Stasia looked up to see more of the small white flakes falling from the sky. She heard a slight noise and her stomach jumped, it sound like her mother…. in pain. She took off running full-speed down the street. No, please, no……

She fell to her knees in front of a still-smoking pile of rubble that used to be her home.

She screamed in agony. Neighbors heard her almost disembodied shriek and went outside. She jumped to her feet and ran into the rubble, looking for her family. "S-Stasia….." whispered a voice. "Momma!" she cried, running over the blackened figure. He mother was trapped beneath most of their huge brick fireplace; the base of it was still standing. She fell to her knees again, sinking into the thick layer of ash. "Stasia, beware. He will never stop until he kills you too, don't let him! The-the man with red hair, like fire. He is hunting you. Don't let him find you!" whispered her mother in a raspy voice. Stasia shook her head; afraid touching her mother would somehow hurt her. "I won't, momma, I love you! So much!" she cried. "I love you. Stasia do not be sad, we go on to a better place. We are going home, you will see us again, my daughter." She whispered. Stasia nodded. Her family vehemently believed in God, Stasia didn't understand it. This may have been why she had loved to watch the Vampires, living forever…a novel concept. She hated that her mother accepted death so readily. She could not believe they were going a better place, they were leaving her. Her mother went limp, stasia tore her eyes away. She stood, looking at the people who surveyed the sight slack-jawed. "What happened? Who saw what happened?" she screamed, walking away from the wreck. Everyone just stared at the unbelievable sight.

"No one saw anything?" she screamed. "Anna! You live next-door, you saw, you heard, nothing!" she asked in disbelief. She looked up, finding the house of right side of the rubble completely clear of burn marks. The windows were clear; the building had not touched, as the one on the other side of her family's house.

Stasia shook her head, how was that possible? There was no rubble on the street, no sound of and explosion, or flames. The only sign anything had happened was that her house no longer stood. Her family was no longer alive. An arm touched her shoulder, attempting to lead her away. "Come on, Stasia." said the kind voice of her best friend, Lafayette. "No, I-I have to find papa! And Joey! And Alan and Jordan, I have to find them!" she cried, tearing away from his hold.

She stumbled around until she found a small body, charred, blackened and barely recognizable. "Joey…." Stasia said, clasping her arms to he chest. Joey, the baby of the family, was only two years old, anticipating his next birthday only a week away. Lafayette caught sight of a singed body, her papa, and immediately led her away. She didn't protest. He took her home, where his mother led her to their tiny guest room. She slipped under the warmth of the rich quilts. She looked outside to the moon and saw a winged figure glide across the sky.

Only a dream, Stasia, she told herself. Only a dream.

Late the next morning, she tumbled out of bed and walked downstairs. The house was ghostly quiet and for a second, she thought she was just on a sleepover at Lafayette's house, that everything that had happened that night had been a dream. But she soon found out it was worse that she thought. "Lafayette? Lafayette? Are you-" she stopped. Her feet touched the cold, sticky liquid that coated the floor. Blood she walked further into the house, terrified at what she would find.

There lay Lafayette's mother, lifeless on the floor, his sister and father were close by, their throats all slit cleanly. She raced into the other rooms, trying not to slip on the blood, he own pulse pounding hard in her throat. No, No ……..

There he was, lying on his back, Lafayette was completely nude; his neck also sported a clean slice, deeper than the other's.

The wounds were sliced cleanly, someone who knew what they were doing.

There was a note on his chest. Stasia stood and read it.

Dearest Anastasia. I know you don't remember me, princess. But I have been looking for you for a very long time! Finally, I find you! You must know, to refuse me will be fatal not only to you. Your entire little town will be nothing more than a memory of distant legend. Meet me at the shores of the sea, in one week's time, and your town will be spared.

Until then, dearest,

A lock of hair was placed in the note, white on the bottom and fiery red at the ends, hair like fire she thought.

She dared to look at Lafayette and found "Beware" carved into his fair skin. She shook her head, trying to fight the vomit that burned it way up her throat. She ran out of the house, losing her battle with the vomit over the banister of the porch. She hopped over the banister and ran off in a random direction. She had to clear her thoughts. One week. Seven days, one-hundred sixty-eight hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds.

Not much time…

Before she knew it, her legs had carried her back to her house. The bodies of her family were piled beside the house. Someone saw her and immediately covered the charred flesh and bone with a huge piece of material. "Lafayette and his family are, no more" she cried, tears choking her voice. Everyone gasped, a few burst into tears. "I have decided to leave, and take this whatever plague this is with me." she said, deliberately keeping the note to herself.

Someone walked forward, handing her a medium-sized bag, "We found these." he said. Her small 'fortune' as she liked to think of it. Stasia took it and nodded, "Thank you."
Then turned and walked away, no one begged her to stay, no one said goodbye, they simply watched in stunned horror as she disappeared into the rising sun.

Angry storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
By nightfall, the storm clouds had caught up with her, drenching her, washing away the ash and dirt and blood that still clung to her clothes and skin. She came upon and old castle. The grounds were overgrown, the metal gate rusty, but she still recognized it as Castle Frankenstein. Various animals watched Stasia from behind the large hedges, chattering at their visitor. However friendly they might be, she did not stop to find out what they were, she ran to the door, praying it was unlocked. It wasn't, but the old locks were easily negotiated open with a large stick. She closed the door best she could and put several items of furniture in front of it as a gust of wind rattled the shutters outside, she felt around, the room was pitch-black, lit in intervals of lightening. She found her way to the wall and felt along it. she made it to the stairs and decided not to climb them in the dark. She curled up in a small corner where the stairs met the wall.

She fell asleep with the uneasy feeling she was being watched.

999Ok, Ok, i know! I am trying to make this better! If you have any suggestions, or just want to tell me how much you hated this story...

PLEASE REVIEW!999

-happiness-