it doesn't heal when a vampire bites

I sat in the back seat of our car, my eyes gazing out into the night. My dad was driving us home from our summer long road trip. The radio the only sound in the silent darkness that engulfed us. He was trying so hard to keep us together since Mom died, trying so hard not to think of her in her grave, slowly rotting away. Sleep was beginning to take over me, and I saw myself yawn in the rear view mirror, short, skinny, with light brown hair flopping down slightly over a white face sprinkled with freckles. Dad lowered the volume of the radio.

"You okay back there Matt?" He asked looking at me in the rear view mirror, a worried look in his face. He had gotten so over protective ever since Mom died, from some weird disease. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with her. All we could do was stand and watch her writhing with pain, sometimes she screamed, sometimes it was like she just gave up."I'm fine Dad, just tired." I answered, stifling another yawn. "It's been a long trip."

He nodded looking back at the road. I was beginning to drift off into my dreams, when something woke me up. I jerked up my head and looked around, but everything seemed normal. My heart was pounding hard against my chest and my eyes were wide. I was breathing hard and chills went down my spine, but there was nothing wrong. I felt drops of sweat forming along my brow, but nothing, there was nothing.

Then, out of nowhere, someone appeared on the road. Dad swerved off the road. I felt my head jerk forcefully to the side. The world turned into a kaleidoscope of the black night and stars as we rolled over, my seat belt cutting into my chest, cutting into my skin scrapping just too close to my collarbone. Surprisingly, the car landed on it wheels, rocking slightly from the impact.

"Matt, Matt! Are you alright?" were the first words out of my dad's mouth as he unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned around.

"Just a little bruised up." I lied easily, unbuckling my seat belt wincing as the threads tore from my skin a trickle of blood running down my chest. "who was that?"

"I don't know." Dad's gruff voice came from the darkness in front of me."I'll go check it out." I silently begged him to stay, in my head all I could hear was, "No! No Dad! Don't go outside!" Outside I heard nothing, but the silence of a hot, summer desert night. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop him. I swallowed hard and counted to calm my nerves. 1...

I heard him open the door; the lights, broken, refused to turn on. 2... He stepped outside. 3... I heard his feet crunch the dessert sand followed by the car door slamming shut. 4...5...6...

I stayed seated gripping the seat until my knuckles turned white, but I kept counting. 7... 8... 9- My breath caught in my throat, my racing heart stopped. In the darkness I heard the echoed screams of my father, which soon turned to a muffled gargle. No. I felt sick to my stomach thinking of what might have happened to him. I pictured a mangled body lying on the dessert floor, blood pooling in the sands. I clenched my teeth in fear and sorrow. Then a face appeared in the window, a girl, bleach white and her face covered in blood that I could only guess came from my father. I couldn't open my mouth, I couldn't cry for help, I was petrified. Fear froze every inch in my body, blocking out the pain in my chest as the blood slowly stopped coming. Who, or what the heck was this girl?

"Lost little boy?" She laughed high and shrill sending painful vibrations through my ears. I tried to shrink down, to hide, but a crash came from behind me window shards, piercing my back each one burning their way through my skin. I screamed in agony, as hot blood ran from the wounds.

"Now, now you don't want to get us caught now do you?" a deep, taunting, hauntingly playful voice came from behind me.

"What, what, what are you?" I asked as I tried to turn around without hurting myself further, but the glass shards just cut longer more twisted gashes into my muscles, and another rush of blood gush forward. I cringed in pain, as my eyes came to the face of some boy, around my age, his hand now turning open the door.

"Oh, I think you know." He answered swinging the door open with so much force it was ripped from its hinges, and the entire car twitched making me fall to my side. I fought back the pain, forcing myself to look into at him.

He looked at me a deep hunger in his eyes, I tried to get up, I tried to escape, but before I so much as twitched, I felt nails digging into my shoulders, and the other door crashing into my back, driving the last of the glass into my skin. I bared my teeth trying to fight through the pain. The door bent, giving way to the force with which I was pushed into it. I heard the wrenching metal, I heard it screech and moan complaints, before flying away, leaving me to follow in its wake. My back dragged across the sand wearing away at my shirt and scratching more cuts into my skin. There were tears, waiting to overflow my eyes, but they never did, there was a scream waiting to escape my lips, but it never came. Maybe it was too much pain, maybe I just gave up, maybe I lost all hope and energy and will to live, maybe I'm just weak. It was then, laying there so helpless, caught in his claws, did it suddenly dawn on me what was going on. That's when it finally flashed through my mind that I was going to die. I was going to be sucked dry, by a vampire. There were seconds until I met the same fate as my father, lying cold on the dessert sand, left for the vultures and coyotes, never to meet a grave, only the bellies of scavengers as my bones are bleached by the sun or cracked for marrow.

I felt the boy's breath on my skin, it was cold, and seemed to freeze the blood pumping through my veins, that will soon run dry. Fangs pierced my skin, and cold began to spread through my body, starting from the bite and running down my veins. I choked out a scream that started as little more than a whisper, steadily growing louder. I felt myself shaking uncontrollably under his grasp. Eventually I lost control, my hand shot up to the vampire's throat, and tightened squeezing until he let go. I threw him into the car, and stumbled to my feet not even waiting long enough to hear him yell as he crashed. I spun and ran through the sand, the cold quickly turning to searing pain, like my blood was on fire, like there were ants inside of me eating out my body as I ran, but I didn't stop, my feet didn't falter. The tormenting pain blocked out my thoughts, my sight, Its was the only thing I could focus on. I kept running for, I don't know how long, the pain seemed to become part of my body, my life, my entire world. It was as if I grew up with this tormenting blackness, cold, and agony. Eventually I fell from pure exhaustion. My body fell like a rock, hitting the ground with a large thump. The scent of earth filled my lungs, as my vision began to falter. Every inch of my body burned, screamed with agony, but I was too tired to move. I wanted to run, and keep running into eternity, until all of those haunting memories were far behind me, left in dust, but I couldn't so much as twitch.

All I could do stare out into the horizon and watch the sunrise. Its rays streaked out into the sky, bringing fire to the cold, dark night, and hot tears to my eyes. Its rose red, beauty blinding me. The awe striking wonder could not be explained. Then, there, standing in the glow of the morning star, stood two heavenly figures, their faces shadowed by the sun, and on the breeze came the earthy scent of my mother's perfume, and the melody of a lullaby long forgotten in the pains of adolescence. At their feet, stood a dog that seemed to hold the sun in its eyes and stardust in its fur, its long elegant coat shinning brightly against the morning sky. The pain faded, warmth engulfed my body, and for the first time in years, I felt like a child, I felt safe. All formal misery melted under the sun, the dark night ended and a new day dawned. I closed my eyes reveling in this feeling, this warmth, as a tear streaked down my cheek.

I stood in the cold, the breeze ruffling my hair, but this hair wasn't mine, this body wasn't mine. Whose was it if not mine? Am I dreaming? Someone stood in front of me. Emo hair, the scent of blood wafted up to me from his wist, tears fell from his puffy red eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, but I didn't mean to, and this voice wasn't mine, it was the voice of a girl. That settled it I was dreaming, a really, really weird dream.

"Yes," the boy answered. My body shuddered slightly as the boy took off his shirt and tossed on the ground. I felt nothing, but the female mind, that shared this body, felt hunger. What crazy dream dimension had I entered? I took a deep breath, a fear scent emitted from the boy.

I/we/she stepped forward, the boy looked up until our/their eyes met. He cupped her chin pulling their faces closer together. His hands were cold against the girl's warm cheeks, his fingers ran slowly through her hair, then came back to her cheek. I knew what was coming next, and I was witnessing it from the girls point of view. This is so weird and disgusting, and extremely awkward and weird. Did I mention WEIRD? The boy pressed his forehead against the girl's, his warm, sweet breath stroking her face. WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! He leaned in and their lips pressed together. so, so, so WEIRD, and DISGUSTING, and UGH!!! he pulled away slowly, and I had a feeling he wanted more, but he just brushed back the girl's hair and let her go.

