Angels and Monsters

Adeline spent all the time she could in her garden and Alec loved watching her be happy , a quality he was worried she would lose when she found out the truth. They were in the garden one day Alec was spinning her around and unlike most days there was a golden sun and the minute he was throwing he Adeline up in the air , his face was caught directionally in the rays. His skin sparkled like a million diamonds and Adeline looked at him with surprise “Why are you sparkly Alec?” He bit his lip, trying to think of an excuse “I just am, now how about we go play on the piano , I know you’ve been practising that piece Edward sent you”
“Ok” she said , letting the issue drop but storing his lie in the back of her mind. Her first clue.

Her next clue came when she was hugging Maria goodnight and then Alec hugged her as well, she immediately noticed the change in temperature. “Alec why are you so cold and Maria is so warm ?” she asked him as he kissed her goodnight “Maybe she has a fever or something?” he said looking away from her. Her second clue.

The thing that really puzzled her , was that Alec never ate or drank and she thought it was essential for human’s survival , so she asked Marcus “Isn’t it essential for humans to eat and drink?” , he studied her face for a minute then answered “Of course” and then he began going on about the human digestive system. But Adeline wasn’t listening to him , ‘so why didn’t Alec eat ?’ She thought to herself , this means that he mustn’t be human ? To prove her theory , she devised a plan. She was very clever for an eight year old , so after her lesson with Marcus she ran to Maria and asked her if she could make some cakes. Later that evening Adeline , dragged Alec to the kitchen and showed him what she had made “Try one Alec” she said sweetly , he hesitated and then answered “I’m not very hungry at the moment angel” , ‘Sure you are?’ she thought to herself , she looked up at him with puppy dog eyes “But I made them specially Alec”, he felt guilty but he physically couldn’t consume the treats she had made , and there was a small part of him that thought she was on to something. “I’ll have one later , I promise.” Her third clue.

There was something also that struck Adeline has unusual , Alec would always stay in her room every night but whenever she woke up , he was always there reading , why didn’t he sleep? She purposely woke up in the middle of the night , one day , Alec immediately rushed over to her bed “Are you alright angel?” , she stretched and yawned and said “I’m fine , a bit tired aren’t you?”
“No I’m fine” he said watching her,
“Do you ever go to sleep Alec?”
“Of course I do , I go to sleep when you go to sleep , now go back to bed” he instructed her. She turned and faced her pillow , her head full of confusion. Her fourth clue.

Every week , on a Wednesday afternoon , Alec had instructed that Adeline should stay in her room at all times. ‘Why though?’ she thought to herself , every Wednesday afternoon only Maria and Viola were available. So being the Sherlock Holmes she was , she left her room quietly and shut the door, she crept up to the door that separated her and Maria’s part of the castle from every one else’s that was another thing that struck her as odd , why did she have to be kept apart from everyone else? ‘ Maybe Alec’s ashamed of me’ she thought sadly too herself, she bit her lip and then opened the door and ran up the long stair cases where someone with ebony hair and sapphire eyes was sitting where Viola usually sat , typing on Viola’s computer , using Viola’s stationery , the girl at the desk must of heard her footsteps for she looked up and sent a sickly sweet smile at her “Hey sweetie are you lost?”
“Where’s Viola?” She asked angrily , clenching her fists ,
“Viola’s left”
“Why?” she asked
“Look sweetie , I’ll take you back to the tour” she said , grabbing Adeline’s hand ,
“What tour?” she said , trying to realise her hand from the woman’s harsh grip, as they rounded the corner they saw Alec coming towards them wiping something off his mouth , when he saw Adeline he looked startled but he looked even more angry when he saw the new receptionist Gabriella gripping on hard to Adeline’s wrist. Adeline when seeing Alec ran to him and he swooped her up into his arms and she nuzzled into neck “Are you ok angel?” he asked her
“No where’s Viola?” Alec had been dreading telling her that Viola had not shown any skill and so had to be killed “She had to go”
“Why didn’t she say goodbye? She says I’m her favourite person in the world , why wouldn’t she say goodbye?” Alec’s stomach filled with guilt at the sight of her hurt eyes , “I don’t know why , but I’m sure she must have had a good reason, now does your wrist hurt?” he asked concerned about how hard Gabriella was holding onto her wrist “My wrist’s ok , but I don’t like her” she said , pointing to Gabriella who was now looking fiercely scared. “Do you want her to go?” Alec asked
“Yes, straight away” she said
“Ok then as you wish” and as if on command Felix and Demetri were walking down the corridor , “Felix , Demetri , still hungry?” Alec said , nodding his head towards Gabriella , whose eyes were now wide with fear. The two boys grinned evilly and grabbed the screaming Gabriella “Happy now?” Alec asked, Adeline nodded , unaware of the fact that she had just cause the death of an innocent human being.

