A Night with Alpha, My Second Chance

V

It was six o'clock in the afternoon. On the wall clock. It had been three hours since Glenda left to find that mysterious medicine, and she still hadn't returned. I looked out the window, worried. Heavy rain was falling from the sky, a curtain of heavy, dark clouds.

As she had ordered me, I took care of the curtains. I took them down and folded them carefully. Then I went out to the garden to clean up the broken flower pots. And the dried bloodstain... when I saw it, a chill ran through my body, and I finished my work as quickly as I could.

The loneliness of this mansion forced me to think about all those things. The fact that there was no one else here... consumed me.

Now that night had fallen and Glenda was still nowhere to be seen, I couldn't sit still. I drew the curtains to cover the window and left my room. The rain was beating hard against the glass, a sound that was growing louder and louder. The cold of the night penetrated me to the bone.

Since Glenda would probably be late, I planned to make dinner. I have always been good at housework, especially cooking. My life with my grandmother, without luxuries, taught me to be self-sufficient.

When I got to the kitchen, ignoring the faint sounds of thunder, I started taking out the ingredients.

“Let's see what we have...” I muttered. But the words stuck in my throat. My eyebrows furrowed. There was something in the sink.

“Huh?” I closed the refrigerator and approached. A plate, a bowl, utensils, and a used glass. Confusion flooded my face. I remember Glenda was busy cleaning everything when I found her, right? And I'm sure she left everything spotless before she left.

So what are these? Who used them?

My heart began to pound against my chest. A chill ran up the back of my neck. The idea that someone else could be in this mansion made me feel wilder than ever. Cautiously, I looked around the kitchen.

Glenda clearly said there were no other helpers. And the owners of the house weren't there either.

My throat closed up. I shook my head frantically. No. It's impossible for anyone else to be here. Glenda would have told me! Maybe she forgot to wash these things... Yes, that's it.

Instead of thinking about it any further, I washed them in silence. I'll ask Glenda about it later. Right now, I have to calm down. I mustn't scare myself. It's pouring rain! I have nowhere to go if fear paralyzes me.

Minutes later, I was drying a glass when thunder boomed, making me jump. The glass slipped from my trembling hands and shattered on the marble floor.

“s**t!” Oh! What have I done? It's my first day, and I'm already breaking things. How clumsy of me!

I quickly looked for a broom, but all I found was a small trash can in the corner. I approached it to find something to pick up the glass, and felt a cold sweat on my forehead. What I saw inside made my blood run cold.

Bandages, handkerchiefs, and cotton, all with fresh bloodstains.

My lips parted in disbelief. And even though I was overcome with extreme fear, I couldn't help myself. Its soft, sweet scent reached my nose. Strangely, I loved it. It was intoxicating. Regal.

Wait, what am I thinking?

I shook my head, forcing myself to ignore the strange attraction. I returned to the broken pieces of glass and slowly picked them up, dropping them into the trash can. But a groan of frustration escaped my lips when, suddenly, the power went out. Now, absolute darkness surrounded me. The only light was the flash of lightning illuminating the window.

“Damn it,” I grimaced as I felt a twinge of pain in my fingertip. Could this day get any more complicated?

I was about to go to the sink to wash the blood dripping from my cut when deafening growls and an endless thud disturbed the eerie silence of the mansion.

They were cries of agony and an echo of anger. I knelt down, covering my ears tightly, feeling the pain emanating from that sound.

My heart was beating so hard that I could barely breathe. The deafening sound continued to echo in my head. I was filled with a distress that, for some reason, affected me deeply. I felt tears running down my cheeks, but my entire focus was on a single goal.

I have to find out what's going on there! Despite the fear growing in my chest, there was a strange voice urging me to go. This could be one of the missing pieces in my puzzle.

My knees were shaking and my vision was blurry, but I did my best to get up from the kitchen floor. The electricity wasn't coming back, but oddly enough, I could see everything clearly. My mind was flooded with confusion. What is happening to me?

