Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to return to this project of mine! I'm hoping to continue Lucy's story, so stick around for that! But for now, I'm just polishing this story up a bit and working out some of the kinks. I honestly hope you enjoy it and leave a review if you'd like!

My lips trembled as he pulled me closer, the closeness we shared making my heart race even faster. His eyes were hypnotic, his perfect lips balanced in crooked smile as he gazed over the skin my low-cut corset exposed. He ran his thin, ghostly fingers along my collarbone, tracing his fingertip on the blue vein that my neck so deviously bared to him.

I wanted to throw myself away from him, just to get rid of this bubbling feeling he caused, of the venom that pulsed and traveled in my blood.

But I didn't. I couldn't.

I leaned closer to him, I felt his index nail slide under the corset's scalloped lace collar, his cold touch sending shivers down my spine.

I adored his touch... how it clawed its way deep inside of my bones, how it lingered on my skin.

Electric currents worked and weaved its way through through our contact, fiery chemistry infusing and burning between us. I only wanted more from him, to feel completely and utterly his to own, to hold, and to devour.

The meeting of our lips only sent more electricity sparking, with such ferocious and terrifying power, I almost pulled back.

But I didn't. I couldn't.

I wanted to feel the power he possessed course through my whole body, I wanted to be clutched by the supernova of grace and pleasure he wielded.

I wanted to be consumed.

In body and mind.

Forever...

With him...

I awoke to the noise of my alarm clock, and without a single thought, I slammed the snooze button. My narrowed eyes peer from under the sheets, and with a groan, I sat up. Unblinking, I examined my room, the room I've taken up residence for one week now, and I let the smile that threatened surface.

I would like it here, in this hip town where grandparents still idled down the sidewalks in complete goth makeup, where grownups could play video games and attend anime conventions and hold well-paying jobs, where you could totally yourself and be unashamed.

This city was completely unlike the town I was raised in, my mother my only solace, where fine wine and Cuban cigars was served at outdoor barbecues, and designer articles were plastered on every inch of citizen's outer appearances. My mother accepted me for who I was well enough, but I couldn't rely on her while I attended school five days out of the week, bored out of my mind and ridiculed for being myself.

Me, the chick with the waist-length black hair, bright green eyes I inherited from my father, and the soft, heart-shaped face of my grandmother. My nose was small and dainty, unaligned to the full pale lips I puckered in interest.

Dad should still be up... that's the only reason I got out of bed so early... so he could see me before my first day of school.

With a sigh, I slipped my feet from the black comforter and silk sheets that was heaped on top my bed, and curled my toes around the microplush rug that was black, of course. Most things in my room were black, my walls, my dressers, my doors; with few exceptions. I accented them with white, the ultimate goth color scheme, found in my sheer curtains over my window, my carpet, and an armchair nestled in the corner.

I also had hung a huge, wrought-iron mirror by my closet door, the metal bent and curled to shape two twin dragons that held the empty mirror with impeccable grace and refinement. It was my most beloved thing in the whole world.

I pushed myself up from the mattress and groggily marched forward to my bedroom door. I grabbed my fluffy Nightmare Before Christmas and left my room, wandering down to the end of the hall where the bathroom was. I showered quickly, afterwards wrapping myself in my glorious bathrobe and blow-dried my hair.

I sprinted down the hall with new-found energy to get dressed. I wore simple black skinny jeans, ripped white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. My shoes were edgier; ankle-high heels with silver spikes protruding from the heel.

After getting fully dressed, I rushed back to the bathroom, and immediately got to work on my untamed hair. I roughed it up a bit and flipped my blunt bangs off to the side, pinning them into place.

My makeup was simple enough, my usual concealer and power, but with dramatic wings on my top lid with liquid eyeliner. I slathered my lips with my favorite black lipstick and called it good.

Now done, I ducked into my room to grab my schoolbag that I had already decorated with iron-on patches and safety pins. Slinging it over my shoulder, I shut off the lights and closed the door to my own personal heaven.

