IN TIMES OF SADNESS AND TRIUMPH...

March 22nd, 2011

I walk down the stairs with my lazy smile and see Lottie sitting on the couch with Bastien next to her. She looks bored out of her mind still listening to everyone argue and plan. I catch her eye and give my best 'come to me' look. I guess it looks kind of mysterious and inviting. I walk out the door and beckon her to follow. I dash to a tree a couple yards away and 2 seconds later, Lottie is standing in front of me with Bastien following close behind.

"'Mmm- I guess Bastien can come to.'" I say lazily.

"'Where are we going?'" Lottie says excitedly, nervously.

"'Tell me, Lottie,'" I say in my thick accent, "'have you ever seen the movie Sweeney Todd?'"

She shakes her head.

"'No? Well then, you're in for a delicious treat.'" I dart away from her and she follows.

The three of us end up in some random persons house, sprawled across their couch, watching Sweeney Todd. Oh, here it comes, my favorite part. The video montage of Sweeney slicing open throats. Ahaha! Yes! Its not murder, its an art. It takes courage and precision to open a throat like that. Then to see the gorgeous red blood flowing out, to see the failed attempts to survive. Its like a waterfall of red, majestic and captivating, where does it start and where does it end? Hahaha!

Sadly, the movie ends, and I have to talk to them.

I turn my head and Lottie is staring at me. I'm wondering if I was moaning at wanting the blood?

"'Well, that was just lovely, Gabriel,'" Bastien says sarcastically, "'but what will we be doing now?'"

I give a smirk. This boy doesn't like me, but why? Is it because of Lottie? Ooh, I'm goona have to play with this.

"'Are you hungry, Lottie?'" I ask ignoring Bastien.

She thinks about it for a second, "'yeah, I could eat. I think the forest has some pretty good deer-'"

"'No, no.'" I say putting my arm around her shoulders and leading her out of the house, "'If we go hunting, we hunt my way. Humans. Torture. Massacre.'" Her eyes light up at my suggestion, she doesn't want to be a vegetarian and neither do I.

'That's my killer.' She caresses my hair. I shiver and try to remind myself that She isn't really there.

I shake off the cold feeling and lace my fingers through Lottie's, pulling her toward town.

Lottie let's out a whimper, "'But- Faine would be angry if we hunted here.'"

I cup her cheek to get Bastien angry, "'We won't go right into this town then. We'll go a couple towns over if it makes you feel better.'" She nods and smiles.

We race. Bastien tries to outrun me but I'm much to fast for him. I let out a booming laugh as I push my legs harder. Lottie sits back a bit to watch our competition. This means Bastien and I make it first to town.

"'You can stop showing off for Lottie.'" He says.

Oh! He is jealous!

"'Who's showing off? This is me all the time,'" I bet his face would turn red if it could, "'Why? Are you jealous?'"

He doesn't answer, I laugh, "'You are jealous!'"

"'Just back off of her.'" He returns defensively, "'Or I'll make you.'"

"'Like the humans would say 'Bring it on!''" I growl and my body flexes in anticipation of a fight.

But Lottie comes along.

"'Jeez, you guys are fast.'"

I laugh, not at Lottie but at the whole situation. Its just getting dark, the perfect setting for our murders.

"'Let's split up. We'll meet in the main square in thirty minutes.'" Lottie nods in agreement and dances off happy to be getting real blood.

Bastien turns and walks away and I run into the alleys. While torturing peoples minds or just slashing throats, I feel Bastien's presence. I guess he doesn't trust me? But does he really think that I can't sense him so close?

I end up slashing 20 throats, not even drinking blood and draining 15 humans. Half the blood was just wasted but I don't care, I wanted to kill someone. I walk out of the shadows and into the middle of the square to stand with Lottie who is waiting under a streetlight. The way that the shadows fall on her face give her an eery quality, like mine. But it doesn't look scary on her, it looks beautiful and it defines the shape of her face more.

I touch her cheek and then kiss it. She wasn't expecting it. As soon as the kiss is over, Bastien comes strolling into the road with a girl with him.

"'Here, Lottie, I got her for you.'" He slings the half dead girl off his back.'"

"'Oh, Bastien-'" she moves towards the girl.

Ugh! I can't believe she hasn't smelled it yet! That girls a drug addict.

"'Lottie, no.'" She looks at me kind of angry so to make up for it, I pull a nice, clean 17 year old boy from the street.

"'Have this one.'" She accepts him from me and has fun charming the blood from his veins.

While drinking, she opens those big eyes of hers and looks at me. I, in turn, look at Bastien who seems to be jealousy in itself! Hah!

"'Ah! I'm so full.'" Lottie declares happily.

"'So am I. I suppose we best get back to the house?'"

Lottie falls into step next to me and races me home, I go easy on her and we tie. All the vampires appear to be occupied in their rooms so we sneak in to avoid being harassed.

Morning comes again and I find myself sitting at the table in the kitchen. A few others are in the living room. All the sudden, a shadow falls across the table and somebody slams a newspaper down.

"'What's this?'" I ask unfolding the paper.

"'This mornings headline.'" Jordan says angrily.

"'It reads more like an obituary.'" I say pleasantly while absorbing facts about my prey.

"'Gabriel! You can't just decide to go out there and kill 35 people-'"

"'Maybe you can't, but I can.'" I say challenging.

"'Gabriel! How could you think of doing this especially at a time like this?'" Blah blah blah yadda yadda etc etc, "'We don't live that way! We want to stay here and live peacefully. I already gave Lottie and Bastien the speech but I know that this is all your doing.'"

I growl at her.

"'Don't you growl at me! Listen, you're older than Lottie and that means you should know better than to do this. I think she looks up to you, so set a good example.'" She demands.

As if on cue, Lottie enters the room, I stand up, "'Well, I won't make her live a life she doesn't want to. I'm not going to force her to drink animal blood.'"

Out of the corner of my eye I see a small smile from Lottie. What is it? Appreciation? Is this the first time somebody has spoken on her behalf?

"'Why are you so difficult?'" Jordan says exasperated.

"'Bite me.'" I reply.

Jordan gets angry and storms off to go complain to Josh.

I sit back down and pick up the paper and resume reading. Oh, look, there is a sale on apples! Hah!

-Gabriel