Page 28 of When Night Falls

To know now that he was the one I was trying to report to the police, the one who is now mentally holding me captive as he leads me down the road on this chilled fall night, I can’t help but feelspecial,all while also feeling dazed and disturbed about his agenda.

His wife?

Nothing is making sense right now. But what's worse? The days I thought my mind was betraying me in the instances of hearing voices, feeling like others were out to get me, having thoughts that I was imagining things or feeling like I wasn't good enough. But now, having knowledge of the farcical information that explains all of those things away, lining up exactly witheverything that had been going on, creates relief to cement inside me.

I look up at him, his emerald eyes swirl with microscopic dark specks of amber that, even in the dark, can be seen as he turns to evaluate my silence.

“What’s on your mind, Lucynda?” he asks me and chills cover my flesh at the sound of his smooth yet guttural voice, like a perfectly aged bourbon. It’s a comforting tone because, according to him, it’s been in my head all along. Though now it seems to scratch at my skin in ways that make me feel impure and shy.

Safe.

His voice has usually done more good than harm to me these past few weeks, but I still don’t find solitude in knowing that he claims to have the capability to invade my head like that. Though, I won’t lie. I did find myself craving his voice.

“Nothing,” I lie. But only because there’s so much going through my head right now and I don’t know where to start. I want to give him hell, scream at him for practically kidnapping me but again, it feels as if Iwantedto go with him. I can’t explain it.

“I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want you to know that I don’t have any intentions on making this hard for you. I simply wanted you to listen and you wouldn’t, so I had to do what I had to do to get you to see it my way. I don’twantto hurt you, Lucynda.” The use of his word,want, is slightly unnerving and only provides pessimistic beliefs, but I listen to him because I feel safe. Even though he’s probably convincing me with his mind control to feel that way, I hate that I can’t even trust myself right now.

“That’s not me,” he says. “I only compelled you to not give me any grief about coming to the compound with me. You’re allowed to still feel and think your own thoughts otherwise. Andeverything youdothink and feel is on your own accord. If you feel safe with me, that’s because you are safe with me, Lucynda.” My shoulders tense a bit as I listen to him answer the thoughts that spin in my head, confirming that he really can read my mind.

“I don’t understand what’s going on, Rivian. I mean, some of these things seem to make sense after your very brief and cryptic explanations but I also don't understand how or why it makes sense.” I decide to speak my valid concerns out loud, seeing as he'll just invade my thoughts one way or the other anyway, right? "How am I supposed to believe you when I don't even know you?"

“Have I led you astray before?" His question sits silently between us as I stumble over what he means by it. I think back to my nearest memories of his voice leading me to calm waters just as the storm was about to hit. He's not wrong, I did find trust and comfort in those times, but that was before I found out that he was a stalker who abducted me mentally.

"A lot of things won’t make sense right away, but I really do want to make this easier for you. As long as you'll listen, I'll answer anything you want to know.” Rivian seems to be suppressing the villainous character I imagine him to be, but I feel the radiation of his power surge through me all the same.

I practice a deep inhale to prepare myself for even more answers that might further change the trajectory of my life.

“You said you were a vampire. How am I supposed to believe that? Vampires don’t really exist, do they?” I add the last two words, wanting to stop my statement as a conclusion because I can’t be sure if I believe that supernatural beings don’t actually exist.

His steps slow to halt, and I look around to see the area we’ve stopped in. This should be where Hollows Trace Manor is. I would recognize the surrounding trees anytime I travel downthis road, the bridge where Shadow Creek flows under is right where it always is. But as I squint into the darkness, I can’t see any proof of the mansion having existed or even spot the gate that keeps its property private. Just like my internet searches, and just like that police officer had said.

It’s just a land of trees.

But I know what I saw.

Rivian turns to me, so I lift my chin up to meet his eyes.

“They are as real as the air that you breathe, Lucynda. And if you’d believe it, this town is crawling with more vampires than anyone would ever know. But that’s beside the point. I am real, and the party that you went to, the majority of the other attendees were also vampires. They’re all a part of my Society.” I hear his answer clear as day, but it just makes my head spin even more than before.

I don’t know what to ask next and I know that there are a million more questions that I could ask which will be accompanied by answers that requires more questions and-

Breathe.

I hear Rivian's voice soothe me and he doesn't actually speak it out loud this time. He decides to use the method that has eased my mind one too many times before and I fold to the request, allowing the safety I feel in his words and taking in a much needed deep breath once more.

“Why am I here?” I wave around to the quiet grounds surrounding me.

“In short, you’re here to take over as queen. The long story, well, that started a few years ago.” Rivian looks out into the trees while he answers me, as if reminiscing over a fond memory or rather needing to distract himself from the contents of what that memory holds.

But I can’t decide if any of those answers makes sense to me.

“Queen? I don’t get it. Queen of what? I’m just a regular girl. What could anyone want from me?” I start to feel panic rise in my bones again; I’ve done such a good job keeping my cool but there’s no way I can feign composure with the information I’m being fed.

“Little one,” Rivian speaks to me as I see a light glow wash over his body. I turn around to see a pair of headlights heading our way.

I look back over to Rivian who is watching me, forget the fact that he called melittle oneand it's doing even morethingsto me, because I can see that he's trying to figure out what I’d do if given the chance to escape him.

Would I escape him?