Chapter Text
It isn't quite easy to feel like someone special when you spent your whole life in an orphanage, surrounded by many other children who all tried to stand out.
The chance of getting adopted by a nice family was low but they all had hopes.
Maybe if they tried hard enough, maybe if they behave the best, maybe if they learn to do chores, maybe if they develope some talents such as playing an instrument or drawing really well, maybe then they'll find a nice, loving home.
But you didn't even care about that, about finding a home.
Unlike the other children you never felt the need to be the best or be diligent, even though that also meant that none of the nice women who worked in the orphanage ever payed attention to you.
You had a plan, ever since you passed the age of 14.
In four years you would get out of the orphanage and you'd have to take care about yourself, make money to be able to buy food and maybe get a place to live.
Listening to the care-takers taught you one thing: where to find money.
Now, while the other children were practicing their skills for writing or drawing, you realized that you had a special talent to take things without the owners knowledge. Stealing, as some people called it.
You on the other hand called it borrowing and not returning.
So ever since you heard the story about the castle which was towering over the village you had a plan.
Get into that castle, find money, borrow it and leave to find a new village or even a bigger city.
Sure, the stories that the people made up about the castles inhabitants weren't new knowledge to you, but it didn't scare you away.
In fact, it made that place appear even more interesting.
The building of the orphanage wasn't exactly enormously big so you've always wondererd what's it's like to be or even live in a castle.
Maybe you'd be able to find enough money and expensive decor to sell that you could afford a large home. That was something you hoped for and you were sure you would succeed.
Once the day of your 18th year spent in the orphanage came around (nobody had a clue when your actual birthday was) the caretakers gave you a bag with a little amount of money, a set of clothes and a small box of food which wasn't necessary at all since you knew you'd be rich at the end of the day, but you still took it and thanked the women who had been around your whole life.
And once the last good byes were said and the door fell close behind you, the village and roads laying in front of you, you felt free for the first time.
Now you would make your own decisions.
Eyes fixed on the dark castle you pull the straps of your bag a little tighter and you make your way down the uneven road, feet slithering over dirty, hardened snow and you feel a rush of adrenaline running through your body.
Originally you thought this would be a lot harder, leaving all the well known things behind, but that was your past now and a bright, golden future was right before you.
You have heard and read enough about the castle to know where you'd have to go to enter without anyone noticing and the knowledge makes you feel confident.
'How stupid the owners will look when they notice the missing things' you think to yourself and grin.
All the stories and tales the people told about the ones who lived up there couldn't and wouldn't be true, that's something you're sure of. It is probably just to keep the children away from that place.
What child would find interest in a castle, in which murderous, bloodlusting vampires live? Exactly.
Beside yourself, nobody. Because you know better.
The clouds lighten and the sun let the snow that wasn't dirtied from the people's steps shine and glisten, a sight that you enjoy a lot. There rarely were any days with weather like that during winter.
You make a turn left and follow a road that is less occupied and more covered in still fresh snow so you have to slow down your pace a bit and you dart your eyes away from the castle to focus on your steps.
The next time you raise your head again you spot it a lot closer to you and a satisfied smile appears on your face.
You're just in time.
When the sun sets you want to climb over the wall on the east side of the castle and then you'll see how to get in, probably through an open window or an unlocked entrance.
You reach the desired location a little early so you settle down in between the bushes and pull out the box with food that the caretakers had prepared for you.
Devouring the cheese sandwich you stare up to the high towers and can't help but wonder what or who is in there right now. Many questions pop up in your head and you can't wait to answer them all in person while strolling through the halls but first you'd have to get over the wall.
After a bit of trying and climbing you reach the top and then drop down into the garden, landing on both of your feet.
'The owners sure love roses' you think as you walk up to the castles outer walls and scan them for a possible entrance, but all the windows are locked and there aren't any doors you possibly could get through.
You grow frustrated as you walk along the walls, still searching until you reach the gates of the main entrance and you sigh deeply.
This wasn't how you thought things would go.
Wanting to go back the same way to check if you overlooked anything you turn around and then you hear quick steps coming from the gate that separates the castle from the village.
You hide behind one of the many rose bushes and your heart races as you glance through the branches, torns and leaves, spotting a young girl who is in a visible hurry approaching the entrance.
