Lake of Sorrows

Fear sets in

Chapter 2: Fear sets in

Marcus slid into the backseat with his father readjusting Isabella on his lap as her head flopped over. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was and he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the intoxicating smell that was coming from her. It reminded him of cherry blossoms that had been simmering all day in honey. Marcus smiled as he stared at her in the dark with only the moonlight shining on, “Yes, this will work, she's going to be mine and mine alone until her very last breath. Sweet dreams, my little pet.”

Isabella wakes up…

I must have passed out, but why? My head is pounding. My first thought was to go find Aunt Margaret. Maybe she would have some Tylenol or some type of pain reliever that she might let me have. Slowly sitting up, I begin to realize this isn't my bed, mine isn't this comfortable. Much less covered in pillows, where am I? Where is my basement with the cot? The panic started to set in. What happened? Where is Aunt Margaret? I squeeze my eyes shut trying to remember anything that could possibly be useful on how I got here. “I'm not here, I'm not here, I'm at home with Aunt Margaret, I'm not here, I'm not here.” My heart seems to be racing, I try to take slow shallow breaths, but it's not working. “Aunt Margaret?” I scream out.

The bedroom door slams open as a figure rushes in carrying a tray of food. “Isabella, what's wrong, are you OK?” He looks so familiar, but I couldn't place him. Holy s**t, “you are that guy from the diner, where is my Aunt Margret, what the hell is going on here,” my voice breaks.

Marcus approached me and lowered himself onto the side of the bed. His sudden movements cause me to freak out more, with my reflexes kicking in. I ninja threw a pillow at him in an attempt to cause some type of damage.

Dude, I don't know you from the next Tom, d**k, or Harry. You could be murder for all I know! Marcus lets out a deep booming laugh at my outburst, “I'm not a killer, I mean I bite, but only when asked I have more control than that,” He winks at me thinking he's some type of comedian. “I'm so confused, Marcus, what am I doing here? Where is it? Can we please at least start there? Please, I need answers now? The last thing I can remember is passing out at the diner.” “Well it's simple, Isabella, Margret owed my family a huge debt. She couldn't pay, so in turn you were sold to cover it. The woman is quite greedy if you ask me.” He ends with a chuckle. ”Wait, she sold me!” The panic starts again,” How could she sell me? I'm her only kin, I'm her brothers' freaking daughter. For Christ's sake, what type of monster sells their kin!” Marcus tries to approach me again, causing me to fall off the bed and crawl into the corner. Not ready for him to get near me.

“Isabella, you need to breathe, you are having a panic attack, slow down. Everything is going to be OK. I need you to understand that as long as you are with me, you are safe. You need to calm down before you cause yourself to pass out. We still have things to discuss. Here, eat first, you have been asleep a lot longer than planned. Who knew you would be such a lightweight to the medicine that was in that milkshake? It has been a few days now, so for right now I know you need to eat, drink, and try to relax, do you understand me?” He speaks with such sternness I just nod. What choice do I have now? If what Marcus says is true, I no longer have a home. Due to Margret, I'm forced to be a slave to pay off her debt.

Marcus looked at me sadly,” Isabella, don’t think stuff like that, you are mine now. This is your home.” He gestures around the room. “Are you freaking reading my mind? How the hell are you going to know exactly what I am thinking, and you want me to calm down? You're kidding me, right? Let us not forget you just said I was yours, that I belong to you, Marcus, like I am a piece of property!” I screamed in one huge breath “Isabella, that is enough”. His voice booms getting more fierce with each word,” You will eat while I go take a shower. Once I get back, we will talk. Stay in this room. It is safe here. Do you understand me?” “Yes…”I whisper. “Isabella yes what!,” Marcus demands. “ Yes sir.” It takes everything not to roll my eyes as he hands me the tray and storms toward what I can only guess is his bathroom.

My stomach started to rumble the second I look at my plate, he said I had to eat but I have lost my appetite, easily choosing to sip on my juice instead. Everything that is happening around me is causing me to become nauseous. The bile just trapped at the top of my throat. I have no clue what needs to be done, but just staying here being obedient can not be the correct answer. Quietly, I get up out of the bed and began to walk towards the bathroom door. I need to see if he's still physically in the shower. Do I have time to slip out of the room? The water is still going, I don't even think. I dart out the room, taking off down the long hallway. Not thinking I should pay attention to where I am going, just looking for a way to get out of here.Turning the first corner that comes and slamming smack into someone hard, causing me to tumble to the floor. I looked up at the unfamiliar face, “Help me please, I don't belong here. Help me, I was kidnapped.” the tears fall as I beg for help. With no emotion on his face, the man reaches down, grabs a handful of my hair tightly, turns and drags me back towards Marcus's room.

“You have got to be f*****g kidding me. Let me go you bastard, nooooo don't take me back in there,” I began to kick and scream, choking on the tears that were streaming down every piece of my being, refusing to go back into that room without a fight. As we approach Marcus' door, the door is slung open with such force you hear a cracking noise as it meets the wall behind it. Marcus walks out with what looks like relief showing on his face,only for a second before the rage becomes apparent.” Have you lost your damn damn mind? I know you aren’t that simple-minded that you can’t follow the simplest command. I told you to stay put, so that you are safe here. In this room.You don’t even realize how lucky you are that my brother ran into you in the hallway. The others could have smelled you and you would have been dead. Get in this room now!” Marcus growls at me with seething teeth before looking up to address his brother,” Thank you, Jacob, for returning her; she isn't aware yet of what lurks in our home. What brought you this way by chance?” Jacob looked on unamused of the situation. “The stuff you ordered has arrived, a servant will be up with the package shortly, and, brother just for the record, keep your pet on a shorter leash. We don't need another incident.”

