Chapter One

One of the most horrifying memories that haunts me even now would be the night of December 18th, 1994; the night we received the news of my mother's murder. The night my destiny was set in motion. I was thirteen at the time. It was a Sunday night so she didn't get off work until late. I had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her while my dad had gone to bed. I was just beginning to dream when there was a knock on the door.

I opened my eyes to see lights flashing through the window. At first I was confused and thought they were our neighbors Christmas lights, but when the knock came again I realized they were the lights off a police car. I got up and made my way to the stairs to call my dad.

"Daddy, there are police at the door." I called. He was downstairs opening the door in a matter of seconds.

"Jack Thompson?" The policeman asked my father.

"Yes what's going on officer?" My dad asked cautiously. The look on the officer's face was grim, like he really didn't want to say what he had to. I knew something was wrong immediately.

"You're the husband of Lucy Thompson, correct?" the officer asked. I wondered why there would be a cop at our door asking about my mother when it hit me that something must have happened.

"Yes. Did something happen to her?" asked my dad.

"I'm not sure if I should say this in front of your daughter. Maybe it would be better if she went inside."

"Ellie," my father said turning to me, "go in the house."

"But Daddy…" I started to whine.

"Now!" He yelled. I quickly ran in the house and around to the window where I could hear what they were saying. I didn't seem to miss much because the officer was just beginning to speak again.

"Your wife's body was found by the Canburry River at 11:20 tonight. It seemed as though some type of animal had attacked her." He said. It was then that the finality of his words hit me, my mother wasn't coming back. I tried to hold back my tears where I could hear more of what he was saying.

"An animal, are you sure?" my father asked urgently.

"Yes, there were deep claw marks on the body and it was completely drained of blood."

"What about her car?"

"It was found right in front of the bridge to cross the river. The door on the driver's side was torn off and it seemed to have been slung into a tree about fifty feet away. The seatbelt was in shreds. The front was dented as though it had hit something huge. We have the entire force looking for the animal as we speak, if there is anything we can do…"

"I'll let you know." My dad finished for him. The officer turned away and walked down the steps to his patrol car; he drove away without the slightest backward glance. He was probably used to going up to people and giving the news that a relative had died. My father stood there for a moment just looking at the stars. I could feel his pain; the tears were starting to show. It seemed like an hour before he finally composed himself and came inside. I was in his arms crying as soon as the door was closed.

"What are we going to do now daddy?" I asked him through the sobs. He paused for a moment and then pulled me far enough away that he could see my face. His entire expression was full of love and something I couldn't place.

"You're going to promise me that no matter what happens you will keep yourself safe. I love you Ellie and you will always be my little girl. There is so much that you don't know and I'm afraid there won't be enough time to tell you." He said wiping the tears away from my eyes. He was speaking in a hurried tone and something had changed in the way he was acting.

"I don't understand. You act like you are going to leave me. Where are you going to go?" I asked him. I was confused and scared. I had just lost my mother; I didn't want to lose my daddy too.

"If something happens, call Grandma and tell her to come and get you. Don't worry about the police, they'll come. Get as far away from here as you can. I don't know what's going to happen, but you have to stay safe. If anything happens to you…" he said.

"Why would something happen to me?! You are not making sense!" I yelled at him. I couldn't hold back my tears. I just couldn't control my emotions at all. I had stood up when I yelled at him, but now I fell to my knees. I couldn't stand because I was shaking so violently. He pulled me into his arms again and held me close.

"In time you will understand. I promise, just calm down. Try to find peace in the center of this chaos." He spoke calmly. "I think it would be best if you slept on the couch in the cellar tonight."

"Okay, I guess." I stated. I couldn't argue anymore. HE picked me up and carried me down the stairs. When we got down there he sat on the couch and I laid my head down on his lap while he ran his fingers soothingly through my hair telling me it was going to be alright and telling me storied until I fell asleep. I had the strangest dream that night.

I was in a very old building that I guessed to be a warehouse, due to the smashed up crates that littered the floor. Only a few crates were still in tact. The only light in the room was the luminescent glow of the moon shining in from the window. Even with the moon I could hardly see ten feet in front of me. Something wasn't right. I couldn't place what it was though; every hair on my body was standing on end. I was trying to analyze the darkness when movement caught my eye. I quickly registered what the sense was telling me… danger. The shadow was coming towards me at a swift pace. With every movement it made the sense intensify. I began to slowly retreat to the area where the crates were big enough for me to hide behind. I scrunched between two huge crates and hid. There was a broken window to the right of my and I could see the beautiful full moon shining in the night. I was drawn in by its power but I had to remember there was danger here.

I ducked my head and held my knees together where I wouldn't be seen. It wasn't long before I heard a low whisper from a voice that was like velvet. "You don't need to hide from me Elizabeth. I won't hurt you. I'll get you out of here." His words put me in a trance of some sort and before I knew it I was walking from behind the crate. When I saw the person from which the voice had come from I froze in shock. He was so beautiful; there was no other way to describe it. He had blonde hair that was so light you could mistake it for almost white, that reached his shoulders. His skin was so pale that it glowed in moonlight. He was wearing a black suit that seemed by the design to be centuries old, with a pair of leather boots. His face, however, was something that would be etched into my mind forever. His eyes were a piercing red that threatened to engulf me in them. His nose was very finely shaped and his featured all seemed so boyish and young. His perfect lips that were curved up at the corners into a smile exposed his beautiful white teeth and his true identity… a vampire.

"Come to me." He said pointing his finger at me and then making forward gestures with his hand. I couldn't control my self as I began to move forward. Nothing else existed but him and soon I was within his grasp. I wanted to run but my feet wouldn't move and inch. The vampire's expression changed from kind to dangerous the moment my skin touched his. "Your blood is mine!" he screamed. He grabbed my hair and pulled until my neck was illuminated by the light of the moon.

He started to go in for the blood when there was a loud crash and something huge tore me from his grasp. I went flying and ended up hitting my head on one of the crates upon my landing. The last thing I remembered hearing before I awoke was a voice telling me to run.