Bree's Story

My mom placed her hands over her face and sighed, “Bree, go to your room and think about what you’ve done.”
I scowled, and growled, “fine!” Before she could reply, I dashed down the hallway and slammed my door. I could hear the phone beeping as she dialed my father’s number at work. I locked my door.
Why did she have to be so stupid? It wasn’t like I had even done anything that bad; she’d just found a smoked-cigarette by the front door. It could have been anyone’s! Well, it wasn’t, since it was mine, but it could have been somebody else’s. Even though it had been mine, she still had given the blame to me without my admittance. So much for innocent until proven guilty.
Deciding that sneaking out wouldn’t add too much time to my punishment, I pulled out my black mini-skirt from its hiding place in my closet. I made sure that my door was locked, and quickly changed and applied my too-heavy-for-day-but-heavy-enough-for-a-party makeup. Grasping my shoes in my right hand, I silently unlocked my door, and made sure that nobody was in the hallway close to my room. When I saw that no one was, I re-locked the door and tip-toed over to my window.
One nice thing about living in an apartment was that there was a fire escape close by; it was even better that it passed right under my bedroom window. I bit my lip I slid the planes of glass open, and removed the screen. Carefully, I eased my way out of the third-story room, and onto the fire escape. Careful not to make too much noise, I eased my way down the ladders, and dropped gracefully toward the ground.
Gripping my purse under my arm, and lacing up my black stiletto, I rounded the corner onto a busy Seattle street. I pulled my cell phone from my purse, and dialed my best friend Tammy’s number.
“Hey! Yea, my mom freaked when she saw the smokes… yea, I know, my fault right? Anyway, are you going to that party?... Yea, that one. Can you pick me up?... yep, the unusual spot. Thanks! Bye!” I snapped my phone shut, and stood on the corner. To the untrained eye, I might look like a hooker, but I wasn’t. I was just waiting for a ride.
I only had to wait for a few minutes, when Tammy’s boyfriend’s car pulled up. I smiled and climbed in to the back seat. Luckily, it was vacant; one could never know when some of Aiden’s creepy friends would be catching a ride with him too.
Nobody talked on the way to the party; the music in the car was so loud you couldn’t be heard over it if you tried. The ride took a while due to traffic- stupid tourists and out-of-towners. Couldn’t they just stay in their own cities? We had enough issues here, without stupid mini-vans taking up precious driving space.
The party was being held at an abandoned restaurant in the downtown area. Aiden parked the car in a spot a ways away, so we had to walk. I felt like a third wheel, since I walked alone, next to Tammy, but she and Aiden walked with their arms around each other, ignoring me. Too bad it couldn’t last- Aiden would just meet up with another girl at the party and forget all about Tammy. Too bad, she should know better than to date drinkers like Aiden. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done this before.  
The music was blasting and the room was crowded by the time the three of us got there, but we just jumped right in to the party. When Tammy and Aiden went off together somewhere, I started dancing, at first by myself, until somebody came up and stood next to me. I smiled coyly at him.
He indicated that I should follow him, and stupidly, I did. I felt a little peeved that my one friend here abandoned me to hang out with some dumb boy that didn’t even like her. So, I figured that I could have a bit of fun while waiting for her to be dumped.
The blonde haired man led me outside, into the cool night air. I stared into his bright crimson eyes. What a strange color.
Before I knew it, there was a sharp, blunt pain the back of my head. I fell to the ground, unconscious.
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I woke up with a throbbing headache who knows how long later, in a darkly lit room. It took me a few seconds before I realized what had happened, and knew that I needed to get out of that room, find a way to get near somebody that could help. I sat up, and looked around. It didn’t seem like anyone was in the room, thank goodness.
Luck didn’t stay with me long, though, for the door creaked open, and two figures walked in. I stood up.
“Well, I should probably get going. My mom’ll be looking for me…” My voice shook with fear.
“No she’s not,” a cold female voice taunted. “Nobody is. Riley, knock her out again. I don’t want the police to find us because of one of them screaming again.”
The blood in my veins froze, and started praying for help out of this madness, until I lost consciousness again.
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Scorching pain, running through my body. My beating heart raced, feeling like it was trying to burst out of my skin. My blood screamed, boiled under my skin. Then, the pain was gone.
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I was thirsty, so thirsty. I sat up, ignoring the fact that just minutes ago I was withering in pain on the floor. I wasn’t thirsty for water, though, I was thirsty for something else, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t even feel fear. I felt oddly invincible.
“Finally, you’re up,” the male voice said again. Riley, if I remembered correctly. “Here, take this.”
He handed me a container holding something that smelled faintly like copper, but delicious none the less. I sucked it down in one gulp. Ah, that felt better. I hadn’t felt that thirsty since… never, I guess.
“Follow me.”
He opened the door, and I followed behind him. Curious, not afraid, like I knew I should have been. I felt oddly strong and capable, not like I normally felt. Stupid, right?
He led me over to a mirror, and motioned for me to look at it. I gasped; instead of my normal, boring blonde-brown hair and tan, spotty skin, my hair was golden and my skin blemish free. I looked at Riley in confusion.
“I’ll explain soon. If you’ll follow me through these doors, everything will become clear,” he said in a bored voice, like he had said this a million times. I wondered what was going on.
I followed him through another set of doors, leading to a large room filled with beautiful people. Now I was really confused.
“Stay here, don’t fight with anyone,” he said, and then left through the doors. I heard a lock click into place.
I turned to face the crowed of people, wondering what was going on. I started feeling thirsty again, as well as confined and claustrophobic. I wanted to go outside.
“Hey,” a voice said behind me, “I’m Sara. What’s your name?”
I turned around, my voice shaking. “Bree. What’s going on?”
She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve been here for days; no explanation, no nothing. We get something to drink every day or so, but other than that, everyone has just been hanging around here, fighting with each other, waiting for answers.”
Would I reach my home? I realized now, away from my parents, that I missed them. Along with the dull ache of thirst, I felt grief, but tears would not come. What was up with the thirst? It never seemed to go away.

