The Beginning of Life

By Jez Summers

AN/ Why did I write this, I have no idea, other than to honor an old friend I haven't seen in years. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Night World, or it's ideas.

Rating: PG./ PG-13

Fic:

For years society has created creatures of evil, fear, hate and death. All these ideas MUST have come from somewhere. Perhaps, they came from US, from our hopes and our fears. What are we really afraid of? Death? What's wrong with fear? Nothing. But where do the likes of the Devil, vampires, shifters, witches, REALLY come from? What if they are real?

I KNOW they are real. I myself am a vampire, big shock huh? I understand that you don't believe me, I don't blame you either cause I didn't either until I woke up one morning dead. Why am I telling you this? because I don't want you to end up like me. I KNOW I could, and probably WILL, live to see the end of Earth, the people, animals, and things I love die and become dust. Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up in the morning and KNOW that you won't die today, to wonder if there actually is any point waking up? Of course not, you have this perfect world where everything will be okay, I wish I still did. You think I'm a fool? Perhaps you are right, or, perhaps I NEEDED to learn this for myself. You want to know how it began?

I was a typical fifteen year old girl. My parents weren't mega rich, they weren't poor either. I was weird, at the time, I LIKED reading books. I had shelves of book's by PIKE, L.J. Smith, Meg Cabot, Tamora Pierce and others. You probably haven't got a clue what I am talking about you're too young to know what books are.

I liked listening to music, pop in general. I 'liked' songs from Britney, to Blink 182, to ABBA, to Westlife, to SClub Juniors. I didn't like the artist/ group, I just liked the song. I also liked watching anime on the tv, shows like Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Shinzo. Why am I telling you this stuff when I know that you don't have a clue what I'm talking about? to show you that I was normal. I wasn't into death, I was happy with life. Okay, maybe, people would have classed me as weird because I thought nothing was impossible, because I wasn't the 'good' Christian girl I had bee brought up to be, because instead I was a wiccan, a 'witch'. I don't mean 'witch' in the sense you think, I couldn't move stuff by magic, I didn't have magic! 'Witch' was just a name for us because people didn't understand us and were scared.

When you're fifteen you're very naïve, or at least I WAS. I met this guy, Dave, at a friends party. He was .......... different, I think that's the word. Something drew me to him. I don't know what, even now. He wasn't influencing me, I found out later that he couldn't do that to me. I fell in love with him, and he with me, I think, even though I was 'vermin'. I never found out how he knew my friend, maybe she was a 'snack', personally I think of it as fate. The thing with being young and in love is that you can be a fool, you think it'll last forever.

You want to know what he looked like? Erm ........... he was ........ beautiful, heart wrenchingly beautiful. To me he shone with light, and looked ........... angelic. Isn't it weird how things that can hurt and kill us always look beautiful? He had hazel/ green eyes that were framed with long dark lashes, light brown hair almost blonde and a 'strawberry and cream' completion. His eyes were his best part! They were always dancing, and sparking when they caught the light, like he was laughing at a private joke. He had this great sense of humor, always making me laugh. Which was one of the reasons I used to hang around with him, a lot.

Out of the blue he asked me to 'go out' with him after a couple p months, me being the fool that I am, said yes. After about a couple of weeks he decided that I was 'ready' to hear his BIG secret, at the time I admit I was intrigued, to say the least. He took me to this big country park, that was hard to get to and in the middle on nowhere, to tell me, I guess so I couldn't run away. Let me tell you, it's one HELL of a shock watching the face of the guy you love become even more beautiful, and see these huge 'fang' like teeth protrude from his lips. Dave turned to face me, and I backed away, something told me he was deadly. He asked me to join him, to be one with the night. I turned and ran........

The next thing I remember is waking up in a strange bed, and feeling very weak. Opposite me, on the wall, was a mirror. I got up to have a look at myself, when I couldn't see myself in it I started to wonder if I hadn't been dreaming. The door to the room opened, and I spun around to see Dave standing there. I froze, Dave turned and closed the door. He then walked over to the bed and sat on it. Looking at me, he told me that we could now spend eternity together. To which I replied, forever is a long time. He laughed and said, not for us.

A couple of years later he was killed, by a vampire hunter, like you. Who only saw him as a monster, and missed the beauty, the hopes, the dreams and the life.

Do you want to hear more? I didn't think so, you looked bored. I'm amazed you let me tell you this much. You can kill me know, I want to die, I deserve to die, after all I have killed many humans. Besides I DON'T belong here anymore, I've known that for a long time. Living for over a million years has made me realize two things; one, that love IS forever and two, that I WANT a new challenge, another adventure. Just promise me one thing, you'll write this down so others will know, and understand, that's all I want anymore.

Thank you! .............................................