Jenna's Deathwish

Monday 13th

I was standing in a doorframe. Just a doorframe in the middle of a desert. I squinted up at the blazing sun, then out to the endless horizon. Someone giggled behind me.
I whipped around and saw my cousin, Sarah. My heart was filled with joy as I looked at her face. The face I had missed and longed to see for four years.
She gave me that cheeky smile, “Ella!”
I cried with happiness as I heard her voice for the first time in what felt like an eternity. We were together again.
I ran towards her with my arms outstretched. But it was wrong, this was wrong. With every step, she moved back. I ran faster but the ground beneath her was moving away from me. The faster I ran the faster she disappeared.
“No! Come back!” I yelled.
“Come on! Hurry up!” She called.
I pushed myself until I couldn’t go on any longer. It was hopeless. I was never going to reach her. I paused for breath, then doubled over and began to cry.
“Don’t go!” I shouted.
But my plea fell on deaf ears.
“Don’t leave me.” I whispered.
When I looked up and was standing in the doorframe again. The door then swung shut, so I was on the other side. The side my cousin was not.
I sat up sharp and stared around the room. Her face…I missed her so much. My heart sank as I woke up and I grabbed a pillow and cried into it. I sighed a little too loud, the noise broke the silence, so I took my duvet and pillow and headed for the sitting room; I didn’t want to wake Adele or Jenna up with my crying.
Tears streaming down my face, I looked at my watch in the moonlight. It was eighteen minutes past three in the morning.
I stumbled in the darkness down the metal stairs and headed for the sitting room and, once in, lay down on the extremely comfortable couch. I let old memories fill my head and the tears continue to come. At least here I could cry alone…or so I thought.
“Silent tears are deadly tears, you know.”
I froze and held my breath. Will came sat beside me on the couch.
I rubbed my eyes, “I’m fine.”
“You certainly aren’t my darling! Please don’t cry, what’s wrong?”
“I didn’t know you were in here, I’m sorry I’ll just go back to bed…” I stood up, but cold hands pull me back down.
He had his hand on my shoulder and I could feel him staring at me in the darkness. I knew he could see me-vampires could see in the dark.
He stroked my bed hair and asked, “Now tell me…what’s the matter?”
“I…I miss...I had this dream. I was, it was…I miss my family.” I stuttered.
My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw his perfect face turn into a frown.
“In the dream. I saw my younger cousin.” I buried my face in the pillow again and cried, “I miss her so much! I miss my family.”
He flinched.
“It’s my fault she’s dead.”
He looked curiously at me, “What?”
“I didn’t pray for her. Sarah died four years ago because of me. I was in Italy at an aunt’s wedding when Sarah was in hospital. I should have stayed with her. Because her doctor was poisoning her-making her take eighteen tablets a day. Her liver packed in. She was recovering well when I prayed for her to get better. Then in Italy…we were all out for hours and by the time we got back to the hotel I went straight to sleep. I forgot to pray for her. I forgot to pray for my dying cousin! But I’m done. I’m done with God now. I’m done with religion.”
“It’s not your fault. Praying wouldn’t have helped. God doesn’t give a fuck about you. In fact, there is no God. You can’t blame yourself.”
It was my fault. If I had only prayed for her she would still be alive.
"Your soul will go to Hell for saying that."
He laughed a little, "My soul? I sold that years ago when I became a vampire."
I cried again.
“Ella, darling.”
My heart skipped another beat as he said my name. Was I ever going to get use to that?
“Me and the guys, we are so sorry for what we have done. I know you three must miss everyone-your friends, your family. But we promise to keep you safe and do anything to make you happy from now on. We shouldn’t have taken you but you know why we did.”
“I know. And in a way I’m glad you did.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. Because I got to meet you.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Will must have put me back to bed during the night because I woke up the next morning in my big comfy bed.
Just after one we began our walk without the wolves in The Dark Forest. Only it wasn’t dark at all during the day. Well, the parts we went to weren’t dark. The forest was vast, and I was sure there were places we would much rather stay out of.
I told Adele and Jenna of the events that happened that night.
“So you admit you like Will?” Jenna grinned.
“I think I do, yeah. Though I don’t know what to do! I can’t be with him he’s a kidnapping vampire!”
“Even though after what happened in the loft the other day?” Adele winked.
“Nothing happened.”
“Uhuh.”
“Don’t be like that! Valo and Nick were acting the exact same with you two that day.”
“So we’re falling for them?” Jenna said.
“I think we are.” I grinned as I remembered last night with Will.
“Aww! Ella and Will sitting in a tree!” Jenna teased.
“Oh very mature!”
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Adele joined in.
“Shut up!” I chased them.
They ran ahead and up a steep hill. Once half way up I jumped on Jenna and we fell to the ground.
“Got ya!”
“Girls, look.”
We followed Adele’s gaze and looked over at the forest floor and I noticed how beautiful it really was. To our left was a waterfall-the top of it was further up the hill. We walked to the edge of the cliff ahead and peered over the side-about thirty feet below was the lake from the waterfall.
Stretching and yawning after the run, we lay down on the soft grass and enjoyed the heat from the sun. It was such a lovely day; there was not a cloud in the bright blue sky and the sun was shining brilliantly over the land.
“Today couldn’t get any better.” Jenna grinned, practically reading my mind.
