My Very Own Story
Written by: Dakota Leigh Teets
Introduction
This story revolves mainly around me, Candice Anamosa Mathews, and other Magical Creatures. Yeah, I know what you are thinking; this is just another sappy fairy tale full of troll, fairies, and other ordinary magical creatures. Well, if you feel that way, you are very, very wrong. These aren't your ordinary "Magical Creatures". So just read, and if you are not satisfied, I will guarantee that you will have just wasted valuable time. No, I'm joking; I believe you will enjoy this book. So you should read on now……..
PREFACE
I went out into the kitchen where my roommate, and my oldest best friend, Gabby was cooking me a birthday special. I was turning nineteen, and I was trying very hard to forget the dream I've been having every night for the past week. I went and gave Gabby a hug. She said the mail was on the table, so I went over and went through the mail. Junk, junk, bill, junk. Wait, second thought. What in the world? Oh my God, its here, it's finally here. The most important thing in my life is a letter from Zachenary.
CHAPTER ONE
It was the summer after I had turned nine years old. My parents had gone away for the weekend on a business trip to the Congo. I really didn't know exactly what they were doing there. I was pretty sure it was one of those things where my dad, being a lawyer, and my mom, a great secretary and his helpful partner in, well, I cant say crime, but justice, were called for an emergency meeting.
I was staying with my best friend Gabby while my brother stayed with his best friend. Gabby was tall for a nine year old. She had just lost her front two teeth and could make funny noises. She had long black hair and looked more Latin then she ever claimed to be, but we thought it was so cool to be from a totally different Heritage than me and Amanita.
Amanita was my other best friend. Amanita was the youngest of the three of us. She had reddish freckles and had the coolest laugh and she knew it. When we were five she came over to my house while Gabby was over and just sat in my bedroom laughing the whole time. It was a pretty contagious laugh actually.
I was the eldest and I was more boyish than girlie. But being nine it was cool. My mom called us the three musketeers because we were always together. You couldn't say Amanita and Gabby without Dakota, and Dakota without Amanita and Gabby. We were like mini Charlie's Angels.
So Gabby, Amanita, and I were walking to the Nobrooks stream. We did normal nine year old stuff while we were walking. Like making up songs or talking about how we would be best friends forever. Along the way we met up with some of our guy friends, Carmello and A.J. when we reached the little river bank we thought of what might be a good game to play. They all looked at me.
"What? Um I guess we could play the army game." I said.
They all sighed. I was sort of the person who thought up all the games. We played the army game all the time, being that was my favorite game to play.
"Well I guess we could play, humph, um, ah hah! I got it! We're going to play vampires."
The girls looked a little disgusted when they heard vampires, but I told them that they were vampires who had powers. They liked that because they could invent their own powers.
So we played for a while. But they played it all wrong. Vampires don't suck other vampires or humans blood, they suck animal blood. The boys looked confused. I told the girls that vampires weren't gothic, they were just regular. Sort of like humans, but way more beautiful.
They got mad and Gabby said "How do you know so much?"
So I replied, "Because I am one. And I am best friends with one."
Gabby said, "Well, what's his name? She is soo lying." They all laughed.
I ran off before I could answer. I kept walking until I was tired. I started to play vampire alone. I played for such a long time it was not even funny. I felt as if I was being watched, but I could not see if anyone was there until I heard, KERACK! I was frightened by such a monstrous noise. I thought it was a bear or something else big. So I hid behind a log. And what surprises me most, even today, was what came into view….
CHAPTER TWO
The thing that came into view, actually it was a person of some sort, was more beautiful than any human I had ever seen. My mother, who said that babies were the most beautiful things in the world besides her children, would take my brother and I off the list if she had seen this beautiful creature. I can remember what he looked like, exactly. He had blue hair, actually his hair changed from blue to red and back again. His hair was in a skater boy's fashion; it was short, but it was also long. He was wearing an outfit that you would only see in an Abercrombie magazine. He was tall and slim, but he was muscular. He smiled in a way that you could see little fangs! I didn't, I couldn't believe that I was looking at a vampire, not just any normal vampire that I drew. He was an actual vampire, without the cape and blood dripping out of his mouth! I thought I made them up, I didn't think they were real, well; actually I never thought anything magical existed, except for Santa Claus.