Marcus jerks me into the room and slams the door, “Seriously Isabella, you couldn't even give me 30 minutes to explain? I asked for only 30 f*****g minutes. I told you this place is not safe, but you are too stubborn to even listen to that. This is your home now. You have to understand that, you will listen to me, or accept the consequences!” I stood quiet and looked at the floor. Marcus stormed in front of me, grabbing my chin with force. Bringing my eyes to his.” I said, “Do you understand me, Isabella?” he yelled. His eyes, the deepest blood red. A blood, curling scream passes from my lips as I begin to jerk away..Marcus pulls me closer, slaps his hand quickly over my mouth to muffle the noise. “Shhhh shhh Isabella calm down it is ok, it's OK. Look at my eyes. You will see I have calmed down. Please stop screaming.I need you to understand?” I slowly nodded as his hand slid away from my mouth, “what are you, Marcus!”

Marcus paused for a moment, pondering what to say, “Isabella, there is a whole world that you are unaware of and I'm not quite sure how to explain it to you. We really need to have that talk now. “

My attention was disturbed by a scratch at the door followed by a dog barking, Marcus walked to open the door. ”Ah, Max perfect timing. Please come in and help me.” A huge white wolf carrying a bag in his mouth strolled in, heading right to the coffee table. “Marcus is that freaking wolf! Did your family f*****g train wolves to be servants? What the hell that is next level cruel?” The wolf's eyes darted at Marcus letting a low growl out. “ Max, I need you to change. Please, Isabella needs to know the truth but I don't want to frighten her by showing her my form. You are a safer starting point to all this madness.”

The huge wolf turns to face me. Bone cracking noises start to ring out as it transforms into a 6'3 tall man right before my eyes. Awolf turning into a human? What werewolves can't be real, can they? “Marcus, did he just?” I stuttered out. I don't feel too well. This is all too much to take in. The room began to spin around me and I stumbled onto the chair next to me.

“Isabella, everything you have heard or read about in books about the supernatural world to a degree is real.”Marcus' voice turned calm, speaking in a slow drawl. “Marcus, what are you? Damn it, I deserve to know what type of danger I am in!” Tears begin to build up again, threatening to fall at any moment. “A vampire, Isabella. I am a vampire.” He calmly whispers. My head begins to feel heavy.The room starts to spin, and the world goes dark again. This can't be happening to me. Why me?

“Bella wake up, just wake up so we can finish talking,” Marcus whispers out. He had somehow wedged himself under me, placing me in his lap. A slight pink showing on my cheeks as he brushes my hair out of my face.“Wait, did you just call me Bella? I haven't heard that since my mom,” stopping mid sentence, as I remember. My mom is gone and I'm now stuck here in this place completely alone. Sadness consumes me.Tears choking me as I look up at Marcus, my voice small and broken. “What do I do now? What do you expect from me?” Marcus turns to Max , "She is OK Max, I got it from here .Thank you, that will be all,” Max nods and leaves the room without a reply.

“Look Bella, the moment Margret gave you to us, things changed. Father knew from the start I needed you. They were told you were to be my pet, so at least I could make sure you would be protected. This place is truly dangerous and I don't want to see you get hurt.” "Let me get this straight, you want me to be a pet! In what world do I look like an obedient animal, Marcus? Hell, in that case, does that mean you will feed on me? What gives you the power over me?” My fear turns to anger. I’m pissed that this has been placed on me. Marcus chuckles, “Well I did say earlier that I would only bite if you asked. It might come as a shock, but my Father does have the power here. He's kind of the Vampire King. He rules everything in the kingdom and your aunt chose to break our rule, so there is that.'' “Marcus, what do you mean King! Oh my god, if he's the King are you a damn Prince?” I squeaked out. Then I realized what he said earlier. “Wait, Marcus, you have lost your damn mind! You will not be allowed to feed on me ever, do you hear me?”Marcus had a smirk on his face, “OK, only if you say so Bella, come I'll show you to your room. It is getting late.”

Next to his bathroom is a matching door that I followed Marcus through. A gasp escaped me over the seer size of the room before me. I have never been given anything so beautiful. “Isabella, your bathroom is through this door, your closet is right here. While I was still in town, I went ahead and grabbed some things I thought you would need,” Marcus spoke with excitement as he gave me the tour of my room. I slowly opened the closet door, curious about what items he would think I would need. I mean I am a freaking slave now. It couldn't be too grand, could it? From top to bottom of the closet all you saw were dresses, shoes, and,jewelry. Not an inch of it was bare. “Marcus, this is too much, I can't accept all this. A slave doesn’t need all of this.” “Isabella, listen, you are right. You are looked at as a slave or well, more like a pet. Being a pet means there is a certain appearance you have to portray to please the court. This is one of the few things that will keep you safe.,” he sighs, knowing the reality that I am facing.

” Bella, when you leave this room you have to wear this at all times,” He slowly opens a cabinet and pulls something out of a box,” Bella, these are the Royal collars. They show ownership by the Royal Court. To harm you with this collar means instant death. These will keep you safe outside my room.” I just nodded, ``You have had a lot happening today. Why don't you get ready for bed? We will talk more in the morning. I am right through this door if you need anything tonight, Bella.” With that he was gone.

Yes, I'm in a very terrible situation about being sold, but it's a lot better than being on that farm with Margret. The bathroom is huge with a walk-in shower, and a jacuzzi tub to the side. Do I get to take a warm shower for the first time in six months? You gotta be kidding me! I squeal with excitement, trying to make the best out of this bad situation. I might be a pet to a bloodsucking vampire, but things are starting to look better and better. After a very much-needed shower that seemed to go on for hours, I slowly climbed into my bed and fell into a deep sleep, wondering what's to come tomorrow.