Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Whitechapel, Ontario, Canada, has been considered a very bleak place since its dawn. If you have a sharp eye, you may see how strange it truly is.

“Tell me again what happened,” Valentine said. I exhaled deeply. “I told you like three times already.” She shrugged. “Well it’s amusing. Plus, I hate odd numbers, so make it four times.” I rolled my eyes at her sarcastic tone. “Benny and I were supposed to be watching Jane. We got engrossed in our celebration. Jane went outside without us knowing. Mom found Jane. We have to get a babysitter.” Valentine barked out one short laugh. “You’re laughing because Mrs.Morgan didn’t lecture you for being an accomplice,” Benny said. My mom did, in fact, lecture Benny. She had actually said: ‘You are here, you are watching Jane. I don’t care that you aren't her brother or that this isn't your house. I expect better from you, Benjamin.” Benny had blushed in embarrassment and apologised. “I had things to do.” This statement caught our attention. “You’ve been having things to do a lot recently. We’ve been missing you, you know?” She kept her gaze on the floor. I knew she wasn’t hanging out with anyone else, although she could if she had wanted. Val chose to be with us and only had three friends by choice. She was very pretty and had the material of someone who could easily be popular. Her hair was soft, bouncy, and dyed at the ends with purple, red, and blue. It layed down her back in long silky tendrils. It was always straightened, but her natural hair was wild and curly. We had never seen her natural hair. Her eyes were a dazzling lavender and were set in a deep almond shape. I think her mom was Asian and her dad was African American. I would ask her, but her parents are a sensitive subject. She was born with a genetic mutation that caused these eyes, or something. Her lips were full. Skin that wasn’t too dark or too light; it was sort of a light brown. She had a good figure and a solid sense of fashion as well, and she even hung out with the drama club. The drama club held the most popular kids and no plays. “You know….drama club stuff.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Like?” Valentine’s gaze shot up to mine. “So who’s babysitting Jane?” Benny interjected. “You’re changing the topic but I overheard dad say Erica Jones.” As we strolled down the hallway, Val kept her head down and her swooping gaze sharp. This bugged us. I grabbed her wrist. “Val, what is up with you? You’re out all the time and you act like someone’s after you.”
“You’re looking into it too much, E.” We turned our attention to a boy walking up to the vice principal. Jesse was tall and horribly pale. His eyes were dark and slightly upturned. And he’s the president of the drama club. “Let me help you with that.” Vice principal Stern had been hanging up the missing posters of some boy. I shook my head at the ghostly boy charming the principal and we headed off to lunch.
“This can’t get out! I’ll be socially murdered!” I said. Valentine snorted and Benny shrugged. “You can’t murder what isn’t there.” I squinted my eyes at her and gave a mocking smile. As we moved through the line I continued my worrying. “We just need to lay low and-” When I turned around, Benny was wearing some weird sort of goggles. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my best friends, but somehow Benny manages to absolutely embarrass me once every blue moon. “Dude! Take those off!” I scolded. Valentine hid her face like she wasn’t associated with us. “These are state of the art alien detectors! What a better place to test them out than the high school cafeteria? Besides, maybe I’ll scope out a babe.” When he said this Valentine sighed and rolled her eyes. She hated when he talked about girls. She has since like fourth grade. I ripped the goggles off and shoved them against his chest. “No! No alien detecting, no babes, and no being embarrassing!” Just then my small hopes of recovering from the horrible situation got crushed when Rory called out, “Ethan! Benny! Val!” Rory was more Valentine’s good friend than mine. I ignored his rambling about something and a buck-twenty-one. “Ok, I’m out. I’m not letting you embarrass me anymo-” I turned and ran into a girl. My lunch went down the front of her shirt and she yelled. “Dork! Nice going,” she angrily said and stomped away. “So much for that, huh?” I ignored my friends and sulked over to our lunch table. As the others joined me I watched the girl with my lunch on her shirt plop down next to a blonde girl with glasses. “Where’s your lunch?” Rory asked Valentine. She smiled and shrugged mindlessly. “I’m not very hungry.” She only eats once a day. I personally couldn’t do that. I'm thin as a rail and feel faint if I don't eat like seven times a day. Lunch was spent discussing random topics. Benny was discussing the importance of knowing Star Trek trivia because you ‘never know when you’ll get tested’. Rory had slid a piece of bread over to Valentine and she was picking it to pieces and discarding it onto a napkin. I dreaded the thought of tonight. Maybe I could convince mom to cancel the sitter. “Hellooooooo, Earth to Ethan!” Valentine called out. The high pitchess of her voice drew me out of my trance. It seemed like puberty skipped over her voice. It was still high enough to sound almost childish. “Sorry, what?”
We walked out to the parking lot, and Benny was droning on about the body of a local boy. “He was found all drained from his blood and shrivelled up. Kinda like this juice box.” He squeezed his drink and it sprayed me in the face. “Dude!” I exclaimed. I pushed him while he apologised. Valentine’s high pitched laughter was followed by her high pitched voice, a bit concerned. It had a hint of concern laced into it. “We should probably get going,” she said. “Ooooh. The girl attached to Ethan’s lunch has a man. Tough break,” Benny said. I followed his gaze to see the pretty girl from earlier hopping into Jesse’s car. She’s down with the drama club? “Ben!” Val scolded him. “So who’s coming to my house tonight?” I asked. “Oh, I’m totally coming to visit you and your babe-baby-sitter.” I rolled my eyes and noticed Valentine staring very intently at a rock. “V?” She sighed. “Uhm….I got something to do tonight,” she mumbled. I turned to face her and she kept her gaze down. “Like?”I pressed. She didn’t answer. “Like? Hello, earth to miss Carter?” I asked again. “Party. Drama club thing.” Before I could argue, the car that held the drama club swerved forward and almost knocked us over. Benny grabbed Valentine and pulled her back towards the door. A light skinned boy with a thick curly mane popped his head out of the car. “WATCH IT LOSERS!” he screamed. He then turned his gaze to Valentine and sneered at her. “Get in,” he demanded. She didn’t provide a response and was met with a harsh laugh. “Get in. Now.”
“I should go,” she said. I scoffed. “We will discuss this later. Tomorrow.” She gave a cold glare to the people in the car before turning to me with a smile. “Tomorrow. I will definitely, definitely, be free tomorrow. I promise. After all, not much changes overnight.” I watched as she angrily got into the car. “I have a shirt you can borrow, Sarah.” she said to the girl. “Wait. You know her?” A glance was passed at me. “She’s the president of the drama club’s girlfriend.” Valentine gave this answer like it was the most normal thing. Something inside me shifted. For about a month she’s been skipping out on us. She’s been doing this and that with the drama club. I miss my best friend. I know Benny misses her. And the funny thing is, it seems more and more these days like this isn’t her choice. Like for some reason she doesn’t have a say so about hanging out with these people. Like she’s scared. And yet she took a seat in the front beside Jesse. So his girlfriend won’t sit directly beside him but Val will?
She gave me one last remorseful glance before the convertible sped off. Something here isn’t right. I need to get to the bottom of it.

