make me

57-history

"Oh, I was just curious..." the west coast? I lived close to that, so maybe we'll pass through my hometown...

We got into the car and buckled our seatbelts. I don't even know why we did though, aren't vampires supposed to heal everything except head injuries?

I put my confusion aside as the car started and we got on the road. I always liked seeing the landscape pass by quickly. It was like leaving all my thoughts behind me.

An hour passed, and Raven and I were listening to music, just enjoying our little time together. A simple time. We didn't have to think about anything for the moment. Raven didn't have to go fight anyone yet. And we both were safe and sound. I was at peace.

But then, my nightmare came to reality when I saw the landscape changing into something familiar, but not quite the same from the last time I had seen it.

My hometown in ruins.

Buildings, or what were left of them draped the ground with their remains. I could see a child looking around, barefoot and dirty, desperate to find her parents in the piles of dirt scattered across the land.

I guess Raven noticed me staring, because she slowed the car down and stopped in front of the gate... the only thing left standing.

"This is where you lived before, isn't it?" Raven asked as we both stayed silent in the car. I think the sound of silence answered her question, because she just looked ahead of her with a concerned look and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Do you want to go see?" The moment those words left her mouth, my door was opened and I was stepping out of the car. I had to go see my house. I had to see what was left of it.

Raven followed me closely behind as I ran to the last place I had ever seen before falling into a spirale of abuse. I could sense her looking around us, afraid that someone might recognize her... or us.

I stopped when I arrived in front of a red pile. Our house always stood out because of that. Most people like us here were only able to find trash materials to build their houses, but for some reasons, our house always stood in good shape compared to the others and since the color of it was so bright, kids started making legends about it. They called it the guarded red house. Some thought it was protected by angels, others thought demons were in charge of it, but the legend that was being told the most, was the one that it was once owned by a witch. The legend stated that the witch had casted a spell over it, protecting it forever...

I guess that legend was a lie, because if I knew one thing for sure... it wasn't guarded anymore.

I walked through the debris of what was once my home, looking around for anything that might bring back some memories. I went to what was left of my room and found books scattered across the cracked floor. I smiled softly as I picked them up and blowed the dust away for the covers.

I remember reading those all the time as a child. The stories were short, but since they were the only books I ever had, I used to continu them in my head. I made up this whole world where everybody was equal. They were faes, warlocks, witches, vampires (but the good ones) and even giants. I loved that place. It made me feel in control.

I was looking at my books when I heard something fall in the junk. I looked where the sound came from and saw a huge book, one that I had never seen before. I picked it up as Raven got closer to me, looking over my shoulder to see what it was. As I cracked the wax seal over it, a big draft of wind hit my skin. I took a deep breath in and opened the book, revealing its yellow and dry pages that seemed to have been existing forever.

Pictures or, more drawings were displayed across its pages with tiny little texts besides them. I turned a couple of pages when I arrived to a drawing that had been glued in with the caption besides it reading : "Elizabeth Acker".

Raven stepped back, almost falling as the realization hit her.

Elizabeth was in my family. More precisely, she was my great great great great great aunt, but that's long to say.

I turned to look at Raven to see how she was doing and she was sitting on a chair. One that was still standing at least.

"I'm the one who made that drawing..."

I didn't know what to say... what do you even say to a vampire that just realized their long lost love was part of the family of their new one? It's fucked up...

Since I was shocked and curious as to what was in the rest of the book, I continued looking through it with wide eyes. A couple of pages later, there was a note.

"To the child born in the year 2003. You have been chosen by the great Elizabeth to receive all of our family power. We have been informed by our guides that a powerful curse has been placed. This curse will store the power that our family has been gifted in a frozen state, feeding off of time, and growing bigger every seconds.

This curse, was created with the intention of saving Liv. A vampire that has helped us greatly without even knowing, since we always kept our power a secret... vampires don't usually like when a being is more powerful than them, that, we learned the hard way. So that is why this curse has been born: to kill the King, protecting Liv and therefore bring peace back to earth.

This stored power, will all be landed to you the moment you say these words:

Takerio benano

Use your power wisely, as this should not be taken lightly."

I said the words without even thinking. I saw the letters and automatically, I said it. It was like I knew what to do without even knowing. Like my body remembered this text, this book, Elizabeth even, but my mind didn't.

And as the words left my mouth, I felt a sudden burst of energy flow through me. I looked up at the sky and saw everything that had happened to our family.

I saw people making medicine with plants at first, then people starting to make potions and spells, potions and spells turning into a telekinetic power, power becoming magik, a child using its power with other children around therefore terrifying the neighbourhood kids and adults, people coming in with torches into our homes, my family escaping from them and refuging themselves into this red house. And I saw the death of Elizabeth.

I saw when she was looking at Raven in her blood red suit, saying goodbye to guests. I saw her look at King when he took his dagger out. The terror. The excruciating terror that she was going to lose her love. Then I saw myself, or Elizabeth, look down and seeing her dress getting soaked with blood. I saw the blood spit out of her deep wound and fell to the ground holding my stomach as I tried to keep the blood in. My vision became blurry, and then I saw Raven.

Her face was stained with tears as she screamed at King, but to me, to Elizabeth, I could only focus on how beautiful she was. Her hair, that was incredibly long at that time, fell over her face, sticking the her humid cheeks. She bit her wrist and presented it to me, but I was ready. It was my time. So I pushed it away.

Raven glared at me with sadness and frustration, but seemed to understand the gesture.

Time was slowing down now. I knew my time was coming to an end shortly.

I looked at Raven and smiled at her, my last breath being close, I whispered to her: I love you, okay?

I took her face in the palm of my hand and as I felt the last drop of life leave my body, I set an intention, a spell. I put all of my power into our next generation. I felt power course through my veins only to stop once everything had reached my heart and when it stopped beating... the most powerful curse was born.