Chapter One-Goodnight
The full moon shone brightly through the passenger seat window. I sat next to James in his old Cadillac. My bare feet were cold on the floor so I brought my knees up to my chin. My eyes drifted off the floor over to James. His hazel eyes were drooping and he looked as if he might fall asleep at the wheel. We had been traveling for six hours now and it was getting pretty late. We were headed for L. A. to visit James' parents. We hadn't seen them since the wedding. I looked over at James again, examining his face. His caramel colored hair lay against his head in an array of angles. He was a very handsome man. I'd always known I'd marry someone like him. I looked at his eyes again. He only looked about half awake.
"James honey, maybe we should stop off at a hotel or something and get some rest." I grabbed his hand and he smiled at me.
"But we are almost there and if we kept going we could make better time," he pleaded. I frowned at him and he began to cave. "All right," he smiled brightly at me, "we'll stop off at the next exit."
"Thanks !" I smiled back at him.
We probably drove for about two miles till we came to a small hotel on the outskirts of L.A. called the Sunshine. We pulled into the parking lot as James reminded me to put my shoes back on. I went to check on as James got our bags. We got room 314 on the second floor.
As I slid the key into the door I felt even more tired knowing there was a kind comfy bed waiting for me behind the door.
The room had the same old, ugly hotel fabrics and wallpaper. It smelled like lemon cleaner and vacuums. But, It didn't matter what the room looked or smelled like I was just concerned about finally getting some sleep.
After getting dressed in our night cloths we both looked as if we might die of sleep loss. James lifted the comforter and we both plopped down in the bed. I lay on my side facing James. He smiled at me and lightly stroked my cheek.
"Goodnight Julie, he whispered. I love you." He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.
I kissed him back. "I love you too. Goodnight."
James reached around and snapped the lamp off. We lay facing each other for awhile. As I looked at James' hazel eyes his eyelids slowly started to close. I smiled looking at his face as I slowly drifted to sleep.
Chapter Two-The Change
My dreams were blurred with happy looks into the future and a little bit of the scary movie I watched last week. Then the images of little babies and scary monsters faded as everything turned black. I slowly woke to a little rustle of sound. The room was only lightly illuminated by the moonlight. I wondered what time it was. The little bedside clock was not on. I wanted to wake James but it was dark and I could barley see to plug the clock back in. I decided to wake him. He wouldn't be too angry. He was facing away from me so I lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't budge. James had always been a heavy sleeper. I grabbed his shoulder to turn him over but I felt something warm and sticky on my hands. Running quickly to turn the lamp on I realized what the liquid was. As the lamp flickered to life and illuminated James' bedside my heart nearly stopped. I looked over at James as I froze with fear. I now knew why he had not responded. There was a gaping hole in his neck. His eyes were shut.
How did I sleep through this? I fell to my knees and began to cry. It felt as if the whole world was crashing over me. I looked back at James. How could this have happened? I reached up to my eyes and dried my tears and realized that James blood was still all over my hands. The dim light from the lamp hurt my eyes. Then suddenly I realized what situation I was in. Someone had to have gotten into our room to do this. But were they still in here?
I was so distracted by my sorrow of losing James that I never even realized my own fear. My eyes darted around the room and focused on the darkest corner out of the four. There was a shadow between the dresser and the wall with the figure of a well built man. Then I felt an even stronger fear began to pulse through my veins, a fear for my life. I gasped for air realizing that seeing the shadow had stopped me from breathing. The shadow slowly began to emerge. I was right a man about the same size as James was. The man was wearing torn jeans and a long black coat. He had blond hair the was sleek straight all the way down to his shoulders. His face was slim with handsome features. But the thing that stood out the most was his eyes staring back at me. Hes irises were blood red. He frowned as I started to cry even harder.
" Now, now, don't be scared." He started to drift even closer to me.