I stared down at the history homework. Revolutionary War. Don’t we learn about this every single year? You’d think I’d know every detail of it off the top of my head. My nine year old sister, Jane, sat at the table beside me. She was coloring a color by number page. I miss fourth grade homework. “Is Valentine coming over?” Jane asked. She was very close to her. We all grew up around each other, but Val was a mystery. A car crash claimed her parents' lives when we were all just babies. Now she lives with an Aunt that we’ve never seen, a twin brother that’s apparently never around, and an older brother who’s a mystery. We never even got to see her house. We’d been to Rory’s, and met his mother. We’ve been to both Benny’s mom’s house and Benny’s dad and step mom’s house. We’ve also been to his grandma’s, where he spends most of his time. And we all hang out here. But we’ve never been to Valentine’s. “Not tonight,” I said. She frowned and mom came around the corner. She was wearing a blue tulle dress and her blonde hair was braided over her shoulder. Dad trailed in behind her wearing a full cowboy outfit. His brown hair peaked out from his hat. “Howdy partners!” mom exclaimed as she did a curtsy. “Wow mommy, you look so pretty!” Jane followed her compliment with a big hug. What a suck up. I decided that I might as well attempt to get out of tonight’s events. “Hey, mom?” She turned to me. “Yes, sweetheart?” I sucked in a deep breath. “You know, you were right. I was irresponsible and should have been watching Jane. I’m really sorry, and I’ve learned my lesson. You can totally cancel the sitter for tonight.” Mom gave me a look and shook her head. “Nice try, Ethan, but I already told you. You aren’t allowed to watch your sister by yourself again until I can trust you. End of discussion.” I scoffed angrily. “Sorry buddy, the sheriff makes the rules,” dad said before spinning around. I cannot believe she just shut me down like that. I thought moms were supposed to be understanding and nice to their children. I grabbed my books angrily and knocked over Jane’s pencil bag. “Fine! I’ll be in my room. Doing my homework. Alone!” I shouted. I ran up the stairs to my room and slammed the door. This was my way of defiance towards my parents. Jane was probably mom’s favourite anyways. They shared the same honey blonde hair and blue eyes. I was brunette with brown eyes. I slammed down at my desk and saw the request from Benny. I clicked on it and his face popped up. He was at his mom’s house today. I could always tell by the room. His room at his mom’s house was covered in posters of his special interests. His bed had teal blankets and all of his trophies, certificates, and medals decorated the shelves on the deep blue walls. His room at his dad’s house was more bleak. The grey walls were bare. The bed was black. His dad put no effort in letting Benny decorate his room there. Even his room at his grandma’s had more character . “Hey man. Any signs of the babe?” he asked. “ Valentine isn’t going to be here, remember?” The joke I made caused Benny to blush. I’d definitely look into that later. “She’s late or something, I don’t know. I’m staying in my room as a form of protest,” I said. He nodded. “Well mom said I can leave soon. I really wish Val could be here tonight. She’s missing all the fun.” I sat back in my chair and chewed on my lip. “I think she’s being forced to do things with the drama club. Look at the way she looks when they demand her to come along. She looks scared. I want to figure out what's going on.” Before Benny could add on, a loud bang was heard outside. My backyard led into the woods, so it wasn’t uncommon to hear noises. This, however, was way louder than anything I had ever heard before. “Whoa, what was that? Sounded like two racoons fighting or something.” I ignored Benny as the doorbell rang. “Anyways, yeah, I get what you’re saying, E. You saw earlier. That guy. Uh…. Gord. Yeah, that’s his name. Gord was so demanding of her. Like something bad would happen if she didn’t get in. Plus I don’t like the way he looked at her. Or the way she backed off like a wounded animal.” I nodded at his words while also listening to the voices downstairs. I wasn’t interested until I heard Sarah’s name. Apparently Erica was sick. “Oh, cool. Gotta go!” I quickly powered down my MacBook. I needed a new computer. Hopefully something good comes out in 2012. I ran downstairs and paused in my tracks. There stood Sarah. She had leaves in her hair and looked genuinely frazzled. I noticed her arm was bleeding at the same time mom did. “I’ll go get bandages,” I offered. Really that was a cover up to get a little fresh for this pretty girl. I rushed back to the bathroom and threw on a new shirt and sweatpants. I got up close to the mirror to fix my tousled brown hair a bit. I then sprayed myself with so much Axe I almost choked. I made sure to grab the bandaids and ran back downstairs. It had seemed that mom and dad were already gone. I jumped some steps and landed clumsily by her feet. “Oomph! Uh…hi! I’m Ethan. Ethan Morgan.” Her hazel eyes brushed over me and I nervously smiled. “Oh. I remember you. I’m Sarah Fox.” I went to say something smooth but Jane ran around the corner and then into me. She just happened to be holding a fudgesicle that smeared over my pants. “Jane!” I yelled. Sarah laughed. It was a light, cute sound. Not shrill and endless like Val’s. “Now we’re even,” she remarked. I cringed and the doorbell rang. I watched as Sarah tensed and grabbed an umbrella, holding it pointy end out. “Stay back!” She warned. Benny walked through the door holding stacks of snacks and video games. His mom lived nearby. Sarah relaxed and turned to face me with wide eyes. “Where’s your bathroom?” she asked. I pointed down the hall and she ran past me. “Whoa you got her instead? Substitute babe.” I shook my head. “You’re so embarrassing sometimes.” He looked me up and down and laughed. “It looks like you pooped your pants from the front.” I shifted behind the counter. “It’s fudgesicle.” He shrugged and Jane came running down the hall. “I think she’s crying! What did you say to her?” I placed my hand on her face and shoved. Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to send her backwards a bit. I ran down the hall and stopped at the sound of crying. There was a muffled conversation that was hard to make out. “He’s dangerous!.......that girl…….family…..party…” That was all I could understand. I don’t know what possessed me then, but I grabbed the handle and opened the door. The door jerked open and Sarah faced towards me. “What- creep! Do you treat all your guests like this or just me?” I sputterted over my words. I looked behind her and noticed her reflection. Or more like what was left of it. It was fading in and out, almost completely disappearing. I stumbled backwards, eyes wide. She scoffed at me and crossed her arms. “What?” Her reflection completely disappeared. I let out a yelp like a dog who just had his tail stepped on. She took a step forward and I stumbled back out into the hallway. She stepped out and looked me up and down. “You guys don’t really need a sitter do you?” she asked. I wasn’t sure I wanted her to go. I needed to find out what was wrong with her reflection. I stumbled over my own feet and she caught me by the arm.

