In the End

Chapter One

I drew back the curtains and stared out at the shadow-drenched scenery in front of me. I couldn't see details, only a basic silhouette. It was too dark.

It was the middle of the night. I was extremely exhausted, but I couldn't sleep, not while I knew what was out there. They petrified me. Some people tried to persuade me, telling me not all of them were evil and drained you completely, and although I fooled them into thinking I believed what they had said, nothing could alter my opinion.

A shriek filled the night. Months ago, I would have jumped a mile, ran for safety and cried; now I was unaffected: I'd heard it all too often. Of course, it still increased my fear and disgust of them.

Hilary came down the stairs, rubbing her weary eyes. She had obviously fallen asleep: she was dressed in her pink satin nightdress and her chestnut brown hair was knotted and slightly bushy. She yawned.

"Have you even been to bed yet?" she wondered, sitting casually on the settee with her legs up.

I shook my head. "No. I can't."

"You really should get some rest. Keep your strength up. Kai made that mistake."

I bowed my head, recalling my lost friend.

Flashback

"Go! Run!" he called behind, over his back.

"I can't just leave you here," I murmured.

"You'll be killed!"

"Let me stay and help you fight them," I begged, looking around for a weapon. "You can't beat these alone." Eventually I found something to battle with: a wooden pole.

"You can't fight with that, you moron!" Kai panted. "Do you really think it'll do any damage?"

"I could ram it through their hearts," I suggested, "like a stake."

"Are you joking? One end's blunt and the other has been rounded. You'd have great difficulty trying to impale these guys!"

"It's worth a shot."

Kai coughed, lost his balance and stumbled, but managed to stand again. "Go. There's no room for argument. Move. Now."

"You're still ill," I speculated.

"I'm fine! Move!" Kai growled. "Ray, I won't tell you again!" He sobered slightly. "I'll be fine."

"Promise me you'll come back safe."

"I will."

"Swear it!"

"I swear to God! Go!"

I turned my back, blinking away tears, and sped down the street towards home.

Only, Kai didn't return like he promised. I never saw him after that moment. The last thing I heard of him was his struggle against those vicious blood-sucking demons.

All that happened about a year ago. For the first few months, I'd wait in this exact spot, staring out and looking for him. My friends tried to tear me away, but when I was adamant that he'd return, they left me to my own devices. They grew increasingly worried about my behaviour. I'd sit here, throughout the day months later, not eating, not sleeping, not talking, not nothing. In the end, they called a psychiatrist. But it didn't help. I had several sessions, but after many attempts he gave up on me.

"Ray?"

I tried to hold it back, I really did. I was supposed to be strong in front of my friends, now that Kai had gone. But nevertheless, I sobbed uncontrollably, crying into my forearm.

My head jolted up. That was how Kai used to cry, too, on those rare occasions.

"When will you return?" I cried into my arm again. "I miss you!"

"Ray…" Hilary repeated softly. "We all do. Terribly so. But you have to move on. You need to see the reality of things. It's… unlikely Kai survived."

"Don't you dare say such cursed things while I'm in the room!" I hissed. "I will not give up on Kai! I know he's out there… somewhere! He never gave up on us!"

Hilary took a step back a little. She whimpered.

"What?" I asked once I'd calmed down.

She shook her head. "It's nothing." I stared at her. "It was just the look in your eyes then… it scared me."

My eyes automatically widened as I jumped to conclusions and made my assumptions. "You think I've been bit? You think I'm a vampire!"

"I didn't say that!"

"You thought it!"

"You don't know that!"

Suddenly, there were footsteps on the stairs. Max's blonde head poked round the door. "What's going on?"

"She… Do you think I am too?" I faltered, realising how close Hilary and Max were.

"Do I think what?" Max pondered.

"Do you think I'm one of those things too? Do my eyes scare you? Do my fangs protrude from my mouth?" I screamed.

"No, I don't. Your eyes are lovely. And your fangs do protrude from your mouth due to natural reasons. You're a neko-jin," Max answered. "What suddenly brought this on?"

Hilary piped up. "His obsession with Kai, that's what! He's got it into his head that he's still alive and he's going to turn up sooner or later."

"I know what he's got into his head, Hil," Max replied coolly. "Go upstairs. You're not meant to be getting stressed out. Think of your unborn child."

Hilary brought her hand to her stomach by instinct. She scowled and made her way to the stairs.

I sat down, staring back outside again. Max took Hilary's previous seat. There was a matter of minutes of awkward silence in the air.

"Kai's gone," Max said softly. "You need to accept that."

I expected his words to hit me like a ton of bricks. They didn't, however, which shocked me in a way itself. I guess it made me take that giant leap to getting better; but even still; the void in my heart was still there.

"I know he's alive though."

"How, Ray? There's no way of knowing."

"But I know. I can sense him there."

Max didn't know what to say about this, so he stayed as silent as the grave and stared at a patch of carpet.

"Sometimes… the link between us is strong; other times, I can hardly feel it there. But I know he's alive. I believe it with all my heart," I explained.

"I know, but sometimes what you believe is not necessarily the truth." Max stood. "Your mind will often play tricks on you, just to please itself."

I watched him leave in the direction which Hilary had also left via his reflection in the window. Silent tears flowed down my ivory cheeks.

"Where are you?" I wondered. "I can sense your presence: it's strong. So where are you?"

A sudden, sharp crash echoed around my ears. My head bolted to the left and I saw the door fly through the hallway. It shattered into splinters as it slammed into the wall opposite.

I stood precariously, retreating to the other end of the living room. What if it was a vampire? I didn't know what to do. Kai had told me before. Rammed it into me as though it was a need-to-know thing. He had a fixation with these creatures. But now that I actually needed the words he said, I couldn't recall them. I used to be able to sit down, anywhere and anytime, and recite them perfectly from the top of my head. But now I was at a loss.

The intruder was now at the door to the room. His foot stepped in, a black leather boot, and I got the biggest shock of my life…