5 to 1 *On Hiatus*

Ch 4: Meeting Monsters

"Do you have parents?" I ask out of the blue, the random question popping into my head.

"Yeah. What kind of question is that, Liz?" Lou asks.

"N-no, I mean, do you know them?" I say sheepishly. My cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Yeah, we know our parents. Why? Don't you know yours?" Liam asks me and I start to tear up.

"They were murdered by Creatures on my first birthday." I say, wincing as the tears escape my eyes.

"Murdered?" Harry asks at the same time Lou asks, "Creatures?"

"The Creatures of the Night. They murdered my parents because my family is the last of the Varias bloodline, the first royal family of Romania. There's legends that say our family is special and we slowly died off throughout the generations, leaving my parents and me. The night of my first birthday was Hallow's Eve, when my 21st birthday is, just 26 days from now. That night our castle was raided and my parents murdered. I alone survived as my parents' dying wish to Vladimir. He promised to protect me on pain of  death. And he's kept his promise to this day." I explain, knowing they could write me off as crazy for my story.

"What the hell does that mean?" Louis asks, confused. "What are Creatures of the Night?"

"Well, there are many breeds but the main four are the ones you get your basic legends on; vampires, werewolves, witches, and shapeshifters. There's lots more but we'll stick to the main four.

"You're telling me that that stuff actually exists?" he says sceptically. At least he isn't calling me crazy.

"Yes. This is Transylvania. What did you expect to find?" I shrug, having been brought up with this while they obviously haven't.

"Wait, like blood sucking vampires and men who change into wolves and cackling witches that ride through the air on magic broom sticks and that sort of stuff?" Liam asks, his tone matching Louis'.

"No. I mean blood sucking vampires, men who can change into wolves, witches that mix potions and such in their homes, and that sort of stuff. Its not all true, the stuff of myths." I say, wiping my tears from before. "Would you like to meet some?"

"Sure." Louis says.

"Why not." Zayn shrugs.

"Sounds cool." Liam nods.

"Yeah." Niall speaks.

"Let's." Harry says as they all stand up and follow me to their rooms.

"Get changed and then we'll go see some monsters." I say ominously.

I run up to my room and swiftly change into all black; black long sleeve form fitting shirt, black skinny jeans that fit like a glove, even black socks and boots. I pull my still wet hair into a high ponytail and brush it out quickly before returning to the second floor sleeping quarters.

I feel kind of dirty lying to Vladimir, the boys, and even myself, when I say I have no social interaction. I have a small group of friends that I rarely ever see. I haven't seen them in so long that tonight I'd be shocked if the even showed up.

The boys emerge in everyday clothes and look at each other as if they dressed weird because of my dark outfit.

"Don't worry, I have to be in black, you don't." I say, waving them off before walking down the steps and out the back door. I know Vladimir is asleep because of the lack of light in his study and bedroom, so I'm not as afraid as I would be or was a few years ago, when his eyes were more watchful.

When we walk into the darkest part of the property, a small forest surrounded on the outside by a thick wall, I have the boys link hands with me in a chain so no one gets lost. My feet find their way in the dark because I know this path but the people behind me stumble and nearly fall very often. Once we get a decent ways into the forest I flip on the flashlight I had clipped to my belt and hand one to each of the lads. "Why didn't we use these sooner?" one of them, probably Niall or Louis, complains.