Her past.

Her life had been simple, she had a big brother, and that was all she had ever needed. She was like the invisible person, so it came as a surprise when Chan noticed her. Her backpack was overloaded, and she had found a penny on the ground. When she bent over to pick it up, she overbalanced, causing her to fall flat on her face. She couldn't get up, and soon no one was left. She started to cry, she was so alone! She had no friends! Her brother wouldn't be by for another hour! It was horrible! A sob broke through her lips when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Need some help little girl?" a soft voice asked behind her. Help? Yes she needed help, but why is a boy here? Why helping her? How old was he? And why was he here?

"Yes please. My backpack is to heavy." She found herself saying. She felt a hand on her backpack pull, and soon she was lifted to her knees. After that he gave her a hand to pull her up to her feet, and she saw her saviors face for the first time. He was really nice, with kind bluish-green eyes, he was tall for his age, maybe a fifth-grader, and his eyes were a soft bluish brown. He was kind, that much she knew, but why was he here? The fifth-graders don't get out for another hour, don't they?

"Let me introduce myself," the boy began "I am Saharou. Many know me as Chan, what is your name?"

For the first time in weeks the girl felt herself unable to speak, all she could say was "umm err it's an um….." why couldn't she speak! This was so HARD! Why was it so hard to say her NAME! What was wrong with her! She took a deep breath and began. "My name is Saha––"

"SAHARA!" a boy yelled running up. "Chan? What are you doing here?"

"B-B? Don't the fifth-graders get out later?"

"B-B?" Saharou asked.

"It means Big Brother, and Sahara, please call me by my first name when we are around class mates."

"Ok Derrick! Oh, do you know Saharou?" Sahara asked.

"He goes to our school, and he is known as Chan-aru. Some people call him Chan though. Why aren't you at home sis? Mom said to be back by 3:00, and its 3:25." He scolded

"I fell because my backpack was too heavy and Saharou helped me to get up. I was just telling him my name. Why are you so mad?" she asked him, confused. She just couldn't understand her brother sometimes! He was so kind, then so mean, then upset, then mad… what was going on. How did he know this boy? And why was he out early? "Derrick? What's going on?"

"Nothing sis. Let's go home now. Mom wants us back." It would be a while before Derrick told her anything, and now he was so upset. About what, she didn't know. Something to do with Saharou she was sure, but why didn't B-B like him? Derrick took her hand to lead her away. She looked back at Saharou, noticing a small half smile as he turned back to go up his road.

~~~~~~TIME PASSES~~~~~~

"WHAO!" Saharou yelled catching her yet again. "Careful Sahara, you could really hurt yourself! Go slower okay?"

"Okay Sahar. Sorry, I just can't keep my balance! How much more do we have to do before tomorrow night? I'm getting tired!" She stated. It had been one month since she had met him, and she already loved him.

The harvest dance was in two nights, and they were on set up team. This was Sahara's first dance, and now she was too excited to stop, but too tired to keep doing setup. It was around noon, and everyone was aching for their lunch-brake.

"I guess we can stop here for lunch. 'Sides we only have three hours –at most– work left to do" As soon as the word lunch-brake was said, people got off their stools, ladders, put down their equipment, and headed to the kitchen. Kitchen clean-up crew made lunch during workdays, and (obviously) cleaned up the kitchen. Lunch today was ham and cheese. Not the best, but the celebration lunch was tomorrow.

"Ya know Sahar," Derrick began "You're actually kind-of cool! Weird… but cool." He had come to trust Chan in the past month, and perhaps he was okay for his little sis, but not yet. Derrick knew something was about to happen, and he was going to be separated from his younger sister. He wasn't ready for it, and perhaps he was just over reacting to his recent series of dreams. Lunch was an hour long, and Derrick soon fell asleep with a full stomach.

There was a scream, and the boy hid her in a hole. The boy covered it with a cloth and ran. A whole day passes and she comes out of the hole. The boy lies, dying on the steps of the dance hall. She looks up to see her friends, family, and the whole village being carried away by long snake-like demons. She turned back to the boy, and his last words to her are, "live long, stay strong, and save our family…" those were his last words. He died, and her journey began.

Derrick woke with a start. He didn't understand that dream, and he wasn't ready for it to happen. It was a prophecy dream, and he didn't like it. He didn't know that this dream would come to pass much, much too soon, and had already began.

When it was time to back to work, everyone got up with a groan. "Only three hours left guys! Come on slow-pokes!" Chan yelled. Three hours later a very tired group of works went home, glade to be done of the work. Derrick had a bad feeling that this would be the last day it was this peaceful.

The next day at noon the entire village met at the dance hall. It was at lunch when the screech was first heard. Not one person made a move, no one but Derrick. He knew the sound. It was the sound from his dream. 'SAHARA!' he knew she was the girl from his dream! He had to save her! Saharou had heard the sound to, and his dream was the same as Derrick's. He knew he had to get Sahara to safety, but where? Derrick told him where, "The dance hall!" he ran as Derrick started to yell out for everyone to run and hide, just a moment too late. The Snake Demons were upon them.

Saharou closed the door of the dance hall just in time for a Snake demon to crash against it. He put Sahara in a hole. The hole was hidden by a mat, which matched the floor so perfectly, that it was unseen. Only the village leaders knew it was there. Saharou recovered the hole and left. Sahara was alone, and she soon fell asleep, with only the darkness for company…

A day passed before Sahara woke from her deep sleep. She tried to remember where the heck she was, when a stray clump of dirt fell on her head. She looked up, and was greeted with a stray beam of sunlight coming in through the…ceiling? How in the world! She remembered, the screams, the fright, everything. She lifted the ceiling, which turned out to be a mat, and climbed out. It was already too late, she knew even as running towards the door with her last hope in her heart.

The Snake Demons were carrying away her family, her friends, and her entire village in huge cages. Sahara wanted to cry, and started to, when she heard a breath. Someone was still alive, for the moment that is. Saharou lay covered in blood on the front steps of the dance hall. She picked his head up, crying for her loss she looked into his eyes. NO! The word screamed in her head over and over and over until she saw that his eyes were open, he was looking at her.

"Live…long…stay…strong…save our…family" Those were his last words too her. He died in her arms, and as she dug the grave she knew she had to save her family. It HAD to be her. The thought scared her at first, but she knew where she had to go. It was Vampire territory that called her, but she knew that there was one vampire there who would never hurt a human, much less a girl. She had to go to him, get him to train her, become her ally, only then she could save her family. Two vampires watched from the trees.

It was two days since she had left her village, and she stumbled upon them by accident. She was so hungry, and the smells of food lead her there. They were taking her to a human village. No matter how much she had pleaded they had stood their ground, no vampires. She would sneak away tonight, while they slept. She began to sigh, but instead gasped at the huge village spread out below them. The "This is where you will stay." And it was…