I was afraid that something was wrong with me; shouldn't I be afraid that a vampire would hurt me? I felt no fear at all for that magnificent creature. I slowly stood up and walked towards him, I am still not sure if I wanted to go over there, or if he mesmerized me and made me go. But I know that I kept walking towards him, and as I did he slowly turned around to face me. I was blown away; he wasn't much older than I was.
"H...hello." I managed to cough out.
"Hello, how are you today Candice?" he all but sang out the words.
"How did y...you know my name?" I asked
"I know your name because you called me here. This is where you said you'll be, and so here I am. If you want, I could call you Candy. I heard that your friends call you that." He said.
He still kept using a voice that rang like bells.
"I am not trying to be rude or anything, but dude, I don't know who you are. So how could I call you? I don't even have a cell phone." I said this with more confidence; maybe he was just wearing a costume or something.
He laughed. And if I said that Amanita had the best laugh in the world, I lied. This guy had the most beautiful laugh in the entire universe. It as like eating chocolates, you just felt good. He seemed to notice that I enjoyed his laughter, so he stopped. So much for my chocolate comparison! He seemed to suppress another giggle. I wish he hadn't though.
He said, after his laughter had passed, "I didn't mean call as in phone call; I meant that you cried out in your mind that I come. So here I am. I am here to help you."
Well, I don't know what to say. I had a tarot card set and it said that you can call upon the fairies using the special prayer. I tried it, but I didn't call upon the fairies. .I had created a vampire and prayed to him. Maybe it did work.
So I said to him, "Well, there seems to be nothing you can help with." It actually came out harsher than I wished. I thought that I should take it back, but I couldn't make the words come out. I kept staring at his face; I think I just developed my first crush, ewey!
He laughed this time, and I made a confused face. He said "Apology accepted."
I was bewildered, I hadn't apologized, I only thought about it. Wait, I read about this somewhere. It was in Twilight. Edward, the vegetarian vampire, could read peoples minds. Maybe this vampire could do the same thing.
I looked up, I saw him studying me. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes, I can. I am a vampire. My name is Zachenary. I do not mean to frighten you, even if you're too stubborn to admit that you are. If you're wondering if your tarot card prayer worked, it did. I am not here to hurt you. I promise."
How could anyone argue a promise like that? Let me think, anyone in their right minds! I should be running off in the other direction, but I guess there was something in his voice that sounded like I could trust him. I had to think of something to say, I couldn't just stand there staring at him. Well I could, but he would just laugh to himself again, he is probably just listening to all of my thoughts. I have one, here Mr. Vampire, listen to this: I do not, and will not allow you to suck my blood. If you come near me, I will throw a sucker punch at you. Yeah, that's right, be afraid, very afraid.
That really sent him into hysterics. I couldn't help but laugh as well. He abruptly stopped laughing. I started to muffle my laughter when tears started rolling down my face. He started to hum to himself. It was Symphony Nine by Ludwig Van Beethoven. He walked around me; I think he was studying me. He stopped three inches away from my face.
He said, "Come, I must show you something, and you must never ever tell anyone. Not even Gabby or Amanita. Do you promise?"
Heck yes! How could I argue with a face like his? He was beautiful.
"I don't know, maybe I guess. If that's what you want Zachenary."
That was the first time I had used his name, and it rolled off my tongue. That is weird to say, rolled…off….my…..tongue. Ewey! So I followed him into the dark abyss. No, it was actually very bright out and I just followed him in the woods.
CHAPTER THREE
We walked for three minutes, and they were the longest three minutes of my life. I normally am good in the outdoors, I never trip on anything, but it seems that today I'm tripping over everything. I thought the walking was never going to end and that he was going to take me somewhere deep in the woods so he could suck my blood. But he abruptly stopped walking and said to me, "Here we are at last, this is the list tree.
I walked up to it and I could see that all over the tree were names of people. Some names were crossed out. I turned to Zachenary and said, "What is this tree used for?"
