Love vs. Death

The story of when love and death both can kill.

Erika Morris

Sarah was a normal teenage girl. Then she met Gregory, a Russian guy who moved there right as her love life was about to hit "never". Attraction sets in and then she finds out why he really came to her little town and chose her over her model friend, Annalise. Can he make her believe his intentions now are pure? Will he die trying to save her? Or is it all just a dead end?

*~*~*PREFACE*~*~*

He was watching her as she rushed by in her car. Why had he let her go? Why did he have to tell her the truth of who he was and what his purposes were? Was it because he didn't want her dead or because he wanted to die himself? Or was it because he loved her? He knew they were coming. He only had a few moments to remember his time with her. To remember her touch and the way she felt in his arms. The taste of her on his lips was fading fast. He wanted to be near her but knew the risk. He sat down and went through his memories of her beauty and grace; waiting for his end to come.

*~*~*CHAPTER ONE*~*~*

Sarah Lormane was waiting anxiously for the bell to ring to start the first day of school at Hellman High. She tended to stay away from everyone and today was no exception. Her best friend Annalise Jones was with her. "Say come on cheer up. Today we get to pick out which guys we might have a chance with and start flirting." Sarah looked up and smiled at her friend. They were completely different, but equaled each other out. Sarah was short and curvy, with long dark brown hair. Her facial features were cute and her eyes were hazel but they looked green. She wasn't the kind to go up to a guy and say hi. She kept to herself. Annalise was tall and straight as a board. Her platinum blonde hair was in a pixie cut to complement her gorgeous face and bright, blue eyes.

She was loud where Sarah was quiet and loved to hook up with guys. She wasn't a whore but she wasn't exactly innocent either. Sarah shook her head. "No Anne that's you. I read and do homework while you party." She looked back down at the book she was reading. Anne took the book from her and threw it behind her shoulder. "Sarah you have to get your nose out of those novels and into the real world. No guy likes a girl who won't give him a moment of attention." Sarah looked at her. "Are you crazy? That was my favorite book and I've had it for years. And I don't want a guy who won't accept me for me. Which isn't any guy around here and you know that." They heard a cough from behind Anne and both turned around.

A tall guy was standing there with Sarah's book. "Did either of you drop this?" He spoke with an accent. He had long, black hair that covered the right side of his face. He was wearing a leather jacket and dark, denim jeans. His shirt was fitted and dark to match the rest of his clothes. Sarah couldn't stop staring. Annalise stepped in. "New kid? I'm Annalise Jones. My friend Sarah Lormane lost her book earlier this morning. It's her favorite. Didn't you Sarah?" Anne elbowed her in the ribs. "Ouch...oh yea. It was given to me by a close family member that's no longer around. Thanks for finding it." He looked at her, then to Anne and back to her. "Sarah Lormane? I like your name." She could feel herself blush. "What is your accent? Is it British? It's hot," Annalise said.

Sarah shook her head. "It's Russian," Sarah said. The new guy looked at her. "Yes that's right. How did you know?" Annalise was glaring at her. "My mother was from Russia. She talked with that accent," Sarah said while looking at her feet. "My name is Gregory Belikova. Here is your book Sarah." He looked down at the cover for the first time. "This is Wolf Moon by Charles De Lint? It is one of my favorites as well." Sarah took the book from him and when their hands touched, her hand felt like it was being burnt with ice and something flashed in front of her. It was herself. She shook her head. "Thanks Gregory." She smiled and he turned around and walked away. Annalise looked at her. "I call dibs." Sarah's heart sank. When Anne called dibs on someone Sarah couldn't do anything. Anne always got her way. "Ok. You can have him." The bell rang and they went their separate ways.

*~*~*CHAPTER TWO*~*~*

Sarah was the first one in the class, which gave her time to think. Anne had acted so weird outside when Gregory was talking to her. She had called dibs on a guy that probably wasn't interested in either one of them. Someone coughed at the front of the room. Sarah looked up and Gregory was standing there. "Fancy seeing you here." He made his way to the back where she was sitting and took the seat next to her. "Yea, I'm really smart so I'm taking a lot of honors classes." He stared at her. "You're more than just smart Sarah." She looked down at her desk and covered her face with her hair. He brushed to hair from her face. "Don't cover up that beautiful face of yours. It'd be a waste." She smiled. "I can't be seen talking to you. Anne will be super mad." She looked at him.

