The waves crashed against the rocks. I was sitting on the ancient bed of memories and dreams, contemplating eternity. Should I go all the way?

At the same time, I was torn between four vampires; angelic looking Marko, outrageous Paul, alluring David and mysterious Dwayne. Deadly, undead and I would be with all of them forever. But only one could be mine completely. Only one could be my true immortal, with undying love for each other.

They were all sexually attractive and unique. It was well known Marko had feelings for me and I felt the same. David was with Star, but I knew that would not stop him if he had his mind made up. I was good friends with Paul, but would he be the one to take me all the way? Then there was Dwayne who watched me from a distance. I had no idea who I was destined to be with. Marko said he would take me, but only when I was ready.

David tempted me with the bottle soon after I met them, but not on the first night. I bravely put it to my lips, but something stopped me. It was not the right moment.

Nobody spoke, but Marko took me to one side of the cave.

"We don't usually allow outsiders to remain with us for so long," he said.

"What about Star and Laddie?" I asked.

"They're already half though. They'll be one of us when they make their first kill. You must make your decision soon if you really want to stay. You can't be human forever."

He then lowered his voice.

"I have to tell you what David said…"

Marko's voice tapered for a moment. Then he continued.

"David said if you haven't made your choice by tomorrow night, then he will have to… kill you. I mean it."

I was shocked and scared, but at the same time, I strangely understood.

"I promise I'll make my decision." I said, trying to hide my fear.

Marko smiled at me, then walked away.

The following night I was advised by David to wait in the cave while they go out. He gave me a cold, hard look. I knew what he meant. He was urging me to take the chance.

Star and Laddie also left the cave. I heard them say they were heading to the Boardwalk.

So I was alone in vampire hotel. It was an intimidating, yet inviting place to be; mystical with all the candles and random items from years gone by.

The jewelled bottle was staring at me from the other side of the cave. I approached it and held it close. The red liquid looked tempting. It was either this or death. I was going to die either way, but one version of death would be final, whereas the other would give me eternal life. I could not think straight.

Putting the bottle down again, a strange overwhelming feeling came over me and I felt as if I was in a trance. I managed to collapse onto the bed before falling into a deep sleep straight away. But I did not dream.

I was not woken by the usual flutter of wings as Marko's pigeons flew across the cave. I was not even woken by the music on Paul's rock box or David's commanding voice. I was disturbed from my sleep by a tickling feeling on my neck. Too afraid to open my eyes, my pulse began to race. This is it, I thought. I'm too late. Marko was right. David is going to kill me.

There was a presence hovering above the bed, then hair brushed across my face; hair that was too long to be David's.

The metallic smell of stale blood was overpowering. The cold figure leaned in. Then I opened my eyes. It was Dwayne. He had transformed into the true being he really was.

His hair was flowing over me now and I could feel his icy breath. I sighed his name slowly.

His eyes were flaming orange and those dagger-sharp fangs were ready. His facial features were almost demonic, yet he was so seductive. How could something so evil be this beautiful?

I flinched as his fangs pressed on my neck. I had no power or control.

"Please… please… I cannot die…" I sighed again, painfully.

In a quick flash I realised Dwayne was not going to kill me. He wanted me for his own. I tried to struggle, but suddenly I knew this was what I desired deep down.

With no more time to think, Dwayne's fangs plunged into my neck. My veins began to throb. The blood was draining. I tried to scream but nothing came out. I was falling, yet I remained pinned to the bed by the Native American vampire.

Marko flashed before my eyes. This was what he planned on doing to me, so why Dwayne?

I closed my eyes quickly and stretched out my arm to pull on one of the many curtains hanging over the bed.

The falling feeling hit me again. This time it was even harder. I had a vision of Dwayne's motorbike, riding by itself in mid air, turning upside down, then plummeting to the ground. I could feel my soul starting to escape from the two gaping holes in my neck and I knew my eyes had changed colour.

The motorbike took flight again, then finally touched down and disappeared.

I was still in the cave, but not quite back to reality.

Turning my head slightly, I saw how bloody Dwayne was. He moved to the front near my throat and his fangs penetrated. My scream was muted once again.

The cave was alive, vibrating with every painful moment.

I saw the leopard design on Dwayne's leather jacket jump from his sleeve and leap in slow-motion all around the cave. Then it returned to its original place as if nothing had happened.

Jim Morrison was staring at me from the poster on the wall. The expression on his face changed to shock and despair, then he turned away from me as a sign of respect during my transformation. His whole body appeared. He was being crucified.

As the blood poured from my throat, blood trickled from Jim's hands like stigmata. He was blessing my journey into the unholy afterlife.

Dwayne howled as he went deeper, then the image of Jim began to burn. Now I knew his face was turned in shame and not as a sign of respect. His voice echoed, "people are strange" and "this is the end…"

The cave blurred. I knew my time on earth as a human was almost up.

As I focused, faces and figures emerged. They were guests from the hotel who died during the tragedy in 1906. The men, women and even the bellboy were watching as Dwayne and I invaded their resting place. They faded as quickly as they had appeared.