I closed my eyes hoping that this was all just a dream. That I would wake up under the warm covers with James next to me still alive. All though I knew that would not happen. I opened my eyes and the intruder's face was about three inches from mine. I flinched back but I couldn't move. He must be standing on my feet. I started to scream but he held his cold white index finger lightly to my lips. He leaned his face towards me again. He made a big sniffing noise as if he was smelling something.
He smiled brightly, " What a waste of a good meal. But I must think of the long term."
My body trembled with fear. I tried to find words but all I could manage to mutter out was, "Please!"
He laughed,"Trust me this is for the better good! You will make an amazing soldier. And a beautiful one at that." his voice sounded as if he was making a political speech.
My head spun mixed with fear and slight confusion. Why didn't he just kill me already? Unless he wanted to torture me. But what did he mean by soldier and beautiful? I just hope it is fast and painless. Why am I assuming he is going to kill me? I can get away. What am I kidding myself? I am practically already dead. I was so lost in my mind I barley realized he was creeping closer to me.
"Don't move," he whispered, "it will make it less painful."
I froze not because he told me to but because of my intense fear. My heart sped up as he moved closer to me. He lightly placed his cold lips on my neck. What was he planning to do to me? A sudden stinging hit my neck. The pain felt like a raging fire traveling slowly through my veins. I felt a warm liquid running down my neck. The pain continued to spread as everything slowly faded into darkness.
Chapter 3– Waking Up
I awoke face down on the hard cold ground. I slightly shivered but somehow the intense cold brought me an unexplained comfort. Using my arms to push myself up I rose to my feet. Quicker than I thought possible after what had happened. What did happen? I was unsure of everything right now. The room I was in was dark but I could still see quit clearly. My eyes scanned the empty room for an exit. There was one single door on the other side of the room. As I headed to the door I examined the walls. Each one was covered by prickly ice. I looked around coming to a realization of where I was, a walk I freezer. How long had I been in here? I should have froze to death. I kept moving towards the door. As I reached for the handle I hesitated. I couldn't help but wonder what was on the other side.
Vague memories of what had happened flowed into my mind ; James dead body, the shadowy figure, the man at my neck and lastly the horrible pain that now was completely gone. I reached up and felt my neck. There was a slight bump in the shape of a crescent. I could tell the wound had healed and it was only a scar. I thought through everything again and decided I would have to take the chance of danger being on the other side of the door.
As the door creaked open a lovely smell filled the air and a sudden strong hunger became visible deep inside of me. I didn't have to think my new found instincts guiding my legs towards the magnificent aroma. I was walking down a long hallway when the source of the smell began to get closer. Then my eyes caught a glimpse of someone. I stared back realizing that it was just my own reflection in a beautifully l hung mirror. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful my face had become. Every feature on my face was now in perfect order. Even my too large nose was now shrunk down to fit the rest of my features. My shoulder length blond hair now more full and vibrant. The top right of my head a rust red colored with blood. I felt the blood spot. It was dried and I could not find the source of the blood. He most astonishing was my eyes were dark black. You couldn't even tell the irises form the pupils. I looked in the mirror one last time as my nose picked up the scent again.
My instinct once again guiding me along. I kept walking down the long hallway until it ended in a large room that looked like a sitting room. The hunger inside of me begged for attention. Then my eyes darted to find the source of the smell. They stopped in a black couch in the farthest right of the room. Tied to it there was a small, ten year old girl crying her lungs out. I wanted to go comfort her but something inside of me identified her as prey. I started strutting towards her not sure what was happening. I didn't want to hurt her but I didn't know if I could stop myself.
"No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I wouldn't let myself hurt anyone. Then I heard a laugh on the other side of the room. It's familiarness made the memories of what had happen flow into my head. I knew who the laugh came from.
"Julie, Julie, Julie," he laughed, "now don't tell me I went out looking for an easy kill for you and you won't accept it." He smiled brightly at me.
My mind was racing trying to find an explanation but came up dry. "No! Please! Don't hurt her!" The little girls cries grew louder.