We lay for a while, not talking much. It was quite hard to hear over the roar of the waterfall.
“Well, what do we have here?”
We sat up sharp at the familiar voice.
Jared and his clan were emerging from the trees with greedy eyes.
“Jared.” I glared.
His hair had changed. He now had a blond and pink mohawk.
Adele stood up, “What do you want?”
“Actually, we came to ask you three that very question.”
Jenna and I stood up and the three of us linked arms.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“You are on our territory. Didn’t they tell you that?” Jared grinned.
“Your…your territory?”
“What a shame. And since you stumbled so willingly onto our land…we can kill you.”
Uh oh.
“Ah, now wait just a minute.” I said.
We began to back up as the vampires came forward.
Then I noticed one of the clan members weren’t moving forward, neither were his eyes glowing red, unlike the others. He looked around eighteen, nineteen with short brown hair, green eyes and muscles. He was pretty.
Really pretty.
“You mean that you can only stay up here? You can’t go down there?” Jenna said quickly.
What was she planning?
“That is true, yes.” Jared looked at her curiously. “Why? You going to run away?”
His clan laughed, but the boy looked disappointed at Jared then turned to smile at me.
I stared at him for a moment, in disbelief.
“No-just…”
She didn’t finish. She turned and ran for the edge of the cliff and, as Adele and I were linked, we had no choice but to follow. We launched ourselves right off the edge and found ourselves falling through the air towards the lake below. The wind whistled in my ears I could hardly hear the others scream and Jared’s cursing.
The impact was hard; it stung my back and I lost the other two as I went under. Despite it being a warm day, the water was freezing and I was unable to breathe for a moment as I fumbled around in the water. I found the surface and bobbed up next to Adele, coughing and spluttering.
She grabbed me, “You okay?”
I nodded, still coughing then looked up at the cliff. Jared and his clan were looking down at us, still cursing. I saw the boy relax at I looked at him then he discretely waved at me.
I turned around to make sure it was actually me he was waving at then feebly waved my arm.
“Who you waving at?” Adele asked.
I turned to her, “See that boy up-” But when we looked up, they were gone. “Never mind. Where’s Jen?”
“Jen? Jenna!” She called.
I panicked. Where was she?
She bobbed up beside me, also coughing.
Adele and I hugged her and made sure she was okay.
“Phew. That was close.” I laughed as I got my breath back, “I can’t believe they never told us Jared’s territory was up there.”
Adele swam forward, “Let’s just get to land first.”
“Yeah before the crocodiles come.”
When we reached the shore Valo, Will and Nick were pacing anxiously, waiting for us. As we trudged through the water they were at our side.
“Would you like to explain to us how you are still alive?” Valo asked.
“That’s Jared’s territory up there.” I pointed towards the cliff. “Did you know?”
“Yeah. Why?” Nick bit his lip.
“No reason we just went up there without knowing and had to jump off the damn cliff to avoid being eaten by them!” Adele said.
“Why didn’t you tell us they were up there?” I asked in a calm tone.
“We just thought you would never go up that far. Its miles away from the castle!” Will replied.
“Oh well look what happened.” I said.
“Sorry.” They mumbled.
They hugged us and Will gave me a kiss on the head, “Sorry again.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tuesday 14thth
We watched some rubbish comedy programme after dinner, then went to bed around eleven. It was unusually cold that night, I thought someone left the window open. I woke at twenty to three in the morning, shivering.
I sat up in bed and rubbed my arms, which were covered in goosebumps, and looked at the window. That was weird-it was closed. Still shivering, I looked around the room and almost had a heart attack as I saw a figure sitting on the end of my bed.
“Hello.” He whispered.
“…Hi.” I backed up as he crawled forward.
I recognised him as he sat right in front of me-it was the boy from Jared’s clan. The one who waved at me.
“Oh, don’t be scared. I just came so see if you were alright.”
He had a beautiful Dutch accent.
“Jared sent you, did he?” I raised my eyebrows.
“No, no. He doesn’t know I’m here.”
I stared impatiently, waiting for him to continue.
“Uh…I’m Godric.” He held out his hand.
“Eleanora. But call me Ella.” I shook it and he nodded.
“I know.” He saw I was still shivering, “Am I making you cold?”
“Uh, well.” I looked at the window, then back to Godric, “Yes actually.”
I gave a feeble laugh.
“Sorry. It happens…sometimes.”
“So why are you here?” I asked, backing away again.
“To see if you were alright.”
“Why?”
He stared at me as if I had asked the world’s most stupid question, “You jumped from a thirty foot cliff.”
“Ah, right. Yeah we are fine thank you. Which reminds me. Yesterday-when your clan went to kill us.”
He flinched.
“Your eyes, they weren’t glowing red like everyone else.”
His face became serious, “Nor did I want to harm you or your friends. I do not want to turn savage like Jared and the others. I want to keep whatever remains of humanity I have left.”
“But you all kill humans.”
“Not I. I hunt animals in secret, which is why I had to keep my eyes from changing. Otherwise the others would have found out.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“How long have you been nineteen?”
He grinned, “Too long.”
“If Will and the others knew you were here-”
“Yes. I must go now. Meet me at noon today?”
“Meet you?”
“By the lake.” He went over and opened the window, “Please?”
I nodded, “Yeah sure.”
He smiled then vanished into the night.