A Vampire Tale

Chapter 20

  Brenda
It was awkward walking through the halls with everybody staring at me, whispering about Taylor. The police officers had taken Jason in the principal's office, leaving me alone.

As I walked out of the school at the end of the day, I noticed a fresh layer of liquid on the ground. The sent of blood was in the air. I followed the blood until it led me to the back of the school. That's where I saw a dark figure, resembling Taylor, covered in blood as he tossed a body into the Janitorial closet. I held back a scream as I recognized the corpse.

It was Selena Hartman from my biology class.

The dark figure turned around with a smile on his face, revealing sharp fangs in my direction. "Your next, little girl," was all the man said before Taylor came running.

"You! Why are you attacking this place? You know as well as any other that hunters control this area," he told the man angrily. "You've been causing me so much trouble, you know. And I don't believe I returned the favor."

The man laughed at him. "Little boy, years ago you wouldn't have said that to me. It's nice to see you finally recognized me, but I have to go. Humans should be coming out be now. I'll leave you to the girl hiding in the corner."

Taylor looked a bit confused until I stepped out of my hiding place. "Brenda? What are you doing?" he asked as he kept his attention on the man.

The man turned and walked away before disappearing altogether. Taylor took in the smell of blood before covering his mouth and running away.

I followed far behind him, calling out to him. When he was far enough from the scent of blood, he stopped and turned to me. "Sorry about that. That awful scent was driving me nuts. I couldn't think clearly."

I stopped to catch my breath before falling to my knees. "Selena's dead, isn't she? I saw him hide her body," I said quietly as a tear slid down my cheek.

He kneeled down in front of me and lifted my chin. His once mysterious eyes revealed sorrow and sympathy. "She's gone. I'm just sorry you saw that, and that I couldn't help her."

He kissed the tear away gently, making me blush a bit. "Who was that man?" I looked up into his eyes, waiting for his answer.

"He's... He's the one who murdered my parents," he said quietly.

I threw my arms around him, afraid of what might happen next. "He said I was next," I told him as more tears slid down my cheeks.

He hesitated a bit before wrapping his arms around me. "I won't let him hurt you. I promise that I won't let him hurt you," he whispered into my ear. We sat there for a few minutes before Taylor offered to walk me home.

I took his hand, like a young child afraid of the dark, as he led the way. "You can't protect me all the time. How do you plan to keep your promise?" I asked him, avoiding his eyes.

He smiled a bit before shaking his head. "I already am. That necklace I gave you is actually a protection charm. It repels vampires who want to do you harm. Depending on your emotions towards the vampire, power will vary." The necklace could do that? Taylor led me up the stairs of the front porch and took my keys form my hand. He opened the door and locked it when we were both inside.

I grabbed Taylor's hand again and dragged him into my room, not wanting to be alone. I sat down on the bed and leaned into him as he sat beside me. He stroked my hair as I cried into his shoulder. Selena was a kind hearted girl who hardly ever lost her temper. She didn't deserve to die that way. I looked up at him, glad he was with me. "Taylor, if I asked you to spend the night here with me, would you?"

He nodded," your the one who's keeping me alive. You can do whatever you want with me."

I grabbed one of his hands and traced the lines on his palm. "You will stay because you have too?" He shook his head no. "I won't stay because I have too. I'll stay because I want too." Before I could say any thing else, he leaned closer and kissed me. "I will not have stupid arguments with you. Every time you try to start one, I will stop you," he said with an actual warm smile that I never seen on him before. It made him look soft and unreserved like he usually is.

"But Taylor,-" I started. He stopped me again this time without pulling away. His hands ran up and down my back as mine got tangled in his hair. As I sat there kissing him, I found myself lost to him. Everything about this feels right. It's as if nothing else in the world matters when I'm with him. I could fell myself forget my surroundings and my thoughts. For only a moment, I could forget about the death of Selena Hartman.