Chapter 1

My life is complicated in many eyes of others to see. But why wouldn't it be? It should be complicated, when you're a living, unwanted beast among those mere humans. Ignored during the day and best untraced in the dark. Unloved by any mortal or immortal. Tossed aside for hungry hounds to eat. I am alone and unafraid. I am what you call a blood-thirsty myth. One that is told to scare innocent children, but when your nightmares walk among you…there's nothing to do but be afraid of the darkness.

I posses the mere human features and I also live among them as they normally do. I eat humanly in the light, but beastly in the dark. Walk among the blood infested mortals in broad daylight, but spring in the sky at night. I am not mortal, but I come from a family that are. I am young looking for my age, in my mid-teens. I am too thin. I don't seem to have meat on my bones. I'm basically skin and bones, nothing more. Pail as the moonlight I am. With thick, black straight hair running to my hips. My eyes are a unique gray that pierces you in the heart with such cold and hatred. At first I was never like this. I used to be quite pretty. My eyes used to be blue and my hair not as dark. But moving to the United States from Russia was a big impact on me.

I was alone with no friends in my new school. A loner, an outcast, a foreign immigrant. I live in Idaho, now. A land lost to the outrageous amounts of forest and animal life. I live in a more rural area. Not that many people to befriend. But not too little to despise. Everything was confusing at first. I did not know much English, but I knew enough to go by. My father made the decision to move. He did not want to be imported to the Russian army. He was more for peace. A tall, strong man with a figure fitted for a wrestler. Young looking for his age also, yet he was in his mid-thirties. My mother, however, the exact opposite of my father. She was not so built, more plum and round. She was short. I took my father's trait of height; towering my mother whenever I was around her. She did not know much English, so she stuck with Russian. My father taught me English in the first place.

We bought a cabin in the middle of Lemhi. A peaceful and deserted forest land. There were people who lived near us like next door neighbors. I stayed very much away from them as if they were wild bears. I did not like the area much, but I loved the weather. In Russia, it was cold all year long. Here it would be cold, but not in the summer. A few miles away from our cabin was a lake that ran across for miles. I would always stay indoors, but my father would usually peer pressure me into hiking with him. It took him weeks after we moved before he convinced me to hike with him the first time. Now I come to like the outdoors; the peaceful winds and beautiful blue sky above the forest. Before too long I started to walk about myself. I would wander around the trees and flow with the leaves. Until I came across a strange stone. It was engraved with symbols of old witchcraft.

I was interested by this stone. I entered every library I could find to study these strange markings. I leased books and carried them home with me. I would walk to the stone and try to encode this message. As I read the symbols I noticed a strange metal object beneath the leaves in front of the stone. I grabbed the circular object and pulled to find a wooden door that flung open before me. A pair of stairs appeared as light shinned into the dark hole. As I walked through the dark, I lit a match to give myself some light. A torch hung from a metal bar that was imbedded into the stone wall. I lit the torch and grabbed it with me. Slowly I walked down the steps hearing only the blazing fire and water dripping from the ceiling. It gave me a creepy feeling. After walking down thirty feet I noticed the stairs stop and a normal hall appeared. I walked through it filled with curiosity. Remains of ancient beings filled the floors. I walked though the bones to find myself entering a dark room. I noticed it was a circular room. I lit the torches surrounding it to find a pentacle symbol drawn on the stone floor. Candles were placed at each angle of the star. I looked through my book to see the same symbol in one of the pages. Witchcraft was performed here, I thought with amazement.

From that day on I would come home from school and go straight to the secret room. I would stay there till dawn, while bringing as many witchcraft books as possible and studying them. I've noticed that bats would live inside the room and daze at me with wonder. One day I took the witch crafting too far. I wanted to perform a spell for the first time. I lit each candle and sat in the middle of the star. I wanted to see if I could change one of the bats into a human, but the spell went haywire. I tied a bat by its feet and hung it upside down while I chanted the spell three times. The bat struggled to release itself but couldn't. When I finished my chant I look at the bat, which was now perfectly still. Greif filled me. I thought I accidently killed the poor creature. I untied it and as soon as I did it opened its eyes. Its tiny eyes glowed red like blood. It flew out of my hands and circled me. I screamed in terror and ran around the room. The bat grabbed my hair with its claws and pulled. I tripped over a rock and fell to the stone floor. I covered my face with my arms as the bat started to scratch me. It then bit me. I smacked the creature and it flew out of the room through the door up above. I sat up and held my arm. Blood streamed down my arm and filled my hand. Leaving my books, I ran up the stairs and back into my house where I was safe from any danger.

I ran into the kitchen where my mother was cooking dinner. I grabbed a rag and placed it above the bite.

