Our Deathly Love

A few unwanted pictures flashed in my head, sending cold shivers down my spine as I thought about that Halloween night seven years ago. That Halloween had been different from the rest, because two weeks before Lilly's friend Jade had moved away; leaving a precious spot open at their lunch table, also leaving a chair, a chance and a feeling of belonging in its wake. Me, being so starved for friends, would have agreed to time in hell for that spot but little did I know, I did.

That night had been a chilly one. That night was when Lilly and her posse chose for me to prove myself in their eyes, so of course I was thrilled!

Earlier had been spent putting together the perfect costume. My mom had braided my hair into a long straight braid behind my head, and brought out an old trunk from the attic. It was filled to the brim with colorful clothes. I was excited at the sight of the trunk, which I had only seen on Halloween each year, except when I sneaked upstairs to play dress up. The trunk was made out of hand-carved wood, painted delicately by my mother’s father, for her thirteenth birthday. It had seen much wear and tear. There were chips in the paint and in the wood from the long voyage to America when my mother was fifteen; and even more chips from when she moved back to Romania after she got accepted to the university many years later.

One day I hoped it would be mine. I had eyed hungrily at the delicate and sometimes eccentric clothing she pulled from the trunk, until at last she had found what she was looking for; a black blouse that looked like spider webs sewn together. The sleeves flew out at the elbow; creating a medieval effect. I watched as my mother quickly folded up and put away the other clothing, before going to her room and bringing out a black choppy skirt that went to my knees and a black witch hat. My mother put the outfit on me with a smile. She then completed the outfit with some simple black flats and with a satisfied smile, which lit up her face in a way that I would remember for years to come. I watched smiling as she ushered me out of the house.

“Now, my Emmy, have fun trick or treating with your friends, and remember be back by nine," she said with a smile. Having no clue I had no friends, having no clue I was being challenged, having no clue what was soon to come.



I walked briskly down the brick road and up the turning drive; the trees over shadowed the house at the end of the drive making it impossible to see the house from the road. The home at the end of the drive was supposedly the most haunted house in Romania, not counting Vlad's house, or the castles, but those would be impossible for a bunch of nine year olds to break into.

So this house was the house I would be tested in. I walked quickly forward seeing the girls standing at the front of the house; all of them were dressed in princess outfits; I suddenly felt self conscious in my witch outfit. I wished I had been in the loop, but I knew if I passed the test tonight I would never have to be alone, to stand out, to have no friends again. So bravely I stepped forward, as Lilly smirking stepped in front of the group.

“So Emelia, you have decided to show up after all and with such a fitting costume,” she practically spat with a look of pure hate filling her face. It looked unnatural, yet was common on her simple and pretty face. Her black hair framed her face; a smirk placed so naturally gave a cynical look about her.
“So you have accepted our challenge Emelia?” she said, her brown eyes glowing in the moonlight.

“That depends on the challenge” I whispered looking at her all though I all ready knew I would do it, I had to. I had no choice I just had to. I watched, as Lilly's smirk grew even wider.

“Well, well, Emelia has a mouth to her, doesn't she?" Eliza, Lilly's best friend cooed stepping up from behind her. She placed herself on Lilly's right side. Eliza had milk chocolate, brown eyes and a curly frenzy of brown hair that almost reached her shoulders; to Lilly's left came forth her other beta; Mya, who had mocha latté skin, luscious straight black hair and deep black eyes. She would have been exiled for exotic looks too, if it hadn't been that her parents were American and worked for a big business in town. She was even richer then Lilly, but she knew her place well enough no to try to overthrow Lilly. Or she would be treated even worse than me. So she stood there looking uneasy next to Lilly. Mya was the only nice one to me, of course it was behind Lilly and Eliza's back; but every holiday and on Christmas I would find little gifts, such as cookies and candy canes; then expensive porcelain dolls on my birthday. They would be in my locker with a card all ways signed M; her curly penmanship unmistakable. I had a feeling they were sympathy gifts, a way for her to say sorry for the way her friends treated me. She was the closest thing I had to a real friend, next to my pandas, and plants in my little garden, that is.

But I couldn't count on Mya to ever come to my defense. All her popularity and fitting in counted on Lilly and her friendship so that was what brought her here, her obedience to Lilly. I would be receiving no help from her if things turned south so I just grinned and bared it.

“No of course not, I'm just nervous to see what I have to do," I said, shifting my weight from left to right foot nervously.

“Well then, Emelia, we have thought long and hard about what will be your test," Eliza said with a smirk.

“Your test is that you have to go sit in the innermost closet of the house, the one where the man hung himself in, for fifteen minutes in the dark alone!" Lilly smirked brightly, as if it was the most ingenious idea ever.