My first instinct was panic. I have absolutely no idea where I am right now. The air was a murky grey. I looked around and swallowed thickly. I tried calling out, but I had no voice. Suddenly I was bombarded by horrible flashing images. In quick succession about forty different scenes flashed in front of me. I saw flashes of rotting animals and things crawling out of graves. I saw yellow and purple flashing eyes. I had never had issues with flashing lights. I most certainly don’t have any form of epilepsy. For some reason this flashing was so much more different. My head pounded and I felt myself seize up. I was totally convinced that this torture went on for hours, maybe even days. As quick as the horrible thing appeared, it was gone. I was back, and no time had passed. Tears burned at my eyes as I looked around with sheer panic. “Did you see that?” I asked. I was met with strange looks as Sarah quickly went out the door. I gripped my head and almost fell backwards. Benny caught me this time and I flinched, expecting to see more horrible things. “Whoa! E, why are you bugging?” I gripped his stupid striped jacket in my fists. “Tell me you saw that! I can’t be the only one! She didn’t have a reflection!” I watched his features scrunch in confusion and worry. His slender fingers brushed over my forehead. “How much aftershave did you drink?” He thinks I’m crazy. “B, I mean it. I’m serious. Come on, we have to follow her.” He gave me a sceptical look. “Please,” I begged. My voice sounded pathetic. “Ughh, fine! But this better be legit.” We ran out the door and followed the route to downtown Whitechapel. Benny walked close behind me, babbling about this being fake. “Are you sure this wasn’t just some prank? I bet there are cameras everywhere! IF THIS WAS A PUNK, I KNEW IT ALL ALONG!” I turned around and grabbed him. “Shut up!” He gives me a frown as we make our way by the shops. He pulled out a camera and panned it forward. “Night vision. This’ll totally help scout out anything str…….” Confusion flooded me. Benny stood there and began to shake. “B?” I asked. His eyes widened and he gagged. “We should go…..oh god we should go right now,” his voice was laced with fear and he gagged again, spitting onto the sidewalk. I grabbed the camera and looked into it. Something was crouched in the area of trash cans. It was feasting on a rat. Terror leaked into my veins as I realized something wasn’t out there. Someone was. The figure turned and hissed at me, fangs shining in the dim street light. It was Sarah. The camera slipped to the ground and crunched. Rain began to fall. I screamed. I screamed and B screamed with me and we ran. I figured we were running for blocks while the rain pounded. “HELP! MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE!” Benny slipped and fell behind some old abandoned dresser. I joined him and hid. Relief never came. Sarah appeared at lighting speed before us. “BEGONE CREATURE OF THE NIGHT!” Benny was yielding two sticks in the form of a cross. Was this how we died? My sister, my parents, Val. Who would be there for them? Tears of fear threatened to spill again. “If you eat us..it would, like, so not be cool,” I said. She rolled her eyes. “It’s not what it looks like,” skeptical looks from our spots on the ground, “ok so maybe it is kind of what it looks like. But, believe me, if I wanted to drink your blood I would have. But I don’t want to be a vampire or drink blood. I’m just a normal girl. Or…..I was. Until my crummy ex-boyfriend made me this way. But I promise I won't hurt you.” She seemed so genuine. I believed her completely. “Just be careful. And whatever you do, don’t invite a vampire into your house. It’s your only safeway. They can’t enter without permission.” I remember hearing her urgently ask to come in. She had pressed mom until she said yes. I nodded and sighed. I trust her.

Benny and I walked through my backdoor, soaked and shaken. “Do you think she knows?” Benny asked suddenly. I turned around and faced him. He was pale and running a hand through his soaked hair. “Do you think Valentine knows that Jesse is a vampire? What if she’s in danger?” I wondered that too. She couldn’t hold herself in a fight. “I don’t know but we-” I was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. “Ah! There is nothing I need more after finding out that vampires are real like a pizza! Plus he’s like…forty minutes late. It's free.” B sprinted to the door and threw it open. “Hey man, sorry but you’re late. That means this whole thing is free. But anyways, come on in.” Pizza didn’t sound so bad after our recent discovery. I walked over to the door and shook out my wet hair. I hated the feeling of it plastered to my forehead. “Dude I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this!” The pizza boy smiled eerily. “Me either.” Confusion flashed over my face as I looked up. Our pizza boy let out an animalistic snarl and brandished fangs. Benny fell backwards and I pulled him away. “Ethan? Why are you screaming?” Jane ran in and the vampire pizza boy hissed at her. “What’s going on?!” I could hear the fear in my little sister's voice. “Nothing, it’s just a game,” I assured her. “Yeah, a game. Whichever one of you tells me where Sarah is spends less time screaming.” I backed up. Ok now we really are going to die. “Can I play?” Sarah walked through the door and flashed her fangs. I knew this was my cue to take Jane upstairs with Benny and I and lock the door. I slammed the door and B helped me push the bed against it. “There are other vampires in this town besides Sarah?” I asked. “Sarah’s a vampire?!” Jane’s eyes bugged and someone pounded on the door. “Let me in!” We sighed and pushed the bed back, letting Sarah in. “What happened to the pizza guy?” She smiled. “I introduced him to your mom’s fancy silverware.” A hand punched through my door and grabbed my shirt. I had no time to relax today. The pizza guy angrily tried to pull me through the door. Sarah was on the phone with my mom and Benny tried to calm Jane down. Once Sarah hung up she grabbed one of my debate trophies. Her warm brown eyes met mine. “Sorry about this, but I am saving your life.” She rammed my trophy into the pizza guy’s hand and he fell back in pain. We took this chance to safely evacuate everyone out of my window. Of course in my midst of stupidity I thought we were safe. But, of course, pizza guy landed in front of us. Luckily Sarah appeared right behind him. Benny and I had just enough time to cover Jane’s eyes before Sarah ripped out the pizza guy's throat with her mouth and stomped on the dust that he turned into. I released Jane and blinked. I was shivering. Am I even cold? This all feels so surreal. I didn’t know what to do or say. Vampires are real, and one just tried to kill me. I could have died tonight. All of us could have. And when mom and dad came home? Would they be massacred? Would Valentine be murdered when she came to check on us the next morning? Was I putting everyone I care about in danger? “Your mom accidentally kicked your dad in the head. They went to the hospital, won't be back until after midnight,” Sarah said. I nodded dumbly and we all made our way inside. “I really have to go. My friend, Erica, is at that party. She could get hurt, and I think there’s still time to save her.” I nodded. “Can you get Valentine out too? If she’s there? Please?” Benny had a clear expression of worry laced into his features. “Uh, sure.” The way Sarah said it implied that there was something she wasn’t telling us. She left quickly and I shook my head. “This is crazy. We almost died,” I said. Something was clearly up. Benny was biting his lip and mumbling something. “What, B?” “We gotta go to that party. First V is there, and now I see that Rory posted a picture of himself there on his Myspace.” I sighed and grabbed my jacket. We headed to the door and Benny paused. “Are we forgetting something?” he asked. My little sister poked her head around the corner. “Are you forgetting something?” Right.

