Chapter One

Chapter 1:

I woke up, sweaty and shaking. The moonlight streamed through my window, giving a brief silhouette of my room. It had always been like this, me unable to sleep straight because of a memory. It was the horrible memory that kept replaying in my dreams, keeping me awake these past 2 years. I couldn’t take it off my mind, no matter what I did because it was in my blood. A curse which I hated and would do anything to keep it away.

I was a vampire.

Okay so being a vampire seemed cool right? Well not really. Of course there’s exceptions like changing into a bat, which can be totally cool yes but let’s look on the negative side first.

Changing into a vampire is extremely painful. When I change, it’s as if my whole body is being torn apart. It’s that painful. My mouth will ache as my fangs push my teeth back. My eyes burn when they change colour and my nails break through my skin when I take out the sharp vampire nails.

The thing I want to call ‘the hunger’ is real. It’s when you wake up one night as a vampire and you have a sudden craving for blood. It’s horrible and once I nearly went into attack mode…at a deer of course. No way will I harm people…only it isn’t that easy. When I turn into a vampire, I couldn’t control myself and I fear waking up one day to find myself covered in blood. I shook the memory out of my mind and tried to think of other things.

I laughed of how I wanted to be so famous before in my old school. Elizabeth Laurens the girl who wanted to fit it. Now, that girl is dead. Instead, she’s been replaced by me, no wait, a monster.

Violet Terrison.

I only used Violet Terrison as an alias just so I could move into my new life. I didn’t want to go back to the horrible past.

I went to the washroom and looked at myself. I still looked normal, my brown hair, which used to be long, was cut very short just below my ears. My blue eyes staring back as if the old me was staring at me and accusing me of easily forgetting her. What happened that day I couldn’t forget.

I was tall and slender, whereas most girls in school were petite and cute and such. I basically stood out from all of them so to this point, I don’t have any real friends or such. My body tensed as a memory rises again.

I remembered running back home, bloody, to my dad. He had screamed in horror when he saw the bite marks and I realized he was afraid…of me. My little sister came down and I could remember her shocked little face. I remembered my dad shouting at me to get out and he called me a ‘monster.’ He had told my sister to go back and told me to leave. I refused to and he pushed me out in that snow. I ran away from that horrible place which I used to call home and cried for days, not eat or drinking.

I washed my face when I realized that I had started to cry. It was no use crying over the past. I was now adopted by a kind professor, who had spent all his life studying vampires. He had taken pity on me and raised me like his own daughter, creating a vial that could let me stay as me when I turn into a vampire and not be affected by the hunger. I had changed my name and started a new life, keeping my vampirism a secret. So far everything was fine in this past 2 years living with Prof. (He insists that I call him Dad outside while I call him Prof, short for professor when we’re alone) and with a wonderful nanny who is like my mother. They still call me Elizabeth even though the whole town recognizes me as Violet Terrison.

I looked at the bedtime watch that indicated that it was 11:50, just 10 minutes before turning midnight. I changed into my sweats and left my room, needing cool air. I quietly tiptoed down the stairs and went through the front door so quietly so I wouldn’t wake Prof up. It was a cool spring night and the moon emerged and receded through the fast moving clouds. The stars twinkled brightly and there was nobody about in the neighbourhood. I walked towards the park (although I prefer staying in the cemetery because it was more peaceful there, but that would arouse suspicion wouldn’t it?) and took a seat in the benches. I watched as the sprinklers, so late at night but still working, sprayed water on the grass. I remembered so much of my horrible past but I couldn’t remember all the good ones. I missed my sister. I remembered reading stories to her at night, being the mother, ever since mom died of unknown causes. I wouldn’t blame her if she were angry with me.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps and I became alert. I sniffed the air tracing a human scent. It might be a normal person who happened to pass by or something. I wasn’t afraid of rapists or muggers or such because I had my own vampire skills to outrun them anyway. The great strength and agility thing, where I can run very, very fast and can lift up a school bus. I’m serious. I try not to use them because in this world, if there are vampires then of course, there are vampire hunters. That’s what I’m careful about since they try to hide their scent and they are exceedingly good at it too. When the government had found out about vampires 10 years ago, they tried to do a court order to round up all of vampires only the vampires strike back, attacking people. The government laid back and left the vampires alone and the vampires left the humans alone…well some of them. That is what I’m determined to do…stop vampires biting people before they suffer like me. You could say I’m an outcast.

I sat on the bench, as if I was relaxing. Then I started to feel weird, nausea getting over me. I looked at my watch.

