Sasha Swift

Prologue

A loud clap of thunder wakes me up. I had just fallen asleep. I am exhausted from the long day. Today my parents had taken me to a carnival. It was the best day of my life. Now I am wide awake full of energy again. Probably from all the cotton candy earlier. Not being able to fall back asleep I decide to go check on my parents.

I check their bedroom but it's empty. I go to my dad's office and wait outside the closed door. From out here, I can hear their hushed voices.

"What are we going to do? Soon they will come for her. How can we possibly keep her safe?" My mom asks my dad.

"We can't worry about things like that. They think she is dead. No one is looking for her. We are safe." My dad assures her and I push open the office door. My parents look surprised to see me. Of course, I'm supposed to be asleep.

"Sasha sweetheart. Come sit." Dad motions me over and I sit on his lap.

Mom stands beside dad. She plays with my hair while singing. I notice she does this a lot when she is upset. But why is she upset? Did I do something wrong? I grab her hand and smile at her.

"Don't worry momma. Everything is fine. Tomorrow we're going to the market and we can get stuff for popcorn necklaces. You love those right?"

Momma smiles back at me with her watery eyes. "I do. I love them very much. And I always will."

Dad starts typing on his computer doing boring work stuff. I start to fall back asleep when a loud crash wakes me.

Dad jumps up with me in his arms. He carries me to his closet. But it doesn't look like a closet.

"Stay in here. No matter what you hear don't leave Sasha. I love you!" My dad kisses my cheek and steps back. Momma steps up.

"Momma, what's going on? I'm scared."

"Listen to your dad. We love you. Stay safe." She closes the door and I hear it lock.

A loud siren goes off like an alarm. I hear banging and clattering. I hold myself. I'm so scared. What is happening?

I look through the peek hole. Three people run in at superhuman speed. Two guys and a girl. I hear yelling and arguing but I can't make out what they are saying. Then I hear it. A blood-curling scream. I close my eyes too afraid to look.

When I open my eyes. I see my parent's faces down on the floor covered in blood. A scream comes out and I quickly cover my mouth as the tears roll down my cheeks. This can't be happening. They can't be dead.

In the room, the three people tower over their bodies. I try to study their faces. The faces of the people who killed my parents. The people who made me an orphan.

The woman sniffs the air and then turns her head in my direction. My heart starts to race. Did she hear me? But that’s when I see her. See her for who she really is.

Her eyes are red like her hair and worse of all she has fangs. Long fangs covered in blood. She is a monster. A monster I never knew was real, a vampire.