Unfamiliar Territory

Cassandra wakes in an unfamiliar room, on an unfamiliar bed. Last she remembered, she was in the woods. She had felt relaxed after escaping her parents. So, how was she here? And, where is here?

"I see you're awake," Her thoughts are cut short by a male's voice.

She looks at the doorway, noticing the man. He isn't slender, but also not built. More so muscular, but not overly so. She also notices that he indeed tall, a little too tall. His face is gentle looking, but she can tell he's probably been through some hard times. He is definitely older than herself, but not too much so. Maybe his mid twenties. His style seems to be more so natural, but dark. Definitely stylish, but not her kind of style. She suddenly remembers the voice from previous night, and the eyes. His eyes don't match. His are too soft and green. The eyes she saw were red, and the voice was oddly silky. Too much so.

"Who are you, and where am I?"

He cautiously sets the plate down, giving her space.

"I am Lucian," He says gently, "I found you by a tree and thought it might be safer here. I do apologize if I startled you."

She studies him cautiously, "Thank you, Lucian. I do have to ask, this food isn't drugged, is it?"

He shakes his head, laughing lightly at her attitude,"No, it is not. You have my word."

She carefully picks the tray up as he sits himself in the opposite corner. There is a small beanbag chair. The room is...comfortable. A mix of reds and even gold. More so a gothic look, but not too fancy.

"Do you have to watch as I eat?"

He laughs gently before clearing his throat, "No, I do apologize. I just wanted to ask some questions."

"Can it wait until I eat? I don't mean to be rude, it's just been a rough time."

"Of course," He stands up, "Feel free to come into the living room when you are ready. We will all introduce ourselves as well as settle any questions we are all thinking."

He smiles politely before leaving the room. She thinks to herself, wondering how many people lived in the house. Based off of how he said it, it seemed like there were about four of them. Maybe more. The thought causes her to feel a bit more tense. She is in an unfamiliar environment with strangers. For all she knows, they are planning to murder her and do who knows what to her corpse. Just the thought sends shivers through her.

"Insane parents...hellbent on ruining their relationship with their child," She mutters, "I do wonder, though. If they went through all this, how far are they willing to go?"

She lets herself relax as she eats. The food tastes good, it doesn't seem to be poisoned or laced. She learned how to sense that, too. The vibe Lucian gave her was comforting, soft. Not naive or blind to others, but kind. It made her question the kind of dynamic he has with the others. If he is the kind one, then are they all similar? She shakes her head, feeling foolish for even being curious. She looks around the room for her bag, and finds it by the bathroom. She tilts her head, cautiously walking to it. It is still closed, nothing seems to be stolen or missing. The bag is even undamaged.

"How long was I in the woods? And, who placed me on the bed? Wait, they didn't- No, I don't feel different. Lucian doesn't seem like the kind to do that, but I don't know him. He just seems familiar and comforting."

She cautiously looks inside the bathroom, remaining aware of her surroundings. The bathroom is not much different from the room itself. Still fancy, but very clean.

"A shower doe sound nice, I was in the woods for a while."

The thoughts of angering Lucian cross her mind, but she would pay him back, if necessary. She had some money saved up, and brought it with her. But, money isn't exactly the issue in this situation. There are more pressing things to worry about.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, she walks out of the door quietly. She hears Lucian and who she assumes to be the others, conversing.

"So, who is this girl?"

"I don't know, Julien. Why must you be so obvious?"

She looks around the room, noting more rooms and the theme of the house is the same. Red and gold, with some black. It looks like a good mixture. If the situation had happened differently, the house would feel more comforting. As she takes in the interior of the house, she notices the others.

"The one he spoke to is Julien," She thinks to herself," But who is the other?"

She listens, watching their conversation. Julien is blonde, short hair, with unnaturally blue eyes. He has a more slender form, compared to Lucian. He isn't short, though. He is about average height, while Lucian looks to be about six feet tall. The smaller male is facing the other two, but seems to just listen. He doesn't speak too often, simply shakes his head.

"That's Shadow," She hears in her mind.

He smiles at her warmly, and she knows that he spoke to her. She gives him a confused look as he speaks.

"You may sit, please." He smiles kindly,"This is Julien, and this is Shadow."

She hesitantly walks over, sitting on the edge of the couch almost. She notices Shadow looking at her and returns his gaze. He is short, maybe four foot ten. He's built thin with an unreadable face. His hair is black as are his eyes.

"It's kind of funny that the first thing I notice about them is their hair color. Lucian has almost light brown to dark blond hair. Julien's is almost white and Shadow's hair is black,"She thinks to herself.

"Thank you for taking me in," She says carefully," I do appreciate it. I did also use the shower, so if you'd like, I'd be happy to pay you back."

His smile is kind, warm even,"You don't have to worry about that. We're happy to take you in. I couldn't just leave you out there. There are too many dangers out there."

She feels the sense of someone staring and looks over, Julien is cheekily grinning at her. She returns his gaze, but remains on guard,"Do you have to stare?"

He simply remains grinning at her, so she ignores him, returning her attention to the other two.

"I am Cassandra, by the way."

"It is nice to meet you. You seem on edge, is something wrong?"

She laughs nervously,"Well, I am in a strangers home with three other people. I think that's enough to make anyone nervous."

Shadow nods,"That's true, it is an odd situation. It happens around here often."

"Where is...this?"

"Shadow Falls."

"So, they did reach where they meant to," She thinks sourly to herself.

The atmosphere is tense, but the uncertainty feels like it's only coming from her. Julien just stares at her like a prey while the others seem unsure of what to say.

"Julien, do you honestly have to stare like that? You act like you don't know what human girls look like," Shadow calls him out with an irritated tone.

"What? She's hot."

Lucian gives him a serious look,"Can't you take anything seriously?"

"Wait," She interrupts," Why did you say human like that?"

Shadow looks over at her, seeming to be a little taken back,"It's just an inside joke. He's always acting like an idiot in front of women."

So," Lucian clears his throat,"How exactly did you get here?"