"Thanks, so much for this. It seems so much easier." he sad letting out a shuddering breath. the girl only nodded

Humans, they're all the same. the girl thought with disgust.

I felt my skin prickling, my teeth felt too large for my mouth, but only for a while. "ready?" the boy nodded and looked up, at first his face was blank, but then his eyes filled with realization and fear, but he didn't run. We lunged forward, snapping at his throat. There was no scream, no fight. Just a blank acceptance. She bit at him and ripped at him until she devoured every, single gory bit.

I woke up breathing hard, sweat running down my brow, the gruesome memories of the nightmare, fading slightly, slowly. My breathing calmed, and I tried to pick myself up, only to fall back down, my back screaming in agony.

"Woah there man, you're not ready to pick yourself up yet." Someone said, their voice deep and smooth and reminded me of a water fall. I felt hands on my back and shoulder, helping me sit up.

"Thanks, dude." I grunted through the pain. I looked around resting against the headboard of a bed that didn't belong to me, in a room that wasn't mine, in a house that I didn't live in. Sunlight poured into the room; I looked around expecting to see a window, but what instead I saw that the entire back wall was glass, with a balcony on the other side. I searched for the door knob and hinge and found that there was actually a sliding door blending perfectly into the glass wall. There were two other beds in the room, and a computer desk, and a guitar rack.

"No prob." came the answer, I saw the speaker a tall, fifteen-year-old boy, with blonde hair and ice blue eyes. He was a lady killer, sadly destroying my hopes of getting a new girl. "since you're awake now, mind telling me your name? Mine's Jake, for future reference."

I smiled, Jake and I were going to get alone fine. "Matthew, or Matt for short." I answered. "my turn to ask a question. Where am I?"

Jake looked at me, jokes playing in his eyes," my room," well no duh! I thought, "in helleven Canada."

Canada?!? It's official, I've gone completely insane. I thought.

"No, not completely." Jake laughed. I didn't think It was possible, but I was actually in even more shock now.

"You, read.... My...." I stuttered.

"Yeah,yeah, I know I read your mind." He said waving me off, "You say it like It's a weird thing. Haven't you read Twilight?" He started laughing again.

"Okay, wait, what?" I said, shaking my head with confusion.

"You're a vamp, Matt." Jake said, suddenly confused too. "You know a blood sucker."

"I know what a Vampire is, but that's impossible! Isn't it? Vampires don't exist right?" I remembered, that night. The boy that attacked me, that girl covered in blood, The feeling of fangs piercing my skin. I felt the side of my neck and found two holes there, not bleeding, just there. Just two randomly existing gaps in my skin. My eyes widened and I looked up at Jake.

He pulled down his shirt collar, revealing two holes, duplicates of mine, on his own skin,

"It doesn't heal, when a vampire bites." He said pulling his collar back up.

"It doesn't heal," I repeated silently bringing my hand down. "when a vampire bites."

Jake nodded and helped me up. "you need some blood in you."

"kay." I grunted, not willing to argue or interrogate. All I knew was that my life has changed and may never be the same again. I'll never know the word normal again. Jake half dragged me out of the room, It was like my muscles lost all will to move. Somehow we made down the stairs, into the living room. It was surprisingly open, the entire back wall made of glass, and the second floor was little more than a passage way along the wall, connecting six rooms. There was no rail, just bit of floor running along the walls.

Jake took me to the kitchen, hidden from the wondrously warm sunlight, that poured into the living room. I plopped down into a wooden chair as Jake flipped on the fluorescent lights.

"I can still hear you." Jake said opening the refrigerator door. "You're a curious little boy aren't you?" he shot a smile at me over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess." I answered smiling back. "I thought vamps don't like the sun?"

"Most don't," someone answered, but it wasn't Jake. This voice was still deep, though smoother, a voice that I would expect to belong to a rock star. "It depends on how much blood was taken from you when you were turned, and when the last time you fed was. Glad to see you're awake kid."

"'Ello Michael." Jake said, popping a bottle of blood into the microwave. The scarlet liquid barely looked appetizing. I sighed, this was my life now, there was no turning back.

"Hey Jake."

This "Michael" pulled up the seat across from me. He was extremely pale, skinny, with dark red-black hair, and stared through me with bright yellow-green eyes. He looked maybe around 16 or 17, but then again how should I know: he's a vampire right? Don't they age slower than humans?He looked ice cold, dead, the very face of vampire kind. Not even his bright eyes took away the era of darkness that seemed to surround him.

Jake handed me the warm bottle of blood, I almost grimaced, I figured being a vampire would make me long for blood, to crave it unwillingly, but still I hated it, I wanted nothing to do with it. Reluctantly I brought the vile bottle to my lips, and let the warm, red, liquid rush into my mouth. I swallowed, though not so regretfully, the blood tasted sweet, delicious, almost irresistible. As it ran down my throat, I felt a sort of warmth radiating from inside of me spreading through my limbs, giving my muscles strength. I drained the bottle of all it's contents, struggling to get every last drop.

"Hey Michael, you look pretty bad. Have you fed yet?" Jake asked as I wiped my mouth clean and threw away the empty plastic bottle.

"Yeah, I just came back from a hunt with girls." Michael answered resting his head on his hands.

"No I mean have you feasted?" Jake said. I perked up my head, the way he said, "feasted."

"I don't need human blood." Michael growled back.

I took my seat again, listening intently, learning everything I could from this.

"Michael, you can't keep this up, you need human blood." Jake said again warming up another bottle. "What happened last month with your uncle was very traumatizing, yes, but you can't change it, you're not achieving anything by starving yourself."

Michael took the bottle that Jake handed him and drank it weakly. Some color returned to his face, some. "I never wanted to be born this way." He whispered. "Where's Ben? He didn't go on the hunt with us."

"Don't know." Jake answered looking around. "oh yeah, matt, this is Michael, he's in charge of us. He's also, one of the only purebred vampires still left on the world."

I waved hi and gave a slight smile. Michael just glared at me, silently observing me. I looked away for a moment, this was awkward, but I didn't want to show it. The silence stretched on and on and on. I felt as if It was going to rip me apart. He watched me so intently; I could almost feel his stare burning holes through me.

"Eh, you seem alright." Michael finally said stretching his hand out to me over the table. "but trust me, if you do anything to piss me off, I will rip off your head."

"Good to know." I replied taking his hand. I almost gasped, his skin was so cold, it sucked away all the warmth in my arm. I tried not to show it, the shock from his touch, but it showed anyway.

"Smart boy." Michael said, giving me a rather scary, toothy smile. He stood up and leaned on the table. "okay. As soon as Ben shows up, we'll go shopping. You know, still can't control his powers yet."

"Hey, give him time it's only been a few years since he's been turned." Jake said, "I'm sure he'll-"

"OW!" a yell interrupted him from the living room. "Gosh dang it!" we ran to find the source of the shouts.

I didn't see anything. There was nothing at all. The living room was the exact same way it had been earlier.

" what, exactly, are we looking for?" I thought only half to myself. There was a little buzzing sound in my head then I heard Jake's voice "wait and look closely" it said, I looked up at jake silently then back at the living room, trying to hide my giddy surprise.

"yeah, Jake is telekinetic." this time it was Michael's voice in my head. I wondered what he could do. I stared intently at the room in front of me. All I saw was the glass back wall, the glass coffee table, pastel green sofa, red area rug, two couches and, the LCD flatscreen TV hooked up to a Wii, 360, ps3, and blue-ray player. Okay so mainly the TV, but hey, I'm a dude. There really isn't much you can do about that. After a while I saw this flicker. I looked at it closer, trying to block out the rest of the room. (yes that includes the TV, which was really, really hard for me). I saw someone flickering in and out quickly. After a while it started to slow down, and eventually it seized all together. I saw someone hunched over, wearing an oversized jacket, black T-shirt, and baggy jeans covered in chains. He had short cut dark brown hair and His skin was darker than everyone I've met here so far, and he was wearing glasses. The funny thing was that I wore glasses also. I reached up with my fingers to push them up, but there was nothing there. I looked around expecting everything to suddenly get blurry, but no, I still saw everything perfectly fine. I shrugged it off as I was pushed forward by Jake and Michael to meet this new kid.