11: 59

I stood up, running to a tree and hiding. It was time to change into a vampire even if I didn’t want to. Since I am not a full-blooded vampire yet so I can still have a choice to turn into a vampire or not. However, there are always some damn exceptions such not being able to be a human in a full moon and turning into a vampire at midnight. I had taken a special vial invented by the professor so that if I become a vampire, I could still keep my mind and not be a ravaging monster that hunts for blood. It was time to change.

I heard some footsteps and I realized that someone had followed me. I looked at the tree I was hiding in and started to climb it. I tightened my grip on the branch as the changes started to take place. I bit my lip as my hair started to grow longer turning from brown to black, my eyes burning, as they became steely grey and as my fangs started to grow. My nails became long and sharp, as sharp as that damned vampire who had bitten me years ago. I kept my cling to the branch as the pain started to disappear. After a few minutes, it did disappear and I kept still, my vision adjusting to the darkness and looked around on who had followed me. It was a boy, around 14, with blond hair and baby blue eyes. He was just so cute but so young to be a vampire hunter. I saw the cross shaped stake on his neck when he turned around, the mark of vampire hunters. He knew I was here but if I stayed here long enough, he would leave. So that’s what I did. Only even when the time became 12:30, he still stood there on the same spot and I was growing weary.
’I have to show myself’ I thought to myself and then suddenly, the boy spoke.

“Wherever you are, freak, I know you are here. Face me!” he shouted out. So I did. I covered my head with my hood from the sweater, just so they can’t recognize me and then jumped out from the tree, startling him.
“Ouch, that hurt. We have feelings too you know.” I said to him. He recovered from his shock and glared at me.
“Prepare to die, vampire!” he said, taking out a bottle of holy water and I stood there, staring at him with a bored expression on my face. Holy water only affects vampire who are evil, a.k.a who drank human blood. Throughout the time that I was a vampire, I never drank human blood and so I wasn’t affected by holy water or going to a church or being in a sacred spot. He squirted the holy water at me and waited for my reaction, his expression was like he had already killed me. I walked towards him and he looked more shocked and suddenly scared. I realized that he was a rookie vampire hunter and he had only brought a holy water with him.

Very adorable.

I took the holy water from his hand and looked at him. He moved a step back.
“Aw, are you scared?” I asked.
“Get away from me, you evil freak! You killed my family!” he screamed, so scared that he was crying.

I looked at him with a pitiful expression.
“If I am evil, I would’ve killed you now. And besides, the other vampires killed your mother…not me. I don’t kill humans.” I said, shrugging.
“Lies!” he said. I grinned at him, making my fangs disappear.
“There, happy? One more thing, if I’m evil, the holy water should’ve affected me, right?” I pointed out and he gave a hesitant nod.

“What’s your name?” I asked.
“R-Rob.” He answered, still scared.
“Hi Rob, I’m Eliza.” I told him the name I used as a vampire and rolling my eyes at him being such a scaredy-cat. I opened my hand showing him my palm. I took my nails and scratched a cross on it. “See this cross? It’s a promise that I’m not evil and I won’t hurt you. Now, I think you should go back before a real evil vampire gets to you.”
I threw the holy water away from us and he stared at it, his mouth hanging open. I started to walk away from him when I smelled something else.

I stopped in my tracks and sniffed the air and I turned back to Rob. The boy was looking around to see what I have smelt. He couldn’t see it because he was human so he couldn’t see anything but I did. I saw another vampire, winged vampire to be exact and his eyes on Rob.
“Rob! Duck!” I shouted and he was on the ground just as the vampire’s hands reached out for him. The vampire landed, he hissed at me and I hissed back, my fangs returning. He reached out to scratch me but I moved aside. I ducked and avoided his every scratch.

“Rob, Go back! Run!” I shouted as I avoided the crazed vampire scratching at me. Rob run away and I sighed with relief. Then the other vampire managed to get my long black hair. I screamed out as he scratched me on the neck. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Rob running back to me.
“Eliza! Catch!” Rob said and he threw the holy water bottle at me. I took it and I pushed the vampire on the ground. I swiftly scratched him on where his heart is and I poured the holy water at his wound. The vampire screamed and shouted in agony but I watched him without remorse. Then the vampire gave a shudder and turned into sand, leaving a metal-chained necklace. I picked it up and I realized he was in one of the vampire clans from the north. Why did they move here?

“ROBBIE!” I heard someone shout and I saw a guy tall and lightly tanned, dirty blond hair and blue eyes. Very hot…too bad he’s a vampire hunter seeing that he was holding a mechanical bow and pointing it at me. I rolled my eyes again.

“Rob! Are you alright?” he asked Rob, staring at me with those blue eyes that made me shiver inside.

“William!” the boy said, “Meet Eliza! She’s a good vampire!”

