"Sanity brings pain 

 

but madness is a vile thing"

 

 

- EURIPIDES, Hippolytu.

 

 

 

III

         

You know that hopeless feeling of wishing everything was just a nightmare? That you wake up and nothing happened for real? Well, that was actually what I was feeling in the exact moment I woke up. I stared at the ceiling absently while my blurred sight was clearing up. My eyes were adjusting to my surroundings. I knew this ceiling very well; the ugly silver lamp hanging precariously from it was my first clue. It was my room.

"Thanks God, you're awake." Jessica's voice got my attention. I glanced at her confused. She was sitting next to me; her brown hair fell loose over her shoulders. I could see the concern in her eyes.

"Jess," My voice was low and weak, "what happened?" I asked, my mind was drifting to the elevator's images. My breathing became faster as fear invaded me for a moment.

"I was about to ask you the exact damn thing. I got tired of calling you and decided to come up to see what was taking you so long. I found you on the floor unconscious. I freak out and called the emergency service. They came but they said you were just passed out, that you were okay and would probably wake up in a few hours." She spoke so fast, I was glad I was used to her fast talking skills otherwise there was no way I could have caught a word of what she was saying. Wait... Just passed out? What about the wound in my chest?

Immediately, I sat up causing a wave of dizziness to wash over me. I held my forehead trying to stop my head from spinning around.

"Jeez! Take it easy, Ann." Jess stated, rubbing my shoulders. I looked down at my chest expecting to find my bloody shirt, but I found it looking completely white and cleaned. I frowned in confusion.

"What the hell." I mumbled "Did you clean me up?" I asked hopefully. Jess shook her head.

"What do you mean? You weren't dirty or anything like that."

"What about the blood?" The question left my mouth before I could stop it. Jess scowled at me.

"There was no blood, Ann. What are you talking about?" Was I going crazy? Did I imagine the entire thing? It had been so real. Maybe, I passed out and had a nightmare, a very real nightmare. Maybe my hopeless wish for this to be just a nightmare was becoming real. Maybe God was being nice to me, rewarding me for not giving me a family.

Maybe...

Maybe...

Maybe it all happened and I was in denial.

"Ann, what's wrong?" Jess sounded worried. I gave her a closed mouth smile.

"Nothing, I just need to go the bathroom," I said setting my feet on the cold floor.

"Careful, the paramedics said you were weak. You need to take Iron pills; apparently, your blood volume is low." She said, helping me to stand.

"I'm fine." I lied, heading to the door.

Once I got inside my small bathroom, I turned the lights on. The white pottery welcomed me, calming me. I managed to keep it clean even when I barely got some free time. I quickly started unbuttoning my shirt. Then, I took off my bra and passed my hand over the mirror to remove the humidity. I stopped breathing. There was a circled dark mark between my breasts, it looked like a tattoo. It had five dark points, just in the spots where that bastard had sunk nails in. He marked me for some unknown reason; he left a scar on my skin. That bastard!

Who was he?

He was not human, that was for sure. He also had something to do with my sister's disappearance.

"What am I thinking?" I questioned myself. Was I going mad? There were no supernatural creatures on Earth, those were myths. I looked back at my reflection, the mark was still there. What the hell was going on? What was all this about?

"Angeles." A soft whisper from behind made me jump and turn around abruptly. I covered my breasts protectively. The shower's curtain was hiding the bathtub. I swallowed. My heart began beating fast, I wondered if I could die of a heart attack at such young age. I extended my hand towards the curtain; I just needed to move it away. God, please don't let anyone be there.

My hand was getting closer to it; I grasped it and was ready to move it aside.

"Ann," I screamed so loud, my ears were ringing after "Ann! Open the door! Are you okay?" Jessica's voice sounded desperate. I held my chest breathing heavily. She had really scared me. I opened the door and rested my back against the wall.

"You scared the hell out of me." I complained. Jess simply walked in, concern plastered on her face. She frowned at my naked torso.

"Were you going to take a shower?" She asked, scowling at me "What's that?" She pointed at my chest "Did you get a tattoo?" She was shocked.

"Hum, I..." I trailed off.

"Oh my God! You did! What were you thinking? Do you know the risks? You know you can't donate blood now," She paused taking a deep breath in "Ann, a tattoo? Really? That's so not you."

"Stop freaking out, it's not a tattoo" I explained, unzipping my pants. I was more than used to getting naked in front of Jess.

"What? It's not a tattoo? Then what the hell is it?"

"Hum... It's... a..." Think of something, Angeles! Be quick! I mentally ordered myself. Jess folded her arms across her chest waiting for an explanation "Well, it's a tattoo."

"But you just said-"

"It's a temporary tattoo, you know, like those you get just for a few months." I explained.

"Phew! I was so scared it was a real one." she sighed in relief.

"Well, it's not." I smiled at her and turned to the shower. My body tensed up when I grasped the curtain.

"What are you waiting for?" Jess questioned, moving the curtain away for me to get in. The shower was empty, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding "You sure you're okay, Ann?"

"Yeah," I replied, getting inside the shower.

"Well, I'll be in the room. If you need anything just let me know, okay?"

