Chapter 1

I let out a deep breath as I stretch across the sofa. Shane squeezed my ankles which are draped across his lap, but quickly releases his hold to grasp his x-box controller and kill the zombie which had crept up behind him. Can zombies creep? Shane also had the same thought as he clucked his tongue in annoyance, spinning the camera 360 degrees to scout the area. I giggled at his last-minute surveillance antics and a small smile crept onto his lips. Until a zombie emerged from the shadows of the room to attack. Answer: yes, zombies can creep.
I flip through my textbook, trying to absorb the calculations explained on the page but my mind just doesn't want to focus. Instead, I find myself twirling the locket at the nape of my neck. A nervous habit I'd developed. Although I don't know why I was nervous now. The familiar clang of the garage door closing echoed throughout the room.
Michael was back - that's why I was nervous, I was now in the presence of a vampire.
Old habits die hard apparently.

'Don't be afraid to fidget' she told me as I struggled to keep my hands from shaking. I was face to face with a bear, this was only supposed to be wilderness survival training so why did a bear have to appear now.
'If you can't stop your hands from shaking then use it to your advantage. An object that's constantly in motion will draw less attention when you move it deliberately'. The memory fizzled away with the sound of foot prints approaching.
Not Michaels shoes, vampires leave no sound. These were the telltale sounds of a well-dressed goth princess, making her presence known so that her subjects may bow down before her upon her arrival into the living room. Or that's how she normally likes her grand entrances to go but this time she skulked into the room, dropped herself unceremoniously into the armchair, pulled a mirror out of her bag and began to fix her makeup which was trying to turn into a black Niagara Falls.
"Guess it's true what they say, goths do melt in the sun." 'Shane announced, barely looking up from his game. Eve didn't look in his direction, just changed the way she held the mirror so as to constantly be flipping Shane off.

'Grip is everything, don't get your hands dirty, hand sare the first place they will look.' I didn't really understand this teaching. It's true if my hands are blood stained, they would notice straight away but if anything is bloodstained then they would be able to smell it on me, so what was the point. Maybe Mother was a clean freak, she would always push me harder if I got dirty or ruined my clothes in training. Kind of cruel seeing as how it was her training sessions that got me dirty to begin with.
'These trainings aren't to be taken lightly, Claire' She would admonish me 'You have one task but it's not small, staying alive is your second priority...' I always did hate her 'pep talks' I wonder what sort of pep talk she would give me if she saw me now?
Probably something like, 'End it, destroy Morganville and everyone in it. Simple." To be fair that is how my journey here started.
Tracking Bishop led me to this 'quaint' little town with its over achieving bullies, portal equipped founder houses and below average university. Perfect for any young girl who just wants to live an easy and independent life. Really this job should have only taken a few months, not even vampires could fend of dynamite from every building, especially at midday. I blame Monica, if she didn't insist on constantly trashing my dorm room, I wouldn't have had to move out to continue my plans. Then I wouldn't have met this new and crazy family and I wouldn't have this picture in the locket that always seems to be at the root of this nervous twitch. If it was just the three of us in this picture then it wouldn't be a problem, but no that vampire had to be in it too.

Vampires cannot remain living.
I can't kill Michael.
These two thoughts are very contradictory.
The solution: Make Michael human. Remove everyone from Morganville. Destroy Morganville.
Easier said than done but this is my plan. It's not going too bad; I just need some more time.

The doorbell rings, signally the end of my allotted study time.

"I've got it." I say as I realize neither Eve nor Shane are making any movements to get the door. Even Michael just sits their strumming a few notes on his guitar as if nothing is awaiting our arrival at the door.

I open the door, step out into the sunlight, close the door behind me and only then do I allow my breathe to be knocked out of me.

'Hello Claire." Said my dear departed Mother.