"Hey there Ben. Where've you been all day?" Michael asked.

"Well, I sort of figured that the blood in the fridge was getting stale since you haven't been drinking it, and there was a blood drive today," Ben answered, pulling a bottle of blood from his jacket. "its type A positive. I thought that because of the incident last month, you might want the blood type that the hospitals don't need as much of."

"Hm, you're such a kiss up Ben," Michael said, taking the bottles that Ben kept fairly well hidden. "you'll get far in life."

We chuckled slightly, as Michael put the blood in the fridge.

"Hope you're not too tired Ben. We were just gonna take my new buddy, Matt, here out shopping." Jake wrapped his arm around my shoulders, shook me, and gave a mischievous smile.

"Cool, just let me get my beanie." Ben said walking out of the living room.

"The beanie, somehow, keeps his powers under control." Jake said. Ben came back pulling a black Metallica beanie onto his head.

"You Like Metallica?" I asked pointing to the logo on his beanie.

"Yeah, they're pretty cool." Ben answered. "I really just love playing the rift to 'One' on guitar."

"So the guitars upstairs are yours?"

"No, the blue Les Paul and two acoustics are mine, the red Fender is Jake's, and the black Les Paul with EG pickups is yours."

"Oh... Wait! How'd you get my guitar?"

"Found it." Ben shrugged "it's a pretty good guitar, how long have you had it?"

"Couple years." Ben nodded.

"Just wait 'til you see Michael's. He's got the best." Jake said leaning in as if he was telling us some big secret.

"Got the best what?" Michael asked popping his head up next to Jake's. We all jumped and spun around to face him.

"Guitars, we were talking about you guitars." Jake answered still panicked. Michael just shrugged.

"Whatever, just don't be thinking that any one of you will be getting your hands on my axel." turned around and headed for the fancy double door front entrance. "We goin'?"

"What about the girls? They're still out hunting." Ben asked.

Michael slipped on a jacket and tossed one to me, "They'll be fine."

I slipped on the jacket and found my shoes by the door. Soon I found myself being pushed through the door and outside. A cool breeze hit me as I looked around at the evergreen forest surrounding me. The sent of pine engulfed me. There was one clear cut path through the forest.

"Well, lets go." Michael said starting down the path. We followed closely after him, laughing , joking, telling old stories. It was as if I were just visiting a couple of old friends. Then Ben started to flicker again. It stopped in a few seconds, but I found myself wondering about michael again.

"Michael? What powers do you have?" I asked boldly.

"everything and nothing." Michael answered shortly. I couldn't take his cryptic answer, it made my brain go into overdrive, so I just stared at him until he added. "I'm a pure blood Matt, I could almost everything any other vampire could do."

"I wonder what powers I have." I thought aloud before tripping over a dead branch. Thankfully I caught myself before face planting and shaming myself further. We all continued laughing and joking until there was a break in the trees.

I saw the town. It was old styled, everything made of bricks, and stone. The cobble stone streets were lined with wrought Iron streetlights. There were some major stores like wal-mart and radio shack, and also some citizen owned stores all of them worn with age.

"Welcome to downtown, matt." Jake said slapping his hands down on my shoulders.

I just laughed as I pulled down the streets store after being forced to trying every coat, shirt, pants, and pair of shoes we saw. Michael kept throwing me skinny jeans, and tight black shirt covered in graphic pictures. Ben would hand me gangster styled pants and hoodies with his favorite bands on them, and Jake would just watch and laugh at how ridiculous I looked every time I came out of the fitting room. Somehow we still ended up buying things that were of my taste.

"Have you met the new girl yet?" the clerk asked as we were paying at the last store. My feet were aching from a days worth of shopping.

"New girl?" Michael asked, Jake's eyes lit up with sudden interest.

"yeah, oh, there she is now." the clerk said leaning forward and adding, "she's always with the twins"

We all spun around looking for the "new girl." I spotted her fast. She stood skimming through the clothes rack, as two boys stood close by. She was tall skinny, dark skinned, and had long hair tied back in ponytail, with a huge swath of bangs covered her face. The two boys looked exactly he same, except for their hair and eyes. One had straight black hair cut short, and dark blue eyes, while the other had shoulder-length curly brown hair and almost lime green eyes. After a while the girl stopped two shirts and a jacket hanging on her arm. The two boys stood on either side of her, and together they walked forward to the counter.

"Josh. Skylar." Michael said drawing himself up and making himself look more threatening.

"Michael," they both said. This was really starting to freak me out.

"And with the rest on the crew too," the one with black hair said chuckling.

"Oh, how wonderful of you to notice, Skylar." Ben retorted sarcastically. I looked up to Jake hoping to get some sort of hint onto what was going on, but he was staring intently at the other boy, whom I guessed was Josh.

"Well, you haven't seemed to notice are new friend yet." Skylar spat back haughtily,

"And you haven't noticed ours" Michael growled. At the same time, both me and the girl were pushed, forcefully, to each other. The girl just stood there, her head down, hugging her clothes close to her body.

"This is Nerissa." Skylar said bluntly. Josh pulled on Skylar's shoulder, spinning him around, and gave him a glare had seemed to send sparks flying between the two of them. Jake's head gave a small twitch, and he looked at me. " Well go on, tell them you name."

"I'm Matt." I said, hoping, to get a glance at the girl's face, or to hear her say something, but she just jerked her head quickly in acknowledgement. I sighed and stepped back in between Ben and Jake. Nerissa looked up, and I caught a glance of blue eyes, before her brown back hair yet again obscured her face.

"Hmnph." a little puff of breath came from Nerissa, and I felt her eyes, not only burning holes through me, but through all of us, as if, she suddenly came alive, aware of her surroundings. Her fingers started twitching slightly, and she stepped back pushing herself between the twins. She looked up at Josh and whispered something to him, her hair finally drifting down the side of her face, revealing sapphire blue eyes that seemed to glow with such a sorrowful pain that seemed out of place on her childish face. Josh looked down at her and nodded, giving just the slightest hint of a smile as she pressed closer to him, fear creeping into her sad blue eyes. She looked back at me her eyes constantly switching between everyone in the group, as her hair lazily drifted back onto her face, with no protest.

"Hello, is something wrong here?" Someone said, walking up behind Nerissa. He was tall, with the same dark tone as Nerissa, and dark brown Hair that lay, tossed in short waves around his face. He shot us a warm smile, and looked at us with a warm, deep brown gaze. For some reason, it didn't, at all, make me feel welcome.

"No, Jay." Nerissa said, barely audible, her voice seemed high, child like, and uncertain. Her gaze dropped again to the floor, and her ground her toes into the off white tiles. I looked from her to Jay and wondered if they were somehow related.

"Come on, your brother told me everything. If anything happens to you, he'll eat off my head." Jay said softer leaning closer to Nerissa. She just shook her head and let out a long breath, her hair tossing wildly before settling down again. "Michael?" Jay said looking up, there was no emotion in his eyes.

Michael shook his head too, and Jake combed his fingers through his hair. "come on." Michael ordered, grabbing my newly bought clothes from the clerk. As we made our way out of the store, the tension faded, I felt that I could almost see it steaming off everyone. Or maybe that's something that Vampires do? I shook my head; utterly lost to the new world.

"So, what was-" I began before getting cut off by Jake.

"This town has deep roots in vampire, werewolf history. So there are a lot of, gang fights here. You know like north side versus south side? Well, here it's more like vampires versus werewolves. Even humans get involved, so it's impossible to tell us apart. Plus Halloween is coming up, so things get pretty, um... well competitive."

"Yeah, competitive as in deadly." Michael added, "Every year near halloween the Bite Fight starts. Fist fights spring up all over town, massive massacres, torching, eventually it turns to a complete free for all."

"Don't worry, they're fixing that up now. Getting everyone under control. Things have been getting a lot better now, less fights, less drive by's, less deaths." Ben said trying to reassure me, and getting no where near to accomplishing.

"So I'm guessing that for Halloween-" I started again.

"Almost everyone dresses up as Vampires and werewolves, and you know the Twilight series hasn't really been helping out. Now every girl in school expects Edward Cullen to come whisk them away." Jake interrupted yet again.

