27
Torian
Chapter one- The Line Between Reality and Fiction
“Why won’t you talk to me, Monique?” My Auntie asked, her concerned gray eyes starring out the windshield. I continued to stare out my window to the rainy street somewhere in Berlin, Germany. It always rained here…I loved that, it reminded me so much of home. “Please, talk to me, Monique.” I looked to her and pressed a small smile to my lips, “I’m sorry Auntie, did you say something?” I often was lost in my own mind, and would drift in and out of a conversation. She just sighed, “Monique…look at you, you’ve gotten so pale, you used to be full of life, your blue eyes were…” She choked on her words, “It’s almost like you’re empty now.” I didn’t understand, was she crying? I didn’t want her to cry did I make her cry? Did I do that…? “Don’t cry Auntie, I’m not sad anymore.” “That’s just it Monique…you’re not sad, you’re not happy, you don’t mourn, you’re not…doing…anything.” I pulled my eyebrows together, “Do you want me to cry?” I remembered crying was bad, “No! No, absolutely not…I just want you to feel something!” I bit my lip, “I do.” “No…I don’t think you do.” She looked to my clothes, I was wearing black running shoes, a pair of black jeans, a white strap shirt, and a old navy black hoodie, My dark, straight black hair freely sitting behind me, some falling in my face. “Monique…” “Auntie, I don’t know what to feel, I don’t know what to say, or do.” She looked at me shocked, a faint hint of happiness in her eyes, “You admit it? Good…that’s a step towards getting better.” She seemed overly pleased, that’s when the pain hit. I let down the shield, and the pain hit me before I noticed it, I had fake smiled to her…while a tear was falling. Her happiness faded, but shot back, her own tears forming, “Monique...” She pulled the car over into an empty parking lot, and I cried with her…we sobbed. We cried for her sister. We cried for that woman’s dark brown hair and brilliant blue eyes, and her delicate smile, and small hands. And her Brother-in-law’s topaz eyes and his golden locks, his lop-sided smile. We cried for her sister and brother-in-law, we cried for my mother and my father.
***
I awoke from my dream with fresh tears falling down my cheeks. I didn’t ever scream, I never was troubled in my sleep, but I cried. I sat up and wiped a tear away, carefully examining the wetness on my finger. I flicked it away then sighed. I had gotten better since…The accident.
My mother and father had both been in a horrific airplane crash, the plane landing right center in the Atlantic Ocean. The bodies were never found. Long story short, I was very attached to them both. My mother and father had been named Alexander and Isabella. Both beautiful old-time-y names. Both were incredibly beautiful, and I missed them so much. I couldn’t deal with the amount of pain that was placed on my fourteen-year-old shoulders. I hadn’t even spoken till my fifteenth birthday, and that was only because Auntie had broken down to tears and I felt like a brat for it. That was the day we both broke down in the car. I was better, or as the doctor’s said “Cured” but I didn’t feel any different. Just because I spoke again, that meant I was all better? Oh My gosh, she talked, her broken, shattered heart has been healed! Yeah, not likely.
I still felt the pain, but it had healed just a little thanks to Auntie. I was eternally thankful to her for saving me from the nothing I had become. I wasn’t literally living in a since of life anymore, I had turned into something. Not quite a soulless being, but something very, very close. I some what felt like I was trapped in December…my December. A snowy plain with nothing but me, curled up on the hard, cold ground. I had finally heard a voice though in that snowy land, Auntie’s warm call, asking me to come home, and I’d gotten up and started struggling, first I was crawling…then walking, now I was hurrying towards her honey-sweet voice, it was so close I could taste it. I would be free soon. That was comfort, relief, the first calm in the snow blizzard. It had stopped covering me and had begun to melt, the snow stopped swirling and lifting me, stopped tormenting me with it’s sharp pain to my chest, finally it was ending. I didn’t dare to ask for more, I was scared if I did it would happen again. If I curled again on the cold ground…I would freeze forever…never to get back up and walk towards her voice.