Zachenary walked towards the tree and touched it. He said to me, "Sit down and I'll tell you a story."
I sat down and Zachenary started his story.
"About three thousand years ago, before either of us was born, this forest was full of life. There used to be a hidden civilization that inhabited magical creatures. Like trolls, fairies, and of course vampires. We all used to live happily and never bothered anyone. Then one day, a human boy got lost in the woods and fell upon our civilization. He became our so called prince. Whatever he wanted, we did, as long as he kept our civilization hidden. We were all more than pleased to do this, for he was just an innocent child and could be trusted. But, as every human eventually does, he grew into a man. His life was intruded with sins and lies. His society told him lies about our civilization. Vampires were called bloodsuckers, fairies were called fake, and trolls were called bridge livers. He was convinced that we were bad, and told the authorities where we were. But because your society is numb-skulled….no offense" He said to me.
I just nodded.
He continued, "Anyway, no one believed him. So he came and turned the fairies against the trolls, and the trolls against vampires. But luckily, we weren't so easily fooled. But the fairies and the trolls built a wall to keep us all separated. Hence the list tree. We can't just make vampires, because we aren't evil. We won't force anyone to join us. But we can drop hints to humans that allow them to call upon us. And once a year we come to the list tree and choose all the names of humans that have just turned nineteen."
I quickly asked him before he could start again, "But if you already have vampires, why do you need more?"
He laughed and said, "That's a good question actually. Well, every vampire is born, and each is destined to have a compatible mate. But their mate isn't born from vampire relations. The vampire goes into the human world and finds his or hers perfect match. It isn't like normal love. It is based on a higher degree that humans cannot understand. Not every human was born to have a vampire mate, only the luck ones."
"Lucky ones?' I asked.
"Again, I should have explained it better. When a vampire finds his or her mate, they love their human unconditionally. They will protect their human no matter what the cost, whether it is life or death. Humans who marry other humans feel love, the emotion, not love, the way of life. Do you think you can understand it now?"
"Yes, I understand it now. So the list tree is where the chosen humans write their name? And every year you select the name of a human who has just turned nineteen. Why not eighteen or seventeen?"
"Well, we cannot choose a seventeen year old because they aren't adults yet, and they can't live on their own or make the right decisions We can't choose them when their eighteen because they need to experience what its like to be a human adult. We choose them at a very young age so they know they always have another option to life. They can decide once their nineteen if they still want to transform." He said.
I let it all sink in, and then it hit me. "Wait, I called upon you, and you came to show me the list tree. Am I going to be added?"
He said, "Well, it took you a while, but you managed to find out on your own. Yes you are going to be added, only if you want."
"So… who's my lucky guy?" I said looking around.
He laughed and said, "Me!"
CHAPTER FOUR
I must of past out or something because when I opened my eyes I was not in the woods anymore, but in Gabby's room. I sat up and looked around, Gabby and Amanita weren't back yet; probably going berserks trying to figure out what to say when her mom comes and sees I'm not there. Well, they deserve it. I stood up and went to the window, maybe I had dreamed the whole afternoon. I sighed at the thought. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
"What was?" Came that beautiful voice.
I looked behind me and sitting in the rocker was Zachenary. I ran over to him.
"I have a question that I didn't get to ask you before, how old are you?"
"I am 19; I've been that way for almost three hundred years. I only look nine so that I wouldn't frighten you. Oh, and I knew you wanted me to, so I added you to the list tree." He said.
"Oh, thank you." I replied. I was so happy.
Then the front door opened, and you could here Gabby and Amanita calling my name. I made a worried expression.
"I have to go, I won't see you for a while, but I will wait for you. I will always be looking after you. And when you're ready, I'll come for you. I promise."
He disappeared as Gabby opened the bedroom door. And that's when I woke up to the sound of my alarm.
