The Next Darren Shan

by God-O-Strife

This story has been edited and revised and now at: /s/11577791/1/The-Saga-of-Deidre-Lancaster You are free to read this, but it is a rough draft, and I find it ugly.

1. Part I

I hated scary things, the dark, scary movies, but felt inexplicably drawn to them by the little voice in my head that taunted her every move away from them. I ran away and the voice called me chicken. I ran to them and the voice called me a conformist, but at least it didn't laugh at me. I sighed and looked across the room, my best friend Stephanie sat there reading a horror magazine behind her textbook. I wanted to read it, too.

Stephanie was everything I wasn't; cool, feisty, flirty, beautiful and all around fearless. I had just moved to this town and the first person to say hello was Stephanie. She introduced me to her friends, Darren, Tommy and Alan, and Steve, her brother, and let her into their group of friends. For that I was grateful.

I looked down at the textbook, uninterested, before standing up and saying, "I feel sick."

"Then go to the rest room, then return, Deidre," he, Mr. Dalton, said before returning to his reading. With that I ran down to the girls' room and sat at the toilet waiting for puke that would never come.

Next thing I knew, the bell had rung and I had no more time left to loiter in the bathroom. Mr. Dalton would be furious if he knew I just left because I felt bored, but history was just so boring. I really hoped he didn't do that thing where instead of yelling at you he just got really silent. He did that a couple of days ago to Darren when he caught him with the Steve's flyer for this freak show. He looked like he actually wanted to go.

I wanted to go too, it looked interesting, but I could never talk myself into sneaking out late at night and going to visit an illegal show. But Darren wanted to and it sounded like fun. I sighed, and heard a giggle behind me before a voice said, "Jeez, Deidre, getcher head outta the toilet already. It's lunch."

Lunch, everyone at this school had it together, fifth hour. I stood up and turned around, opening the door and peaked my head out, "Please don't tell Mr. Dalton."

Stephanie grinned and held out a pinky, "Pinky swear. Now let's go, I'll tell Darren to tell Dalton I gave you an antacid and you had indigestion from breakfast. Or something really embarrassing."

"Don't you dare," I gasped.

She snickered, "Nah." and then took off running to the field where Darren always played soccer with Tommy, Alan and Steve.

She knew I didn't want her to do that. I had a crush on Darren and if she didn't know that already, which she did, she wouldn't have snickered and took off like that. I sighed and ran after her, into the field to Darren and said out of breath, "Whatever Stephanie says, don't listen. She's had too much caffeine."

The four of them looked at me as they stood all in a big circle with getting ready to climb into a tree. I blinked, "What're you doing?"

"We're taking lots," Darren said, "whoever catches the ticket gets to go to the freak show. You wanna join?"

"Join?" I asked. Without thinking, the voice took control and spoke for me, "Sure."

You're not allowed to do that, dammit, I hissed in my head.

You wanted to, The voice counteracted.

Screw you, I replied and then returned to my conversation.

"So I just gotta catch a ticket?" I said.

"Yeah," Darren grinned and held out a hand, "Be my good luck charm?"

"Um," I said, but then Steve darted up the tree and began shaking the tickets down to the ground and Tommy and Alan went up in a frenzy trying to get the ticket. The voice, quiet up until now, finally shouted to me, Now! and I reached out my hand and grabbed hold of a piece of paper. Opening my eyes, they saw a piece of green paper in the middle of my hand with red and blue letters reading:

CIRQUE DU FREAK.

I won!

That night, I went out with Steve like a date, but not with the one I wanted to go with. Steve scared me. He had this aura of somebody that didn't care what he did, just that he did it and got a reaction; he was the most dangerous type of person I'd ever encountered. I didn't want to be there with him; after all, I'd only entered the drawing because Darren had invited me. Biggest mistake of my life.

Steve stared at me, cocking his head sideways as though he stared at some strange bird. Whether or not to feel offended I didn't know. I just lifted my hand and grinned, "Hey, sorry, I'm not Darren...Alan or Tommy, or even Stephanie."

He ducked his head and muttered, "Yeah, whatever."

Steve walked ahead of me, irritatingly taking too large of steps as though to make me fall behind and have to jog to catch up. I exhaled quickly and inhaled even quicker, gym wasn't my forte, and called, "Wait up. I can't keep up."

He turned abruptly and grabbed my hand, only then did I see his face. He blushed furiously with his mouth pressed into a thin line and his eyes avoiding mine as he muttered, "Just...c'mon...Deidre."

I remembered Stephanie giggling one day about Steve's big crush, but never thought it could've been on me. Ridiculous. I blushed too and avoided his eyes, suddenly extremely interested in the callous on my hand that I got at kendo practice. Kendo, at least, helped me clear my mind, one of the things that didn't scare me was people charging at me full force and twice my size. Only the supernatural could scare me. I swallowed and said, "We'd best get going."

After a moment's pause, he agreed with a curt nod and we went, him leading and pulling me along by my hand. His hand was oddly warm, and for once, so did his aura.

Finally, though, we made it to the theater, abandoned in all its glory. I stared at it. And I said, "This is it. Do you really think the kid went down here? You know, fell?"

"Yeah," Steve replied.

"We don't have to go up, do we?" I asked.

"No, but if you came for someone to hold your hand, then I'd rather you came with a baby sitter," he said, and I silenced.

We stepped in only to be confronted by a man that stood like a strong tree in the redwood forest. His eyes stared deep into my soul with a dark eeriness and then, he opened his mouth, "Can I help the young couple?"

Steve blushed and yanked his hand away, there seemed to be a lot of blushing tonight. The man's huge bony hands were folded before him and his head almost touched the ceiling. Steve exhaled slowly and said, "We...we're here to see the Cirque du Freak."

"Are you?" the man asked, nodding slowly, "Do you have tickets?"

"Yes," Steve showed his.

"Very good," the man muttered and then turned to me, "And do you, Deidre, have a ticket?"

"Yes," I said reaching into my pocket and then stopped. He knew my name. I let my eyes dart to Steve who shook in his sneakers. The tall man smiled and showed his black teeth, his tongue a dirty shade of yellow.

"My name is Mr. Tall," he said. "I own the Cirque du Freak."

"How'd you know her name?" Steve asked bravely.

Mr. tall laughed and bent down, eye to eye with Steve and said, "I know a lot of things." he said softly, "I know your names, I know where you live. I know you don't like your mommy and daddy." he turned to me and spoke to me with his stinking breath, "I know you didn't tell your parents you were coming here. And I know how you won your ticket."

"How?" my voice shook. Instead of answering, he said:

"We must hurry. The show is about to start."

And the two of us followed obediently. I felt scared but forced my feet to go with Steve's and walked down to the theater hall where all the seats, long ago ripped out, had been replaced with lawn chairs and in them sat a very animated crowd, scared yet tingling with excitement. They didn't know if the show was legitimate or not. We sat down, guided to the seats in the front row by small people in hoods, covering their faces and waited with anticipation.

"I bid you leave now if you are slight of heart and shall wait until you've left until we start. Now then, I present," Mr. Tall said, suddenly on the stage, "the wolf man! This creature is very dangerous. Silence is necessary; loud noises may scare him to start-we don't want that."

He came down the stage with to pretty girls following, by with the cage. Then the opened it and led the wolf man out-one led him with a finger, side to side, it stayed and suddenly, he, the once raging wolf man, was calm and compliant. he walked down the rows, some people reaching out to touch him. Steve did and whispered to me, dared me to do so too. I couldn't turn down the dare. The little voice inside took over and I reached out to feel the wiry coat of fur and yanked my hand back in repulsion. I made sure, though to keep my voice down. But then, beside me, a loud noise rang loud through the silent theater and the wolf man snapped out of his trance.

The beast roared high on before returning and attacking the first person he saw-a youthful woman, older than me but younger than my parents, and bit her hand off. The man beside her, her husband, all of a sudden went into hysteria and so did the woman, staring at her hand and screaming. Soon, the initial shock left and everyone began to break out into panic. I just froze. But then Mr. Tall intervened and yelled, "Silence!

"Ladies," he said and the woman returned to putting the wolf man into a trance and then into a cage, "I asked for silence! Everything is okay."

And then all of them suddenly quieted. He had an authoritative figure to him, and they silenced themselves the woman attempting to control her whimpers. The man beside her, her husband, yelled, though, "Everything is not fine!"

"And, how are you to say that?" asked Mr. Tall.

"She doesn't have her hand!" the man yelled, gesturing madly.

The short people helping with the circus and brought a needle and string. They made sure to let the man hold the string and then sewed her hand back together with her wrist. She gasped moved her fingers as he commanded. They moved.

The man, Mr. Tall, came to the stage and said, "Listen to me. I give fair warning. I said this show could be dangerous. This is not a nice safe circus where nothing goes wrong. Mistakes can and do happen and sometimes people end up a lot worse than your wife. that's why this show is banned. That's why we must play in old theaters in the middle of the night. Most of the time things go smoothly and nobody gets hurt. But we cannot guarantee your safety."

Several people left, but steve and i stayed. We sat there, and the next act went on.

"I present, the bearded woman!"

A blonde woman, Truska, came out and then she grew a beard before my very eyes and after her came Gertha Teeth. She bit iron bars in half. Rhamus two bellies ate a bike and Alexander ribs sang a song while making musical notes with his ribs. Hans Hands beat a man in a 100 meter race on his hands and finally, when I thought I'd seen it all, I saw an act that made me wish Darren was my date.