I stood out of bed and dressed for my day. I pulled on a black shirt and a pair of jeans, grabbed my Old Navy hoodie, and cloaked it over my shoulders. I brushed my hair and put on my make up, I then said good bye to Auntie, and she was smiling again. It sent warmth into my cold heart and it melted it a bit more, I smiled back. A real smile. It felt so good to smile again. So good to run another mile to safety towards Auntie’s voice.
I walked out the door and went outside, I opened my umbrella and started my brisk walk to school. I made it to school where I found Ian and Adrianna standing under a single umbrella laughing. Both had blue eyes and dark brown hair. Twins. Ian was a little taller then she though…Adrianna looked to me with a smile, she’d become my friend since, and can we say my rebirth? She’d been my friend since my rebirth. “Monique! Are you ready for that Biology test, I heard Mr. Glen made it really hard.” “I think I’m ready.” I smiled to her, a little less fake every day. Ian nodded to me and walked away, “He’s worried, Ian fell asleep early last night and didn’t study, at-all!” I chuckled, “I feel sorry for him.” She nodded, “He’s super smart though, he might do well.” Adrianna walked with me to my locker, steadily talking about our teachers, her brother, and the Biology test in seventh period today. I listened to every word for the first time in what felt like forever.
My day went slowly, I felt lost in a haze as everything passed by minute after minute, hour after hour, second by second. Everything seemed strange.
“See you Monday, Monique!” Adrianna said, while her hand rested on Ian’s shoulder and they walked off laughing. Ian had past the test, everyone had. Turns out the rumors were over rated; the test was mearly twenty simple questions.
I walked slowly down the street, thinking about Auntie and Adrianna when I noticed something. How long had that car been there? Was it following me? The Paranoia sat in immediately. I had always been scared of kidnappers and this didn’t help my situation. I turned a corner, it turned a corner, I went down a street it went down a street. Finally I decided it was following me, and it wasn’t just my subconscious paranoia. I went over the things I had learned a long time ago. I went over defense, and that’s when I remembered something, you never were supposed to lead them to your house. I tried once an old trick I’d done in the past when my paranoia had set in. I went up a driveway; the car sat a few yards back, not moving. My ploy hadn’t worked.
Adrenaline started to fill my heart and pump into my veins as I started walking again and I heard an engine start up, “God help me.” I said quietly to myself. I clenched and unclenched sweaty hands, I couldn’t go home, that would tell them where I lived, and where Auntie was. I wouldn’t do that. I thought about the safest places; police station, hospital, and fire station came to my mind. I wasn’t near any of them; maybe if I just walked till I came to the hospital. It was about nine blocks away, but as long as I kept up a steady pase, which I could do with the amount of adrenaline pumping though my system, and I’d be fine.
I rounded a corner and the car kept up. Was it speeding up? Was he coming for me? Who was he? Was I going crazy? Only one of these is “yes” and that’s that I was going insane. I bit my lip, he wasn’t speeding up, but it felt like he was. It felt so much like he was glaring at me from the front seat of that car, what thoughts were crossing his mind? Oh dear God, I didn’t even want to know! I was about two blocks away from the hospital by now, surely Auntie was wondering where I was, and it had been two hours since we were dismissed.
When the hospital came in sight…is when I heard the engine make a noise. Now he was speeding up, and so did I, I dropped my things and I ran. I ran as fast as I could. It must have been fast enough, he had disappeared. I stopped and looked down, I was panting hard, not just from running, but from what I was running from.