'That's how I can get in' you think in excitement and you sneak around the flowers before you follow the girl quietly.
She opens the left door which seemingly isn't even locked and steps inside, you right behind her without her noticing
The door falls close behind you and you take a deep breath as your eyes roam over the room you just entered.
The furnishings appear old, dark and elegant, you can almost see yourself mirrowed on the clean floor and the candles lightening up the foyer made it all look very old fashioned.
You like the looks of the place and the smell of old wood ties it all together perfectly.
'Now, where do i go…' you think and look up where the stairs lead up to the second store.
The girl you followed walked that way so you decide to start your search where you already are to prevent yourself from running into her and you begin looking around the foyer.
You walk as quiet as possible as you approach the dresser on the left, and while you look through the drawers you glance up once in a while to check if anyone is around you, but you never see anyone.
Despite the castle being enormous not many people seem work here.
A grin appears on your lips as you spot a bag of coins in the back of the lowest drawer and you put it into your bag before zipping it and hanging it over your shoulder again.
You close the dresser and you continue your search, quietly opening the door on the very back of the foyer and slipping into the next room.
And like that you work your way through the first store, stuffing the things you like and find into your bag.
You even see some paintings that you would have loved to take with you but you can't just carry them with you the whole time so you'll have to leave them where they are.
You peek through the door which brings you back to the foyer and still, nobody is there.
Nobody besides a few flies which started flying around you ever since you left the second room you were in.
'Now… Thats weird' you think as more flies appear and swarm around you 'Is something rotting around here?'
Your feet now bring you up to the second store and you lay one hand on the next dresser you spot, hesitating because you feel like someone is watching you.
But a look around you shows that nobody is there.
So you open the first drawer and take a look inside, a laughter makes you jump and you throw a glance up.
'Where did that come from?'
You stay still for some time, looking up and down the hallway and down into the foyer, starting to feel paranoid.
'Maybe i should leave' you think 'I have enough for now'.
Another moment you stay at the dresser, then you close the drawer and turn to walk back to the stairs.
The flies around you start to become more and more, they swarm and buzz loudly and you raise your hands up to your face to protect yourself from getting harmed.
You stumble further when a voice sounds directly by your ear.
"Leaving so soon?".
Out of nowhere three figures appear in front of you, forming out of the swarm of flies and you are too shocked to continue walking.
Grinning at you, a girl with blonde hair grabs your neck and a sudden sharp pain in your hand causes you to yell.
A burning pain spreads in your hand and up your arm, and a glance down shows you that she sliced the palm of your hand with a sickle.
"Stupid human, stealing our property and thinking it can get away with it", another girl, a redhead purrs and she steps closer to you as well.
,,Now… What should we do with you?".
You stay silent, stuck in a state of shock.
,,Hang her like a pig?".
Staring at the three girls with a pounding heart and legs that feel like pudding you realize that maybe, just maybe, the tales the people told weren't as foolish as they always appeared to be.
,,She is so pretty… What a waste", the third girl with the dark hair examines you closely and grins ,,And she smells delicious".
,,Indeed", the blonde nods and the looks on the other girls faces give you the feeling that you're about to take your last breath, but then the girl who's hand is still around your neck continues talking ,,But I feel like we should get mothers decision on this one".
,,Why? Why don't we keep her for ourselves?", asks the black haired one with a pout.
,,Maybe mother has better plans for her. She won't approve it if we'll kill her right away", the blonde says as she runs her golden eyes over you ,,Let's bring her down into the basement and lock her up".
,,Ugh, fine", the redhead huffs as she roughly grabs your wrist and before you know it the girls pull you with them, their long nails digging into your skin and only adding to the burning pain in your hand.
You hear the black haired complaining about the decision and something tells you that she wouldn't wait for her mother's decision, whoever that was. Probably the owner of the castle and that thought terrifies you.
If the daughters already act like that, how bad would that woman be?
The girls let go of your wirsts out of the sudden and push you into a cell that was made out of cold stone floors and dark bars, loudly closing the door and locking it.
,,Make yourself at home, pretty one", the redhead shouts and the other two laugh ,,We will come back for you… Or not".