Darren liked spiders, so I tried to like spiders too. I caught one, and then got the courage to pick it up in my hand. Got so scared, I did, that I threw it far away only to be stepped on by a passerby. So, when Larten Crepsley and Madam Octa had been announced, it peaked my interest. Maybe, for Darren's birthday, I could get him a gift as magnificent as Madam Octa. Darren would have loved to be here. If I'd gotten the tickets, then he would have definitely been grateful; almost enough to maybe thank me forever. Love me forever.

I blushed at the thought and paid attentive care to Madam Octa. she climbed up his sleeve, the sleeve of Larten Crepsley, and made a web in his mouth. It followed the flute music like a snake to a charmer's flute. Mesmerizing. Everything seemed like a dream as the spider ate little foods and did gymnastics. Sooner than later, the show ended and my mesmerized eyes stayed. I could steal that spider for Darren. We got up, Steve and I, as we continued to move to the exit, but then a scream echoed through the hall. A person stood on the balcony where the kid had jumped from. There stood a boy, our age, maybe older, who had his entire body covered head to foot in scales green like leaves and hair fiery orange. He grinned and slithered down the pole to the ground and he and his snake. They slithered their way down the floor. With that, the two came to stand by Mr. Tall.

"I present, The Snake Boy!" Mr. Tall announced and then grinned and said, "This is the end of the night's activities. I promise this time."

With that the two of us stood in our seats. I grinned, and said, "That was awesome, Steve."

"Yeah," he muttered.

"You're okay, right?" I asked, "It didn't scare you, did it?"

"Nah," Steve muttered again.

"You know," I said, "We could always-"

"Leave without me," he interrupted.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Leave without me," he repeated.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "I thought we were going home. I said I'd spend the night at your house with Stephanie."

"Then go by yourself," he said, "I've got something to take care of."

"Steve..." I said, but then drifted off, "O-okay."

And then I turned away. I could leave by myself; I was a big girl. I could find my own way back to Steve's house, after all, I'd been there a billion times to see Stephanie. Now the only obstacle was to figure out how to exit the theater-I could swear I came in on the right, but the left had less light and when she came in, there was so little light in the entry path. I exhaled and did enie-meanie-minie-moe and came up with the idea of going back rather than forward. Mr. Tall seemed nice enough, scary as he was, and perhaps he could help me find my way out. Often times, Stephanie had gotten me lost and then laughed when she finally found me and called me directional-ly challenged. I needed a guide.

Wandering, I found stairs and stairs took you places, so I went up them, down some, and then up two more flights and realized that finally that I stood on the balcony. Dammit. I walked carefully to the edge and peaked over. I heard voices, and squinted to see through the darkness. Two figures stood on the stage, fighting, it seemed, and the shorter figure said.

"I know who you are," he said stuttering; it was Steve.

"I am Larten Crepsley," the man said.

"No," Steve replied, "I know who you really are."

"Oh, really? Tell me little boy, who am I really?" asked the creepy man.

"You're Vur Horston," he said, his breath ragged, scared, "You're a vampire."

"Well," the creepy man, Larten Crepsley/Vur Horston, said, "I have been discovered. I should not be surprised. It had to happen eventually. Tell me, boy, who sent you?"

"Nobody," Steve said.

Mr. Crepsley frowned and said, "Come boy, do not play games. Who are you working for? Who put you onto me and what do they want?"

"I'm not working for anybody," Steve insisted, "I've got lots of books and magazine at home about vampires and monsters. There was a picture of you in one of them."

"A picture?" Mr. crepsley asked suspiciously.

"A painting," Steve replied, "It was done in 1903, in Paris. You were with a rich woman. The story said the two of you almost married, but she found out you were a vampire and dumped you. It was true, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but her friend thought she had made up the story to look better," Mr. Crepsley said.

"You won't hurt me," he said.

"Why not," replied the supposed vampire.

"Because of my friend," Steve nodded, "I told her everything about you and if anything happens to me, he'll tell the police."

"They will not believe her," Mr. Crepsley snorted.

"But if I turn up dead or missing they'll have to do something with an investigation," Steve said, "Then a lot of police'll come here asking questions in the daytime."

Mr. Crepsley shook his head with disgust, "Children!" he snarled, "I hate children. What is it you want? Money? Jewels? The rights to publish my story?"

"I want to join you," he said. I almost fell off the balcony with that. I thought he liked me...was I not good enough to stay human for?

"I cannot turn a child into a vampire!" Crepsley said, "I would be murdered by the vampire generals-"

"-what are the vampire generals?"

"-Why do you want to be a vampire in the first place. It is a horrible life. do you just want to live forever?"

"I don't care."

"We do not live forever," he said.

"I don't care."

"What about your friends" asked Mr. Crepsley, "You would not be able to see then again. You would have to leave school and home and never return. What about your parents? Would you not miss them?"

Steve shook his head and miserably said, "My dad doesn't live with us, I hardly ever see him. And my mom doesn't love me. She doesn't care what I do. She probably won't even notice I'm gone."

"That is why you want to run away? Because your mother does not love you?"

"Partly."

"If you wait a few years, you will be old enough to leave by yourself," Mr. Crepsley said.

"I don't wanna wait," Steve said desperately.

"And your friends?" asked Crepsley, looking very kind at that moment, "Would you miss the girl you came with tonight?"

"Deidre?" Steve asked, the hesitated and nodded, "I'll miss my friends, Deidre especially, but she doesn't like me. She likes Darren. She's afraid of me."

"So unacquainted love," Mr. Crepsley asked.

"Just turn me," he said, "Just do it, otherwise I'll become a vampire hunter when I'm older and hunt you down."

"But I cannot turn a child!" he replied, but grinned, "It would seem that you have a sort of...spunk. I shall test your blood."

With that, the man put his thumb to steve's palm and cut a slit. Steve bit his lip and waited as Mr. Crepsley licked the blood and swished it around in his mouth before screaming, "You are evil!"

Steve yanked his hand away, tears in his eyes as he screamed back, "What do you mean?"

"I cannot turn someone so evil, someone with so little value to life," he said, "we vampires value life and its riches. We do not kill like blood thirsty monsters."

"You just don't want to turn me!" he yelled, "I'll hunt you down, Vur Horston! I will make you regret calling me evil!"

I then stood there alone with the vampire, listening to Steve's resounding footsteps. Then Mr. Crepsley yelled, "Children!" and took his leave. I chose that time to take mine as well. I ran out of there as fast as I could, actually finding the door, and running back to my house, fear pumping through my veins.

That next morning I brought a book that would sure keep away Steve: Botany for Beginners-Starting your first garden. I got it from my mom. Stephanie even kept her distance. My brother, Daisya, made sure to spray me with his stench-y cologne in my direction a few times before letting me leave the house. He was a cool big brother like that; he kept my secrets and I didn't tell mom when he went to hang out in the red-light district. The exchange was good for the two of us: it helped that he lived at home at age 23.

"Daisy," I'd said that morning, "I've got some problems."

And by my tone, and every other tone that I had, he suspected it was boy problems. With that, he got out mom's botany book, his stench of a cologne and his big brother bat. He said he'd finally get to go out with his bat and beat up some scum. I immediately told him to shut up and hid his bat behind the tampons in the bathroom. He never liked to get close to lady things.

So, I ended up with not just Steve and Stephanie avoiding me, but everyone else, too. Sometimes Daisya went overboard. But I loved Daisy. Thinking about my brother as I sat in the library for lunch, I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see that it was Steve. He looked worried. I grinned forcefully and said, "Oh, hey."

"Hey," Steve said, "What're you up to?"

"Just..." I said, "You know, reading. I've actually got to go. My brother said he'd pick me up for lunch today. Can't just leave him hanging."

"Yeah but-" he began. But I interrupted.

"I really," I said, "Have to go."

With that I stood up quickly and left the library.

I avoided Steve the rest of the week, two days; same method just different situations. My brother was so happy to finally be of use to keep boys away. He said that if it kept boys away, then he'd be okay with being portrayed as a serial killer and a rapist, as long as they stayed a far, far away. But Steve got more persistent. The two of us used Darren as a medium. Good for me though; we got to talk.

"So," Darren said, hands in his pockets, deep in thought, "why are you fighting with Steve?"

"We're not fighting."

"Then why are you avoiding him?" Darren asked, "You know he likes you."

"Well," I said, "Somethings happen to you and you get kind of...iffy on things like that. And..." I like you.

He went silent and then said, "I support you two going out, you know. I think you'd be good for him."

I froze. He didn't think of me as a girl then? Just someone to set up with his friend? I frowned. I needed to prove to him that I liked him. I needed to show him that it wasn't Steve that he should see me with; but by his side was where I needed to be. I needed something to make him love me. I needed Madam Octa. Then Steal It, whispered the little voice. I went on autopilot.

Like a fool in a daze, I returned to the freak-show's site in the old theater. I sneaked down stairs to the basement of the theater and moved to the coffin in the corner. I'd made sure my escape route couldn't be interfered with and then took the spider in the cage beside him. I wrote a note, too, though:

Mr. Crepsley

I know who and what you are. I have taken Madam Octa and am keeping her. Do not come looking for her. Do not come back to this town. If you do, I wil tel everyone that you are a vampire and you will be hunted down and killed. I am not Steve. Steve knows nothing about this. I will take good care of the spider.

