I shifted nervously. That was the first time Nate had shown any hint of hostility towards me. Maybe I shouldn't have trusted him so easily. I went to my room after that. I had no idea what time it was, but I was exhausted. I peered at the small analog clock on the nightstand. Eight o'clock. 'Eight in the morning. Maybe I am turning into a vampire,' I thought to myself. I contemplated staying up until it was an acceptable time to sleep, but remembering that my new roommates were more or less nocturnal, I decided to give into my body's wishes and slept.

When my eyes groggily opened, it was evening. Upon exploring my room for the first time in detail, I discovered a bookshelf. Among the shelves I browsed the titles of various classics. Finding Dracula, I picked it up, amused. Taking the book with me to the parlor, I hoped to find company. No one was about. Disappointed, I laid down on the couch and read.

A couple hours passed when Nate passed through to the kitchen for water. I didn't notice him at first; his footsteps sounded as though he was gliding across the floor. He stayed his distance, father than before, but chuckled to himself when he saw what I was reading.

"Not everything you read is true, you know," he said raising an eyebrow. I could see the beginnings of bags forming under his eyes.

"I know," I acknowledged, looking down at the book in my hands, "but I couldn't help myself."

"Understandable," with a slight smile he inquired if I was enjoying it.

"It's pretty good, but you wouldn't happen to have two more girls locked away somewhere down here, would you? I would like to know if I am intended to be one of your brides."

"No, I don't. But tell you what: You find a couple more seductive women willing to live here and you three can definitely be my brides," Nate smiled. I blushed a little but hid it in my book. He turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"To my bedroom. I have some things to figure out."

"Oh..." I was dissatisfied with the length of the conversation. Turning my attention back to my book it was several hours before I saw another face. Chris appeared through a door on the other side of Nate's.

"Hey, vampire girl," he greeted me.

Although he wasn't my favorite person in the world, at least it was human contact. Well, it was contact.

"Hi," I replied suspiciously, "you're awful cheerful."

Chris pulled a flask out of an inner pocket of his jacket. Leaning against the wall he took a swig and said, "Yeah, I've just been in my room, waiting for your friend to screw up. Thinking of all the ways I can kill him."

That's it. I got up. He couldn't go two sentences without being a douche.

I got up and stormed off to my room, hearing Chris call out "What?" I slammed the door behind me, locking it angrily.

Collapsing onto the bed, I wondered what they were thinking back home. I managed to shove the thought away through the distraction of my book. However, I finished it shortly after, and I didn't have the will to push it away. My parents were worrying sick, I was sure. Being a middle child out of seven, I didn't have a close relationship with my parents. Nevertheless, my disappearance couldn't be easy on them. At least they were safe. That's when I remembered Gabe. There's nothing more that I wanted to do at that moment than to lounge on Gabe's couch and watch our favorite movies together. If he was here now, he'd give me that sly smile of his and he'd say "I told you so. You need to be more careful... and your scrawny arms did nothing to help you back there."

These torturous thoughts made me homesick. I rolled over and tried to clear my mind.

Miraculously, I fell asleep.

I dreamed of home, and Gabe.