Why were there so many tunnels? This place was obviously old, but the sheer amount of tunnels and mechanisms that Jordan passed by was absolutely absurd for some village in the middle of nowhere. By now, she lost feeling in her feet, and blood was seeping into the sleeve that was currently cradling her side. She was leaving a trail of blood behind her, and she had no idea if it was all coming from her wound, or the now razed skin of her feet.
Jordan whimpered again. But she was almost there. Walking up the hill of snow, she found herself approaching a large iron gate that one would imagine a drawbridge to be covering. The gate was already lifted, which was slightly suspicious in her eyes. If chaos was happening below, shouldn't the gate be closed? They wouldn't want those werecreatures to try to break in, right? Or maybe they were just prideful. That sounds about right in her mind.
The brunette girl winched as she ascended the small steps until she reached the wooden doors that seemed to lead inside. She didn't waste another second before she pushed said doors open with her shoulder, unable to muffle the growl of effort that it took to do so.
'Why does it hurt? Why does it always hurt? Why does everything have to hurt here?' She thought bitterly as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
Once she was inside though, warmth washed over her body. The interior of the castle was beautifully lit up, and the floor she was standing on now was much more tolerable. There was a small set of stairs in front of her that led up to what seemed to be the entrance room with a large family portrait. She slowly hobbled forward again, winching as she heard the sound of her bloody feet on the polished floor. She was certainly leaving footprints at that point.
As she approached the painting, she felt her vision tilt slightly. But she managed to keep herself standing. She felt a weird sense of guilt as her blood stained this pristine floor.
Jordan stared at the portrait for a long moment, looking at the faces and the beautiful linework until she realized that her vision was blurring. She tried to rub her eyes with her free hand, but it seems that it wasn't a physical issue. Perhaps the blood loss was finally catching up with her.
"Oh? What a cute little thing that's wandered into our home."
At first, Jordan was sure that she had imagined the voice. It seemed to echo all around her and she couldn't pinpoint where it could've come from.
"Oh she's bleeding, hm? Guess those fun little things outside might've gotten to her."
Again, she had no idea where the voices were coming from. It was like it was all around her. And now, she was pretty sure that she was starting to hallucinate the sound of buzzing around her. Almost. It did sound very realistic.
"Do you think she can hear us? She's not saying anything."
As she heard the final voice, something passing by her field of vision, and she couldn't help but follow it. But as she turned, her eyes immediately went wide upon seen the dozens and dozens of flies that were swarming around her. She back herself up until the heels of her feet bumped against the wall behind her, nearly sending her falling backwards against the portrait. But even with all of that, she was not prepared in the slightest to see the flies swarm together into a group until they slowly turned into the outline of three people.
Jordan stared in awe and horror as these outlines began to solidify into three separate women. Once their features came to light, she found herself openly staring. These were, in logical terms, three very attractive women. However, all of this was immediately glossed over by one factor: blood stained each of their mouths, and elongated fangs glistened under the light.
Vampires.
Of course it had to be vampires. The most notoriously antisocial yet sadistic creatures on the supernatural spectrum. One of the most territorial species as well, second only to werewolves. And now she had three of them stand right in front of her as she was actively bleeding out. She had no idea what to say, and no idea what she was even supposed to do in that situation. She was completely and utterly screwed.
"Aw. Look at the way she's trembling in fright. It's adorable." The brunette girl said, stalking forward.
Perhaps it was in that moment that Jordan finally reached her limit. Her vision was already phasing in and out this whole time, and the voices she was hearing were growing more and more muffled as time moved on. She eventually realized that she was no longer standing up. She was on the ground now. Slowly, her consciousness began to flicker out, and the last thing she saw was multiple something's passing her field of vision.
-
Slipping in and out of consciousness was certainly not a fun experience. Jordan could see things happening in her field of view but she had no idea what was really going on. All she knew was that she was seeing things pass by and she didn't recognize them. Why didn't she recognize anything happening? She felt hands on her body, touching her and even running through her hair.
She wasn't really sure when she had fully woken up, but soon Jordan found herself staring up at yet another unrecognizable ceiling. Her mind was still groggy from sleep and also probably the blood loss. But her body was warm, yet oh so very sore.