I didn't sign it though; that'd be suicide. Mentioning Steve wasn't a good idea either, but it was too late now because I ran out the door pretty sure that not even the vampire could catch me.

Stealing the spider made me giddy. I'd never stolen anything in my entire life except for this one cookie that I got from Grandma Fran in her high class Boston Kitchen. I got caught and the spanking of my life; never stole anything again. But now I had madam octa and felt like doing something. Something rash. Something stupid. So I invited Darren over.

When the doorbell rang I skipped to it and opened the door, grinning to see his floppy hair and lopsided grin standing there before me. I gave a coy look before saying, "I need to show you something."

Darren came in, his usual confidence there before I let him into my room. I'd hidden Madam Octa in my closet. Darren followed me and I shut the door, "There's this awesome thing I wanna show you."

His grin disappeared and was replaced with a look of confusion, "Um...what're you going to show me?"

I grinned and said, "Madam Octa," and pulled the giant spider from the closet and opened the cage. Madam Octa leaped out and I waited there for the awesome thank yous that I would receive. I waited but nothing happened; soon Darren's face paled and his jaw dropped. That wasn't good. I began to feel doubt ebbing its way in.

The silence seemed to echo until Darren's shaky voice rang out, "What did you do, Dee?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, shaking my head and my voice, both unintentional, "I did this for you. I like you, Darren."

More silence.

He let his head fall into his hand and said, "Oh, god. Listen. I can't steal Steve's girl. That's not right and there's also the fact that I see you as just a friend."

A pin could have dropped and sounded like a pipe on concrete. My heart broke. Why? I did all this for him. I stole a spider from freaking vampire and all he has to say is that he sees me as only a friend. Just Steve's girl? That wasn't fair! Why? Why...why...

Then why not kill him?

The voice in my head rang out.

Yes, said the voice, why not. He deserves it. It'll feel so good.

At the time it sounded like such a great idea. Why not? he hurt me; he deserved to be hurt. I did so much for him, risking myself that way.

You did.

And we have Madam Octa here today too.

We do.

After a split second, I Put the flute to my mouth and let a loud, high pitched note screech out. The sound ended, and Madam octa had sunken her fangs into Darren's neck.

I gasped. I couldn't believe I did that. My brother came running in the door; that was when I realized I screamed. I began to sob; I was a monster, I tried to kill somebody-and of all people it was Darren. He just sat there, Madam Octa returning to her closet, to her cage, and my brother Daisya staring at Darren's limp, paling body. His veins began to show blue on his skin and I couldn't stop sobbing.

"What happened?" Daisya asked, holding me but staring at Darren in horror.

"I-I-I don't kn-know," I cried, "He-he-he g-got bi-tt-en. Spider."

"I'm calling the ambulance," he said, whipping out his phone. All I could do is hyperventilate before passing out cold.

Steve arrived after I got the news that Darren was barely breathing. The Doctors said that he didn't have much time; they couldn't specify which poison was in Darren's system and because of that they couldn't cure it. I couldn't tell them that Madam Octa was the one who bit Darren. When I woke up, before leaving to go to Darren, I'd ran up to my room quickly and stared at Madam Octa, fury in my eyes, and spat at the thing: "Go to hell, you demon's spawn! I wish I'd never stolen you!" With that I picked up the cage, opened the window and threw her as far as I possibly could. I then collapsed in a sobbing, hyperventilating mess before Daisy came and escorted me to the hospital.

Darren was unstable and we might have brought in bad things; so we weren't allowed in his room. Steve and I waited together, staring at each others' feet before Steve asked the very thing i dreaded: "Did you steal Madam Octa?"

I couldn't answer so he asked again, "Did you steal Madam Octa to try to impress Darren? Seriously?"

Before he could ask a third time, I said, "You're one to talk."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Steve, paling.

"You asked to be a vampire with Mr. Crepsley," I hissed in a whisper.

"How did you know that?"

"I was there, Steve, in the balcony," I hissed, "at least I just took something from the guy, not asking to join him and be a monster!"

I immediately shut up; I'd just been a monster. Steve however didn't say the same: "Me? A monster!? You bitch! It's your fault my best friend is like this!"

He grabbed my shoulders and began to shake me hard, I felt as though my brain was rattling back in forth in my head. I had to try to push him away, but it wasn't me who was able to dislodge myself from the position but Daisy. He almost hit Steve if it weren't for me running in between the two and glaring a bit. Maybe it was my fault, but maybe keeping him from getting hurt from Daisy would help with atonement. I had to have that at least.

I exhaled and sat back down, giving my brother a look and letting my eyes stray everywhere but near Steve. I let there be a seat between the two of us before I sat back down too. I couldn't help it. I felt so guilty about what I did and couldn't stop my leg from twitching. I kept thinking back to when I threw Madam Octa out of the window. I could have sworn I saw a figure below catch her on the ground, but I was unsure and hated the idea of somebody being there. There was only one person that would know that I threw her out the window like that, or at least, be there to catch the randomly spiraling spider. Mr. Crepsley.

I got up. There was somebody who could help me, the only problem was whether or not he would.

Daisya wanted to know where I was going and I told him I needed some time alone. He felt that I was okay to have time alone; me being with Darren and all at the time it happened. I'd already told the doctors all that happened, or at least the abridged version, so they didn't need me anymore. I could run down to the abandoned theater and hope the Cirque Du Freak hadn't moved on yet. So I did.

But I needed to run home, acquire some sort of defense. Before stealing Madam Octa, I'd stolen some holy water from the church. I didn't know whether or not being a believer in Christ had something to do with its validity, but it was also stolen; that could have been bad. I borrowed a cross from this girl at school, some sort of Catholic fanatic who wanted to shove her religion down your throat, but she was uber excited to know that I wanted to "believe." She even allowed me to have some of her rosary beads: perfect vampire repellent.

I ran up to my room and got out my stash, sticking the rosary around my neck and under my shirt, the cross in my dominant left hand, and the bottle of holy water in the recessive right. I held the cross like a dagger, mimicking Buffy the Vampire Slayer television shows, poked a hole in the bottle of the water bottle which contained the holy water. I made sure to squeeze all the air out of the bottle so it'd squirt out and then set out. Only two feet from the porch I heard somebody in the bushes. Dammit.

"You are...Deidre Lancaster," the deep voice said.

"You're Mr. Crepsley," I said, my voice shaking.

"You-" he said stepping forwards.

"Stay back!" I yelled, splashing him with the holy water and waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. My hands began to shake.

The vampire stared at me and then burst out laughing, grasping his stomach, "You think, little girl, that this will hurt me?"

"Y-you're a vampire," I said, hoping nobody in my family would turn in early tonight, "that was holy water. You're supposed to be on fire, smoking now."

"That is a myth," Mr. Crepsley said, "Just like how the cross and rosary beads that you adorn are harmless unless you plan to chuck them at me, then I might feel irritation."

I swore underneath my breath and began to back away, hoping to get to my house so he couldn't pass the threshold barrier of sorts that they always talked about in television, but then the Vampire said, "That is a myth too, the threshold barrier."

"You can read my mind?" I gawked.

"No," replied Mr. Crepsley, "but i can read your actions."

"I want your antidote," I yelled.

"Then give me something," replied the vampire, "in return."

"What..." I asked, dreading the moment.

"Become a vampire with me."

I gasped. What was with him? I remembered how Stephanie and Steve read vampire books but of different genres. Stephanie's had sexy, hot vampires who turned their lovers to vampires to be with them forever. Oddly that came into my mind, but the two of us weren't lovers; i just stole his spider and he was just mad. We didn't sneak out to grave-yards to make out in the middle of the night, his middle of the day, and whisper sweet nothings. If anything, he was angry at me and wanted to kill me for taking such a magnificent spider. According to Steve's more gruesome books, they were more likely to kill me.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"If you become a vampire, then I will give you the antidote," he said.

I looked warily at him and said, "Fine, but let's go somewhere alone. Can't have vampires doing their thing on my front lawn."

"Of course," replied the vampire.

The two of us went back to the theater and he turned to me, "Allow me to test your blood."

I crossed my fingers and hoped I wasn't evil, if I was evil then Darren wouldn't be saved. So I hoped to the heavens and whatever else was up there, gods, stars, and satellites, that evil wasn't in my blood, and let the man slit my palm open and suck the blood. His lips on my palm felt surprisingly soft, but I didn't let that get to me. I moved to jerk my hand back as soon as he moved away. He swished the blood around in his mouth and said, "You are not evil, odd tasting but not evil, though."

I moved to unbutton my collar but he snickered and said, "Silly little girl, that is not how we do things. I slit the tips of my fingers and then yours, and then we hold them together for a time and then you shall become a half vampire."

"That seems easy," I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"It is not," replied the vampire, "it is a painful, horrible process."

I nodded but held out my hands anyway. The worst cut I'd gotten was one time when I made a pizza in the middle of the night and sliced my hand a knife while cutting a tomato. I'd almost gotten stitches and it hurt like a bitch. Never again will I watch television and cut tomatoes. I exhaled and gritted my teeth as he dug his nails into my finger tips. I gasped at the pain and then resisted the urge to clench my fists and let him slit his finger tips, scarred already, and then pressed them to mine. I felt the blood almost immediately like fire spreading through my veins. It felt like the blood was too hot, too large in quantity to fit and pressed out my veins to make them larger, stretched. We stayed like that for several minutes, maybe hours it felt, but then he let licked his fingers and the wounds healed.

