I waited until the girls were out of sight and took flight from a location no passerby would see. I followed from a distance, keeping their bikes and Sam in my view. They had gone off the boardwalk into a small forest on the outskirts of town.

A large dark cloud covered them from my sight and when the cloud moved past, they were gone. My head shot left then right, trying to find the girls but failing to do so.

I dropped to my feet and searched from the ground but I found no tracks or footprints or even voices. They disappeared out of thin air. They were gone.

Frustrated and just a tad angry, I whipped my arm out toward a tree and left deep claw marks in the bark. I went to strike a second time when I heard the snapping of a twig from behind me. I shot around to come face-to-face with a girl.

She was a few years younger and almost half a foot shorter but I sensed the danger. Her skin was stark white, her eyes sunk in, her lips quivering … she was a vampire. I knew this for certain, but the look in her eyes said she didn't know I was one as well and the transformation of her face moments later confirmed that suspicion.

She lunged forward and tackled me to the ground. We rolled around across rooted dirt before my back slammed into a tree and we came to a standstill. She looked me over like a predator would prey and then sunk her fangs deep into my neck.

I had never been bitten before as I was turned by blood with no bite needed. It hurt but the pain was tinged with pleasure. A painful type of pleasure you felt guilty for liking.

I tried pushing her off me but she was strong, almost stronger than I was. When that pleasure began turning into outright pain, I got the strength to grab her shoulders and yank her backward, her fangs ripping out of my neck, which left a jagged wound.

With another push, she hit the tree across the way. I stumbled to my feet, feeling lightheaded and woozy. I placed a hand on the wound to try and stop some of the bleeding. It would heal but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

The girl got to her feet and looked at me with confusion, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "You taste funny … but good. Really good."

"Yeah that's because I'm not human," I sighed, leaning back against a tree.

She looked at me once again, tilting her head to the side. A look of recognition appeared on her face and that was replaced with anger and a hint of fear.

"You're like me," she whispered.

"Yes, I am," I huffed, tearing off part of my shirt and wrapping it around my neck, tying it tight.

"They never said there was another," she said more to herself than to me.

The words piqued my interest. "Who's they? Are they the ones who made you?"

"Yes, they made me one of them. One of us. Said we were here to tie up a loose end. Yes, a loose end they said," she said, almost frantically.

I could tell from the way she spoke and carried herself, she wasn't all there. Whether it was the change or not, I couldn't be sure, but her mind was fractured. I think the trauma of the change broke something in her that could never be mended, not even by a vampire's healing capability.

"Who is they?" I asked, taking a small step toward her. "And what loose end are you talking about?"

Her gaze met mine and her blank expression changed to angry confusion. She shook her head like a child did during a tantrum. She jumped as she did, shaking her entire body.

"I can't tell you. No, I can't. They said to tell no one. I have to listen. They saved me. Must keep secret. Have to keep secret," she muttered.

Since I knew I was getting nowhere, I tried a different approach. "What's your name?"

"I'm Madi Madi Madison," she almost sang

"Nice to meet you, Madison. I'm Dawn. I could be your friend if you like," I said.

Her face lit up. "My friend?"

"Yeah, I could keep you safe. But I need to know who the others are. That way I know who your friends are," I said, taking another step forward.

"I … can't," she muttered.

"But I'm like you and I'm your friend," I said, coming to stand right in front of her. "Friends tell each other secrets, don't they?"
"I can't … I've said too much. I must go. Don't follow. Only enemies follow. If you are my friend, you'll stay. Stay away."

And then she was gone. Disappeared just as she had appeared. I didn't know who she spoke of but I had a feeling that I would get to the bottom of it. Those girls were a part of this. I just had to figure out how.

I tried to take flight but I wasn't steady and I almost fell back to the ground multiple times. She had taken more blood than I thought. When I finally got back to the boardwalk, I was out of breath and shaking. I walked right into the comic store, ignoring the stares from those I walked past. I came up to the counter as Allan noticed, his eyes widening at the sight of my neck.

"What the hell happened to you?" Allan asked.

This roused Edgar who appeared from the back, noticing the same thing Allan had. He set a stack of comics down on the counter and stuck around to hear about what had happened.

I leaned forward on the counter to whisper without any customers overhearing. "A vampire happened."

"A vampire bit you?" Edgar asked, thinking aloud. "I didn't think that was possible."