Benny’s grandma patted Jane’s head and put on a movie. “You boys be careful.” Evelyn said it with such force that it made me uncomfortable. “Grandma, we're just going to the store for some snacks,” Benny lied. She kissed his cheek and we headed a block away to her house. A cherry red 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air rested in the garage. It’s in pristine condition and glinted in the moonlight. “I’m gonna take her slow, I can drive pretty well.” I bugged my eyes. “And how well does a 17 year old with no license drive?” A scoff was thrown at me. “Better than you. Mr.I can’t get my learners.” That was fair. We rode in silence until I spotted Sarah walking down the street. “Excuse me? Which way is the vampire party?” She smiled her pretty smile at me and my breath hitched. “Scooch.” I went to the back and Benny went passenger. That rest of the car ride was also silent. She pulled to a huge mansion. I had never seen this place before. How did I not know this was here? I watched as Sarah hopped out and sighed. “Alright. Stay in the car,” she ordered. Did she really think that I would leave my two oblivious friends to the vampires? “No way. I'm coming with you.” Sarah barred her fangs and snarled. “Uhm…I think I’ll stay here,” I said. She turned her glare to Benny. “I…actually wanted to stay in the car!” She nodded and headed off into the gate. Anxiety ate at me. What if I was too late? “Benny…” He knew the look I was giving him. “No,” he said with firmness. Ok, fine. I would have to play dirty. “V is in there.” I watched as Benny flexed his jaw muscles. Benny was overly confident and stupidly brave. Tonight was different. He was paling quickly and flexing his jaw so hard that the bone was moving. “You’re worried about them just as bad as I am. Come on,” I pressed. His gaze was serious when he looked at me. His green eyes bored into me. “Fine, but if I die, if you die, if Rory dies or if she dies, I’m going to be really mad at you.” I smiled and we hopped out of the car and approached a huge iron wrought gate. A gravelly voice crackled through the speaker resting on the side. “Password?” it asked. I panicked. How had I not heard the password? “O positivum,” Benny said. The gate opened and I turned to him with wide eyes.
“What was that?”
“Uhm….Latin.”
“You’re learning Latin?”
“No.”
“You know Latin?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know the Latin words?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well what does it mean”
“O positive. Like the blood type.”
“Ok, but how did you know that?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t want to worry about it.”
“Good call.”
We walked around the front. Pale people in dark clothes littered the lawn. We awkwardly danced our way around, nervousness in the air. “Whoo! Yeah! I so love being undead! Vamps rule!” A vampire with red eyes and a god awful emo haircut glared at us with suspicion. I smacked B’s arm to get him to shut up. I gulped. The only way to find them is in. Benny walked behind me and I made my way up some stairs. Jesse was in a large room with some other people. Sarah was in front of him. And Gord held on tightly to Valentine’s shoulders. Rory bounded up the stairs. “YO! What’s up my-oomph!” Benny had grabbed him and slammed him down to the ground, a hand over his mouth. I saw Jesse’s eye twitch and I knew that was our cue. We were off. We bounded down the stairs and to the door. I watched as Benny turned and twisted. “Man, it's locked.” Terror crept up my throat. Benny slammed his shoulder against the door. I felt like fainting. We turned, bumping right into Jesse and his goons. “Well! What a wonderful surprise. Just in time for dinner.” Rory pushed his glasses up. “Sweet! What’s on the menu?” You could cut through the silence. “Us! The menu is us!” I screamed. “Not these guys! I know them, I’m their babysitter!” Sarah said. “Well then- wait…you still need a babysitter?” Benny laughed. “No, he still needs a babysitter.” He pointed at me. More laughs filled the room, but they quickly died down as Rory was grabbed. “Fledglings drink first. Then our crowning ceremony shall commence!” I watched as Sarah looked around nervously. My eyes went to Val. She was crying with a straight face. Minutes passed. “OH FINE, I’LL DO IT!” Chaos erupted. Erica sprung forward and bit Rory. Rory screamed and fell to the ground, along with Erica. Sarah grabbed sharp wooden pieces off a chair. We made a run for the door. I looked back. Val was being held by a vampire. “Ethan! Benny! RUN!” She screamed and thrashed, her high pitched voice ringing through. Sarah grabbed us and began to lead us away. I watched as an angry group of vampires pounced on Val. Her screams faded out as we made our way to the car. We made it to the car, and Sarah quickly sped off. “What’s wrong with you?! They killed her! That wasn’t one vampire, Sarah, they were ripping her apart!” Benny’s voice shook with tears and I punched the headrest. We lost our friends.

Short intermission from Valentine’s POV:
We stood downstairs. I felt the hot tears burn in my eyes as I watched what would soon be their doom. I could stop this, couldn’t I? If I did I would end up exposing myself. Would they ever forgive me? I should have warned them that these people were vampires. But then they wouldn't believe me when I say I'm not. Somehow I was lucky enough to avoid being turned for this long. I hated keeping these secrets from my friends, but this was just too big to reveal. Sarah was given the task to bite Rory. I wanted to scream. My childhood friends were going to die. Then everything happened at once. Erica bit Rory, and Sarah grabbed the boys. I glared at the door and they quickly opened it. They could help me. I don’t have to be dragged into this. I struggled against Gord. His grip tightened on me. “Where do you think you’re going, pretty lady?” I struggled more. “Ethan! Benny! RUN!” I shrieked. I’d rather them be saved than me. A group of vampires all grabbed me and held me still. “LET GO!” I was starting to panic. I watched as Jesse stepped over Rory’s body. He gave me a leering smile. “Well….this didn’t go as planned! That’s ok, right? We can fix it. I don’t need Sarah for this next part,” he said with a smirk. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted crimson as he stepped closer. I felt everyone tense. They could smell the blood in my mouth. “Your time has come, Valentine, and you can finally prosper.” He smirked down at me. “I hope you do accept your fate.” I growled. “I won’t be like you!” His smile was sinister, full fangs on display. “Who said you have a choice?” Tears burned in my eyes. “Why are you doing this to me? You promised, Jesse. You promised I didn’t have to!” My voice cracked around my words. “You need to let this happen, Valentine. You need to let her through.” Confusion and adrenaline racked my veins. “Her? Who are you talking about?” He only shook his head.
I tensed and waited. Moments passed. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see Jesse giving me a strange look. Almost...pity. I watched as he glared for a moment more. “I have things to attend to. Take care of this.” He turned and I sighed. Although, if I were to be forced into this, I would have preferred Jesse. The group of vampires snarled at me, Gord being their leader. I decided silence was the best option. Gord stepped forward and ran his fingers lightly over my face, laughing as I trembled. “You’ve always been so pathetic. I never was sure why Jesse kept saying you had so much potential. Then again, he is a bit biassed given your circumstance.” His hand gripped my waist roughly, and he placed his nose against my neck, inhaling the human scent that washed through me. I kept my silence as Rory began to scream. He was starting to die. His screams were those of agony as his heart began to stop. Gord closed in. “It will be my personal pleasure to make sure that you suffer greatly from this. After all, your blood is rumoured to be special. It’s only fair that I share.” I watched as over twenty thirsty vampires barred fangs. I realised then that this wasn’t one and done. They are going to rip me apart. Now the true terror set in. Rory’s screams stopped. He was dead. That was when I felt the pain. Imagine a thousand razor blades slicing into skin. Agony ripped through my throat, and was cut off by the teeth that ripped it out. I could no longer scream. The feeling of my blood seeping out of the hole in my throat was almost as sickening as the feeling of my blood being drained. But soon it was over, and I was discarded to the ground. Now I was silent. I was in shreds, I could feel it. But that didn’t matter. It was over. After all, how could I possibly be turned with so much damage? Sweet nothingness began to take over. And then I was on fire. Pure white hot fire surged up my entire body and I attempted to scream. I would trade those teeth a thousand times over this feeling. Anything, anything, had to be better than this. My nerves seared and my veins busted. I screamed as this went on for what felt like hours and hours. The torment was horrific, but finally that feeling of nothing began to return. I wish I could say it was over then, but the last thing I saw was Gord leering down at me before grabbing me.

Ethan:
School was not a priority in our minds. Benny and I are still grieving. This is all my fault. If I would have pressed her to tell me she wouldn’t be dead. It’s my fault she was murdered. “What if the cops come for us?” Benny asked. Would they? We are technically suspects in both of our friends' murders. “Yo! My dogs!” I shuddered and nausea rolled through me. It was like I could still hear Rory. Only apparently I could, because he was walking up to us now. This was not the same boy we knew. Rory's skin didn’t have a single blemish on it. It was pale and smooth, perfect. His blonde hair was fluffed around his head, much different from his usual limpness. It also seemed a more pale blonde. His eyes had sunglasses instead of his regular prescription. This was the opposite of our friend. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I lowered my voice to a hurried whisper. “We thought you died!” I was met with a laugh. His sunglasses slipped down and revealed that his cloudy blue eyes were now a more vibrant, bright, and clearer blue. It was almost like husky eyes. “I mean, technically, yeah, but I’m undead so it’s chill. I woke up, no glasses, no asthma, feeling rocking! After I fed I felt even better!” He kept smiling at us, his teeth a dazzling white. “Rory….don’t tell me you drank someone.” He laughed again. Even his voice had taken on a new, light tone. “Yeah! I mean….Jesse said if we didn’t we’d die. All the other kids were doing it!” Benny stepped up with frantic eyes. “What about Val?” Rory seemed to grimace. “I’m sorry dude. She was totally shredded. There’s no coming back from that.” The sound in my ears was muted. Rory is dead. He may be right here, but my Rory is dead. This was an imposter. This pale smiling thing was a fake. “Anyways, Jesse keeps going on about these, Cuban Animals or something. So I gotta head to church.” Benny swiped at his face. “Cuban Animals? What does that even mean?” he asked. Rory shrugged. “He doesn’t tell us much. But I gotta bounce. Fang ya later!” He half turned as was gone. I turned to B and slapped his shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To church.”