I stood up feeling a quiet relief wash over me, that’s when I heard his cool silky voice. “Hello Monique, It’s nice to finally meet you.” I turned around and saw the black car, which I now knew was a sleek Mercedes of some sort, most likely a 2008 model. It was shiny with tinted windows. I then noticed the tall brown haired man in front of me. “Don’t touch me!” I whispered defensively, I should have yelled, God I should have ran but his calm gray eyes held me, held me perfectly still. There was something unnatural about this man, he was pale. Like me, but paler…almost snow white. He was muscular but lean and looked like he could snap my neck. He was tall two, I had to look up to him, he was about 6’2. I was only 5’8. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His eyes pulled me, I felt like I was slipping away, into some sort of comatose state. Like I was losing my grip with reality it’s self. “Who are you?” I asked him, coming out of the comatose. I wasn’t going to let him grab me, I wasn’t going to fall for tricks, this guy wanted to kidnap me, and it wasn’t going to happen. He said quietly again in his silky voice, carefully not exposing his teeth, “My name is Hector,” I starred at his mouth, “And I’ve come to take you home.” Then he smiled to me. I nearly screamed in horror at what I saw, his canine teeth where to long. Too long…they weren’t just teeth, dear Lord, those were fangs! They had to be fake, there is no way this guy was a---I didn’t dare let the word cross my mind.
There is a thin line between reality and fiction. And this man I saw in front of me, had obviously crossed that line. I was truly scared; I was quaking in shoes. I wished I hadn’t dropped umbrella, I might have been able to use it to defend myself. Oh! What was I saying this guy was a vampire…would a medium size blue umbrella really protect me from him? No, no way it would. He was even more amused by the horror-struck look on my face, “What’s wrong Monique?” He asked me, like he was a long lost friend or something! That angered me, “Leave me alone.” I hissed, backing up a bit. His grin widened, he placed a hand on my shoulder, “Monique, that’s not very nice. What would your mother say?” “Momma…?” I asked, slipping into a void again, “Yes…what would she say…?” “I-I don’t know…,” I admitted, falling into something I knew I shouldn’t be. I should be running, running away from him, what was I thinking! My brain screamed at me to move, but my feet were cemented to the ground.
“It’s time to go home, Monique…” He said, a quiet whisper in my ear. Why wasn’t anyone helping me? Someone had to be on this street! “Time to go home…” He said again, “Go home…?” I asked, “Momma…?” I asked…then I passed out, falling into his cold arms. The line between reality and fiction was no more. It had been completely erased…This man, no mistake about it…was the worst nightmare of all Europe and the rest of the world. A Vampyre, a Vampir, a Vampire. This man was a vampire…and I’d just passed out and let him have at me. Would I ever wake up again? …Probably not.
Chapter two- Family History
I woke up with a calm clarity; I was in a car. That thought struck like a ton of bricks. I was in his car. I had to escape. If I rolled would I make it out alive? How fast were we going? Forget it…it’s now are never! I shuffled a bit, “I wouldn’t advise that.” He said with a slight chuckle. I froze, “Can you…read my mind?” “No.” “Then how?” “It’s just common sense, Darling.” I sat back, I had a feeling he wasn’t lying to me, why would he? I had no usable information for him. Or did I?
“Why me?” I whispered, placing my head in my hands, hadn’t I suffered enough already? “You’ll know in do time.” I looked up and saw him, he actually looked sorry for me, “Why though…why’d you kidnap me?” “Kidnap?” He asked, appalled, “I did no such thing.” “What, you pulled me off the street!” “No, I stopped to speak with you, and you fell into me.” “You know what I mean,” I hissed, “you hypnotized me!” He actually laughed at that, “Oh yes! I guess I did do that didn’t I.” I glared at his smiling gray eyes in the rear view mirror, “Why didn’t you just take me immediately, why make me think I had hope?” He looked ashamed when I asked this, his lips trailing down into a frown, and he actually turned to me, “I got carried away, for that I do apologize.” I would never forgive him---ever. I glared full on; I would have hit him if I thought I’d stand a chance.
