I woke up with a shriek. My light brown hair laid in a seaweed-like knot on my sweat stained pillow. The nightmare's have gotten worse and I unfortunately remembered all of it. The fire. The screams. The blood. Oh, the blood. That part was new. Red fire. Red blood. Funny how the mind works that way. It all came rushing back to me now. My parents were dead and had stayed dead in the Brickwood cemetery after a car accident. Alabaster and Onyx were their names. Alabaster and Onyx Venetia. I'm Scarlet Venetia. A 16 year old girl living in the small town of Brickwood. I have light brown hair and scarlet eyes to match my name. My body has a few curves and I'm normal height. Normal girl, normal life. Not as simple as that. Lately I've been having strange nightmares. Always the same until tonight. And I've been have coughing fits a lot lately. "I'm gonna be late for school again!" I exclaimed as I glanced at the clock. I'm nothing if not a multi-tasker. So, to prove my point I yanked on a navy Gap sweatshirt, light blue jeans, and brushed my hair. All at the same time. I was just about to leave the room when I slapped my forehead with the heal of my hand. "I forgot the shoes," I said looking down at my bunny slippers. So, I pulled on a pair of Vans and headed out.
The wind was rough on my face today but I managed as I trudged along the path to Brickwood High. I finally reached the school. The old style brick building loomed over me threatening me with promised tests and pop-quizzes. Suddenly I broke up into a series of yaks and coughs. I felt terrible. My head bent over the sidewalk and I fell to the ground. "Scarlet are you ok?" My annoying best friend asked, rushing to my side. "No, I'm not you nitwit!" I managed in between another series of coughs and gags. That was when he appeared. I was the only one who saw him coming. I knew exactly what he was. A messenger for the Vampires. Vampires existed but there not like the stories. No fangs, no flying or transforming, no only coming out at night though the sun hurts them. Why is he here? I asked myself. He was pale and had on a hooded cloak with the black hood pulled over his head. He looks like he's dead. I thought. The strange Vampire reached forward and grasped my hand, pulling me up to him. Now I know why he's here. "No, this can't be happening! It can't… I have a life already! Please no!" I struggled. Tears streaked my face and I kept asking for him to have mercy. He kept shaking his head as he pulled me closer. "Not the Vampire's Kiss! Please no!" I yelped. Everyone around me was frozen, this was how it always happened. The Vampire leaned in, put his hand on the small of my back and pulled me in so he was breathing on my face. This would've been a very romantic scene except for the fact it was a Vampire! The coughing had already stopped. As custom he pulled the hood off his head and I gasped. He was beautiful. He had long black hair, perfect smooth lips, a chiseled chin,and perfect icy blue eyes. The only thing that threw me off was the sapphire crescent moon on the middle of his forehead. Again he leaned in and kissed me. It was wonderful. His smooth lips took control and I just followed. But deep inside I knew what would happen next. Like I had known he bit my lip. Even though Vampires don't have fangs they have very strong teeth. He sucked the red blood from my lip. And my forehead started to hurt like mad. "AHH!" I screamed. The pounding on my head was unbearable. I could have fallen then and there but I had something to say. "Tell my family where I have gone and that I love them." I whispered. And though my voice was barely audible he nodded and I collapsed.
In my head I knew where he would take me. The only place where I can live and transform into a Vampire for if I didn't go there I'd die. I'm a fledgling Vampire now and they can either live or their bodies reject the Change into a Vampire. Fledgling's though have a better chance of survival at a House Of Night. A school for Vampires. Yes, I was scared. No, I didn't have a choice.
The first thing I notice is my head really hurts. Then my senses come back. I'm in a pale white room that smells of medicine. I'm laying under a really itchy and horribly colored nurse blanket. There's a beautiful lady sitting at the edge of my bed. Nyx. Huh, who's Nyx and why the hell did I just think that? I asked myself. Hey! I can't talk! What's is going on? I roared inside my head. "You can not speak yet, daughter. You are still recovering from the Vampires Kiss." A gentle voice whispered. Nyx. Are you Nyx? I instinctively thought. "Yes, I am. And you are Scarlet." Nyx said in a calming tone. Yes, but I don't like that name. I want to change it. I answered. "Oh, but you can. Here at the House of Night you start anew and so you can change your name if you like." Nyx offered. Yes! I know what I want to change my name to. I want to be… Nine. I thought bravely. I had never told anyone of my wish for such an exotic name. "Then you shall be Nine from now on. You are special Nine. You remind me of another Vampire who was special. Her name is Zoey Redbird. She changed the messengers way of changing humans into Vampires to the Kiss. All the humans know of it. I will mark you special but since Zoey was angry with me of making it so noticeable, I will give you a special mark on your neck." She murmured softly. Nyx slowly reached out with an ultra-pale hand and touched my neck. "Now awaken. There is someone I want you to meet. And show only her your mark. She will know what to do." With that the image of Nyx disappeared and left behind these words. "I am the Vampire Goddess." in the air.
I was suddenly able to talk and move. "Ugh, my head is pounding!" I groaned. I heard the squeak of the door being opened and slowly looked towards the open metal door. A beautiful woman stood there. She had large brown eyes and a filled in crescent on her forehead. Lacy spiral tattoos decorated her face. She wore a Silky red dress that showed her neck and I gasped at what I saw there. A spiral tattoo with intricate ancient letters engraved in them made their way well down past her shoulder. She had a lot of curves and looked like someone had turned on a flashlight inside of her. "Hello, Nine. I'm Zoey Redbird and I will be your mentor."