We carefully opened my door. My parents were at work, and Jane was at school. We couldn’t let them know that we’re skipping school. “I don’t get what you’re trying to accomplish. Valentine is gone. Rory is undead. Can’t we just stay away from this?” I turned to face him. His eyes were dim and his shoulders sagged. “I think we need answers.” We whipped around to find Sarah standing in the kitchen. “Whoa- when did you get here?!”
“I recorded your voice inviting me in. And I needed to drop something off.” That was when the atmosphere changed. I choked on my spit. The sight of Valentine was too much. The streaks in her hair were gone, only leaving the dark natural colour. Her usual straight kept hair was damp and wildly curly. The curls stayed matted to her face, dried by splattered mud. This was the first time we had ever seen her tight ringlet curls in their natural state. The lavender of her eyes seemed to be brighter, almost like they glowed. Her throat was caked in dried blood, it streaked down her shirt. Her clothes were torn and wet, and she stood sort of in a defensive stance. She gripped the counter, her other hand clenched into a fist. No emotions were on her face. “Val?!” Benny shrieked. He ran to hug her and she stiffened. I wanted Benny away from her. It was like I could sense something horribly wrong. This was not the Valentine we knew. I slowly walked forwards to give her a hug. As soon as contact was made I felt the same shock that I did with Sarah. Except Valentine was clearer than anyone else. Her teeth were pointy, her eyes glowing a vibrant purple. Strange mist floated around her and large, broken, bloody angel wings sprouted from her back. Benny stood before her in the vision. His hair was slicked back and his throat was ripped open. “NO!” I yelled and yanked the real Benny back. Shocked looks slid their way to me. “God, Ethan, what’s your damage?” My blood ran cold. I didn’t recognize the voice that came from the small girl before me. I knew the overly high pitched voice that caused headaches. This voice was deep and monotone. Even Benny went still at the sound. I turned back to Benny. “She’s gone. Stay away from who-whatever that is,” I said. The unrecognisable voice spoke once more. “Can you put your childish fears aside for one minute? I’m here to help.” I looked over at her, sceptical. What I saw was too intense. She stepped forward and we stepped back. “I’m here to help,” she assured. “Listen, I’m going to go get decent. I’ll meet you back here.” I couldn’t protest, she was already walking away. “Give her a break,” Sarah said. I blinked slowly. Did no one understand where I was coming from? “I get that the whole vampire thing can be unsettling, but you’re treating her like she has the plague. You treated me just fine and we barely know each other.” Honestly it cannot be that hard to understand. “I’ve known her forever. That is not her. She sounds completely different! I mean, come on, that is not her.” She came around the corner. She looked entirely different now that she wasn't covered in dried blood, mud, and wearing shredded clothes. Her hair was hanging in thick curls down her back. The whites of her eyes were brighter, so bright that if the intense purple didn't burn your eyes, the whites would. She stood up stock straight, now in a sweater and jeans. She looked angelic. If angels were terrifying. How did she change in under three minutes? I bit my cheek. I had lots of questions.
“What are you now?”
“That’s hard to explain.”
“Are you not a vampire like Sarah?”
“No and yes. I’m more than that.”
“Then what are you?”
“I already said that it’s hard to explain.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Everything happens at a time. This is not the time.”
“Did you know about Jesse?”
“I can’t answer that right now.”
“Why?”
“Due time”
I turned to Benny. Maybe he would understand why I didn't trust her. His eyes were soft, and his expression was one of relief. “Ben? Dude, come on.” His green eyes turned to me and his eyebrows arched. “Can you imagine what she just went through? I mean she’s probably terrified. I know I would be if I became undead without any warning.” I looked back at her. She had a stern face, her hands wringing at the hem of her sweater. Her eyes snapped to mine. I blinked in surprise and she was gone, a slight haze left behind her. I gasped and threw my head back. I was suddenly in the house from the party. I was in Valentine’s place. I could see myself running away but wasn’t in my own body. Suddenly I felt the most indescribable feeling in my throat. The pain was so excruciating that I could do nothing about it but scream. The screams couldn't leave. The way cold hands dragged down my body. The scene blurred in my eyes and I was awake. Everything was too sharp. I could see too well, every single smell filled my nostrils and I heard even the air moving. It was all too much. I thought about getting out of this stupid house and suddenly I was outside, splattering around in mud. The sun burned my eyes so severely that I let out a scream and covered them. But the worst pain was the burning in my throat and stomach. As more people walked nearby, the more it burned. I clawed at my throat and my eyes. Taking everything in at once was painful. Thankfully I was back. I felt something hard and cold pressed into my shoulder. I looked over at her. Her touch had caused me to see those things. Had that been what she had gone through last night? And I was treating her like she has the plague. Nausea rolled through my stomach and I gripped the counter. She quickly removed her hand from its resting place on my shoulder. “You’re probably wondering about the Cubile animus. I don’t know much about it but I can get access to a book involving it,” Valentine said. “Yeah. of course, thank you. It’s really good to have you back.” I pulled her into a hug. It was like hugging a block of ice, and I shivered. “Wait. Nest of Souls? Nido animarum?” Benny asked. I felt her spring back from my grip, her dark voice ringing out in monotone. “Since when do you know Latin?” she asked. Benny walked over to give her another hug. “Not sure. I suddenly picked it up last night.” The two exchanged looks. “So where’s this book you want to show Ethan?” Sarah asked. I had forgotten that she was there. “Oh, right.” Val reached into a bag in the corner and pulled out a thick book.
“Let’s see….uhm..oh! ‘In old Whitechapel, a strong dictator ran a very successful church. Reverend Horace Black was a church and cult leader who-...’” My head snapped back again. I could see the scene she was describing. “‘Horace Black led for many years before a revolt was thrown against him. People noticed that both him and his followers appeared to have an appetite like no other, and with both people and animals missing, suspicion arose.’” I saw a hooded figure get cornered by a very angry mob.
“‘It was soon discovered that the group had been worshipping a young girl named Clavem Spei, which is Latin for key of hope. When they discovered that the local reverend was worshipping a seemingly made up girl, the townspeople accused him of witchcraft, devil worshipping, and murdering people and animals. The people found him guilty, but his clan hid with him in their boarded up church. The church was then set on fire, and Horace black, along with 219 clan members, perished inside. It was said that there was one lone survivor, but no record of them ever showed up. ’” As she finished I saw Horace Black’s hood fall as he screamed in anguish. And I gasped as it was none other than Jesse Black. I was back in the present and I gripped the counter again. “What?” Benny asked. “I had another…vision thing. I’ve been seeing it lately. Whenever I touch or hear a certain thing, I see stuff. And that book left out one huge detail about Horace….he’s Jesse.” The book slid from Valentine’s hand and suddenly she was right there with me. She grabbed me and pushed me. It felt like I was flying at hyperspeed. I landed softly against the wall and she kept her grip. She would never hurt me, but it was still scary. “What did you just say?” Her voice trembled ever so slightly and her eyes pierced into mine. “Horace is Jesse. He was the evil cult leader.” I watched as she grimaced, sharp point incisors sliding out of her gums. Her grip wasn't tight at all, but I still jolted when she let go. “Jesse….Jesse was the one who did all of that? He’s the leader from the prophecy?” Her eyes began to glow. It was like turning a light up slowly, the brightness growing slowly. “Val? What’s wrong?” Benny asked. I was then aware that she hadn’t been breathing or blinking this entire time. I guess she didn’t need to now. But I only noticed this because now that she was, it was heavily exaggerated. Her chest heaved heavily and she blinked hard and fast. I took a step forward and she let out a yell of frustration. It was a short, sort of barking scream. The doors and windows blew open, and we all fell to the ground. I tried to get up, but the shockwave that went through us vibrated our bones. “Is that a normal vampire thing?” I asked. “Nope,” Sarah replied. Val looked over at us from where she stood, the slight upturn of her eyebrows was the only hint on her stone face that she was just as shocked as we were. “I do that sometimes. It only happens when strong emotions are present and I can’t control it,” she said. Benny sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Wait, that happened before you got turned?” Valentine gracefully closed all of the doors and windows. “Yeah, my whole life. I’ve done my best to hide it from you all. I think I slipped up here and there, though.” I laughed in shock as I remembered the time that I made her mad when we were little kids. She cried and I began to levitate off the ground. Or when she would throw tantrums and things would fly off the walls or break. Every time I told my parents they accused me of being an imaginative child. I believed that until just now. “Well why wouldn’t you tell us?” Benny did have a good point. We’re her best friends. Once again she was in front of us. “Are you sure that Jesse is Horace? Perhaps your vision was wrong?” I shrugged and stood up. “They haven't been wrong so far. Why are you so freaked about it?” This time she shrugged and helped Benny up. “Doesn’t matter. We need to follow Jesse to find out about the nest of souls.” Benny zipped his jacket up more and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Well, I can get some holy water from the church, and we can all meet by the tombstones.”