“Do you really want to know, why you?” he asked, using my words from before. “Yes,” I whispered, “I think I do.” “You do remember you’re mother, right, Monique?” I nodded, “Yes, of course.” “Did you ever…notice something strange about her?” “No, never.” “Think again…think of everything she ever did.” I remembered a pale woman with brilliant blue eyes that told me she loved me. A beautiful woman that wore blue jeans and T-shirts, and never once hated me. She cared immensely and showed it everyday, waking me up from school with warm hands, that always held a slight chill, and full, but not large red lips. I also remembered something I’d found in her bedroom once. I was twelve and I was home alone. So to pass time I went snooping. I went into her closet and found a broach. It was made of silver and in the center a crimson circle with a black letter…what was it, “She had a broach with the letter I written on it.” He nodded, “What was her name?” “Isabella Vinson.” Clarity hit, “The I stood for the I in Isabella.” I said to myself, “Yes.” He nodded solemnly, “Your mother was a vampire, Monique.” I didn’t expect the laughter that over took me, neither did Hector. I laughed loudly; I had laughed for the first time in months. But this laughter wasn’t just any laughter…It was insane, my mother a vampire! NEVER! I laughed hard till tears rolled down my cheeks and that’s when it over took me, the pain, the clarity, the brick wall. The laughter turned to tears, then I cried I sobbed into me hands. The only word I would say was, “No.” No, she wasn’t, no he was lying! My dear, sweet Momma a vampire? No! He was a lair. “My mother died in a plane crash.” I said looking up to him, “Yes that she did.” He nodded, “Your mother was part of a royal vampire family, the Vinsons.” “But she take my father’s name!” Wait, “Was he a vampire to?” “No.” I was confused, “What dies this have to do with me! “Isabella and Clark never wanted you to know…” “Then why?” I half whispered, half whined, “Why are you telling me?” “Because…The elders thought you should know.” “And they were powered over my mother?” “Indeed.” “But I am her daughter!” “It does not matter…the elders hold power over all.” “That’s corrupt.” I hissed, he nodded---surprising me, “Indeed they are.” “Isn’t that treason?” I asked, feeling scared for hector, wait, I feared for him? Why! “Yes it is.” “Then why are you endangering yourself for me?” I asked, feeling guilty for yelling at him, he saw that, “No hard feelings, Dear.” I nodded, “None on my part, either.” It wasn’t his fault…I hoped, and I needed information, I might even need Hector in the near future, “Because telling you all that’s going to happen is treason also, if I’m in danger of dying already, I made as well go full circle.” He actually laughed at that, “Hector, are you a servant?” “No.” “Then…” “I’m part of the family above yours, The Romanos. “So…what’s going to happen to me?” “You’re going to be a servant under a higher family to yours until you reach age to hold your own family.” “Do…I get a choice?” He looked sad, “No, I’m sorry.” “My Auntie!” “She’s aware of this.” “What…” “She was your mother’s sister do you really think she didn’t know?” My eyes grew wide, “Then why…” “Your mother’s wishes. If she would have told you, you would be kidnapped,” He rolled his eyes at the word, “Would you really have gone to school today? Honestly.” I shook my head, “So…she knows?” “She told you goodbye and she loved you.” I nodded, “ You spoke to her?” “Indeed, it was unavoidable, packing all of your stuff.” I nodded, “Who am I going to be serving?” I asked, coming to some form of acceptance, but I hated the word serve. I didn’t want to serve anyone. He smiled, “His name is Zane Romano.” “So, you’re related to him?” “Only because his sister married me.” I nodded, “So you…” “I’m originally from your family, I was your mother’s second cousin.” “So your…” “I’m your third cousin.” I nodded, “Family. That’s the reason you’re protecting me.” I said with a smile, “Family sticks together though thick and thin. I’ve been around even when you didn’t know it.” I thought back to when I was on my first bike…I almost ran into a street and something heavy, but unseen, placed gentle hands on my shoulders and turned me. I looked up to him, “You’re mother thanked me when you went to bed that night.” “Are you sure you don’t read minds?” He smiled, “That’s the only time I seriously had to intervene.” I nodded. “How long was I out?” “Two days.” “T-two…” He smiled, “We had to get on a boat.” I looked out the window and saw steady country land rolling past me, “Where are we?” “Germany, still my Dear.” “Then why the boat?” “To get to the vampiric lands.” He rolled his eyes, like it was common knowledge, “An island?” “More like an unseen chain of islands my dear.” I nodded, looking out to a farm, “Are there humans?” “Some, not many.” “Do you eat animals?” “We drink blood.” He said, now I felt stupid I really should have known that, “Human?” I asked, a bit fretful, “Yes, human blood.” I bit my lip, “Criminals and what not usually.” He asked, trying to calm me, “We really aren’t that bad.” “Do you take…all there blood.” “Sometimes.” He shrugged, “But if you only take some doesn’t that mean they turn into vampires.” He rolled his eyes, “Monique! I feel like I’m talking to a five-year-old vampire! A vampire has a choice if he or she injects the victim with the venom, other then that we just feed.” I nodded, “So if you bit me…right now?” He smiled, “I could drain you of blood and you’d suffer a painful death, I could change you, or I could just make you feel really light headed and it’d wear off soon.” I gulped, “I like choice three…” “Most do.” He smiled, exposing fangs, “But not all get that choice.” “Corrupt.” He nodded, “Indeed.” “This shall be quite interesting…” “What?” I asked, bewildered, “Interesting to see how you shall fare to our world…your world.”
