Chapter 1 Everything New
A/N: Are we all excited from the prolog? The chapter song should give you an idea what's to come. Please, enjoy.
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
We come from a world of oblivion, bad dreams
I got all I need strapped right to my hamstring
I'm not really bad, I'm just made up of bad things
I'm really not a mad man, the voices keep asking
Born with a soul that don't wanna be saved
Every time I look around I see what a fiend made
Every time I die, I hope they digging up my grave
An undead one like the flag that I wave
I'm not afraid to cry from this cocaine sickness
I'm not afraid to die, let the good book witness
I ask and give none, nope, no forgiveness
The day of the dead and you're on our hit list
So come all you misfits
Bitch, you're on our hit list
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
Hold on, Holy Ghost
So long to the ones you know
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
This is exactly what has to be done, it happened so gradually
It's like I magically happened to be the phantom that cannot be
Lets this dagger cut jaggedly
While you're gasping so rapidly
While you gag on this rag
I see you all laughing so happily
It's okay to get startled and be afraid of the dark
I'll just wait here to swallow your soul and tear you apart
And I've already started, there ain't no saving your heart
This is the day of the dead, this is ain't no day in the park
Here I come, here I come, grab your guns and crossbows
And run, better run from the skull and crossbones
The fun has begun, yeah, it's hard to swallow
When I'm done, I ain't done, 'cause it's hell that follows
Now get ready for sorrow,
'Cause it's hell that follows
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
Hold on, Holy Ghost
So long to the ones you know
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
When the ashes start to rise
And the moon falls from the sky
And a thousand candles burn into the night
When the angels softly cry
On the flames below the sky
Would a thousand souls still pray for you and I?
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
Hold on, Holy Ghost
Go on, hold me close
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
Hold on, Holy Ghost
So long to the ones you know
Better run, here we come
It's the day of the dead
(Hold on, Holy Ghost)
It's the day of the dead
(Hold on, Holy Ghost)
It's the day of the dead
(Hold on, Holy Ghost)
It's the day of the dead
(Hold on, Holy Ghost)
It's the day of the dead
Day of the Dead by Hollywood Undead
Elizabeth was awake before the sun today. She was downstairs sewing some clothes. Knitting, sewing, stitching and reading are about all that keeps her sane. She was humming to herself trying to keep those dark clouds at bay from passing over her. She was sewing together a dress she had designed. It's one way to keep the money up around here. Of course however there was money even though her father was burning through it.
Ophelia, Elizabeth's mother, had left behind a rather remarkable inheritance at death, it's just too bad Elizabeth and Darla knew nothing of it. So for Elizabeth making the dresses and fabrics helped, at least she thought, in putting food on the table. Henry was still asleep and would remain asleep for hours. He had gotten drunk last night which these days it's rare for him to be sober. Also she was expecting a woman possibly leaving her home at anytime.
In the beginning of Henry's demise he brought home woman regularly but now he was getting rather fat, so the women were getting further and few in between. But he still manages to bring one home every now and then. Elizabeth held up the partly sewn dress to be sure everything was even at this point. It was coming together and maybe someone of great importance might wear this.
There's a local dress store in town and the owner of the shop liked Elizabeth's designs and maybe just maybe she might get a paid wage there. Maybe it'll be enough to leave this place, make it on her own. Maybe she'll become an incredible seamstress, making dresses for princesses and queens someday. Maybe she'll get to see the world. But for now she placed the dress back on the table and went back to sewing.
The day was in full swing and Elizabeth was inside the home doing her daily mundane tasks as her father was still out cold. She would check in on him once in a while. Sometimes she would stand there and watch him sleep. Like right now she watched him, he was completely unaware of what was happening. 'What if I placed that pillow over him?' A question popped up in her mind. Oh, she has thought about killing him before, the satisfaction of ending not only her pain but his misery. She could kill him right now and she might be able to pull it off. 'A knife to the throat, quick and easy.' It's not something that hasn't crossed her mind but like all the other times she just ends up walking away. Maybe one day he'll get so drunk he'll choke on his own vomit and die and she wouldn't try to help.
