Chapter Ten

You know those moments where everything seems to go a little crazy? We parked the car, ran inside, and suddenly Sarah decided she didn't believe us again.

'You're being stupid!' she yelled suddenly while Holly picked up a crucifix. In fact, the three of them were staring at Holly and me like we were armed and dangerous. I stopped what I was doing and stared at them. 'What?'

'Well, we just went with the vampire thing in the car because we didn't want you to panic so much,' Jen said meekly.

'WHAT?' I yelled, raising my arms in a 'why' gesture.

'Well, why would Dracula be after you, Trist?' Sarah asked, sounding funny. 'I mean, let's face it, you're nothing special.'

'Sarah!' Jen snapped, turning and glaring at her. I completely ignored the fact Jen thought I was 'special for some reason' and kept glaring at the three of them.

'Well, she isn't. Unless you're talking about up here special,' Sarah giggled, tapping her forehead.

'Sarah, you're being a real bitch,' Sammy countered, flipping Sarah off very suddenly. Holly and I continued to stare. 'Even if it's not Dracula, Trist just saw the man she's being seeing in her dreams for –'

'Well, she hasn't exactly got a photo of him or anything!' Sarah replied crossly. 'Maybe she just saw the same characteristics; blue eyes, brown hair, gorgeous...'

'Yeah, yet I feel you're forgetting something,' I murmured, frowning. 'Oh, yeah! Me and Holl got attacked by vampires out the back of the school!'

'You can't prove that,' Sarah replied scathingly.

'What do you want me to do?' I yelled. 'Make a vampire magically appear?'

'I'd really prefer if you didn't,' Holly added, stepping in front of me. 'If you guys don't believe us, go upstairs, leave us alone, whatever. I'm sure something will happen soon enough to make you believe.'

'Like what?' Jen asked, arching an eyebrow.

'Trist, what did the vamps say to you?' Holly asked, turning her head to face me.

'Oh, here we go,' Sarah muttered.

I stared at the lot of them, thinking back. 'One of the guys wanted to... well, get physical, I guess.' Sam wrinkled her nose and Jen made a retching noise. 'And the others kept telling him that someone wouldn't like it if he went anywhere near me like that.'

'Who's someone?' continued Holl pointedly.

'They kept saying "he"...' I said slowly, not wanting to think of who he might be even though I had a sickening feeling it would be –

'So there you have it,' Holly said, looking back at Jen, Sarah and Sam as the two of us stood in the dark living room. 'Dracula wants Trist.'

'WHAT?' I cried, feeling sick. Jen ran to my side and put me down on the couch. 'No. There's some mistake there...'

'Sit down. You guys are freaking me out,' Jen said worriedly.

'But Sarah's right – I am nothing special,' I mumbled, ignoring her. Jen gave me an angry look as if to say stop putting yourself down but I couldn't help it. I was nothing special. What would anyone want with me? What the hell would a vampire, a quite attractive vampire at that, though that has nothing to do with it, want with me? Me, for crying out loud! 'Holl, there's some weird mistake –'

'Look, why would a guy that amazing want to go for Trist?' Sarah repeated, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at everyone. The other girls glared at her, not understanding why she was so angry.

I stood up, very suddenly, ignoring my swirling head. 'You know what? I think you guys are right. I think I'm just a little drunk or something.'

'What?' Holly cried, her jaw dropping. 'You can't be serious! We just saw – we just SAW –'

'I'm going to bed,' I said, moving swiftly to the stairs.

'But what about Dream Hottie –?' Jen began but I was already in my room. I wasn't sure if she was talking about seeing him at the party, or in my dreams. I just knew that now, right now, I couldn't talk to them. Not if they didn't believe me. Hell, I barely believed me.

Except I'd just fought off vampires in an alleyway. And I'd met Dream Hottie.

But he wasn't Dracula. They were right. That couldn't make any sense. It just made perfect sense that it could be him, but none that he would be after me. What made me so different?

XoooooX

I climbed into bed, making sure my door was locked. I heard a knock every once in a while but didn't answer it. I just stared out my closed window, trying to register the night's events.

I felt numb. I felt so numb. Like someone could cut me open and I wouldn't feel it. I was too shocked, I supposed. I don't know. I didn't want to fall asleep. I wanted to get up and run away, run far away, run somewhere –

That was when I realised I was staggering into my jeans and slipping on my Chuck Taylors, grabbing my wallet and unlocking my door, quietly wandering down the staircase and making it out of the house. It was one in the morning now and the stars shined brightly as I crossed a few streets. I was unsure of where to go.

But I had to be somewhere. Anywhere. I needed to rid myself of this numbness.

And then, with no warning, I was standing in front of a cracked marble tombstone, as though someone had tried to break it. Matthew Van Helsing it read. I looked around the cemetery, unsure of how I got here, unsure of how I knew this stone was here. It was starting to fog up, badly, the mist creeping across the soggy grass in which my shoes were sinking into. I glanced down at my feet. They were sodden.

