The Nexus

Telford Beaudouin was the son of a governor, and was an aspiring doctor, though that really didn't matter much. He was sort of handsome, if you could find the back of your hand handsome. Quite frankly he was an oaf. He had no sense of humor, was rude and dawdled on and on about things that were incredibly boring. While some of the medical stuff that he spoke of was.. Interesting, and did capture Lisa's attention, it was not the sort of thing you talked about before, during or after, dinner. You waited.. Like when nobody was eating and trying to enjoy their evening. He did not have many manners that she could think of. Certainly none that he attempted to use. He was bold, and she honestly had to give that to him, but it was not cool to grab her rear at a dinner party, or insinuate such lewd things when she could not stand to be around him.

Which is why she smacked him across the face like he had it coming. Which he did. He did have it coming, for a long while! Then she left, which put her in the position she was in now. Her parents expected her to marry him in this arranged marriage that they seemed to think was a brilliant idea. She knew what it was about. It wasn't about her at all, and that was fairly obvious. It was about increasing their social standing, as well as business, and it was about Telford, and his being happy. Which she could go for, but not with her as the prize. Noooo no no. She could maybe be friends with Telford, or could have been, but that ship sailed long, long ago, like when he grabbed her rear.

Elisabeth was not going to stop running either. She would run from him and she would run from her parents until they let all of this go and forgot all about the little incident.

Though she would not forgive them, not any time soon. They subjected her to all of this.

She had taken one of the horses from their stable and rode east, in disguise as a man. A friend had sent her a letter three nights before, speaking of a Manor they had in the country, far away from all of this craziness. They told her she could come and stay with them, and truly she accepted with all of her very being.

Though that was three nights ago, before all of the rain and horrible storms. She had to stop on the first night and wait it out, and the second night was not much better.. She could feel that her family was searching her out, so she had to keep going, to escape from their insanity! And now, on the third night, she could not say for how long she had been riding, or exactly where she was, but she did remain on the road, riding through the rain which blew sideways and stung as it hit the skin.

Thankfully she had this cloak, though it only helped so much. She was still soaked and cold.

It all seemed so unnatural and crazy.. The weather was harsh and the fog thick, cutting down on visibility. She didn't like it, but she had to keep going. A large, wooden bridge was reached and she continued over it, but did not make it to the other side.

God seemed to have another plan for her.. Or maybe this was not the work of god at all and some great evil. Lightning struck the end of the bridge just as she reached the center, and the structure groaned as the supports fell loose, and dropped into the water below. The horse slid to a stop, stomping a bit and rearing back to try and turn. Lisa tried to control the beast and stop him, but he ended up throwing her off of him, but neither would escape from the bridge.

The other end of the bridge gave as the supports on that end broke, it bowed deeply, before it begun collapsing entirely with Lisa, and the horse upon it, screaming into the night. Wood splintered and fires burned from the lightning strike, then everything went dark and silent for the girl.

What she did not know, was that she had traveled within the threshold of a dark place.. When she woke, she gasped for air then screamed loudly. All the pain that didn't hit her before, was now hitting her with all of it's force. She rolled around on the bed, clenching her arm. There was more than just that, that hurt, but it was the only thing that was bleeding.

It wasn't a very serious wound. Many splinters had found there way dug into both her arm and her shoulder. They'd need to be picked out one by one, because as of now, they were just digging in and causing these spots to bleed through the attire of the drenched woman.

Poor, poor Elisabeth was so confused and hurt.

The sickly sweet smell of blood... Oh, how she longed to taste it. Her tongue traveled across her lips as she looked at the girl, but she held back that beast inside of her. No, no. Why ruin the fun now? She liked to play with her food, before she actually ate it.

Those same lips curved into a smile when the girl stirred, and shifting her pink skirts, Maria moved to sit down in a chair, resting her elbow on the wooden arm while her chin rested atop her knuckles.

A breathy laugh came from her, after a few moments of watching. "You are awake. That is good. It is also good for you that the bridge is now gone... Whatever you were running from... They won't be able to follow." She gave another quiet laugh, her eyes watching with a strange intensity.

Alone for so long... it was such a treat when a stranger would wander into the mansion. Almost like a gift to her, she revered the person with interest... at least, just long enough before her hunger took over. It was wonderful to have someone to talk to... someone to toy with. She just wished it happened more often.

Ever since this damned house swallowed her into its curse... She has had to endure that lonliness. A lonliness that even a vampire could feel.

Lisa bit back screaming more, forcing her mouth shut and turning into the pillow. It hurt so bad.. She had never experienced such pain before. She begun crying, but also fought to hold that back as well..

The other woman speaking brought her attention, and she stared with a slight horror. Why was she so calm?? And laughing. That wasn't something that was expected. She frowned, but winced and tried to quiet down instead. The news that the bridge was out was.. Really no surprise. She vaguely remember the lightning strike while she was on it. Lucky she was to have her life, she felt, but.. This woman was being creepy.. Perhaps Lisa should not judge..

She was so scared and confused. "W.. Where am I?" She questioned lowly, before she had to turn back into the pillow, making horrible sounds of gross sobbing mixed with cries of pain.