Then he did the same to me. I blushed. I learned a lot from my brother and one of those things was that when somebody licks you, it's either because they're five or something sexual. He was trying to heal me but the thought still rang in my mind. Sometimes I wished that my brother hadn't thought that making me learn about all sorts of sexual education via porn to scare me into staying away from men when I was five. He was a horrible brother now that I think about it; he had dad's irrational traits. either way, I still blushed and yanked my hand back when he was done.

"Now give me the antidote," I said, looking anywhere but at him, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

"Fine," replied Mr. Crepsley, "We will go to the hospital, get on my back."

I hopped on without question and all of a sudden he began to run, soon, the world passed in a blur and we were finally at the hospital. He dug his nails into the brick wall and climbed in through the window. I don't know how he got the lock opened but he did, and he pulled the two of us through. He dug a bottle from his coat pocket and moved to Darren's bed and bent down by him. He took a swig of the bottle and slit a cut into Darren's leg, then put his mouth to the calf where he made the cut and blew in the liquid. Darren started to look better in minutes.

"Help!" I yelled, "There's a weird man in here!"

"You damned..." the vampire cursed underneath his breath, and moved to the window. The nurse came running, but Mr. Crepsley was gone.

I could do things that I would have never been able to do. I'd won the race between Tommy, Alan and Steve that week during lunch, and during gym, I hit a ball so far that it spiraled out of sight and nobody could find it. I sat at night doing push-ups until dawn, though was exhausted due to lack of sleep, could lift part of the couch up the next day when doing chores. I felt like the big oaf guy from the Incredibles.

But that feeling didn't last long.

That day I felt on top of the world. I'd even some how aced the science test, too, probably due to my new found confidence. Daisya was proud of me, took me out for his favorite, Chinese food that night. I grinned as I slurped up the noodles. Darren was feeling better, and I was coming out of my shell while enjoying Chinese food; what could have been better? In fact, I'd seen Darren at school that day talking with Steve. He looked happy, weak, but happy to be back. He even waved at me and laughed happily, proudly almost when I made that home run thing in gym. Reminiscing about the day's events, I got carried away, and almost forgot what I was doing.

One moment I sat down eating and staring into space, but then my eyes drifted from my food to Daisya. Daisya had a way of bending over his food and almost putting his chin to his chest so his face was directly over the food. When like that, you could see the veins in his neck bulging out. He was a thin guy, but sinewy so you could see his veins easily. How nice it would be to cut into one of those veins and drain him. HALT! I didn't know where that thought came from, but it happened. I was so shocked that I dropped my fork.

"You okay, D?" Daisya asked.

"Y-yeah," I gave a nervous laugh, "Of course. My hand just didn't want to work a second ago."

"Do we need to take you to the doctors?" asked Daisya, "It could be something bad, like epilepsy, baby seisures."

"I just think you watch too many inaccurate medical dramas," I responded.

"Okay," Daisya said, slight caution in his voice, "but if you need anything. I'll be here, got it?"

"I know," I said, and kicked myself on the inside about a million times for thinking my previous thoughts.

Okay, move to the right, steal the ball from the guy named Nick and I'll be home free to kick it into the goal. Alan, Tommy and Steve, begrudgingly for the last one, invited me to join them with playing but warned that they wouldn't go easy just because I was a girl.

To which, I replied, "Well I won't go easy on you guys just because you're guys."

They laughed and we joined the other guys on the field. So here I was, planning out my next five moves, five different scenarios for each move, so twenty-five moves were planned out by the time that I ran after the ball and the one guarding the ball. I swiped it with ease and began speeding to the goal on the other side. Nick, a bully type, began racing after me, second fastest after Darren "Hot Shot" Shan. He almost kept up with my speed and just when I was in the clear and ready to kick the ball into the goal, he gained speed and tripped me. Acting quickly, I made sure to land on my hands and twist around quickly. My leg swung around and swiped underneath the legs of Nick himself and tripped him, landing flat face first on the ground.

The game halted.

Nick got up and looked at me, clutching his nose. It seemed that that made the first impact. Poor guy, but I couldn't concentrate on the hurl of insults thrown in my direction. I only focused on the blood gushing out between his fingers from his bloodied nose. I stuck out a finger and moved to brush it up against the blood, letting it drip down my pinkie finger and then bringing it to my own mouth and sucking. It tasted so good, like a sandwich does after starving for a while. I came to when I realized that everyone was staring at me. Thinking quickly, I mimicked my brother when he once made me trip, "REVENGE...for tripping me."

Nick gave me the most incredulous look and then said, "Seriously?"

"Um..." said, then fleed the scene. I almost drank that guy's blood. It tasted good. What was wrong with me?

The bell rang for lunch's end and I came out of my hiding place in the library, face stuffed in a botanical book. My hands still shook and I couldn't keep them still, they kept fumbling with the page and twitching like they were having little spasms. Before, I'd gone to the girls' room to wash my face and my finger, trying to wash the blood stench from my finger, my tongue, but it didn't work. I scrubbed my hands raw before deciding to hide in the library. Alright, from now on, no more sports; I could seriously hurt somebody like how I'd effortlessly moved to trip that guy, mindlessly licked the blood from my finger from, his hand. I'd even sicced Madam Octa on Darren like he was a dog. It was a good thing that he didn't remember anything much about the day Madam Octa bit him, his memory seemed erased slightly. Somehow, I thought that was for the best for both of us.

"Hey!" a voice called from the end of the hallway. I swore, I had an off hour this time. No class to excuse myself to.

I turned to see blond hair and cruel eyes and exhaled sadly, "Steve..."

"We need to talk," he replied, and clasped his hand around my wrist, pulling me away from the scene. The two of us ended up at the back of the school. He ran a hand through is hair as though he was nervous. Damn him. He then spoke, "Listen, Deidre, I-"

"I don't wanna hear it Steve," I interrupted, "If you've come to yell at me, or call me a bitch again, or tell me that I'm the real monster, then I've got something to tell you-"

"That's not what I wanted to say!" he interrupted, "I just wanted to say...thanks, for saving Darren. Even though you caused it in the first place."

"That's unexpected."

"Well excuse me," Steve countered and turned, "I just wanted to say thanks, so later."

Then walked away.

Steve apologized? I was truly befuddled and stood there dumbly. Perhaps he had changed. But, that aside, I needed to focus on my problem right now, the fact that he was right, I really was a monster.

Darren was a comforting and scary thought that kept me going on my way to the Cirque du Freak's site, hoping that the circus would still be there. With no luck, I saw that it already moved out. But be it with luck or unluckiness, I turned around to almost ran into the man himself.

He stood there with his cape colored red that swooped as he touched the floor when he walked. It was in a way majestic. I lost my breath watching him. But then he spoke and it was all ruined. The man's voice was deep, manly, coincidentally, and clipped words fell on his tongue. I was sure that he was a man incarnate, the perfect man, with the scars and such to prove it. Whenever he frowned, and he seemed to do that a lot around me, the three scars on his face crinkled.

"...caster...Miss Lancaster!" Mr. Crepsley said, "are you even paying attention?"

"Y-yeah," I replied. He caught me ogling at him. Dammit all.

"Well," replied the irritated vampire, "you come to me now. Why? Perhaps you realized you are in over your head."

I stared at him. He was so right, so I answered, "You've got no idea. You turned me into a monster."

"Monster?" questioned the vampire, "What are you talking about? I am offended."

"Well what?" I demanded, "what are you even thinking of doing about it? Take responsibility for what you did."

"Me?" he asked, "what about you? You need to remember what you did. Stealing my spider. Getting your friend bitten. Requesting the help of he who you stole from. You take responsibility."

"Why?" I asked, "I'm a stupid kid."

"I never thought you would admit to such an ordeal, but it would seem otherwise," replied Mr. Crepsley.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked, "you owe me."

"I told you," answered the vampire, "and I shall say it once more, become my assistant and come with me. Just say yes."

I looked at him. This vampire wanted me to go with him; to join him, he wanted me to leave my family, my friends, Darren. I just wanted to see him again, Darren, all healthy and chipper again and in exchange for that I got turned into a monster. Was he even worth it? Of course he was; if I didn't fix him, then I'd be a monster but I guess the ending doesn't change despite my efforts. I'll always be a monster. But what I was more afraid of was being alone. So, I stepped forwards and exhaled, "Yes."

Mr. Crepsley told me to meet him at midnight in a week. The Cirque Du freak had moved out already but he left them, for me. I didn't know if that made me happy or sad, somebody of the opposite sex was actually interested in me, though probably as a servant. As the week passed, I felt nervous as hell, unable to figure out what it was inside me, fear or excitement, or even a mix of both. I couldn't tell. All I could think of was the time he blooded me, when our fingertips touched together and then he licked them dry of blood. Perhaps, in a different time, different place, and circumstance, that could have been a romantic thing to do. The two of us spending eternity together, if I loved him that'd have been nice.

I sighed and looked around. Everyone thought I killed Darren, or almost killed him. They knew he was at my house when it happened and they knew there was something different about me. I almost drank that kid's blood. Now that I felt it, I think it was better that I went with the vampire. Steve probably spread those rumors before apologizing, but his apology per say didn't feel like it was sincere at all. Good thing I didn't believe him. Because of him, even my own family looked at me weirdly.