CHAPTER FIVE
Just a dream, I thought to myself as I got up to brush my teeth. I kept having these dreams every night now. It might be the fact that today I would be turning nineteen; but one never knows. I walked out of the bathroom and quickly changed into shorts and a polo shirt. I went out into the kitchen where my roommate, and my oldest best friend, Gabby was cooking me a birthday special. I was turning nineteen, and I was trying very hard to forget the dream I've been having every night for the past week. I went and gave Gabby a hug. She said the mail was on the table, so I went over and went through the mail. Junk, junk, bill, junk. Wait second thought. What in the world? Oh my God, its here, it's finally here. The most important thing in my life, a letter from Zachenary. I told Gabby I was going to take a quick jog and then I would be back. I left before I could here her protest my decision. I started to open the letter. But quickly put it back in the envelope until I got to the park. I sat at one of the picnic tables and took the letter out. I read it really fast, and then I took out my pencil and filled the paper out. When I was down the letter looked like this:
August 26, 2008
Candice Anamosa Mathews
1232 Greenwood Court
21206 Baltimore Maryland
Dear Candice,
Dear Candice this letter is of certain issues that may make no sense to an average person of normal heritage. I think you know of what orderly I come from. You have also been added to the list tree because when we first met I promised you that when you turned nineteen you would be added. For Protection of OUR community I must send only certain things and a set of directions to our society.
Thanks,
Zachenary
P.S.P.S: I have typed up a list of the secret language so no one can understand it, except you.
P.S.P.S: Happy Birthday!:)
Secret Language:
a b c d e f g h I j k l m n
o p q r s t u v w x y z
I left spaces so you can write in English underneath.
Go to Nobrooks stream
Walk past the big
Oak tree
Sit on the rock
Wait there until you
See a rattlesnake
Don't freak out
Follow it
Of course, he only sends a letter on how to get there. I only met Zachenary for a brief of time, I wish he would just come and get me himself, not make me wait for a dumb rattlesnake. But it's what you have to do for love. I haven't seen Zachenary since that point, but he has written letters, that I cannot reply to because there is no return addresses, but I know that I love him; I don't know what vampire love feels like just yet, and I'm not sure if this is what human love is like, but gosh darned, its pretty close to feeling like heaven. Yeah, even though I'm mad he didn't come himself, I will just deal with it; because I know I'll be happy in the end, so, let the journey begin. I got up from the park bench and quickly ran back to my apartment. When I got to the front steps I just stared at my apartment. It was a horrific shade of pink, almost like someone threw up all over it. We had bright yellow shades, with stripes of bright green going every which way and that. I can remember what I thinking when gabby was showed me her design plans.
A DREAM FROM THE PAST:
"So, what do you think about the apartment?" Gabby asked.
"Oh, I absolutely adore it, who picked out the shades?" I counter asked.
But what I really thought was: Oh My God! She can't be serious? These are the ugliest design plans I have ever seen. It's bad enough the main building has fifty different buildings, but no, Gabby has to deliver a little slice of disgusting, everywhere she goes."
BACK IN REALITY:
I should have told her the truth, but she would be very unhappy, darn my sensitive feelings for others! So I managed to stop staring at my monstrous dwelling, and went into the house. Gabby was standing crossed armed with a heart broken expression, smeared across her face.
"What took you so long?" she cried out.
"I was only gone for ten minutes," I said, trying to make her happy, "Where is my birthday special? Or did you eat it all?"
HHHdghtyjhtder face brightened up and she walked to the table and lifted a cover off of my heart shaped plate. Yum! It looked delicious. The breakfast was a cake shaped donut, cake shaped eggs, scrambled, and of course a cake. "Oh, Gabby, you shouldn't have. It looks, and smells delicious."
"Yeah, I did outdo myself this year." She said, almost braggingly, "But that's what friends are for, so eat and enjoy!"
I took quick bites, it wasn't that great. But gabby looked so happy and I couldn't help but smile. As soon as I was done eating I excused myself from the table and went into my room. I quickly got a bag filled with my toiletries and some clothes. I went to my desk and got some papers and a pen. I shut my door and went into the living room. I went to gabby. She could read something on my face, and said "What is the matter Candice?"
"I'm leaving for a while, I'll be back." I crossed my fingers behind my back as I said this.
She gave me a big hug, and walked me to the door. I held back the tears until I couldn't see that ugly apartment anymore. I drove into the city of Baltimore and then I came into the county. I drove on into the Harford county line and I found a place to park my car.