I looked back at the tombstone, which now read Abraham Van Helsing. The words engraved on the stone read Until the shadows pass into darkness. Tendrils of mist seeped around it, hiding the words from me.

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. This wasn't happening.

How did I get here?

This wasn't happening.

Oh crap oh crap ohcrapohcrapohcrap –

No.

My eyes opened and that single movement almost felt like the dawn had cracked, a single ray of sunlight beaming over the hill. But it was only my pupils shrinking and my eyes widening that bit more as they stared at the figure back-dropped by darkness.

He stared back at me, so close I would be able to feel his breath on my cheek, if he was actually breathing. Those same eyes, unblinking, intense. He was smiling crookedly, almost like a half grin, exposing a few very white teeth. 'Trist,' I heard him murmur, in almost amazement and holy hell my name has never sounded that good.

No.

'I'm dreaming,' I said matter-of-factly, knowing it was true as I took a step back from him. Oh, crap, why did I sleep, why did I FALL ASLEEP shitshitshitshit –

His eyes followed me as I walked backwards, the crooked smile turning into a smirk. The mist still flowed freely but it was clearing a little.

'Go away,' I said, sounding much stronger, stopping as my legs hit the tombstone. I was walking on a grave, on Abraham Van Helsing's grave.

The smirk faded a little and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes. He stepped forwards, his leather trenchcoat billowing out behind him as the wind blew.

'You're him, aren't you?' I asked, clenching my fists. 'I'm right. About everything, aren't I?'

He took another few steps towards me, ignoring my questions, the ghost of a smirk hidden about his features. I stepped around the tombstone, glaring at him. 'What were you doing there last night?' Okay, in ten seconds, leggit!

He raised his chin a little, looking down at me. He was taller than me, much taller. 'You think running will assist you inside your dreams?'

I stared at him for a moment, realising we were inside my head and him being part of my thoughts in some weird way I did not understand, he probably could hear everything I was thinking because technically I was inside my thoughts and oh my head is hurting inside my head and stop thinking.

'About that...' I said, nodding thoughtfully, before turning and running through the tombstones, desperately trying not to panic.

Okay, so I was panicking a little as I was dodging tombstones. The fog was thickening and I could hear a dog howling. No, not a dog. A wolf. It sounded like a wolf from one of those animal documentaries Jen was always watching.

I needed to get out of the cemetery and back home, even if it was just in my head. Maybe I could pinch myself? I was still panicking a little too much for that.

Especially when I turned a corner and realised I was back at Van Helsing's grave, where he was leaning against one of the graves, looking exaggeratingly bored. Doesn't my mind have a bigger stretch of plain to move on? I thought bitterly and I stood there, breathing hard, staring at him like a wounded antelope looks at an advancing lion.

His gaze fell on me, no humour in his eyes. I took another step back, much slower. It seemed to click that he was in no mood for me to be running off again and there he was, suddenly in front of me, once again, and a major grave was barricading me there.

I hate my mind.

'What do you want?' I snarled (sweet, letting my anger out. Holl would be proud), drawing my arm back and punching him in the face. Or at least, that's what would have happened if he hadn't grabbed my wrist, pulling me even closer and snaking an arm around my waist. I glared up at him. 'I killed three of your vampires –'

'Three?' he interrupted, raising his eyebrows appreciatively at my efforts.

'– and I can kill more,' I finished, glowering at him. He simply nodded at my efforts.

'Very impressive. I was certain you only killed one.' There was the sarcasm. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I struggled to free my wrist. 'Let go of me, now! Get out of my head!' Pinch yourself, I thought desperately, moving my free hand slightly in the direction of my right arm.

'Even if you wake up, I'll still be there,' he pointed out, tilting my chin up so I would meet his eyes. I struggled even more, whipping my head away. 'Especially if the sun's out, dickhead,' I said smoothly.

I saw the flame ignite in his eyes, his irises swiftly reddening; he twisted my wrist, fed up with my stubborn behaviour, baring his teeth slightly, revealing the now very pointed canines. Obviously I wasn't the easy-going lady he imagined. I stifled a cry and forced a smirk at him, biting my tongue fiercely. It felt great to piss him off. 'I wouldn't bother,' he snarled, glancing at my left hand. 'I believe we just realised no matter how much pain you experience you won't wake up until I want you to.'

I made another punch at him but suddenly I was punching thin air. I blinked, glancing around my empty surroundings. The fog was still there but I seemed to be down a vampire.

I turned slowly, ready to find a way out of this cemetery when I nearly walked into him. He smirked charmingly at me and man I had to give it to him;that was a great sight. That hungry look in his eyes had returned. It was the look he had given me in my bedroom, the look that meant I was his.

No!

I realised vaguely I was squirming, flailing and that I was on the floor, desperately trying to free my limbs from my quilt. I freed my arms out before kicking the quilt off my legs, looking out at the sunlight that was pouring through my window. My head was pounding, blood pumping loudly in my ears. I could feel my heart beating inside my chest, desperately throwing itself at my rib cage.

