• What did she do wrong? Why was she being punished? These were the thoughts that ran through Ellie's head as they dragged her toward the vampire council. She couldn't figure out why they did what they did. She showed her friend a clove of garlic, because she'd never seen one before; her mother was not fond of the stuff. As soon as she'd showed it, though, someone yelled for the police. They seized her by her skinny arms and dragged her toward their squad car.

    And here she was.

    "I don't understand it!" She suddenly shouted, "What did I-" one of the men holding her decked her in the back.

    "Shut up, human!" The one who hit her yelled. She kept quiet; it wasn't worth getting beaten for. They dragged her through a pair of double doors. She was now face to face with a man that was almost as tall as the candle on the far wall. Jet black hair trailed down to his shoulders, slightly covering his icy blue eyes. He smiled. Ellie didn't like the look he gave her. He looked at her as if she was a delicious meal. Inwardly, she shuddered. "Sir, we found this girl showing garlic out in public."

    "Leave her with me, Randal," The man said. They unhanded the poor girl and she stood there, staring up at the man that would decide her fate. Then, they left. The door shut behind her with a loud boom. 'Oh man,' She thought, 'What's he going to do with me?!' The man tore his gaze away from her for a moment to look at some papers on his desk. "You have broken one of the new laws-" He looked up from his papers -"Are you aware of that?"

    "N-n-no, Sir." Ellie stammered.

    This news didn't phase him. Could he already tell? "Whether you're aware of it or not, your state is now ruled by vampires," He stared at her intently. "I am in charge of dealing out a punishment for you," He scanned her up and down, staring first at her glossy strawberry-blond hair, then to her gray eyes, and finally down to her naturally-colored hot pink lips. "I've made my decision. You will be a servant to a vampire named Clouse Vladimir," The smile fell from his lips. "Guards!"

    A woman and a man stepped into the room behind her. "Yes, sir?" The woman asked.

    "I want you to drive her to the Vladimir residence. She will be Clouse's servant."

    @@@

    Clouse laid his phone back in the cradle. He had been doing a bit of spring cleaning when the phone rang. Two police men were bringing over a servant girl named Ellie Markawitz. She'd broken one of the laws. Neither police men mentioned which one. They just informed him that she would be his to command. He wondered which of the council members sent her here. He had a friend who was a judge. His name was Lioyd. Clouse had a strange feeling that that was the one who sent her there, but he wasn't sure. He heard rubber run through gravel and went downstairs. Ms. Markawitz had arrived.

    @@@


    The police men knocked on the door, holding Ellie's hands behind her back. Ellie was amazed at the size of the house; it was half the size of a skyscraper! She'd never seen such an elegant building. Alter-like windows lined the house and the roof was decorated with smooth Jade tiling. A man with blackish-brown hair stepped onto the porch. "Thank you, Gentlemen. You may leave, now," He told the police men, dismissing them. They went back to their squad car and drove away. The man's almond-shaped brown eyes stared intently into her gray ones. "And, who might you be?"

    "Ellie." Ellie replied, quietly.

    He gave her a broad smile. "Welcome to Vladimir residence, Ms. Markawitz."

    @@@

    Hours later, Ellie was in her room, thinking of her family at home. She wondered if Clouse would let her see them. As she was thinking of this, a crow flew through her window and landed on the floor. Ellie, having closed her eyes, was completely oblivious and falling asleep incredibly fast. The crow morphed into a man with dirty blond hair and crimson-colored eyes. He smirked at the small girl. He knew how to get back at Clouse, now. He scooped the little blond woman up in his arms. Just as he was about to fly out the window, though, the door opened. "Ellie, dinner will be"- He cut himself off when he saw Ellie in the arms of the shape shifter.

    The shape shifter smirked. "Hello, Clouse," He said, "So nice of you to join us."

    "Leave her out of this, Nicholas." Clouse growled.

    "If I leave her alone, you won't follow me," Nicholas explained, "So no. You want her''- the man sprouted wings-"then, come get her!" He flew out the window.

    Clouse almost roared with protest. He didn't understand why, but he climbed out the window after Nicholas and followed him.

    @@@

    When Ellie came to, she was on a cold, stone floor. She stood up and looked around. 'Where am I?' She thought. She saw that she was barred in. This room reminded her of a cell.

    Realization suddenly hit; she'd been kidnapped!

    "Clouse!" She yelled.

    "Don't even bother, girl," A voice said. A man stepped out of the shadows. Dirty blond hair came to his ears and glowing, crimson eyes stood out under blond bangs. "Clouse won't be helping you, now. I have no intention of letting you go till he does what I say so you'd better get comfortable. It'll be a while."

    Ellie fumed. Who did this man think he was? "I'm not a bargaining chip, you jerk."

    One of his hands turned into claws. He drew a line on her face with one of them, making crimson, metallic liquid drip down her cheek. "Such fire..." He murmured and smirked, "If your vampire doesn't come soon, I'll have to break you of that."

    Ellie shivered and silently prayed that Clouse would be there, soon.

    @@@

    When Clouse got there, the moon was high in the sky. He walked into the cave and looked around. "Alright, Nicholas," He shouted, "I'm here. Now, let the Markawitz girl go."

    There was the sound of metal slamming into a wall with a loud squeak and a scuffle of footsteps. Then, Nicholas and Ellie came into view. Ellie was glaring up at her captor; Nicholas just smirked. "Hand me the Wind Amulet and you can have your precious human back."

    Clouse put something in his cloak pocket and took a necklace with a green pendant off, throwing it to Nicholas. The shapeshifter caught it and let Ellie go. She ran to Clouse's embrace and they escaped the cave.

    Shortly after they left, they were back at the Manor. Ellie sat on a chair across from a couch and Clouse sat on said couch. "That Amulet seemed pretty important to that man..." Ellie trailed off, "What was it for?"

    "It was meant to control the storms, but..." He chuckled, "I gave him a fake."

    Ellie laughed with him and thought of something. "I think I'll like being here." She whispered.

    @@@

    At the cave, Nicholas was searching for a spellbook. When he found it, he placed the Wind Amulet on a pedestal and murmured some words.

    Nothing happened.

    The shapeshifter made a frustrated cry.

    The end.