Title: Hell and Back (Parts 6/6)
Author: Sara Dupras
E-Mail: starlit_kit@hotmail.com
Spoilers: minor NW
Rating: 15

Disclaimers: The reality of the Night World belongs solely to
L.J. Smith.
Although, all characters belong to *me*.

Summary: What really happens to Night People when they die?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prologue

I remember the night I died. Oh, Goddess, how could I ever
forget? It was a beautiful night in summer. While the heat
hasn't reached scorching, and the wind is playfully tugging at
your hair. It was the night I crossed paths with my arch-enemy.
I know it sounds dramatic; however, there really is no other way
of putting it.

I haven't mentioned my name, have I? That's just like me. I
jump and skip with the thoughts that swirl inside my head. That
just about describes my personality: brash, impulsive,
intelligent, very cruel, and one hell of a smart mouth. What can
I tell you? I just don't think before I speak....or act, for that
matter.

Aah, but my name. Sylvania Mertz. Unusual, I know. Then again
all vampires should have unusual names. After all, a vampire
named Susan isn't very imposing; now is it?

I suppose the next logical question is what is my arch-enemy's
name? Allanna Beacham. Not as exotic as mine, but at least it
isn't Susan. I once killed a girl named Susan. Why? I just
didn't like her name.

Oh, but now I've given you the wrong impression. No, I am not a
murderess. Susan was one of the most annoying bitches in the
world. Not only did she flirt with anything that was male, but
she sucked at it. Her infectious giggle(or what was intended to
be one)sounded more like a dying hyena. Believe me that can get on
your nerves.

There's something you have to understand about the world: not
any one person is all evil or all good. Not if that person has
any personality whatsoever. This is especially true of my kind.
In spite of what you might think of me, I have had my redeeming
moments. Actually, the story of my death is one of them.

Enough rambling. The night I died, was the night I went to hell.



Part 1

I had just hopped off the speed boat and onto the dock. I had
been away from the enclave for about a week. I had just come back
from my civic duty. Calling in on my sickly, half-sister.
Goddess, I really wished she would just die already. I can't
understand why we have witches--too much like humans, if you ask
me.

I was walking down the dock when I saw her. The bitch. The
whore. The one and only, Allanna Beacham. I could feel the hate
gathering in my stomach. The force of it almost made me tremble.

Only moments after I had spotted her, did she spot me. I stared
at the girl with the pale, silver hair. Her stupid emerald eyes.
Her too sensuous mouth.

She stared at me. The girl with blood-red hair, and glowing
lapis eyes. A face that had a dash of freckles going across the
bridge of the nose. Those freckles are the bane of my existence.
Can you imagine? A vampire with freckles? So much for perfect.

But again, I digress.

Never one to back down from a challenge(implied or not)I walked
up to her. I pointedly looked at the slave boy that was standing
next to her. I smirked and looked back at Allanna. Keeping my
eyes just south of the border, I inquired, "Sore lately? I hear
all the bitches are in heat."

Slave boy(I learned later his name was Connor)sucked in his
breath sharply. Allanna clenched her teeth but refused to be
baited. "I hope you had a good time. How is Saundra?"

I gave a humorless laugh. "She's as fine as she can be,
considering she's on the brink of death. Hopefully."

Allanna gave me a cold look. "That's a horrible thing to say
about your sister."

"Half," I reminded. I turned my attention back to the boy. "As
far as I'm concerned, all witches should be shackled up and
brought out as slaves to all the enclaves. They resemble humans
too closely for my comfort, what do you think, Allanna?" I kept
my attention on the boy. My plastered smile turned predatory when
I saw him open his mouth heatedly.

"I think," Allanna said carefully, "that, Connor, should leave."
The boy took this as the dismissal it was. I guess stupid dogs
can learn new tricks. I watched him with narrowed eyes as he
walked away.

"I would suppose that boy gets used quite often. He's really not
half bad...for a human."

Allanna turned on her heel, furiously, to face me. "Stay away
from him. He's under my protection."

I looked at her with new found interest. What was this? Some
little tidbit I could use to get her executed? "Do tell. Are you
in love with the boy or just his slut?"

She raised her hand to slap me. With my faster than a bullet
reflexes, it was no problem to grab her wrist before contact was
made. Allanna always was no match for me in the speed department.
"That wasn't smart," I hissed at her.

Involuntarily, tears sprang to her eyes as the pain flashed
through her body. I could feel my smile widening. "Why?" she
finally asked. "Why are you always on me? What the hell have I
ever done?"

I laughed. I did it again when I saw her shudder. "Why?
Because I hate you and your kind, Allanna. You goddamn tree
huggers! Peace on earth with humans. Do I have it right or don't
I?"

"What's so wrong with that?" she gasped.

"They're weak, stupid, *mortal*. Basically inferior. To hell
with them--they're here solely to provide us with entertainment
and food. Nothing else!"

She finally pulled away from me. "Goddess," she said with(I
couldn't believe my ears--then again Allanna always was weak)a
heart wrenching sob, "I knew you had changed, but I didn't know it
was this much. I can't believe I ever called you, 'best friend'."

"Believe me, the feeling is quite mutual." Since I had the last
word, I walked off.



Part 2

As I made my way to the sprawling mansion I call home, I pushed
the incident to the back of my mind. I refuse to think about
people I consider scum. Unless, of course, there is some way of
causing that person to experience hell on earth. That brought up
slave boy. Hmm. Now there was a thought.

I threw open the door and walked inside. There was going to be
hell to pay--some one should have opened the door for me. So what
if they didn't know when I was getting back? All the more reason
for them to stay on their toes. If I let them keep them.

"Maretta!" I called.

