1. Her Worst Fear

In a small living room, Lily sat at a round table, waiting for her mother to appear.

Lily, a 32-year-old woman, had long black hair that reached down to her waist, and she was truly beautiful. Her skin was pale, as she had only glimpsed sunlight through the windows. With dark brown eyes, she possessed a petite and slim figure. She glanced at the door, wanting to run away, but she knew there was no escape.

After her father's mysterious death, her mother remarried a man who turned out to be the worst monster she had ever encountered. Lily and her mother were trapped in captivity ever since. Fortunately, her sister had moved to another country for education around that time, sparing her from this life. Lily hadn't stepped foot outside the room in over 15 years, finding solace in books as an escape from her grim reality.

She considered herself fortunate that the man hadn't laid a hand on her, despite his lecherous gaze that fell upon her body every time he saw her. Her mother did everything she could to gain his attention. Lily managed to sneak a letter to one of the man's henchmen, a young and inexperienced individual who was unfamiliar with the rules of their residence. However, it was purely a stroke of luck. She hoped her sister had received the letter and had put on nice clothes in the hope that her mother had found a way to persuade the man.

Suddenly, she heard a series of clicking sounds as locks were being unlocked. A woman entered through the door, accompanied by a middle-aged man with a large beer belly and black stubble. He reeked of alcohol and leered at Lily with repulsive eyes, licking his lips.

"Thanks, darling," her mother said, kissing the man before closing the door.

To Lily's surprise, she didn't hear the locks click again. She looked at her mother with admiration and curiosity. "How did you manage to persuade him?" she asked.

Her mother looked at her with sad eyes and replied, "There was only one way he would agree. You know the answer, but now you have been promised the opportunity to go outside. Don't waste any time. Promise me you'll come back tonight, or you'll face the consequences."

Lily immediately understood what her mother had bargained with, and she held onto hope that a wealthy, strong man would come to her rescue. She sighed and approached her mother, embracing her tightly. "Thank you, Mom," she said with a smile.

Putting on her long black coat, Lily opened the door but turned back to her mother before stepping outside. "Can't you just curse him and hope that the gods or the devil will intervene?" she asked.

Her mother smiled and replied, "Now, get going so you won't be late."

Lily exited the room and ran outside, glancing at the imposing house where people busily tended to their tasks. A gardener was bent over, tending to the weeds. No one stopped her as she had been granted permission to leave the house. She hoped she would never have to return to that place, but she couldn't abandon her mother to face that man alone. She ran towards the road and caught the nearest bus, heading into town.

After a 10-minute ride, she disembarked and walked toward a café where she spotted a young man and two young women. Her heart leaped with joy when she recognized one of the women as her sister.

Approaching her sister, Lily hugged her and exclaimed, "Happy birthday, sister!"

Her sister smiled and scrutinized her. "You look thin. Are you eating properly?"

"I'm on a diet," Lily lied, forcing a smile.

They all went into the cafe, sat down, and ordered food.

After they finished eating, they stood outside the cafe, looking at each other.

"Let's go to the beach. The weather is lovely today," said her sister.

They walked to the parking lot, got into her sister's car, and drove away. Lily knew they had a long way to reach the beach, passing through a forest on the route.

After driving for some time, the young man began complaining, "I suddenly have a pain in my heart."

The others looked at him, and the woman sitting next to him said, "You ate way too fast."

But suddenly, she clutched her chest and exclaimed, "I'm feeling intense pain too. Can we please stop?"

Her sister pulled over the car, and Lily noticed they were surrounded by a forest. They all got out of the car, and the woman and the young man sat down on the ground.

Her sister looked at Lily and suggested, "The beach is right there. Let's continue walking."

Lily nodded, and they helped the woman and the young man to their feet, walking towards the beach.

After only two minutes of walking, both started coughing uncontrollably.

Lily and her sister were shocked and released their grip on the two individuals. The pair fell to the ground, coughing violently, and clutching their necks. Suddenly, they vomited a sticky, purple substance, and a fishy odor filled the air. Then, they collapsed, no longer coughing, and an eerie silence settled, broken only by the sounds of forest animals.

Lily didn't panic; she had experienced many things during the 15 years she lived with that man. She approached them, placed two fingers under their noses, and realized they were not breathing.

"They are dead," she stated, standing up and looking at her sister.

Her sister nervously exclaimed, "What the fuck are we going to do? We'll be arrested by the police for murder."

Lily knew that the only person who could help them was that man. Since her mother had used her as a bargaining chip, he would surely do anything for her.

"I have a way out, but we have to go back," she said.

Her sister looked at the two deceased individuals and asked, "Do we just leave them like this?"

"Yes, as I said, I have a way out, but we have to leave now if we want to succeed," Lily replied.

They held each other's arms and hurried back to the car. When they could see it in the distance, they suddenly heard someone stepping on branches. They stopped and looked around.

"What if it's a bear?" her sister whispered nervously.

Lily knew that bears didn't inhabit this area, so it could only be other people who happened to be in the forest that day.

"Great scouting. They will be our first prey," a woman's voice said suddenly.

Lily and her sister turned to see five young people standing two meters away from them. There were two boys and three girls, all dressed in punk clothes. One of them had short green hair adorned with numerous piercings and tattoos all over their head.

Lily wondered if they were part of some kind of cult.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice filled with nervousness.

The girl with piercings and tattoos replied, "We're hunting."

Lily immediately understood what that meant and issued a warning, "My mother is a priestess and will curse you for 100,000 years into the future if you dare to touch us."

The girl smiled and said, "Little kittens, your blood smells wonderful."

She opened her mouth, and to Lily's surprise and shock, she saw vampire teeth. Suddenly, the other youngsters also opened their mouths, revealing their own set of vampire fangs.

"Run," she whispered to her sister, gripping her hand tightly as they bolted away. Panic and anxiety fueled their frantic sprint. Lily was convinced they had stumbled upon a cult of murderers, as vampires did not exist in their world. Suddenly, a sharp blow struck her head, and someone sank their teeth into her neck. Pain coursed through her body, and everything faded to black.