Ignoring my own thoughts, I headed for the stairs. It took me a while to reach the second floor, and the strange sound grew louder with each step. I looked up at the next flight of stairs, swallowing hard. I was about to break Glenda's one rule.

“Never go up to the attic.”

But what should I do? Leave the creature or person suffering alone? I was afraid, but I wanted to help. What's in the attic anyway? From the sound, I couldn't help but think of a monster. But who am I kidding? Are they even real? I'll never know if I don't see it with my own eyes!

I gripped the railing and walked slowly. The thick carpet muffled my footsteps. I turned a corner and could see a little. Raindrops were coming in through the broken windows. Old furniture was smashed. The screams continued to echo, bringing me back to reality.

I ran up the last few steps. I stopped in front of a door. It opened, giving me a full view of a man on the floor, his head in his hands, blood dripping from his cuts. As if sensing my presence, he turned toward me.

The sparkle in his green eyes, the sharpness of his gaze, his horrible fangs and claws... I was overcome with a feeling of familiarity. Darkness, a cold night, me filled with fear begging a man to spare my life...

It's like my dream.

“Y-you...? W-what are you?” My lips trembled as I took a step back.

My mind screamed at me to run, but my feet were glued to the ground. I couldn't move because of fear, but a strange feeling came over me. A feeling that, despite my fear and his appearance, I would still do anything to help him. Seeing so much blood, the pain etched on his face... it hurt me.

I took another step back when he suddenly stood up, walking towards me. He was staggering, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes, fixed on me, were sharp, threatening, and hid a darkness.

Just like in my dream, my back hit the wall. And the words escaped my lips without my control. “P-Please don't kill me...”

But suddenly, his eyes were dead. I knew he wasn't himself. The moment he raised his claw, I closed my eyes and waited. But a few seconds passed and nothing touched me. Opening them, I saw that he was gone. He had slipped away faster than lightning.

Sure, here's the continuation of Selene's story, rewritten with a more dramatic and immersive tone.

I saw him jump off the windowsill, and I gasped in shock. We're on the third floor of a huge mansion! And he just jumped out into this heavy rain!

“Wait! Eddie!” I shouted with all my might, but he didn't hear me. I watched him run away, disappearing into the dark forest.

What the hell?! It's pouring rain and he has serious injuries! With his condition, I couldn't just leave him, could I?

My fear was overcome by concern. I ran downstairs, my heart in my throat. I knew he wasn't a bad person; if he were, he would have killed me in the attic. There's a reason Glenda didn't want to tell me anything about him. There's a reason he was hiding in the attic, and a reason he was hurting himself.

All those cuts on his body... I'm sure they were from his own claws. Why? Why did he need to do that to himself?

I bit my lip, grabbing a raincoat I found near the front door. As soon as I put it on, I ran out into the rain, following the path Eddie had taken. Without hesitation, I entered the forest, despite the darkness.

“Eddie!” I shouted, looking around. Even with my strangely clear vision, I could see him in the distance, running aimlessly. “Eddie! Stop!”

I tried to keep up with him, but the muddy, slippery ground slowed me down. In one misstep, I fell, curses flying from my lips. I groaned in pain as my knees hit the ground; a sharp rock had cut me.

“Damn it!”

I forced myself to get up, ignoring the trembling in my knees. My eyes remained on the ground as I balanced myself, one hand clinging to a tree trunk. But a pair of feet stopped right in front of me, and I looked up. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was Eddie.

I thought everything would be fine. He hadn't hurt me at the mansion, even though he had the chance. Maybe he wouldn't now, either. I had to bring him back, not only for his safety, but because he was my “master.” The son of the people who hired me. It was my job to serve them.

But my hope vanished when his hand closed around my neck. I screamed in pain as he slammed me against the tree, lifting me off the ground. His claws dug into my skin.