"Ty v poryadke," my mother asked in Russian.

"Da. Minutu, pozhaluĭsta," I replied. I ran to the bathroom to wrap my arm with cloth and a giant cast.

I walked out calmly, but with pain in my eyes. My mother looked at me with suspicion. I gave a fake smile and sat down at the kitchen table. She set down a bowl of soup in front of me and herself. My father entered the house just then. He was in the most glorious mood ever. Once he saw my arm in a cast he stopped in his tracks and asked, "What is wrong with you?"

"Oh, it is nothing, father. Do not worry about me."

He frowned and shook his head. He sat down with us with his own bowl of soup. My arm was still in pain and I couldn't handle it. I excused myself from the table and headed for my room. On my way there I grabbed a couple of pain killers and a glass of water. I sat down on my bed and swallowed two pills then lay down. I looked at my digital clock and it was only six in the afternoon. Yawning with sleepiness, I grabbed my pajamas from under my pillow. I walked to the bathroom and began to undress myself. I turned the shower on and waited awhile for the water to heat up. I walked into the shower with caution. My arm still in the cast, I manageably washed my body and hair. I looked at my arms and I noticed my skin getting pale. I turned the shower off and concealed myself in a towel. I dressed myself awfully quickly and headed for my room. My teeth began to ache. I looked in the tall mirror that hung against my wall. I gasped for breath when I notice my canine teeth sharpen and lengthen themselves. I looked at my face which turned awfully pale and my blue eyes slowly fading into a pool of gray. My hair darkened and my hands turned to claws. My body shivered with fright.

I quietly climbed out my window to get outside. My heart pounding while I ran into the dark forest. Smashing the wooden door I entered my secret chamber. I clenched my back when pain ran through it. I felt two bumps above each of my shoulder blades. My skin started to rip and whatever the bump was emerged a wing. Falling to my knees I cried in agony. Begging for the pain to stop, but nothing worked. My wings finally stopped and stretched out as far as possible. My pain miraculously ended. I opened my eyes in amazement. I have wings, I thought. Dark as they were they still looked beautiful in my eyes. Long and black with boney features and the skin, leather like. It didn't feel like they were on me. I had no idea what had happen to me.

Chapter 2

"W-What's happening," I asked myself while looking at my hands. The moonlight shining above was slowly evaporating as a dark mysterious image blocked it. I gasped and crawled to the shadows to conceal myself. Hearing footsteps I used my wings to cover my body. Peaking through my wings, a tall man appeared before me. He looked quite young and handsome. He too looked pale and frightening as I did. His eyes were gray and cold.

"Show yourself," the man said. His voice echoed through the room. It was deep yet friendly with an endearing British accent.

"Who are you," I asked as I stood, revealing myself.

"Ah, so you are that woman who broke my curse."

"Curse?"

"I am deeply sorry for biting you earlier today. I just…couldn't help myself," the man said with a toothy grin so dynamically evil. "I thank you. You don't know how awful it is to be a bat for at least a decade." He chuckled and held out his hand. "I am Len. Son of Stalin and Celcius Zenith. And how shall I call my savior?"

"I-I'm…."

"Are you alright, love?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm just mesmerized by your accent. My name's Zena. Nice to meet you."

I gave him my hand to give a handshake, but he held it lightly. He slightly bent and kissed my hand, while looking up at me with such distrusting eyes. I smiled and blushed while I pulled my hand back. He gave me a smile in return that was so loving, I felt warm inside. He gave me such an odd feeling.

We walked out the chamber together and talked the whole way out. He seemed so perfect. His accent fluttered in my mind. It was stuck with me. Even though his eyes were colorless, I still saw his emotions running through them. He was telling me stories of his life, but I wasn't interested. I just kept looking at him I couldn't seem to look away. I noticed he looked the same as me. The same fangs, claws, wings. I shook my head and looked up at the moon. Len looked at me with confusion.
"Are you ok, my dear?"

"Oh. Yes, I'm sorry."

"What's on your mind?"

"I just have a few questions."

"Alright, I got time. Go ahead."

"Why did you bite me? I didn't do anything to you."'

"Ah. Well, I had a feeling about you. You seemed so familiar, like I've seen you before from somewhere," he paused for awhile, "Now I remember! Come with me." He grabbed my arm and dragged me back to the chamber. His grip was so firm I felt the blood flush out of my arm. He led me back to the ritual room and pulled me closer to the walls. "You see. Now I remember you. You're the chosen one."

Chosen one, I thought. What does he mean? I looked more closely at the walls. They were engraved with illustrations of bat people. It was magnificently drawn to show a battle scene. There was a group of four bat people flying in the air going one direction, while on the other side there was a larger bat person. So detailed and powerful it looked. It was fighting another bat person in midair. I gasped. The bat person looked like me!