“You can still back out now if you want," Mya probed her eyes warning, something wasn't right. But what she didn't realize is that I had no choice I had to go! I could not let this chance slip between my fingers. I was going to join the group if it killed me!

“I will not back down" I replied, turning my eyes from Mya I followed quietly as Lilly walked toward the house. Eliza, Mya, and the five other girls followed single file behind her.

Their dresses flowed silkily behind them as they went up the old, creaky wooden stairs. Every girl except for me had a candle and the light gleamed off the molding walls as they walked single file down the long hallway. I could see the curls at the top of the walls from where flowered wallpaper was peeling off, as well as the dust that caked the house in a off-white suet. The ancient wood floor creaked eerily as we walked, old paintings of war generals, the royals, and random people littered the walls, their old peeling faces and unforgiving eyes glared at us as if they knew we were trespassing. They didn't like it.

A chill ran through my back as we reached the closet. The girls cleared a path to let me toward its dark evil clutches. The door to the closet stood wide open I could not see anything but darkness past the door frame. Suddenly the test did not seem so easy any more. Suddenly for the first time of the night I hesitated. But, I didn't seem to have a choice to back out any more either because in my small moment of hesitation Eliza and Lilly pushed me in, knocking me off my feet. The door slammed and locked behind me faster then I could even feel the pain from the fall to the hardwood floor.

The pitch-blackness of the room surrounded me, suffocated me. I had no clue how far I was in the room or how large the closet really was. I was afraid of what I would find if I felt around so I stayed put, in the dark, in the quiet; in the closet. The silence was interrupted by Lilly's voice which echoed from outside.
"Emelia, Emelia, Emelia, always so gullible. When will you ever get that you're a freak? We don’t allow freaks of nature like yourself to join our group.”

“Let me out, please!” I screamed loudly banging my fists on the door crying hysterically. I had a feeling I was claustrophobic, plus I had never been in such a dark place before. It was truly frightening because in the dark you never know what is near you or coming for you. All you can do is wait.

"Come on Lilly, hasn't this joke gone far enough?" Mya whispered sounding worried.

"Mya, unless you plan on joining her, shut your mouth!" Lilly yelled, she did not like being challenged. In her eyes she was always right and anyone whoever challenged her would have to pay the price, and Lilly was not one to forgive lightly.

"Now Emelia, for your punishment in even thinking you could be one of us, is that you have to stay here until the caretaker finds you," she giggled evilly, and I could hear them walking away. The caretaker wouldn't be back till Monday. It was Friday. I knew I would go crazy if I had to spend a whole weekend in here, plus I would be grounded for the next millennium, because three days is way past my curfew! That is if I can survive those three days in the closet.
Which led me to keep beating my fists against the door and scream. I was frantic I did not want to spend the next 3 days in here! I knew that the house was most likely to far away for anyone to hear my screams, plus I was stupidly in the innermost closet. I had no clue what I was thinking about when I agreed to this insanity! Now look where my pig handedness has lead me to!

I kept screaming and banging my fists on the door till well past nine, or at least what I thought was well past nine. I had no watch and if I did it would be pointless with the darkness of the room. The walls seamed to close in on me. There was no light, or any way to see how big the closet really was, so finally I gave up and rested my back against the door and pulled my knees in holding them tight.

I rocked back and forth against the door until the door wasn't there to meet my back anymore, causing me to fall backwards onto the floor. Looking up; I stayed there, silent for a few moments, my eyes hurt as they adjusted even to the small light of the candle he was holding, taking in the appearance of the man or teen. He was dressed all in black very formally, a bit to formally for my taste. He had blood red hair that was combed over to cover up one of his eyes although his other one was in clear view, I was shocked at the blood red color of his eyes, which matched his hair!

At seeing his eyes I jumped up and stumbled a bit, before running away I tripped a few times adjusting to my half asleep legs.
He followed me easily in a cat like way, a smirk on his face.

"What are you running from, sorcière enfant?" he purred. The only thought besides the fact of getting away from him was: what the heck was he saying?

"Leave me alone! I-I'll leave I swear I did-didn't mean to intrude!" I whimpered backing up even more.

"Now why would you want to do that, petite fille?" he purred, that's when thoughts of my teacher Mrs. Worde filled my head, she often said what he just said, but that would mean he was French. But what the hell was a French Vampire doing in Romania?

"What are you doing here??? You're French.... In case you haven't guessed this isn't France, go home!" I screamed bravely.

