And If The Sun Comes Up

Sophie’s P.O.V (The Monday before Halloween - October 1995)

I always hated Mondays anyway, but having heard the news from Jake that Eleanor and Lucas were planning to turn me into a blood sucking creature of the night, quite honestly, I was terrified. What terrified me the most though was the fact that Eleanor and Lucas seemed so calm about it. I bumped into them on the way to Art class, and they were just so “normal”. How can they be like that around me?

I decided to not to say anything. I nodded a hello and went on my way. I walked a few steps and I could honestly feel their eyes boring in to the back of my head. I could hear them speaking to me even though there weren’t actually speaking; it was as if they were in my mind urging me to turn round and face them.

My feet decided they would shuffle round and I met their gaze. They seemed to glide up to me until their faces were practically on mine.

“Uhhmmm, do you mind?” I flinched away from them.

Eleanor replied with a hint of amusement, “Why, what have we done to upset you Sophie?”

“You haven’t upset me at all”, I shot back slightly aggressively, “but I don’t like how close you are to my face. You know, ‘this is my personal space; this is your personal space’ and all that crap.”

Eleanor and Lucas retreated backwards marginally when Lucas piped up.

“Anyway, now that we’ve given you some ‘personal space’, will you just calm down and listen to what we have to say? It will interest both yourself and Jake hopefully.” He folded his arms against his chest like a child would do when they’ve had a tantrum.

“Ok Lucas, fire away”, I said agitated; I was already ten minutes late for Art class, “but please make it quick, I’m kind of running late.” I tapped my watch to emphasise this even more.

“Dear oh dear, what an impatient little student we have here Eleanor? Do you think we better tell her now?” Lucas was enjoying this little waiting game immensely.

“Oh, go on then Lucas, she’s obviously a very busy lady and we’d hate her to get in trouble because of us.”

“Right, well here we are then;” said Lucas with a sigh of boredom, “Eleanor and I are having a Halloween party at my house. There are only a select few that have been invited, which obviously includes you and Jake. We really hope you can come as we think it’s time to clear the air between us. We know we’ve been a little distant with you, so this is kind of an apology as well as a great excuse to get together and get drunk. What do you say?”

Shit, what could I say; if I said no they would hound me for days, possibly even weeks; if I said yes then they would have their perfect chance to get me alone, drain me of my much needed blood and turn me. Shit, shit, shit; think on your feet Soph.

“Yeah, th-that sounds just wonderful. I’ll drop by Jakes later and let him know the great news”, I said trying to shake the quiver from my voice, “I assume its tonight?”

“Party, on a school night?”, sarcasm tainted Lucas’s voice, “You must be kidding. No, it’s going to be on Friday around 7pm; you know Friday is Halloween, right? Hey, you and Jake could even stay over if you wanted to; we’ve got room for two little ones.”

“Friday at 7pm it is then. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away!” I said far too enthusiastically.

I wondered if they could smell my fear, but obviously not as they both winked at me and turned on their heel. They seemed to glide again and were at the far end of the corridor before I knew it.

I stood outside Art class daydreaming for what seemed like hours, which was until Mrs Rogers came out and managed to pull me from my trance just in time to start my still life exercise.

An hour and a half finally passed. I was tired and slightly agitated after my run in with the vampire duo.

“Right class, could you please put your pencils down now. I’ll be coming round to each of you to check your work”, Mrs Rogers exclaimed authoritatively, “Stand back from your easels.”

Mrs Rogers went round the class in concentrated silence nodding and shaking her head here and there as she perused each of my fellow students' work. She finally came to my easel and she stopped dead in her tracks. She was shocked, stunned and speechless and I didn’t know why, that is until I looked ahead at my easel.

I hadn’t drawn our still life piece of fruit in a basket; it was something far more macabre. My paper was covered in deep red pools of colour, broken up by a vampire taking her first bite from a victim’s neck.