I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. All I knew is that some way or another, I was going to die. I could hear his footsteps coming down the hall and I wedged myself in closer to the alcove beneath the desk. I took the photo out of my jacket pocket and stared one last time at my soulmate. My breath slowed as I stared at the picture remembering that day as if it had only happened yesterday. A minute passed. Two minutes. The footsteps had stopped. I waited for a few moments, but nothing happened. I couldn't hear anything, but the sound of my own soft breathing. Holding my breath, I crawled out from the alcove and stood up slowly. The lights flicked on, and I was momentarily blinded by the bright lights. My eyes adjusted and I saw him standing not two metres away from me. I stood still, staring into the eyes of my killer. My soulmate.

***

The night was young and as my dad would say "colder than a spoon in the icecream tub." My dad was always spouting what he called his 'words of wisdom' to anyone that would listen to him. It was a cool night; winter had come early and all the young people were getting ready to celebrate the end of another school term. The party was being held at the old Kenneth manor down by the lake. It was a huge structure; built in the early 18th century and standing three stories tall. Some people said it was haunted, but most of the town didn't believe those "tall stories" as my dad would say.

I looked at my watch; I had twenty minutes before my friend Louisa would be here to pick me up. She was driving over in her new Mazda 6 her parents had bought her for her birthday two weeks ago. Louisa was spoiled that way. She was an only child and usually got what she wanted. But she was still my best friend and had been so since we met in preschool.

I hopped in the shower and quickly lathered up my favourite shampoo. I had worked that day at Mrs. O'Reilly's gifts and jewelry store and had spent most of the day unpacking boxes from the last shipment that had come in yesterday morning from Sydney. My muscles were tight and my feet ached so I took more time than usual letting the hot water seep into my tired body and loosen my muscles. Hopping out of my shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and ran down the hall to my bedroom.

"You alright, Al?" my dad called from downstairs. He was probably watching the football, his favourite past time.

"Yep, just getting ready. Lou's gonna be here soon. Let her in if she knocks, ok?"

I rushed into my room without waiting for an answer. I surveyed my closet racking my brain for something to wear. The temperature was only about 16 degrees outside, so I quickly put on my favourite pair of jeans, a red singlet, and a black jacket. Drying my hair with a hairdryer so it fell in caramel waves down my back, I expertly applied eyeliner and mascara to accentuate my dark blue eyes and lip gloss. I knew I wasn't the prettiest girl in school; Louisa took that position, but it didn't hurt to try.

Zipping up my boots, I heard my dad and Louisa talking downstairs, so I grabbed my purse and rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping on a shoe my dad had left on the stairs.

"Geez dad! Do you think you could clean up after yourself? I could have killed myself!"

Louisa was giggling too hard to say anything, but my dad looked at me with his sad face he always did whenever I scolded him.

"Sorry, Al." He looked at Louisa and burst out laughing with her.

"You should have seen your face, though,' he said between chuckles.

"Oh ha, ha. Your daughter could have died and all you can do is laugh." My dad and Louisa were always laughing at me; clumsiness was one of my faults and I always managed to give them a laugh at least once a day.

I glared at them. "I'm going now. Obviously you two can't control yourselves. Goodnight dad."

I turned to leave, but Louisa grabbed my arm.

"Sorry, Al. You have to admit, it was pretty funny," she said.

"Whatever," I said, pushing past her to get out the door.

"Goodbye, Aleera," I heard my dad say, "Back before one, remember."

I sighed. "Bye Dad. Don't wait up."

Louisa and I walked out to the car.

I first saw him when I was getting a drink from the counter. Louisa was talking to a guy from school and the rest of my friends were dancing. I was tired from working all day so I grabbed a coke and took a long drink. No one else was in the kitchen so I wandered over to the fridge and looked at one of the child's drawings that was stuck to the door. Nothing special, they showed a house with a group of stick figures standing out the front. It was hot in the brightly lit kitchen (easier to see what type of alcohol one was getting) so I took my jacket off and turned to drape it over the kitchen counter. I got a shock when I noticed someone, a boy, no, a man standing in the doorway, staring intently back at me.

"Oh, you gave me a fright!" I said, my heart pounding.

He didn't say anything; he just stood there staring at me. His stare intimidated me and when I finally looked at him again, my heart nearly stopped. He was insanely good looking. He looked to be around nineteen or maybe twenty, a couple of years older than me. He was very tall and he looked slim though he was probably quite muscled under his shirt. I didn't know because I couldn't tear myself away from his face. I could use only one word to describe it: perfect. As though carved from stone. He was very pale though and his eyes gleamed with a green light that seemed to draw me in. I don't know what came over me but I longed to run my fingers through his wavy brown hair.

I didn't know how long we had both been standing there, but my jacket slipped through my hands and we both jumped, startled at the sudden noise.

"Hello," he said, "my name is William. And yours?"

I swallowed hard. "Aleera."

I stood still, not believing. Not caring. Not thinking.

"Aleera, please. Look at me."

"What do we do? She's not saying anything. She looks dead."

I could hear Louisa and the others talking, but I couldn't focus on what they were saying.

"Aleera, listen to me!" Louisa, grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. I tried to resist, but her hand slapped me, hard, across my face.

I felt the pain, but I didn't say anything. A tear dropped down my face.

"Oh, Al, I'm sorry!" I could hear her crying, but I still didn't move or say anything. I heard someone enter the room.

"Is he still out there?"

"Yes, Ben and some others barricaded the door, but we don't know if that can hold him. I've never seen him like this. I think something's happened to him. He's not himself."

"What can we do?"

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to stay put and hope he calms down."

"Calms down? He's not gonna calm down! He's a vampire, for Christ's sake!"

The room fell silent. I could feel the tension in the air.

Louisa spoke first.

"Will's not himself. You know he's not like the others. He wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially Aleera. One of the Old ones must have gotten to him."

His name jolted me out of my reverie. I had to see him. It hurt to be away from him. I stood up and began walking towards the window, but Kate grabbed my shoulder before I could look outside.

"She's trying to see him. Aleera, no. Stay here."

But I shook her off and before any of them could stop me, I walked to the window and yanked up the sash.

He saw me before I saw him. He was standing at the end of the path, looking straight at me. It was Will, but… it also wasn't Will. His eyes gleamed red, not the perfect emerald eyes I was so used to.

"Grab her!" someone screamed. But it was too late.