I stumbled down the hallway,, seeing as all the electric lights were turned off, and only a few candelabras with candles omitting only so much light remained. I was still new to this large mansion, the residence built and once occupied by the first mayor of this town, like, in 1867 or something. It was left to rot after the last owner moved half a century ago, and I mean it was nearly gone when my dad found it. But he fixed it up quite nicely. He went with an antique feel with all of the exterior, but you could see the modern touches that peppered the in side of the house. One thing that remained mostly untouched by time was the grand staircase, marble and gold leafing on the panels and rails of the ancient wood. I stopped at the very top step, glancing right that led into the library, then left and the massive oak door of father's study.

As I returned my gaze forward, I was met the large window that was framed by thick velvet curtains hanging on either side of it, awaiting to shroud the magnificent bay window when dawn came, which was half an hour from now. But for now the outside was a thick black, the full moon still shedding off a faint glow.

As I snapped out of my over-examination of the house, I saw Remedia, or Rem, as I called her, come up the stairs. She was a thirty-something Irish woman with deep-set dark eyes and a shock of brilliant red hair. She had always traveled with my father and took care of him, keeping his homes nice and tidy. She favored me and treated me like a daughter whenever I had visited my father during the winter and summer breaks as a kid, and her sweet demeanor had not altered a bit since I've made this house my permanent abode.

She smiled as she passed me on the top step of the flight of stairs, her eyes twinkling.

"You're up, Lucy? So late?" Her Irish accent was so thick it often took me a few moments to process what she said.

I quickly eyed her French-styled outfit, a uniform a classic maid would wear. Typical for my father's tastes..

"It's my first day to school, remember?"

"How forgetful of me!" She exclaimed, but then gave into a cheeky grin. "Your father is still eating dinner, if you wish to bid him good morning."

I answered with a nod and continued down the stairs, until I hear Rem call.

"Oh, Lucy!" I turn and face her generously freckled face. "I wish you a great first day of school."

I threw her a genuine grin, and I give her a small wave. "Thanks, Rem."

Once I cleared the rest of the stairs, I entered the foyer and headed to the right and pass through the small drawing-room there, the north wall bleeding off into the breakfast room. An massive mahogany table was set there, the white table-cloth and china brought out before the one lone person who was now breakfasting. My father, Lucius Sparrow.

He was well-built, with defined arms and thick chest, his legs long and spindly. His hair was a light brown touched his shoulder blades. It was always styled, sometimes tied up when guests were over. His eyes were beautiful, a pale green like mine, but had much more definition, forest green and hints of aquamarine speckling them.

Half moon spectacles rested around his neck on a shimmering silver chain, his clothing nothing short of his aristocratic tastes. His white button-up gleamed and his black slacks were ironed with an air of crispness. A scarlet cravat was tied around his neck, a ruby-encrusted spider brooch pinned to it.

His eyes glanced over me and he smiles.

"Good morning, Lucy," he greeted, only after he politely swallows his bite of steak.

I took the seat beside him, sitting my bag on the floor beside me. The plush velvet seat was dyed a rich eggplant purple, the wood of the chair almost black.

"Good morning, father," I replied, gently crossing my legs and smoothing out the wrinkles of my shirt. It was wise to look your best in front of my father. He wasn't as uptight as he sounds, but he was mindful of manners and appearance.

After our small greeting, our cook, Marcellus, an older man with graying hair and icy blue eyes, entered the room, and stood at the head of the table.

"It's good to see you up, Miss Sparrow. I was wondering what the occasion was that you would skip your breakfast and lunch for."

I mindlessly played with a lock of hair as I answer, "It's my first day to school, Marcellus, I had to retire early to get enough sleep."

"My apologies, Miss Sparrow. That fact seemed to have slipped my mind," he said.

"It's fine! Don't worry about it."

Marcellus dips his head in a nod. "Thank you, Miss Sparrow. Now, what do you wish to have for dinn- I mean, breakfast?"

"Eggs and toast with a bit of plum jam with Earl Grey tea will be fine, thank you," My mouth watered from the thought of Rem's famous plum jam, the blood-red juice and the chewy, savory meat of the fruit. It was to die for.

"And how would you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled with a bit more pepper than usual."

"Lightly toasted, medium toasted, or heavily toasted?"

"Medium, please."

"How much honey in your tea?"

"None. Two sugar cubes."

Marcellus again nodded. "It will be out shortly."

