As I hit the deck I could barley see over my crew. They were all huddled around our new...member. Their fangs are out and their skin as white as ever, I had never seen them like this before! How excited they all looked...and I could swear Mikey was jumping up and down.
"Move aside move aside." I grunted. They did as told and parted. What lay...or who lay before me nearly made me scream in excitement. There, for the first time in many years, was a woman.
Her hair was jet black and long , almost past her waist. She had on a faded blue short sleeved shirt that was ripped at the stomach, showing her 6 pack of abs. Her pants , which I guessed were made of some sort of jean material, we're also ripped at the thigh.
"We pulled her up a few minutes ago. She has a pulse but her breathing in very shallow." Gerard stated. Though I must say he was a bit distracted by the sight that lay before him. He had actually been a vampire longer then Raymond and I. We had found him one night, laying on an island as the sunrise was about to come. He was in tears and fearful of his death. We could not leave him. We graciously took him under our wings and gave him our own dark blood so he , like the others, would become bound to me as I was to this ship.
"Sir...what are we to do with her?" Frank looked at me with those eyes of his. Truth was...what were we to do with her? Of course we could make her a vampire against her will but...it would be down right awkward to have five men and one woman! Then again how could we kill the first female to grace The Romance?
"SHE STIRS!" Mikey gasped. The woman blinked and moaned a few times. She had stunning green eyes that reminded me of lily pads floating in a peaceful pond, something I hadn't seen in a while.
"Wha...Where am I? Who be you?" She sat up a little and my crew stepped back. I stood my ground as she stood up.
"You my dear are onboard the greatest ship to ever sail the seven seas!" All my men cheered as they would always do. She crossed her arms.
"Oh and what ship would that be?" She tapped her foot lightly as I came closer. Our faces were inches apart and my fangs glistened in her eyes. Yet she would not move, spunk, I like that.
"Ha! This ship that your are standing on is of vampire legend."
"You mean... I'm on The Romance!" She grinned from ear to ear and rushed over to Mikey. He opened his mouth and inhaled deep. She almost poked his fangs but refrained herself. She did this to all of my crew until she came back to me.
"Hm, curiuous I see." She only stared blankly at me.
"I take you to be the captin then?" I nodded and she just smiled sweetly and shook my hand.
"Jasmine. Jasmine Elise Way. Vampire hunter and close frie..I mean I was close friends to Miles Hershcough, the man who turned you." Way...way...WAY! My head snapped over to Gerard and Mikey. Their jaws had fallen open and they didnt take their eyes off her as she came twards them.
"Calm down boys." She walked around them. " Yes your definatly Ways...scrawny and pale...tho I must say, your the first of the line to end up like this..." My eyes flashed with anger.
"Excuse me! I do not care who you are! What gives you the right to come onto MY SHIP and critisize MY crew? Let alone my race?" She rolled her eyes at me and sighed.
"iYou/i need to calm down too. Geez, who knew such cold hearted creatures could be hot blooded?" She smirked at me as if challenging me to do something. I clenched my fists into a ball and prepared to throw a punch, completely forgetting she was a woman.
"Say that again..I dare you.." I stepped forward as did she.
"Oh, so what are you going to do?...Bite me?" She chuckled as an idea struck me.
"Why yes, we are." She stopped." Men! Take her to the guest cabin. It is almost dawn I am afraid, so must deal with her tomorrow night..." Frank and Raymond were the only ones who followed my orders. I looked over at Gerard and Mikey. Their faces were in complete and udder shock. I suppose they never knew they had two more siblings. I how ever had some sort idea.
The Ways are a very , let us say strict , family line. Only breeding the best and then bragging about it. Generals and Captains. Sword bearers and scientists. But most of all, Vampire hunters. You see long ago, one of the Ways was turned. He tried to control his thirst for blood but to no avail. He lived his life trapped in a cellar by his loving wife Elena Way. He tryed to keep her out of harm, he locked himself down there and insisted she lock the doors at night when he had to feed. But it was not enough. One night she had forgotten to bolt the doors, and he had taken her. Fully taken her, killed her really. He woke from his hunger only an hour later to see her dead on the floor. He then killed himself and left his children to fend for themselves. That's when the Vampire hunting began.
And so, Gerard and Mikey had to have another sibling, after they had disappeared someone would have to run the hunting business. Thus Jasmine was at our feet...but what to do with her? I shrugged as she was lead into the dungeon, with a smirk on her face no less.
