Status: This is a draft i am currently rewriting because it is super badly written. I'm talking seventh grader written. but if you enjoy, great, glad to hear it :)

Gloom DRAFT (Cringey 7th grade story)

Chapter 7 Refuge

Chapter 7

Pass the hallway there was a lovely room with a queens bed,a vanity (like those desks with mirrors) a closet full of fancy dresses. And a lot of stuff. I guess there was a girl that lived here and this was her room? The room was a feminine dark red. There were these big windows where you can see the trees shaking to the wind with the rain on the window it looked sort of cool....The masked guy....err...Ivory pointed to the room near the bed which was the bathroom. Pretty much he was addressing me to get cleaned up there. I looked at it and nodded to him. Then he left. Before i went to clean up I looked at the little mirror desk thing there. I always wanted one of these when I was younger. There were these makeup and jewelry boxes. I looked in the drawers of the desk to see a journal. I sort of flipped the first page to see who it belonged to. “Evelyn Moonblood.” Sounds like someone who could've been related to Ix somehow. I flipped the pages. Near the end they're were a bit of scribbles and sort of, symbols. I skipped to the last page to notice the last words in this journal were:

“I am for shamed with the fact that my brother now knows of my actions of betrayal and of my disease...So i passed it on to him. I can no longer stay at the manor. I can no longer stay in this world. Luckily i have found someone who knows where i can take refuge and how to get me there. Its not the perfect world...less lively but maybe this can finally be my time. Things are finally looking up...I will be gone in the morning. And I will never see this retched world again! At long last! Gloom”

Brother knows of my actions of betrayal and my disease....so i passed it on to him....Could she be referring to the vampiric disease? and possibly Ix? Could this be Ix’s sister? And whats with the last word? Gloom? Just, Gloom? Is she trying to say that she feels gloomy or something?

Gloom....
I frowned and put the journal on the desk quietly trying to understand it..
“Gloom....” I mumbled.
I looked up at the mirror, i started to laugh noticing how messed i look from all that running outside until I noticed a shadowed figure in the background next to the closet. I turned terrified to notice nothing was there. And when I looked back at the mirror it was gone there too. Was it just my imagination? have I gone mad? I cant even tell. I moved away hesitatingly looking around me and standing up. I don't see any shadowy figure whatsoever. After a long pause I went into the bathroom to clean myself up. The bathroom was just as fancy as the other rooms. Was this place owned by royalty or something? I started the bath watching the hot water cause some steam. I was so cold from the storm outside. I undressed and stepped in. So warm...I began to fall asleep peacefully... sigh...I love hot baths...

***
The clear water began to get dense. Somewhat sticky and bloody red. My eyes opened to notice I was bathing in blood and my head was half under water causing me to choke and swallow a lot of the thick salted blood in my moth. I quickly squirmed myself around the blood frightened and frenzied. When I pulled my head out gasping and coughing, I starred at the blood and the stains on the wall and in the entire room filled with blood. I froze in terror curling myself out from head to knees, shaking in fear. Until suddenly in an instant it all flashed away to what it was before as i woke up, all the blood....gone...
Was that another vision? No...it was a hallucination...Something must be wrong...Well no...something IS wrong. With me at least.

I stepped out of the bath clean and pristine. I walked out and opened the closet. There were a lot of old dresses. Some puffy but most were somewhat ragged or cut up. Of course it added a touch to them though. I made up my mind and chose this one mildly puffy dress. Not really puffy but frilled at the bottom yet is still had it flattened in a way. Not long nor short, Halfway on my legs. It had this one sort of corset to put over it and it had straps from the bottom of the corset to the edge other dress. It had mid puffy sleeves, the color of the dress was black and turquoise. Hard black on the top of the blacker corset sort of making the top of the dress dark while the black sort of made a smudge with the turquoise at ht bottom of the dress while the sleeves were turquoise as well as the ribbons on the back of the outfit. the dress sort of had a touch of color in the veriest dark places. once I got it on I combed my hair and opened my door to search for Ix. I opened my room door slowly and quietly peeking around. I walked a little quietly on the stairs and saw the...Ivory mumbling at me. I don't know why or how but whenever he mumbles oddly I seem to actually understand it. He was speaking of dinner or so. I got down the stairs to get closer to him and he motioned me to follow him again. This time he led me to a room with a long dinner table. A wider roof at the left of the room there was a door leading to the kitchen at the right of the kitchen theres a window on the wideness of the room. Three windows all aiming outside at the darkness. Sort of making the room dark but there was lights from the candles on the table.

I walked a bit pass the windows sliding my fingers on the table until i got to the end of it. I starred focusing on the flames from the candles making a blurry background. But then i saw something move in that dark background. I jumped and almost screamed. It was Ix on a chair looking down.

“WOAH IX!!” I said almost with a laugh.