From there on wards, I set out on that night, to go see the vampire. A week had passed and finally the time had come. I rubbed my hands together. It felt cold and i could see my breath as I exhaled, tired and chilled. I should have worn a better jacket.

"So you did not turn tail and run," a voice spoke out of the darkness, "let us go."

"Go?" I asked, "why now?"

"Because," replied the vampire, "you have removed yourself from society. Much like a certain young moron I once knew, and for that, we need not fake your death. Nobody will search for you. They shall be glad you have removed yourself from their sight."

"Well," I said, fighting the urge to cry and wail, "you don't know that. How are you so sure?"

"Because I have seen that look in the eyes of others once before," replied Mr. Crepsley, "do not doubt that. They will not look for you. They will not miss you. They will not even remember your name in the year to come. Even if doing the act you did purged the world of all horrid things, they would still not be grateful."

I sniffed, still holding back tears, "Yeah...they will. You're wrong. They will."

The vampire looked softly, even with the scar on his face he looked sweet almost, "Because once...those eyes directed themselves at me."

I looked at him. No doubt. With a scar on his face, it looked like he had killed plenty before. Probably got that from an enraged widow or brother. I looked carefully and stepped forwards, lifting my hand. But hesitating, what if he just got that from some irritated lover, another vampire? Hah! So complicated I was making this.

"Now come," Mr. Crepsley said gruffly, stepping away. "Our new life awaits."

He held out his hand. I looked back to my town. Here, mom and dad were going to run a bakery, a new phase of my whimsical mother. Here, Daisya was thinking about going to community college and work his way back up the ladder from the previous college he had been kicked out of. And here, there was Darren, Allan, Tommy, Stephanie and even her ass of a brother Steve. But those looks in the other kids' eyes. I didn't think I could put up with that, stand that or even live with that. It made me feel gross inside, disgusting, like a monster. So I did what monsters did, I went to live with my own kind.

"Okay," I said, and took his hand.

One month later, posters and the news and everyone was searching for me. But that was to keep up the appearance that they still wanted me. But I heard the whispers, about the murderer girl who wasn't worth the time. They kept it up for a good month, first my family got involved, then the police, then the entire town, but sooner than later, they dropped out of interest in the missing girl, Deidre Lancaster. For that month, Mr. Crepsley and I hid in the forests. We stayed in abandoned houses and camped out underneath the stars where the insects would have eaten you alive. It was the best month of my life, or so I thought then, because everything was like an adventure. Mr. Crepsley wouldn't let me go into town to get supplies, though; my face was everywhere. But as the month came to an end, so did the popularity of my face and parents' phone number. With that I could get groceries on my own.

It turned out that vampires cannot and could not live on blood entirely. They needed other supplements such as human food and a good balance of animal and human blood. We also don't have fangs. One day I was looking in the mirror wondering if my fangs would grow in, mr. Crepsley got one just for me, and he stumbled upon me asking what in the world i was doing. I told him and he burst out laughing, soon followed a detailed explanation of what it meant to be a vampire. We are not immortal, indestructible, fang bearing monsters, or blood thirsty beasts, but a proud clan of people descended from wolves. I was very wrong in my previous interpretations.

But then it happened.

I was minding my own business when I felt a cramp in my side. Damn. It was my time of the month again. Odd, though, that it hadn't come sooner. I had thought of asking Mr. Crepsley about it, but he was a man, he wouldn't understand and it was embarrassing. With the money I was given and a cap too, I ran to the convenience store and bought some tampons and returned to our hotel. Now that news of me was over, we could stay in shabby hotels and such.

I returned to the hotel and sighed, perhaps a nice long bath would be nice. But when I opened the door, Mr. Crepsley was up. Unusual for him in the day time. I stared at him and he looked at me, "What is it?" I asked.

"I smell blood."

I blushed, "Um...yeah."

"Are you okay?" he asked, "did you get hurt?"

"No..." I said, blushing deeper, "I'm just...on my period."

"Your what?" he asked, giving a look of complete bemusement.

"My period," I said, pursing my lips and looking to the side, "you've had 'the talk', right?"

"'Talk'?"

"Yeah," I explained, "it's when an egg within the female body doesn't get fertilized and it exits with blood and gooey stuff out of the-"

This time, Mr. Crepsley blushed and said, "I know, already! But, you are not supposed to have one. Becoming a vampire means you are sterile."

"What?" I asked, "Then what's this?"

"I don't know, but I know somebody who might." he replied.

Larten Crepsley felt amazed. Somebody other than Lady Evanna was able to bear vampire children. Her bleeding was fact of that. Evanna could confirm it.

He decided that as soon as possible, the two of them should visit Lady Evanna with questions and clarification. If so, then all he needed was to find somebody, even if it was himself, to charm the girl and allow him to bed her. That way, the Vampires would win the constant struggle between them and the vampaneze. That way, they could even take down creatures like Murlough. The only reason he turned the girl was the sudden urge to have her as his own. He didn't even understand it himself, his need to have her, but it was there.

At Evanna's, or at least before Evanna's, Larten gave the very strict rules to Deidre, don't call Evanna a witch. She asked why and gave names of supposed "awesome witches" like Hermione Granger and Larten had no idea what in the world she was talking about. He still made sure that Deidre didn't call her a witch at all costs. That really irritated a certain somebody to no ends.

When they arrived, Evanna greeted them as usual and then stared at his apprentice. She gave Larten an eyebrow raise and sighed, "What did you do this time, Larten."

"The girl started her bleeding," he replied.

"Impossible."

"Well she has and I need you to confirm. I need to confirm whether or not she has the ability to bear children," Larten asked.

Evanna looked at Deidre, a mere slip of a girl, beautiful with wavy black hair and striking brown eyes, not exactly brown but not hazel either, and tinted red. Her skin was pale, even before becoming a vampire. A dust of freckles marred her cheeks and a wisp of black hair curled on her forehead like bangs. She was beautiful, thought Larten. She sighed and said, "Let the girl come with me. I shall see the truth."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mr. Crepsley looked at me and nodded. I followed the rope adorning woman with the mustache and color switching eyes out of the current cave and into a new one, smaller. This smaller cave looked like a bedroom, with a bed made out of nesting twigs and hay like a bird and a sitting couch with a table and snacks on it. They looked nothing like the snacks that I'd ever seen though. Perhaps they were crickets.

"Lift your shirt so I may see your abdomen," replied the woman.

I did as she said and hesitantly lifted my shirt. She looked at me and chuckled, "I don't bite."

She rested a hand on my stomach and everything went quiet. The woman, Evanna, kept her hand there momentarily before saying, "You and I are the same."

"Same?" I asked.

"I don't know how, but you can bear the children of a vampire," she said.

"Wh-what does that mean?" I asked. I sure didn't know.

"It means, you will be pursued by vampires and vampaneze in hopes that you will have their child and they will win the constant struggle between the two clans," she explained, "and yes. I shall tell you about the vampaneze. Vampaneze are vampires that drain the blood of their victims entirely. They split from the vampire clan because of that. Whoever is the father of the child of you or me shall be the winning clan. You understand?" I nodded, "What happens now, is they pursue you. You don't have the powers to protect yourself like me. They will try to take you by force. From the looks of it, you have never had the pleasure of a man?" I nodded again, "you wouldn't want to? I hope you do not because if it is human, you may hurt him with your strength, if it is vampire or vampaneze, you will cause another war."

"So I just keep my legs shut and no war?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Okay then," I stood up and stretched, "So...um, can I go back to Mr. Crepsley?"

"Yes," she said, but then added, "but one more thing."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Are you romantically involved with Larten?"

I blushed and chuckled cautiously, "No...I don't think so...why?"

"No reason," she said, "you may leave."

I nodded and left.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Mr. Crepsley and I moved from the hotel but he wouldn't tell me where we were going next. He just told me that if I was to start bleeding again, after this cycle, then I would need to tell him immediately. when we arrived, I remembered the caravans. I saw caravans parked out around the field and smiled. We were at the Cirque du Freak.

People looked at Mr. Crepsley as though he was a dead man walking. It was probably because it was day and he adorn himself with an overcoat over his long red cloak and a very large hat to cover his face. He looked like a suspicious subject to me.

A tall man, the Mr. Tall, came up to us with his coal black eyes and said, "I heard you were coming."

"Interesting," answered Mr. Crepsley, "I would like to talk, perhaps in a different lighting."

"Of course," said Mr. Tall.

Mr. Crepsley and I had been assigned a carvan together with coffins side by side. I never felt okay with coffins but I did feel horrible about sleeping unguarded in a place with all those "suitors" bound to show up. Nobody but Mr. Crepsley, me, and Evanna knew about this but I'd been to high school and it was scary how easy things spread. However, back to the coffin. It was a good oak wood coffin with comfy satin lining inside. I didn't mind it. We got our own caravan.

I looked to Mr. Crepsley and said, "Hey, so what's gonna happen while you're asleep? Am I to sleep, too?"

"No," replied Mr. Crepsley, "you are to do chores in the Cirque. Pay for your stay, as they call say."

"got it," i replied, "no need to rhyme."

"Well," he said gruffly, "go on now, find Mr. Tall and ask him what you need to do."

"Kay, later, Mr. Crepsley," I said and nodded out, "see you tonight."

I moved out of the caravan and looked around. The sun shone bright in the sky and if it weren't for budding blossoms, I'd have thought it was summer. But no, it was spring. I cleared my throat and stood in front of Mr. Tall's caravan before knocking and saying, "It's me, Deidre."