He looked confused. "And why would little Anne be mad because I want to talk to you?" His voice was velvet to her ears. She laughed, "Because you want to talk to me and not her." It was his turn to laugh. "I cannot help wanting to talk to such a pretty girl over her friend." She blushed for the second time that day. People started coming in the classroom to get ready to start the new year. "Say Sarah, how about you and I go and catch a movie or grab some coffee after school? Please…just you and me." She began to shake her head. "Anne...I can't..." He looked at her. "Answer this...do you ever get what you want? Are you happy watching Annalise get all the guys she wants and leaves you the scraps? Don't you want the first pick?" She thought a moment, and then answered him, "Of course I want to have the first pick, but I want a guy who can accept me for me no matter what. That means he has to be ok with the geek in me as well as the rest of me, and I don't want to be pushed into things, which is the only thing guys want around here. If I find a guy like that then I'll fight for him. Of course there is no point right now."

He sighed. "Sorry if I'm a bore to you," Sarah said. He smiled at her. She had to catch her breath. He was gorgeous. She thought he was good looking outside but didn't really pay attention because of Annalise. His hair was the right length to be masculine and with his jacket off she could see the muscles on his arms and could only imagine what the rest of his body looked like. She shook her head. She wasn't the kind to wonder about what a guy looked like. She never cared. But there was something different about him. He had something none of the other guys had. Why was he here where she was? Why was he trying to get her to hang out with him? It didn't make sense. She couldn't help but smile back. He had an infectious smile. His eyes were the color of the ocean when the sun set, he smelled like he had just come from a walk in the woods. He was everything she ever dreamt of when she imagined a guy she wanted to date. "Sarah..." The way he said her name made her heart skip a beat. "Please go with me to get some coffee at least." Who was this mysterious Gregory Belikova? Where did he come from? And why was he here? She wanted answers. "Fine I'll go." He smiled and turned to face the front of the class room as the bell rang and the rest of class came in, including Annalise. When she saw Sarah with Gregory she sat in the front of the room. Sarah put her head on her desk and closed her eyes waiting for the day to end.

*~*~*CHAPTHER THREE*~*~*

After school, Sarah met up with Annalise to confront her and tell her she was going to get some coffee. "Hey Anne I'm going to get some coffee. So I won't need a ride home after all." Annalise didn't say anything. "What is the matter with you? What did I do?" she asked, hoping it wasn't about Gregory. Anne finally turned around. "You know what you did. You betrayed me. I called him first. He's mine. If you were my friend you won't talk to him ever again." Sarah was shocked. How could Anne do this to her? It's not like she wanted him to talk to her. Well she did but that's not the point. "Anne, just because you called dibs on a guy doesn't mean I can't be friends with them." Annalise looked at Sarah. "If you're my friend you'll back off." Sarah walked off. She hated that Anne was mad at her.

She spotted Gregory by his car and began to walk toward him to say their coffee break was cancelled. As she got closer and closer to him she got madder and madder at Annalise being mad at her because he wanted to talk to her and not Anne. When she reached his car she had made up her mind. "Are you ready for some coffee, Sarah?" He smiled that ridiculously beautiful smile of his that made her smile back. "Of course I am. Let's go." They got in the car and headed toward town.

When they reached the coffee shop, Sarah was starting to feel bad about Annalise. Gregory saw that something was bothering her. "What's the matter, Sarah," he asked her. Sarah shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just worried about Annalise." Gregory sighed. "You shouldn't worry about what people think. No matter whom the person is. If you want to hang out with me then hang out with me. Don't worry what jealous Annalise has to say. If she was your friend she'd want you to be happy. Am I right?" Sarah looked at him. She knew he was right. She shouldn't care what Anne thought. If she wanted happiness then she should do whatever it took to be happy. "Thanks Gregory." He smiled at her. "I'd do anything for you." His accent was something she could get used to.