"Now sorcière enfant you need to know what to do when you hold the cards and frankly all you have are two's. You don't scare me. Plus its not often dinner comes to me although Natasha wont be pleased, she has a thing about l'alimentation sur les enfants but frankly I'm too hungry to care!" he said his accent thick. He started backing me up against a moldy wall.

"Leave, Vampire! Or you will be sorry! I swear it!" I said moving my body in the right position to strike. But he was quicker then I. He grabbed me by my hair knocking my hat off my head. Then he slammed me against the wall. Ripping my head to the side.

"Destul de copil," he whispered before slamming his fangs into where my shoulder meets my neck. Pain erupted through my body like fire.

I knew that if blood was drawn willingly it could be quite enjoyable but if forced it would become pure agony, but I was not about to become willing prey. Also I don't think he realized that I knew that Vampires were most vulnerable when feeding because he left his stance down which allowed me to slip my leg in between his without him noticing, but boy did he notice when I brought up my knee sharply hitting him squarely in the family jewels. At that he promptly pulled away from me falling on the floor holding himself muttering words I dare not speak, even in French I understood the meaning quite well.

At that I ran past him not expecting him to grab my foot sending me tumbling to the floor, pain erupted as I landed on my knees, they had to be bleeding. He tried to pull me back to him; I tried kicking him in the face while crawling the floor as he pulled me toward him.

Tears were flooding down my face, I prayed, I don't know what for or if I did it correctly my mother gave up on church the day my father died I haven't gone since I was five. But I prayed and prayed whispering silent pleads to the Virgin Mary and God, and suddenly as if my prayers had been answered, the Vampire was ripped away from me. A figure stepped out from the shadows glorified in pure white-blue light, It was a man his face seamed so familiar, that I sat there shocked not daring to move; afraid even the tiniest movement would break this amazing vision. I watched as his eyes darkly turned on the vampire.
"LEAVE MY CHILD ALONE!" he growled attacking the Vampire. The Vampire's eyes widened shocked.

"Vrăjitoare copil este într-adevăr un copil vrăjitoare," he muttered backing away half amused half horrified.

"Dad" I whispered staring at him.

"Yes Emmy baby, now RUN!" he yelled giving me a desperate look, that was all I needed and I took off running. I felt a little lightheaded but that run out of the house had to have broken records. I only looked back once to see my dad hovering over the Vampire.

I have never been in as much trouble as I was when I arrived home that night well past midnight, covered in blood, and clothes slightly ripped.

My mother freaked, demanding a story... I did what any afraid confused child would do:


I told her I had jumped off one of the steps at a house and fallen into a patch of thickets. As for the time I gave no original answer I just lost track of it.

Looking back I have to wonder if my mother truly cared. Any real parent would have not believed such a story, but my mother was all too accepting of such a claim. Sadly I wish my thoughts could have ended there but I knew that even if I wished to deny it, the rest of the evening would still come and linger; snug in my thoughts. Sighing I allowed myself to think of what came next.

I locked myself in the bathroom and turned the faucet to the bathtub on full blast. I stripped off all of my clothes, which were torn and dirty. The outfit was not going to be something I could wear again. After doing so I climbed up the toilet and sat on the sink so I could see myself in the mirror, I stared intently at myself in the mirror; my wild brownish-black curly hair was an afro of frizz.

Mud, dirt, and blood plastered my face giving me a wild look, my blind looking crystal blue eyes which some times had specks of green, gold, or purple in them seemed clear, almost doll-like, witch eyes. Black rings circled my eyes like raccoons. My eyes were full of tears and as I looked, they spilled over. Tears wiped dust, dirt and blood away from my cheeks in streaks.

I looked at my body, which was a pale shivering thing; a bit on the plump side and far to dirty to be pretty per-se. Exotic maybe, but exotic is not something you wish to be when they ostracized different, but pretty was not what I was. Then there was the bloody fang marks on my neck-shoulders. It was ugly, it was evil, and it was not normal. I had to get rid of it! In a fit of anger I grabbed the metal hairbrush and threw it at the mirror shattering it.



I grabbed a shard of the mirror squeezing it tight. I could hear my mother pounding on the bathroom door but I was too entranced by the blood that flowed from my hand into the sink...

"Emmy, are you all right? Honey, I want you to open the door now!" my mother yelled, bringing me back to reality.

"Sorry mom I dropped the mirror... um, I'm fine I'll clean up the mess later. Sorry!" I piped in.

"Okay honey, but be careful of the glass; I don't want you to get cut." she said and I listened to her walk away cradling the glass to my chest like a child... I wanted to give such a sick laugh. But I held it in as I did what I had to do.

I placed the glass on the fang marks pressing lightly carving a line to make it look like a cut and not the disgusting bite mark it was.