As Elizabeth walked to the kitchen area she heard something and looked out the window. Just recently at the market she came across something called wind chimes. They were a growing thing now and they sounded so pretty. She got one and they played their music with the soft breeze. Elizabeth wished she could say she enjoyed the little things in life but the little things barely existed.
The day was coming to an end as Elizabeth looked out her window. The frost had started to settle in. They were still in winter; it was only January of the new year. She placed her hand on the window feeling the cold coming. She should probably get the fire going downstairs but she rather not. Today wasn't supposed to be just another day. Another birthday came and went without anyone noticing or even caring.
Elizabeth got away from the window and turned to a mirror. It was a broke mirror with a crack going right through it.
'Elizabeth was brushing her hair in tears and her lip was split open. The bleeding had stopped but not the pain. She slowly started to stop brushing and stared at herself in the mirror. It was like a snap, a switch, a fire of rage just took over and she hit the mirror with the brush. The crack formed going across the mirror. She could no longer see her whole self but two pieces. The pieces looked the same but yet they were so different.'
Elizabeth continued to look in her mirror and tears were running down her cheeks. She couldn't control the tears tonight. She was a young and beautiful woman that shouldn't be crying, she shouldn't be sad or depressed but she was. She could hear her father downstairs screaming and yelling. If she waits long enough he'll pass out.
Of course this sadness, this depression wasn't the way of life once. Elizabeth was happy a long time ago. She had a father that did love her, she had a sister that was her best friend and then a mother who did nothing but love her family. One day though, her mother was sick and had the scarlet fever. Both Elizabeth and her older sister Darla knew things were going bad when they saw their mother's things started to disappear and be burned for sanitation.
The fever burned her out, literally burned her and Ophelia died painfully holding her daughters' hands. She recited one thing to them before telling them that she loved them. She recited psalm 91 to them telling them to not fear and she died.
That felt like a life time ago. Darla was long gone and by now Elizabeth knows her sister is never coming back. She has no idea what has become of her sister. She could be living it up or dead in a ditch but whatever the out come Elizabeth will never know. She once hoped if Darla couldn't save her then a man would. But if she ever walked the streets to shop she was dressed in peasant clothes looking dirty and sometimes she had bruises from when her father got really drunk. She didn't see herself as something pretty, she was in rags most of the time despite making rather nice clothing.
Nothing has changed in her life now, everyday was the same it was like clock work. She went to church every Sunday to pray for something, but prayer was failing. She went to confession asking for forgiveness for anything she's ever done but nothing. She asked herself day after day what she did wrong? What could she do to be better? But after praying with no answer, no signs, no word you tend to think about giving in. She has stopped going to church altogether. No one was going to answer her calls. God wasn't going to answer; God was never around so why bother asking the same question with no answers? It's been a year since she has left the church and her life was still not any better.
Henry's rant was going on about what a sorrowful life he had. He would yell wishing he had sons or no children at all. Maybe it was because Elizabeth looked just like her mother and it made Henry remember what he no longer has. Maybe all this time he never loved her. It didn't matter Elizabeth was ready to take the beating he might deliver in a moment. She heard something like he fell and she wanted to check on him but didn't. She couldn't do this; she would die here. Elizabeth grabbed a bag and started to pack.
She should have done this so long ago. Why couldn't she leave him? Darla was able to leave so why couldn't she? What was she afraid of? There's a whole world out there and anything has to be better than this. Being poor on the streets had to be better than this.
She'll take her chances on the road, there has to be a better life outside of this right? She's tried to love her father, tried to show her devotion to him, to show she cared and just wanted his love. But all she got in return was yelling, beatings and sometimes the worse thing ever. He would hold her down and abuse her in the worse way.
She had enough it didn't matter anymore she was going to die anyways alone whether it was here in the house or on the road. She packed some clothes and a few books and poked her head out the room. The ranting stopped and she slowly went the stairs. Henry was on the ground out from the alcohol. Elizabeth went through the house to grab some money that could pay for food for a week. She left the house never wanting to return and gave up hope ever finding hope or love from anything in this world.