I crouched behind the tombstone with Benny, Sarah, and Valentine. Jesse was not present, but everyone else was. “I’ve got to find out what this whole ‘nest of souls’ thing is,” Sarah said. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” I lightly patted her shoulder and gasped. I saw a tombstone before me. An unmarked grave with dates. The dates quickly formed to the number 219 as Jesse’s screams echoed throughout. Once I came too it all clicked. “There's a box. Jesse wants to use it to bring back his clan,” I explained. “But where would he get them?” Sarah asked. “Don’t you two know?” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Jesse would never tell two fledgelings. He’d only tell a real vampire. But no one is stupid enough to just tell us his plan.” She had a point. “Well, I know a pretty dumb vampire who would tell me anything,” Valentine chimed. It took us a moment but we understood. “And I have his number! And vampire repellent right-” As Benny spoke, he thrust his hand out. The holy water splashed Sarah and she screamed. I felt her arms wrap around my waist and we were zooming past trees. “SARAH!” I screamed in fear. I could hear Benny screaming as well. She stopped back by my house and my heart was hammering into my ears. I couldn’t tell if it was the fact that I just went faster than the fastest roller coaster or because her arms were wrapped around me. Her hand stayed positioned on my waist for just a second before she pulled away. “That was horrible,” B said as he swayed. It was a funny sight. This 6’2 boy was being held up by a 5’0 girl. Her hands gripped gently yet firmly at his waist and his face flushed. “Imagine how we feel,” Val said.

Later that night mom came into my room to check on me. She brought cardboard to fix the hole in my door that the evil pizza guy caused. I had told her that Benny and I played lightsabers too rough. “Hey mom? Have you ever….seen things that weren’t there. Like you had…visions?” Her features hardened. “Are we talking about drugs, Ethan?” I laughed nervously. “What? No,” I said and her features softened. “Well no. But there was this one time. When you were born, I used to like to watch you sleep. And I remember when I was looking down at you in your crib, I saw you all grown up. You were strong, smart, and kind. And I knew then that you would do good in this world.” I blinked. I hadn’t expected my mother to ever say anything like that. She favoured Jane so much. Once I had hit my teen years she backed off. The memories of almost dying these past few days came back. The fear that I’d never see her again or that she would die seeped into my thoughts and I recoiled. “Greyson?” Even the way she said my middle name with such softness made me sniff. I grabbed her into a hug and she hugged me back. When was the last time we even hugged like this? “Seriously if you even touch drugs, your father and I will have to kill you.” I laughed and pulled back. “Noted.” She left my room and I laid back on my bed, finally letting the tears drip from my lashes. Has this feeling ever infiltrated my mind? I had a wonderful life. My parents are awesome. They aren't strict and they are understanding and kind. I lived in a nice two story house. We had a good amount of money, and never struggled. I never did anything wrong and now I have to fight evil vampires. Rory had never done anything wrong and he was brutally murdered. He was fine with it but Val wasn't. Benny had to be terrified. The tears flowed heavier until my eyes drooped. Despite the turret of thought, sleep invaded my space. My dreams terrorised me all night. I had one where Valentine and Rory ripped out my throat. I awoke screaming at the top of my lungs, my eyes searching my room for the danger. “Ethan? Ethan! Ethan Greyson Morgan you open this door!” My mother screamed. When did I lock it? I quickly rushed to the door and turned the lock, and she barreled in. After a moment of inspecting she turned to me with wide eyes. “I uh…..had a nightmare,” I explained meekly. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. “I thought you were hurt. Don’t do that again.” I nodded my head, thankful she didn’t ask me what I had dreamt. She left my room and I slid down the wall. Every noise made me jump and look around in fear. I had never felt the true grip of paranoia on my mind before tonight. I felt my eyelids get heavier, and sleep consumed me once more.

I groggily trugged downstairs to find my little sister devouring a muffin. “Why were you screaming so loud? Your hair is messy,” Jane said. I ran my fingers through it and shook my head. “I had a nightmare.” Her eyes shot up and she giggled. “Aren't you too old for nightmares?”
“Aren't you too old for….Princess Starlight?” I sniffed out. She turned to the tv and shrugged. “So Sarah is a vampire? Is Valentine a vampire?” I hoped she forgot about that. “Yes and yes.” She took another bite. “And Valentine is something else too?” I nodded and made my way out the door. “Love you Jane!” I called.

I grabbed my books from my locker, turning when I heard Benny run up behind me. “This was in my mailbox this morning,” he said and thrusted a hard drive into my hand. I plugged it into my computer and we slid down the wall. I clicked file one. A video of Rory appeared. “Dude, this library is creepy! I did some snooping around and found another book like the one Val had. It reads about Reverend Black’s chant he made for…shoot I’m gonna pronounce this wrong ...uh.. Clavem Spei.. or something..anyways, it says ‘Soul for soul, the Black Army rebirth’…oh this would make a wicked black metal song! ‘Soul fo’ soul, denenenene, the Black Army rebirthhhhh denananana!” I closed the file. “Soul for soul? What kind of emo crap is that?” Benny asked. I shrugged and clicked on the second file. Blue and gray hues filled the screen as a pale girl with limp brown hair appeared. Eerie music crackled through the speakers as a boy landed in front of her. “Rochelle…drinking your hemoglobin may be a crime, but I wish for you to be here with me for all time.” The girl swooned at him. “Oh, Jakeward!” What was the point of this garbage? The screen faded to black and orange words. It read about a premier at our local theater. “The premier? Why did he add this?” I had another lightbulb moment. 219 tickets were sold. “No. no, I don't like that look. That’s the ‘I have an unpleasant idea’ look.” Sarah skipped towards us and opened her locker. “Secret geek meeting?” she asked. I shook my head and grimaced. “We're going to the dusk premier.” The air shifted as Jesse walked through the hallway. His eyes flashed a vibrant blue at us and Erica-now super hot and lacking geeky- smiled at Sarah with smugness. “Hello boys. I couldn't help but notice you're smitten with my ex now,” Jesse said. His voice was velvety and smooth. “Nothing wrong with having friends.” I jumped at the sound of Valentine. She was standing like she was about to spring, almost feline. “Well, for a second I thought you were gone for good,” Jesse leered at her. “I wish. Come on, we’ve got history.” We did not have history.

