Mare (P.O.V)

Flashback:

I was 6 when I first met him. It was recorded as the coldest day in Briar Creek since 1963. It was before my mother had died and I had gone Christmas shopping with her.

I was wearing my new thick red coat and orange hat, scarf and gloves (with my hair tucked inside my scarf) and my 'too-big for me' polka dot wellies on.

We were in the middle of town when it started to snow.

"Hold onto my hand Mary-Lynette. We don't want you to get lost now." My mother squeezed my hand gently and smiled down at me.

We had just finished shopping and were walking home but the mum had gotten stopped by someone. I looked up to see who it was to see that it was Mrs Burdock standing there.

I turned around and saw a guy dressed as Santa (I knew it wasn't Santa because he didn't look friendly or fat). I turned back to the conversation.

"Yeah there for my nephew and nieces." Mrs Burdock said.

"Oh, I didn't know you had nieces or a nephew…" My mother replied.

"Ah thats because I haven't seen them in a while. Their staying with me because…"

I turned back around to the fake Santa to see him smiling at me. His black, crooked teeth showing.

I let out a small whimper.

Without realizing I had begun to step backwards. Slipping my hand out of my mum's and I slowly walked away without taking my eyes off of the fake Santa.

When I was far enough away and I turned and ran without thinking about my mother.

When I realized what I had done I turned back around to look for my mum she was gone.

I walked around for hours looking for my mother. Cold tears ran down my cheeks as the weather got colder and colder.

"Are you okay?"

I turned around to see a boy who was about my age with messy blonde hair and ever changing eyes looking at me with curiosity.

I wiped my eyes.

"I can't find my mummy." I said trying not to look like I had been crying.

"I'll help you."

Something seemed funny about the boy but something also made me trust him.

"Okay" I whispered.

That was when it had happened.

The boy leant forward and reached his hand to my cheek. I don't know what had come over me but the next thing I knew my foot had come in contact with his shin.

"AAAAAAHHHH"

The boy lifted his leg up and looked at me like I was crazy.

"Mary-Lynette!" I looked to the voice to see my mother running over to me.

"MUMMY!" I yelled running up to her.

"Where have you been?" She asked smothering me with kisses.

I was about to reply but then my mother saw the boy still holding his leg.

"And who are you?" She asked.

"Ash Redfern."

"Oh, are you Opal Burdock's nephew?"

The next time I saw Ash Redfern was at my mother's funeral. It was just after Christmas, a couple of months after I met Ash.

It was cold and I was standing at my mother's grave. Everyone else was inside for the reading of the will.

I was wearing the same coat, the same hat and scarf and my 'too-big for me' wellies. I had lost my gloves a couple of days before and I had refused to wear black like everyone else because I didn't understand why I had to wear it.

I stood there in the cold. I hadn't cried all day for some reason.

Hands shivering, lips turning blue when I suddenly felt an electrifying spark fly through my left hand.

I looked at my hand to see someone hand holding mine. I followed the arm and saw Ash standing there.

"It's okay to cry Mare…"

That was the first time Ash Redfern ever called me Mare and it was the first time I ever smiled at him.

After that Ash kept following me around.

Whenever I asked him what he was doing he always said he was protecting me.

Since then we had never been far from each other.

End of Flashback

I stood there. Looking in my mirror, I was wearing a simple white summer dress that Claudine had brought me for my birthday.

I had curled my hair and wore slight eye liner and lip gloss.

I believed Ash when I found out he was a vampire…in fact it didn't really surprise me, it explained a lot actually…but…

If Ash was playing me then…well then I would never be able to look at him again let alone be his friend. But if he wasn't and he generally did love me than more than a friend then I would be the happiest girl in the world.

Either way I was going to find out.

That's when I heard a knock at the door and I saw the clock said it was 7…