"Miss Alina. I think she's awake. Her eyes are open at least." A young female voice said.
Jordan jolted upwards and groaned as pain shot up her abdomen. But just as she tried to move again, she felt a strong hand push her back down into the bed. Her vision finally cleared, and she saw the face of maybe a middle-aged woman staring back at her. Fine-kept black hair tied back in a bun. She felt oddly familiar in the way this woman was staring down her. It was so caring and she couldn't quite place where she had seen such a look before.
'Wait...vampires...flies....those three girls....what happened?' She wondered to herself.
"Don't move too much, dear. You were injured rather badly when you were brought to us. You lost a lot of blood and it's going to take time for that all to replenish. And if you move too much, it could break the stitches on your side." The woman said, shifting the pillow that was under Jordan's head.
Looking down her body, Jordan figured out rather quickly that her upper body was exposed. Fresh bandages were wrapped around her abdomen, and a rather plush blanket covered her lower half. But judging by the material against her skin, she had a feeling she was bare under the blanket as well. She glanced around the room as well, and discovered that it was just the two of them. Odd. She could've sworn that she heard another voice in the room. A younger one.
"Who...are you....?" Jordan asked, voice soft and confused.
"My name is Alina. I'm the Head Maid of House Dimitresu. The Lady of the house specifically asked that you are to be tended to and your injuries are taken care of. Apparently, her daughters found you by the entrance of the castle, and have taken an interest in you rather quickly." Alina explained, shifting the covers in the bed.
Jordan listened to her rather intensely, but she still couldn't make sense of most of what she was saying. The Lady of the house? Her daughters? Most of it was going right over her head. All she remembered was walking into the castle, and then meeting the three strange vampires, then passing out. She had no idea how much time had passed, or what had even been done before then. She just felt so unbearably weak.
"Hm. You've got a lot of grime on you. I'll go grab a bucket and washcloth so that you will be somewhat clean at least. Until then, don't move. Like I said, your wounds are still healing and moving around will only make it worse." The woman said, giving a sigh before she turned and began to make her way out of the room.
Once the door shut behind her, Jordan was very very aware of the fact that she was still not alone in the room. She didn't know where her freakish instincts came from, but she was glad that she had them. Even in her current state of disrepair. Despite the warnings of the maid, Jordan grunted and pushed herself into a sitting up position, making sure to drag the blanket with her to keep some of her decency. Just as she managed to do so, she heard the sound of buzzing move past her ear. Danger was the only thing she sensed in that moment as she saw multiple flies start to gather in front of her. Her pupils dilated when she saw the form of a woman appear on the end of the bed.
It was one of the girls from earlier. Blonde hair spilled from her black hood and dried blood still stained her chin and lips. She would actually be incredibly attractive if it wasn't for the fact that she was looking at Jordan like she was a cornered rabbit. She suddenly licked her lips and began to slowly crawl forward like a predator about to pounce. Despite her body yelling at her to move, Jordan was completely frozen in place, watching the girl get closer and closer.
"Hey there. You certainly know how to make an entrance, cutie. Passing out at our front door after ruining our beautiful floor? If you were anyone else, we would've hung you from the ceiling by your hands and watched as your blood slowly drained from your body." The woman said, smiling all the wider.
Jordans throat was completely dry now. This woman was literally now hovering on top of her naked form, staring intensely down at her. She reeked of blood and rot, almost making Jordan want to turn away and gag. But considering that this woman hardly looked sane, she had no idea how that would go over so she forced herself to keep still. The woman suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Jordan's face, pausing a moment before digging her nails into the flesh of her cheek. She didn't have the energy to scream. It hurt, but not enough to make her squirm.
"Your blood is an odd shade of red. I wonder what kind of human you are. I've tasted so many different flavors, and I've seen so many different shades. But yours is odd. I wonder..." the blonde vampire leaned forward.
