CHAPTER ONE

Darkness all around me, this empty feeling, this feeling of loneliness. It was hard to open my eyes. Another operation. Great! That's what my whole life was so far. I decided to just open my eyes and get it over with. Everyone's going to be hovering around anyway; it's too late to pretend to be dead. Let's just get this over with. I forced myself to open my eyes; everything blurry at first and the light were too bright for me. I tried as quickly as I could to shield my eyes from the glare. "Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?"I heard my mother's voice.

"Great, actually. I feel like doing cartwheels" I chuckled. It even hurt to do that. I finally got my eyes adjusted to the room and stared at the people in my room. There stood my mother, Andrea Donovan. She looked like a woman from the 70's. Big poofy hair, a red flared out dress with a black belt cinched at her thick waist. She was a lovely woman. Her big brown eyes staring at me, all concerned and full of love. It was nice to see her. My brother, Joseph or Joe as I like to call him, was staring out the window. His brushed back, jet black hair looked like a helmet for his head; I always wondered why his hair was so neat. I could see the worry on his face. He never liked me in these hospitals. His big burl y figure looked so small sitting in that chair, his white sweater sleeves folded up to his elbows showing his massive forearms with his veins protruding from his skin, looking like it was ready to burst.

"Hey, Joe" my voice cracked up, trying to mimic the way Jimmy Hendricks' sang it in his song, Hey Joe.

His turned to me before his eyes did. He let out a small smile that concerned me. He always had a nice smile on his face but I was worried about the way he looked at me.

My mom ran over to me, fluffed my pillow and helped me sit up. Just as she was helping me, the doctor walked in. "Good morning Andrea. How are we doing today?" he asked in a too chipper voice. God, why does he have to be happy so early in the morning? That's right; he got to cut me open. Yay, him, I said to myself, in my head. Oh right, that's me. Andrea. My name is Andrea Elise Donovan. Right now I would be 16 years old. I've been in and out of hospitals for as long as I could remember. I'm also a big fan of inner monologuing. I did it quite often and sometimes preferred the sound of my own voice to the voices of real people.

"I'm alright. Just a bit thirsty" I said. My mother instinctively walked over to a table against the wall on the right side of my bed, poured some water into a cup, got a straw and turned to me.

"Drink up honey" she said as she smiled that mommy smile.

"Thanks". I took the cup and took a few sips before giving it back to her. "So what's wrong with me doc?" I asked casually.

"Well, it was a blood clot in your brain that caused the seizures and blacking out. It was stopping the blood from flowing, basically backup like a hairball in the sink. We did get the clot so in a couple days you should be out. With a little therapy to start moving again, you'll do just fine" he said calmly.

I was so excited! It was finally over. "Thanks a lot doc. Hope I don't have to see you too soon again" I grinned as he walked out the room.

For a long time I've always had some health problems. It was ever since that night it started. I had decided to go for a hike when I was 13 years old. At that time we were living in England. We've always moved around a lot since my father was in the Army. I had always been an extremely independent child since I can remember. I never liked anyone doing anything for me when I learned to do it myself. I wrote a note to my mother telling her I'd be at a friend's house for a couple of days and don't bother to look for me. I'd been a bit depressed since I overheard my mother talking to a friend about me. She mentioned that she was going to write my real father and update him about me. I always knew I was different. I didn't look like my mother nor did I look like my father. I was 5' 1" (at the time), wavy jet black hair, I looked like whoever I was born to they were Asian or something since my eyes were very small and almond shaped, my eyes were dark brown with glints of gold that could be seen naturally, I had what people would call an "hour glass" figure, I had curves in the right places even at such a young age. I knew that I wasn't going to be one of those flat chested, flat butt girls. Even my skin tone was different than my family. I looked like a natural caramel brown where they looked tan. I guess they did that so I wouldn't notice I was a different I had hitched a ride with a guy I knew from the area. I think he was a friend of my brother, Joe. I stopped at the ALKRINGTON WOODS NATURE RESERVE. He didn't mind taking me there. He was a nice guy and I was always nice to him. I had decided I didn't need a guide and went to the woods by myself.

I dropped by backpack that had felt like a load of bricks. I had been walking for some time now and I wasn't sure which direction I was going. I unzipped my bag, pulled out a blanket, laid it on the ground and pulled out my lunch. I was hungry and tired and just needed to rest. Maybe this was a bad idea, I thought to myself. You could have been home, in your bed, watching television. Safe in your own house. I debated whether to just go back home or to stay here for the night. I had everything I needed in my backpack. I didn't want to face that woman that called herself my mother. I stayed. I took my shoes off and stared at the sky through the trees. It was so beautiful and calming. I could be here forever. The sun shining through, the cool breeze brushing my cheek as it floated by, the birds singing sweet lullabies just for me. I closed my eyes and just let everything that worried me blow away. I didn't know how long I was asleep for but I woke up suddenly. It as already night and it was getting very cold. Just wonderful. It's so cold you just might freeze yourself to death. Even my inner monologuing was depressing. I quickly put on my shoes, opened my backpack and pulled out a thermal blanket, I opened it up and wrapped myself snuggly into it. I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna home. That's all I could say to myself as I rocked back and forth to comfort myself and to keep my blood pumping since I was already so cold. Why did I have to come here? I could have just asked that she buys me more toys or clothes. Why did I have to hear that anyway? Couldn't you just pretended not to hear anything? My mind was racing with all these thoughts and pulling me into the conversation. I tried to ignore myself.