She ran as fast as she could with tears. She didn't know where she would go, how long she had. As she ran she heard the church bells toil the hour and she went inside the church as it was an hour of adoration. Elizabeth looked to the hanging cross with the Christ on it. She's given, she's waited, she listen, she confessed and nothing. She was scorned for something, something she didn't know of. He turned his back on her and now it was time turn hers. She was leaving home and the church for good.
Elizabeth left and kept running to nowhere, somewhere, a place, anywhere. She couldn't do this anymore; death was better than living, living a life of no love, no one who cared. After running as fast and as far as she could she stopped at a local tavern and went in for a real meal. But the time of night she went it was full of men; drunk men. She ordered food and drink and ate as fast as she could not just because she was hungry and the food was better than bread and milk but the men looked to her.
"This one is away from home," She heard a man say and that caused her to eat faster. Once she was done she left money on the table and started to leave with the men snickering and making catcalls to her. One man stopped her before she left.
"You can come with me, I can take care of you." A man said with the drunken breath and she pulled away and he went to grab her but she was quick enough to get away. She left the tavern in tears. And she kept walking. She was cold as the winter was still here. It doesn't snow but it does get cold with ice. She walked alone and then saw into a window, two people a man and woman. They were by the fire wrapped in each other's arms enjoying the warmth. She'll never feel that ever.
Elizabeth kept walking and then she saw a shadow in the distance. She wasn't sure if she should keep walking or go the other way. Elizabeth got a little closer seeing a woman with her back to her. The woman was dressed up beautifully. She was a noble woman and Elizabeth wanted to dress in rich silk and beautiful dresses like that. The woman then turned around and Elizabeth's eyes widen, her jaw dropped, she dropped her bag and tears started to fall.
"Darla!" Elizabeth screamed and took off running and jumped into her sister's arms and Darla held her. "Oh my god," Elizabeth sobbed finally feeling safe.
"I told you I'd come back for you baby sister." Darla whispered and Elizabeth pulled away. "Come with me, I've seen so many things and I want you to come."
"But what about father?" Elizabeth asked and Darla cupped her sister's cheek. The idea of running away was great but still she worried about her father. Part of her wanted to stay in London and check in on him.
"Father will be fine but come with me and I'll show you everything. I can show you the world Lizzy." Darla tucked some hair behind Elizabeth's ear she smiled and nodded. She's always wanted to see the world, Paris, China. "Then close your eyes baby sister." Elizabeth did and Darla morphed into her demon form and bit her sister's neck. Elizabeth let out a gasps of pain but couldn't pull away as Darla held her tightly.
Elizabeth felt faint and was falling to the floor as Darla eased her down. Elizabeth felt it, she was dying, she was finally dying, she begged for death and death came on its wings for her. Just before Darla drained her sister dry she pulled away, and with a small dagger she had she cut small line across her chest and pulled Elizabeth in to drink it.
Elizabeth twitched and went to gasp for air and then screamed. She looked around and was in a box in complete darkness. She thrashed around screaming and crying trying to get out.
"Darla!" Elizabeth screamed because that was the last person she saw. "Help!" She banged on the coffin. She kept banging and screaming in fear. Was she buried alive? Could anyone hear her? She punched the box hard and it broke. Elizabeth didn't have time to think on how or why the coffin broke but it did.
Elizabeth climbed her way out of her grave. She knew her hands were above ground feeling the air but she had to get the rest of herself out. Elizabeth grabbed the dirt and grass to pull herself out of the ground. She coughed and was covered in dirt as she looked around and night was here. She pulled herself out and looked around and then she looked seeing Darla again standing over her. Elizabeth was still trying to regain herself because she just pulled herself from six feet under the ground.
"What…what…" Elizabeth was disorientated. Darla knelt down to her sister brushing the dirt off of her and gave a hushing voice.
"It's ok Lizzy, takes a moment but you'll feel it." Darla assured her but Elizabeth didn't understand. She rolled over from her back to her belly looking around as Darla stood up. Darla then held out her hand and Elizabeth took it and stood up.
"What did you do to me?" Elizabeth asked she stood up looking at Darla. Something wasn't right she could feel it. It was in the pit of her belly riding up her chest. She thought about it because there was no way she could have broken out of a coffin, she's not strong like that. But something else was different. She was breathing but…no breath could be taken. She was making the movement of breathing but no air filled her lungs. She then looked to her hands seeing the scratches, open wounds and bruised knuckles. She then looked back to Darla.