"Vampires? Is that me," I asked Len.

"Yes, you're fighting the most feared vampire in the world. Vaughn. You're the legacy," he said looking at me, "and you're a legend. I've been waiting for this day for decades." He smiled and showed me the rest of the pictures. They stretched around the whole room. "The whole prophesy is written on these very walls. You see, my family and others have been cursed. The chosen one was said to release the curse. In order to do that though, the chosen one was to defeat Vaughn in an epic battle. This curse is all Vaughn's fault."

"What's the curse?"

"The curse is being under control of Vaughn. Vaughn wanted to rule the world. He made a plan to transform himself to a vampire and control all of us purebred's. My family and I wandered aimlessly around the earth with no problems, until he came. We don't necessarily have to do everything he says, but he would beat us if we didn't. He wanted to control all of us. He wanted to use us to scare the people so he can do his dirty plan. Way back when I was nine, I tried to fight him. I was so sure I could beat him," he chuckled, "but I was young and didn't know what I was thinking. Vaughn just laughed at my face and humiliated me in front of my family. I would come here when I was down. An old witch used to live here. Hard to believe I know, but it's true. I asked her to perform a spell to turn Vaughn to a bat forever unless someone broke the curse, but the Vaughn was watching very carefully after I confronted him. He came to the witch's place the day we were going to do the spell. He murdered my friend right in front of me. I was furious, so I sprang at him. But he murmured some spell and I turned to a bat. He grabbed me and I struggled to get free, but he was too strong. He just laughed at my face and said 'Well, trying to deceive me? For doing so you will take the spell not me. I forbid you to leave this dreadful room until someone reverses the spell.' So ever since then I've been stuck here for a decade. Ten years is a long time. That's why I flew off at first before I did anything. I was too awestruck to notice anything. Once I went back to normal I headed back here, and that's when I met you."

I looked at his expressions very carefully as he spoke. I could see the rage building in his eyes.

"That is why I bite you. Foremost, you looked like the chosen one. When a vampire bites another being, that being becomes a vampire. I knew from your eyes you were mortal. I know you're frightened by this, but you must believe me, I know what I did was right." He looked deep into my eyes and I in his. I can see his fury vanish. I was stunned by his story and I actually believed it. As crazy as it may seem, I think I actually have more than just a friend in front of me.

I looked away in embarrassment. I could feel my face getting red and hot, even though my face was pale as the moonlight. He knew he went too far and grabbed my arm again.

"Come. You should meet my family," he said with a wide grin.

He instantly sprung into flight and I just held onto his hand. "What's the matter? Can't fly," he asked jokingly.

"No… I'm actually scared of heights!"

"No worries," he dissented slowly, "we can walk. It's not that far."

Walking through the woods was hard at night, but when you're a vampire you have supersonic senses so you'll never bump into things. I never took my eyes off of Len. His delicate yet muscular face structure and his thin yet built body. I fell in love with his accent; my heart melted each time he spoke. I shook my head in disbelief. I just met this guy and I'm falling for him already, I thought to myself. Len laughed and said, "Your thoughts are not safe anymore, love. We vampires can hear thoughts." I felt ashamed and cold. "Neither are your feelings….," he added. My eyes went wide open, but he just laughed. "Don't worry. I won't judge you," he said smiling.

"Are we almost there," I asked looking around trees to find something that would resemble a house.

"Yes, we're here."

We approached a shaggy old house made out of wood. It was made out of the branches and logs of the trees surrounding it.

"Wow. How long have you lived here," I asked.

"For over six-hundred years."

"Really?"

"Yes, only in generations though. I'm the youngest. I have only one brother."

We walked towards the house through the foggy damp air. The trees around were dead and hung as if they lost their spines. The ground was stiff and cold. I could feel the presence of other beings within the wooden home. I sniffed the air and sensed nothing but death. Bones of once were animals scattered the ground slowly being swallowed by the earth. Vultures squawked and sat hunched over a branch, staring at me with such pitiful eyes. I shivered from the feeling of being watched as we inched to the house. Len looked at me and saw my misery. He frowned and went on with his guiding.

We approached the wooden door that looked poorly attached to the rest of the house. Instead of knocking on the door, Len grabbed my hand and opened it. He went straight in with me. I tried to refuse, but he was so demanding. "Why do you fret?"

" I do not," I said with my hands on my hips, "I just don't want to barge in like some barbarians."