“She’s lying.” William said. I guess they were brothers. They acted alike at their first time in seeing me.
“Then pour holy water on me and see if I become like him.” I pointed to the sand on the ground. William looked at the dust in disbelief.
“You killed a vampire? But…how? You’re also one of them..” He said.
“I am not one of these monsters!” I snapped at him. I looked at the moon and seeing it’s position, it’s about 1 am and I needed to get back. Clutching the metal necklace and touching my neck gingerly where the blood was oozing out, I made my way back out the park and back towards home.
“Hey, um, Eliza!” William called out uncertainly. I turned back to him. “Thank you.”

I gave him a little smile and walked back taking the long route so that anyone who’s following me will get lost. I entered the house and tied my long black hair and I stared into the mirror but I couldn’t see myself. That was because I didn’t have any reflections while I’m a vampire. I mended my scratch and healed it before sinking into my bed and falling asleep.

Ë

Elizabeth made her way through the streets, the neighbors looked at her with shock and surprise. She made her way to the familiar place, which she called home. She knocked on the door and her father opened it. He looked at Elizabeth and at once, his expression changed. He stared at her coldly and said, “What do you want?”
Elizabeth smiled weakly.
“Dad…I’m alright…these wounds hurt a little.” She went to the door, about to go inside when she felt her Father’s hand get her shoulders and Elizabeth screamed in pain.
“Dad! It hurts!” she exclaimed, crying.

“Get out of my house. I only have one daughter.” He told her coldly pushing her back.

“What are you saying dad? You have two daughters! It’s me, Elizabeth!” she said.
“I only have one daughter” he said. “Get away from us, monster!”
Elizabeth was taken aback at what her father said.

“Dad! Please…don’t!” she cried out, trying to get inside but he pushed her back and she fell on the snow. She stood up, ignoring her pain and went back up the steps.
“Please just let me say goodbye to Bethany!” she shouted.
Suddenly, a miniature Elizabeth came down, long brown hair and blue eyes, yawning.
She stopped and looked at Elizabeth.
“Lizzie?” she said aloud.
“Get back to your room.” Her father said. Bethany ignored their father and ran to Elizabeth.
“Lizzie! What happened to you?” she asked like an adult despite the fact that she was only twelve.
Elizabeth gave her a big hug and cried.
“Bethany, I’m going somewhere okay? I can’t live here anymore.” She said and Bethany was pulled back by her father.
”Come on, we’re going back in.” he said and carried a struggling Bethany back into the house.”

“Elizabeth!!” Bethany cried out and the door was closed in Elizabeth’s face.
Ë

I woke up again, this time because the alarm was ringing. I stretched myself and looked into the mirror. My reflection was back and I had changed back to the shorthaired blue-eyed girl. I washed my face, got ready for school and went down to breakfast.
Nan, my nanny, was already downstairs preparing pancakes. “Violet, dear!” she said looking at me. “The pancake’s nearly cooked.” I greeted her with a hug and she kissed my forehead. She was like the mother I never had and I was the daughter she never had. She didn’t have any daughters because she was widowed early.

I smiled and took a seat in my favourite chair. She also knew about my vampirism sickness and accepted it since her brother was turned into one, many years ago and now he’s disappeared.
“How were you last night? Did you take your vials?” she asked.

“I took the self-maintenance but not the anti-vampirism.” I said, smiling sheepishly. She shook her head.
“You are hopeless without me were you?” she asked. I nodded. Nan was on a week long vacation and I really needed her help. She placed a dish of pancake in front of me and took a vial and placed it next to my glass of juice.
“When did you arrive?” I asked, taking big bites out of my pancake.
“Just an hour ago.” She answered, taking a seat in front of me. I finished my pancake, took the vials and drank my orange juice. She squinted and then asked, “What happened to your neck?”
“Oh…” I told her everything that happened last night.
“I see. So…was the guy cute?” she asked, amusement in her eyes. I blushed.
“Nan!” I said. “He’s more younger than you!”
“I wasn’t talking about me.” She said, looking at me. I shook my head.
“Out of the question.” I said. “He’s a vampire hunter.”
”It’s still possible.” She said. But I shook my head and went back upstairs to change my t-shirt. I noticed that my wounds weren’t fully healed and there were still visible scratch marks on my neck so I wore my sleeveless black turtleneck instead. Then I went back downstairs and said good-bye to Nan and departed off to school.

When I got to school, Riverside Academy, I went straight to my locker to get my books. I wasn’t used to being in hallways and chatting with my friends because…I don’t have that much of friends. I’m sort of a loner.
As I was going to my first class, History and Geography, I bumped into someone.

“Whoa, are you alright?” he asked. I looked at him and gave a silent gasp as my stomach lurched in excitement and fear.

It was none other than the great William.

“Through the moonlight she strikes”

- Professor Terrison