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The group of us, a number around fifteen, waited for what seemed like eternity. Many got into fights, many wailed for what or who they were missing, and fights broke out. All were thirsty.
We were given a mysterious beverage every day, but we all still wanted more. Nobody was satisfied, and fights broke out. We still didn’t know what was going on. Riley wasn’t much help- it seemed like he knew what was going on, but he never said anything when he appeared every so often. Days, weeks, we couldn’t tell. I never grew tired, and neither did anyone else. I wondered what was going on. Did they drug us? Was there really an us, or was I dreaming? Was I dead? Was this harsh, dark, uncomfortable place really real?

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What was probably about ten days after I had arrived, there was a banging on the ceiling. Everyone in the room looked up to see what it was; were we underground, or was somebody climbing on the roof?
My ears picked up a faint cracking noise, and a scream escaped the being on the roofs mouth as the board under them collapsed, sending them into a free-fall towards the ground.
Before anybody could react, the man’s body was lying mangled on the ground. Dark red liquid began pooling out of it. Everyone in the room looked at it; my eyes mirrored the greed that reflected in everyone’s eyes.
I don’t know who moved first, but soon we were all fighting, pushing, and shoving to get toward the dying body. Before I could stop myself, I was part of the squabble. I never made it to the center, and before I knew it, the sickly delicious smell was gone. At that time my senses came back to me. What did I almost do? I felt sick.
Everyone around me sat nursing scratches. I almost hurled- a hand was crawling on its way back to its owner, who was just as confused as anyone. No blood was spilled by us.
My mind began racing, wondering what was going on. I wavered, feeling faint. What was going on here?

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We got answers soon enough. After the… I didn’t even want to think of it, but the…. fiasco, I guess would be a good word, Riley came into the room, and stood on a crate.
“You’ve probably wondered what is going on. After what happened yesterday, our leader informed me that I must inform you all of the truth. You might not believe me, but we are all the living undead. Vampires. Bloodsuckers. Take your pick of words- history has decided on many things to call us creatures of the night.”
Even while people murmured disbelief, I knew it was real. Either that or my dream theory was still in effect. It was either the truth, blunt yet real, or I was having a very disturbing nightmare. I hoped it was the nightmare, then I could wake up and this awfulness would all be over.

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The answers didn’t help much, since we were still stuck here. I felt worse and worse. I wanted to go home; I wanted to be away from this place, far away. I spent my sleepless days and nights feeling more and more depressed. Life had no meaning, and time had no purpose other than to keep my misery spiraling further down its dark, endless path. I didn’t know of a way out.