All Jordan could think about right now was how close those sharp teeth were getting to her neck. Her body was completely paralyzed, and nothing she could do would make it move. However, once the girl placed a hand against Jordan's bare chest, she felt her vision black out for maybe a millisecond. She couldn't control her next motions and she proceeded to shove the woman off of her. Of course, the blonde woman wasn't so much as phased as she stood up to her full height, but she now had an annoyed look on her bloodstained face.
"Tsk." She scoffed.
"Bela. Leave her alone. You know what your mother said. You aren't supposed to hinder her healing process. If you and your sisters are so insistent on her being interesting, then it's in your best interest to let me keep her alive." Alina said, closing the door behind her as she held a bucket in one hand with a rag.
"Ugh. You always ruin the fun. Fine then. I'll just be over here, making sure the new maiden doesn't fall apart within the first few seconds." The blonde, Bela, said as she moved to the end of the bed.
The girl settled on the edge, keeping her eyes trained on the girl like a hawk. Jordan knew she was probably still mad, or maybe she was just waiting for her to let her guard down. Either way, Jordan didn't want to give her an opportunity to strike. She felt something in the back of her mind that was constantly telling her to never let her guard down. To never let someone touch her. To never let them discover a weakness.
Slowly, she found herself being overtaken by fatigue once more. Alina was saying something to her that she couldn't hear. Everything was becoming more and more muffled. She felt herself being moved, but again, she didn't have the energy to protest. So she allowed sleep to take her once more.
-
Jordan was growing rather bored of waking up in random places. But thankfully, she recognized the same ceiling that she had been staring at since the last time she woke up. Now, she felt much more rested. Her body wasn't absolutely aching with every minor movement anymore, and she wasn't half awake. She gripped onto the sheets beneath her and forced herself up once more. She did still get some protest from her stomach, but otherwise, everything felt....decent enough.
Just as she was going to try to move again, Jordan jumped when the door to the room suddenly opened once more. She was met with the same maid that had helped her previously. Alina had a few articles of clothing in her hands.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to be awake already. But it works better for me that way. I was going to come wake you up so that you can join the Lady and her daughters for dinner. Your presence is required there, and I'm afraid I couldn't convince Lady Dimitrescu to wait for you to recover a bit more." The woman explained, setting the clothing down on the edge of the bed.
"...the Lady....? Why does...." Jordan trailed off, trying to come up with possible conclusions.
"Lady Dimitrescu is the owner of this castle, and is the very reason that you weren't kill the second you walked through those doors. Therefore, whatever she says, goes. I'm sure you'll understand why soon enough. Now, let's get you dressed. We couldn't find clothing of your size in such short notice, but thankfully our resident chef has a very similar body size as you, so they offered an outfit." Alina explained. "And we did manage to get some undergarments for you after some help from the other maids."
Jordan couldn't find it in herself to protest. If this 'Lady Dimitrescu' person was important and even spared her life after she blatantly trespassed into her castle, then the least she could do is what she says. She was the intruder here, after all. Even if this entire place seemed to have a general fucked up aesthetic where bloody women just oh-so-casually liked to prey on the vulnerable and half-conscious naked girl.
Alina slowly helped Jordan to her feet, and she could now see the bandages that were tightly wrapped up her legs and even some on her feet. Even though she knew this woman meant no harm, she couldn't help but almost growl each time a hand touched her bare skin. That seemed to be a common occurrence with her, and she couldn't figure out why. It left a bitter taste in her mouth that she couldn't quite figure out. While she was being dressed, she felt the maid stop for a split second, as if she noticed something. Then she resumed.
It took a bit of struggling on both their ends, but they eventually managed to get Jordan dressed. She was wearing a loose fitting pale blue collared shirt and black dress pants. They fit her surprisingly well, but seemed like they were just barely too big on her, which was honestly fine in her own opinion. She was just glad she was covered. And her hair, despite its previous unruly state, was brushed and pulled back in a low ponytail.
"I would love to get you shoes, dear. But unfortunately your feet still need to heal and wearing anything over them right now could very easily rub your remaining skin raw and make the bleeding start up again. But don't worry, you won't have to do much more walking until you're healed after this." Alina explained, helping her try to stand up straight.