A girl, four years older than me, (twenty-one, to be exact), came
rushing down the stairs. Her arms were thrown open to embrace me
in a hug. I grimaced and side-stepped. Her face crumpled but she
soon got back her composure. "Sylvania, it's good to have you
back! We've missed you."

"I'm sure you have," I said dryly.

Her eyes widened; confusion settled on her face. Then she said,
"We did. Especially, Demaeon."

I tilted my head. "Did he now?"

She nodded her head eagerly. "Oh quite. If I do say so myself,
he was heart broken to see you leave."

"Don't bother! He was probably chasing after some slave girl
while I was gone."

She shook her curly head. "You're too pessimistic."

"While you, my dear sister, are way too naive."

She dropped the subject by shrugging her petite shoulders.
"How's Saundra?"

I frowned, I was getting sick and tired of answering that
question. "I give her another year. Not much more than that."

Maretta looked stricken. "Oh, Goddess."

"Oh, Christ! What the hell does she matter?"

Maretta gave me a look I couldn't decipher. "You get more and
more like Dad every day." With that statement, she left the room.

I looked at her empty spot. "I swear," I muttered, "if you
weren't my sister and a vampire, I'd kill you my damn self."



Part 3

That night I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. What
awoke me was a sense of danger. I didn't open my eyes; I
continued to feign sleep. I kept my breathing calm and deep. I
needed time to assess the situation.

There was someone in my room. From the feelings the person was
radiating, fear; anger; sorrow, I guessed it was Allanna. Like
I've been telling you--she's weak.

Knowing that my best advantage was the element of surprise, I
quickly sat up. I stared into her fearful eyes. I did not fail
to notice the stake she was holding in her right hand.

I smiled, evilly. "Planning on a little hunting?" I looked out
my window, at the swirling darkness. "A little late for that sort
of thing, isn't it?"

She swallowed. "Sylvania,..."

I was by her side in an instant. "What?" I whispered through my
growing canines.

"I.."

I knocked the stake from her hand and wrapped my arms around her
shoulders, pulling her close. "Your first mistake was coming
here." She shuddered as I breathed on her neck. "Your second
mistake was not concealing your presence." I pushed on her chin,
tilting her neck back at an angle. "Your third mistake was not
having the courage to kill me." With that I bit savagely into her
neck.

Sweet. I may have hated her guts, but I had to admit her blood
was absolutely heavenly. But then again drinking from the prey is
always like this. And that's what she was...my prey.

But I underestimated her. For in the next second, I felt a
piercing pain go through my heart. Staked. The bitch had staked
me!



Part 4

The darkness descended quickly. Faster than I would have
believed possible. Before I was swallowed completely, I remember
her saying, "Sorry, I'm sorry Sylvania." Then crying. I may have
underestimated her, but she was still weak. After all, if she
hadn't killed me, I more than likely would have killed her.

Then the darkness disappeared. Only to be replaced by a dark red-
orange. I blinked my eyes rapidly. No! I couldn't believe it; I
was surrounded on all sides by a raging fire. "No," I said aloud,
"I don't believe in hell."

"Then what do you believe in?"

I whirled in the direction the voice had come from. My mouth
dropped open in shock. My father. A man in his early fifties,
with gray hair, unnatural beauty, and lapis eyes was standing in
front of me. "Well," I answered, "I certainly don't believe in
this."

He took a step closer, making his black suit rustle. "Don't you,
Sylvania? I believe in this."

I gestured. "And what the hell is this?"

He shrugged. "It's whatever it needs to be."

I mulled this answer over for a minute. "I don't think I
understand."

"Let me try again. It's whatever you need it to be."

I shook my head with confusion. "What am I doing here, Dad?
What are you doing here?"

"It's not important why I'm here. You're here because you're
dead, but you're not dead."

"There's an oxymoron. Of course I'm dead--I'm a vampire!"

His face darkened with anger, and I shut up. "No, you're life as
a vampire is over. But you can still go back."

"Oh really?" I asked sarcastically. "And why do I get special
privileges?"

He didn't answer for a moment. "You are needed."

I squinted at him for a few seconds. I thought...for a second
there....an image...a lady's outline? "Who are you?" I asked
suspiciously.

He smiled, wolfishly. "Do you really want to know?"

"You're not my father," I said with certainty.

"No," he said, "I'm not. You are going back, Sylvania, to do my
bidding. I will call on you. If you cause any harm when you get
back..you will suffer horribly when you come back. Don't fuck up!"

"I do no one else's bidding but my own!" I shouted angrily. That
was when I felt a hand close over my throat. Trying to let air
back into my lungs, I clawed desperately at my neck. I left
scratches that would last a week. I dragged my eyes to look at
his face.

His eyes met mine, and our gazes locked. I could see the threat
in his eyes. Who ever this person was, they were not kidding
around. They were obviously meaner and crueler than I.
Reluctantly, I nodded my agreement. As soon as I did, oxygen
rushed back into my deprived body.

Then the blackness engulfed me.



Epilogue

So, now you want to know what my redeeming quality in this story
is? Well, I'll tell you. When I returned to my body, I didn't
kill Allanna. Actually, I didn't dare to. Not after the choke
hold I was put in.

She's apologized a million times for what happened. The funny
thing is, she actually means it. Like I've said, she's weak.
Apparently, the stake just missed my heart. I still had to be
taken to a witch to get rid of the wood poisoning, though.

Do I believe in what I experienced? You bet your ass I do. Now
I wait. I wait for my summons. I don't know who that person was,
but I think I have an idea.

Maybe you're right. Maybe I am all evil but this(whatever you
want to call it)person might just end up making me mend my ways.
I'm sure the horror of that is apparent to everyone else besides
me.

One thing is for sure. This earth has not seen the last of
Sylvania.


The End.

(c) Sara Dupras (starlit_kit@hotmail.com)