• I stumbled into bed exhausted. Tonight had been amazing. After the movies he had brought me to a coffee shop where we sat and talked till I nearly fell asleep. “You just can’t stay awake, can you?” He’d said. And I’d replied, “You’ve got me all figured out.” Then he called his mom and she picked us up. He’d kissed me again before I’d slipped through the door. He was my dream boyfriend. My fairy-tale prince. I loved him and no one else. I repeated it over till I slipped into a deep slumber. Unfortunately the dreams were more realistic this time.

    I awoke in blinding darkness. This isn’t my usual dream, I thought unsatisfied. I heard my mother scream from the kitchen. My heartbeat quickened as I descended the steps. But I reached the kitchen too late. There on the linoleum floor were my parents drained of all blood and life. The vampires were like the ones Collin had described. Was it Seylan and Gabriel? I gasped hard grasping for breath. “No.” I whispered. Seylan looked at me quizzically and raised one eyebrow. “Ahh, Collin has taught you well, perhaps too well.” His voice was husky and low but some how musical. He stepped forward and I clutched the fridge door. “You know more than a mortal should. Though, I can deal with that quite easily.” Gabriel hung back as if awaiting orders from his master. I stared down at my parents in disbelief. It felt so real. My mother’s curly short dark brown hair lay in bundles and stained with blood. While my father lay next to her perfectly still and white as if he were carved in ice. Even his straight red hair didn’t have a trickle of blood in it. This isn’t real. I’ll wake up any second, I thought. This time it was Gabriel who spoke in a high sweet but also dark and threatening voice, “Oh but it is or at least it will be. We will always rule your life from now on and you can do nothing about it.” On a split second decision I ran. They could out run me by miles. But I’m sure they wouldn’t see any fun in that. Killing was just a game to them. They did it for sport when they didn’t need to and still enjoyed when they did need to. I wasn’t sure where to run where to hide? Where was even safe? Somehow my legs carried me to Collin’s house. I ran up to the glowing house with every light on. It looked like a party. I decided there was no time to knock and simply opened the door.

    At first I thought it was a party. There were people all over talking and drinking some sort of red wine. But I quickly saw their eyes and realized this was no normal party. The breath-taking people turned their heads and stared at me with expressionless looks. Then one-stepped forward and they all began to walk towards me. Their black eyes flickered in the bright light when they met mine. If I turned back Seylan and Gabriel would surely catch me. But, if I stay here the same consequences apply. “COLLIN!” I screamed with a last rasping breath. I shut my eyes hoping it would all disappear. When I opened them I was cradled in Collins arms pressed to his chest in a dim dusty hallway “Brooke! Brooke! What’s wrong?” He was crying.

    I sat up. “I… I… don’t know. It all felt so real. It was horrible.” I sobbed. “What happened? Please tell me Brooke.” “They were in the kitchen… my mother and my father…dead…they would have killed me really. I tried to run but…” I trailed off. “But what?” He pressed. “But I ended up here and there were so many… they were all so beautiful. I screamed but… you didn’t answer.” I cried on and on. It had felt so real. The emotions, the furniture, the vampires were all so life-like. I leaned my head back against him and my tears stained his black shirt “Shhh. It’s all over. Nothing’s going to hurt you now. It was just a dream and you were sleep walking… or running. I’m surprised you weren’t hit by a car actually.” He lulled. “Oh I’m the luckiest girl alive.” I straightened my hair and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “But they had to be there. It felt like they were in my house.” “Who?” He lifted one eyebrow. His blonde hair sweeped across his face and he set it back with a flick of his head. “Seylan and Gabriel.” “They were there I know it.” “That’s not possible.” He disagreed shaking his head. “How do you know such things mister Collin Brimstar?” “It’s complicated. Let’s just say that I know. Or rather something in my brain tells me. It’s like a built in radar. I can sense when others of my kind are around. Except for a few nomads a couple miles out of town it’s clear. We don’t usually settle but there are a few vampire towns and stores scattered…hidden.” “Where’s Alex?” I prompted hoping to change the subject. “Oh, She has some business to take care of.” I glared. “The last time she was out she visited a bar, careless as she is, and some guys…humans tried to mess with her and well you only mess with her in you want to be dead.” “That’s comforting.” I rolled my eyes. “The girl that just took me dress shopping today is out slaughtering some teenage boys, and drinking them like they’re a couple of martinis.” “It’s not like that.” His cheery voice sounded dark and frustrated. He took a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh. “I know but do you really drink human blood? Or are you one of those that only drink animal blood like in the novel I just read?” He opened his mouth but I wasn’t going to be stopped. “If so then I must be the girl always in distress and you must be my knight in shining armor that some where deep inside longs for my blood.” “You really have to stop reading those things.” “I know.” I suddenly noticed the awkward position in which I was curled up in his lap. I rose to my feet. “Ugh! What time is it?” I felt a wave of dizziness pass over me. “Uh…” He looked out the window in back of me, “about dawn.” I shook my head. My eyelids felt like fifty pounds. I grabbed the bar that ran along the sidewall. “Let me walk you home.” “No Collin. That would be awkward mainly because I have a boy friend now.” He picked me up and slung me across his back. “Can your boyfriend do this?” He took less then a step and a blur of color rushed by me and a whistle came from the wind that bit my face. In a moment we were at my house. “No.” I formed the words slowly. “But, my boyfriend isn’t a blood thirsty vampire which brings me back to my first question.” “Fine,” He sighed, “I can sustain myself on animals but only for so long. Occasionally human blood is necessary but we don’t kill we’re able to stop ourselves. It’s difficult but we can. Though others… well most think of you as game…animals for the taking. I’m sorry.” “Don’t be,” I mumbled just before my head drooped.

