Chapter 5: Dr. Culver

The air feels different. It feels so unusual, I don't open my eyes. My senses begin coming back, and I suddenly feel somebody sitting next to me on my bed, and a graceful hand once in a while running from the top of my temple all the way down to my chin. I feel wet tears on my cheeks, my body trembling in a gripping, yet steady way.

"Shhh." Somehow, I feel calmed by the warmth in Master Wilson's voice. My eyes are still not open yet, and I have no idea why I'm crying, or why Master Wilson decided to come into my bedroom and try to calm me. "It was just a bad dream." He whispered.

I flutter my eyes open, slowly and cautiously, and I'm surprised by how close Master Wilson actually was to my face. His lips were inches away, his warm breath on my skin, his upper body over me as his legs hung off the side of my bed. He smiled, and I shivered, from his dark yet gentle green eyes, and he bent in and kissed my forehead softly. His lips were so warm.

"You have your injection today." He said, slowly getting off my bed. I was surprised by how casual he dressed; today he was just wearing some gray shirt with jeans. "I'd recommend you go check up with Bridget before I call you down to the basement." Then, he left.

I sat up slowly, looking at the window, the white curtains blocking the bright sun rays from escaping into the room. I remembered last night, the fight, that awful slapping sound, and wondered if maybe my bad dream was about that. But how did Master hear me? Maybe I cried out, maybe he had this sense in him, that one of his girls was crying. Who knows, I knew nothing about vampires or other supernatural figures.

I walked out into the hallway warily, still in my pajamas, wondering where Bridget could be in such a large mansion. The second person that came to my mind was Landon, and thank the Lord, I heard his voice somewhere downstairs.

I scurried quietly down the stairs, following his voice, which led to the living room. I couldn't believe I haven't even seen half the mansion, and yet, it was still so strangely large to me. Where was this basement place Master was talking about? Why did we have to go there?

As I walked in, I saw Landon near an ancient looking fireplace, talking to some servant. When they turned to look at me, I realized the servant was that same man at dinner yesterday, that helped me get my food.

"Maddie." Landon gave me a generous smile, and I managed to return him a weak one back. He gestured toward the stubby man next to him, and the servant gave me a warm smile. "This is Ham, Ham Boggs."

"Oh, we have met before." Ham held out his small, pudgy hand, and shook my arm, and I felt a little uncomfortable, with how grabby he was around me. Ham. What a name.

"Oh, you have?" Landon glanced between us, and then his eyes settled on me, and he smiled again. "Well, that saves us a little time. Did you need something, Maddie?"

"Um, I'm supposed to check in with Bridget." I said quietly, and both Landon and Ham raised their eyebrows at me. "F-for my injection this morning."

"Oh." Landon smiled, frowning a little as he said his goodbyes to Ham, and then requested me to follow him, so I did so. "Yeah, Bridget is kind of all over the place. One moment, she's at the maid's bathroom, next she's in the chef's kitchen, then..."

I kind of pushed Landon's voice to the back of my head, as I stared nervously up at Nora. On our hallway, on the left side, there was a ledge that overlooked the living room area. Our separate rooms were all lined down the hallway, our doors visible to any guests who enjoyed themselves in the living room.

Nora was leaning on the ledge, in a blood red lace bra and underwear outfit, completely in free view, but she didn't seem to mind. Her dark, unwelcoming eyes watched me intently, with disgust, as I followed Landon. 

She scared me. I hated her. She reminded me of some ungrateful stripper, and she looked like she wanted to rip my head off, every time I looked at her.

"Maddie?" I leaped out of my stance with Nora, and looked at Landon. He stared at me worriedly, and I realized we were down some hallway I never even paid attention to, and standing in front of us was some large, wooden like door.

"Yes?" I asked quietly.

"Nevermind." Landon turned away, and I could sense some tension between us as he slowly turned the golden knob of the door. It creaked open as he pushed it, and then, he began to walk down the steps, glancing back at me as I began following him into this dark hole.

Once we made it onto this cold, cement like floor, I realized it was a little brighter. There were some windows that let in some light, but otherwise, it was dark. Unfinished. Cement floors, cement walls. It reminded me of those dark, desolate dungeons they used back then. I even felt lonely, following Landon.

"Dr. Culver is here." Landon explained. "This is where he takes care of us when we're sick, does injections, tests, etc. It's also one of Master Wilson's favourite punishment plans."

I gulped. Punishment plans? Didn't sound good.

"What does that mean?" I asked as Landon guided me into this place, which was surrounded by these holders that had white curtains on them, like those curtain wall things in hospitals that separated people from other people.

"When somebody's misbehaving, he takes them down here, and locks them down here." I raised my eyebrows worriedly. Landon pulled this chair out, and gestured for me to sit in it, and I did. It was like those chairs dentists put you in, where they could lean you back and check out your jaws. "All in complete darkness. Doesn't feed you for a day, maybe two. And by the time it's done, you're crying and begging to be in his arms again. It's like a power he has."

I nodded, and Landon put my arms on the chair's arms, and strapped this metal piece around my wrists and to the chairs, so I couldn't get out. I frowned, looking up at him warily.

"It's okay, just relax." Landon began walking away. "I'll get Dr. Culver and Master Wilson."

After a little while of staring nervously at all the sharp tools and gadgets that were surrounding me, on tables, I began to hear Landon's voice again, and I sighed in relief. I also heard Master's, and some other deep, booming voice.

Then, the three men came inside, and Dr. Culver, without a greeting, pulled out a normal chair in front of me, and gestured for Master Wilson to sit in it. He had grayish white hair, slicked back like a businessman, age spots, wrinkles. Definitely an older man.

Master's green eyes gazed at me and my body as he sat down, and rolled up his sleeve, showing toned muscles, and tan skin. Dr. Culver got some tubes attached to him, and I watched nervously as a dark, red liquid began surging it's way through the clear holder, and into some plastic packet.

Master's eyes were on me the whole time, studying me. I gulped a couple times, nervous and uncomfortable, once in a while glancing at Landon, who watched Master's blood tube, like me.

Eventually, it was over, and Dr. Culver put a white patch on Master's arm, and then Master stood up, and slid the chair next to mine, reaching over slowly and grasping my hand in his, pressing my fingers to his lips as he and I watched Dr. Culver grab the packet of Master's blood, and approach me slowly, with a syringe.

I closed my eyes the whole time, feeling weird as I began to think of vampire blood circulating itself with mine. I knew it was meant to help me, but it just felt like it was changing me, and I disliked it.

After the whole injection, Master stayed after to talk to Dr. Culver while Landon led me back upstairs. I never really realized how early in the morning it was until I checked the clock and read 6:38am. And yet the sun was out.

"Your first day at the academy." Landon said, stopping at my bedroom door and letting me inside. I stopped and looked back at him.

"There's a bus, like a school bus, that takes you girls to it. They'll lead you to the stop, it's just a little down the road. Dress decent." Then, he was gone. What was up with people just randomly dismissing me, and vanishing?