Maria grinned as the girl turned away in pain. It was exciting to see such a reaction, since pain no longer meant anything to her. Brushing her golden locks off her shoulder, she leaned forward a bit.

"Oh dear, that does look rather painful... Do you want me to help with it?" The look she had was almost malicious, but she shook her head, putting on a pleasant smile as she stood and walked over to the girl. "Now, now, let's get you fixed up, let's see your arm first."

She held out her hand to the girl, asking to see her arm.

Putting the creepiness aside.. This person must have saved her, and was offering help and honestly Lisa needed all the help she could get.

She peered from the pillow, pulling from it and looking over the woman for a moment, before she carefully sat up and tried to direct her arm for the woman to see. "I.. Please." She frowned deeply, afraid to see what the intensity of the wounds would be.. She had not directly looked to them yet, just knew they hurt so bad.

She shook her head, trying to question what was going on. There was no answer about where she was.. It was troubling, but she'd try again. "Did you bring me here?" Might as well ask that.

Maria took her arm gently, and reached over to the table beside the bed. After pushing some things aside, she brought back a needle that she might need to get the smaller pieces out. As she worked, she would answer the question asked of her.

"I did not." Simple as that.

She was careful not to hurt the girl as much, but the feeling of blood on her fingertips nearly drove her insane. Just a little taste...

No, be patient. The time will come. Finishing this arm, she asked for the other. "Where did you come from?" she said, decided to ask some questions now.

She grew quiet. Never was too fond of needles, but she allowed the woman to prod and poke at her, so that she could help remove the splinters. Lisa was not happy about the wound. How in the world was she supposed to get things done with a messed up arm?

"Oh.." She said quietly. "Thanks, anyway." Then the question came of where she was from. "The west." Well it was true. "I don't know the name of the town that I passed through to get here." She certainly was not going to tell her that she was from one of the most prestigious locations in this land.. No, fuuuck that.

"Is this Topleah Hall? I was.. Heading to meet an acquaintance there." She had a feeling that this was not Topleah hall.. That this was some other place and that she was entirely lost.

"Not at all..." Maria said, still smiling. She was carelessly dropping the splinters in the floor, not seeming to mind at all they were there. It would be cleaned later, though not by her. "This is Kirhollow."

She stood for a moment, to walk over and clean her hands on a cloth, staining it red with blood, and she turned back to the girl. "What is your name?" she inquired, and then gave a small laugh. "Oh dear, forgive me. That was rather rude, when I didn't tell you my own name. I'm Maria."

Lisa looked up to the woman. It did not seem right that she just let the splinters fall carelessly, but she did not question it. She was in someone elses home, it was not her place to question them on such things. Rather she pulled her arm to her when it was done and frowned. Still bleeding, but maybe it would heal.

Her side hurt, as did her back and ribs on the opposing side. The fall had done it's damage to her, but she would probably live. A nod to the woman was given, then her name was produced. "Uh.. It. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Maria." She tried to smile, but couldn't. "I am.. Elisabeth." She looked around the room and tried to slide from the bed. "I.. Is there something I can wrap this with?" she questioned, looking back to Maria. Lisa didn't know why, but this woman frightened her. Perhaps it was how she acted.. Or maybe she was just scared from the entire event as a whole. Since it was horrid.

"Miss..." she said, as if fondly enjoying being called that. She let out a little laugh, and made her way over to the table again, pushing aside a bowl of water, and a wet cloth. "Clean it off with that, and I will come back with wraps from the linen over there. Then, I can take a look at your back and sides... To make sure there isn't any splinters there as well."

Her eyes seemed to flash with excitement, and she turned away, walking over to the closet. "Of course, you'll have to undress a bit for that."

Lisa wanted to cry again. Not from how Maria was.. Well. She was being very weird, but it was just all of this as a whole. "Okay." She agreed to the washing her arm off with the water and cloth, yes that was safe.. But then the suggestion for the rest of it, and that she'd have to undress a bit. "Oh uhm.." She frowned a bit. It was better to be safe, but..

IT all felt way too personal, but she really didn't have many choices here. "O.. Okay." She nodded some, the idea of undressing before another was one she did not care to think on. It was embarrassing! She dipped the cloth in the water and begun to clean the wounds. "There isn't anyone to walk in, is there?" She questioned.. She supposed if it was just Maria, then maybe things would be okay, but if a servant or something walked in on her, oh goodness she'd die.

Maria raised her hand to her mouth, thoughtfully, as if she had to ponder the question for a moment. Odd that she might not know right away that someone else might be in the house.

"No, no," she finally said, pulling out long cloths from the closet and turning to the girl. "Just us, I'm afraid." Though, she seemed quite pleased by that. Her emerald eyes studied the girl for a long moment, before she made her way back over to her, the layers of her dress shifting slightly as she walked.

"Tell me, Elisabeth. Why on earth were you out on such a dreadful night? Seems like a storm no one would want to travel through..."