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Riley interrupted my depression, after who knows how long. Weeks, months, years- time had no meaning to me anymore.
“Tonight, we are going to be heading out. We’re going to be getting rid of the Evil Ones, the vampires that control these lands. Do all of you remember how delectable that weak human was? The Evil Ones keep us from our rightful dinner- we deserve better. We are the superior species. There are over twenty of us, and only eight of them. They are weak, the strange yellow eyes that eat only animals, and we are not. We can overcome them, and take over their lands. Be ready to leave.” He spun, and left the room, and before locking the door behind him, he added over his shoulder, “and whatever you do, do not think about what we are about to do. The Evil Ones can read minds; even your thoughts aren’t safe.”

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We walked in packs, marching across abandoned highways, side streets, alleys, and countryside. Only three humans got in our way, and they were taken care of by some of the stronger ones in the group. We squabbled amongst ourselves, and fights broke out. I think some were lost, including the one that had originally talked to me, Sarah, her name was.
After a while, Riley, who was in front, stopped us, holding up a sweater.
“As you walk past me, smell this. It belongs to a human that is with the Evil Ones, which will tell us we found the right coven. Whoever finds her first, can take her life. Remember, we’re fighting for two reasons- they want us gone, and we want their land. We’re almost there- soon, you’ll all be fed and comfortable in a land where you are royalty.”
A cry broke out among all of us, slicing the silence like a chainsaw.

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I could hear the sounds of fighting all around me. The group had spit in half, and I was left fighting the yellow eyes. The others were left to fight something we didn’t know were here- giant, terrifying wolfs. The “Evil Ones” were unstoppable- they tore through us like we were merely water. I was scared out of my mind- soon, pieces of the people I had spent the last months with were lying in white pieces scattered around me.
I had no idea what to do- I was so confused. Soon, I was one of the only left standing in the field, surrounded by the yellow eyed ones. One I assumed to be the leader broke the circle of six, and walked toward me.
“Young one,” he said, his golden eyes fixed on my red irises, “if you cease fighting, you can become one of us. We won’t hurt you.”
I couldn’t answer; I was shaking so hard, so I nodded. I sat down and wrapped my arms around myself as they walked around me, picking up the pieces of my comrades and throwing them into a purple fire behind me. The largest yellow eyed one watched me with a hate-filled gaze.
A familiar smell filled my nostrils- the scent of the girl we were supposed to be looking for was near. I could see her walk into the meadow, and a longing growl rose in my throat. One of the golden eyes was next to her, and a few of them went to talk together. The rest stayed near me. I was so thirsty; I wanted her blood, but I knew that I wouldn’t get past the golden eyes with my limbs still attached to my body.
The other male sat down near me, rubbing his arms. I began rocking back and forth, trying to control my longing for blood. I could barely concentrate; the urge to kill her overtook me so strongly. I thrashed about.
The leader spoke again. “Have you changed your mind, young one? We don’t want to destroy you, but we will if we have to.” The calmness in his voice annoyed me.
“How can you stand it? I want her.” I looked through the golden haired male, the one standing in front of the human, trying to get a glimpse of my would-be prey.
I lost what he said next. My nails dug into the dirt, trying to keep myself restrained. This was the worst feeling I ever had- my old self trying to keep control of my new, evil thoughts. My old self told me to stay where I was, that I didn’t need to kill anyone, but my new instincts told me I need to feed, to drain the life from the human. I fought with my inner self.
Suddenly, there were more of them, coming in grey cloaks. I couldn’t focus on what they were saying. I put my face in my hands. I looked up just as the petite woman, girl really, addressed me.
“Your there. Your name.” She was used to being obeyed.
When I glared at her, an intense pain filled my entire body. This was worse than the thirst, or before that, the transformation. This was excruciating, never-ending pain.
It seemed to take forever to end, but eventually it stopped.
I don’t know what happened later. I guess I replied, the pain never came again, but I was still recovering. I don’t remember what I answered. I knew what they stopped talking about me and to me after a while, but I never knew about what they talked about. Little did I know that those would be the last moments of my existence. If I had known that, I would have paid more attention, tried to find away out of dying.
I knew that it would be my end when one of the huge ones in the grey cloaks came near me. I screamed, but it was soon over. Bree was no more.