"But I'd much rather knock them into a dark ally and suck them dry." Michael murmured regretfully.

"Okay if you guys keep-" I said

"Interrupting your sentences, you don't want to live with us any more." Jake said looking down on me, "But then where would you go?" I walked on, pretending to ignore him, trying not to think about it. It stung so much, not knowing what to do, not understanding the situation. I hated this. I took a jump into the unknown, or rather, I was pushed off a cliff into the dark depths of a black sea, and there was a current sucking me under, deeper, and deeper into its emptiness, with no hope of breaking the surface to breath, no hope of being found. then I found myself being pulled down deeper until the light of the sun faded and the world was lost from me.

"Hey man, We're trying to make this easier for you. I know we're doing a crappy job at it and all, but really, just throw us a bone here would you?" Jake said

"I know, I know. It's just that, well, everything is so. It's so... Different." I shook my head. Every single thing that I once thought impossible was happening, so, so fast. One day I'm a normal kid on vacation, then BAM! Now I'm a vampire, in Canada, living with two vampires that can read my mind and one that can turn invisible, in a town with a vampire verse werewolf GANG WAR!!!!

"Dude, don't think so loud it hurts." Jake said rubbing his temples.

"Sorry." I said thinking, "so, when did I completely lose my mind?" I looked up at Jake pointed to him and added quickly, "Don't answer that!"

"Okay." He said raising his hands, fingers spread as a sign of "geeze man calm down," and backed away a bit.

"So where are we off to now?" I asked eagerly.

"Home." Michael answered bluntly.

"That's it? Just home?"

"Yup. Any other questions?"

"Why?"

"Well, I find the town very boring, and we have to check up on the girls."

"Why don't you just do that telepath-thingy?"

"That would be rude. Don't they teach you manners in the states?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Try not to hurt yourself there matt." Michael petted my head smiling leading the group back through the forest.

"So how old are you guys?" I asked.

"Such a curious little mind." Michael sighed.

"I'm seventeen." Ben said.

"Thirty-four." Jake nodded. I looked up at Michael hopefully.

"92." Michael said.

"Yeah, plus, like, a-hundred." Jake laughed.

"Oh would you look at that? Little Jakey can do math." Michael joked ruffling Jake's hair then shoving him slightly.

"Ha, well at least I know how old I am." Jake shoved back. It kept going like that, the pushes slowly increasing, to the point where they were knocking each other into trees with such force that the bark splintered.

"This happen often?" I asked Ben watching as Jake and Michael jumped up and rammed each other back to the ground laughing wildly.

"Not as often since Corbin left." Not the answer I had expected.

"Corbin?" The insults were shooting fast and hard as we pressed on towards home. I watched as Jake and Michael playfully attacked each other at blinding speeds, that left them almost invisible.

"Michael's little brother." I nodded slowly as Jake crashed to the ground beneath Michael pushing him back into the air and jumping after him.

"Where'd he go?"

Ben shrugged pushing his glasses up his nose. "Just don't bring it up again. Michael... He."

"I understand."

Michael and Jake stopped play fighting as we stepped into the clearing around the house. The front looked like a standard mansion. Two pillars on the top of three marble steps leading to the french door entrance underneath a large arch. We stepped through the doors and took off shoes and jackets. There in the living room sat two girls. Both of their faces hidden behind books, Both of them wore their black hair tied back in ponytails, both of them the same dark skin tone as Nerissa and Jay.

"Hello." They both said, putting down their books on the corners of the table, looking up. I almost expected them to have the same childish face and sapphire eyes as Nerissa, but theirs were a dark brown.

"Girls." Michael said. "Please stop doing things in sync. It creeps me out, You're not even related."

"So." one of them said. She wore a dark blue Aeropostale hoodie and had a more mature, fragile look than the other.

"And we do have names, or did you forget?" Retorted the other. She had a sports jacket, and her face had barely noticeable freckles.

"Dariela, calm down and greet our new family member. Acy speak up no one can hear you."

"Hey." They both said.

"Well since you two won't introduce yourselves. That's Acy," Michael said addressing the girl in the Aeropostale jacket. "She gets hurt easily, so it's a good thing that she is extraordinary at healing wounds, and D. she can levitate and teleport, but her attitude makes up for Acy's lack of strength."

"The fridge is restocked." Acy said.

"I'm going to the courts." D. said picking up a tennis racket from the floor.

"Oh, come on D. Why don't you stay and enjoy the company of our new friend." Ben whined.

D. shot him a death glare and headed for the door, Acy just behind her, grabbing her racket from the corner.

"It was just a suggestion."

"Oh, don't forget to feed Snowball." Acy called over her shoulder as she went out side to wait as D. slipped on her shoes.

"Snowball?" I asked as D. shut the door. a heard a weak mew and felt something press up against my ankle. I looked down to see a small white kitten staring back up at me. "aww." I bent down and picked her up listening to her purr.

"Yup they're real animal lovers. At least Snowball is easier to feed than that snow leopard cub D. took in a couple years ago." Jake sighed.

"A snow leopard, really?" the kitten mewed again pressing its face into my hand.

"Well she really wanted a lion cub but, you know."

"yeah I think I do." I put the kitten down on the sofa. "OH shizz! What's gonna happen Fuzz?"

"um? Fuzz? Your cat, I'm guessing."

"Hey I was six and out of options."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm sure, she, he, it... the cat is fine." He said in a taunting tone.

"Yeah, whatever." I mocked rolling my eyes.

I was about to start exploring the house when Michael jumped up behind me and pulled me down onto the sofa yelling, "Slayer Tournament!" he thrust a controller into my hands and quickly turned on the Xbox 360. In all the confusion I didn't notice Jake and Ben squeeze themselves onto the sofa controllers ready staring at the screen like a snake ready to strike.

"Shouldn't you feed the cat?" I asked.

"Already did. Make a name." Michael ordered bluntly. I did as I was told, and fast too, the others were getting impatient.

"Why?" we were waiting for Michael to choose the game.

"What? You don't like halo? We just thought it would be a great way to welcome you. Plus we finally have a use for the extra controller. The girls don't play much."

"I like Halo. It just seemed a bit random." We spawned in the pit my senses focused on the screen. The map was all too familiar, these guys were dead. I maneuvered the turns and someone ran across the screen. I shot. "HA! FIRST KILL!"

"Don't get too cocky man. First kill is never first place."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I said distractedly staring at the screen. I had the first five kills in little over three minutes. I had this game bagged. We kept playing Halo for about an hour, me losing a total 4 times and winning..... well I didn't win.... ever.... I know sad huh?

"How the heck did you get so good?"

"Come on man, we're grown men trapped in teenage bodies what else are we going to do?" Jake answered smirking then yelling, "Rock Band!!!"

We hooked the equipment and started. Rotating instruments after every song, taking turns choosing them. I had fun, genuine fun. It made me feel like maybe I hadn't lost everything, maybe there was still hope. I smiled at the thought, then another one hit me.

"Hey think we can form a real band?" I looked at Jake as we waited for Michael to pick the next song.

"I don't know man. As You can tell, we're very hard to work with and don't getting a long well." He answered matter-of-factly, Mischief still dancing behind his eyes. I wish I knew what you were thinking, instead of it being the other way around. He smirked at me and tured away.

I looked up at Michael holding the mike, standing over Ben leaning against the back of his seat as he maneuvered the screen. "I find that hard to believe."

We kept playing until the girls came back and joined us in our game. They Laughed with us talked with us, their personality was starting to come through, though they were still very preserved. Neither of them did vocals and they rarely put the level above medium. "You'd have to get them drunk to make them sing." Jake had told me, "And good luck doing that part too." I looked at them as I walked back into the living room after getting some water. I watched them laugh and play, all of them together, They had just failed a song, yet still they continued on in their merriness with a new determination, Not a single shout, cuss, accusation, nothing but more laughter. A warmth grew inside of me, and I realized, that for the first time since My mother died, I felt like I was a part of a family, I was wanted, not just another burden. I smiled into my cup as I took a sip. "I'm not alone. I don't think I'll ever have to be anymore."



