Darkness.

You look around frantically but all you see is darkness.

"Please remain calm Bella" a gentleman's voice in the distance. You turn to face the direction it came from. Slowly the sky above you grow lighter, turning a shade of deep red creating silhouettes of the bare trees around you. Then you see him walking towards you, almost gliding through the liquid around your feet.

"There really is no need to panic" Dracula looks right into your eyes as he comes to a stop before you.

"Where am I?" You ask, annoyingly unable to stop the nervous shake in your voice.

"Safe"

"People keep telling me a lot lately that I'm safe, but I don't feel it"

"You're home"

"This isn't my home"

"No. This is a dream" he gestures to the world around him.

You notice the tiny drop of blood on the side of his lips.

"It's not yours" he says, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the blood away.

"The man from the pub..."

"It's not his either. Foul men have foul blood."

"But you killed him?"

"He hurt you. He was about to do worse. I stopped him" he waits for a moment "You're welcome"

He actually expected you to thank him for murdering someone.

"You didn't have to kill him! I never wanted that-"

"Then what is it you want?" He interrupts, stepping forward and closing the gap between you. He searches your eyes as his hand comes up to gently cup your cheek, his eyes flicker down to your lips.

"I want answers." You say firmly, ignoring his attempt to seduce you. He huffs slightly.

"You haven't asked me any questions"

"Would you answer honestly if I did?"

He pauses, watching you curiously.

"Another time" he turns and walks out into the darkness.

"Wait!" You shout after him "Dracula! Where are you going? Dracula!"

🩸☠️🖤

"Dracula!" You shout, sitting up suddenly in bed. You look around confused and to your surprise find yourself back in your own room. Could that really have just been a dream? It felt so real. And how did you get home from the alley? Had that been a dream too?

A notification from your phone pulls your attention and you pick it up from the bedside table. You read the text from Maggie.

'Bella please let me know you're okay! I'm worried about you love. xxx'

Then you notice the time. Shit! You were supposed to be in work almost two hours ago. You jump out of bed and run around frantically getting yourself ready.

You leave the house in a hurry and start running down the hill to the high street. You're in such a rush you don't notice the black car parked outside your house which Zoe gets out of when she sees you.

"Bella?" She calls.

"Can't talk. Late. Sorry!" You shout back as you continue running.

Running down the high street you stop suddenly when you see police cars and a group of people crowded around the pub, staring into the alley. You approach slowly and join the group, trying to see what they can see.

"What's going on?" You ask, standing next to Roger.

"Awful business. You know Donald, runs the weekly pub quiz? Found him dead this morning, throat cut." He explains as he continues watching the police investigating the scene.

"Oh my god" you say breathlessly, realizing that the events in the alley last night were not part of the dream.

"I know. I don't know what's happening in our little village lately but it feels like something dark has moved in" he says before turning and walking off toward his shop.

You stand there paralyzed, staring in horror.

"Bella!" Zoe calls your name, making you jump as she comes to stand next to you, out of breath from chasing you down the street "sorry I didn't mean to startle you... are you okay?" She sees the look on your face.

"This is my fault" you say quietly "he's dead because of me"

"What makes you say that?" She questions as she leads you away from the crowd, studying your face carefully.

"Because it's the truth." You finally look at her "I bumped into him last night, I spilt his drink. He was drunk, and he got really angry, and he tried to... he tried to hurt me. But Dracula stopped him. Cut his throat open with his bare hands. I watched him bleed out. Because of me."

"Bella this isn't your fault-"

"If I'd have been more careful, watched where I was going, or if I'd stayed with you at the foundation when you asked me he would still be alive now. You can't deny that."

Zoe just looks at you, not knowing what to say. Then she realizes something.

"Dracula didn't drink from him?" she says, more thinking out loud than asking a question.

"Foul men have foul blood" you say mindlessly.

"What?" She looks at you confused.

"Something he said"

"He spoke to you?"

"I think so. I mean, not much but I don't even know if it was real."

She looks confused.

"I kinda blacked out in the alley after, you know..." you gesture to the crime scene in front of you "...and I woke up at home in bed this morning, I don't know how I got there. But I had a dream about Dracula and that's when we talked. You must think I'm mad." You laugh embarrassed but she shakes her head.

"Not at all. In fact, I think I've had the same kind of dream."

You look at her with relief that someone understands, and she smiles reassuringly. Then you hear someone shouting behind you.

"Bella?! Oh my God!" Maggie yells as she runs to you and throws her arms around you, sobbing "you're okay! Oh, I'm so relieved! When I saw the police this morning, I thought... well it's not worth thinking about now you're here" Then she pulls away suddenly and hits you on the arm "don't you ever scare me like that again, my poor old heart can't take it"

"I'm sorry Maggie, I didn't mean to worry you. It's been a mad 24 hours"

"What happened? Where have you been?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." You let out a laugh.

🖤☠️🩸

"So... he's a vampire?" Maggie asks after you explain everything that happened yesterday.

"Yes. But this has to stay between us. No one else can know about this or there would be panic" Zoe says.