    I woke with an awful pain in my back and an uneasy feeling. I didn’t want to go to the dance. But how could I tell George that? I shouted a muffled ‘arrgh’ into my pillow. I had to talk to a normal person. Not a vampire, a crazy dreamy boyfriend, or freaky disaster twins. Not mom. I cautioned myself. I let out another muffled yell of, “it sucks to be a freaking only child!” I rose up from my warm bed and pulled on a tank top and jeans. Yes… I would talk to Collin. No. I banged my head on the wall. Half of me said stay away. The other half said go for it baby. I knew I was getting too close to Collin. We had been destined for each other since sixth grade when we danced together in the school play and lip locked at the end. NO, NO, NOOOO! This isn’t right. George, George, George. George is all that matters. I would go to the dance even if I would be miserable. But first I would talk to Collin. “NO!” I screamed aloud and stomped out of my room. I slammed the front door shut and walked down two streets right to Collin’s front steps. “Damnit!”

    There was Collin sitting on a step casually as if I weren’t there at all. He had a black tight shirt on revealing his mussels and skinny jeans. His head was in his hand as he daydreamed with a coffee in the other. “What do you mean Damnit?” “Uhhh, nothing…don’t worry about it.” “So why are you here so early? I thought Alex would have you in lock down for prom.” “Yea… um…I just wanted to talk.” I feebly answered. “About what?” I found myself walking towards him. I finally had the courage to sit next to him. Why was this so awkward? Why did I even have these thoughts? “Nothing much…” The steaming coffee suddenly distracted me. “Umm…” I made a hand motion towards the coffee. “It felt weird coming out here with out it.” I nodded even though I really didn’t understand. “Can I have it then?” He nodded I return and handed it to me. I gulped half of it in one sip. “God Collin, I needed that. This week has been hell! In fact my whole life is a freaking mess.” I took another abnoxious gulp finishing the whole coffee. “Ok…wanna talk about it.” “NO! I don’t want to talk about how my boyfriend’s too perfect, I don’t want to go to the dance even though every one expects me to, and my best friends are freaking vampires!” Just like that I fell into the mercy of Collin Brimstar.

    It took me an hour to stop blurting and crying. The whole time he just took it. He sat there and nodded and lulled. I couldn’t take it any more. My face fell to my hands. He was so inviting. Everything made me wish I could jump in his arms and kiss him and stay there for hours. But George…I had to resist. For him I would. I would do anything for George. When my face was dry I slowly rose to my feet. “Are you going to the dance?” “Well…” He hesitated. “I might drop in.” “Alright er…thanks.” “Yea uh…you should get going.” “Yeah…” Why was I acting so weird? It took every strength in my body to resist from turning around and jumping into his arms. But the thought of how disappointed George would be reminded me of whose girlfriend i was. And the answer to that was not the vampire's.