"Go away, stop worrying about me. I'm fine." I said moving the curtain back to its place.

"Whatever." Jess left, closing the door behind her.

Warm water started falling on me, relaxing me. I closed my eyes.

Your fears, your pain, your life are all mine.

I could still hear his words so clearly inside my head. What did he mean by that? Was he going to kill me? I didn't think so. He would've killed me already; he'd had plenty of opportunities. Then what was his purpose? Was he real? If he was, he was definitely no ordinary human, I mean; he got out of a mirror... A freaking mirror! Normal people don't do that stuff, right? It's impossible.

Was I going crazy?

No, I had the mark on my chest to confirm everything happened. I didn't imagine it or dream about it. Jessica saw the mark too so it was real. Two people couldn't be going crazy at the same time, could they?

I sighed. This was so weird. Was I supposed to believe in myths now? I sighed again. This is going to be hard.

I decided to wash my hair. I was massaging my head when I heard a noise at the other side of the shower's curtain. I froze, I couldn't open my eyes. I still had shampoo on my hair; I couldn't let it get in my eyes. I heard another noise. It sounded like someone was sitting on the toilet.

"I'm not going to hurt you," My breath was caught inside my lungs "relax." A husky voice said; it wasn't the same voice from the elevator so my body relaxed for a second. Wait... There was someone inside the bathroom! With me! A very naked me!

Oh my God!

Quickly, I washed my face to open my eyes. The lights went off.

"Relax, really, I'm not here to hurt you." the male's voice said softly.

"As if I'm going to believe that," I replied.

"I'm not like him."

 "Him?"

"Yeah, my master, the one who left that cute mark on your chest," He explained casually. Wait… Master? Wait...

"Cute mark? This looks like a bad quality tattoo." I stated frankly.  Why was I speaking to this unknown person? Did I lose it already? I should be screaming for help. Maybe the fear paralyzed me. Could I move? I tried to move my hand but it didn't respond.

Yes, I was paralyzed.

"It's a cute design." he defended sounding hurt.

"Who are you?" I asked confused. He didn't respond. My strength came back to me and I finally was able to move. I grasped the curtain and wrapped it around me. "Who are you?!" I almost screamed looking at the figure in front of me. He was...

Sitting on my toilet?

Seriously?

I frowned in confusion. The precarious light coming in through the bathroom's window partially illuminated the dark figure sitting on my toilet bowl. I could see his silhouette and part of his pale face. His shining red eyes looked at me in silence. He grinned at me, his sharp teeth glowing in the darkness.

"What are you?" I asked, tugging the curtain tightly to my body.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly "I don't even know if this is real. Are you really here? Are you going to kill me? Am I going crazy?"

"I'm not going to kill you. Your life belongs to him, and him only."

"Him? The one who marked me?" He nodded. My eyes barely caught his head movement in the dark, "Why? Who are you? Where's my sister?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Are you a vampire?" Yes, I just asked that. I blamed it on the freaking vampires' fever, on all the movies and books. They were responsible of my question.

"No," He answered coldly. His grin vanished, "Why would you think that? Was it the teeth, or the red eyes?"

"Hum, both." I had to be honest.

"You're offending me; you know that, don't you? Do not get me angry, I can be really mean." He threatened.

"I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously when you're sitting on my toilet bowl like that." I held back a chuckle. What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I scared? Something in my gut told me, this guy wasn't going to hurt me, but seriously, why wasn't I running away?

He grinned at me again.

“You are a funny human." Was he being sarcastic or did he mean it? I sighed frustrated.

"What are you doing here? Are you going to hurt me, kill me, mess with my head?"  I was tired, mentally and physically tired. Besides, I was weak.

"No, I just wanted to see you. Actually, I need to keep an eye on you when my master is busy."

"Why do you call him master? That sounds so..." Weird? Porno? Vampiric? Gay? Ok, I couldn't say any of those so I used, "unusual." He chuckled. I wondered if Jess could hear us.

"Technically, he is my boss but the term master is more popular among our kind,"

"Your kind?" I scowled at him.

"To be such a small human you ask too many questions."

"Oh I'm sorry," I said sarcastically "I'm just so happy to have a stranger slash unknown creature inside my bathroom while I'm naked."

"You're funny and sarcastic, nice! We are going to get along pretty well." He sounded excited.

"Excuse me? Are you out of your mind? One," I began enumerating with my fingers "I don't even know what you are. Two, your friend or master whatever he is, tried to kill me just few hours ago. Three, you appeared here so casually while I'm naked and I don't even know who you are. So don't get the 'I'm your friend attitude' because it's not going to work."  I spoke too fast. Maybe I was getting Jess' fast talking skills.

"That was impressive." He complimented "But just so you know, my master did not try to kill you." He stood up. Alright, he was really tall. I actually had to look up at him to see his shadowed face "He's calling me, I'll see you tomorrow, Angeles."

"What? Tomorrow? What do you mean?" I asked, seeing how he started vanishing slowly.

"I have the night off."

"What?"

"But do not worry, you will not be alone. My master shall visit you at midnight." With that last statement he was gone.

I was left in pure confusion and bewilderment.