"I can't tell anyone. Not even Jan?"

"Maggie! If Jan found out then the whole village would know within the hour. You can't tell Jan, or Carol or anyone. Okay? If the villagers found out there was a vampire among us they would hunt him down and start a war. A war they would lose."

"Trust me, it's safer for everyone if they don't know." Zoe adds and Maggie thinks about it for a moment then nods her head in understanding.

"Right, I need to go back to the foundation to sort some things out but I'll be back later to discuss our next step with you" Zoe says and you nod before she heads out the door, leaving you and Maggie alone.

"What do we do now?" Maggie asks and you move to grab your apron.

"We keep calm and carry-on"

🩸☠️🖤

It was a slow day in the cafe, you spent most of what was left of the morning in the bakery washing up and cleaning the ovens to keep busy. When you finished that you ended up flicking through the pages of the many recipes' books Maggie kept in the kitchen. You were reading through the ingredients list of a creme brûlée when you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. You pull it out and your heart stops when you see Dracula's name on the screen. You don't know how his number got saved in your phone but there it was, with a message underneath:

'Still want answers? Meet me on the beach at midnight.'

You stare at the message on your phone in disbelief. How had his number even got in your contacts? Why did he want to meet today? What was he planning?

"Everything alright love?" Maggie asks, walking back into the kitchen.

You open your mouth to tell her about the text but stop yourself. If you tell her she'll tell Zoe, and they'll both tell you not to meet him. If you don't meet him you don't get answers. But if you do meet him secretly and he kills you no one would know. You think then quickly slide your phone into your pocket.

"All good. Is it busy out there?" You ask, changing the subject.

"No, I've barely seen any customers all day. I think the shock of last night's murder has people scared." She says, taking a bite of a muffin. You nod and hum in agreement. "You should go home love. There are only a couple hours left til closing and you look like you could do with a rest. I can handle things here for the rest of the day"

"I'm fine-" you begin to protest but she interrupts

"No arguments, go home. Now."

You sigh, removing your apron and picking up your bag.

"Thanks Maggie" you give her a hug. She hands you a box of muffins and cakes.

"Take these with you. They'll only go to waste here"

You take the box and smile before leaving and heading home. As you walk you pull your phone out and send a reply.

'I'll be there.'

He replies almost instantly.

'It's a date'

🖤☠️🩸

When you got home you went straight to bed and tried to sleep but you just couldn't. Your mind too busy thinking of every possible outcome of your meeting tonight with the vampire. After an hour and a half of lying awake in bed you give up trying to sleep and go downstairs just as Zoe knocks on your door.

You welcome her inside and she carries in a box of files labelled Dracula. You sit together at the kitchen table and look through them as she brings you up to date on everything they know about the vampire and his history. She tells you about Jonathan Harker and how he met Dracula. How he ended up at St Mary's and how his fiancé Mina and your great great grandmother, Sister Rose, had escaped to England. How Mina decided to set up the research foundation in her late fiancés name. She explains more about what the foundation was set up for and the work they've been doing. Then she notices how late it has gotten and she decides to call it a night.

"I know this must all be quite overwhelming right now but I want you to know I'm here for you, my phone is always on if you need me."

You thank her as you open the front door for her and she steps out. You notice a black car parked outside with two men sitting in.

"They'll be here all night watching the house to make sure you're okay" Zoe says before saying goodbye and driving off in her own car.

You give a small wave to the guys in the car before closing the door and heading upstairs. There's still a couple of hours till your meeting with Dracula so you decide to have a bath to relax yourself first. Once you've finished you get ready and leave the house through the back door, sneaking out the back garden gate so the guys in the car don't notice you. If they found out where you were going they would either stop you or follow you and either way you wouldn't get the answers you wanted from Dracula.

When you arrive at the entrance to the beach you look around but there's no sign of him anywhere. You are 15 minutes early though so maybe you just got there before him. You take a seat on a bench that overlooks the beach, watching the sea and the way the moonlight sparkles through the waves. It must send you into a daydream because you don't realize someone is standing behind you.

"You're early" a voice whispers in your ear, making you jump up from your seat. You spin around to see Dracula standing there, smiling a devilish grin at you "and you're alone. How very brave of you."

"I'm not scared of you" you say, trying to sound believable despite actually being nervous around him.

"Why not? You should be. I am a vampire... I could kill you right here right now" he moves and suddenly is standing right in front of you, his hand brushing your hair away exposing your neck to the brisk evening air. He runs his up from your collar bone, gently stroking your neck "I could sink my teeth into this pretty neck of yours and drain every last drop of sweet blood from your body." His hand suddenly wraps around your throat. He doesn't apply any pressure, but you know he could if he wanted to "I could break you so easily."

He looks into your eyes, his face inches away from your own. You feel your breath hitch in your throat. "Your heart is beating rather fast for someone who isn't afraid. Is this the effect I have on you? Hmm?" He lets out a mighty laugh and releases you, taking a step away "I'm just playing with you. Come on, let's go"

"Where?" You breathe.

"To get your answers"