"Come in," replied Mr. Tall, "Deidre, I would like you to work with Evra."

"Evra?" I asked, "who's that?"

"The snake boy," he replied, "just follow him around and he'll tell you what to do. You can share his chores."

"Okay," I replied and then went to the door, "See ya, Mr. Tall."

"um...See you," he replied.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-..

I entered the tent tentatively, hehe, play on words, and looked around. It looked like the usual thing, a hammock in one corner, fold up chairs in another, and some books in the final corner. I picked one up and read the title: A Living Nightmare. Hm. Odd book. Before I could read any more, I heard a hiss. Slowly turning around, I saw the largest snake that I'd ever seen, and that includes Daisya's pet garden snake that was the size of a broom stick. All the breath inside me left; I hated snakes. I hated spiders, snakes, ghosts, and spider-snake ghosts and vampires, and werewolves, and demons, and zombies and about everything else scary. Yes, I was a vampire now, but only half. I just stared at the thing as it slithered across the floor and come up to me. It slithered along the floor before my feet before curling over my boot tops and on the laces, snaking its way around my legs and finally up to my calves. It continued up to my thighs and then to my waist before a man's voice called, "Don't scare the poor girl, c'mere."

Before I could move another inch, though I didn't dare, a man came up to me and peeled the snake off. Looking down, I realized that the man's hands had scales: the snake boy. But from the looks of it he wasn't much of a boy. I stared at him and said, "Snake boy."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "But you can call me evra. Not much of a boy, though, huh?"

I nodded dumbly and he continued, "Yeah, I've been trying to get 'em to change it for ages now. I'm not a boy anymore."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"About 22," he replied.

"Oh," I answered, "That's not a boy."

So Stupid!

"So," I said, "Mr. Tall told me to come with you and just help you out with your chores. Is that fine with you?"

"Sure it is," he grinned.

"So," he lead me around, "This is the cirque! There's Gertha Teeth, and Truska the bearded lady. That's Bob, and that's Bill and that's Harry and that's Mark and that's Eileen, they're helpers, no real talent, oh, and the most beautiful of all, Lovely Merla."

"Merla?" I asked, quickening my pace to keep up with his long stride, "Why didn't Mr. Tall just let her show me around?"

"Well," he grinned, "That's because she is new and so are you."

"Evra!" a pretty girl called over to us, "Who's your new friend?"

"This, my lovely," grinned Evra, "Is...what's your name again? Did you even tell me it?"

"No..." I said, "but I'm Deidre."

"Don't worry," stage whispered Evra to Merla, "She's not my girlfriend."

I looked at Merla. No real change to appearance, nothing completely odd like large teeth or super skinny, or even a creepy spider. So like some sort of insensitive idiot, I asked, "So what makes you a freak?"

Merla looked at me like I'd asked something stupid, like, oh, I don't know, "what makes you a freak?" and opened her mouth to retort but before that I blustered, "I am so sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I mean I did but not like that! For all I know you're a helper. I don't think there's anything wrong with you, or anything like that, not that there's anything wrong with you, Evra, but...I'm sorry."

The two looked at me and laughed, "It's okay, Deidre, I can do this."

And with that, she took her ear off her head, like literally detach it from her head, and threw it far away only to catch it like a boomerang seconds later. I grinned, and opened my mouth to ask questions like: Can you feel your ears? Do they hurt when you take them off? And, can she hear from them when they're off her head. But then Mr. Tall clonked Evra upside the head with a karate chop and said, "Enough goofing off, there is work that needs to be done."

"Alright," Evra said, holding up two hands in defense, "I give. It was just the intro. So, Deidre, Merla, I have jobs for the two of you. Finding food for the little people, and feeding the wolf man. All to do with feeding, two different types."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Merla," Evra chirped, "as her senior by two days, it is your job to teach Deidre the ways of scavenging and throwing and running."

Like a good soldier, Merla gave the official salute and said, "Aye, aye, captain."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

An hour later and covered in muck, I picked up a dead rat with my gloved hand while resisting as hard as I could to not gag. I already learned how to feed the wolf man. It was the throw and run away tactic that Evra told me about. And if you have bad aim, then you'll have to try a multitude of times. That means that at least six times, your head will almost get ripped off by the incredibly long stretch out of the cage of the wolf man's arms.

I put the dead rat in the bag and looked to Merla. She looked to me and grinned, "Fun, right?"

"Yeah," I greeted her sarcasm with more sarcasm.

I sighed and moved back down to the dumpster. My outfit was going to be ruined by the end of this. The clothes I ran away in were a long jacket with a punk t-shirt bought by Daisya for my fifteenth birthday, and a pair of jeans with combat boots. Daisya was responsible for all my clothing choices, obviously. It made me sad that the last thing I had left of him was these clothes being ruined by the dumpster, but that didn't matter any more. He stopped looking for me a long time ago. I choked back tears and continued to pick up dead animal carcasses. I hoped the little people didn't mind salty carcass.

I sighed. Today, we were still picking up carcasses from dead rodents in alleyways just like yesterday, and the day before. Third day at the Cirque du freak and I think that I got the whole throwing and running thing down. My skill was finally working!

I opened my mouth to call out to Merla but she beat me to it, "Hey, Deidre, let's take a break."

I grinned. This time, the cirque was camped out by a river and a field. By the river, however, were trees blocking the view so you couldn't see and you'd hear somebody before you saw them and they saw you from the river. Merla and I, yesterday, decided that a good break was to go swimming in our underwear in the river. It was fun. So today, she said break and I beamed. Mr. Crepsley had been recovering the last few days from his indecent exposure to the sun. So it was fun and games until recovery happened.

Throwing off my clothes with Merla, the two of us canon balled into the river. I shrieked at the coldness and giggled as Merla splashed me with the water. Shaking my head, I exhaled and splashed her back. It soon erupted into a full on splash fest with shrieking and giggling galore. I had to say, Merla was fun to hang out with, being older than me by a few years, though. Soon, however, we got cold and returned to the rocky river bank where the two of us lay out to dry.

"How's the cirque?" she asked.

"Great," I replied, "there's so many people here. Remember yesterday? When Cormac Limbs came?"

"Oh, yeah," she snickered, "You bit his finger off."

"It wasn't on purpose," I defended, "besides, he asked me to."

"Yeah," she snickered again, "but you got so scared. You almost ran off in tears to Crepsley."

"So?" I asked.

She got quiet and then looked at me, then got this twisted grin on her face, "Are you and Crepsley dating?"

I blushed, "Dating?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, "I heard Crepsley came to the Cirque a while ago, usually hung around by himself, but rumor has it that at the show before this, you caught his eye and he turned you. That way, the two of you could be soulmates forever."

I huffed, "Likely. What's really happening is that I stole his spider, and then it bit my friend, and I needed the antidote."

"So he talked you into being with him," she grinned, "If you ask me, it still holds up my story."

I blushed again, "That's not really what happened, though. And, why did you join?"

"Did you not see my ears?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said, "point taken."

"Now," she stood up and brushed off imaginary dirt, "let's get dressed and go. Evra's waiting for us to feed the wolf man."

"Yeah," I sighed, "ready to go."

Fully dressed, we returned to carcass collecting and throwing and running.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Lessons with Mr. Crepsley started with me tonight. I sighed and halted in front of the doorway, holding a pot of chicken soup bought from the store. I sucked at cooking, and Mr. crepsley found that out the hard way. After that, he gave me an allowance and told me to buy him food from the convenience store ever since. So I stood there, holding the fold-able bowl full of soup in my hand and gave a quick exhale of spirit and pulled the caravan door open.

The vampire was already awake inside and looked at me scornfully saying, "Did your parents never teach you how to knock?"

"Nope," I answered, silently complimenting my sass and put down the soup, "here's your soup."

He looked at it and sighed, taking a bite, "I have decided that today we shall do something at camp, rather than outside camp. I cannot go on with this convenience store food any longer."

"Cooking lessons?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered, "and today you shall learn soup."

I sighed and watched him eat. That was the best I could do; I could boil things and hope they don't burn, that was the extent of my cooking talent. I sighed, and realized that I've been doing a lot of that lately while I pondered how much Mr. Crepsley would like it if the soup I made exploded in his face. Standing up, I shut my eyes and counted to ten before saying as calmly as I could, "I'll go get the ingredients. What do we need?"

"Carrots, celery, beans, any sort, chicken, and chicken broth. You can ask Mr. Tall for all of that."

"Aye, aye, captain," I saluted sarcastically and made way to the door.

Before I could make it, though, a hand gruffly grabbed my wrist and pushed me up against the wall, hands above my head, "Listen here, you. I am the master and you are the assistant. You will show me respect."

"And if I don't feel like it?" I asked.

He got close to me, very close, so close that I could smell his breath, and snarled, "Then you will regret every single day of your coming life."

I shut up quickly and go the things.

Moments later, I returned to find Mr. Crepsley unfolding more pots and readying to go to the fire. We were going to cook on the camp fire for the whole camp; great, that meant my failure to cook was going to be the dinner entertainment for tonight. I grumbled to myself and followed Mr. Crepsley with the ingredients in hand. Everyone seemed to watch the two of us. I felt unnerved.

Mr. Crepsley sat down by the fire and prepared the things. Realizing that I didn't start, he stared at me and said, "Well?"

"Oh," I hurriedly sat down and set the things down on a cutting board.

"Now cut those up," he said, so I did.

