"Who was he? The entrancing boy from the alley who almost caught me feeding last night?"
I am deep in thought as my sister and I are driving to our new school in Manhattan. I've been a student multiple times in my
existence, thirty one to be exact. When I was human, I had just graduated high school at eighteen. My future plans weren't exactly of
the era. In the fifties women were being pushed at younger ages to finish secondary school, only to settle down with bread winning
husbands and start families of their own. Yet I wanted more with my life, my parents always seeing my full potential as a professional
pianist. They encouraged me to go strive for my own American dream, find happiness, maybe even find the man that would swipe me
off my feet. I had been accepted into Julliard with a full scholarship, a rarity for a girl in those times. But I decided to put my dreams
on hold to help out my family. My father at the time to my grief was mainly away due to his line of work, so I wanted to assist my
mother with the household responsibilities. But that wasn't the only reason. I had a secret of my own; I wanted to spend as much time
with Evelyn as I could while I still had it. The two of us had grown extremely close since the day she came into our lives, and I was
not willing to let that go yet by any means. I gave up Julliard for her because she trusted me, more than anyone else. I wanted her to
know I would always love her, protect her, and she would be forever apart of my family. I had not found love either. It was not
something I really ever searched for as I focused more on my studies rather than being pursued after. I was also rather aloof when it
came to men, knowing what I wanted and indeed what I didn't. My dad set the standard in my eyes of what a man should be: Kind,
chivalrous, ambitious, selfless. I caught quite a fews' eye, yet most of their advancements were tasteless. There was only one who
met the bill perfectly, Jerrod Galloway. He truly was swoon worthy. I can't say I didn't fantasize about him being my first kiss every
now and then, maybe even us being the so said couple who made out under the bleachers in high school. But like I said, purely
fantasy. Though I wanted to ignore this fact back then, I was still a hormonal teenage girl like every other my age. But it would have
never worked out anyway, for I was too busy with my ambitions and the boy got drafted into the war only to die a couple months
later. Truthfully I didn't desire a relationship, for my family and a profession in music was all I desired to have at the time. Yet I
never got the opportunity to work further towards my dream as life took an unsuspected turn. Two of the most important people in
my life and my biggest supporters were now gone, the passion for my craft beginning to fade along with them. The life I once knew
was gone, becoming only a painful memory.
It was a special day, my father promising he would take the whole day off to spend with me. It's almost comical now, for
that horrible Christmas song they play nowadays is rather painfully ironic looking back. All I wanted for Christmas that
year was for my father to be home for my 19th birthday, for it would be our last one together for awhile as I was planning
to head off and study music in the fall. With a little puppy eyed pleading on my end, being the man he was and pulling a
few strings at work, he did as promised. I'll never forget that day, first starting off as one of pure joy.
Dad took me to some of my favorite places, treating me although I only wanted one thing and he knew it all too well, Him. We went for
a walk through the city, talking about life and where it was taking us. When I first told him of my plan to not attend Julliard the
upcoming year, he was rather disappointed as he knew what I was giving up by doing this. Yet my father on this day said he was very
proud of me, being such a good daughter and sister to our newest addition. He said he knew I would find ultimate happiness in life, for
I strived to put others before myself. That day I was captured in his unconditional love. He told me we could spend the whole day alone
together if I wished, for he knew how much our time together meant to me. We didn't have much of it anymore, yet I cherished every
moment with him as if it was our first and our last. Yet that night I wanted my whole family to be together, all together as it should be.
He rented out one of the most extravagant restaurants in the city for the occasion, enjoying each other's company in bliss.
My day of joy turned into a night of unbearable sorrow. With my father's job also came with enemies. Some were not
happy with our government system in New York, wanting to fight back. My father was an important part of this system,
turning him into a target which resolved in his and mother's bitter end.
