Dancing Petals

Chapter Four

Dancing Petals

"We can on one condition" he stated as he looked at me with approval seeming to like the polite manner that came with my curious moments. "What condition Sir?" I spoke sharply knowing he was playing the moment to his advantage. "You stay with me at all times as you are a human, You will show me the right respect" he demanded as he forced my chin up to look at him in the eyes.

"Even a step out of line and slaves die for your outburst. Are we understood?" Luke threatened with a snarl. "We aren't your slaves to punish Sir" I remained him." I don't need to be. You have been given a final Master and only now of which we both know has a nasty temper. How many of your friends do you think will be harmed if he hears you hit a vampire?". He spoke with a cruel smile as I simply shock at the thought of others being hurt for my actions.

"We are understood" I replied in a low voice turning my face away. "What was that slave?" Luke asked as my annoyance for his build. "We are understood" I spoke coldly as I turned away from the window ready to go. Luke just simply stood then started walking ahead. I walked behind like a lost sheep having no choice since I didn't know my way around this place.

We got to some doors when a vampire calls out to Luke. "What is it?" he quickly snapped at the female. "a nice way to someone stopping you getting stake" she fiercely snapped back in response. The air felt so tense between the two and by their heated conversation, it was clear there was a past of some sort between the two. "We have spotted a rouge scout on the grounds upon Master Fang's and your arrival" she finished reporting to him about the sighting." I am busy have them caged individually in till I am ready to talk to them" he shrugged at my movement of coming closer to him at the thoughts of rouges being around. I have never met a rouge other than that day with my family and that's how I wished to keep it.

"That is not possible my upcoming clan leader" she spoke in a hardened tone. " Is that so?" Luke answered the statement angrily. "Sir" I whimpered lightly as his hand gripped on to me both in frustration and to keep me from running off from whatever was about to happen. "Let go please!" I yelped as my stomach cringed. I was freaked out enough today and now my mind was racing with thought but I didn't expect...

The female bloodsucker's arm started twisting in unnatural angles, I looked away but Luke just watched motionless as if this was a normal day for him. What a sick-minded freak! Soon the females' voice stopped its blood-curdling screaming taking a deep breath I turned my head around in time to see the body being separated and degrading into piles of ash. I started pulling away from Luke panicky; he was still holding onto me while standing at a distance from the female. There was no way he could have used his abilities without using his hands or something. This can't be normal, it's only the slaves that get treated like dirt. She wasn't human, she was another bloodsucker but then again at least that's one more of the things going.

I was snapped out of my confusion by something pulling me forward at my arm. I looked at the pile of ash once more and anger filled me. "HOW COULD YOU? SHE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN!" I raged at Luke as he carried on pulling me down the hallway. I hate bloodsuckers but you would think they would stick together with rouges around after all they are bloodsuckers as well. Rouges have been spotted yet he just killed one of the people spotting them spawning his land.

My hair was jerked to force me to look at the stupid thing eye to eye. "She was a waste Erica it is as simple as that" Luke stated out the blue as he started wrapping more of my hair around his hand tighter. His eyes filled with annoyance as he just towered over me to undermine me further before finishing. "Let us remind you of one thing filth, shall we? one of them is you are only useful for basic tasks. Some things like what just happened are too complexed for your human-sized brain!" he finished taunting me.

I could feel the rage filling me with every word but I had to control myself for the other slave's sake. All the slaves stick together because if we didn't we would have most likely lost our minds by now; from enduring the sick-minded bloodsucker's words to us. So right now, I had to just submit and hope my behavior can save the two slaves I have already put on the line. "I won't question your choices of ruling your clan again. Sir, I am sorry for speaking out of the term" I spoke lowly swallowing my pride and trying to hide my anger from his words.

He just carried on walking forward as I followed the powerful scent of fresh air became stronger. Excitement took over me and I ran onto the grass ready to explore the plants I have only studied in books. A cough sounded behind me and I paused my steps remembering; I was not to wander far. After all, it was a new clan and new territory; I was not to know where Luke's clan's land ended and where rouges were common to wait.

"Sorry" I spoke remembering my mistake once Luke walked over. "Master Fang's clan land is bare; no one has any time to attend to the gardens. This land is incredible I got over curious about wanting to explore" I finished explaining honestly. "You may be weak-minded creatures Erica but in this clan, we see that as another opportunity" He spoke starting to walk down the path as he continued. "As long as our slaves are behaving we allow this space for them to make their own for the younger ones but also so the neighboring village doesn't think of this land strange. That way the villages don't bother us and the young slaves are happy to serve" He stopped on the path as he noticed me freezing by some flowers.