"Oh you think locking me up for a night will do so much don't you Robert?" she yawned " Till tomorrow." Ray threw her inside and slammed the door shut.
"Jasmine...Jasmine...do you remember mother or father mentioning her?" Gerard hid his face in his hands as Mikey paced the room. My crew and I sat motionless as the two brothers spoke.
"No I don't...but she is our age! Good lord she must be!" Mikey turned on his heel.
"She is...How could they keep this from us?" Gerard stood up and began to pace as well.
"Well think Gerard, think of all we've kept from them. Are you surprised they would keep this from us? I mean after you disappeared..."
"I know I know, they only did what's best for the family..." he sighed and sank back into his seat and looked at me. " Can I..." I raised my hand to stop him.
"You know the rules Gerard. Shes a prisoner and we must treat her as such. Besides, she's probably asleep." He sighed and nodded. Mikey soon came over to us and sat down next to Raymond.
"So...what are we going to do with her?" I shrugged and looked over at Frank who was fast alseep. He looked so peacefull, I motioned to him and the crew sighed. We all moved over to him and lifted him up to carry him out of the mess hall. I grabbed his feet and everyone else took his head side. We dragged him to the cabin him and Raymond shared and set him down on his bunk. Weall exited slowly as not to wake him from his slumber. We would soon all be turning in as well. But I had a few words for what remained of my men.
"Raymond, you are dismissedd for the night." He bowed his head and snuck back into the cabin .
When the door was fully shut I turned around, the sun was coming up ever so slowly...Perhaps thats the one thing I'll miss the most about being human...all those mornings Raymond and I spent watching the sun rise. We would stay up all night talking about doing impossible things, then when the sun came we would remain absolutely silent. The great ball of never ending fire would take its place in the orange sky and we would smile to ourselfs completely content...and I would never see one again.
"Gerard, Mikey" I said with my back still turned. "You know the rules, every prisoner must become one of us..."
"NO!" Mikey interupted. I turned around and looked him squarely in the eye. His face held every upsetting emotion known to man kind. His brown eyes sparkled with looming tears,his mouth set into a frown, his chin quivering ever so slightly. I felt myself getting weaker just by looking at him, so I ripped my eyes off him and to Gerard.
He too looked upset, not as much as his younger brother but still quite upset. His eyes were full or worry and concern for his new found sister. His hands were set on Mikeys shoulders as he shook. I went on.
"I Know she is the last of the Way line...but it is in our code. If we don't turn her..."
"Then we'll become goddamn dust in the wind and our souls will rot in hell!" Gerard yelled out. His fists shook in anger and he grid his teeth. I knew this would happen, being the last of the Way's it was Jasmines job to marry and continue the family line, but if we turned her...it was the end of the infamous Way hunters. Even if they stood for everything we were, against Gerard would never turn his back on his family, and perhaps that's why he has never tried to harm us.
When you get right down to it Gerard has more power then us. He was turned almost a year before Raymond and I. It may only be a year but that is enough to learn the basics of being a vampire. Besides , we never found out who had turned him. Although we had some kind of idea when we found him. He was left barley clothed on a island beach. They had taken his sword and canteen and anything else he could use to survive. It had to be the work of Luke, one of the most powerful vampire lords on this earth. He comes and he steals and leaves you for dead. But he is not alone, he has two accomplices; Martini who is rummurd to be his vampire queen. And; Cahlab ,who was forced to join them after he was turned.
"Gerard..." I sighed. He just stared at me with hateful eyes. He let go of Mikeys shoulders and came up to me. I kept my face cool and even so he wouldn't see how intimidated I really was. Our eyes stayed locked for what seemed like ages. Mikey came up behind Gerard and patted his shoulder but he shrugged it off. At last he huffed at me and turned on his heel , walked to the other side of the ship, swore, then stomped into the cabin he and his brother shared. I merely sighed.
"I'm sorry Mikey...but it's us or her..." He looked away as I leaned over the edge of the ship.
" I understand sir..."
"Dismissed" I sighed out. I heard him walk to his cabin and waited until he quietly closed the door.
"Dismissed sir...you've put in a long nights work" I looked up over the sunrise and sighed once more. Then dragging my feet behind me, I trudged to the captains quarters to get a good days sleep...
End Of CH1