“What is the correct coming-of-age, when do I take over my clan?” “When you reach eighteen.” I nodded, “Two years.” He raised a brow, “I thought it was three months? You look older then you should, not in a bad way.” I nodded, “Most say that.” He smiled, “You sound it too, I wouldn’t think you a sixteen-year-old girl.” “Thank you, Hector.” “You are most welcome, Darling.” All the pet names…I smiled. Was going to be okay here I thought. I had some family with me at least. “Are all The Vinson family of German descent?” “Since the Vikings settled.” I nodded, “And the Romanos?” “Italian, but I am German.” I nodded, “Because you were once in my family.” “Yes. The last name of the marriage is always taken by the higher ranking Vampire.” I nodded, “I see why my father took my mother’s name.” Hector frowned, “Your mother refused it at first, saying she wanted to be normal, and live a normal life like your father. He encouraged her to be proud of her self. Monique, your mother wanted to be human with a burning intensity.” I couldn’t see it as that bad…
We came into view of a large castle of gray, with large stone walls and many towers. A drawbridge lay before it with a white earth path stretching a mile to reach the man steps. Hector pulled half way down the drive then he turned down another path and parked the car beside a couple others. He got out of the car, and then before I could blink he had opened my door and held out his hand. Those hypnotizing gray eyes, and white teeth peeking before his lip, two large canines, “Lady Vinson.” He breathed, “Monique, Hector, please.” He laughed as he took my hand, “Come on.”
Chapter Three- Learning
A knocker thing was on the door, in the shape of a griffin, the handle in its beak. “It is nice to see you again, Sir Hector.” Hector smiled to the red headed maid in front of him. I nodded to her; she looked to me pitifully, why? Hector placed an arm around my back and we walked.
I’m not sure how long it took. Down a hall, up a hall, passed a corner, funny looking paining, up a few stairs. I was gonna die here. I’d get lost and die of food starvation. My stomach rumbled at the thought of food, I hadn’t eaten since we got out of school…two days ago. I looked to Hector; “I’m starving.” He nodded, “I’ll bring food to your room tonight. Plenty, so don’t worry.” I nodded, a bit of doubt, “Monique, you are the next head of my original clan, I am not going to let anything happen to you.” I nodded, doubt free. “And I’m your cousin.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze and me a smile. I smiled back, everything was gonna be okay, as long as I had Hector.