"It's possible but bland in comparison to human blood," I sighed, pulling the fabric down to show the slow healing bite. "I was attacked by some girl in the woods."

"Not one of the biker chicks?" Allan asked.

I shook my head. "No, someone else. But she kept saying they. That she had to keep their secret. So there's definitely more of them."

"How are we going to figure out if it's them?" Edgar asked. "They're never around long enough to really test anything."

"Well, here's our chance," Allan said, pointing toward the front door.

Edgar and I turned toward his outstretched arm to see the girls had returned to their spot. Sam got off Celeste's bike and thanked her for the ride. He turned toward the store and saw me staring, his smile dropping instantly. His face turned an embarrassed red as he walked off down the boardwalk.

My hands squeezed into tight fists and it took everything in my power not to slam them into the counter, shattering the glass. I decided then and there I wasn't going to play nice.

I took a step from the counter when Edgar grabbed my hand. I looked back at him as he shook his head. "It's not a good idea, Dawn. If it's them and you let on you know, it could make them scatter."

"They've killed people, Edgar," I said, yanking my hand from his. "And I will not let it stand."

I made my way out of the store and up to the girls. The three goons saw me coming and tried to stifle their laughter. Celeste turned with crossed arms and a raised brow.

"What happened to your neck?" Celeste laughed. "Cut yourself shaving?"

The other girls joined in and my anger overflowed. I grabbed Celeste by the front of her shirt and pulled her forward, her face mere centimeters from mine. Silas stepped forward to try and interfere, but Celeste held up her hand telling her to stay put.

"I know what you did to that girl," I said.

"What girl?" Celeste said, her eyes darkening. "You have to be more specific."

"Madison."

There was a flinch of annoyed surprise in her eyes but it lasted barely a second. The normal human eye wouldn't have picked up on it. But I wasn't normal and I wasn't human.

"I don't know a Madison," Celeste said, turning her head to look at her gang. "Do you girls?"

"No," Alice said.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Tatiana chimed in.

"Nada," Silas said.

Celeste turned back to me with a smug grin. "See, we don't know a Madison, so if you could remove your hands from my jacket, I'd appreciate it. This cost more than your entire outfit."

I yanked her forward so my mouth was beside her ear. "I don't know what your plotting but if you touch a hair on Sam's head, I'll kill you."

"I'd love to see you try."

Celeste began to laugh as I let go of her jacket, pushing her back into the railing. I gritted my teeth, turning away from the girls as I noticed Sam down the boardwalk. I ran after him, catching up just as he passed a small alley between buildings.

I grabbed his arm and yanked him into the small space. I pushed him up against the wall, knocking the air from his lungs. He was bewildered at my sudden appearance but grew annoyed by what I did next. I searched him for bites once again and he realized what I was doing the second my eyes dropped to his throat.

"Dawn, this is getting ridiculous. You have to stop," Sam groaned.

"They're vampires, Sam. I know it," I insisted, looking him over once more.

"And do you have any proof of that?" Sam asked.

"I was bitten," I said, pulling the fabric away to reveal a bite that was half-healed. "Her name was Madison."

"Did Madison say she was turned by the girls?" Sam asked.

"No, she just said they," I said, looking up to notice the glint of Sam's gaze. "I know she was talking about them, Sam."

"And what if it's not them?" Sam asked, pulling my hand from his shirt. "What if this Madison girl is talking about someone else?"

"She wasn't. I know it's them. Their reaction to my outburst says everything," I said.

Sam shook his head. "Stop Dawn, this has gone far enough. There's nothing wrong with them, I don't know why you hate them so much."

"Because you love them!" I blurted out, my anger getting the better of me. "You're infatuated and it's clear to see!"

"You're doing this because you're jealous?" Sam asked.

I gritted my teeth. "That's not my only reason. Something is off with them, Sam. I just know it. You have to believe me."

"I think we should take a break."

Sam's words cut through me like a searing hot blade. My anger faded to be replaced with fear and a painful stab of heartbreak. I looked at him and all I saw was anger. He wasn't joking.

"Sam…" I tried to grab his hand but he stepped away from me. "Please."

"You need to learn how to trust, Dawn, until then stay the hell away from me."

He backed out of the alley and with one last look, he was gone. I collapsed into the wall and slid onto the ground, putting my head in my hands. Everything was falling apart.