I was running barefoot as fast as I could. I heard screaming all around me, people calling for their loved ones. Men were marching through the streets carrying torches, houses were burning and debris was falling from the sky. I couldn't see my parents, I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to get there fast. I man jumped in front of me and grabbed my arm, shaking it mercilessly.
"Hex Harmon." He said, his eyes black as coal and his mouth full of blood. I screamed as he threw me to the ground. "Get up Hex." He taunted me. I tried to conjure fire, but I was too shaken up. He bent down and forced my head back, exposing my neck. I watched in horror as he wet his lips and traced the shape of my throat with his fingernail. He smiled a terrible smile that exposed his fangs, and I braced myself for what was about to happen.
My own screaming awakened me; my eyes flew open. I was back in my living room, the fire burning low in the hearth. Grandma was standing over me looking concerned.
"You okay pumpkin? Looked like you were having a nightmare." Her big purple eyes were fearful.
"Yeah, I'm okay Grandma. How was your meeting?" I said, trying to distract my mind from the scene I'd just left.
"Oh it was fine. Nothing major was decided, the vampires are still feuding with the werewolves, and they want more blood banks distributed around the country. Apparently it's getting too difficult to take blood from mortals without being discovered. I guess it makes sense, but honestly where do they think the extra blood will come from? And the zombies! Don't even get me started. Nobody knows what they want because the translator was absent tonight."
I let her prattle on about Zombie Rights Activists for a while. I was concerned about my nightmare. The dream felt oddly familiar, but I couldn't place where it was from. Maybe I'd had it before; for a long time after my parents died I had nightmares that I could never remember when I woke up. Grandma said I would shake around in my sleep so much; we tried brewing calming potions and sleep syrups. They only kept me under to endure the night terrors.
"Yeah sounds great Grandma." I interrupted her story. "I'm dead beat, I'm going to bed. Will I see you in the morning?" I got up and started walking to the stairs.
"Not so fast. What's this about having a friend over? Who was it? What did you do? Was it a boy?"
"Yeah, I had a friend over. He recognized our last name and I invited him over to explain some things. I didn't want him to make stuff up about us and spread it around the school, so I set him right. Don't look at me like that, I didn't use any magic."
"He?" She smiled, amused. I'm nearly 600 years old, Grandma doesn't have to tip toe over the sex issue anymore; she just wants to make sure I don't get hurt.
"Yes Grandma, 'He.' But nothing happened. He has a girlfriend, one of my friends now, and… you know I tested him a bit." I said nonchalantly.
"Tested him?" She suppressed a smile. "In the art of what exactly?"
"Grandma! Not like that, I just wanted to know how much 'witch' he could stand up to. I didn't use any magic, but I shined up a bit, and he… well he struggled, but he managed." I smiled, smug.
Grandma looked impressed. "How much did you polish up?"
"Meh, I didn't pull out all the stops, just a nice outfit and a little lipstick." I shrugged. "But he did well."
Grandma smiled. "Well I'm glad you're making friends Hex, you deserve it. Instead of all the boys that hang around, it'd be nice if you could bring a couple girlfriends by. What other kinds of monsters did you meet?"
"Um, a vampire girl named Draculara, a werewolf girl named Clawdeen and her brother Clawd. He's the boy who was here today. Some flame-boy Heath Burns and a ghost girl named Spectra."
"A flame-boy?" She asked doubtfully.
"I don't know what he was exactly, but when he saw me, his hair lit on fire. So I call him flame-boy."
"Hmm well be careful, don't knock the socks too far off those boys, but do bring home a little arm candy."
"Night Grandma!" I called as I walked away.
"Remember tomorrow we're doing Jewelry Making, so be home by dinner okay?"
"Okay! Goodnight, love you!" I shouted down the stairs.
I switched off the light and climbed into bed, feeling like a little kid as I wrapped myself into a blanket burrito. Sleep came easily to me that night, the nightmare was gone from my mind and I was ready to relax.
