(Un)Invited

Trust

Three days. You've been stuck in this apartment for three days, not that you would know that on your own. There are no clocks, digital or otherwise, no way to see the outside world. Michael's visits mark the days. When he would walk through the door, you'd ask the same thing. "Can I go home?"

Every time, the same answer, "No."

If it weren't for being stuck here against your will, you might actually find the apartment a nice place to live. It had everything you needed to live, and it was quaint in its own way. You had discovered clean clothes in the wardrobe, mostly T-shirts and jeans, and a small bathroom you hadn't noticed before in the bedroom. At the very least, you were able to bathe and eat adequately. It was the boredom that really got to you.

The only source of entertainment was the small bookshelf in the living room containing a few pieces of classic literature, a collection of Edgar Allen Poe, a few popular crime novels, and, ironically, Dracula by Bram Stoker. You refused to pick it up out of spite at first, but on the second day you picked it up out of boredom. You didn't expect a fiction book to contain any answers to your current problem, though you'd previously thought vampires were fiction as well.

You were in the middle of skimming through a few chapters when Michael returned.

"Hoping to find a way to kill me?"

"I doubt you'd keep it around if I could," you reply, despising how your heart thumped harder at the sound of his voice. You were sitting on the couch, not turning around to look at him, "Besides everyone knows you gotta stab vampires through the heart."

He walked closer, leaning over so that his cold aura seemed to suffocate you.

"Do I need to be careful?"

You shut the book, setting it down beside you and frowning, "You're too fast for me."

He chuckled, a low, pleasing sound, "Wise thinking."

You stand and turn around, the bitterness obvious in your tone, "You know what I'm gonna ask."

"Fortunately, I have a different answer this time. Unfortunately, you'll have precautions to take from now on to ensure your safety."

You feel a weight lift from your shoulders, a hopeful smile crossing your lips, "But I'm going home?"

He stares into your eyes, seemingly shocked by your optimism, "Yes."

His gaze drops down, moving over your body, causing heat to rush to your face.

"I'm sorry if the clothes aren't very fitting. I had to guess what size you were."

You furrow your brows, tilting your head to the side. Somehow it didn't occur to you until just now that he had to be the one who got these for you, and it made your chest ache. Something about that made him seem so...tender.

"No, they're fine. Thank you," you murmur.

He offers a nod before walking over to the door, "Come, there's a car waiting for us."

You follow him quickly, mounting a set of stairs that led back up into the above world. The fresh night air washed over you, clean and warm. You took a deep breath in, heaving a sigh. He watches you with a curious twitch of his lips, leading you towards the car that sat a few feet from you both. You took quick notice of the world around you to find yourself in a clearing surrounded by trees, a small path of tire tracks leading up to the spot.

"How'd you get someone to come all the way out here?" You ask as he opens the door for you.

You could see a bald man sitting in the driver's seat, looking straight ahead as if he's waiting for a command. You slip into the backseat and look up at Michael, wanting an answer.