The Only Exception.

"I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't let go of what's in front of me here."

It's so dreary, starting at the beginning of a story that could go on forever…if one really wanted it to. I mean, the very beginning, the start of it all, of all the drama and the pain, the subtle hints of romance and life in general. The horror, the heartbreak, the humiliation...then the end result. No story is complete without most if not all of the elements listed. Wouldn't you know though, that I'm the only one that's going to touch on this? Of all the people who have written their memoirs, that one half-vampire that set the wheel in motion, I'm going to be the one to tell you my story.

I like the way that sounds, my story.

My story.

So, let me crank up my music and lose myself…and tell you everything I'll never forget.

It was cold…I hate the cold. It's really not worth complaining about, I can't always feel it anyway. My skin's immune to those kinds of things, heat and cold, but sometimes I think I can feel it. I guess it's kind of like when you lose a limb, but you still think its there? The name of that condition escapes me, so let's pretend I'm not a complete dumbass. Either way, I'd be chasing after my brother for the past hour, and it was becoming a dreadful task. I was tired, the sun was going to come up soon, and even in his lessened mental state, I knew Murlough knew we had to get home.

"Murlough!" I yelled, coming up to a tree I'd marked in the forest just outside the city we lived in. "This isn't funny anymore; we have an hour to get home…" I mumbled, sighing heavily, and turning quickly when I heard the crunching of a leaf. No laugh, no glimpse of my brother, no one in sight. He was getting worse, everyday. I barely got four hours in the day time just because I had to make sure he didn't leave the apartment, didn't go on an unneeded killing spree. Now, I'm the last person to say that killing is unneeded, but a lot of it at one time is. I looked down to my pale hands in the frighteningly fast fading moonlight, and then looked up. I was frustrated; that was the worst part. Even I knew frustration would get me no where.

I spun around at the sound of another leaf, my brown locks whipping around and almost embarrassingly slapping me in the face. I saw no one, again. This was getting ridiculous.

"Murlough!" I called, exasperated. I was frustrated near the point of tears, and I knew it was a mixture of my exhaustion, and the fact I hadn't fed for a few days. That would be an absolute must the next night. "Please! We have to g—"

"Gotcha!"

I shrieked, like a stupid bitch. Murlough had jumped out of the tree and grabbed my shoulders, laughing his purple head off at the fact he'd scared his older sister. Wiping the tears from my eyes that were forced from the fright, I turned and shoved him gently.

"Its not funny, it wasn't funny when I started saying we needed to leave!" I nearly yelled, and he seemed to fall back for a moment or two, looking discouraged. I knew I had to be careful what I said around him…The littlest things would upset him now. I sighed, shaking my head.

"We just…have to go, alright?"

"Alright...we can go, Kayce."

I nodded, beginning to lead Murlough back to the city. I just didn't know how quickly after this that my life was going to fall apart. Well, come together and fall apart all in a matter of years.

Maybe it's important that you know who I am. Where I stand and what my view is on this world we live in. The name's Kayce Coults. I'm one hundred and twelve years young, and I'm a Vampaneze. You wouldn't know by looking at me though. I manage my blood intake and keep that pale perfection that most immortals are imagined with. Though, I'm far from immortal. There's many ways to kill a Vampaneze, or a Vampire, for that matter, but let's not talk about those, you might get ideas. My brother, Murlough and I were born in Lithuania in the 1800s, me in 1893 and him in 1896. I was always his protector, made sure he did what he was supposed to do and didn't get into too much trouble. But, I guess I was also his downfall in more than one way. I was the reason we were turned. And in the end, it comes down to me with his death. His real death, not his rebirth into darkness. There's just too much to discuss.

I wanted to stay clear of the war everyone said was coming. The War of the Scars. So, a Vampaneze Lord was rising to power…and there will be a great war, and almost everyone will die. Why would I want to be a part of that? I tried to stay clear, but the ties I created bound me to it more than I had expected at the beginning. The man I loved bound me to that war from the beginning of our doomed bliss. I just…wasn't aware. I was naïve; I thought we could live in that cliché fairytale kinda life. You know, together forever.

Forever wasn't long enough for me…

Where did the time go? Slowly, oh so slowly, I suppose everything has to come to an end. I'm still waiting on mine, which I'll welcome after all this. Even in death may we be triumphant, and in death, that's easier than in life.

It was a bad idea; I shouldn't have left him alone. It was necessary at the same time, though, I needed to feed and we needed to stock the apartment with amities that were a must have. There was a store I could pop in after I fed, and that's what I did. I didn't kill that night, just out of the fact it would bring complications. I took enough to sustain me until later, and made a quick run to the store. I was running low on funds…the next person I killed I'd have to take money from. I'm ashamed to say that was our source of income, stolen cash and built up change collections. Somehow, I was able to keep the apartment's rent coming, I'll never question what kind of miracle that was.

