The End Of The Beginning

The Second Incident

He was gone in a flash. I felt a little woozy as what he said truly sank in. Did he really just say I was a vampire? I asked myself. Ok...ok... Calm down, he could be kidding! Yeah, oh yeah. He's just trying to scare me. I'll show myself I am not a vampire.

I run in the sunlight just a few steps in front of me. See? Noth- I stop when I suddenly feel a burning sensation all over my body. "Ow!" I jump back in surprise. "My baby fangs are sharper..." I bolt back to Dalton's house, which doesn't take me long with my new vampire speed.

"Dalton!" I scream. "Vanessa? Oh thank god! You're back! What-" "I'm a vampire." I said. Dalton and his brothers freeze. "V, where would you get that idea?" "Don't give me that, Zaiden!" I snap. He backs off. "Kyler told me." "Kyler." Dalton mutters under his breath. "Dalton, how could you not have told me!" "I-I...I didn't want to break it to you as soon as you woke up-" "I've been awake for awhile, now!" I lurch. "That's why I felt hot in the sun...and why I freaked when I felt your pulse! And that smell...that wonderful smell... It was blood." "Vanessa, I am so sorry-" "You turned me." I said blankly. I wasn't upset, I was more happy. "When you bit me on the roof, you turned me!" Dalton still couldn't tell if I was happy or upset. "This was what you wanted all along, isn't it?" He asked nervously. "It is! It really is!" I run to him and hug him.

"Wait! My family, what do they know?" "They know nothing. As far as they know, you had a little accident, and you're over here healing." Ruben said, but he was clearly lying. "Ruben? What do my parents think happened to me?" I asked softly. "I'm sorry, Vanessa. There was no story to explain how you'd lost so much blood. I...I had to tell them you died." My heartbeat picks up. "Are you kidding?!" I ask. "My family thinks I'm dead?!" "We're sorry, Vanessa. There was no-" "But I could be seeing them right now! I'm never gonna get to graduate! Have them come to my wedding or see my child." "This is how it would've worked anyway. We can't expose ourselves." Zaiden says. "Sweetie, are you ok?" Dalton asks me, holding both my hands and looking me deep in the eyes. "I-I guess... It's just kind of a shock, you know? I'll never get to talk to my parents, CJ, or Carli ever again." My heart lurches badly after my sentence. "I know, honey." Dalton kisses me, but I pull away quickly. "Do you mind if I go out for a little while?" "Again?" Dalton sighs. I nod. He smiles softly. "Go ahead."

I run like a bullet to my house. Am I doing this? This is going to get me in so much trouble! The sun was setting at this point, so I was ok there. I stop in front of my house and let the view soak in. Then I go to my brother's window and look through. He's sitting on his bed, looking down at the floor. His hair is hanging over his eyes. I can't tell if he's actually doing anything or not, but I knock on the window. He turns and his eyes grow wide. "Vanessa?! You're alive!" He yelled after he opens the window. "Shh! Technically, no." "I don't understand." CJ frowned. "This is going to sound insane, but I am a vampire. So are Dalton and Zaiden and Ruben. And you remember Sal? A vampire, too-" "Whoa whoa who! Vampires? Vanessa, are you insane? Is that why the Wilde's told us you were dead?" "No no! I am not lying! Dalton bit me, and now I'm a vampire! I distinctly remember being on his roof and asking him to bite me, so he did, then I was blacking out, but I saw Ruben biting me to take...Dalton's venom...out." CJ is just staring at me. "Dalton didn't change me, Ruben did!" CJ stifles a laugh. "Sorry. If you're going on with your little play, at least say he turned you. Changed sounds like he changed your diaper." He grins. I purse my lips. "This isn't my imagination, CJ. I seriously am a vampire. Look." I show him my fangs. "Wow! Those are sharp." "Yeah. And look, my eyes are different, aren't they?" "They have a tint of green in them." "See?"

"How is this possible? Vampires aren't real?" "Then how come your sister is one?" I said excitedly. "You're happy about this?" "Absolutely! I'll be with Dalton the rest of my life and I can talk to you about what goes on in a vampire life." "Until I die." CJ said. My mood drops. "Oh...right." "Why aren't we telling Mom and Dad?" CJ asks to change the topic. "I don't know if I can trust them with this." "Aw. And you can trust me?" "I sure as hell hope so!" "Absolutely. My lips are sealed." "Great." I get sad again. "What?" "It's just...I am sad that one day you'll die and I'll live on..." I say softly. "Hey." He hugs me through the window. "It'll be ok. You hate me anyway, right?" "Is that what you think? CJ, of course I hate you!" I laugh with him. "I'm kidding. I love you. And hate you." I smiled. "Same goes for me." CJ laughs. "I'll secretly see you later?" I asked. "I'll secretly see you later." CJ waves goodbye, and I race back to Dalton's.

"You told your brother?!" Dalton scolds as soon as I run through the door. "Ruben turned me, not you." I said. "What?" Dalton said. "You nearly killed me. Ruben saved me and turned me." Dalton's nostrils flare. "I know!" He said angrily. "Damn it!" He smacks a priceless statue to the floor. "I wanted to be the one to turn you! You have both my brothers' venom in you, but you get my venom and you almost die!" I soften my face in sorrow. "I'm sorry, Dalton. I know how important it was that you were the one to turn me. I wanted that, too. But hey! I have their venom, sure, but I have your love. And if my life choice was stay a vampire and lose you or become a human again and keep you, I'd choose the second one." I smile. "Yeah, but then we're right back to where we were." "I'd rather be there with you than anywhere without you." Dalton smiles sheepishly. "Is your brother a good secret keeper?" "He is." "Then we're all good." Dalton kisses me on the lips.

"Hey guys, we've got mail." Ruben says. "Anyone want to take it from me and read it?" He hints. "Oh, sorry!" Zaiden takes it from him and opens it. He reads it before reading it aloud. He looked confused at first, then very alarmed. "What? What is it, Zaiden?" Dalton asks. Zaiden gulps. "I...I don't know if I can even read it aloud." "That bad?" Ruben's sightless eyes show concern. Dalton takes the note from Zaiden and reads it, only alarm and horror on his face. "What? What is it?!" I ask, getting annoyed at reading peoples reactions. I snatch the paper from Dalton. My reaction immediately went to horror.

I can help with your CJ dying problem. He and I will just have a nice little bonfire. We're ready for the war. Are you?

-Kyler