It was past ten in the evening, my family and i finishing up rather late as we walked out of the restaurant to an empty courtyard. We
were alone, or so it seemed. Father put his arm around my shoulder and looked to me with a warm grin. "So did you have a good
birthday my dear Liza?" He asked before putting multiple smothering kisses to my cheek. I just laugh and nuzzle into his touch. "Yes
Papa. It was one of my most memorable yet." I wrapped my arms around his side tightly. I then smiled up at him. "In fact, it was
perfect. Thank you." He smiled back as he puts a kiss onto my forehead. "Greggory..." Everything was perfect, until I heard my mother
calling to my dad. I looked ahead and saw the shadows of three men. My father looked over as well as he saw my smile had faded. "Is
everything alright gentlemen?" He called out to the figures, only to be followed by a blinding light then a deafening gunshot in our
direction. I watched in horror as my mother fell to her death as one of the men shot her, father holding me and Evelyn back. "MAMA!" I
screamed yet he turned to me, grabbing me by the shoulders to quiet me. He glanced at the two men then turned back to me in
distress. "Liza go. Take Evelyn and run." "Papa no..." I pleaded, my eyes flooding with tears. He wiped them with a loving hand, pulling
me into a full embrace. I silently wept onto him, never wanting to let him go. He pulled away to grasp both sides of my face. "Please be
strong for me Liza. Know that I love you and you will always be my little girl, my beautiful, wonderful girl. Take care of your sister.
Never lose sight of her do you understand? Remember me and your mother by never losing your spirit or allowing anyone to take it
from you." He leaned in to give me one final tender kiss upon my forehead, my tears soaking his face. He then went to embrace Evelyn
tightly before he was pulled back by two pairs of hands and was thrown into the center of the square. Dad tried to defend himself, yet
he was exceedingly outnumbered. The men beat him to death, my screaming drowning out his sounds of agony from my ears. Evelyn
turned herself away, not being able to bear witnessing what she already had experienced in her life once before. I couldn't tear my eyes
away, even after the men leaned over my father as he took his final breaths. "PLEASE PAPA...NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU
BASTARDS!" My voice wouldn't stop, lashing out and crying to blind me from the excruciating pain. The men hearing my spats of
despair only inched closer, ready to take their next victims. Yet I soon witnessed that they would become the victims, paying for their
vicious deed. Soon I felt someone wrap themselves around me in a rapid powerful embrace, sending me to the ground in a gasp of
paralyzing fright. A pair of arms sheltered me from the sight of death as my sobbed cries filled the open air. A beautiful soothing voice
then surrounded me. "Please don't cry young one. Let my embrace immerse you in comfort even as the darkness settles in. I have lived
a long existence. And I have seen even in death, there is meaning my dear."
In that moment I was in the embrace of Annabelle; My savior, my downfall. At first I was afraid of the woman and her intents. Yet this
sense of an odd affection soon became something more. For some time I tried to deny any true connection to the vampire, even after
becoming sired to her. I refused to drink her blood for a short period after I turned, soon telling myself I only fed from her to curb the
cravings. Yet we both knew I was lying to myself, to the very bond that still ties the both of us together to this day. As time went on
the pull became too strong. We began a dangerous game. She would reel me in with her advances, almost fully giving myself to her as
the sire bond beckoned me into a web of lust. I believed Annabelle was only toying with my emotions when I was human then even
more so as a vampire. She now enjoyed the benefits of having someone to control, surrendering myself to her as she had her way with
me. It became all too much, the blood, the lustful desires, this new life. When I left her, things only became worse. I longed for not
only her blood, but for her to be near again no matter how resentful I was of this eternal contract. Leaving Annabelle also only made
my darkened desires more dire. I was tempted to use humans for my own pleasure, almost giving in for I was attempting to replace the
powerful pull of the sire bond. I fought myself, yet gave into the other lust that controlled me the most, bloodlust. And that only made
me a killer, not being able to control either lust that Annabelle had awoken within me.
