It was a frightening chilly night in Ricketts Glen. Sixteen year old Valkyari, or Val as she likes it, was walking home, late, after her shift at the local Starbucks. She wasn't expecting the weather to be this cold. All she wore was tight, black skinnies, a False Start tee, and a thin hoodie and circa's. Val's nose, matching her cheeks, was a pinkish color against her pale skin. Her black curls hung low below her shoulders. Val shivvered as the wind picked up, causing her to hug herself to keep warm. She wasn't even close to home, and worst of all, she had to go through the creepy cemtery near her house.

She hated it at night. It was utterly scary. And the wind howling like it is made things even more unbareable.

Val had a sudden dread wash all over her body. A memory that stained the back of her mind. A year ago, almost exactly a year ago, her now eighteen year old sister, Cordelia, had passed through this very cemetery, wlaking home from a late night school activity. That night, she had met a deathly mezmorizing man, a man that she fell in love with, a man who happened to be a vampire. She was kidnapped and forcefully married to the creature of the night. And that very night, her best friend, Phoebe, was murdered by a vengenful vampire who hired another vampire to do his dirtywork. Now Cordelia was crazy obsessed with finding her friends murderer with a little help from her vampire hubby and his friends.

Was this to be Val's fate too? Falling in love with a creature of the night and having her best friend, Darcy, murdered too?

Val started to sing to herself, silently. That always calmed her down.

"Was it you who spoke the words that things would happen but not to me, Oh things were gonna happen naturally," she sang. " And taking your advice and I'm looking on the brightside and balance and that whole thing. But often times those words get tangled up in lines and the bright lights turn to night. Until the dawn brings a little bird who'll sing about the magic that was you and me."

The wind started to blow heavier and thivker as she dang, and caused her pants to become even tighter around her legs. And her purse, which hung on her shoulder, moved along with the wind, slipping off every now and then.

Val stopped at the enterance of the old cemtery. She sighed, and entered death's wasteland.

She slithered through old tombstones and monuements honoring the dear and departed. Once in awhile, she would stop and analyze the old tombstones, observing the names, dates, and epiloges. She wondered how many of the dead were murdered. A brief sadness rolled over her.

Val had heard a sudden crunching sound all around her.

"Squirrels," she hissed.

She walked gingerly on her path with her ears open and her mouth shut, listening for any unnatural noises, and her que to run. The crunching and whisping noises came closer together, faster, like footsteps. Was she being stalked?

Val's paced quickened. So did the haunting footsteps. She started to run...faster! Faster! Tripping over rocks, sticks, and tombstones. Picking herself up and ignoring the prickling pain from the scrapes and scratches on her hands and knees.

The noise was all around her. Stomping, running, leaves and sticks crunching, all around her. Her heart was ready to jump right out of her chest. The cold biting her skin. The needless pain, unbareable but handled.

She screamed. A frightening, heart pounding scream. She fell backwards, hitting her head on a tombstones, still conscious, still aware. It was an owl. Val was embarassed, hoping nobody heard her scream.

But the embarassment soon left as fear re-entered her body. The footsteps returned. Her heart pumped, thumping louder and louder. Val got to her feet, the footsteps grew faster as did her heart. She ran behind a big tombstone, hoping that the footsteps would pass and forget about her.

Only then did she know that the footsteps weren't after her. A man emerged from the shadows, more scared than Val, running, trying to find safety. Five others were after him. They ran so fast it was like they were flying. One was leading the four others behind him. Val's purse lay in the running mans way.

"Oh shit!" she gasped, biting her words.

He had tripped over her bag and the leader of the flying men came to a sudden hault. He gracefully, but angrily, made his way to the man laying in the ground. His long hand extended out to the grounded man's throat, lifting him off the ground. Choking, suffocating.

His grip got tighter around his throat. He motioned to one of his followers to approach him and his victim.

"This is him? Am I correct?" he asked in an irresistible, deep voice.

The follower only nodded and said, "Only one of them." he sounded just as seductive as the leader.

The leader slowly handed the choking to the follower, and stepped back.

The follower grinned and pulled out a very large, sharp knife that shone brightly in the moonlight. He stuck the choking man with the knife, pulling the knife down slowly, ripping through the flesh as the man screamed out in pain. He was gutted like a fish. And the follower seemed pleasured by the blood and blood splatter.

Val felt sick. And frightened more than ever. Was she next?

The leader stooped to the ground, picking out Val's purse, observing it and chuckling to himself.

"I think we need to return this to it's owner." he smirked, staring in Val's direction.

to be continued...