Alice was watching a show. Where one would see the beautiful, nude form of a lady with nothing to hide, smoothly flirting her way up, Alice saw more. What one might confuse with harmless teasing—the gentle vibrations on the snow-white skin as the muscles moved to sway those delicate legs, those bare breasts, and that alluring tone in the voice—Alice recognized as a tool to mess with her head. She saw behind the masquerade, looked straight through the act of seduction, and no matter how much she could’ve enjoyed the sight, she wasn’t just able to ignore what she knew, what she had learned the hardest of ways, and what it had turned her into over the years.<br/><br/>Staring deep into Cabiria’s eyes as she spoke, Alice saw not a vampire, but a woman from her past, who had likewise bound her in chains—but of lies and deception—in chains, which had felt even colder than the metal now on her skin. The words sank into Alice’s mind, but her vision blurred as the distant memories manifested themselves, now in more detail than she thought she even remembered...<br/><br/><i>There’s a scent in the air she hasn’t smelled before; a perfume that reminds her of the ocean. The woman sits on the couch, arms spread along its back, legs crossed, a curious smile on her beautiful face.</i>“—Vampire, Creature of the night—“ Cabiria’s voice echoed through the memory.<i>Alice slowly closes the door behind her, hesitating for a moment; she wasn’t expecting this. The woman is wearing no clothes. It is the first time anyone has exposed herself like that to Alice, who is now hopelessly losing control.</i><br/><br/>The memory shifted forward—she recalled nothing from between standing at the door, and then being embraced by the other woman.<i>Alice feels the wet lips and the tongue on her neck, the warmth of the skin against hers. She remembers the touch, the haze that she sank into as the woman taught her new ways to feel. She remembers forgetting everything else—exactly what the woman wanted—and falling on her arms after she is finished eating her up, sucking her dry of free will. She remembers nothing afterwards, except the words—“Sign here... and here...”—the words she would never forget.</i><br/><br/>“—sustained by the blood of ...others,” the vampire spoke, and caused a tremor throughout Alice’s body. It was as if Cabiria was repeating the history for her, speaking it out loud, throwing it on her face like a punishment for being so foolish. The woman had not been a vampire, but much, much crueler: a temptress, a seductress, a selfish, cold-hearted business executive. Alice felt rage—the same rage she had felt all those years ago after realizing what she had done—and Cabiria could see it in her eyes. But the vampire did not know what it was for, and seemed to enjoy it anyway. Then she told Alice of the ways of her kin, and for a moment the memories vanished. There was certain honesty in the words, something she’d never have heard from the mouths of her so called partners. A juice box... if that’s what she was, at least the woman said it out loud—with no sugarcoating, with no cherry on the top—and it somehow calmed her mind.<br/><br/>And then she offered her a job. At that point, in Alice’s mind, it truly felt like an offer, not enforcement, but her mind was wandering again.<i>”I just need your signature here—oh don’t be so shy,” Alice says to the man. She feels him slowly pushing against her butt, the only way for him to get close enough to the wall where she’s holding the paper. “We could do it on the kitchen counter if you’d prefer,” she says. “What?” a confused voice speaks. “Sign the document,” she replies, “Come.” The man follows her like a dog. “Here,” Alice says, bending over on the other side of the counter, “Just take one last look.” The neckline of her dress hanging way too low, the man takes a very, very careful look. “If you like what you see, don’t hesitate to take the opportunity,” Alice speaks, “Wait, what are you— I didn’t mean— No, I’m just kidding, that’s </i>exactly<i> what I meant...”</i><br/><br/>As Cabiria was stating the terms of the arrangement, Alice’s focus slowly shifted back to the present. This was not a business deal—she realized—it was a new beginning. She knew there was no easy way out of this, and as she heard the magic words—<i>watch my back—repay—power</i>—a glimpse of hope popped into her mind. There’d had to be some level of trust at play here, and even if the power she was promised turned out to be a mere illusion, she’d have her freedom, to some degree, and it became obvious that struggling now was the worst thing she could do. And there it was—it had taken her several days, but as the vampire began listing the reasons<i>why</i>struggling was not a good idea—<i>no choice—can simply take—will overpower you—convinced you to do this—decide to play nice</i>—none of it came as a surprise, and Alice was finally on the same page with her. As the vampire moved her lips on her ear, and there was a momentary lack of eye contact, a small grin briefly appeared in the corner of Alice’s mouth. She got rid of it as soon as she realized it was there, and then forced as genuine a sob as she could onto her lips as she replied, “Yes... Yes, please. Do what you have to do.”<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>