I gave up much of my past life, for it was not part of my world anymore and I was too dangerous. Yet once I started to regain myself
again after a couple decades, I decided that going back to school wouldn't be such a bad thing. I would learn to control my cravings
around humans, while also being able to regain a somewhat normal life. I could finally seize the opportunity that was taken away so
long ago. I began to attend college as a music major. Even Annabelle had reminded me my parents wouldn't have wanted me to let my
passion die with them, but to continue in it and keep it alive. The piano became a good distraction to keep my mind upon my undying
love for music rather than my newfound hunger for blood. I also liked the idea of school, for I wanted to stay well educated and
integrated into human culture. Evelyn couldn't think of anything worse. I never forced education upon her after what she went through
as a human during her own school experience. Yet there were repercussions, for now as a vampire there were many things she loved
about living with me while I went to college: The partying, the sex, the blood. She reveled in this life even as I threatened her to stay
behaved or I would have to do whatever was needed to subdue her monstrous side. She never listened however, loving to test my
newly formed sense of control and knowing I truly had no way of taming her. I would try being the responsible older sister, yet she had
her own rule book and game plays always working out in her favor. Although I never lived on campus for obvious reasons, I would
often get invited to parties. I found them to be rather a waste of time and way too great of a risk. All the while Evelyn never turned
down the opportunity for her view of a good time. With her enhanced appearance she could pass as a freshman, more like fresh meat
to every gawking male on campus. This forced me to go mostly out of mere obligation to keep her from killing an entire herd of horny
college students, not for my own personal enjoyment. She would try to get me to let go, even if it was just for one night. I resisted,
even as not only their blood called to me to take from them, but what many of them tempted me with time and time again. I denied
their advances as well as my own desires, for I did not want to be the used or the user any longer.
Attending college after all this time of wandering, I made it a rule that I would not use students for my own selfish needs. I would use
blood bags or go off campus to feed and that was the end of it. I had the rare friend, never lovers except for the one quite some time
ago. After my traumatic first time with a human, I never allowed myself to become romantically attached to another. Yet with Evelyn's
track record I couldn't even keep a good companion around. Boys would either try to befriend me to get in bed with her or myself if
they were brave enough to pop the question, many girls labeling Evelyn as 'The slut who slept around'. This surely did not settle well
with me. Even though my sister enjoyed testing my nerves with her boy toys, I know the truth. All she does is to numb the extreme
abuse and neglect she suffered throughout her adolescence, her father never showing her what a good man looked like. It made her
weary of them as a human, even of my own father for quite some time. Yet as a vampire this turned to pure lust, a spiteful lust at that.
This was not only for blood, but for physical pain and pleasure. There were times as the last where she got way out of hand. I had been
stupid enough to let her wander the homecoming frat-house party by herself as I found a human that was actually quite a pleasure to
talk to. Although good looking he had a brain in his head with rather innocent intentions, only joining a fraternity to help pay for
college. I couldn't deny that his scent wasn't repulsing either. For the first time in many years, I had so foolishly let down my guard.
With a few drinks of hard liquor in my system, I was moments away from breaking one of my own rules. I was about ready to lead the
boy away from the party's festivities to simply have just a taste of my true craving. Yet I quickly came back to my senses, only to find
that my sister was nowhere to be found. When I got to her it was all but too late. There is a reason why I have made it a rule to avoid
both parties and getting too friendly with humans, for they only blinded my better judgement. This incident however was my final straw
with Evelyn.
I have made the decision to attend high school for the first time since the 1950s, for now I have someone else I need to tame. This
would also be Evelyn's first time back to school since she turned, making her mood with me even more irritable. I enrolled as a senior
so she could a junior. With a more supervised setting and not one filled with dorm rooms, frat boys, and booze, I think it will be an
easier task to keep Evelyn in line. I don't even care if she compels someone to do her homework for her. I need to keep a watchful eye
on her to prevent any further damage. Yet I can't stop thinking about that boy damaging my mind. I don't know who he is, yet I have
a feeling that night wouldn't be the last time I saw him. He was different. His being immediately attacked my senses, making me want
to draw in closer.
"How can I say this...about someone I barely even saw?"
My mind then begins to think about the whispered voice speaking to me as I fed upon that man. Annabelle as my sire is able to
communicate with me through my own thoughts, the capacity of those abilities I do not know. Yet this voice made me unsure if it was
just the beast in it's wake or my maker. Whenever Annabelle spoke to me in this way I greatly felt her presence, usually in close
proximity to one another. Her voice I would have known anywhere, hitting me like a wave. This voice however sounded as though it
was in the distance of my mind, yet was calling out to every part of me in urgency.
"Was this truly a sign of what's to come? What does this all mean?"
I have a bad feeling that things would be soon shifting. I do not know of what lies for me here, yet it seems New York has brought me
back for a purpose of it's own.