Bloody Rose

Roman

1 Month Later

I sat at the regular lunch table but with Mike, Jade, Mia, Elijah, Zaria and Asher. We were all deep in conversation about Ashton. I was confessing about what happened a month ago at my house and how terrible I felt about it. I love Ashton more than anything and it hurt.

They all had mentioned that she had gone off the face of the earth and no one knew where she was. Somebody also had brung up all the murders happening in the town and we figured Ashton was long gone to be doing those.

"I shouldn't have ignored her." Asher said rolling his eyes. Mia touched his hand and they shared a brief moment of eye contact. "It's our birthday-"

"I wouldn't miss this day for anything." We all looked up to see Ashton standing at the end of the table. Her red hair was curled around her face and it seemed to have gotten longer and thicker. She wore a tank top with ripped jeans.

She had a menacing smile on her face.

"Ashton, where have you been?" Elijah asked with wide eyes. We all watched as she popped up a chair and took a seat.

"I've been killing people what do I always do?" She laughed.

"Seriously?" Mia asked.

"Yeah sure. Why not? I'm 614 I'm not getting any younger." She said these words with no emotion.

"She turned off her feelings, her humanity." Asher said. "Only we can do it, and I sensed it."

"Why did you do that Ashton? We'll never get the old you back." Zaria snapped. Ashton sat there with the same smile on her face as before.

"I don't even remember. Why is it such a big deal?" She giggled. "The lunch lady's heart is so healthy. I think I'll try her." She stood and began to walk away but Elijah stopped her.

"You won't dare Ashton. This is a public place-"

"I don't care Elijah, no emotions duh." She pushed him off of her and kept moving. Then Asher got in the way. "Come on brother you can join me just like old times." Ashton disappeared in the blink of an eye. We scanned the room and heard a loud scream.

Ashton had the hefty lunch lady by the neck and bared her fangs. She bit into her flesh and began to drink. The kids around her screamed too at the scary site and began running around, some of them leaving.

I've never seen her feed before and it creeped me the hell out. "Somebody stop her!" Jade yelled.

Ashton laughed again and disappeared again.

"Asher come, you have to compel everyone to forget this!" Mia yelled. Her blue eyes were nearing tears and she looked scared. I turned to see Asher standing with wide eyes.

"I can't." He looked weak.

"The only person who can is-" Elijah was cut off by a creepy familiar voice. We all turned to see Michel blocking the doorway of some students.

"Me ofcourse." He laughed as he waved his hands and they all flew back. He snapped his fingers and all the humans turned to look at him. "You will forget everything that just happened. Esmeralda here never came in to work today. Nod if you understand." There was a sea of nodding heads all around the room. "Now leave, your teacher gave you all early dismissal."

We all waited for everyone to leave because we knew Michel had a speech for us. He walked over slowly. "So, who's fault is it? Who drove Ashton to turn off her emotions?" He looked at each of us, his eyes landing on me. "It was you, with that little doctor friend of yours. I should get into her veins huh?"

"It was all of us." Zaria called out. "We weren't there for her she is still mourning our mother. And everything she has done is for love, no one acknowledged it." She spoke with tears in her eyes.

"You are the only one to accept Ashton for who she truly is." Mia chimed in. "You have to bring her back over the edge." She continued.

Michel lingered, staring at all of us. "Done." He left immediately.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have... I love her." I stared at the floor.

"We all do." Elijah said.