Len chuckled and pulled me more into the house. From the outside the house looked old, but inside it was…clean. Once you stepped inside you were in the living room. Framed pictures filled the walls. The frames were old and rusty; never dusted in awhile. The floor creaked with every step you took. Cobwebs filled every corner; not one was bare. A wall separated the kitchen from the living room on the left. It was old and sink filled with dishes. The kitchen table did not look touched in days. The cloth on top was free from wrinkles. The whole house had a weird feeling to it. It was as dull as it can be. No light switches on the walls. Stairs lead themselves up to another floor above.

Creak. Bang. Crack. The sound of a glass vase falling to the floor filled the living room. Len and I ran back to the living room where we found an odd woman bent down tending to the broken vase. "Oh no, we can't have a broken vase now can we? Someone may get cut," said the woman. She had the same accent as Len.

"Mother," Len said reaching for her shoulder.

"Len," said his mother standing up. She turned around with such big eyes. They were also gray.

"I'm home. I'm finally home."

"Oh, Len! It's good to see you're alright. I thought you were dead," said his mother hugging Len tightly.

"I'm not dead, mother. Oh, how I've missed you so."

Chapter 3

His mother was in excellent shape for her age. She too had the same features as Len and I. She was tall and had small, yet strong looking muscles. Muscular face and very thin shaped. "And who may this be," asked Lens mother.

"Mother, this is Zena. I believe she is the chosen one."

"Ah, hello deary. It's very fancy to meetcha'."

I nodded and looked around sharply. I can hear footsteps, I thought. I sensed the steps were coming from outside. Quickly, I looked outside the window; ears twitching. I turned my head toward Len, but fixed my eyes to the window, "If I may ask what time is it?"

"Ah, I'd say it's about midnight. Why?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to get going home," Zena said heading for the door.

Len, as quick as the wind, opened the front door ever so lightly. I gave a smile as Len bowed. "I'd be honored to walk you home, Zena," said Len. I nodded and walked out the house with Len following. Lens mother just watched us leave and closed the door behind us.

The moon was big and shone its carved body around the forest. I stared mindlessly ahead of me, showing no emotion on my face. Len walked in front of me and stopped me by placing his hands on my shoulders. "Now, why'd you need to go so awfully quick," Len asked.

"My parents…they may worry of me."

"Your parents? The mortals?"

"Yes, the mortals."

"Now, why would you go back to them?"

"Because their my family," I snapped; staring at him with my teeth fully exposed.

"Hahaha! Mortals? Family? That's ridiculous," he said laughing at me, "You're part of our family now. You're no longer mortal. Do you understand that? You cannot go back to them."

"But I must," I yelled with fury. Then a sudden realization occurred. "Damn it! Why did this have to happen tonight?!"

Len backed off knowing not to anger me further. His face, so gentle, now shaped itself to look confused.

"What of the anger," he asked.

"What of it? What ofit you ask? Well, if you must know, it is Thursday night! Or now you can say Friday morning. I have schooling in a matter of hours. How do I go looking like…like this?"

"Schooling," asked Len. He looked around trying to find an answer. "What is schooling?"

"Schooling is what we mortals do. It's how we obtain information on certain things. Like history, mathematics, science. You probably wouldn't understand."

"Hm. Well that's quite an issue. Guess you can't resume that life style anymore."

I looked at Len then at myself. Oh how horrible I looked. I scurried away from him, accidently bumping his shoulder. He caught up to me and gracefully maintained the same pace as mine. He never took his eyes off of me the rest of that walk. While trying to escape his stare, I thought of the ways I could hide these new features. I had none. I didn't want to look like this. I didn't want to live like this. Even more, I didn't want to be a part of any legend. My eyes watered and a single tear escaped my eye. It ran down my cheek and brought a warm feeling to my cold face. Len grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

"My dear, there is no need to cry," Len said looking me in my eyes, "You must and you will accept that you are no longer mortal."

I only looked away, fighting away the tears. I wanted to say something but my throat swelled up and prevented me to say a word. It felt as if I was going to burst to tears if I'd try to speak. All Len could do was watch in pain as he felt my agony. I felt his concern all around my body. It was such a weird ability, to feel someone else's feelings. Len finally came closer and wrapped his arms around me, embracing me with a hug. I smiled, resting my head upon his chest.
We stood there, in each other's arms for quite awhile. The tears stopped flowing and my throat finally allowed me to speak. I looked up at Len, whom never took his eyes off of me, and gave a smile. He looked deep in my eyes and what I thought of getting a cold feeling actually turned warm. Then again, silence. In a far distance the hoots of an owl could be heard and the wind blowed just strong enough for the leaves to dance along the cold earth. I stared back into his eyes with the same intensity as his gave mine. The moment was perfect. The moonlight shone above us like a spotlight, revealing even the slightest of a physical feature.