Chapter XIII

I never slept that night. I just sat wide awake in bed on my back staring at the ceiling.
I looked at the clock again it was 7 a.m.
My head hurt from lack of sleep. I was tired and in no mood for anything.
It was raining cats and dogs outside and I wanted to start painting today out in the garden. Oh well there is always tomorrow!
I stayed one more hour in bed until I decided that this was not going to be my lazy.
I opened the window and inhaled the fresh morning air. A few rain drops splashed me on my face.
A cup of coffee made me feel better.
I wanted to go outside in the rain again just for a few minutes and take a cold shower.
The front door was locked and the key was missing.
I did not lock the door last night when I returned from the village.
I could not find the other keys, they were not where I left them.
Ademar must have taken them. He locked the door so I could not leave.
Why would he do this?
Is he still playing games with me?
I tried the French doors that lead out in the garden and they were locked also.
I was trapped inside the castle. I wished I knew how to pick a lock.
What was I suppose to do? Find a way out of the castle without using doors?
If he wanted me to do that I was not interested.
I had enough of his games.

In my room I found another red rose with a note attached to it.
I read it:
Mon ange,
I apologize for my behaviour last night.

I felt a desperate need to go back to the cellar and I did.
This time I was wearing a sweater to keep me worm and I brought a flashlight.
As I walked I saw a hole in the ground, a trapdoor and I knew what it was, an oubliette.

Oubliette comes from the French word oublier meaning forget. They put prizoners in that tiny, vertical shaft and forgot about them. No wonder they called it the forgotten room. It was a brutal torture method.

I used the flashlight to see better inside and saw something that looked like blood at the bottom but there was no way to know for sure unless I jumped inside.
The worst of it was that once inside there was no way of getting out without exterior help.

Why did I feel a deep sadness in Ademar last night? What happened here? He did something bad here.

I decided to jump anyway and took a better look. On the floor there was dried blood and it did not look that old, from a few months ago. Who's blood was it?

I imagined that he brought his victims here and kept them in the oubliette before he took their blood. He has blood in those bottles. Is that human or animal blood?

It was reckles of me to jump inside this hole. Now I was trapped inside the oubliette. I tried to climb the wall back up but I could not.

Only Ademar could free me and I did not know where to find him.
I concentrated like I did last night and tried to find him. I wanted to contact him telepathically and let him know where I was.

I concentrated and tried to reach him.
"Ademar, I am trapped in the oubliette. Please, get me out of here!"

I know vampires have telephatic perception and are able to receive messages from another mind. A vampire can send telephatic messages to another vampire whenever they are close by. A human cannot but I can. There is a strong bond between us. We both felt it.

Now all I had to do is wait. I hoped he got my message. I did not want to spend the day trapped in the oubliette.

After half an hour I heard footsteps approaching.
I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ademar looked down at me and smiled.
"I never thought that my oubliette will become an angel trap!"

"Took you long enough! Get me out of here?"
"Give me your hand!"

I reached out and grabbed his right arm with both of my hands.
He was strong. He pulled me up with just one arm.

I found myself again in his arms. I hugged him as a reward for getting me out of that torture room. I kissed him gently on his cheek.
It feels so good to be in his arms. I feel safe in his embrace.
"Why did you ran last night? Did I scare you?"
"You scared me a little when you conjured up that smoke. I was not expecting that. Did I pass your test?"
"With flying colours. I still do not understand how you were able to find me that fast."
I cannot explain it myself.
"I do not know how I can do it. I just can."
"You are shivering! Let's get out of here!"
I could not agree more.

In the living room he offered me a glass of bourbon whiskey!
"Here you are, it will warm you up!"
"No, thank you! I would like hot tea instead!
I will make myself a cup of honey apple tea and you can start the fire in the fireplace. It is chilly in here."

When I returned with the cup of tea the fire was roaring in the fireplace.

"Is it better now?"
"Yes, much better, thank you!"
I sat down on the sofa and slowly drank my tea.

"Melanie, what were you doing in the cellar?"
"I wanted to see it during daylight!"
He looked at me in disbelief.

"You are not a good lier!"
He was right so I changed the subject.

"Did you find that photograph with my aunt?"
"Yes, I did."
"Can I see it?"
"I do not have it on me!"
"Then go and get it please!"

Ademar returned with the photograph and he gave it to me.
I looked at it and could not believe my eyes. I knew the person in the photo.