Jordan just gave a faint nod. She allowed the maid to lead her step by step out of the room. She was actually rather impressed by how effortlessly this woman was guiding her. She was strong. But that was all something she couldn't care less about. Because as they left the room, she finally began to take in the place that she had been recovering in for an indeterminate amount of time. The hallways and staircases and intricately designed lights were amazing. Sculptures and pottery and even paintings decorated the castle interior.
If it wasn't for the fact that multiple vampires with incredibly ambiguous yet also painful obvious hobbies lived here, then she would easily say that this was a place of luxury and safety. But again, the occupants seemed to be incredibly terrifying.
Eventually, the two managed to approached a set of wooden double doors, and Alina easily pushed one open with her shoulder to reveal the beautifully designed dining room. A long wooden table with multiple plates and candles. And a beautiful chandelier hanging above it all. Jordan glanced to the side and took notice to the chair at the opposite end of the long table that was double the side of the rest of the chairs. She also now noticed that the table was raised slightly on that side.
What was that all about?
"Alright, let's just get you seated right here. Dinner should begin shortly and the staff will bring out your plate once everyone arrives. And one last thing so there isn't any accident: are you allergic to anything?" Alina asked, sitting Jordan down at the end of the table.
That was actually a very good question. Of course, Jordan had no idea what the answer was. She didn't remember a single thing besides her own name, so allergies were out of the question entirely. She gave a slow shake of her head, and watching as Alina disappeared out the same doors that they entered in.
Now alone in the dining room, she took that moment to really think about herself. She probably had amnesia. That much was obvious with the lack of knowledge about what her life was like before this, and the muted sensations she felt when she knew she should be feeling more. Everything in her mind was simply just gone. Or even just covered by some unseen veil that she couldn't move. She must've hit her head pretty hurt before she was impaled out there in the snow.
Or maybe something else happened? She really couldn't tell.
As Jordan was lost in thought, she was oblivious to the fact that she was no longer alone in the dining room. That is, until she heard a shattering noise from a few feet away from her, startling her so badly that her entire body constricted and she groaned as it put a strain on her injury. She looked up and tried to see what made the noise, and she quickly discovered another one of the vampire girls frantically attempting to put all the pieces of the shattered plate underneath the tables placemat.
It was the redhead this time. She seemed to be panicking slightly as well as she tried to hide the broken plate.
"Daniela. How many times have you been told not to touch the fragile things? We don't even use the plates." The one called Bela said, appearing beside the girl in a swarm of flies.
"It wasn't my fault! I was trying to move it and it slipped out of my hands! Ugh! I don't even get why humans even use these!" The one called Daniela said, her voice rather whiny and childish as she finished putting the rest of the plate under the mat.
"Well just hope that Mother doesn't find out. You know she hates it when we break her things. Then again, she always babies you so I doubt the punishment will be anything amusing." The final girl said, appearing on the other side of the table.
"Oh wait! I wanted to talk to her when I got here but I got distracted!" The redhead then turned her attention towards Jordan. "Hello there! You're the new maiden, right?! Right?! I'm Daniela!!"
Jordan had only blinked one time and this girl was now directly next to her, leaning her face very close to her. If she could lean back any further, she would've but that would mean she would most likely fall out of her chair, which was probably not the best action for one who was in the middle of healing an injury. Still, Daniela didn't back away and she continued to lean closer. At least her face wasn't stained with blood, nor were any of theirs, but they still smelled like blood.
Not to mention, the fangs. They were more intimidating than anything.
"Look at your eyes! So blue! And your skin....I want to bite you so- whoa!!" Daniela was cut off by Bela, who unceremoniously yanked the girl backwards by her cloak.
"For the last time, Mother has the final say in whether or not she will go to us or not. We aren't supposed to do anything do her until then. How many times do I have to repeat this?" Bela said, nearly hissing out the words.
By now, Daniela was frantically trying to correct her cloak after Bela had released it and was grumbling all sorts of unpleasant things. Meanwhile, the brunette girl had a playful smirk on her face as she turned towards the blonde girl.
"Says the one who tried to get a head start on her earlier. You sure love to pretend to be in charge but you're just as crazy as us, sister." The brunette snickered.
