The Undead's Personal Slave

Awakening

Samantha's eyes fluttered open, squinting against the harsh sunlight streaming through the hotel room curtains. She groaned, her head pounding as she slowly sat up in bed. For a moment, she felt disoriented, struggling to remember how she'd gotten back to her hotel room.

As she rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache, flashes of the previous night came back to her. The Black Swan bar, the mysterious Marcus, walking home alone... and then what? Samantha frowned, her memories becoming hazy and jumbled after that point.

There was something about a dark alley, a young man who needed help. But the details were slipping away like wisps of smoke, leaving her with a nagging sense of unease. Had she dreamed it all?

Samantha swung her legs over the side of the bed, noticing she was still fully dressed in last night's clothes. That wasn't like her at all. She must have been more exhausted than she realized to fall asleep without changing.

Standing up slowly, Samantha made her way to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face, hoping to clear the fog from her mind. As she patted her skin dry, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and froze.

For a split second, she thought she saw two small puncture marks on her neck. But when she leaned in for a closer look, there was nothing there. Just smooth, unblemished skin. Samantha shook her head, chuckling nervously at her overactive imagination.

"Get it together, Sam," she muttered to herself. "You had a few drinks, walked home, and crashed. That's all."

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something more had happened. But as she showered and got dressed for the day, Samantha decided to push her worries aside. She had more important things to focus on – like surprising her best friend, Lily.

As she applied her makeup, Samantha's thoughts drifted to Lily. They'd been inseparable since childhood, but life had pulled them in different directions over the past few years. While Samantha had moved abroad for her ill-fated marriage, Lily had stayed in their hometown, building a successful career as a mortician and the owner of a funeral parlor.

Samantha felt a pang of guilt for not keeping in better touch. She'd been so caught up in her own drama that she'd neglected one of the most important relationships in her life. Well, she was determined to make up for lost time now.

She packed all her stuff and by the time she checked out of the hotel, a lot of time seemed to have passed.

Checking her watch, Samantha realized it was already late. Perfect timing to catch Lily at home after work. She grabbed her purse and headed out, stopping at a nearby florist to pick up a bouquet of Lily's favorite sunflowers.

As she made her way to Lily's apartment, Samantha rehearsed what she would say. She wasn't ready to unload all her problems just yet. For now, she'd keep things light – just an old friend popping by for a surprise visit.

Samantha took a deep breath as she approached Lily's door, a bouquet of sunflowers clutched in her hand. She raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. What if Lily wasn't happy to see her? What if too much time had passed, and their friendship had faded?

Before she could talk herself out of it, Samantha positioned her knuckles against the door. But just before her knuckles made contact, she noticed something odd - the door was slightly ajar.

A flicker of concern crossed her face. It wasn't like Lily to leave her door open, especially in the evening. Samantha hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the door open wider.

Samantha moved cautiously through the entryway, her eyes scanning the familiar space. Nothing seemed out of place - pieces of eclectic artwork adorned the walls, and potted plants filled every available surface. But there was an eerie stillness in the air that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

As she rounded the corner into the living room, Samantha spotted Lily. Her friend was seated on the couch, her back to her. A half-full glass of red wine dangled from her fingers, and she seemed to be staring intently at something Samantha couldn't see.

"Lil?" Samantha said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lily didn't move, didn't even seem to register that she'd spoken. She remained perfectly still, lost in whatever thoughts were occupying her mind.

Samantha took a tentative step forward, unsure whether to announce her presence more forcefully or to retreat and come back later.

Something about the scene before her felt off, like she was intruding on a private moment she wasn't meant to witness.

The floor creaked under her foot. Just as she was about to clear her throat, Lily whirled around.

“Sam! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Lily exclaimed, hugging her tightly. “What are you doing here?”

Samantha watched Lily's face carefully as she spun her tale of an impromptu visit. The lie slipped easily from her lips, a skill she had honed over the past few months. But beneath her cheerful exterior, Sam's mind was racing.

