Prologue:
Two small eight-year-old girls huddled together in a dusty hayloft that hung over a great wooden barn. The sun fell in lines across the floor, through the slats in the old boarded walls. They were talking excitedly, as little girls often do, but with an air of danger, caused by the subject of their conversation.
"Is it true?" Claire Avery asked her cousin in undisguised awe. "Are there really vampires here?"
Her red-headed cousin, Aleera Wausau, laughed, "Yes, I heard mother and father talking about it! It seems as if they got Mrs. Miller. Found her dead only this morning; with two red marks pierced on her neck!"
Claire looked at her cousin seriously. "Aleera, I thought once you've been bitten by a vampire, you turn into one."
Aleera shook her head causing her red curls fly, "Haven't you been listening to the stories? If you get bitten by one, you have to drink the same blood of the vampire that bit you."
Claire looked at her cousin and nodded, after a single moment of hesitation. Aleera was never wrong; she knew everything. "Oh. But what if you got bitten by the vampire?"
Aleera grinned. "If I was bit? Hmm ... I don't know. It might be fun. Staying up late, feeding on the living, flying!"
Claire made a face, and wrinkled her nose. "Feeding on the living seems gross."
"Not if you're a vampire." Aleera replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Wouldn't your parents miss you?" Claire asked shooing away a fly that flew up into her face from the window.
Aleera rolled her eyes, a frown marring her delicate features. "I doubt anyone would even know that I've left."
"That's not true! I would notice! You're my best friend!" Claire protested.
Aleera laughed, and hugged her cousin. "Alright, then we could be vampires together!" She then made a slurping noise causing Claire laugh loudly. It quickly turned into a sneeze as she breathed the dusty air.
"Wouldn't if be neat, if we actually saw a real vampire?" Claire asked when she had recovered.
Aleera's eyes widened, "That would be so exciting! Think about it. Actually seeing, and possibly meeting a real vampire! I bet they have loads of stories! They live forever, you know."
Claire nodded, bouncing excitedly at the prospect of meeting a vampire. "I agree! Too bad we're only eight. Mommy and Daddy won't let me go out at night"
Aleera shrugged. "When were older then. Will you promise?"
Claire smiled. "Promise!"
Two small eight-year-old girls huddled together in a dusty hayloft that hung over a great wooden barn. The sun fell in lines across the floor, through the slats in the old boarded walls. They were talking excitedly, as little girls often do, but with an air of danger, caused by the subject of their conversation.
"Is it true?" Claire Avery asked her cousin in undisguised awe. "Are there really vampires here?"
Her red-headed cousin, Aleera Wausau, laughed, "Yes, I heard mother and father talking about it! It seems as if they got Mrs. Miller. Found her dead only this morning; with two red marks pierced on her neck!"
Claire looked at her cousin seriously. "Aleera, I thought once you've been bitten by a vampire, you turn into one."
Aleera shook her head causing her red curls fly, "Haven't you been listening to the stories? If you get bitten by one, you have to drink the same blood of the vampire that bit you."
Claire looked at her cousin and nodded, after a single moment of hesitation. Aleera was never wrong; she knew everything. "Oh. But what if you got bitten by the vampire?"
Aleera grinned. "If I was bit? Hmm ... I don't know. It might be fun. Staying up late, feeding on the living, flying!"
Claire made a face, and wrinkled her nose. "Feeding on the living seems gross."
"Not if you're a vampire." Aleera replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Wouldn't your parents miss you?" Claire asked shooing away a fly that flew up into her face from the window.
Aleera rolled her eyes, a frown marring her delicate features. "I doubt anyone would even know that I've left."
"That's not true! I would notice! You're my best friend!" Claire protested.
Aleera laughed, and hugged her cousin. "Alright, then we could be vampires together!" She then made a slurping noise causing Claire laugh loudly. It quickly turned into a sneeze as she breathed the dusty air.
"Wouldn't if be neat, if we actually saw a real vampire?" Claire asked when she had recovered.
Aleera's eyes widened, "That would be so exciting! Think about it. Actually seeing, and possibly meeting a real vampire! I bet they have loads of stories! They live forever, you know."
Claire nodded, bouncing excitedly at the prospect of meeting a vampire. "I agree! Too bad we're only eight. Mommy and Daddy won't let me go out at night"
Aleera shrugged. "When were older then. Will you promise?"
Claire smiled. "Promise!"