Out from the corner of my eye, I saw something move. I didn't move. Then I heard the rustling of the branches. That's just the wind, I thought to myself. I closed my eyes tightly and opened it up again. I kept seeing something in the trees, moving, circling around me like a lion would circle around its prey. There were no longer the sweet sounds of birds singing, just the sounds of the animals and insects at night. I had decided that I didn't care what or who was out there, I was going to go back home and never come back out. I kept my thermal blanket over me and started to fold and pack the blanket that had been strewn on the floor. I pulled out my flashlight and laid it on the side of me. I pulled off my blanket, slip my arms through the straps of my backpack and then took my blanket and wrapped it around me. I just HAD to get out of here. Suddenly, behind me I heard the snapping of a dry branch. I quickly turned behind me. I put on my flashlight and focused it in the bushes. There was nothing. I turned back to the front and almost had a heart attack. There was a man standing in front of me.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" he asked. He didn't sound British.

"Uhh, I just got a bit lost. I'm heading back though. Sorry." I mumbled as I tried to not to stare at him.

"That's okay little miss. Try not to get lost in here. I heard that there are monsters in these woods." he smirked as he watched me.

"Okay, thank you very much for the warning". I just wanted to get out of there. I could sense that he was dangerous. I've had this strange thing, a power that I knew the real nature of people. I could see who they really are. As he was walking up to me, I was looking at him. His hair was blonde and long, tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck, eyes were deep and menacing; he showed his teeth too often that frightened me. There was something strange about his teeth that I couldn't figure it out. The veins in his neck were to the surface, like he was trying to concentrate hard on a math problem. I couldn't figure it out. He was wearing a dark coloured coat with a green button down shirt inside and a dark coloured jean. I couldn't exactly see what kind of shoe it was anyway.

"Let me take your backpack for you little miss. It seems a bit heavy for you", he said in a very persuasive voice.

"It's okay, I can handle it", I said coldly. I didn't want him near me.

"Come on, give it here", he said with his hand outstretched.

I tried not to look at him but there was something in me that said to look. Look and see what he really is. I think that was the worse mistake of my life. He wasn't the handsome man that I saw before me but instead a creature. His eyes were crimson red, his skin white as chalk, his lips covered in blood as he snarled at me. This is what he was, what he truly was, a vampire. I had watched enough horror movies in my 14 years of life to know what a vampire would look like. Everything happened so quickly. As I dropped my bag, I took a step back and started to fall to the ground; he moved from in front of me and caught me. The gasp hadn't even escaped my lips fully. He was looking like the handsome man now and not what the vision had showed me. I was still scared.

"You okay?" he asked. His concern sounding fake to me.

"Yes, sorry, thank you." every word jumbled out of my mouth. He smiled as he stood me up and took up my backpack and started walking. I stood there, unable to move. He turned around and stared at me in a cold and callous way. I was just walking to my death, like a lamb to the slaughter.

"Come on slow poke, let's go." He said. His voice was sweet but had anger in it. I couldn't describe the fear I felt as he spoke to me.

Unwillingly, I started to walk towards him. I wanted to get home. It seemed like we were walking for an hour or so when he put his arm out. I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into him, falling to the ground. He didn't even turn around. I was looking at the back of his head while I got myself off the floor, brushing off whatever leaves was on the back of my clothes. It seemed like forever we were standing there. Neither of us moving. He put down my bag and looked at me.

"Go and hide in those trees over there. I'll be back for you. There's something I have to do", he said quickly as he pointed to an area that was heavily guarded by bushes and shrubs. I had no choice but to listen. I didn't even know where I was and it seemed he knew how to get out of here. He was dangerous but I had no other choice.

I got my backpack and ran behind some bushes. I put my backpack down and sat right next to it. Though the bushes, I could see that man. He was waiting. The moon was in all its glory, I didn't need the flashlight to see him. Then I saw someone walking up to him. Then another and another. Where have all these people been?, I though to myself. They were speaking much to quiet for me to hear what they were saying. I saw them all look at the direction where I was hiding. I covered my mouth as I spied at them; they looked just like that guy with the crimson red eyes. I couldn't stay here. I left everything and started running through the woods. I had to get out. It wasn't safe for me. I ran, my breathing getting faster and shallow, my legs and body hurting from the beating from the branches on the trees. I kept looking over my shoulder, thinking they were coming after me. I was wrong. It happened so quickly. I didn't even turn my head in front of me before slamming into something feeling like a wall. It just hurt all over as I flew to the ground. I opened my eyes quickly and there they were, standing right in front of me.

"Hello Princess, we were waiting for you" one man teased. I screamed loudly as I tried to get up to run away. I felt a hand wrap around my waist, my body against an ice cold wall. I looked up and it was that man that was supposed to be helping me.

"Sorry love, but you're too tasty a treat to let go", he grinned.

I had no time to think of anything. As quickly as he had talked, his hand was on my head, pushing it to the left as I felt such pain coming from my neck. I tried to shake or move and fight him off but I was getting weaker and weaker, my life slowly being drained from me.

I'm sorry mom. I shouldn't have left home. I love you. Joe, I'm sorry I got you in trouble for breaking dad's boxing trophy. Dad, I love you. Sorry I lost all your medals. I'm sorry for everything. That was my last thoughts before my world had gone black.