I could feel the key on Dwayne's necklace unlocking my heart during the experience. I was unable to determine what was reality.

My eyelids flickered. Blood still flowed, but not rapidly. My pulse slowed and became fainter. Blood began to trickle slowly. It hurt. It really hurt. I just felt like a terrible mess.

My eyes clouded, then clicked back to normal again. I knew they were their usual colour. The cave was also back to normal, but it was so vivid.

What seemed like hours probably only lasted for a few minutes or less. Or maybe no time had passed at all.

Dwayne released me from his grip and stood in my full view. His fangs had disappeared and so had the orange glow in his eyes. They were dark again. He was breathless. My red fluid trickled on his own neck and down his bare chest and torso.

The wounds in my throat were healing already, but the bed sheets were covered with gore.

There was no escaping the lost boys now. Dwayne had taken me all the way without warning. I had become immortal in those painful moments. The candles flickered violently, then the breeze settled for a minute. The cold air was inside me.

I looked at Dwayne and half-smiled; a smile of relief really. I was one of them and there was no going back.

I rose from the blood soaked bed. My blue velvet dress that matched my name, Indigo, was spotless though and my neck and throat had healed. There was no sign or trace of fangs ever entering me.

I knew Dwayne was waiting to enter the night as I walked towards him.

I breathed in slowly. I was dead yet alive, just like the lost boys. There were so many things for me to learn about the undead world. Santa Carla was Neverland, a place of eternal youth and immortality. The cave would be my home from now on.

Dwayne did not speak, he just led my outside. The diamonds on my dress shined in the moonlight. Although the breeze was freezing, I was not numb. I could feel every spark of cool air like tiny needles. My senses were heightened to say the least. The crashing of the tide was louder than ever before.

Dwayne looked at me. His raven black hair and the red material dangling from his jeans blew rapidly as the wind howled again. I could not break his powerful gaze and he could not break mine. I felt so alive, even though I was dead. But something was not quite right. I needed answers.

"Marko wanted to take me," I said, breaking the silence between us. "He was going to be the one."

Dwayne held my face in his hands.

"Why didn't Marko do it in the end?" I asked.

All I wanted was an explanation before we decided to go any further.

He said very honestly that David did not want me to hesitate with my decision to be one of them, but when I did, he lost trust in me and thought I was backing out. The last thing he needed was for me to expose them and blow their cover, which I never would have anyway. Betrayal was the last thing on my mind. I would always be loyal. But he thought the only option he had was to take my life.

"He'd have hated himself for killing you because he really likes you and wanted to welcome you into our world with affection." Dwayne said.

He went on to explain that David had no power and was not able to turn me into a vampire by biting me. I was confused.

"So David couldn't turn me, yet it was Marko's plan to do it?" I asked, as Dwayne moved closer. "That makes no sense. David is your leader, so surely he has the most power?"

"You're right." He said. "But David had no power at all in this situation. Neither did Marko or Paul. But of course, they didn't realise that at the time."

"What made you so different, Dwayne? What gave you the power in the end?" I asked calmly.

"Because only I hold the key to eternity," he said finally.

I glanced at the old key around his neck, then remembered my vivid "hallucination" during the transformation. It all fell into place at last.

"So the key to eternity is not a metaphor…" I said.

Dwayne shook his head.

"No it isn't."

I touched the key. It felt like electricity running through my fingers.

"This is it." I whispered to myself.

I was truly convinced it would be Marko to lead me into their darkness. Dwayne was so distant. He gave no hint of his eternal plans. He had literally taken my breath away, breaking David's usual control over everyone. I did not struggle or fight back during the process. It felt right, so I gave in to him.

"It was my responsibility to save you," said Dwayne. "I wanted to do it. I'm proud I did it. It felt right. I've never done anything like this before. The reason you hesitated and felt faint when you were about to drink from the bottle was my psychic energy stopping you. This was your destiny in the end. My key was there to unlock your immortality."

His dark eyes were still fixed on me.

"But remember, Marko is still a part of you and always will be. We are all in each other's blood, running through one another's veins. Invisibly chained."

We're damned together, I thought.

I know Dwayne heard what I was thinking.

He held my hand and glanced my way, then without warning, took flight in the Santa Carla air. We were in control. It was my first time flying through the night. I felt as if I was dreaming, but this was beyond any surreal dream.

We slowed down, hovering over the water for a while, then zoomed faster and faster until we were above the clouds. Where were we going? I did not know. It was no concern of ours for we were living the vampire's afterlife. What wonderful freedom. It was our fate to be immortal. Brutal, yet desired. Dwayne and I belonged to each other now and I was ready for the years of infinity with the lost boys in Neverland.

As we were gliding and I could feel Dwayne's hair whipping my neck, he whispered to me.

"There are three vows of being a vampire and they should never be broken; thou shall not fall, thou shall not die, thou shall not fear."

Then he paused. We had nearly reached the Boardwalk. I could see the bright lights and I knew they could not harm us. They looked inviting because the nightlife was in motion and the others were waiting for us to arrive.

"But there is a fourth vow," Dwayne said, " that is broken by every vampire… thou shall not kill."

The Beginning…