As he left, I see father is still looking at me, and before I can utter anything, he clears his throat.

"Your mother called today."

"Oh... she did?"

"Yes. With the different time zones and everything she got thrown off by a few hours. She thought you were still awake."

I kept my sights steady on my dad, trying not to let any emotion leak from under my mask of coldness. "What did she say?"

"She told me that they have finally unpacked everything and are settling in nicely," he paused. "And again, offered you-"

"Tell her no," I interrupted.

"I would prefer if you called and told her yourself, Lucy. This matter is between you and her alone. I cannot answer for you, she'll think I'm lying."

I shook my head, some of my bangs falling in my face. I swiped them away and cross my arms before retorting, "Surely not. She knows what she's done." I lower my voice as I whisper, "And I know she's not sorry for it."

"Come now, Lucy. She's your mother. I know you're mad at her now, but think about the future. Do you really want this to affect your relationship with her?" His pose was thoughtful now, his elbows resting on the table and his fingers interlaced with one another.

"It's not our relationship she's worried about. It's her and Jason's she's poring over. I mean, she left me for three days at home without warning to get hitched! I didn't even cross her mind once."

Dad is quiet for a moment before he spoke. "You don't know that, Lucy."

I forced a laugh, but it comes out garbled and distorted like a hiccup. "It's pretty apparent," I snapped.

He was silent for a while, and I felt the guilt wash over me. It wasn't his fault all of this happened, and here I was, showing up to his house unannounced and proclaiming I was now living here. All because of an argument I had with my mom. He didn't do anything wrong. God, I am such a bad daughter.

"Dad, I'm really sorry... you didn't deserve that," I said with a tone of remorse. "I mean, I just lose it sometimes when she does this crazy stuff. I'm sorry."

"I know you're upset, but you can't keep this anger building up within you. A few unworthy people will end up getting lashed out at."

I nodded, my eyes downcast. "I know, I know... but to be honest, it was a lot more than just marrying Jason without telling me. It was a lot of stuff."

Dad raises his hands to cut me off. "Again, between you and your mother." He lifted himself from his ornate chair and walked over to me. Softly, he planted a kiss on my forehead. "But after you confront her and work things out, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want. And between you and me," he said in a low voice, "Rem and Marcellus have been driving me crazy. It's nice they have someone else to fawn over."

I giggled and stand up as well to give him a hug and peck on the cheek. "Thanks, dad."

He returned the hug and pats my shoulder. "You look pretty, by the way. Have a fun first day at school."

I rolled my eyes as he departed. "I'll try."

Lightly, he tapped my on the nose like he used to when I a child. "You better. Night, kiddo."

"Night, dad," I called as he walked out of the room. He didn't look back as he waved.

As I sat back down, Marcellus immediately entered with a large platter, a pile of steaming eggs and two pieces of toast slathered with blood-red jam, and a quaint cup of tea resting on it.

"Your meal, Miss Sparrow."

I clapped like a giddy child as he sat the food before me, and Marcellus retreated his hand in fear I might bite it instead of my breakfast. I dug in, ramming a fork-full of eggs into my mouth. I was famished.

"Will that be all for today, Miss Sparrow?"

As I swallowed my bite of food, I nodded. "Yes, thank you, Marcellus."

He folded his hands behind him as he speaks. "Don't bother with the dishes when you are finished. I will collect them later. If that is all, I will now retire."

I paused and set down my cup of tea. "Sleep well, Marcellus."

"Thank you," he breathed, perhaps tired from the righteous meal he just prepared for me. He walked back toward the door but turned back before leaving. "Oh," he added, his frosty blue eyes looking alike to a Siberian husky's as he gazed back at me. "I would like to offer my high hopes that your first day in the public school system will be splendid."

I was dumbfounded by his flurry of words, and I can only stammer, "U-uh... well, thank you, Mar-", before he slipped past the door and into the kitchen, completely gone.

I took my time to finish my meal, savoring the sweetness of the plum jam and the smoothness of the tea. The eggs were perfection, the extra pepper making them utterly delicious.

Once I was done and felt plenty full, I checked my phone for the time.

It was 7:36, as it was displayed in bright red letters, oozing down the screen like blood.

Hmm... School starts at... 8:00?