I lay in bed, the moonlight shining through slits in the blinds covering the sliding door leading to the balcony. I pushed myself up and leaned against the headboard. I looked at the guitar rack shinning in the sliver of silver glittering off the strings of an acoustic, its body hidden in the shadows of my room. I heard Jake turn over in his bed, and I could feel his eyes bearing into me. I let out a slow breath and thought over everything that has happened to me. I remember hearing my father's grueling screams, the sickness that overwhelmed me when I saw the girl covered in blood, the vampire trowing me through the door and being dragged on the dessert floor, the ice cold that ran through my veins as his fangs pierced my skin. Tears came to my eyes, but I swallowed them back down. It was too hard, it was too tormenting. It was too painful to remember. I shook my head, trying to shake away the pain wracking my body.

"So that's what happened, huh?" Jake said pushing himself up. "sick man." he shook his head slowly swiping stray hair from his face.

"yeah." I answered. "Its weird huh? Being turned into the thing that nearly killed you."

Jake chuckled, "You'll come the terms with it on your own time."

"I hope." I closed my eyes and let out a long, slow breath, and for the first time I listened. I heard the wolves howling, their haunting songs ringing through the night air carrying a sorrowful orchestra of melodies to my ears, leaving a vibration in my head as their calls faded into the dark silence of the night. "I've never heard wolves before."

"There's a full moon tonight." Jake said tapping the blinds, making the strings of lights disort themselves before slowly settling back down.

"You don't think?"

"Never learned the difference. I's impossible for us to tell despite all the myths. We'd better sleep. You have a lot to learn before school starts next month."

"Yeah." I yawned, suddenly feeling tired. I heard Jake roll over in his bed. I slid beneath my covers and waited as sleep overtook my body.



The water licked at my feet as waves crashed a long the shore, I could taste salt on the cool breeze that stroked my skin. I looked up at the sky feeling the suns warm rays on my face.

"Where am I?" I whispered, not really caring what the answer was.

"On a beach." Someone answered. I spun around searching for the owner of the voice. "I'm over here." I looked to my right and saw wolf staring at me. Its silver fur glittered with lavender highlights. I looked closer. This wolf was larger than what I had imagined they would look like. It had a large mane of fur lying around it neck. Its golden eyes met mine, and I felt a sort of pride, and recognition. A part of me thought it looked almost like a human, but that was stupid, it's a wolf just a wolf.

"Umm, are you-?" I asked slowly. The wolf opened its mouth in a sort of yawn and nodded its head, the fur on its neck bouncing up.

"Yes... Do you know who I am?" It asked Her voice slow and calming. It sounded so familiar, like I've heard it just as few hours ago but still It escaped me, like a dream on the tip of my tongue. I shook my head in confusion, waiting for an answer. "Don't worry it'll come in time." I was lost. How could something so familiar slip away from me? I'm so close, so close to finding it, yet still it evades my thoughts, slipping away just before I grabbed it. It frustrated me.

"Please, just tell my your name." I pleaded as the she-wolf turned to leave. She looked at me over her shoulder. Her golden eyes bore hard into me as if she her staring into my very soul.

"I am hidden in the great mountains of a yellow stone. I am the birth of February. I am the rolling hills, the sweet scent of lavender, the eyes of love, the stone of valentines. I am those held closest to you, and those furthest away. My name has been known to you long before you knew your own. Now I repeat, it shall come to you in time." the ocean breeze brought with it fog, rolling onto the shore slowly devouring the wolf as she sliped away beneath it, Then the foge turned black, as if it was made of ink. I ran after her wanting answers, but I was lost in the darkness. I felt alone, cold. I called out to the she-wolf, then to anybody, then no one in particular. Soon I found my self on my knees rocking back and forth scared, alone, cold, unsafe. There was something out there waiting to get me. I kept calling out, but long ago I've lost all meaning in my cries. I no longer cared what I was saying. My voice bagan to fail me, My shouts faded to whispers all hope was lost. I would never be found. Tears fell from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. No sound was heard except the one word left on my lips. "Nerissa." I don't know why it was her I was calling for. Nor what it was that ailed me to keep saying her name. I felt the cold chill of the sea breeze brushing my skin. I hugged my self tight trying to find my way out of this desolate fog. Slowly the breeze picked up, the fog began to roll away inland, and I found myself standing again by the waters edge. Relief washed over me, and I let out a soft sigh, and looked up. The sun was hanging low in the sky, the water grew still and looked red, blood red. I took a few steps back thinking that it was just the reflection of the sky. That was, until a hand reached out the water dripping from its mangeled finger tips dripping with crimson. It drove its nails into the sand pulling behind it a morbid body. I could see bones through its skin scarlet liquid poring off of it pooling in the sand. It stood, a clacking noise echoed as its joints as its limbs flailed and shook. I stepped back again, not knowing what to make of this. Then it took a step forward," click, click, click." Its body was covered in torn clothes, it arms were outstretched towards me, Dreadlocked hair covered its face. I shook my head seeing more and more emerging from the bloody sea, all of them the same. The clicking grew louder and more rapid the closer they were to me. I spun and ran inland into the dark fog. I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know what exactly what I was running from, I didn't know what they wanted from me, and I didn't know what lay waiting for me on the other side of the fog, but I did know that I did not want to be caught. My breath came hard as I ran blindly through the fog, The clicking slowly faded into nothingness, but I dared not stop. The fog thinned slightly I could see a few feet around me, I could see trees near by. I was given a string of hope and confidence, and refused to let go. I ran faster, harder, heard the blood rush through my ears. Then, I was out, freed from the desolate darkness, but clouds still hung to my feet, obscuring everything below my knee. I halted, and tried to catch my breath. I felt sweat dripping down my face, and my heart beating hard against my chest. I heard nothing but the steady thud of my heart racing. As it slowed I heard above it, "click... click... click..." I spun around my eyes wide as I stared back into the fog. The clicking slowly grew louder, faster. They were coming. They were coming. I turned to run, but a crash came from in front of me. A wolf emerged from the fog, its teeth bared, a deep growl coming from it throat. It rose up standing on its hind legs at three times my height. "werewolf." I thought grimly. I looked up at it's eyes, golden, glittering with hunger, though not at me but behind me. I didn't feel the natural disgust that I had expected, but still there was spite. I rolled my tongue over my fangs wanting to just slash at its throat, if nothing else.

"What are you doing? RUN!" Some one yelled. No not just some one. It was Nerissa. Her childish voice harsh and demanding. I Tried to start running. I tried, but something grabbed at my feet and sucked them into the ground. I tugged as hard as I could, but they wouldn't move. The clicking kept growing, they kept getting closer. Panic over took me.

"Don't just stand there. Move!" Nerissa yelled again. I spun looking for her.

"I can't! I can't move! Somthing's holding me down! They're gonna get me! they're gonna get me!" I screamed.

Hands shot out from the fog and the werewolf jumped at them. It tore relentlessly at them, and all I could do was watch in terror. The creatures tore at its fur and it let out a wild howl. The howl turned screams, fur turned to skin, but all I could see was a single blood covered hand reaching out for help. I wanted so much to pull out my saviour, To save him from the pain, but at the same time I wanted to run, to rip away from the dreadful scene. Then they came for me. I tried to turn again, but still my tries were fruitless. I felt them digging their nails into my skin. A scream escaped my lips as more and more of them tore at me. They tore and they tore, the pain unbearable.



My eyes shot open, as I jumped up, breathing hard. My heart was thudding in my ears, sweat fell down my face on to the sheets. It was a dream, just a dream. I calmed down slightly and let my head fall back onto the pillow, taking deep breaths. I rolled onto my side to see the sun rising above the trees through the blinds. I remembered the night I fell, my parents standing in the rays of the rising sun, it brought a smile to my face, and ate away the terrors of my dreadful dream.

"Looks like someone had a bit of a nightmare." Jake said stretching and sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Yeah." I watched the dancing rays of light along the walls.

"Was there blood in it?" Jake asked as if it were a perfectly normal question.

"Yeah." I repeated pushing myself up.