But apparently I did it wrong because he came up behind me, all irritated and crotchety, like he always seemed to be, and snarled, "No, like this!"

Then was when I realized that he was basically hugging me. He was warm, hard with muscles, but soft like a teddy bear. He smelled good, like herbs and wood. I felt like I was melting into him, and relaxed. That was when I felt something hard behind me, near my rear. I blushed, figuring out what it was. It was a certain something in his pants. I stiffened up and stood up quickly. As that happened the veggies fell into the fire and I stared at Mr. Crepsley, on his knees before me. I blushed even harder thinking about all the sexual innuendo behind statements like that and ran away. I ran and ran and ran so fast that I didn't stop. I ran so hard, that I collapsed in the middle of the forest, scared and confused.

Larten did not mean for that to happen, truly. It was not his fault, it was hers for grinding her hips into him that way. What was she, some sort of seductress?

That did not matter any longer, he just needed to find her. He looked at the path which the girl came from. Standing up, he began to flit towards the girl, good thing she still wore her usual perfume, jasmine scented. Otherwise, he would have to try much harder to find her. He sighed, trying to ignore his throbbing member. Perhaps not thinking about her writhing beneath him was a good way to stop the throbbing, but it still would have been nice if it would just stop all together. Thinking of the girl sleeping only feet away in a coffin with easily breakable wood. It felt comforting that she couldn't see him in his frustration.

Larten ran down the road looking around for Deidre. He liked the sound of her name on his tongue. But, that aside, he finally came to the end of her trail. They she lay, exhausted and sleeping, curled up like a babe. She must have been exhausted, running that much in such a short time. He exhaled and readied himself from picking her up. She was soft and warm. Larten held her princess style and then ran back to the cirque ignoring the stares that he go when he returned. Mr. Tall however, had a look in his eyes to be warned, be wary. He knew that look. Mr. Tiny was back.

Before Larten could put the girl in her coffin, Mr. tiny came up to him, evil grin and all before saying, "Long time no see, Larten, is that your new wife? Congratulations. I expect children."

"No, Mr. Tiny," replied Larten, keeping himself from starting and asking all sorts of questions, starting with "how do you know she can have children?"

"Call me Des," the scary man grinned.

"I would rather not," answered Larten.

"Fine by me," chuckled Mr. Tiny, "come, Larten, we'll speak in Hibernius' trailer."

"But I must put the girl-"

"Bring the girl with you," he said, maliciously grinning.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I woke up in Mr. Crepsley's arms and felt an evil presence, so I kept my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

He's your friend, the voice in my head snickered.

Mr. Crepsley's the last thing from a friend, I snarled back, and where have you been?

I didn't mean Mr. crepsley, answered the voice, though he is a friend, I meant the one omitting that aura. Don't fear, he is an ally, whether you want him or not.

"Deidre," Mr. Crepsley said, "You're awake."

"Y-yeah," I replied. Sitting up, I realized I was in Mr. Crepsley's arms. Dammit. At least this time he didn't have a boner, or from what I could tell he didn't. I climbed out of his lap and almost ran into a small, smirking man. He was short with white hair and thick glasses. He had a watch that looked like a heart and pumped the seconds like one too. I realized that he was the one who the aura originated from.

Good to see your wits are about you, said the voice.

You've been gone for the past two months, no excuses either, you have no right to speak to me, I hissed back.

"...caster, if you would please," the small man said, "I am Mr. Tiny, but you may call me Des."

"Okay, Des," I answered.

I got elbowed in the side for that by none other than a very solemn yet scared Mr. Crepsley, "Call him Mr. Tiny," he hissed.

"Sorry," I said, "Mr. Tiny."

"It is okay," he said, but I was sure it was far from it, "How are you enjoying your time at the cirque du freak?"

"It's okay," I answered warily, "and you?"

"As usual," he answered but whatever as usual meant I never got to know because Mr. Tiny then swirled the conversation a different direction as he said, "So who's children are you going to have?"

I looked at him, baffled, and said, "Children? I'm not planning to have children, I can't."

"Don't pull that with me," answered Mr. Tiny, "I thought you knew better than to lie to me, Deidre."

"I didn't know that I knew," I replied to which Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Tall tensed up. I guess my conversation could have been chopped in half with a butter knife, considering how tense it was in here. Mr. Tiny looked at me, resuming his usual glare and said:

"Of course, there wouldn't be anything you were hiding from me, now is there, Larten? Deidre?"

"Of course not," answered Mr. Crepsley, I could feel the fear emanating from his body.

"Then that is all for now," he said, "I am assured you will take care of my little people?"

"Yes," answered Mr. Tall.

"Then off I go," he said, "enjoy the new batch. And Deidre, be sure to tell me whose children you intend to bear."

And the small man left the caravan leaving his entourage of small people in cloaks behind.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.

The cooking incident had been put aside with the whole new stress that was Mr. Tiny. I stormed into the caravan and let out a cry of "Dammit" and "Fuck this", which was a word I rarely used, the latter that is. I threw down a vase that had been put there and shattered it to pieces; beware all other ceramics in the world, I'm comin' fer ya! I snarled at the thought of it and then looked behind me to see a very relieved Mr. Crepsley. He looked at me, astounded, before saying, "How on earth were you able to talk like that to, of all people, Mr. Tiny? You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Well I would have downright killed that guy," I snarled, "bare children? What is this, the renaissance? I don't now if its pms or what but that guy gets on my nerves."

"Well do not start after him," warned Mr. Crepsley, "it will be your death."

"Boo," I cawed, "that guy deserves it. And what's so special about him? Are those little people his slaves? Why don't we see their faces? Do they speak? Is there something I should know about that guy? How come you didn't go all bad ass vampire on him and whip his rickety head off its hinges."

"You are not making sense, Deidre," he said, "and second of all. One question at a time. I believe that Mr. Tiny, be as he is, is the founder of the vampires. Yes, we were originated from wolves, but he gave us, after our split from our cousins, the vampaneze, the stone of blood and hall of princes. The stone tells us where every vampire is in the world, a tool of war but a double edged sword, as you may infer. But, he also is a very powerful...thing that can do very much harm if he so chooses."

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Because he can," snapped Mr. Crepsley, "Now go to sleep, we shall train tomorrow. I have matters to settle."

"Fine."

I didn't know why I exploded, that Mr. Tiny guy was just pushing buttons and making skin crawl. He was a creepy mother fucker and those words, harsh as they were, were the only way I could describe the man. He was stout, but had an ominous chi that made him feel like a giant, he seemed to have a dense aura that made him unapproachable almost, and then there was his heart watch. I swore that when he grabbed it, he grabbed my own heart in the process, and not in the romantic way either.

That man and I would never see eye to eye, literally or figuratively.

I got up and looked around, making sure that nobody saw me before I exited the caravan. Sure, it was the middle of the night and only Mr. crepsley would be awake, but tomorrow night would be a show. Today they just passed things out, and the week before, we were traveling. I sighed and moved down to the stream. It seemed streams were popular around here, wherever we were, and stuck my feet in the water. It felt nice, just sitting there, staring up at the stars like twinkling eyes staring back at me in the sky. I wondered how my family was doing.

Daisya said something about returning to college. I wondered if he did that. Mom and dad probably didn't care, they gave up after a month, or was it a week? Either way, I wasn't there anymore. Stephanie probably made some new friends with steve. Or maybe she didn't need to make new friends because she had Darren, Alan, Tommy and Steve, though Steve was iffy.

I made to lay down and kick my feet in the water whilst doing so when all of a sudden a voice came out from the clearing.

"So it was true," cackled a man feet away from me. He looked at me with wild red eyes and tilted his head to the side, "Nice to meet you, miss."

The man looked tanned but when he came out of the shadows and into the moonlight, I saw his skin was purple. Purple skin, now where had I heard that earlier? Oh right, from Mr. Crepsley, and apparently that meant this was my cousin, a Vampaneze. I made to stand up but he was on me before I could even finish the thought.

I exhaled a scream and yelled out, "Mr. Crepsley! Help me!"

"Tiny was right," the vampaneze snickered, "you're the one who can have children. Well get ready, bitch, cause you're gonna have my kids."

He began to loosen his sash and snickered as he did so, almost giddy in that way, but then he was swept up from above me and thrown far away. I heard a splash and the sat up, Mr. Crepsley was there. I almost smiled as I stared at him, all proud and billowing in the slight breeze. He looked just dashing and I could swear in that moment he was no longer the creepy old guy but a true man. He stared down at me and said, "Stay down, for a second."

With that, he dove into the water after the man and held him under, struggling while doing so and splashing a great lot. I just stood there and watched as the splashing began to slow and then stopped all together. Mr. Crepsley let the body go and hauled himself out of the water. He looked at me before walking up and saying, "You need to learn to fight."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I fell to the ground and heaved breaths as Mr Crepsley yelled, "What is wrong with you?"

I knew how to fight, Daisya taught me and took me to the dojo with him every weekend in order to scare boys away. I never thought it would come in handy so I never really paid attention. Now I wished I paid attention. The two of us had been training every night for the past two weeks. I coughed, exhausted and my breath seeming to not come to me. I could stand up to the basic defenses, Mr. Crepsley pretending all sorts of things, scenarios to get me prepared. I fought the first one, a redo of the first attack to come to me, and was able to push him off of me and into the water. Mr. Crepsley got soaking wet the first few times, considering that I pushed him into the water each time and held him down. Finally, put up with being thrown into the water, he told me that not all scenarios will have water. So I needed to do something else. That something else never came to mind.

