I watched as the smoke rose from David's pierced heart; his eyelids slowly sinking closed over his pale, golden eyes. I watched as his face seemed to absolve of the agony. I watched the light halo his face. As he drew his last breaths, his body calmly relaxed, and his face turned away from me. The light slowly blurred and started to fade. It seemed that as it faded, it took away David's pain of death and the pain of the curse that had been laid upon him. It left me in the darkness.

I leaned my head back slightly, waiting to feel the ease of the pain in my throat and my stomach; waiting to be blind in the darkness; waiting for my teeth to no longer pierce the inside of my lip; waiting to be free of the insidious craving for the blood that pumped through the humans in the wreckage of my grandpa's house. It never came...

I heard them running down the stairs. I heard Star calling my name. I stepped back out of sight, my jaw trembling and my eyes widening in confusion. Star ran into the room, and froze when she caught sight of David's lifeless form. She gasped when I grabbed her and pulled her toward me. I murmured into her ear, "Don't let them see me like this." I seethed at the sound of the growl in my voice.

I heard Sam calling my name.

He and the Frog brothers came running and froze in the doorway, looking at David's body. One of the idiots who called themselves vampire hunters grunted in triumph, "Yeah!"

"Get away Sam." I urged, ashamed of my appearance; ashamed of what I still was.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Sam asked as he panted. I could hear his racing heart pounding in my ears. "I said get away!" I quickly yelled before he could take a step towards me.

"What's the big deal?" The brother with the headband asked. "You destroyed the head vampire!" I couldn't have. "It's all over." No...it's not.

"Nothing's changed…" My voice vibrated with the inhuman growl as I spoke and I ground my teeth together. Star gasped in a breath, "He's right, I don't feel any different."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw them look at each other. "Then there's still one more." For a silent moment, I listened to their hearts beating; their lungs drawing air and letting it back out. I closed my eyes, my eyebrows arching. There was another. Another one of them. For all I knew there could be a hundred more. I'd never felt so trapped and hopeless in my entire life. Here I was…a half-breed. A human and a monster. Cursed.

As if things couldn't get any worse, I heard my mom's voice call, "Sam? Michael?" My mouth and eyes opened. I drew in a silent gasp and let out a string of unspoken curses. It was bad enough that my own little brother was seeing the creature I had become, but now here came my mother.

Their heads turned at the sound of her footsteps and her voice.

Sam looked towards me. I sunk further into the shadows. "I'll handle Mom." He pushed the Frog brothers encouragingly to lead, "C'mon, go, go." Their footsteps left the room, "Don't let her see any of the bodies." Star turned around, and lifted a hand against my face to look at me. To comfort me. I squeezed my eyes shut, and bit my lip.

I listened to the commotion going on in the other room. It was like a bombardment of overlapped voices. Mom's voice, Sam's voice, and the Frog brothers' voices.

"This has nothing to do with a food fight!"

Star and I pressed closer against the wall as Max stepped into the room; as if it would shield us entirely from him noticing us.

I watched as Max stepped right up to David's body. I watched Max reach a hand around the antlers towards him, and turn his head.

David's face looked so innocent.

Childish.

Vulnerable.

Sleeping.

Completely released of the curse of vampirism.

As Max stared down at David's face, I wondered if it was the only way to unshackle myself of the animalistic blood that ran through my veins. To die. As David lay there, still and silent, he looked liberated. I was jealous of him. Completely envious of him. At that moment I could no longer see him as the vicious fiend that had not five minutes ago thrown me around the room, taunted me, flashed his fangs, and dug gashes into my face. In death could I be free like you David?

Max slowly released David's face. I watched Max look off into the distance in exasperation for a quick moment. Warily I watched him walk out of the room. Star looked at me and in relief I closed my eyes, sighing silently.

"I don't want to hear another word from you until I talk to Michael!"

Don't look at me Mom. Don't look. Don't…Please…I'm a monster…