Falling Down
Today was rather routine-like and I yawned as I walked down the hallway to get a drink. It was an easy way of getting out of class for a few minutes. I heard a loud commotion and looked around the corner. I saw Tom and Bill run by me at blinding speed. I looked at where they came from and saw Sprat, one of October's friends. Standing there, helping him stand up was Vlad.
Did Vlad just save him from Tom and Bill? Whoa, who knew that the same vampire I defended against bullies just saved someone else from those same people. Maybe Vlad was maturing in the area of being bullied. Maybe his vampire fighting instincts have finally started to kick in.
I turned and pressed my back to the wall just before Vlad passed. I felt my heart ache as he passed me and continued to walk away from me. He probably was thinking about what he just did, because usually he would have noticed the pull and would have seen me.
I returned to class without thinking about it much. Every time I speak to Vlad, which is rare to never now, he likes to thank me for rescuing his beloved Meredith when he couldn't. It was a hard burden to bear, knowing that I saved the life of the one girl who has been slowly killing me.
At lunch I sat with Amelia and Lucy, I looked around but didn't see October or even Kristoff, and wherever October was he was.
"Where's October?" I asked Lucy and she shrugged. Amelia then looked behind me as I lifted my water bottle to my lips.
"She's right there about to talk to Vlad." I spit out my water and my eyes grew wide. I turned around and saw that it was true. October, Sprat, Kristoff, and Andrew were all standing at my old table talking to Vlad. I felt a growing flame burst inside me and I invaded on October's mind.
My jaw fell open but al I heard was October introducing them and thanking him for saving Sprat. That better be all. They started to walk away but Vlad stopped them and they continued to leave again. Once they were out of hearing range I went up to October, making sure Vlad wasn't watching.
"Hey, October!" She smiled and hugged me when I welcomed her. "What were you saying to Vlad?"
"We were just thanking him for saving Sprat from Tom and Bill this morning. You never told me he was such a knight." I rolled my eyes. "I'm kidding, Mina. Don't worry I said nothing about the Crypt, or you. You are safe." I sighed in relief.
"Thank god." I closed my eyes and checked to make sure Vlad wasn't watching.
"He doesn't seem that bad. Are you sure he can't come to the Crypt?" She asked hopefully. I felt my eyebrows tilt up and she nodded. "I know, you have secrets from him at the Crypt. I get it; just I thought it would be a nice way to repay him." I nodded.
"I guess... Well thanks for not telling him anything. I got to go eat... I'll see you later?"
"I'll text you!" I smiled, hugged her, said bye to the others and walked off.
I had a band rehearsal that day after school. Well, it was so much a rehearsal but more of a gathering to listen to music in my room. The day seemed slow, planned, and too normal to be possible.
The night began and I wrote down the last math problem of my homework. I looked out my window and saw the full moon glowing. It was taunting me, luring me out into the night. The darkness of night and the pale light of the moon called to my vampric nature and tempted me outside.
I didn't bother changing out of my Nightmare Before Christmas pajama pants that were for guys, they were warm and comfortable. They were blue, Jonathan's favorite color, with Jack Skellington's face all over it. My shirt was just a grey tank top and I wore my black jacket with red bats over it.
I opened the window and flew out to the ground. I was glad that everyone in Bathory pretty much stayed to themselves. Except, of course, Vlad's stalker... Eddie Poe.
He has worried me for a long time. For a short while he took a few pictures of me, which freaked me out, but he soon stopped. I haven't had to worry about him since then.
There wasn't anywhere I could go except the belfry but that was taken by Vlad. And this year I haven't really felt welcome or invited to go with him. I lifted my hand so my fingers could graze over the two scars on my neck that ran along my artery. The two puncture wounds D'Ablo used to make me his daughter by making me a vampire.
In a very unusual way I am in debt to him. In another way I hate him with every fiber of my being. With this in mind I lifted into the sky and flew in the direction of the scene of the crime.
When I landed in the clearing that ended my life memories flew by. I remembered I was hiding behind that one particular tree. I remember where D'Ablo was standing and where Joss and Vlad fought. Then I walked to where I stood when I realized what to do with my life, I was to stand between Joss and Vlad. I stood in that same spot; looked at the area they once stood as the memories flashed by me like lightening. Then I stood over the bloodstain spot where Vladimir was staked by my kin.
Then as I walked a few steps forward I fell to my knees on the same patch of earth where I was bitten. My fingers curled around the blades of grass and my eyes brimmed with tears. I sat down and curled into a ball with my arms around my legs.
I loved being a vampire, I truly did. But I wish I had the choice of who created me. I wish I wasn't created simply to punish Vlad for existing. I wish I wasn't created by an evil man such as D'Ablo. I wished I wasn't just a small peace in a puzzle and that I had at least some control in the events in my life. I wish there was something I could do to make Vlad happy...to make Vlad love me.
Was that so much to ask for? For the only person to drink my rare blood to be the one I loved? For him to love me in return? I was slowly falling into a madness that would be hard to escape. Or at least hard to escape without Vlad's help.
Suddenly I took in a sharp breath. I froze and felt my ears prick up at the sounds of movement. I turned my head slowly, my eyes wide as they followed. Without another sound, in the blink of an eye, I flew into the air.
I hovered silently in the cold fall wind as I saw a familiar face enter the clearing. It was Vlad, of course. Who else would it be? He walked around, lost in memories, just as I had. Yet he seemed to find something that I didn't see.
He bent over and held up something that, in the moonlight, seemed to glow. I flew closer, slowly and cautiously, and saw it was a tiny coin. It didn't matter to me what it was but I saw he was angered by it. He nearly crushed it in his fist before stuffing his hands in his pocket. After a few minutes he turned and walked back into the woods and back towards his home. As he grew farther from me I grew closer to the earth. I landed and laid down flat on the grass. I had my arms and legs spread out and open as I watched the clouds roll across the stars and moon.
How is it that I felt so peaceful in the place where I lost my soul?
How is it that quiet, small moments like these made me love Vlad even more? Was that even possible? I have so many things against him at this point of our sophomore year, but that isn't even enough for me to dislike him one bit.
Is it literally possible to fall deeper in love with someone you were born to love?
