The Vampire Angel

I never really thought about how I would die. I always assumed I would grow up, get married, have kids, and grow old with my husband at my side. As it turns out, that was not my fate. I died at the age of seventeen. By the hands of a creature I never imagined could even exist—a creature of legends and novels. Sometimes, I ask myself: Did that really happen? Or is this just a twisted illusion and that soon everything will be back to normal? But nothing will ever be normal again. Because on the night of October 31, 1864, I died. By the hands of a vampire.

October 31, 1847

The woman lay on the bed. She smiled down at the little bundle in her arms. The "little bundle" was her newborn daughter, wrapped in a soft green cloth. She was fast asleep; her beautiful little face was peaceful.

"How are you feeling?" a voice asked.

The woman looked up to see her husband standing there in the doorway. She smiled at him. "I'm fine. I'm tired, but otherwise I'm fine."

Her husband walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay. I love you."

The woman smiled up at her husband. "I love you, too." She looked down at her daughter, who was beginning to stir from the sound of her parents' voices. "She's waking up!" the woman whispered excitedly.

The baby slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her mother. Her eyes were a stunning greenish-blue, like jewels.

"Her eyes are beautiful," the woman murmured.

"They are," the man said "What shall we name her?"

The woman thought for a minute. "What about Jadelyn Elizabeth?"

"That's a lovely name!" The man said, happily. He smiled down at his newborn daughter. "Welcome to the family Jadelyn Elizabeth West."

October 31, 1864

It was a dark, windy night. It wasn't raining, but I was sure that it was going to. The clouds were dark; the wind howled and thunder boomed overhead. Streams of moonlight shone through the clouds, casting shadows over the forest floor and making the tree branches look like twisted vines.

I shivered as I ran through the woods in a sleeveless black dress. I know. It isn't smart to run through the woods in a dress, let alone a sleeveless one. But I didn't really think of that when I ran out of the house earlier that night after an argument with my parents.

They want me to get married. I don't mind that. Much. It's who they want me to get married to that bothers me. Jonathon Adams, the son of a very rich businessman. Jonathon is the same age as me—seventeen. He's a lazy, arrogant man with no respect for woman whatsoever. He believes that all a woman is supposed to do in life is have children, clean the house, and be faithful to her husband and do whatever he says without question. I hate men like him. I told my parents that I did not want to marry Jonathon but they told me I have no choice. I have to marry him. I screamed at them "I hate you!" and ran out of the house and into the woods.

Now here I am, in the middle of the woods. I sighed and sat down on the cold ground, leaning my head against an oak tree. I wasn't sure exactly where I was or how to get back home. But I didn't care. I had no intention of returning home any time soon. Or ever, for that matter. I wasn't going home to be sent off to live with some idiot—Jonathon—who I hated. I didn't care that my dress was ruined or that my hair was a mess. In fact, I couldn't care less about anything. Simple as that.

I sat there for a while, just letting my body relax. I closed my eyes and eventually I fell asleep.

I was startled awake by the sound of twigs snapping. My eyes shot open and I jumped up, looking around and listened carefully. I heard more twigs snapping behind me. I whipped around and saw something blur past my face.