this was the last door at the end of the hallway, the only place left to go. rain opened the door, stepping inside, hoping there would be somewhere to hide, behind shelves, or bookcases, or in a box, or a closet.

but all she saw in the darkness was a full length mirror, and her own reflection.

a cold hand touched her shoulder. she saw herself jump in the mirror, but there was no one else reflected.

"it's too late," they murmured, speaking very slowly. "you can't move."

it was like she couldn't remember how to move her legs, almost like she couldn't even sense where they were, like they weren't even connected to her body.

"what is this?" she asked quietly, through her heavy breaths.

the door closed behind her, and clicked. it was locked. there was still a dim light somewhere in the room, just enough for her to still see herself.

"it's alright. just take a deep breath for me. in, and out."

she found herself almost gasping for air.

"shh... slowly. breathe from here." their other hand was placed on her stomach.

shakily, she took a deep, slow breath in.

"that's right... and breathe out... steady now..."

some of the tension seemed to leave her, even though she really should have been tense.

then again, it didn't matter at this point, did it? she couldn't move, and she had nowhere to run, anyway.

"keep going... slowly... just like that... it gets easier every time, doesn't it? just let your body relax... your mind will relax, too, in time."

their words made her tremble. they already had her trapped here. they didn't need to do any of this. they didn't need to make her relax, they didn't need to worry about what was going on in her mind. if it was her blood that they wanted, they could just take it. why were they doing this?

still, she continued breathing deeply and slowly, almost automatically. it felt natural. the feeling of danger was starting to dissipate, bit by bit, even though she was still fully aware of the situation. the adrenaline was leaving her.

maybe that's why they were doing this, she thought distantly. maybe the stress and tension would affect the taste of her blood.

"that's right, dear..." they cooed. "very good."

the praise went through her entire body, tingling and relaxing all of her muscles. blood rushed to her head, even as her body was becoming so calm, more calm than it had ever been.

she was so still, and her muscles felt so numb, but her skin was sensitive. she was aware of her clothes touching her body, and even more aware of their hands on her, their body close to her back.

it was a dizzying feeling.

"i've been looking for someone like you," they said, leaning closer, pressing against her, speaking directly into her ear. "you fall into trance so beautifully." their thumb gently rubbed her shoulder.

this was trance? well, something was happening. her heart was pounding, but she wasn't moving, and she had been staring into the mirror the entire time.

"you see it, don't you?" they said. "the way your eyes are glazing over. becoming blank, dull, and glassy. like a doll."

she could see it. it happened while they said it. her vision was becoming unfocused, but she could tell, she could see it well enough to know it was happening.

she... she probably should have resisted, somehow. she probably should have been doing something. it wasn't really even that she felt like she couldn't resist. if she just tried, she was sure she could have. but it was like she couldn't get herself to try to begin with. she wasn't afraid. there wasn't any kind of signal inside of her telling her to stop this. there wasn't any kind of instinct to get away.

it felt strange. her mind and body were becoming disconnected. or... no, that wasn't really it. her mind was being affected, too. her body was just affected first. and it was going to pull the rest of her down with it.

"that's perfect. you can just give in. it feels so much better than panicking and struggling, doesn't it? it's so nice to be calm and still for me." the hand on her stomach had moved to her side, the arm wrapping around her. "i can tell that you like it," they whispered. "i can feel your heartbeat. i can see the blush in your cheeks. it's not fear, is it? you're still breathing so slowly, as if you're asleep. so why do you think your heart is pounding?"

she had been trying not to think about it, but she knew.

"you can't control it, can you?" gentle laughter tickled her ear. "to tell you the truth, i can't control something like that, either. i was very lucky to find you. and you're lucky, too, aren't you? that should make this much more enjoyable for you." their other arm wrapped around her, holding her more firmly. they were prepared to support her whole weight. "do you want me to drink from you? do you want me to keep you?"

she really shouldn't have. but even her rational thoughts were starting to fade.

"answer me, dear. just a nod or a whisper is fine."

she nodded sleepily, her head barely moving.

their mouth moved to her neck. "good girl," they said quietly, planting a kiss on her skin.

it was still so tender and gentle, even when their teeth sank into her. she didn't even twitch in response, her body just going limp in their arms as they drained her. in the mirror, it looked as if she was being held up with invisible strings.

they alternated between licks, kisses, and whispers, until they finally pulled out a cloth and pressed it against the bite.

"don't worry, my dear. i didn't take enough to hurt you. i'll let you recover before i take more."

the trance was slowly lifting, but her body was still weak.

an awkward smile spread across her face. "i'm- i'm a complete idiot," she muttered. "i let you do all of that just because... just because i..."

"oh, are you starting to wake up?"

"i think so, but... well, maybe i shouldn't tell you that. but i just... it doesn't really matter. even right now, i just..."

"you like me?"

"it's stupid. i was just running away from you, and then i just... it's like i don't even care, just because i... just because it kind of felt good."

"shh," they whispered. "it's alright. you can't help it. it's not your fault."

"well, it's not like... it's not like you're going to tell me to run away..."

"don't push yourself, sweetheart. you need rest."

that casual possessiveness is exactly what should have made her fight harder.

but she couldn't help but melt.