"'Kay then. It's just a side effect of vampire venom." He looked out the window, stood up and headed for the closet. "Come on. Like I said last night, 'You've got a lot to learn.'"

He opened the door and tossed me some clothes before pulling out his own. I looked at the closed blinds unsurely then stood up and changed.

"Mmm. Something smells good." I said slipping on my shirt.

"Oh yeah. Smells like Acy's cooking breakfast. Better hurry before its all gone." I followed Jake out the door, and watched as he just jumped off the passage way and land with a loud thud on the sofa. A squeal came from the kitchen as I raced down the stairs laughing.

"JAKE!!!" Acy yelled running out of the kitchen threatening him with a spatula. " I TOLD you not to do that!" She chased him around the living room and into the bright breakfast nook. I walked in awestruck. Above me was a glass dome, around me more glass walls with stained glass pictures built in to look like normal wall paintings. In the middle was a large circular table surrounded by twelve chairs, where D. was already sitting and eating breakfast.

"Morning." She said waving hello with a small smile. "Go ahead pick seat. I don't bite."

"Sure seemed like you did last night." I muttered taking a seat and filling up my plate.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" D. said haughtily, then smiling again as I stuttered an apology, "Just kidding." She laughed.

Jake sat down next to smiling, and piled up his plate with food. "Morning D." He said with a quick wave of his hand. Then I saw the plate on his other side begin to fill its self up. He turned to the seat and snapped his fingers yelling, "Hey Ben, wake up!"

Suddenly Ben appeared on the seat shaking his head. "Morning."

"MORNING!" Michael yelled from behind us.

"MORNING!" we all called back. Michael stretched and took a seat.

"Is it alway this festive at breakfast?" I asked filling my cup with fresh deer blood caught by D..

"All our meals are. Well, except lunch, and sometimes dinner. I guess we're all just morning people." Jake said as I passed the bottle of blood to him. Acy finished cooking the last of the food, and took her seat by D. whom already filled up her plate for her.

"This food tastes really good Acy." I said after swallowing my mouthful of food, then stuffing my face with another bite.

"Thank you." Acy said then added, angrily, to Jake, "See! Why can't you be nice like Matt?"

"Well, I'm not Matt, now am I?" Jake shot back with an angry tone, but their face betrayed them I could see them smiling and hear everyone laughing. Everyone was in good spirits, and having fun. Sometimes stealing off of each other's plates, telling jokes or stories.

"Hey, I met that new girl at the courts with Jay 'n' them." D. said, "She's okay, you know, for a wolf."

"Does she play?" Michael asked with a little bit of interest.

"Not much at first-"

"But it's far better than what I can do." Acy cut in.

"Acy, Snowball can play better then you." Jake said pointedly.

Acy opened her mouth about to yell back a witty comment, closed it again then said, "Yeah you're probably right." We all laughed as Snowballed Mewed almost on perfect que.

"Most of the time she just sat and drew," D. continued after the laughter died down. "Oh! you know what? I have some pictures!" She disappeared. No really she just poofed, except with out the "poof" part. A few seconds later she was back in her chair with papers to pass around. They were all beautiful, all fifteen of them were just like miracles on a sheet of paper. My favorite was a picture of two hands reaching out to each other loosely wrapped with a ribbon. I felt a connection with the picture. Maybe because it reminded me that even though I'm falling into a brand new world there were people here that will catch me. I smiled at the picture and passed it on. All of us had our own favorites, and each picture seemed to draw out a different part of my life, even dreams i couldn't quite remember. Looking around the table I knew that they did the same for everyone else too.

I wandered through the house, my fingers tracing its walls as I went. Bored I stepped out into the middle of the living room admiring the world behind the glass wall. Near endless mountains surrounding us, each covered with an impenetrable layer of green.

"Jake! Can I go outside?" I called, sounding as if I were asking my father. At first I laughed at the thought. Then, I remembered what had happened.

"I don't know ask Michael!" came Jake's reply cutting through my sorrow-filled memories.

"Michael" I screamed at the top of my lungs making my voice fill every inch of the house. Somewhere upstairs, I could almost hear Snowball jump. "Can I-"

"Yes! Just go!" Michael answered. Eagerly, I pushed on the metal handles that open double doors that lead outside. "but don't go too far, we live right next to the wolves!"

I nodded at the warning and stepped outside, gently closing the doors behind me. I felt the fresh air hit my lungs, and the first thing that I noticed was that I wasn't cold, I couldn't feel it. Everything around me told me that I should be cold. The wind shaking the tree tops, the dead leaves scattered loosely across the ground, a tell-tale sign of summer's end and fall's beginning. I let out a long sigh, taking everything in. This was it. There's no turning back now. I walked around the small clearing that was now my backyard. Soon, I found myself plunging into the depths of the woods that surrounded me. I stared up at the trees branches trying not to trip over their roots and struggling to see the sky above me.

I'm not sure how long I was walking. I wasn't sure where I was, or how I would find my way back.I didn't really care. Not until I heard a voice. It sounded like a whisper, like someone didn't want to be found. I ducked behind a tree, slowly moving towards the voice, until I could make out words.

"yeah, yeah. I know." The voice sounded slightly familiar. I went closer from tree to tree. "No. No. No. Wait what?"

I peeked from around the tree, and gasped.Nerissa paced back and forth her phone pressed to her ear, a dog at her heels. Ducked back behind the tree, as the dog turned my way.

"What's it, Terra?" She said, "Hey, about Jay, why'd you. Oh. 'cause he said. Yeah? Yeah. A'ight, I see. Also, about why I'm here. Uh-huh. Yeah, I think I. No. No! What?"

I wished I knew who was on the other end, what they were saying. I pressed forward straining to hear the conversation.

"I think it's him. The wha'? Ye-yeah. I don't have any evidence yet. No. Do I need to? nnnnnK. yeah. Sure. A'ight. Bye.Yeah, you too."

I peeked out again, seeing Nerissa shove her hone into her pocket. She called her dog,and together they walked off. I stood there. My breath caught in my throat as she turned away. A breeze came, stroking back her hair, just long enough for me to see her face. Just long enough for me to get caught in her innocence. Just long enough for me to fall in love.

I staggered back, fighting the urge to run after, calling out her name. I turned away, and followed what I guessed was the boarder between our lands. My mind swirled. I guess that's why I almost didn't hear her when she said.

"Found it." I looked up, to see her picking a notebook off the bench, her bright smile hidden behind the wall of bangs that covered her face. The smile dropped when she saw me staring at her. It was clear that both of us were completely confused. I broke the silence smiling.

"Hey." I said, fearing that my voice might break.

"Hi?" She answered, as if she wasn't sure she were using the right words. Her bangs moved slightly as her head twitched to the side. "You're that boy from the other day. Matt right?"

"Yeah." My smile widened. She knew my name. "And you're um?" I pretended not to remember. I heard her laugh softly to herself, and she smiled back at me.

"Nerissa." She said softly, barely audible, still unsure of herself.

"Nerissa. Right. That's very pretty name. Different too." Her smile grew, and I could almost see the blush spreading across her face. I could faintly here her mutter a thanks before I went on. "What's that?" I pointed at the notebook she held. She pulled it close to her chest stuttering for words. I stepped closer to hear her better.

"It. It's nothing really." She said, looking away. I changed the subject, and sat on a near by tree trunk, and she sat across the border on a rock. we chatted for sometime. She started opening up to me. Telling a few stories, jokes, though I still did most of the talking. She checked the time on her phone and said that she should be going, saying that it was nice to meet me. She actually walked across the border to hug me good-bye. As she wrapped her arms around my, I felt like the world was set on fire, and I couldn't get burned. I smiled and waved as she walked away. She was amazing. Physically, there wasn't much very outrageous, other than her eyes, but as a person she was... Perfect. Fun, funny, sweet, kind, loving, musical, exciting, generally just great. Maybe it was just me, but I swear she was Perfect.

I walked, in what I was sure was the way back home. I felt like I was walking on air, like I could just fly up into the sky right then and there. Nothing could get me down. Nothing. I was FREAKING INVINCIBLE! I laughed to the skies, spreading my arms out, and spun around, skipping clumsily over tree roots and rocks, but I didn't care. This whole thing could be one huge tree, and I never wanted to wake up. I stopped, looked around me, and just to make sure I pinched myself.