Finally we came to a door, a wooden polished door, most likely of pine, “Zane!” Hector called, “It’s open, Hector.” Came a soft voice. It was so manly…but so childishly innocent at the same time. Hector opened the door, “Good evening.” Hector called, “This is your servant, Zane, This is Monique.” With that he made a swift movement, holding me out in front of him. My mouth nearly dropped when I saw the six-foot tall, lean figure in front of me. He wore a white button up shirt, had messy short black hair whipped around him, and deep brown burnt honey eyes, He wore black slacks and shined black boots. He had a heart shaped face, with neat eyebrows and long lashes framing his intensified eyes. He was leaning against a wall, with long, perfect fingers wrapped around a brown covered book. He pushed off the wall with his foot, and walked over to me, tossing the book, “Why, hello there.” I smiled lightly, “A Gothic Porcelain doll?” He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, “Very unique.” Did he…was that an insult? I wasn’t able to tell the words were an insult, but with his amber colored voice wrapped around them, I just wasn’t sure. I looked up to Hector, he looked displeased, an insult it was then. Zane looked down and chuckled softly, “Well, she’ll do.” I felt anger biting at my tongue, ready to whip out at this big-mouth-vampire. “Well, Monique is it?” “Yes.” I answered softly; “Well she’s a mute as well?” He smiled, “Doesn’t speak much, huh?” BAM! It was done, “Look here, you, I don’t know who you think you are, but I am not going to be bossed around by some big-mouth that has nothing better to do then pick on people!” I poked him in the chest, “Got it!” I hissed, glaring up at him. Hector looked worried and very confused. Zane starred at me with disbelief, then he smiled, “We just might get along, I was afraid I got a push over, now that wouldn’t be very much fun.” I stood up straight, with my chin raised slightly…that was the longest rant I had had in at least three years.
Zane smiled slightly to me, it really angered me that I hadn’t made him mad. I could see a calm cool wall…a wall he was putting up to keep me out, and it was pissing me off. He had just broken my wall with a sentence, and a long rant hadn’t broken his! I bit my lip, he was even more amused, “Show her, her room, please Hector. I’ll come to retrieve her when it’s time for dinner.” Hector nodded and took my hand, “Miss Vinson?” I shot Zane another glance before we left. He-was-still-smiling. The door shut on him and I followed Hector, “I didn’t expect that. I didn’t think you had a temper.” I sighed, “I rarely do, but with him…he ticked me off bad.” Hector smiled, “Zane is very good at such things.” I sighed.
We entered a small room with a neat bed in the corner, a window, and a dresser. I also had a nightstand made of what looked like mahogany beside the bed. It held a candle and a quill, ink, and paper. I would need that. I saw a few of my belongings in the corner of the room, a few picture frames of my mother and my father with me from when I was a baby. One of me and Auntie, and one of Adrianna and Ian. All plain, black frames, a bag of toiletries, a bag of clothes, and my MP3. I smiled, Music, thank God for Hector. He nodded to me, “I’ll leave you now, please be careful.” He said placing his hands on my shoulder, and leaning down, he placed his cold, pale lips to my cheek, “Goodbye for now, Monique, see you at dinner, I’ll bring you food tonight.” He promised patting my shoulder, then walked out, “Goodbye Hector.” I said as he shut the door, I was sure he’d heard my polite whisper. I sat my MP3 on the dresser with its charger, I was shocked to find the place had an electrical plug, but castles must be more modern today, huh? No…just this one. I didn’t bother plugging it up right now. I organized my clothes in the dresser drawers, then put my pictures on it, by my MP3. I placed the toiletries in the top drawer then sat down on my bed with a sigh. It was made up with all white sheets, and a comforter, with matching pillow. What had I gotten myself into? I placed my head in my hands and felt my heavy heart grow. That’s when I saw the black and white clothes beside me. I picked up the note.
Clothes for dinner tonight, dress soon, dinner is in an hour.
--- Hector
I sighed and picked them up, a white button up short sleeve shirt with a knee long black skirt and black stockings. I pulled them on, then the flat black shoes he had also given me; I fitted the black tie around my neck and tied it securely. I then noticed the small-framed black mirror by my bed. My face looked fine, but I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I walked over to a thing that said “Clothing Shoot.” And dropped them into it. I looked into the hall in the wall; it was too small for a person to fit into, but still pretty big. Must go to the laundry room… I thought. I closed the small door and then sat down, waiting for Zane.