We sat around the table, gathering up our bags. Nerf darts filled with very sharp pencils. We had spent the day training to dodge fangs and aim well. “Do I have to stay with Benny’s grandma? She smells funny,” Jane complained. I sighed. “No she doesn't, she smells nice. Like old people and..mothballs.” Valentine’s curls were pulled back in a ponytail, her bangs brushing her eyes. “Do we have everything?” she asked. I still wasn't used to this deep voice. “Actually you kids will need this!” Benny’s grandma walked around the corner holding something covered in cloth. Benny sighed. “Thanks, grandma, but we already ate. I don’t think we need any…decorative knives?” She pulled out long shiny knives with carved handles. “These are daggers. You're going to need them if you're battling the bloodsuckers.” Our jaws dropped. “I blessed them a bit for you.” Jane looked up. “Are you a witch?” Evelyn laughed. “Goodness no! I’m an Earth Priestess. Much more fun.” She waved her finger and Jane's picture danced around on the paper. “Benny’s. Grandma. Rocks!” Benny shook his head. “Grandma!?” She frowned. “I didn’t want to tell you until you were ready. But you all seem to be growing into your powers. Benjamin, you have the makings for a first class Spell Caster. And Ethan, he’s a Seer. That’s his destiny.” I bristled. “Seer?” She nodded. “Well you have been getting visions, haven’t you? They usually start around puberty.” My face flamed as I nodded. “And Valentine, you are a whole other story. You are an Enchantress. That’s the most powerful type of witch. But you already knew that much. And you’re a hybrid now. Which is illegal, so I’d watch for that. I doubt they’d hurt you since you have that connection to Clavem.” Valentine whipped her head up. “Clavem?”
“Oh, yes. It’s said that you’re the prophecy. That you are the reincarnation of Clavem Spei! But that’s for later, here Benny.” She handed him a spell book while Val shook her head. “Careful, it doesn't always do what you want.”
“Can we talk about this Clavem stuff?” Val asked. “Well dear, due time!” And with that, she rushed us out the door. None of us had time to process that we were magical in some way.

Sarah drove carefully down the road, I watched the backseat through the mirror. “This doesn't make sense, Jesse was killed for worshipping someone who didn't exist. How can I be her reincarnate if she was never real?” Benny sighed. “I can’t wrap my head around my grandma. But hey, we're all finding out some new stuff all the time.” I turned to face them and smiled weakly. “This puts explanations behind your strange tantrums when we were little,” I said. They both laughed and I turned around, keeping my eyes on the mirror. Benny put his hand over hers, then dragged it up to cup her face. This was more than a little shocking. Could B like V? “You're really cold..” He murmured his words, and his eyes looked her dead on. She jerked away, a swift motion that set 2 feet between them. “Sorry!” Benny looked panicked and she grimaced. “You’ll get used to moving as a vampire without flying across the room,” Sarah said as she parked.

We made our way towards the front and spotted Gord with someone else. Valentine quickly pushed us against the wall. “There’s a back entrance. Follow me.” We made our way around the theatre until we found a large door. “Uh, guys? I think If I’m reading this correctly, I think I just found a spell that’ll make all the vampires just disappear!” Benny said. We turned to him expectantly. “Uh…Cententium Neofetus Na!” The book disappeared from his hand. We all groaned as Benny looked down, confused. “Ok, plan b?” Valentine rolled her eyes and kicked the door open with a breeze.

We all went our separate ways to complete tasks and investigate. Benny stayed in the front lobby by the snack counter, and Sarah went to watch what was happening on stage from behind a curtain. Valentine and I went to the boiler room to fill up the sprinkler system with holy water. I was obviously the one handling the liquid, and she kept watch. I flicked my eyes over to her. She was leaning against a pipe, unnaturally still. My body’s natural predator prey alarm bells were warning me to run from her. My instincts were telling me that her perfect, glassy skinned, smooth face was inhuman and dangerous. It told me that her lack of breathing and blinking, and her inability to fidget was dangerous. But I ignored those instincts. This was my friend. My head hurt a little. It was like I was tuning into a radio station. Her purple eyes gave me a quick look down. “What, Ethan? I can tell you want to speak.” I shivered at the sound of her deep voice. It was hypnotic. Another predator feature of hers. “I don’t know….I’m not used to this. It’s strange. And I don’t know which is more concerning. Having these abilities, knowing all my friends have abilities, or talking to one of my best friend’s reanimated corpse.” She scoffed and kicked away from the wall. She was beside me in a millisecond. “I’m still me,” Valentine said. I was facing her now, and we were inches apart. She carried a heady peppermint smell to her. “This whole operation proves that when you get bit, your soul leaves your body. Valentine is gone.” I waited for her expression to change, but it never did. “My soul never was really mine, was it? This mythical goddess being has always inhabited me, so was there ever really a Valentine to begin with?” Now my head was pounding. “Why didn’t you use your magical powers to stop Jesse from turning you?”
“It’s starting,” Valentine said suddenly. I followed her gaze to the hallway. Jesse’s voice boomed throughout. Valentine grabbed my arm, and in a dizzy blur we stopped outside the curtain with Sarah.

Erica stood with her arm slung lazily over Jesse, blood red lips pulled back into a hungry smile. She was greeting the young girl with mousy brown hair who won the raffle. My eyes shifted between Sarah, Valentine, and the scene before us. Sarah was looking on with a worried expression. Valentine looked murderous. Her fangs were barred behind her snarl and she was wound so tightly I thought she might burst.
“What’s my prize?” The girl asked excitedly. “This,” Jesse said before sinking his fangs into her neck. Everyone cheered, thinking it was all some sort of gag for the movie. Sarah had to hold Valentine to keep her from running out there. A blue wisp left the girl's mouth as she took her last breath. Erica opened the box and it claimed the first soul. I sucked in a deep breath and attempted not to choke on the anxiety that racked my bones. This could very well be the end of my life. “Fire!” I screamed out. Valentine murmured something and the thick smell of smoke filled the theatre. Jesse snapped his head to us, a snarl on his face. “Everyone stay calm! everyone…GO!” With his last word he waved his arm to the crowd. The vampires ran into the crowd, fangs gleaming.