"Ow." I whispered, my smile grew. This wasn't a dream, I won't wake up. This was my life and I was Loving it! I started laughing as loud as I could, and dropped to the ground struggling for breath.

"Think it's contagious?" Someone said from somewhere be hind me. I rolled over, still smiling, and looked up at a group of three. Two boys about my age, one with curly, shoulder length, surfer style hair, complete with with a hemp shell necklace, anklet, and shorts; the other was hidden underneath a black hoodie at least ten times too large for his lanky body, and jeans that almost hung around his ankles. At the site of them I started laughing again.

"Matthew?" The man in the middle said. There was nothing abnormal about him, nothing to laugh at. He seemed like a genuinely, over-all-good-person. I pushed myself up, and dusted off my pants nodding "yes." The man smiled with me, "I'm Jared. The other, how you say 'vamps,' call me the Prince of this area. These two boys are Jason and Philip."

"'Ello." I said, saluting in my greetings, then bowing to Jared. He laughed politely, and told me that the bows were appreciated, but unnecessary. I caught a glance at the lanky boy's faces, he had on glasses, and looked.... Hispanic? I shook it off figuring I shouldn't start thinking about something else and forget why I was feeling so... What's the word? Chipper? That's it. I was feeling chipper.

"Lost kid?" The surfer boy asked. Which one was he? Jason or Philip? I shook that one off as well, smiling even brighter. "C'mon, we were head to talk to you at the house anyway."

"'Kay." I said simply, shrugging. I shoved my hands into my pockets and resisted the urge to take of skipping. Not exactly the best way to impress the Vampire Prince... Of the area. You really don't have to be a supre vampire genius to figure out that he was in charge here.

We arrived at the house shortly, and almost as soon as we got there, Michael and Jake started complaining about the other boys' presences. they said something about jason being a very bad word and not wanting the house to be tainted by a quater breed, at which Michael hissed at Jason...Or was it Philip?

I waved at them happily and walked over giving Jake a curious look. I twitched my head towards the new people. Well, new to me at least. They might've been here for, like I don't know, a-hundred-something years. Heck, maybe even a thousand.

"Sir?" Jake said addressing Jared. Jared gestured to the sofa for us to sit. We did. Jake and Michael played wither their thumbs nervously as I just stared into space completely lost, with no idea what was going on, but hey it's cool. I just hung out with possibly the greatest girl on Earth. Who cared if I had absolutely no idea what was going on! Jared paced in front of us letting out a long breath as the silence stretched on. Soon we were joined by Ben and the girls.

"How should I put this." Jared began, "I know all of have become very attached to Matthew over such a short time. I just came back from a meeting with the tops. He. He can stay." Everyone jumped to their feet screaming in joy, including me, since this was the only part of this conversation I remotely understood.

"This calls for celebration!" Jake yelled.

"Yeah! how 'bout It Dad?" Michael added.

"What? Your dad!" I yelled shocked, giving a skeptical glance at Jared. "What else have you guys forgotten to tell me?"

"um, your fly was down the entire time we were talking." Michael answered pointing down.

"It was a rhetorical question, and... You're joking right?" Despite myself I checked anyway. There was another roar of laughter as I punched jake playfully.



blasting music rang through my ears over the roar of laughter and buzz of conversations. Everywhere I looked there was a smiling face full of flashing fangs. We were at Jason's or the Party House. I pushed my way slowly through the crowd, trying to free my self from its grip. I struggled forward, unsure of my direction. Finally I broke free, gasping in fresh cool air. I spun around trying to find my bearings in the vast living room.

"Hey," someone said. I turned to see Philip leaning against the wall, a drink in his hand, "Congrats. Wan'a drink?" He asked tilting his glass to me. I waved it away shaking my head in disapproval. "Don' worry there's no, no, no alcohol in it. Might as well be though, the way it, it makes you feel."

Uncertainly, I wrapped my fingers around the the glass and brought it to my lips. I let some of the liquid fill my mouth. It tasted no different than the other blood I've drank before, but as it swirled down my throat I felt a kind of warmth seem to melt away my worries. Joy radiated from within me. I shook my head almost shocked.

"Wow." I said simply, "what? wha-wha what?"

"It's human blood." Philip explained "They don't give it to you when you first turn, 'cause you get a, ad, addicted. It's very rare to have so many Vamps drinking human blood at the same time, but as Jared said, 'tonight we feast!'" He laughed raising his glass then taking a giant gulp.

I Laughed remembering Jared saying those exact words Before the party started, raising a glass of bright red blood to us. I remember everyone cheering as he stepped down from the coffe table he used as a stage. Over that I remember the morning when I overheard Jake and Michael. Feasting

"So feasting, that means drinking human blood?" I asked, though pointlessly. Philip made that clear already. "how along ago d'you get here?" I asked trying to spark a new conversation.

"Couple months. I used to live down south. A small town, In,in, In um Texas." He answered Pretending to be distracted. My curiosity was sparked by this. I wanted to know why he seemed so uncomfortable on the subject.

"Oh cool, me too." I said thinking of home, how much fun it had been there, "Why'd you come up here?"

"I... I... I..." He stammered, " I had a fight with my, my, my, I fought with my parents. I needed. I just. I needed to get away." He looked down, trying all he could to avoid my eyes. What was that made him so uneasy?

"You have any girl friends?" I asked, probably taking a step too far. He looked up, staring straight into my eyes, searching for something, but what it was, I couldn't have known. Eventually he lelt out a puff of breath and shook his head.

"Well." he began reluctantly looking down. He let out a sigh and started again "There was this one girl."

"And?" i pressed stepping close to a line, but he didn't push me back.

"That's it," he said blankly, "no girlfriend. We went to different schools. The only reason I knew her as because of her brother, but we stopped talking after he quit martial arts. Last time I saw her, she was at the annual 'Trinity Peace Dance,' with her boy friend."

I winced at the ring of pain in his voice. I could only imagine how that felt, but the look on his face was enough from me.

"geeze that sucks." I said walking and leaning up against the wall next to him as he took another drink. "she must've been somthing, huh? What's her name?"

"Back hame everyone called her Psycho." He shook his head and chuckled, "If you met her you'd know why. That insane little girl."

" little girl?" I asked getting ready to run and yell pedifile if needed.

"She was a human, about your age, and a total wolf. Just 'cause she loved aimals so much." He sighed in nostalgia, remebering the days when he was with her.

I digested what I was being told. He really seemed to like this girl. I let out a sigh think of all the pity dates I've had, and how many girls came back to me.



I crashed onto the bed not even bothering to cover myself before sleep took over my body filling my mind with dreams and nightmares wracking me in my sleep. That night I dreamt of them again. Nerissa and the wolf. It terrified me. The blood that I saw the carnage and destruction I was forced to see.

My head shot up off the pillow. Jake turned to me surprised by my racket. His eyes were wide with worry. For the third night in q row I found myself sitting in bed. Sweat dripping from my brow, stuggling for every breath. I shook my head and looked out the window wiping my face. The moon hung low in the sky abd the stars were beggening ro fade. I swung my feet over the edge of my bed facing Jake. I leaned my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands staring pointlessly at feet. I felt Jake's eyes watching me before a rusting of sheets told me that he had rolled over to get more rest. My thoughts spun as I watched a shape, disorted by the silver moon light. Slowly I was pulled into reality and found that the happless shape infront of me was a piece of cloth, laying torn and shapeless slightly beneath my right foot. I kicked it away and as it flutter through the air, I saw the shape of my shirt litterally ripped from my body in all of my nightmares. I sat there trying to find the strength in my limbs. I felt cold sweat dripping down my bare back as I pushed myself up. I stummbled over to the closet grabbing new clothes.

"Hey, I'm gonna take a shower." I whispered, but Jake had already drifted back into his dreams, his fingers twitching as his mind was resolved into the collection of point pictures.

I slowly made my way to the door and rested my hand on the door knob. I let out a soft sigh and twisted it open.

