I walk down the empty street. Alone. Lost. Scared. I have heard of the creatures that walk the nearby woods, demons; creatures of the Devil. I wish to be home more than anything else, yet, it is not possible since I am completely lost and there are no houses in sight. I feel the cool night breeze and hear it whisper to me my name: Danielle. My heart beats faster and my pace quickens. As I walk, I feel as if I am being watched and begin to run. I then hear the breeze whisper: Danielle. Suddenly I feel someone or something grab my forearm and spin me around. I am now looking into cold blackness of this person's eyes. I cannot stop myself, his eyes are hypnotizing then he speaks to me,
"Danielle," He says to me this but nothing more and my heart races. Who is this person? I think to myself. As if reading my mind he says to me, "Rider is my name." I look him over, he is as pale as death, his hair matching his dark eyes. What does he want? I think and again. He pulls me closer to him and whispers to me, "To make you one of me," I push him away and widen my eyes in horror. What is he talking about? I ask myself; I can hardly think.
"What are you talking about?" I take a step back from him, readying myself to run. He smiles and shows his teeth, no, not teeth: fangs. I scream and take two more steps back, then stumble. Rider walks up to me and speaks again in his cold voice.
"Not just yet though…" He kneels down and hands me a black rose. "A gift" Then disappears. I sit there, staring at the rose. It is just about as hypnotizing as Rider's eyes. I recite his name once as I stare at the darkness of the rose, "Rider…" I moved the rose slightly, and then, one of it's sharp thorns cut me like one of Rider's abnormally sharp fangs. I set the rose in my lap and lift my bleeding finger. As I do so, a droplet of blood falls, as if in slow motion, onto the rose.
A few hours later I came to the city I recognized: Boston, Massachusetts. I ran home as fast as I could, the rose still in my hand. When I finally reached my apartment I sensed something was wrong. I ran down the street and onto an empty road. It is very unlikely to find an empty road in Boston because it is so crowded but it was late at night and this must have been a quiet street because it seemed everyone was asleep down here. Then I saw them. Malana, my best friend, and Rider talking under the only streetlight. I walked slowly nearer as quietly as I could. Now that I think of this, I realize how foolish this was. If I had stayed away…
I could hear them now.
"Who did you go after today then, Rider?" Malana said bravely glaring at him. He smiled and showed his fangs, a glint in his eyes as if warning her.
"I believe you would know her…a friend of yours I can see." Malana suddenly looked as if in pain.
"Who?! Tell me!" She screamed at him. I was surprised no one woke up at this point. He just kept smiling.
"Danielle." He said blankly. Malana dropped to her knees screaming softly as if she were a whistle. "Oh, she's not one yet…but she has given her sacrifice." Malana continued to cry and only looked up when he said, "come here Danielle." For a moment I wasn't sure he meant me but then I found myself walking forward. Malana rose and hugged me hard and whispered to me,
"I'm sorry…" Then I didn't know what she meant.
"Now prepare to watch your beloved friend be changed…" He walked a few steps forward out of the light.