Without warning, the brunette turned her attention towards Jordan, who was now openly staring at her with wide and confused eyes. As she began to stalk forward, Jordan couldn't help but notice that the way this one walked was much more predatory. The other two have their own unique walking styles, but this one was definitely the most dangerous of the three.
"A pleasure to meet you, darling. My name is Cassandra. But I'm sure you won't forget it when I have you screaming it every night." The brunette said, voice deep and sultry.
It took Jordan maybe a full moment to process what was said, and another second to realize the implications behind it. Flush began to crept up her neck as she quickly turned her head to the side. Yeah this place was definitely messed up. While she initially assumed that it was just a pickup line, it seems like Cassandra had the full intention of keeping her word if the look in her eyes was any indication.
'These people are fucking nuts.' She thought.
"Oh wait. Names! What's your name?! You have one right?? You have to have one! All humans have names!" Daniela asked, practically bouncing on her feet at this point.
"Ugh. Sorry about her. She just ate and she now has way too much energy again." Bela said, rolling her eyes as she looked back at her energetic younger sister.
"Oh but I'm rather curious too. Do you have a name, darling? If you don't, I'd be happy to give you one." Cassandra said, smiling knowingly.
Jordan paused and glanced around the other three. Should she tell them her name? They were clearly crazy, and giving them another reason to get attached to her was just asking for trouble. But she also didn't want them to come up with a name for her, since they didn't seem like the merciful type in any capacity. She didn't want to end up with some awful name, even if it didn't really matter.
"....Jordan....my name is Jordan." She finally spoke up.
All three sisters were now staring at her with different expressions on their faces. She started to grow more and more uneasy as the seconds passed and they weren't doing anything other than exchanging glances among each other. That's when the redheads smile grew all the wider.
"Oh I like this one!" She almost squealed.
Before the conversation could continue, the other doors opened and staff began to pour in, setting up plates and food and everything of the like. What Jordan also took notice to, was the way the three girls proceeded to hover around her. They eventually took the seats that's were closest to her, and Daniela and Cassandra verbally argued about who got to sit closer to Jordan on one side of the table while Bela had already claimed a seat on the other side. It was a whole ordeal that she had been trapped in the middle of.
But soon enough, everything was all set up and the staff had finally left. There was a plate of extravagant food in front of her and water that looked way too clear to be normal. Was this just the perks that came with royalty? She couldn't recognize half of the things on her plate and maybe that was for the best. Jordan looked up and noticed that the sisters didn't have anything in front of them. Not even plates anymore. But on the further end of the dining table was a plate with food expertly organized into a circle.
Jordan was unsure of what she should do. This was a castle, and castles stereotypically housed important people. The maid had said that some 'Lady Dimitrescu' lived here, which was definitely a noble title. So should she be showing some type of respect? Or anything of the like? Because despite this persons psychopathic and probably homicidal daughters, they did allow her to stay in the castle and were getting their staff to get her healed up.
As she was thinking, the doors to the opposite end of the room opened wide and Jordan widened her eyes at the sight of the large woman that ducked into the room. And she was not exaggerating with that explanation in the slightest. She probably under-described the sheer size of this woman(respectfully). She was at least twice the height of Jordan, and she herself at least stood at maybe five foot six inches. And she wasn't just tall. It was like her entire body grew to accommodate her height.
Jordan found herself staring at this woman's face. She was...quite beautiful. Just like the daughters, she would be much more flustered by the appearance of such a beautiful woman if it wasn't for the very prominent and obvious fangs that poked from her crimson lips. They brought a factor of fear that was indistinguishable in any other scenario. And yet she still found herself to be completely enraptured by this woman. She didn't notice while she was distracted, but Daniela was getting Cassandra's attention while snicker and pointing to Jordans face.
"Ah, so we finally meet face-to-face. Most humans that wander into my castle aren't usually treated with such luxury. Be glad that my daughters have taken an interest in you." The Lady said, her powerful voice echoing throughout the dining hall.