There was a thud and a soft squeak as the door hit something. I slid out carefully and softly shut the door behind me. I found myself standing in front of a rather dazed and injured acy. She held her arm and looked up at me.

"Acy?" I asked surprised

"That hurts you know." She said holding her arm, and looking at me angrily.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"What are you doing without a shirt on?" She asked defensively, pointing at my bare chest.

"That doesn't really answer my question." I retorted shaking my head slightly. "Why are up?"

"You tell me." she answered crossing her arms and cocking a brow at me.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower," I said copying her, "so it'd be really nice if I could get to the rest room."

Acy rolled her eyes and stepped pass me continuing to her bed room. I watched as she left me and walked into her room. After a few secoinds spent staring at her locked door I continued to the restroom.

I listened as the door clicked shut, and locked it before turning to stand infront of the mirror out of habit. I was almost surprised by what I saw there staring back at me. I ghostly image of myself, my relfection looked just like me, but I wasn't sure it was me. It was like in those dreams about people you know, but there's something off about them that scares you away from them. After my initial shock, I tilted my neck so that I could see the two holes pierced into my skin by a blood addicted rogue vampire. I traced my fingers tips over them shivering as they temporally met nothingness. Then I spun around to inspect my back. Large scars wre painted across my skin, where sharp shards of glass sliced through it like daggers. The worst of them though was one running from the top of my right shoulder blade down to my tail bone. It glistened beneath the light seeming more like someone stroked a brush across my back.

I threw open the shower curtains and turned on the hot water. I sat on the edge of the bath feeling the water rush over my feet. I turned on the shower and stepped in feeling the warm water beating against my skin, washing away the sweat and grime clinging to my body, and with them the horrors of my dreams. I let a breath of release as my entire body began to relax under the steady stream of water pumping from the shower head

As I scrubbed myself down I my thoughts lost track of themselves.

stay way from her. I found myself thinking as picture of Nerissa flashed through my mind. stay away from my sister! Then the pictures of Nerissa turned to pictures of her and a boy. He looked a lot like Nerissa; the same hair color, the face, the only real difference was that he had brown eyes and he was clearly older. A sharp ring echoed in my head. It hurt bad, jumbling up every thought in my mind. I closed my eyes and clutched my head trying to rid myself of the pain. Every thought seemed like a puzzle to me. All my scars seemed to burn. It felt as if my entire back was set on fire. Eventually the pain left me, but I was left breathing hard on my knees.

I stepped out of the shower turning it off, dried myself, and changed. This night was so weird. First the dream, then Acy, now this? What's next I turn into a bat? I chuckled at the thought. Wow.

I stepped out of the restroom, getting ready to go downstairs, when an idea occurred to me. I looked over at Acy's bedroom door, surely it was locked tight. I creeped over, making little to no noise as I snuck across the carpeted floor. I pressed my ear against the door, listening closely to the sound of movement on the other side. I heard her whispering softly, and wondered what she was saying. I pressed all my senses forward imagining what it was like on the other side. I was so focused I almost jumped when I felt something furry rub itself across my leg.

"Not now Snowball." I sighed relived as I saw the small cat looking up at me. I pressed my ear against the door again.

"Matt," Acy said loudly on the inside, "I know you're out there. Give it a break."

I took a step back. I was so close. I turned around and hurried down the stairs. With another sigh I jumped onto the couch and flicked on the tv keeping the volume down low as to not wake up anyone. I flicked mindlessly through the channels, but it was too early for anything good to possibly be on. The sun began to peek over the trees tops a while later. Soon everyone would be rushing down for a wonderful breakfast made by our very own Acy. The same Acy that's upstairs locked in her room. The same Acy that had attempted to heal the thousands wounds sliced across my back and could very well have taken my life. The same acy that had healed all the wounds that wracked my body as I fought that day. Thinking about it, I owed her one. Actually, I owed her more than one.

I stood up and walked to the kitchen finding all the pots and pans, and raiding the fridge for food. I took what supplies that I knew and made a real southern breakfast. I made some Texas size pancakes and french toast, with a side of sunny-side-up, over easy, and scrambled eggs mixed with bits of bacon, and large bacon strips and sausages. I had just finished setting the table when Acy and D. came down the stairs. The scent of southern cooking filled the room, and I found myself wrought with memories of home.

"Wow." Acy said.

I looked up at her rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly stammering over an explanation.

"Did you make all this?" Acy asked.

"WHAT!?!" D. yelled eyes wide in shock. She shoved pass me And took her seat grabbing a bunch of food. She looked at it almost reluctant to try. I watched as she stabbed her fork into a sausage and took a bite. "whatchaaaaa!" She yelled stuffing her face with pancakes and waffles.

"So I'm guessing it's good?" Acy asked laughing filling her plate. Footsteps echoed above us as the guys came charging down.

"I heard yelling!" Michael called as he stormed into the breakfast knook. "whoa-kay? What's this?"

"Matt cooked." Acy said smiling her thanks to me.

"ye isf oods." D. mumbled with a mouth full of food.

"Hey guys. What's for breakfast?" A blonde, white girl snuck up behind Michael And leaned against the doorframe.

"OH MY GOD!" Michael yelled, spinning to face her. "Brittany you are such a dick! How the heck did you get in?"

"The door was open." Brittany said, laughing so much she almost fell over.

"Britt, You're not supposed to be here ntil... Later." D. said once she swallowed her food. "Training doesn't happen until after breakfast."

"yeah, but i got hungry." Brittany said taking a seat and filling up her plate, "Wow Acy, you really out did yourself this time."

"Oh, I didn't cook it." Acy replied as everyone else joined in the feast. "Matt did." She jerked her head at me.

"Matt?" Brittany looked up at me, "Oh, hey, there, Newbie!"

She stood up giving me a good pat on the shoulder. I laughed awkwardly, shaking her hand, and mouthing the words, "Who is this chick?" to Jake.

"Matt this is Brittany, Michael's half cousin." Jake laughed.

"Geeze Michael, You're related to everyone aren't you?"

"Oh no," Brittany cut in, "His uncle bit me. D'you wanna see the bite marks?"

"NO!" everyone yelled jumping out of their seats. Suddenly, the oven timer went off.

"Oh, I forgot!" I yelling running to the kitchen, "I've got a surprise for you."

I came back holding a plate of ribs, smothered in barbecue sauce just like me and my dad made them back home. Everyone was quick to devour the new food presented to them. As we all sat full at the table licking our fingers, we began reminiscing on the old days.

"These ribs sort of taste like the one's i had the last time we went to Houston." Brittany said, "Except they had more pepper. Oh! that reminds me of this one time i went to a barbecue with-"

"i Enciiérrele niña molesta! i Nadie cuidados sobre su vida!" D. yelled out cutting off Brittany from her tale. Everyone turned to her more with blank confusion, than surprise.

"What? I'm white! I don't know what you're saying." Brittany retorted causing a roaring laughter to erupt from around the table.

"She said, 'Shut up you annoying little girl. No one cares about your life.'" Acy translated bluntly, then joining into the second wave of laughter.

"Don't you think thats a bit harsh D.?" I asked smiling giddy with laughter.

"You just wait man. It'll get to you." Ben said leaning across the table

"Hey!" Brittany yelled arms spread in a threatening position, then relaxing as she said, "Naw, you're probably right. Alright lets go train now!"

"What? Already?" I asked turning to her so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "But we just ate!"

"And you point is...?"

"¿oh, usted acaba de dejar le dio una rotura? usted haven' t incluso comenzado con todo y you' re sobre el trabajo de él." D. said yelled again. "Just ignore her."

"He can't ignore me, I''m training him!'

"WHATEVER!!!!" D. yelled again standing up.

"And they're both going with you to train." Jake said laughing slightly," Good luck. If the training doesn't kill you, they sure will."

"Oh, joy." I replied chuckling.

"Come on, Matt. Its gonna be a long day." Acy sighed, pulling D, away from the table.

I stood up and followed them outside, with Brittany close behind, spitting insults at D. whom replied quickly in spanish. The way to the training grounds was long and full of, words so obscene I won't even list them. Acy even joined in, yelling a few insults at Brittany, usually ending up getting a stick thrown at her.