Once I'd gotten back, stocked the groceries, and realized Murlough was still asleep, I decided that maybe I'd take a much deserved walk alone. It was another one of those chilly nights, one where you wish you had someone's arm to hold onto, so they could wrap theirs around you and keep you warm. A silly girl's dream, but I'd never had a taste of love in my life, and I wanted one. But, as time went by, I was letting go of that. Loving a human wasn't possible and all the Vampaneze were bloody idiots. Vampires? Well, that was far-fetched. Who'd be caught dead with a neutral girl like me, with a passion for murder and hands stained of a million crimes?

Girls, a word of advice; don't daydream and walk in heels. You'll do exactly what I did.

I turned a corner and slammed right into someone else, the force of each of our inertias causing us to fall backward and let out gasps of air. Whoever I ran into dropped a bunch of stuff, and I hurriedly began gathering it, not wanting to meet this person's gaze—I'd just made a complete fool of myself—and my other shoe was somewhere off to the side, what the hell..

"I'm sorry," I said, gathering what seemed to be an assload of paper, packs of pens and rulers. What did they need this for? Were they a teacher?

"It's okay, really." A quiet, almost charming sounding laugh. "You…don't have to pick it all up."

After I'd gathered most of it, I looked up to finally meet this man's gaze, and was a little surprised at what I saw and immediately sensed. His eyes were the brightest, most brilliant of blue, and his messy, almost-shoulder-length blond hair gave him the appearance of an angel. He was pale—as pale as me, and seemed to be studying me just as I was studying him. Then, the three scratches on his left cheek gave it away.

"Vampire—"

"Vampaneze!"

It was almost instantaneous that we realized, and I quickly handed him back his tools. "Look, I don't want any trouble, I'm not trying to cause up a riot or—"

"Calm down, Madame!" He said, laughing, picking up all his things and then pausing, noticing my shoe on the ground. He eyed it, then set a few things down to pick it up. "Lose something?" He asked with a sincere smile, and I nodded, completely dumbfounded as to why he was being so nice. Though, those three scratches should have told me my kind trusted him. It just didn't register.

He gestured to my foot, as I was still sitting on the ground, and before I could say anything he delicately placed the shoe back on me, holding a hand out for me to take and get back up. Of course, I had to be the idiot and stare at his hand, before he shook it slightly and laughed; again. Apparently, I'm funny.

"Please, I insist." As I took his hand, he smiled and pulled me up with strength you wouldn't expect from a man of his stature. He was tall, skinny, and didn't seem to have much muscle. "I'm Kurda Smahlt," He introduced himself, and I saw my opening to make a fool of myself again. Bad thing was, I took it.

"Kayce Coults." I answered, brushing myself off. "And apparently I'm the clumsiest person al—well, dead."

"Nonsense, there are much clumsier people in this world. Now, might I ask you Miss. Coults…why are you in this city? Do you live here?" He asked, raising a brow, seeming to want to know why, I supposed, the whereabouts of another Vampaneze was a city of choice. I tried to think up an answer when I really didn't need to lie, and ended up telling him the truth anyway.

"I've lived here for a few years…I try to lay low." I said, biting my lower lip. It was a trait I'd picked up over the years. Uncomfortable situations and conversations left me needing to do something, and I was always doing that.

"You must be doing a wonderful job of it. I didn't know there were any Vampaneze here." Kurda said, looking around and appearing to try and find where I came from. "Do you move around a lot? Assuming you kill, it isn't smart to stay in one city."

A vampire that understood—and respected, the Vampaneze ways. I was in complete awe! I may have just met the man of my dreams, but it was all an illusion. Surely it was a dream I'd wake from, I'd laugh it off and live to kill another day. "…well, yeah. Every few years I pack up and hit the road…I'm not an idiot."

"Now, I never said you were." He said with a frown, looking up to the sky. "Hm. I'm honestly just so surprised because where there isn't council, or festivals, I'm usually in this town as well. An apartment a few blocks from here. Small, cozy. But its home enough. I figured I would have sensed someone long before now." He wrinkled his nose and made a face, then laughed. "Either way…say, an offer for a complete stranger. Miss. Coults—"

"Kayce."

"Right, Kayce. Would you mind helping me get all of this back? I promise there will be no surprise ambush or what have you, it is just an awful lot to carry, don't you think?"

Was I really going to deny him? It was impossible. His eyes pleaded with me, however unknowing he was of this, and I nodded. "Sure…" It wasn't like I had anything better to do.

"Marvelous, thank you!" He exclaimed, handing me a few things of paper. I took some and gave him a weary smile.

Of course, I had to worry he had a hidden agenda and was lying. All of my life I'd been taught to not trust vampires in the slightest, but he seemed so sincere and just…happy. A nice person. Those were hard to come by, whether human, vampire, or Vampaneze.