I slumped on the floor, looking up at my ceiling, just as exhausted as I had been last night. I stifled a groan. Last night. I looked over at my wrist, the right side of my face resting on the floor. There were a few purple finger marks there; they were fading with every passing moment.

Someone was thumping on my door.

'Trist! Trist, honey, let us in! Are you up yet? Trist!'

'I'm busy,' I called out groggily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes, tousling my hair a bit so it would seem a little less crazy. I stood up and staggered over to the door, wrenching it open. Jen and Holly stood there; Jen looked glad I was finally awake and Holly wouldn't look at me, annoyed that I had pretended nothing had happened last night.

'How'd you sleep? It's nearly one p.m! We missed school,' Jen said slyly.

'Very vivid dreams,' I said, nodding vehemently.

'How vivid?' Jen asked and I raised my right wrist. She stared at it, not understanding while Holly peeked apprehensively around Jen, not wanting to seem interested.

'Get ready. We're leaving in half an hour,' I yawned, walking back into my room and searching for a pair of clean jeans and a shirt.

'Who are we visiting?' Jen asked, confused.

'And what's with the marks on your arm?' Holly added, crossing her arms as they watched me.

I stopped searching through my closet and turned to them, grimacing a little. 'The vampires are real, Jen. I'm gonna take that as a sign to visit Mary and Simon and ask them what the hell is going on.'

'How would they know?' Jen asked, arching an eyebrow.

'Simon knows,' I said, thinking back to school yesterday. 'He asked me yesterday if anything weird was happening. Dreams. Also, Mary Van Helsing at Carfax Abbey with a coffin containing Dracula inside a safe. I think she knows what's going on.'

'Only it's not Dracula,' said Jen, rolling her eyes. Holly, on the other hand, looked excited.

'We have one problem,' I said, narrowing my eyes. 'My Jag-Stang's at school.'

XoooooX

Surprisingly, sneaking into school, grabbing my Jag-Stang and leaving again was quite easy. I walked in late, ducked past my class and snuck over to the hall where I could grab my beloved instrument.

The hall was a mess; there were streamers, empty, broken plastic cups everywhere, footprints and potato chips. It looked like a terrific party's aftermath.

I looked up at the stage, trying to recall where my Jag-Stang had gone. I went cold. I'd fainted while holding it.

I leapt onto the stage, scurrying and shuffling around through things. I couldn't see it yet, oh, please let me not have fallen on it and broken it, oh please, please, please –

It was behind the drum kit, in its case, totally fine. I ran my fingers tenderly over the neck, thankful it wasn't broken.

But for some reason that just made me think of more vampires. I did a visual lap around the room, wondering if the bodies outside were still there, if anyone had noticed them yet, if police were checking them out. Or maybe they just burnt away in the sunlight.

Choking on the ashes of her enemy, I thought. Kinda worked.

I picked up my guitar, deciding to split sooner than later. I didn't want to get caught, or worse, have a vision in the middle of the day.

For a second I stood there, looking out at the empty room. Last night, on stage, it had all seemed so big, almost like we were at a rock concert, and nothing had mattered except getting even with Mitch. I'd completely ignored my gut, stupid move, and managed to get kidnapped by vampires, shunned by most of my friends and having an over-realistic dream. I couldn't help but grin a little at how angry I'd made him. Yeah, it had hurt, but it had been worth it.

I wasn't anyone's. I belonged to myself. No matter how charming and attractive the opposing may be.

I mean, wow. I know I hate him, but me-ow.

Ew, okay, that didn't sound like me. But I can say this honestly; I couldn't wait to shove a stake through his chest.

I jumped off stage, sliding my Fender with me, and ran out of the hall like a maniac, desperate to leave those thoughts behind. I didn't think like that. I just wanted all the vampires who had been ruining my life since I was born to get their asses kicked.

As I ducked by the class I was supposed to be in, I peeked through the window. No one noticed me and I noticed Michelle was not in. Coinkydink? I think not.

XoooooX

Soon enough I was outside looking for my ride (Holl had decided she wanted pretzels, therefore driving away whilst I grabbed the 'Stang) when a black car pulled up in front of me.

For a second, I tensed, clenching my hands into fists. Then the passenger door opened and Mary looked up at me, her expression somewhere between discomfort and faked calm. She seemed a little weary and her clothes had been hastily thrown on. She sighed when she saw my obviously pissed off expression that indicated I was obviously pissed off.

'Trist,' she began uncomfortably, 'I think we need to talk.'

'No, you think?' I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

'Jump in,' Mary said, gesturing to the backseat, looking like she meant business. I noticed Simon was driving and he was watching me with worried features.

'Not without my friends,' I said stubbornly. I felt like I had to resist crossing my arms and poking my lower lip out; that statement sounded like it came from a child! Nonetheless, I wasn't going anywhere without my friends and I guess I had to make that point.

Mary gave me one of those are-you-nuts looks and I said, 'They know. Some of them don't believe it, but they know.'

Simon clapped his hands together and Mary jumped, glaring at him. 'Well, I don't see why they can't join us,' he said cheerily. 'After all, it's a fascinating topic, vampires.'

DUN DUN DUNN!