Chaos had erupted. Sarah ran to the back to take care of Erica. Benny was helping people evacuate. I ran out with my dagger, slicing vampires down their fronts. I felt the presence of one behind me and turned, slashing the dagger. Rory stepped back with wide eyes. “Watch it!” he said. I couldn’t kill Rory even if I wanted to. “You watch it man. Get out of here, no drinking people.” He twisted his lips then nodded. “Can I have one little taste?” Vampire impulses I guess. “No! Unless you want her to deal with you.” I pointed to Valentine. She had her legs wrapped around a vampire's shoulders, fingers plunged into his throat. He screamed in agony when she ripped his throat out before delivering the lethal blow of ripping his head off his shoulders. As his body went limp and fell, she kicked off his shoulders and sprung onto another vampire, fingers plunging into her eye sockets. Rory shuddered and shook his head before flashing away. I shot at another vampire. I let out a sigh of relief as he turned to dust. My moment of relaxation was short. A pair of arms wrapped around me like a vice. They squeezed and I gasped, suddenly unable to breathe. Something cold grazed my neck and I prepared for death. But then something whizzed past my head and the vampire turned to dust. I snapped my gaze to see Valentine angrily looking at me, her arm outstretched to show she threw the dagger. Her hand was melted from the holy water, but quickly healed. She was in front of me once more. “He’s getting away.” And then we were in the backroom.

“Why won’t you stay gone?” Jesse asked Valentine. His voice almost held pain in its tone. Sarah was trying to hold off Erica, but she was obviously weak from hunger. Gord stood behind Jesse, leering at Valentine. “Oh Horace, you know she’d never kill you.” They laughed and a glimpse of weakness crossed V’s face. “Maybe she won’t but I will,” I said and brandished my zippo. Jesse laughed and looked around. “You know fire doesn’t actually kill us, right? Seriously, you're a super geek but can’t do some simple research?” I held my breath and threw the lighter as high as I could. Valentine and Sarah ducked out of the way, but Jesse was three steps ahead of them, quickly ducking as well. But he wasn’t fast enough, and the holy water from the sprinklers burned his foot and he hissed. Valentine growled and grabbed Gord by his arm, kicking his side forcefully. He fell forward and dragged her with him. He screamed in agony as the water poured over him. Val held his head down as hard as she could, small black cracks snaking up his warm brown skin. The noise was like steel being ripped from the side of a building. Valentine was growling like a wild animal.
“I should have ripped your head off when I had the chance! But don’t you worry, I’ll be back! You can’t escape me!” he screamed as he melted into a pile of ash onto the ground. Valentine smiled at the pile, her skin melting and smoking. She quickly rushed back into the shadows to heal. “You thought that would stop me?” Jesse laughed. I sighed as the water soaked me. A scream erupted as Benny charged from the side door, dagger raised above his head. In a flash Jesse extended his arm and Benny was on the ground, blood spraying from his nose. And then he was gone. I gasped when he brushed past me, another vision taking over my body. A tree of some sorts, where the clan would be resurrected. The tree that rested in my very back yard. Once I came to I reached down and grabbed Benny, hoisting him over my shoulder. “I know where he’s going! Come on!”

By the time we reached the tree in my backyard, Jesse had already dug the hole. We had placed Benny gently on the ground where he couldn’t be reached. “Hey Jesse!” I called as we approached. He turned around, his eyes glowing an icy cerulean colour. “How did you know I would be here?” he demanded. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “You’re in my backyard. But that isn’t the point. The point is that this is where your reign ends. We’re taking you down.” Jesse threw his head back in booming laughter. “Sarah is weak! Her mortal body is dying, can’t you smell it? She won’t drink blood, so she dies! And you know, Ethan, I went toe to toe with your great-great grandfather. I remember Earnest Morgan and his vigour. The blind seer who believed he could save whitechapel from the big bad cult leader. He knew my strength, just like he knew Clavem’s strength. Thought he could take me down. But where is Earnest Morgan now? He was just as weak and pathetic as you. And you, Valentine. You know you could stop me, but how could you ever hurt your big brother?” Our heads snapped to her direction. Valentine’s mouth hung open, her eyes wide and dangerous. “Val…?” Her eyes drifted to me. “I didn’t want to tell you. I was afraid you’d think I was on his side.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My eyes drifted between the two. Jesse was a washed out pale, and Valentine had smooth lightly browned skin. Their only shared feature was their almond shaped eyes and perfectly rounded noses. Benny raised his head from his spot on the damp grass. “Wait, Jesse is your big brother?” She hung her head and nodded. Betrayal flooded my veins. “So it was all a lie? Your last name isn’t even Carter is it? It’s Black? And that twin you claim to have?”
“No! Not all of it. There is no aunt. Jesse took care of us. And by us, I mean my twin brother and I. He’s real, his name is Wynter. He just chose not to hang around in fear he couldn’t control his urges. He’s a vampire.” My anger fell away as I realised that she really was on our side. I turned back to Jesse. He raised the box and I ran forward. Sharp pains raced through my head and I fell to the ground, screaming and clawing at my eyes. “Just as weak as Earnest.” He was in my head. Horrible thoughts raced through my mind as I fought the urge to gouge my eyes out of my skull, or to run the dagger in my back pocket into my throat. “Not so fast, Horace!” Benny’s grandma shouted from the window where her and Jane sat. “Evelyn?” Jesse said with much confusion. “I thought Briar took you with him?!” Benny’s grandma scowled and chanted something with Jane. “Alpress Alnock katran!” Lighting struck from the sky and hit Jesse, who screamed and fell back. My mind was released from its torture and I grabbed the box. “What are you doing?!” Jesse screeched with anxiety. “You ruined their premier. Now you deal with them.” I opened the box and tried not to shudder as the broken cries of the souls filled the area around us. “No! What have you done?!” Jesse and Valentine screeched in unison. The souls swirled around Jesse before fading through him, attacking him violently. He screamed in agony as a bright light began to glow from his mouth and eyes. Black smoke curled from his ears.

“NO!” Valentine screamed. Her eyes were glowing a vibrant purple, lighting up her face. She reached her hands out towards him and screamed. I could understand her distress. Her brother was evil, but still her brother who had raised her her whole life. And now she was watching him die. She made a grab for him but he exploded into a ball of light before she could make contact. In the moment of blinding light, it almost looked like her shadow had wings sprouting from its back. And her face, doused in white light, looked like hers, but a little like someone else.
Benny and Sarah rushed forward to grab her. I caught the putrid black smoke that was Jesse in the box and slammed it down into the hole, quickly burying it in the dirt. Valentine rose to her feet and looked to the sky. “Val, I’m so sorry-”
She was gone in a second. I didn’t bother looking into where she had gone.

We walked towards the entrance of the school. Sarah walked beside Erica. They had made up when it was revealed that Jesse was controlling Erica the entire time. Rory stuck close to them. Benny was on one side of me. He was fine except for some slight bruising around his nose bridge. He got his book back. He found it on his bed in his grandma's house. Valentine was on my other side, sunglasses covering her purple irises. She hadn’t spoken about her feelings towards her brother dying. Instead she introduced us to the boy beside her. Wynter held some similar features to her. They had the same nose, mouth, and he carried the same eye shape as her. His flat ironed fluffy inky black hair was cut to hang over one eye in a total emo way. He didn’t have unusual purple eyes like his sister, but unusual deep red eyes. When asked about them, he told people he had a slightly different genetic mutation from Valentine. His smooth warm brown skin was a contradiction to that. Not that anyone knew enough about that to question. He was dazzling and lean. His waist thin and his smile bright. Erica had taken a decent liking to him, but he showed no interest. He fit in with us pretty quick. “Wait, so people actually believe that the incident was a huge psychosomatic event caused by too much media exposure? No one even remembers having their soul taken?” Wynter asked. I shook my head. “Nope.” Kind of glad it all worked out that way. I felt a sense of safety now that Jesse was dead. Things could finally go back to normal.