"They are lucky Sir for us it is a case of behaving or watch others that raised you to be hurt for your mistakes" I spoke seeing a different light to this vampire for a brief moment. "Erica here is no different the older still get the treatment you get. I just don't feel it work well with the younger ones after all they are normally too shaken to work for some hours after. That is of their years, their hours, and means more time not being used to show they are grateful for getting the chance to serve a higher being" he shrugged as he continued. "So I use different techniques to Fang" he finished emotionless for the treatment the slaves go through. He is just like all the rest of the bloodsuckers that seem to think we are just objects of property.

The quicker this day is for the better since I will have less of these things around. I brushed my fingertips against the petals of the flowers I stopped by. "Jade Vine is rare now; how did you get they manage to grow it here?" I asked surprised and to my annoyance, Luke just shrugged. This was my first experience with plant life up close and it had to be in the company of this selfish bloodsucker.

A chill washed over me and I turned to see a young girl near a rose bush. The girl had silk red hair and green eyes. She looked no older than eight years of age. This is more of a reason to hate those bloodsucker things know as vampires; they don't care about how young you are when they rip you away from your family. Sure, this played a factor in the Master saving me but still. "Who is she?" I thought out loud which a factor that seemed to grabbed Luke's attention to who I was on about; it seemed as he turned to see her.

"Just Hannah, she is the youngest ghost here" he answered my thought as I just stared at him in disbelief. Ghosts don't exist anyway but he knew her name. It was unheard of for a vampire to actually pay attention to who was who. We normally were just known as our status of slaves at least to the Master's family. I took one more look at the girl I now know as Hannah before turning back to Luke and simply nodding in understanding. Today is just been beyond weird and I really can't wait for Master Fang gets out of his meeting so we can head home now. I had never thought of that place as a home until now.

"She comes and goes but I always in the garden somewhere I doubt she has gone far. The vampire that was ripped into pieces earlier was being so by another two of the ghosts around here" Luke said proudly. As if he expected me to believe in ghost stories; I am far past that stage. I just looked around at the flowers letting him carry on his ghost fables when the wind blew some petals of a rose. The petals looked like they were dancing about in the gust.

I couldn't stop myself wondering off following the petals. While I was walking after the petals I took in the garden's contents. The garden was beautiful with many coloured plants I could only dream of around and twisting up the fencing. The wind was refreshing as I walked after the petals blowing in the breeze. As I turned at a bush I saw Hannah again by some plants that looked to Lavender. I stopped walking not wanting to scare her; she just reminded me of an unbroken Ben.

Before Ben was given completely to Miss Satania, he was so full of life but now he was just scared and beaten down the empty shell of that once energetic child. He uses to hide around the house behind corners when we got up early and jump out at us before the vampires woke. There was even one time he would do these impressions while the Master and Mistress weren't looking and I would have to try not to laugh. He really was a little bundle of amusement......

"Why are you following me?" a scared young voice echoed through my memories of Ben. The voice seemed so frightened my thoughts were broken as I saw a scared little Hannah looking over to me. Luke had my arm behind my back and I felt the discomfort of the angle but tried to ignore it. I tried to keep the knowledge of its clearly unsuitable angle at the back of my mind. "I wasn't. I was following the petals, look" I replied pointing towards the wind's mild gust with the petals dancing amongst the breeze. "Do you want to join me?" I offer her as I see her shrugs shyly and started skipping ahead.

Once she is ahead of me I let myself breathe raggedly. I try to pull my arm free from his grip but his fingers just dug into me. "We agreed no wondering Erica" he started pushing me forward after Hannah. I rolled my eyes trying to keep a soft smile on my face so I didn't worry Hannah when she looked behind her. I guess she was checking I was still there. When the petals had gone past a point in the garden Luke pulled me back to stop me from going any further. While Hannah carried on across the field. This must be the endpoint of the garden and where the likely hood of running into rouges become real. I backed away with him wary of the females' words of a rouge spotting onto the little garden path. I couldn't hold it in anymore as a sudden hiss escaped my lips at a shot of pain in my arm. Hannah seemed to hear me and stopped skipping back over before sitting on the grass by the side of the little garden path.

"Hannah, how did you died?" Luke spoke calmly to her ignoring the fact he was to leave bruises on me if he didn't let go. He is still going with this ghost fable! They aren't real. Hannah is a normal human unfortunately also a young slave-like Ben. "Hannah, it is okay. You don't have to after all I know your just another human like me and a very good friend of mine" I reassured her not to believe the stupid vampire. His question even shocked me not believing he would be so disrespectful to such a young girl; human or not! Hannah started to move her mouth to speak when Luke raised his hand to stop her. Movements came from the bushes not far from where the garden ended and before I could stop the brave girl Hannah was making her way towards the rusting of the leaves.

Figures started to emerge from the bush as I raised from the grass trying to work out some detail of the emerging strangers. Luke's fangs started to show as he bared them as if a warning. That could only mean these figures were rouges or he would have to give them a spoken warning. I froze unable to move as one question make my feet stop listening to the commands of the mind. What if they were the same rouges that killed my parents out of hunger and greed?

