I woke up with a start. For a second, I didn't know where I was. I almost called out for my mom, but then I noticed the darkness. The near silence. I remembered the events of earlier, and how I'd never see my mom again. Great.

Thoroughly out of tears, I looked around. So pitch black that I couldn't tell whether it was day or night. I stretched, then winced. Sitting on the concrete for what had probably been an entire night had taken its toll on my back.

I nudged the girl next to me, but there was no response. Still asleep, then. I had nothing else to do, so I just sat on the cold, concrete floor, trying not to think of the darkness that surrounded me. I put my head on my knees.

I thought about my mother. I missed her so much, and I was worried. I didn't know whether she'd be okay on her own. Millions of questions, worries, and worst possibilities ran through my mind.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. Thinking about what might happen to her did me no good whatsoever. All I could really do was hope for the best, for her safety.

I knew that, of course, but in that dark, silent place, there really was nothing to do but wallow in your own worried thoughts. A special breed of torture, surely thought up by the most sadistic, cruel monster imaginable.

A monster I'd spent an entire day deliberately provoking, I suddenly realized. I'd been stupid, angry, and childish. My dumb attitude had already landed me stuck in a basement, and if I wasn't careful, would turn me into a corpse.

If I ever hoped to escape, to see my mom again, I needed to be on my best behavior around Liam. I needed to be a model prisoner.

And, speak of the devil, I heard creaking on the stairs-signaling the return of someone. Even before I heard him speak, I knew who it was. Who else would it be?

"Hey there, Blythe!" Liam said, giving me an, all things considered, gentle kick to the leg. I grunted.

"You're coming back upstairs for a little while, okay?" I still said nothing.

"Really? Nothing to say?" I glared in the general direction of his voice, remaining quiet. He sighed.

Suddenly, I felt an arm around my waist, seemingly out of nowhere. I yelped in surprise as Liam hoisted me over his shoulder again. I scowled, then leaned over and bit him, right on the shoulder.

He tensed up for a second, and I'd swear I heard a little sound of surprise escape him, but was so brief I couldn't be sure. "Still bratty after all, I see," he said, chuckling slightly.

He carried me back upstairs, into the main room. The sunlight streaming in through the windows on either side of the door made the room seem brighter than last night. I squeezed my eyes shut. After hours spent in pitch darkness, the gentle sun seemed harsh.

Liam put me down on my feet, so suddenly I wobbled a bit upon landing. I opened my eyes a little.

"Follow me, Blythe," Liam said, walking towards the other set of stairs. With a sigh, I followed.

Somehow, the house looked even bigger upstairs. A long, thin hallway stretched out before me, with multiple doors on each side and another staircase at the end of it. Just how big was that house?

I followed Liam to a door on the left side of the hallway. "This is my room!" He said, pointing and grinning like an idiot.

He leaned in close, then whispered, "Mom and Dad aren't home right now, so we can keep the door closed."

I was close, so close, to slapping him right in the annoying face, but I controlled myself. Model prisoner, model prisoner, model prisoner.

Liam leaned over, shoving his face kiss or kill distance away from mine. My frustration mounted, and I kept shoving it down. A muscle in my cheek twitched. Model. Goddamn. Prisoner.

"Still nothing, huh?" He said, frowning. "Aw...I thought it would take more than just the basement to break you. Oh well."

I'm not broken yet, asshole, I aggressively thought at him.

He stood back up, gaze lingering on mine in such a way that made me sure he'd heard me.

Liam turned away suddenly, opening the door to his room, like nothing had just happened.

I followed him inside, trying not to stare in awe. Like the room downstairs, it was beautiful from a purely architectural standpoint, but Liam's room was well-furnished to match. Big, elegant bed with expensive looking sheets I could only dream of touching. A wooden dresser and matching desk with a nice looking laptop on it. I looked down, realizing I was stepping on a black and red rug that looked so soft I had to resist the urge to kick off my shoes roll on it like a dog.

I shook my head. I'd totally been staring.

Liam sat down on the rug at the foot of his bed, then patted the space to his right. I sat, far as I could while still leaning on the bed. He rolled his eyes.

"Closer, please. I can't talk to you if you're all the way over there." I begrudgingly scooted across, until I was only a foot away. "Better," he said.

I said nothing. He said nothing. I traced a pattern in the carpet. It was even softer than I thought it would be, and I couldn't help running my fingers through it.

Liam laughed. I stopped instantly. We sat in silence.

Suddenly, the vampire let out a huge groan. I glanced at him, wary.

"What is with you?" Liam asked dramatically. "Say something! How am I supposed to banter with you if you won't even say anything?"

I stared at the carpet. "You said if I talk, you'd kill someone and," my voice wavered a little, "and d-drown me..." I couldn't finish-the mental image was just too terrible to dwell on.

"Really? Of all my threats, that's the one that took?" He asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I don't want to be responsible for a person's death," I said quietly. Liam didn't respond, and I glanced over at him. Something about his expression made me think he would apologize.

"I guess I've found a solid weakness, huh?" He said, snickering. I scowled.

He was a monster, through and through.