They both got a small coffee and headed to the back of the cafe. "So… Gregory, tell me a little bit about you," Sarah said as she took a sip. He thought a moment. "Well, I moved here from Russia about two months ago. I miss my home there. I love to read and I love a girl who loves to read also." She smiled at him. "Ok well what about other things like crazy ex's that stalk you, favorite music, colors, and books, and what you look for in a girl." Sarah was shocked at her boldness in asking him things like she wanted to be his girlfriend or something. He laughed at her and she couldn't help but blush. "You needn't worry about ex-girlfriends, I have none. Favorite colors are black, white, and blue. Books: mystery novels, fantasy novels, and historical fiction. And music, let's see, I'd have to say rock. Now what about you Sarah Lormane? Who are you?" She blushed again because he was focusing on her. "I have never dated anyone. No one comes close to what I'm looking for. My favorite type of music is anything mellow, favorite colors are blue and green; my favorite books are fansty novels." He looked at her. "Mellow music? Huh. Maybe if you came over one day I could get you into something and little more edgy. Want to come over and I introduce you to a little mellow rock for now?" He winked at her. She smiled. She wanted to say yes but she just met him and knew next to nothing about him. "Maybe some other time," she said. He looked at her. She always dreamed of a guy who would sweep her off her feet. Would this new guy be the one for her?

*~*~*CHAPTER FOUR*~*~*

Sarah was enjoying herself and her time with Gregory. He was so far the only guy she was comfortable with. He was hansom and charming. He was easy to talk to, which was a first for her. She couldn't talk to guys as easily as she could with him. They had just finished their second cup of coffee when they decided to leave. "Well, that was more fun than I thought it would be," Sarah admitted. He looked at her and smiled. "What you doubt my fun skills?" She had to laugh. He's probably had more fun in a week than she has had in her whole life. "No Gregory I don't doubt you," she said quietly in the car.

She wondered if the offer to hang out at his place still stood because she didn't want to leave him. She was having too much fun now. She had forgotten all about Anne's dramatic speech about staying away, about how her best friend wanted to be with him and wanted her to stay away, about the hell Anne would put her through when she found out. She just didn't care at the moment. She could feel him looking at her and she blushed. "Why are you blushing, Sarah?" She couldn't answer. She was too focused on his velvet voice. The way he said her name made her heart beat faster. She hoped he couldn't hear it because she sure could. "Sarah?" He looked at her again. "Oh I was just…I could...were you staring at me a moment ago?" she asked. He laughed. His laugh was so captivating. "Yes Sarah, I was looking at you. You're beautiful." She could feel herself blush even deeper. She didn't know what to say. No one had ever talked to her like that. "Thanks," she finally said. He cupped her chin and made her look at him.

"Sarah...you are...the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes upon. Please do not doubt the words I say. I speak only the truth," he said in a deep octave, like he was trying to hypnotize her. His hand was burning her in the same way it had that morning. She wanted to shake it off but was scared to move. "Ok, Gregory. I believe you." He let go of her face. "Do you want me to take you home or back to the school? You know you can still come to my house." The look on his face was almost pleading. She wanted to say yes. Oh God did she want to say yes, but she couldn't.

He was everything she had to avoid. To her surprise she found herself nodding. His face shined with his smile. "Great!" He was so excited. They rode in silence for a while. "So…how did you and Annalise meet?" Sarah thought for a moment, how had they met? "It was freshman year, and I was new. Well, really everyone was new but I had started in the middle of the year. Everyone made fun of me because I was quiet and shy and well, fat. It wasn't something I could help. She stood up for me that very first day, ever since she's been my best friend. Until you showed up and then she got jealous." She hadn't realized she was talking quietly until she saw Gregory lean over like he couldn't hear her. She blushed. "Sorry I was so quiet. It's hard to think about how she could be so cruel and when I finally find someone I'm interested in, she completely flips out because she wants him. Again sorry now I'm babbling." She looked down and proceeded to say nothing. He had stopped the car in front of a beautiful Victorian style house. She was so stunned. It looked like something her great-grandparents would live in back in Russia. "Do you like it?" he asked. She couldn't reply. She was in complete awe.