"Julie, but its perfectly natural. Everyone has to eat," he stared at the little girl. An astonished look filled my face as I realized what I had become. He laughed, " so you get it now, don't you. Can't believe it took you that long. Now, if you don't want her I will take her. Your stubbornness is no reason to let a perfectly good meal go to waste."
My whole body filled with terror as he stepped closer to the little girl. I wanted to help her but had no idea how. My eyes swept the room for a quick exit. I found a door just on the other side of the room. While he was at the couch I tiptoed over to the door. I reached for the handle and opened the door slowly but his head lifted swiftly.
"You can try. Good luck Julie. You'll die or get caught out there on your own. I will be waiting for your return."
As I looked at his face he laughed. I ignored him and took off running.
Chapter 4- New Faces
People's curious eyes never left mine. I have to admit how someone might seem a little strange walking down the streets in their pajamas and slippers around midnight, even in L.A. Not to mention that the top right of my head was covered in rusty red blood. I recognized the large buildings and busy streets. This was the city where James parents had lived in some fancy apartment. Even though the location was familiar I was still confused, the hunger inside of me growing stronger every minuet. I felt like I might even attack a random person on the street. It was like I could hear the heart beat of every single person in the city. I decided I needed a place to sit and clear my head. I found a nice cold empty ally way. The cold calmed me down so I could actually think straight. There were only two things I was sure of is that I was a vampire and that I thirsted for someone's blood. The real question was whose? I needed help. But I was not going back to mister "I eat children on a regular day basis". Then something caught my nose. A familiar scent much like the man's and my own filled my head. I decided to follow it. If my hypothesis was right then the scent I was following was another vampire and maybe they could help me. I emerged from the alley way, the scent carrying me right, then left, then right, then left. Then as I headed into a dark empty back street the scent disappeared. I took in a big whiff. Then I picked the scent back up. It was behind me. Whoever it was must have figured out I was fallowing them and backtracked quickly to sneak up on me. I stood completely still. Then I heard a sound behind me. Someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me around but didn't let go. I looked to see who it was and was surprised. It was a tall woman probably about in her twenty's, about my age. At least froze that way. As far as I knew vampires didn't age. Her thin muscular body intimidated me. She had bright, straight, red hair that shone like the sun against her pale white skin. She saw the amazed look on my face and decided to speak.
"Who the heck are you? I haven't seen you around here before. Are you one of Charlie's dummies? " She looked at me with a serious stare.
The questions filled my head, cluttering my mind. I didn't know exactly how to answer them and that scared me.
She laughed," Come on spit it out!"
Suddenly I tried to find the words to answer her. But my head was practically empty. All I could manage were three little words. "I don't know," I stuttered.
"You don't even know your own name? Wow, you probably are one of Charlie's dummies," she laughed.
"Julie," I managed to whisper lowly.
" My name is Claudia. Yours is much nicer. Now where did you come from?" she said as if it were a simple question.
I just stood there the words once again to hard to find.
" Well come on spit it out. Who is your sire?" She didn't realize she was using unknown vocabulary to me. A puzzled expression filled my face. "You know what I mean. Who created you?"
this question I could answer. " I don't know his name but he had messy blond hair and red eyes." I spoke quickly surprised by my sudden return of words.
" Well, well, I was right. Charlie it is. Well why are you wondering in the streets? Didn't he take you in?"
"He had a little girl. He said she was for me. I ran away."
"Well, no wonder you seem so hungry. You are lucky you haven't attacked an ordinary. Well, what did he say to you?" she stood there waiting calmly as if something like this happened everyday.
"He said I would come back and that I would make a good soldier."
"Oh so Mr. All Big And Mighty is recruiting more for his army. And I thought he had enough already, " she laughed.
A confused expression filled my face.
"Okay your coming with me." Claudia grabbed my arm and started guiding me quickly ahead.