"I gave you life, immortality take its yours. We can command everything, do what we want, take what we want." Darla explained. Elizabeth started to feel it more a great strength, a great power in her. "We no longer have to suffer we can make others suffer." Darla then morphed her face and Elizabeth took a step back in fear. "You can do this to, but first you need to feed." Elizabeth stood there and Darla smiled and Elizabeth started to smile a little with her. That strength and power was also turning into something else.
Henry took another sip of his drink. He hadn't noticed Elizabeth had left. Not only did she leave but she's been gone for almost three days. He might notice when the dishes pile up and the bath buckets get full. The door then opened and Elizabeth stood outside the door. Darla hid behind her.
"Father?" Elizabeth asked and Henry looked up looking up.
"What are you doing outside!" He sounded angry but that was no different than any other day. "Get your ass inside now!" He demanded and she did. That was the first invitation in however Darla had to wait a moment. Elizabeth walked over to her father and stood before him and he smiled. She knew that smile and what it meant but no more. He went to reach out and touch her and she grabbed his hand and threw him across the room. Elizabeth walked in and Darla smiled watching her sister make her first kill. "Elizabeth?" Her father asked. Then Darla appeared behind Elizabeth and his eyes got even wider. "Darla?" He saw his other daughter standing at the doorway.
Elizabeth was still cover in dirt looking like she was a corpse that rose from the dead. Darla's look was opposite in the spectrum wearing a blood red and black dress with a matching hat bearing feathers on it and her appearance and hair was clean and kept.
"Take your revenge baby sister." Darla gave permission and this swell of emotions took hold of Elizabeth. She felt anger and hate; it was so deep it almost hurt. Elizabeth's face morphed into it's demon form and she attacked her own father.
Henry screamed as Elizabeth slammed him back to the floor and dove to his neck. He screamed in pain and she sunk her teeth into his neck
Darla waited as she fed for the first time. Once Henry's soul left the house Darla walked in as Elizabeth drained Henry until there was nothing left. She stopped as she ripped his throat apart and felt powerful. Henry laid in a pool of blood, the light of life were not in his eyes, they were hallow now. The one who caused so much pain to Elizabeth was gone; the pain was gone.
"Come," Darla held out her hand to Elizabeth and her little sister took it. "We need to do something with that hair." And the two sisters walked hand in hand upstairs.
"The only downside to being something like us is not seeing our eternal beauty." Darla explained to Elizabeth as she finished. Elizabeth was now cleaned up, her golden hair done up neatly, the common girl dress gone and she was now in silk. One thing Darla could imagine and now it came to life was a daring red lipstick. It went perfectly against Elizabeth's pale and fair skin. "But you look so gorgeous." Darla took a step back smiling.
Elizabeth did wish she could see herself but she could feel it. She felt beautiful, graceful, poised and tall. Elizabeth stood up and looked down at her new dress. It was black with a long train behind it. Darla smiled at her little sister. "Now, there's lots to talk about and we have all night."
Before leaving their nightmare of a childhood home they trashed the place. There was nothing worth saving in this place, nothing worth keeping or remembering. They broke, smashed and destroyed everything. The home no longer looked the same. Elizabeth then walked to the fireplace where small embers still burned and she took a piece of parchment and lit on fire. She smiled seeing the dancing flames and walked over to a now broken wooden desk. She dropped the burning parchment onto the wood and it went up in flames.
Elizabeth stood there watching it consume the desk and it will take the whole place soon. Darla walked over to her sister as she was captivated by the fire's deadly light. But something inside Elizabeth worked it's way to her throat like a lump. She's felt that before and in any moment hot tears should fill her eyes and fall. Well, once that would happen but now there was no lump in her throat, no hot painful tears, nothing. Elizabeth picked up her dress slightly and began to leave.
The two sisters left their home for the final time and the fire will bring it down. They walked into the cold night together not looking back; they were never going to look back ever.
The two blonde sisters walked the streets together and Elizabeth wanted to hear all of her sister's stories but before she could ask a place caught her attention. The church stood quietly in the night.