"Do I like it? No; I love it," she finally said. He walked her up the walkway and led her into the house. "My parents aren't home. They work late. If you get hungry let me know and I'll fix you something," he offered. "Thank you, but I should go home for supper. Either that or call and say I'm going to go out." She smiled at him. "So… ready for the grand tour of Casa De Belikova," he asked in a fake American tour guide accent. She laughed. "As long as you don't talk like that through the whole house, I'll take your tour" He led her upstairs. Pointing to each door, he explained the room's purpose. When he got to the last door in the hall, he opened the door. "This is my room." Sarah looked around. It was spacious. The walls were painted hunter green. A very big bed was in the middle of the room against the wall. It was made of a dark wood. His roomed looked like a forest.

Just like his sent reminded her of a walk into that forest. It was unbelievable. "Do you like the outdoors?" she asked. He nodded. "Oh ok I thought so." She looked around the room some more. "It's very earthy, and it makes me think of a forest," she told him. "Hmmmm…" was his only response. "It's my favorite place. Sorry I'm rambling aren't I?" she said. He laughed at her. "Just a little sweetie," he said. She blushed when he called her sweetie. "Uhm…well…" she said while trying to find the right thing to say. "Well…what Sarah?" She sighed. Her heart was beating so hard she knew he had to hear it. He looked into her eyes and stepped closer to her. She held her breath. He put his hand under her chin and gently lifted her face to his. "Sarah…" he said upon her lips. With the sound of his voice saying her name, she lost all self-control and pressed her mouth to his. The kiss was everything she wanted her first kiss to be. It was slow and passionate. Even though she had only met Gregory that morning, she knew there was something between them. He pulled away too soon for her liking. "Wow. That was great…sorry, I know you know it was great. Sorry I'm rambling again." He didn't say a word but pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. This time she pulled away when she heard her phone ring. "Crap…It's Annalise," she said disappointed. "He made her look at him. "Don't answer it. She'll only cause you harm." Sarah ignored him and hit the answer key. "SARAH! How could you! I didn't know you could be such a slut! I had dibs on him and you know it. You were supposed to be my friend but I guess you don't care about anyone but yourself." Sarah was too stunned to answer, so Gregory took the phone. "Hello Annalise. This is Gregory. You shouldn't be so hard on her. You may have had dibs but in all honesty I don't want you. I'm only interested in Sarah," he said calmly. The other end was silent. Then she lashed out. "I don't care. You are going to be with me. She isn't even that pretty. I'm the model, the one that is perfect. I only was nice to her because she had no friends, and she'd do my homework. She's a nerd. Pretty people have to be with other pretty people." "I have no desire to be with someone who treats their friends like crap. Even if I was interested, you completely killed it," he replied, and hung up the phone. Sarah was crying on the bed by now. "I'm nothing but trash to her." Gregory sat next to her and took her into his arms. "Sarah…darling…she is a waste of time and energy. You shouldn't cry over trash like her." She wiped her eyes and looked at the time. "I should be going home right now." He checked his watch. "Hmmmm… You should. I'll take you."

*~*~*Chapter Five*~*~*

When he dropped her off at her house, he gave her a goodbye kiss. "Goodnight my Sarah. Pleasant dreams to you." He drove away into the night. Sarah went up to her room and went straight to bed.

"No! You're lying to me. How can you say such blasphemy about him? He is my soul mate!" Caitrina said. "We will be together! Even if it takes me lives to do it! I'll come back and I'll be with him!" The church leader took hold of her. "You speak with the devils tongue child. He is your killer. He will end you. You have no chance. When you come back, he'll kill you every time you come into this world. Every life you'll have on this God given planet, you will perish by the hand of the man, or should I say angel, you love. She broke free of the pastor's grip, and ran. Outside the church, she saw a shadow pass over the sun. It was larger than a bird. She looked to the sky and a shrill scream escaped her mouth before the thing came down upon her.

Sarah woke up screaming. She felt everything that girl had, and she had looked exactly like her. She shook off the feeling and looked at her alarm clock. "Time to wake up," she said, stretching. The dream had unsettled her. It was if she was living something over again. Like a bad memory. She got up to go to the bathroom as her phone began to ring. It was Annalise. "Should I ignore it or answer it?" She asked herself.