Prologue

Reeka jolted up in her bed, awoken from her terror-filled dreams. She was breathing heavily, looking around for the source that had awoken her. There it was sitting on her left night table, mocking her with its shrill tone and flashing lights. Reeka picked it up and groggily answered it.

"What is it? I was sleeping peacefully before you interrupted me," Reeka said, lying through her teeth.

"Oh come on baby don't be like that," her boyfriend's masculine voice replied smoothly into her ear from the other end of the phone. Reeka sat up completely in her bed, more awake now.

"Hello Andrew… Is something wrong? Is Sarah alright? Has something happened?" Reeka's hurried and worried voice reached his ear.

"No, no, calm down. Sheesh Reeka calm down, everything is all right. Sarah is just fine, actually I do believe she just got home and should now be changing for bed," Andrew reassured the now angry Reeka.

"Then enlighten me Andrew. Why the hell are you calling me at..." She paused to look at her little blue alarm clock beside her bed. "At 3:52 in the morning. God Andrew I need to sleep eventually you know, unlike your buddies I can't sleep in my history class or in my creative writing class," she said somewhat aggressively.

Andrew was slightly taken aback by what she had just said. He had thought she would have been happy to hear from him. "I'm sorry. I was just calling to make sure you had gotten home okay." His worried voice made her anger melt away like butter on a hot summer day in July.

"Oh no, I'm sorry Andrew it's just I'm tired. I have a huge biology assignment due tomorrow that is worth thirty-six percent of my grade and to answer your question I got home just fine. Ryan dropped me off about an hour ago, just like he said he would. I'm just lucky that my parents weren't home yet, but they are now so I can't talk long."

"No it's okay I understand. I am sorry for waking you sweetie," he apologized.

"It's okay. Thanks for your concern but I should go back to sleep," she said, with a yawn to prove her point.

"Alright, I'll see you in school tomorrow. I love you," he said with sincerity in his voice.

"Yeah see you then, and I love you too." Reeka flipped her phone shut and threw it back onto the table. "I hate it when he does that." Reeka slide back down into her aqua-colored fluffy blankets and snuggled closer to Mr. Bear, silently thankful that Andrew had woke her up, for she had been having a night terror about vampires and other horrible demons that plagued her dreams.

Damn those horror films she had watched all day with her friends, although there hadn't been much watching of the movies. Most of her friends were too interested in the anatomy of the person sitting next to them. Aaaahhhh stupid teenage friends and their raging hormones. I solemnly blame them and only them – the hormones that is. Well that and the physical attraction that they had for one another.

Well that is all except for Ryan and Reeka; they had actually been watching the horror films. While Reeka had been trying to watch the movies with Ryan, Andrew had been kissing Reeka's neck for a good half an hour before he had realized that she was not going to play back.

After Andrew had given up on Reeka he had stormed off, disturbing the other couples. Ryan looked at Reeka, who shrugged and then continued to watch the movie warmly in the comfort of Ryan's much larger body. As Reeka recalled her memories of earlier that day, she slowly drifted back off to sleep.

Let's explain a little bit about Reeka's life: she is the captain of the cheerleading team, class president, captain of the debate team and still finds time in all of this to keep a 4.0 average. Reeka is also the most popular girl in school, has great friends and is dating the captain of the football team, who is also the start quarterback.

Ryan is the fullback for the team and is second in command next to Andrew. He is also one of the biggest and most muscular guys in their school. Above all of that he is Reeka's best friend and in his life Reeka comes first. No one else's life is above hers in his book – not even his own. But even though Reeka has all of this – a perfect life, perfect family, perfect boyfriend, and perfect friends – she hates it. She hates all of it because it's all so fake. Like those cheap plastic ninjas from the twenty-five cent machines you get at the local grocery store. On the inside she is screaming for someone to help her, save her, but no one hears her cries.

Until now…

As Reeka slept in her horror-filled dreamland there was someone outside her window watching her, studying her. He looked about the same age as her, sixteen or seventeen maybe, but he was oh-so much older than that. He tilted his head in question as Reeka groaned and snuggled even closer to her stuffed bear that she squeezed in her arms. He wore a black trench coat, faded tight blue jeans and a tight dark blue shirt that looked black in the darkness of the night.

His hair was spiked all the way around and in every direction, it looked almost sharp to the touch. His light, hypnotic, ice blue eyes sparkled as he smiled widely, showing off his perfectly white fangs. He glanced up at the moon. Tomorrow was the full moon and it was also the night before Halloween. He had planned on eating her tomorrow night, after she got home from the epic party at Andrew's dad's house that everyone who's anyone was going to.

He had only been stalking her since two nights ago. It wasn't that much of a deal to him and it was just for food – nothing else. He decided that he should leave before someone saw him. He jumped out of the tree that was right next to her second storey window that was perfect for sneaking in or out of, depending on the situation and the time of the night.

He walked down the street before disappearing completely out of sight. Reeka jumped awake from her dream right before the vampire in it had bitten her in the neck. Her breath slowed as she removed the hand that was attempting to cover the spot that had almost been bitten. Reeka looked out her window, having the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.

She lay back down after confirming that there wasn't anyone at her window. Even though she knew there wasn't anyone there she still had the feeling that she was being watched. For some odd reason she just couldn't shake the feeling, no matter how hard she tried. Reeka kissed Mr. Bear on the nose one more time before falling back to sleep, thankful she had study hall first tomorrow morning so at least she would be able to rest instead of having to use her tired brain in her class, like she would have to in any other class.