The Key To Night Ch 01

She looked slowly around her cell, as she had for what she was sure was the thousandth time since her capture. She was in a round room. There were no windows, only a door with a small opening at the top with light coming through it. The only object in the room was a table in the center. She, herself, was chained to the wall with silver.

So far Shantae had no idea how long she had been in this room, but baised on her hunger, she would guess it was going on three days now. She wondered how long the Hunters were going to keep her here. How long it would be before they ran a stake into her heart. She couldn't imagine that it would be much longer now. They probably just wanted her to suffer long and hard before they did the deed. Shantae wished she could turn back the hands of time and say no when Merrick had asked her to go out with him, to never have fallen for his false feelings for her.

~*~*~

She watched the ground as she turned the corner as she headed home from work. Shantae was thinking about the day and how it was just like any other boring day as a secretary. There was a lot of answering phones, taking messages, papers to file and type, not a drop of fun in the whole nine hours she spent there each and every day. Just as she turned the corner she bumped into someone and would have fallen on her hind end, but strong arms held her up.

Shantae quickly stepped back and said, "I am so sorry! Are you ok?"

The man looked at her for a moment then started to smile a little before saying, "That's quite alright, I wasn't looking where I was going and I could have really hurt you."

"I am fine, just a little shook up, that's all. Well, I guess I should be going now," Shantae said as she started to go around the man.

"No, wait. I feel so sorry for almost running over you that I want to make it up to you. Would you allow me to at least buy you coffee?" The man asked holding out a hand to her. She stood there for a moment pondering what she could be doing at home, and decided this would be the highlight of her day.

She slowly took his hand saying, "My name is Shantae Dupree, and it would be my pleasure."

~*~*~

Shantae was brought back to the present when she her foot steps coming towards her, the first sound besides her own breathing she had heard in almost three days now. She held her breath as the they stopped right outside the door, as if pondering whether to enter or go on. Everything was silent for a couple of seconds before the sound of keys being moved came thru the door. Shantae swiftly turned her head as light flooded the room. She heard the footsteps come closer and she smelled human. Even worse, she smelled food. Her hunger was at the highest it could go now, and the only thing that kept her from attacking the human was the silver chains that had her almost completely pinned to the wall. He set something down, then calmly left the room as if he hadn't nearly been killed. He probably had lots of fun watching her kind suffer all the time, she thought as she heard the lock slide back into place.

The human had left but the aroma of food was still strong. As Shantae looked at what he had left, she discovered it was a bowl full of a ruby liquid. She knew what it was, but she didn't know if it was safe, so she turned away from the blood and cursed the vampire who had cursed her.

~*~*~

He was very pleasing to be around, she thought as he walked her to her house. His name was Merrick O'Donall and he owned his own corporation. It had been passed down through his family for the last four generation. He was now a millionaire in his own right. Having coffee had turned into having dinner at a very expensive restaurant. Whoever said that gallantry was dead was wrong, Merrick was nothing but a complete gentleman at dinner. The meal flew by like a breeze, and before she knew it was very late. He offered to give her a lift home and she agreed, it was too risky to walk home by herself, at this time of night.

As they neared the door, he stopped and turned to her. "This has been a wonderful evening, even if it was caused by chance. I would like to go out again some time. Would you?"

Shantae nodded her head as she ruffled through her purse to find a pen and a piece of paper. "I would love to go out again. Call me when you have a free night," she said handing Merrick the paper with her number on it. "I hope to hear from you soon," she said as she unlocked the door, stepped inside and closed it between them.

~*~*~

Once again Shantae was brought to the present by the echo of footsteps. This time they didn't stop as the door was unlocked and swung open. She quickly turned her head away from the light that spilled through the doorway and waited for her eyes to grow accustom. When she looked back, she gasped in surprise at who she saw. It was Lucas Callian, the leader of the Hunters himself. She pulled herself as straight as she could and growled, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"