HEY GUYZ! Sorry not updated in a while, will try to update every week! Well, you're here for another instalment of Trail of Blood, maybe. No, oh now its awkward. Aw, well please read, maybe you'll like it. Its like marmite, you love it or you hate it? Anyway, guys I'm needing some ideas to put into the story, so review or pm me? And stuff, okay? So yeah, imma continue cause you don't like me blabbing I can tell …

~ImAColdOne

Chapter 4

Claire woke up to shouting from the kitchen. She was lying in a four poster bed, it was dark outside and she felt chilly. She turned to the alarm clock lit up on the bedside table.

3:00 am.

Claire stepped out of bed and nearly fell over, losing her balance. She unlocked the bedrrom door with a sharp click and she slowly walked down the stairs, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She heard Eve shouting something back at someone, either Michael or Shane, seeing as they were the only others in the house.

"No, killing zombies shouldn't be an Olympic sport, Shane!"

"Ha! Should be Eve, I could shoot you, you look like one!"

"Hey dude, not funny."

Claire saw Michael sitting in the corner in hysterical fits of laughter. When she walked into the room, everything fell silent.

"Claire!" Shane bellowed and everyone turned to her.

"Oh my god Claire!" Eve said and ran to hug her. She was kinda worried. "Are you okay?"

"Er, yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"We heard screaming from your room." Michael continued.

"Eve went all freaky on us and tried to get into your room to see if you were okay. But the door was locked." Shane said.

"Oh," Claire remembered unlocking the door. She didn't remember locking it. "Must have been a nightmare." She shrugged it off.

"Hm …" Eve said, heavily lined eyes cautious, wary. Did she think Claire was some kind of nut job? Claire stood there, as awkward as ever.

"Whatever, I'm getting some more chilli." Shane declared.

"I'm with you, bro." And Michael followed him out.

Claire was left alone, with Eve.

Truth was, Claire like Eve. She seemed happy and bubbly. But something about Eve scared her, and it wasn't her just Goth makeup. Her rice powder skin with no blush at all. Her eyes were lined in several layers of black eyeliner which flicked out at the sides. It looked as if she'd used several mascaras and her lips were as black as her eyes. No, it wasn't just that. She looked as if she knew something, something she wasn't telling Claire, something scary. All of a sudden, the light hit of a silver bracelet around her wrist. On it was a symbol, nothing Claire had ever seen before.

"That's a nice bracelet." Claire blurted out. The silence was broken. Eve gave her a look, shocked and scared. But then the normal Eve look melted over and the freaked look was gone. There was something Eve wasn't telling her.

"Not really," she said with a look of disgust. "It hate it."

"Oh, sorry. Erm, what does the symbol stand for?"

"Claire, if you really want to know, you'd better be ready for the biggest lecture of your life."

Eve pulled Claire's hand and almost dragged her to the couch. Claire sat down, and Eve plonked herself beside her. "Claire, this may sound strange, and you may think im a total goon. But Morganville is run by vampires. This bracelet, this … thing! It shows I am protected from them. Well was protected." Claire shot Eve a look, Eve looked back, sad and getting angrier.

"Were?"

"Well, when I turned eighteen, my dad basically told me that either I let Brandon fang me, or I was no daughter of his anymore. I chose the second option. I hate them, filthy bloodsuckers. But what can I do, I like in a town where half the population suck the others blood."

"Wait, who is Brandon." Claire wasn't sure Eve wanted to tell her, but this story fascinated her, like a book she had read. She didn't want to stop.

"Brandon was my patron, my owner I guess. This is his symbol," she said, pointing to the limp bracelet on her wrist. "When I refused his permission it died I guess, that's why it's this colour. It's inactive."

"Why'd you wear it then?" Claire knew she was being nosy, and her mother always told her people don't like nosy girls. But she had to know what had happened to Eve, what had happened to her friend.

"I don't know really, Claire. I guess maybe just too fool them. Hm …" She thought, and unclipped the latch on the bracelet. It fell to the floor and Eve just looked at it for a moment or so, then back to Claire. A faint hint of tears shone in her large eyes. " Eighteen years I've been waiting to do that." She smiled shakily. "I can still kinda feel it." She tried to laugh, but it didn't work. All of a sudden, Claire felt like the adult. "Do you believe it, Claire? Do you realise what you are living with?"

"Yes, Eve. I believe you." And Claire gave her a hug, as Eve burrowed her head into Claire's shoulder. She felt at home, like Eve was her sister and she'd just been dumped and Claire was comforting her. It felt like a family all of a sudden. Claire liked it. But something scared her, the news Eve had just informed her about. But she had to hide it, Michael and Shane were back, and the had a bottle of beer each.

"Sup Claire?" Shane said, and he smiled a cool, crooked smile. Wow, Claire thought, Shane is pretty hot.

"Oh, not much. Uh, why did no one tell me about, er?" She mimed fangs in the neck.

"Oh, is that why eyes mascara is running." As soon as she heard that, Eve jumped up and screamed. She ran to the hall to check the mirror at the door.

"Oh haha, Shane you big idiot. Scare the Goth kid, haha very funny, not!" And she gave him, the death stare. Shane looked scared.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door.

DUN DUN DUNNNN! So guys, whatcha think? Leave a review or pm me or whatever, as I said, updates every week as it's the holidays now! And if I don't update you all have permission to shout at me and tell me to get my butt back on fan fiction and write chapter 5 … so tell me what you wanna see in the story, let me know what ever yous want (: OH! And btw guys, no update for a fortnight cause in on holiday all next week, capital of England? You guys get a billion points if you can tell me, and its not a difficult question either so yea.! See you in a fortnight my lovelys 3! xox!