The Gem

The Backstory

Carmen sat up and looked at me dead in the eye. 

"How did you know they were looking for something." 

"I just guessed, Haven't you seen movies?" 

Carmen shrugged. "This is real life Maya. Not a movie." 

"I know that.. What are they looking for.. I mean, can't you tell me since I am one of you now. I think it would be a good idea if I knew, just in case I need to keep the item safe or something.. Just in case they come and steal it, we can get it back.."

Carmen nodded. "Okay.. I'll tell you. But it's a long story, so let's get comfortable first." 

Carmen stood up and walked over to the kitchen entry then turned around and looked at me. "Do you mind turning on the fireplace?" 

I nodded and when she left the room I stood up and walked towards the fireplace. I bent down and looked at it. I saw a button that said on, then saw three buttons that said, Low, Medium, and High. I pressed the on button and then clicked the button that said "Medium" the fire turned on, or the fake fire at least. Heat started to emerge from the fireplace and Carmen walked back into the room with two cups. She handed me one and said "Hot Chocolate, hope you like it." 

"Thanks." 

She set her cup down on the side table and walked over to a chest that was full of blankets and grabbed two. She handed me one and sat down on the couch covering herself with the blanket and taking a sip of her hot chocolate. 

"Okay... So.. About 19 years ago, my parents changed me into a vampire. We were evil vampires at the time. We would go hunting for people instead of animals, we were basically alliances with The Others.. We would work together to get food, we would live together, everything. We were friends with them. There is also such a thing as werewolves, but we don't talk about them much. We used to be sworn enemies with them. They used to have this one item.. I guess the item was a gem. The gem would hold powers like no other. The vampires would advance... They would become stronger, they would fight better. Their brains would function faster.. So since we have the gem, whenever we go into a battle, my dad holds the gem in his pocket. He thinks about his family members names and were all stronger somehow... Everyone wants the gem, everyone wants to be stronger, everyone wants to win.. When I was younger, or a new vampire, my father took my mother and I on an adventure to the werewolves to find this certain gem. Along our way we found a young boy, we were hungry at the time so we bit him, we shared the blood. Now he is Brandon.. We all arrived at the werewolves territory and we started to search for the gem. We got the gem, luckily. Then a werewolf found us. We had to fight for a second, before we ran off. We found this home out in the wilderness. No werewolf knows about it. So I think were safe here.. But we have to keep the gem protected with everything we have. Because if the other vampires take it, they might use it for bad things. The Others were supposed to go with us on that journey, but my dad thought they would steal it from us.. At the time The Others weren't trustworthy. So we went by ourselves and The Others found out. They told us in return for that we need to give them the gem. Since we didn't we are sworn enemies now.. So they keep coming after us to get that damn gem.. I guess that's what we "stole" from them." 

I sat up and took a drink of my hot chocolate. "So.. Why did the werewolves have the gem in the first place, If it helped vampires. Wouldn't you just think they would give it to a vampire, or a vampire leader.. If there was one?" 

"That's the thing.. The gem helped all creatures. Werewolves, Birds, Vampires. Any mutant creature you can think of. The gem helped all. The werewolves found it in a deep mine when they were searching for a person that tried to kill them. We were lucky we even found the gem and got out of their alive. They keep looking for us, I can tell. They will never find us though.." 

"Oh wow... So the gem is very special to the "Mutant" world.. So you have been keeping this gem safe for 19 years?" 

"Yep.. and for 19 years The Others have been trying to kill us for it." 

"That's harsh...Does any other vampire group know that you have the gem?" 

"No.. They think its still hidden deep in the mines like the old story books told." 

"Then The Others are the only vampire group that knows about the gem, right?" 

"Yeah.. I guess so." 

"Then all we have to do.. Is kill them?" 

"I mean.. It's not as easy as it looks, killing vampires can be very difficult. We don't break bones, we only bruise and get scratches.. The only way to kill a vampire is by ripping their heart out of their chest.. Then you have to stomp on it.. It's a long process. But once their heart is out of their chest they can barely move, they gasp for air so it gives us time to stomp on it." 

"Oh.. Wow.. So we need to make a plan right? We need to somehow get The Others to give us their hearts, or stay still until we can rip it out of their chests right?" 

Carmen laughed. "It's not that easy Maya."