Lisa picked up quickly on that.. She was going to say something but didn't. More and more this was scarier and scarier. What should she do?? "W.. Where is everyone else?" Surely a place this big would have staff and.. others. She couldn't imagine that it was possible to live by yourself here.

She hesitated, freezing up a bit and clenching her hands closed. "Oh.. Um.. I was running away from such a dreadful man. He tried to rob me." Sort of was true.. He was going to rob her of her freedom, yes.. That sounded about right. "He chased me so I kept running." Yes.. feed yourself this story and believe it to sell it.

"Interesting," Maria said, setting the cloth down and holding out her hand again to take Lisa's arm. "Well, I cannot tell you if you are lucky to have escaped or not. In time, you mind find that is wasn't as bad as you thought..." Not that it mattered. She'd never be able to go back now.

As she wrapped her arms, she continued speaking, answering her questions a bit more. "There is no one else, because this house cares for itself. There is no need to any one else to be here. Including me... But that isn't to say there haven't been previous tenants. I've seen many, come and... go."

She stifled a laugh at the last part.

She couldnt just let that one slide. "What?" She turned to the woman as she held her arm out for her, frowning deeply. "So being robbed was better than.." She quieted quickly as Maria begun to explain more.

"That doesn't sound right. It's a preposterous idea." She looked to her arm, and then back to the woman. "How can such a place care for it's self." Madness, surely. She felt that Maria may be crazy and this was just adding up to being way worse.. Maria was right~

She attempted to pull her arm away. "I.. I think I need to leave, Miss Maria.. Im sure someone back home is worried. T.. Thank you for the help, but.. I think I'll be fine." She gave the arm a slow turn. "See? YEs.. I should be fine." She admitted, biting back wanting to scream again.

Maria let her hand fall to her side, and she nodded her head, still with that ever present smile. "As you wish. You are free to try," she said, holding out her hand as if to gesture her toward the door. "When you return, I will take a look at the rest of you, if you wish."

She turned, her dress giving a small twirl with her as well, as she made her way back to her chair. Sitting quietly, she placed her chin on her knuckles once again, watching the girl.

Slowly she backed away. Mostly because she couldnt do more than this. It was hard to walk as it was, so Lisa eventually and quickly limped for the door to open it. She could see the hall on the other side of the threshold. That's where she wanted to go. "Thank you again.." She stepped through it and her vision clouded.

A door from the far portion of the room opened and Lisa stepped through it, exiting out of the adjoining room. Her vision corrected it's self. Honestly it all was so instant.. The door she had opened slammed closed, causing her to jump.

Now she was terrified. "T.. This is not funny. What is going on?" She turned to look at Maria, her body shaking slightly. She looked back to the room she came from and stared through the threshold. It was a wash room of some sort.

She spun on her heel to enter into the room again, and like before.. The door she had tried the first time around was flung open and she stepped through it.. Then both doors slammed closed, leaving Lisa standing there, staring..

Her body shook and slowly she begun to descend into tears. "W.. what is happening?" She questioned, slowly backing up to press against the wall. "Why are you doing this to me?" Obviously she'd blame the person here and not the house.. Because we were all logical people here, okay?

It wasn't long at all that Maria had to wait. She was amused as she watched, silently observing as the girl reentered the room, obviously confused. She didn't say anything for a long while, instead, just let the girl slowly break down. Oh, it would only get worse as time went on. And when Maria grew tired of her, she would then take her out of her misery.

"No, it isn't me. It is the house. It keeps us here... forever. There is no way out. None that I have found... and believe me, I have been looking for a very, very long time." She stood, seeming to fade into a shadow and disappearing.

A moment later, she reappeared beside Lisa, touching her shoulder lightly. "So, here we are, going to be -- living together." That thought amused her. "Don't worry, I won't bite... hard."

Lisa tried to wrap her head around that. It wasn't Maria.. Honestly that was a relief, sort of. Hearing that she'd be trapped here forever more or less felt like an empty threat, but somehow it wasnt. She knew it wasn't. No.. This was literal and it was insane. Then Maria vanished, and all thoughts just FLEW out of her head.

Her face grew pale and her eyes wide as she stared ahead.. "N.. No." She went to shake her head, trying to deny all of this insanity, then she felt the touch on her shoulder.

Another strange sound was blurted out at the woman as she jerked her shoulder away and tried to limp off for the door. She was in tears now, trying her damnedest to escape to the other side of the room, going for the door obviously. Maybe it would free her, but the damn thing wouldn't even open. She pulled at the handle and jiggled it, trying to get it to work, then would start banging on it. "HELP!" She cried out, eventually slowly falling to her knee's with one hand on the door. Her head lowered and it was alll starting to really set in. She was going to die here.. And this person was crazy.. Vampire didn't even register.. Evil, yes, but vampire, no.

Maria watched as Lisa dashed off to leave, trying to open the door. She frowned a bit, pretending to be upset. "Well, that hurts my feelings just a little." She didn't make to move toward the girl, but she did try to offer comforting words, though the true motive behind those words was unknown.

"It isn't so bad, once you get used to it. The house takes care of you... almost like it is lonely itself, and it just wants someone here."