It only took fifteen minutes to get there, I had some time.

Wow. I've never been early or on time in my life!

Now excited for the ride to my new school, I jumped up the chair and before I left, pushed it in; Father would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't.

I exited the breakfast room and drawing-room, positioning my bag on my shoulder as I did. As I entered the foyer, I glance above the grand front door composed of a dark red wood, at the enormous bay window. But it was shrouded with the black curtain, securely shut until night once again dominated the sky.

I grabbed my car keys from the small table that was positioned by the door that also held a huge vase that overflowed with dusty pink tulips, white carnations and roses just shy of blood-red.

As I walked out, I was greeted with first rays of the sun, and I quickly donned my favorite pair of sunglasses. I spotted my beautiful car in the driveway, the 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SL that was painted a glossy black with bright purple skull decals near the rear tires. The interior was colored to match the color of the skull decals, the front and back seats a nice shade of violet.

My rear view mirror was cluttered with keychains and other odd things. As I opened the door, I threw my bag into the passenger seat, and stuck my key into the ignition. With a jumpy start, the car came to life and I gave a little test with the gas pedal. It answered with a gentle purr.

Before I backed up into the street, I pressed the power button on the radio, not bothering with any cassette tapes for now. But I had found this rockin' radio station that played a variety of rock music, from contemporary death metal to '80s classics when I drove here from Shitsville, AKA, my hometown.

As soon as I turned it on, I'm met with the crooning voice of Ian Curtis and I can't help but tap my fingers to beat as I pulled out of the driveway.

The street my father's house was built on was probably the dullest one in all of the town, all of the houses were cookie-cutter replicas of their neighbors. My dad's house was on the end of the street, a dark beacon in this vanilla neighborhood; the castle of mystery whilst the other houses stood vacant of any self-expression. Brand new Hummers and cherry red Porches were crammed in the cement driveways, identical as their neighbors as well.

I proudly kept the roof of my car down, driving the legal speed limit and blasting my music. Some early risers and other kids on their way to school were outside, and I got stares, but mostly glares from the Lucille Ball Cult as children who looked on at my morbid car with slack jaws.

Oh, big deal. With a city this hip, you're bound to see a few goths wander your way.

I kept driving, and luckily I escaped that wretched street and a potential lynch mob.

The city wasn't far away, and it was only a matter of time on the highway that a few tall buildings greeted me, chain restaurants and outlet malls scattered here and there..

But what got me in my good mood for the morning was seeing all the black-clad city folk, a few of their eyes glued to my car. I got a few compliments and whistles, but I'm sure they were all for my badass vehicle.

A few things caught my interest while driving downtown, one a music shop I'm sure was overstocked on obscure techno, two rad-looking coffee shops, and a bookstore that was having a sale on classic literature.

I was tempted to stop and grab a cup of coffee, but I wasn't sure if I could afford the time. I doubted it. But a hazelnut macchiato did sound heavenly.

After sixteen minutes of driving, I had been successful at remembering the right directions, and navigated through the school parking lot.

Where do I park? I thought as my eyes scoured the parking spaces.

With a shrug to myself, I decided the guest parking would be okay for today, seeing as the cars in the student lot had matching stickers. Permits, I assumed. I would probably have to get one from the office when I checked in to get my schedule.

Once parked, I killed my car. As I did, a fresh wave of panic set in.

Was it too late to escape this labyrinth of homework, gossip, teachers, cheerleaders, jocks, nerds, gross cafeteria lunches, and possibly enemies and crawl back into my bed?

My question was answered as a heard a bell echo throughout the campus, and my pulse returned to normal.

I'd be fine. I was a tough girl.

With a deep breath, I shouldered my bag and gave one last glance-over at my reflection. I turned the rearview mirror to me, all of my charms and knick-knacks clinging together.

Ugh... I hope my hair hasn't gone flat.

I peered into the mirror, only... to find nothing.

The mirror only showed the front seat, completely vacant, and part of the backseat.

I gasped.

Oh... wow, my nerves are freakin' out! What was I looking into the mirror for?

I don't have a reflection. I was born without one. I was only half-human.

The rest of me was vampire.

So that is the end of chapter one :) I hope you enjoyed it and leave a review if you wish! Until next time!