Chapter 5-Meet The Family
We must have ran for at leas six miles though my legs never grew tired. As we slowed down a large building caught my eyes. It was 4 stories tall with beautiful windows and walls. It stood out brightly on the outskirts of L.A. As we moved closer to the building Claudia let go of my arm. She led me through a huge wooden door. My jaw dropped in awe at the first room. The walls were a deep red covered in paintings and designs. The dark wooden floor shined brightly from its cleanness. I smelled more of my kind but in the distance I could smell a hint of blood. Claudia obviously noticed my expression.
" So you like the place? Well, thats what happens when have centuries to save it up the money."
As if right on cue three more people entered the room. The one in the middle was a man who looked about thirty. He was tall with black hair that rested along his slender cheekbones. The one to his left was a woman probably about my age. Her wavy brown hair lay along her slender shoulders. She wore an expression of exasperation. The one to the mans right was a young man probably about my age also. He had short blond hair that spiked up on its ends. They all had pale skin as I did but all their eyes were a liquidly gold.
Claudia stepped out in front of me and pointed to the man in the middle. "This here is Kevlar. He is like head of the universe. Well, not the whole universe but, he thinks he is." I looked over at Kevlar as his eyes rolled. Claudia moved her finger so it pointed towards the man on Kevlar's right. "This is Josef. He joined up with us about, uh, two or three years ago." She next pointed to the woman on Kevlar's left. "And last but not least there is Amelia. She has been here for twelve years. Don't know how shes stood it that long." Amelia smirked at Claudia.
I looked at them all. I was so pleased I would finally get some answers.
Chapter 6- New Home
It was strange meeting vampires who weren't crazy. The first one I had met was very crazy. Apparently his name was Charlie. And the difference in their eyes. It was all just so strange.
Kevlar stepped towards me. " Are you hungry?"
I didn't know the words would come. They caught me by surprise. "Yes! Please!"
Kevlar laughed, "Josef, go get our guest something to eat." Josef headed into another room. " I never asked, what is your name?"
"Julie," I said very confident in my answer.
"Well, who created you?"
"Apparently a man named Charlie"
"Oh, so once again Charles sends me his leftovers."
I had no idea what Kevlar was talking about. Then Josef walked in carrying a glass filled with a red liquid. He walked closer to me and handed me the glass. I smelled it than drank the liquid. It soothed my hunger and I finally grew a little more stronger.
"What is happening," I asked. All I was concerned about right now was finding answers.
Kevlar took a nearby seat on a white couch and patted to a seat next to him. I walked over and sat down as all the others found themselves a place to sit.
"Well, first of all I will tell you some things about me. I have been immortal for about three-hundred years now. I was changed in France when I was thirty-one. Then about one-hundred years ago I moved to America. And now I find my self living the life I thought I'd never had after what had happened to me. I have a big house a nice family. Also a way of feeding with out harming ordinarys."
Almost all my questions were answered except a few. "Then where do you get your," I tried to choke the next word out,"blood?"
"Lets just say that the American red cross doesn't tell you everything you donate blood for. We have inside connections."
"So you don't harm anyone?"
"Nope, not unless absolutely necessary."
I only had one more question unanswered. "why did Charlie, I mean Charles pick me?"
"I'm not exactly sure but form what Claudia has told me he said I am guessing that he wanted you as a soldier and maybe a friend."
"A soldier for what?" A puzzled look filled my face.
"He has some crazy idea that he is going to create many vampires and make the ordinarys our slaves. We killed off his last batch but we will need to convert some of his resent vampires to help our cause."
"I was wondering if you would like to join us." He looked over at Amelia and she nodded and skipped off.
"Of course but we won't kill people will we?"
"Only those others of our kind helping Charles cause."
Then Amelia walked back into the room with another class for me. She swiftly walked over and hanged it to me. I smiled at her as she smiled back.
"Okay I'm in." As I said these final words I finally felt whole again. I stilled missed James but I could finally have some way to make sense of this new life.
My eyes scanned the room as I looked at the faces of my new family.
