Woo, I'm gonna try updating faster now. c: It's way more enjoyable to write the fanfic now because the storyline just gets.. Way better. Or, more "unique" as I should say. Still, my computer isn't working very well at the moment so it might make the process slower. If too many windows are open, then it will just shut down, because apparently the fan is being gay, and I have no clue how to fix it.

Oh, and with the last chapter, Yeah- I did make Ariel seem to over react, but her orphanage is supposed to just be an awful place.. I just didn't explain that and everything. Sorry o-o.

Chapter VIII

Complete darkness. I could feel all these tingles and itches eating away at my body, and both my legs and arms had fallen asleep.

Being buried alive wasn't all that scary when it was only for a few hours. Everything was totally dark and silent. It was actually.. Peaceful. Still, it would have been A LOT better it I wasn't so uncomfortable. Then I pictured somebody walking past my grave as I screamed, "UGH. PINS AND NEEDLES." And the guy would just stop walking and be like, "..Okayy." Heh.

There was a brief piercing pain, and then.. A feeling almost peaceful, only it felt out of reach. Ariel tried to grasp it, but when she did, she came back to the bathroom, back to the mirror, back to-

Oh my god. Ariel was looking right at her body. She was looking at her lifeless, dead body, and the blood covered mirror. It had splattered on the wall and sink as well. Ariel watched the scalpel slip from her own hand with pure horror.

Am I.. She looked at her hands, they were.. Translucent..

Am I a ghost! What was happening at the very moment didn't make any sense to Ariel. Turning around, she reached for the door, but fell right through.

Okay, what the hell was- Her heart leaped up into her throat when she saw one of the adults walking right toward her. Once they reached the bathroom door, they stopped. Ariel thought the person would notice her, but they didn't, they just knocked on the door. When no one answered, they tried opening the door, but showed an irritated expression when they found it was locked. The adult left, and returned with help- And a screw driver.

Once the two finally opened the door, they both just stared at the scene with the same shock Ariel- who was just sitting against the wall, watching the whole thing. She watched them run back with some more people, who walked into the bathroom, and then all Ariel could hear were screams and cries.

I have most definitely screwed up this time. She thought, shaking her head.

Amongst the small crowd that had formed, a small, cloaked figure appeared. He was looking straight at Ariel, and no one else seemed to notice him.

"Go to them." She could hear him- it- speak in her head.

"What..? What- Who-

"Go back to him." The figure said. Before Ariel had a chance to question further, it was gone. Disappeared into thin air. She stood up, but looked down at the ground, puzzled.

Oh! Darren! Ariel shouted in her mind, then, raced off for the graveyard.

Suddenly I could hear the dirt that had concealed my coffin being lifted. There were sounds of the shovel hitting the earth, but at a rapid speed. It was only about fifteen to twenty minutes until he removed all the dirt. I had to wait a few minutes for him to detach the lid from my coffin, but when I was staring up at those gorgeous starts- Yeah, it was well worth the wait.

"Okay," The vampire, Mr. Crepsley examined me for any broken bones, then began placing the coffin back where it was, then shoveling the dirt back in. "You may walk around if you wish, in order to get the kinks out of your body, but please do stay close." He said.

I nodded, then looked around. This was probably the last time I would ever be here, the last time I would see this place.

After grabbing my bag from a nearby hedge stone, I took a short walk around the graveyard- which kind of made me feel weird, or maybe a little frightened. I had noticed some new abilities, like better sight, and I was thinking about vampiric powers I might obtain when suddenly I felt a hand cover my mouth and pull me down.

Acting quickly, I shook my head away and opened my mouth to cry for help, but instead I decided to stay quiet, considering the fact that there was a stake being pointed at my heart.

"Don't speak. Don't move." My assailant hissed coldly.

Well now, speaking or moving didn't seem to be possible right now, because, well.. I just, couldn't believe it. Right at that moment, I was staring back at a set of two, dark, bitter eyes. Two dark, bitter, familiar eyes.

"Steve!" For a moment I raised my eyes to look at him. It was obvious, as bold as he was trying to be, you could see fear in his eyes. "Steve, what are y-

"Quiet!" He snapped, poking me with his stake, then ducking low beside a stone grave. "I wouldn't want your buddy listening to our conversation."

I blinked, trying to understand what he what he was talking about. "Mr. Crepsley..?"

"Vur Horston, Larten Creepy. Either way he's still a cold-blooded monster."

I wanted to tell him everything, about giving up my life just to save him. Then he probably wouldn't be threatening me.

"Steve, what are you doing here? What do you want?"

"I'm-" Steve was interrupted by Mr. Crepsley's voice.

"Darren? Where are you?"

Suddenly, I didn't feel so threatened any more, when Steve jumped like that. He was more frightened then me, and I was the one with a stake to my heart.

"I'm just resting over here," I called back.

"Shh! Shut up!" Steve growled.

"Come over here."

"I'll be there in a sec," I replied.

"This is important, Darren." Mr. Crepsley shouted.

Then, just a few moments later, I saw Steve look up, looking astonished and.. Alarmed. When he slowly lowered his weapon to the ground, I turned my head to see who or what he saw- And, I too, was surprised.

Ariel stood there, looking at the two of us- Now all of us were astounded. When I wasn't paying attention, Steve knocked me down and stood up. "Now what? Are you going to take her down with you? Or maybe the three of you planned this, hm!" I watched, scared, as he cut his own left palm with a pocket knife, showing us his torn hand.

"On this blood, I swear it, Darren Shan- I'll hunt you down to the end of the earth if I have to and I'll drive a stake right through you heart!" He screamed. Then, in pure silence, we watched him run away into the night.

"Darren..?" Ariel asked, confused. Slowly, I turned back to look at her.

"What's going on?"

I just shook my head sadly and looked at the ground.

"Oh, but, you're.." She looked me up and down, and I could see her face slowly light up. "You're alive!"

Then there was something weird about Ariel that I noticed as she hugged me. Her skin- No, here whole body was, like.. Transparent?

I think I might have turned red, but, gradually, I put my arms around her too. Ariel let go of Darren and looked at him. "I.. I thought you were dead.." She turned away, shaking her head. "This doesn't make any sense, I saw them bury you, Darren."

"Uhhhmm.." I tapped my foot trying to come up with some sort of explanation. That's when Mr. Crepsley came over.

"You've arrived." He commented, studying Ariel. She looked at him, confused. Then he smiled- You know, that creepy smile, his scar making it look like it ran up the side of his face.

Ariel didn't say anything, she just stared at him in silence.

"I beg your pardon." He bowed, and that surprised me, the way he was acting. It was like she was famous or something.

"My name is Larten Crepsley. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, nice to meet you.." She said, softly. I could tell she was probably a little scared of him, but I wondered why he was being so polite.

"Are you ready?" He asked her.

"For what?"

He smiled. "Well, for your blooding, of course."

"What..?" She asked, now alarmed.

I no longer knew what was going on, either. Does Mr. Crepsley plan on turning Ariel into a vampire? I thought he didn't like blooding children, so why two?