"What?" Darla asked and Elizabeth continued to stand there. "Lizzy?" Elizabeth walked up the stairs but Darla chased after her and stooped her. "We can't go in there." Darla sounded a little scared. "It's a holy place, we can't go in; we can't touch this place." Elizabeth looked directly into her sister's eyes for a moment and then looked back to the church and continued to proceed inside. "Lizzy," Darla warned her.
Elizabeth walked in and felt it right away, there was a weight already sitting on her. The church was empty at this hour. Elizabeth walked down the aisle towards the Alter and the weight became more and more solid. Just then the Father came from the back with fresh flowers to replace the old ones in front of the holy statues. He then saw Elizabeth standing. He looked confused as Elizabeth stood there. Her whole look was different and not just her look but her presence.
"Father, I need to have confession." Elizabeth spoke but the Father was frozen. "I just killed my father and…I feel nothing." She started to walk towards the priest. "You told me over and over again to ask for forgiveness, to ask for peace…" She was now just a few steps away from the priest. "Nothing has happened and don't say God works in mysterious ways…I'm tired of that lie. It's all lies, there was never a God." She then got closer and the priest couldn't say anything or move. "Besides, where's your God now?" She then reached for the priest and pulled the white collar from his neck and then grabbed his neck and threw him over the Alter.
"Demon!" The priest yelled and Elizabeth's morphed into her vampire form. She then went before the Alter and knowing what strength she had she flipped the Alter and it fell on the priest crushing him slowly. She then threw down the candle stands and the flames caught the clothe on the Alter and the flames started to spread. "God will cast you to Hell!" The priest yelled and those will be his last words, Elizabeth knew it.
"I've been in Hell all my life." Elizabeth spoke to her self and started leave the church. She heard the priest cry out in pain from the fire.
Outside Darla waited and saw Elizabeth coming down the stairs knowing she did something. "Come on, this city is already boring me." She insisted as they walked away. Darla followed and looked to the church knowing someone was dead and she could see what was smoke. She wasn't going to question what happen as she walked with her sister.
"Before we leave London we have one matter to settle." Darla informed Elizabeth. "If we want to travel and rule this world we need some money."
"And how do we get that?" Elizabeth asked and Darla smiled.
"Just a few signatures and enough powerful people." Darla answered her. Elizabeth wasn't sure what that meant but it didn't matter. She was reunited with her sister. They were together again. Elizabeth reached out and took her sister's hand knowing nothing will pull them apart not God, not men, they were in this together forever. Elizabeth would never have look back and she could feel it in her, she would never have to be afraid again. The two sisters continued to walk together into the cold London night.
And now the story begins. Hope you all enjoyed this. There's of course a review in the forum for all of you. Also if you want some nostalgia, The Chronicles of Angel Book 2 chapter 19, this all should look pretty familiar. Thanks once more for reading and commenting.
Chapter 2 The Cantilevers
Elizabeth's eyes opened to the night as she laid in bed. She wasn't home, she wasn't in her own bed. Elizabeth sat up and looked around the room. Once, she wouldn't have been able to see much in the dark but as a vampire she could see the entire room as if it was lit up. She was a creature of the night. Elizabeth peeled back the covers and then sat on the edge of the bed. Across the way Darla was still asleep. The sun had just set and Elizabeth could feel it. But this was the first time she was not on her own even if she ran away only for a night. She was not home, her father was dead.
Elizabeth thought about it for a moment. What if her father was dead but she was not a vampire. How would she feel? Would she be sad? Would she cry? Would she end up dying herself because no one ever taught her how to take care of herself? Would she actually be free? 'Guess I'll never know.' Elizabeth stood up from the bed and headed to a little wooden table where some books were. On their way out of London they broke into a store not just for money if there was any but some vampire lure for Elizabeth.
Darla doesn't travel with much; travel light, be ready for a fight and be ready to fly. Elizabeth sat on a chair and picked up a random book. Well of course it wasn't the smallest of the books in the pile. It was huge, rather new as if it had been printed not that long ago. The cover was a hard type of cover and seemed to be locked by to latches. On the front of the book it said 'Vampyre'. Elizabeth unlocked the latches and opened up the cover.