And so we ended up here, Mr. Crepsley stressed to death on what to happen and me on my helpless self unable to continue because Mr. Crepsley was too strong. I barely had muscle on me anyway. I didn't like drinking human blood, I just did so that I could continue on, like a good monster, but just barely enough. And because of that, Mr. crepsley's strength overpowered my speed and ability to run away. Even as a half vampire, I was fast, but not fast enough, not fast enough for a true vampire.

I gasped for air, still on the ground with Mr. crepsley yelling at me. More for fear of my getting hurt rather than my inability to do anything, but I couldn't entirely see it that way. In a rage, I stood up and charged at him, yelling and screaming, tearing with my claws. When I finally came to, I realized that finally, I was being a monster. I let go quickly and just sat there, atop mr. Crepsley's chest staring at his face that I'd scratched up, just barely breaking the surface. He looked at me, and said, "Well done, Deidre, I want to see that with all my attempts."

I nodded and then realized the position I was in and blushed. I leaped off and averted my eyes while saying, "Break time."

He nodded and stood up.

The two of us took break down by the caravan on the edge of the cirque. We left the previous grounds with the river beside it a week before before ending up here, in the middle of the city in a rundown old building. The caravans ended up in the deserted parking lot. The two of us had practiced out by the field a few blocks away and returned before sunrise. The sun was just over the horizon, not just there, but barely showing as the two of us sipped water. I sighed, thinking back to what was happening. I could get raped and I needed to fight back.

Mr. Crepsley was willing to help me. I had friends at the Cirque. Things were great for me, so why did it not feel right. I felt like I was missing something. Something important. I sighed, that was something that all girls wanted; I wanted more romance. I nodded at Mr. Crepsley, saying it was okay for him to go inside. The sun was up, I was okay and mr. Crepsley was roasting and turning pink.

I sighed and looked up, the sun rise looked brighter, but not too bright, in a beautiful way. Perhaps I could find romance. I mean, Stephanie had something going on with Tommy or Allan when I left. I grumbled again, if even Stephanie could find love then couldn't I? I would just have to see. Before anything, though, Mr. Crepsley stuck his head out of the caravan and said, "By the way, Deidre, we are leaving the cirque tomorrow."

"What?" I asked.

I blinked and contemplated the information while mr. Crepsley closed the door. I had to stay up another few hours before everyone else woke up and decided that with those hours I would go speak with Evra. Perhaps he would go with me, or even Merla if Mr. Tall allowed it. But if I asked just Evra, then I would definitely get to know whether or not he liked me or not. He always figured out a way to touch our hands. There was that, and he also seemed to always be around me. I didn't know if it was just me or Merla, but perhaps it was me. Perhaps he was going for Merla. she was pretty and kind, nothing like me. I was short and slightly rude when I didn't think.

Running to Merla's tent, I crept in and whispered, "Merla. Merla!"

"Deidre?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Wanna leave the cirque with me?"

"What? No!" she said, "I like it here. There's no reason to escape."

"Not escape," I explained, "Mr. crepsley is having us leave for a while. Maybe he'll let me bring some friends."

"Really?" she asked, "I've wanted a little outside air for a while now."

"Yeah, " I grinned, "I was thinking of you and Evra to bring along."

"Really?" she asked, blushing, "evra?"

So evra was taken. Dammit. How am I ever going to find romance if everyone is taken? Well not everyone. I sighed though, everyone at the cirque was like, thirty. I wanted somebody around my age. but as I'd already given out the invite, it would be rude to take it back. I just had to get Mr. Tall's permission and Mr. Crepsley's. I sighed. Maybe I couldn't bring friends. Either way, I could try.

continuing on with my chores for the day-gathering of dead animals in dumpsters and throwing and running of the wolf man food, I learned that chores were getting substantially easier. Irony had it that despite my lowering of blood drinking levels, I became more and more powerful feeling, though my weak points were weaker. It seemed the extremes of each decided to rear their ugly heads. I sighed and moved on. Time to feed the wolf man.

"Wolf-y," I called out "Oh wolf-y."

I was greeted with a growl and a roar and banging of chains.

"It's nice to see you lively as ever," I grinned, "Here's breakfast." And with that I threw the food and ran away.

With that I grinned and washed my hands of the bloody meat. Time for me to feed.

Running through the streets in early morning nothing but pigeons woke as it was Saturday and thus nobody wanted to wake up after a nice partying last night. So pigeons would have to do. Crouching down, I ran with a "raaaaah!" at the pigeons and, as they flew away, I clawed like a mad man stricken with illness and got a bird's wings, falling it to the ground. I snatched up the bird then and there and slit its little wing with my thumb, bringing my mouth to it to drink. I wondered if Pigeon blood was bad...I really hoped not because then I'd take the worst for it. Or was it snake blood? or both.

I sighed once more, lots of sighing these days, as I realized that I could die now because for all I knew, pigeon blood and snake blood were bad and I could have just ingested bad blood like evil blood, but the kind that actually kills you. This is all mom's fault; If she had just gotten me a cat like I wanted when I was still human then I wouldn't have these urges to act cattish myself. That was a perfectly reasonable explanation, or so I hoped. I decided then to chase a bunny instead. Doing the same measures as before, I charged at the bunny and enjoyed myself acting like a deranged monster for the time being.

You'd better be enjoying this freedom, little girl, the voice in my head said, fore it shant last ye longer.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I frowned deeply at Mr. Crepsley, the ole stick in the mud didn't want me to bring friends along. Especially, as he put it, "That Evra boy." Apparently it was bad for boys to be in the same room as girls, so I pointed out how our coffins were mere feet apart and he dismissed it as pure coincidence and a simple place of events. I knew he was just jealous. He didn't want me to do things like get to know other boys, or so I believed, fore otherwise, the vampire race would then become a snake-ish race as well and he didn't want that. Damned patriot. I knew very well that I had no intention any longer of courting Mr. Evra Von, he liked Merla and Merla liked him, so I decided to play match maker instead. What was more fun than a bout of match maker?

"For the last time," I said, "I won't be hooking up with anybody anytime soon, so no need to worry. Evra and Merla can come along. And, MERLA is coming. Evra and Merla need some alone time, if you know what I mean and I intend to give them that."

"No," he said simply, "I cannot allow you to bring friends along. It is far too dangerous."

"Really?" I asked, "Then what's the danger?"

"Nothing really," he shied away.

"'Nothing really'," I mimicked, "then if it's nothing, then why can't they come?"

"Your argument is going in circles," he fumed, "that is it. You have circle logic and that is the worst logic of all."

"Really?" I asked, "really?"

"'Really'," He mimicked this time.

"Oh, now you're acting like a child," I snapped, then muttered, "'really.'"

"'Really'," he hissed.

"'really,'" I mocked.

"Really!" he yelled.

"God, man! Act like the hundred and fifty something year old that you are!"

"I am not one hundred and fifty," he defended, "I am not yet three hundred."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously," he answered.

"Oh my god, you're old!" I said, then it occurred to me, "Are all vampires that old?"

"Most are at least twenty when they are turned. In human years, I am in my mid forties," he explained.

"Now I'll have to do some old guy in the future?" I asked, "sorry sir, but the vampire race is gonna have to stick with being sterile 'cause I won't fuck some old man."

"Language," he said.

"Sorry."

"Now, how did this conversation get brought up?" He asked.

"I have no clue," I answered.

"Let us pack," He said, tired. For once, I agreed. This childish play was annoyingly fun, yet tiring.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Merla didn't seem that sad that I was going. That sure made me sad! My feelers were hurt.

That's 'cause you're a loser, said the voice in my head.

Oh you're just a jerk, I retorted.

Jerk or not, it's the truth, it answered.

Fork you, I retorted. The voice had no answer to that. I won! Vic-to-ray! I really need to get some friends.

Mr. Crepsley and I moved out under the cloak of night that evening , so more under the cloak of twilight. I said "bye" to Merla and Evra, saying I wished they could come with me, sending glares at him every two minutes. I think he began to time the intervals because he would stare back at me with an unwavering gaze. Finally, though, I hopped on his back and the two of us flitted to our next destination.

Things passed in a blur and finally we stopped. Here to rest I hoped. I needed a break from hanging on to his back. I cleared my throat and stretched my arms; they mighty hurt. Only then did I hop back on and return to flitting with Mr. Crepsley. As a half vampire, I was unable to do so. I wished though that I could.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It did not help to have the breasts of a young woman pressed up against a sex deprived man. It had been many years since he had been with Ara, as mates, but now he had this young woman whom he shan't lay a hand on unless being pressed on charges of pedophilia by said woman. The woman had, in the past months, grown most graciously in the bust and hips. That was what he got when he picked a vampire out of a person in early stages of puberty, though a late bloomer nonetheless.

Larten sighed, as he flitted, thinking about the woman on his back. She was no longer a child. that was fact. Larten finally took break thinking to rest his legs but his rest was interrupted with his apprentice's groan and stretch. The clothes on her back stretched over her breasts as though they would pop out and her shirt rose a little over her stomach. Was she trying to turn him on? To lure him into doing something regrettable? Perhaps she lied about wishing to keep her chastity with her until she was old. He wished.

The young woman climbed back up on his back and he continued to flit. This was going to be some time until he got there. Time for a new adventure.