He brought his head up with a wide surprised look. No jump like me though.

“Hello.” He greeted as if I interrupted something.
I pulled up a chair from the other side and stared at him.

“You were so still and quiet I didn't notice you.” I giggled.

He smiled surprisingly. “I didn't scare you?” He asked.

“Well not really, you just popped out of nowhere and startled me mostly...” I said.

Wait isn't that scared anyway? Well i’m fine now right?
He shake’d his head dolefully.

“How? You do know what I am right?”

I paused. “I’ve seen worse.” I mumbled thinking of that vision I saw earlier when Dev left.

The kitchen Door opened and Ivory walked in with a plate of food for only one and placed it at my side.

“Eat up.” Ix told me. “You should be hungry...”

“Why aren't you eating?” I asked glaring into his beady eyes.

He led out a laugh.

“Well i already ate.” He smirked.

With that comment and the creepy look on his face it sorta got me looking around my neck just there. Okay no bite marks, I’m just tripping. I still hesitated though a bit.
I let my fork down.

“Are you planning to eat me?”
He smiled.

“No.”

I shook my head. “Sorry I meant drink me.” I corrected.

He shook his head also while smiling.

“Also no. What, do you want me to?”

“Of course not. I’m just taking precautions!”

He paused quietly.

“Look...I know I tend to be a little...Well....Evil....at times...If you want that example. But I’m not planning to feed on you. I have better plans now.”

“Huh?” I mumbled curiously.

“I actually like you Xera. Enough to care If your actually Dead or Alive. See not just that but you have something special.”

I’m hearing this from everyone. Seriously...

I stood quiet. What would he mean...?

“You look nice in that dress...” Ix mentioned.

I nodded Shyly. “Thanks..” turning away a bit to hide my blushing face. Awkward awkward AWKWARD.

He smiled at me humorously.
Oh there he goes again, reading my emotions... I can just tell by the smirk on his face. I sorta didn't know what to do so I turned away quickly as he would laugh.
“Ix Stop that!!!”
He kept laughing. I guess he just loves reactions...
“Sorry...” He said still trying to hold his laugh.

Later that night I was in my room trying to rest, but woke up to hear a beautiful sound from downstairs. I sneaked slowly down the stairs to see him playing violin. He played it so...passionately. I sort of watched him play for a while until I somehow had a feeling I was eavesdropping. Watching from the corner of the wall and all.As I starred at him playing He glanced and noticed me as I flinched behind the wall hiding. He led out a sweet smile and i kept hearing him play. I turned a little to the side to see him appear still playing but next to me. I would've thought this as an awkward moment but somehow Ix pulled awkwardness away as he kept playing with a smile and I could actually keep starring.
It was so....Lovely.

***
Its been a week since I first started staying with Ix. He earned some trust. Tonight we take a midnight stroll through the misty path. Usually I wouldn't walk around at this time but for Ix this was super simple. I mean, I guess his night is his day and his day is his night right?

Whenever I heard a sound on this dark walk I’d flinch but Ix said:
“Don't worry, your safe with me.”

I nodded quietly. But am I safe from himself? He did earn some trust but I must remember with all the times Ix tried to pull a move. I still feel a little insecure. To be honest if Doohm were here I’d feel somewhat safer. But on the other hand I don't know what he is so it makes things sound pretty scary.
I think I rather see Ix’s dark side more then Doohm’s. I wonder If he knows where I am...or if he's even worried...nah...

I heard a noise from the side and flinched some more. There was something. I know it. Ix held my hand then.

“Are you alright?” He said with his sparkly eyes twinkling at me.
“Y...Yeah....” I said but interrupted myself.

A shadowed man appeared so fast in a red hood. As you can see some black spiky hair from the hood but no face revealed. So fast he passed before me and pushed me down and turned to ashes of a somewhat poison all over me. Suddenly the entire scene swirled around and I ended up holding on to the ground spinning so fast I got dizzy and more images and noises came to my head. I ended up screaming as Ix was standing normally watching me. Then it faded black. I got knocked out.

***

Vision comes back to me. I’m in the room Ix gave me to sleep in. I’m on the bed and Ix was watching me wake up.

“Xera?” He asked seriously getting my dizzy attention. Sort of leaning his head over me to get focus.

“Ix...” I mumbled. Regaining a bit more focus.
“What...happened...?” I asked.

“You passed out 3 days ago.” He explained.
“I’ve been watching over you.”

I moved up slowly.

“You didn't bite me did you?” I asked checking my neck.

“No I can hold back.” He said getting a small bottle and passing it to me. “Here Xera take this.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“I found out. Your sick with something quite rare. And this is the first step to curing it.” He smiled.

“Oh thank you Ix.” I took the medicine and drank it.
Though suddenly I got dizzier and passed out again.
Whats...happening?