The brunette girl watched as the woman moved forward and sat herself down in the large chair at the end of the table. Picking up her silverware, she began to eat the food that had been laid out on the plate. Jordan carefully and slowly reached out for her plate and grabbed a bread roll. She didn't want to seem rude by not eating the food she was given, because she had already wasted it once since she woke up there due to her nonexistent appetite.
The scene with Luiza flashed across her mind again, and her chewing began to slow down. She didn't have much to say on the situation that happened in that house. All of it was sudden, and horrific, but most of her emotions were still so muted and she couldn't feel anything more than pity. Those people had to deal with being cooped up as the final survivors of a random creature attack for who knows how long, only for it to end with an attack from the inside. Sad.
"Now, girl. I'm sure you're curious about why you were spared. Do you have any questions for me?" Lady Dimitrescu asked, snapped Jordan out of her thoughts again.
She spaced out way too much sometimes, didn't she? But regardless, she did have question on what they were going to do with her. While she didn't exactly want to be thrown back out in the cold with horrible beasts roaming around, she also wasn't jumping for an opportunity to be trapped in a castle with murderous vampires.
"Um....thank you...for saving me but....what are you going to do with me...?" Jordan finally asked, hoping her voice would reach the opposite end of the table.
The Lady halted her movements for a moment, and Jordan watched as she exchanged glances with the three daughters in the room. Daniela was not-so-subtly nodding her head in an excited manner, but Jordan couldn't figure out why until the large woman spoke up again.
"Hm. Very well then. I've made my decision." Lady Dimitrescu set down her utensils and picked up her suspiciously red-filled wine glass. "My daughters have taken a liking to you rather quickly, so I will be giving you to them. As a pet. Until they grow bored. I'm sure you've realized by now that you do not have a say in this matter."
Jordan couldn't exactly pinpoint the moment that her mind short circuited, but she had a feeling it had to do with the use of a certain word.
Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet. Pet.
That word made her skin crawl with disgust, and it made her head swarm with thoughts and similar words. It was probably the worst feelings she's ever felt since waking up in this place. Even being impaled didn't amount to the mental agony she was experiencing at the moment. She could no longer see the things around her. Her vision had completely tunneled and now as she could see was darkness she heard muffled sounds around her, but she couldn't make out any words.
What was going on?
~
Alina held the girl close to her body, whispering soothing words in her ear and trying to get her to stop shaking and hyperventilating. She ignored the three daughters that were now crowded around her, watching the situation rather curiously. Even Lady Dimitrescu had stood up from her seat and was walking over.
She had seen her fair share of panic attacks due to the many maidens that the girls loved to 'play' with. And of course, the staff had their moments too. She knew the techniques to calm it before it became a full blown one, and she was lucky that she was nearby or else Jordan would be in a much worse state right now. She wished she had the ability to tell this poor girl that everything would be okay. That she would be okay. But truly, there wasn't much that could be done. This house was ruthless, and she had neither the energy nor the power to protest against the decision.
"How is she, Alina? Do you think she will wake up soon?" The Lady asked, walking up behind them.
"She's still calming down. I believe something you said must've set off a trauma response in her. She seems to be quite fragile. Much more than the maidens from the village." Alina said, holding the girl steady.
She didn't want to comment how this girl might've fallen into this state because she had been told she was going to be trapped here as a pet of all things.
"Fragile, huh? Those ones always break so easily. Hmm. She's a foreigner too, which means she didn't grow up in the village. I love the unpredictable ones. Trying to find what buttons to press, and trying to find what makes them scream..." Cassandra said, her eyes swirling with insanity and sadism.
"I'm quite curious about this one too. But if we don't break her immediately, I'm sure we can find out some interesting things about her when we play." Bela said, smiling and baring her fangs in the process.
"I'm really excited to play with her. She's really pretty too...I wonder what she tastes like." Daniela said, running her tongue over her fangs.
"Patience, daughters. She still needs to recover. And if you break your toys as soon as you get them, then I won't be getting you another one." Lady Dimitrescu said, placing a hand on her hip.
There was a chorus of 'sorry mother''s that bounced around the girls. But Alina remained staring down at the girl who had finally stopped trembling.
'May Mother Miranda protect you, child.'