Sam felt a twinge of guilt for her deception, but she pushed it aside. She was here for a reason, after all.

As they settled into the familiar rhythm of conversation, Sam allowed herself to relax slightly. It felt good to be with Lily again, to fall back into their old patterns of jokes and shared memories. But she couldn't afford to let her guard down completely.

"So, tell me everything I've missed," Sam said, leaning forward with exaggerated interest. "Any exciting developments in your life?"

Lily laughed, but Sam noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, you know me. Same old, same old. Work keeps me busy."

Sam nodded, taking a sip of her own glass of wine. She could almost taste the lie in Lily's words. Something was definitely going on, something big. But Lily wasn't ready to share yet. That was okay. Sam could be patient.

As the evening wore on and the wine flowed freely, Sam found herself genuinely enjoying Lily's company. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself to relax, to just be in the moment without constantly looking over her shoulder.

But even as she laughed at Lily's jokes and shared stories about work, a part of Sam remained vigilant. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, that unseen eyes were tracking her every move.

Sam pushed thoughts aside and settled back onto the couch just as Lily returned. She pasted on a bright smile, raising her glass in a toast. "To old friends and new beginnings," she said.

Lily clinked her glass against Sam's, but there was a flicker of something – doubt? suspicion? – in her eyes. "To new beginnings," she echoed softly.

As the clock struck midnight, Sam held back a yawn. "I should probably go to bed now," she said, stretching. "It's been a long day."

Lily nodded. "Of course," she said, standing up. "Let me get you a pillow and a blanket."

As Samantha settled into Lily's bed for the night, she couldn't shake the odd sensations creeping through her body. She attributed it to the wine and the long day, but deep down, she knew something wasn't quite right.

She tossed and turned, trying not to disturb Lily sleeping peacefully beside her. Her skin felt hypersensitive, every brush of the sheets sending tingles across her nerves. The room seemed too bright, even with all the lights off, and she could hear the faintest sounds from outside as if they were right next to her ear.

Samantha could hear Lily's heartbeat, steady and rhythmic. The sound was oddly soothing, yet it stirred something primal within her that she didn't quite understand.

As the night wore on, Samantha's discomfort grew. A dull ache throbbed at the base of her skull, and her gums felt strangely tender. She ran her tongue over her teeth, wincing at the unexpected sensitivity.

By the time dawn broke, Samantha was exhausted and irritable. She hadn't slept a wink, and her body felt like it was buzzing with an unfamiliar energy. As Lily stirred beside her, Samantha pretended to be asleep, not wanting to worry her friend.

When Lily left for work, Samantha stumbled to the bathroom. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and froze.

Her reflection looked... different. Her skin seemed paler, almost translucent, and her eyes had an unusual gleam to them. For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of red in her irises, but when she blinked, it was gone.

"Must be the lack of sleep," she muttered, splashing cold water on her face.

As if on cue, a wave of nausea hit her, followed by an intense, burning thirst. Samantha stumbled out of the bathroom, her vision blurring as she made her way to the kitchen. She fumbled for a glass, filling it with water and gulping it down.

But the water did nothing to quench her thirst. If anything, it made it worse.

Samantha braced herself against the kitchen counter, trying to steady her breathing.

As she stood there, fighting against the strange new urges coursing through her body, a name floated to the surface of her mind: Marcus. The mysterious man from The Black Swan. Something told her he might have answers.

With trembling hands, Samantha reached for her phone. She needed to find a way back to that bar, to seek out Marcus before these changes overwhelmed her completely.

As Samantha dialed The Black Swan's number to inquire about Marcus, an unsettling premonition gripped her—her life was on the brink of a descent far more sinister than she ever thought possible. She believed she had already reached rock bottom, but deep down, she sensed the abyss had no end. What lay ahead was an unimaginable realm of shadows, peril, and concealed truths, pulling her into a vortex of darkness she was ill-prepared to face.