I started to pant heavily at the questioning thought was overwhelming me before everything when black. All I can hope is that Master would take pity on me once again so I wouldn't have my parents' fate. I should have just been grateful and maybe, just maybe I wouldn't fear dying right now......

My mind was racing with thoughts. I was worried about the little girl who ran. I worried for myself but more than that I worried for the possibilities it could be. My posture stiffened as I tried looking at the source of the noises.

I was roughly thrown backward just to be dragged the rest of the way inside. My mind went back to the memory of the wind providing a melody for the dancing petals. At that moment I was looking at the beauty of harmless nature. Quickly, that moment was taken from me by the sharp turn in the atmosphere going as cold as the most northern ice. The paintings on the wall calmed my breath as I began to recognise I was back inside. My life had again been spared but for how long?

My thoughts couldn't help but return to the story I was told of my life. It couldn't be rouges, could it? Master Fang claimed to have killed them all. Maybe, one sneaked away. They wouldn't be back from me after all these years. What if they never left me? I panicked. I didn't want to even consider the thought of them having watched me as I have grown up since that day. While I was a slave just waiting for me to be old enough to understand the pain they would put me through. Me being the mouse at the mercy of a cat. Or cats?

"Stay in here!" Master Fang snapped out my thoughts I made contact with a stone floor. I could hear the conflict outside. Master Fang gave me a look of hatred before he stormed out. He didn't even bother to look at the next room as he snarled "she does not leave the room". I couldn't help but take it as an insult to my own sense of survival. I don't know what awaits in the outer boundaries of this household land but that doesn't mean I am going to look just for the hell of it. The risk outweighs the possible highlights. Right now, me being in this room is giving me more chance to survive. All I could do is let my mind escape the fear of death. I tried to sleep thinking about how it would feel to be careless like one of the petals given a perform upon the wind.

The air would be so sweet-smelling filled with the fragrance of me and my petal bothers and sisters. We twirl in the wind breeze in harmony as our silk-like textured graceful as we danced fragile from its thin build. That would be so much started to analyse the thought deeply. All the petal came from one flower bulb emerged into its mature state. No more petals could join me in the wind. My mother was killed. She was killed possibly by them thing coming for me. No more petals could join me in the wind. I have no mother to have any more children.

Footsteps grew near the thumbing of the echo made my body shiver. The louder the echo the more I pressed against the wall hoping to be sucked into the stonework. "Approach you are coming back into the meeting with me" Master's voice bounced in the empty spaces of the walls. As much as I hated vampires; I couldn't deny that I may own this dirt of a creature my life again. I moved and followed back to the familiar door that was the beginning of my fate changing.

My head was forced up by my bully of a Master grabbing my throat while he forced my chin towards him. "Behave yourself in here slave" he hissed nearly spitting in my face. Immortal or not they don't have to be gross. I walked on quietly opening the door before standing aside holding it open with my back. Master looked smugly at me taking his time to step through. "I apologise for the distraction my slave has caused" he stated. "Very well then witnesses present have all signed the parchment of proving. The seal is complete" the head of the house spoke.

I kept eye contact to the floor not wanting to acknowledge the things overpopulating the room. "I would be grateful if you would allow me to stay on the land as your guest" Master Fang spoke. I had to relax my hand as I felt like my insides were praying the request was denied. I needed to get away from this strange place. If we stayed them things could have the time to plan an attack for the travel back. Even now my thoughts ran wild as everything that moved from the place danced around in conversation to avoid mention of the garden's source of noise this night. "Yes, you will be my guests with the situation as it is" Luke's father put an end to my silent prayer. I felt my shoulder begin to be gripped. Master Fang was still stood away from me but it was not any stranger in the crowded room. Out of all the vampire dirt crowded around the room, it had to be that familiar voice. "One more night for me to have fun with that head of your little one" Luke's sicking voice flowed in my ear.

"Slave we are retiring for the night. Walk" Fangs Command for once was a delight to follow. I made the time to shoot a glare of direct eye contact with Luke before shoving past him enough to earn a threatening glare from him as I walked to Master. While returning my eye contact to the floor. I was proud of myself for approaching him after annoying the piece of dirt that touched me. Silently I lowered my head to show respect to quicken the process of leaving the room.

Master Fang walked ahead of me before I moved in front to open the doors. I restrained my pride as I trailed behind him as we were lead to a guest room. The room where he would simply sleep into past boredom to the past in till night bleeds through the skies again. He would normally be sorting through papers in his office to do with matters of rouges to past time but this was not his land or his house. I couldn't help but hope that if he didn't sleep he wouldn't beat me to past time. I couldn't hold back my tongue for much longer towards him and the dirt of a race he is. We got to the room and to my relief he left me alone and slept. I sat at the window looking out into the garden as my thoughts took away from reality.