That night Adeline went over everything in her head , what tour had the annoying girl meant? What did Alec mean by still hungry? Why was Gabriella so scared of Alec and why had she screamed when Felix and Demetri had taken her away? Surely they were just taking her outside the castle? By the next morning these questions still pondered her mind and she was going to find the answer to every single one. She spent her next few days deeply saddened by the loss of Viola and Alec was getting more worried that she was going to discover their secret. But a day came when Adeline forgot all these trivial things and yet they added to them as well. Alec had been called along with Felix and Demetri to sort out some trouble with the Egyptian coven and so he would be gone for a while. When he came to say goodbye to Adeline , she looked up at him with her big sad blue eyes “Don’t look at me like that , you know I don’t want to go” he pleaded with her, she put her arms up to him and he picked her up , holding her close though careful not to hurt her, “Alec do you love me?” she asked him quietly , he was astonished that she even had to ask that question “Adeline I love you more than anything else in the whole world”
“Then why do you leave me all the time?” she said beginning to cry , he hugged her, kissed her cheek and then handed her to Maria before he decided to stay , Adeline cried out at being taken away from Alec. “NO,NO ALEC” Maria rushed her to the kitchen and sat her down and then almost shouted at her “Adeline you must behave more master Alec will get in trouble with his masters”
“But he leaves me all the time” she whined
“Sweetie he doesn’t want to leave you , he loves you so much but he has to go sometimes but he always comes back doesn’t he?” she asked placing a bombolone in front of the young girl, “But I have nightmares and where does he go?” she asked biting into the doughnut
“I don’t know where he goes and its not for us to ask , now eat that up and then go and practise your piano” she said and began making Adeline’s dinner. As she made her way to the piano room, she saw Jane coming towards her, Adeline smiled at Alec’s sister and ran to her. “Hello little one” Jane said “Where are you going?”
“To practise, where’s Alec gone?” she asked, Jane hesitated and then smiled “Away”
“Where?” she asked crossing her arms
“Just away” she said and began to walk away , “Why won’t you tell me?” Adeline shouted, Jane turned on her heel slowly and smiled sweetly and then Adeline’s body felt as if it was on fire , her blood boiled and she cried out in pain and fell to the floor , ear piercing screams bounced of the castles walls. Maria heard the bone chilling screams and ran out of their corridor , she saw Jane smiling and concentrating on the child in agony “stop , stop please , stop” Maria cried at her , Jane snapped out of her trance and glared at Maria “She’s not supposed to ask questions, she’s learnt her lesson now” and turned the corner and into the darkness “Monster” Maria whispered under her breath. She then turned her eyes to the now unconscious eight year old on the floor “Oh my precious Adeline” she picked her up and carried her back to her room where she put into bed and sat holding her hand the whole night trying to get rid of the nightmares that haunted every time Alec left. The next morning her whole body ached and she sat up painfully and saw Maria sitting beside her bed in Alec’s chair. Her heart ached at the thought of Alec she missed him so much and then she remembered why the rest of her body hurt. Jane had hurt her. How though? She was now paralysed by fear and sunk lower into her bed. Maria must of heard her as she woke up and saw a scared little Adeline staring at her “Good morning sweetie.” Adeline said nothing and merely let a tear escape from her eye, Maria looked at the child with extreme pity and said “Shall I go run you a bath?” Adeline nodded and buried her head in the pillow. She heard the running water and let her tears fall down her cheeks , she needed Alec back , she couldn’t survive without him. Maria moved over to the little angel’s bed and picked her up , Adeline hugged onto her body . Maria took of her pyjamas and placed the frightened girl into the bath , Adeline pulled her knees up to her chest and Maria took a sponge and began to wash her back “You have lessons with Marcus today” Adeline just shrugged , her tears washing her cheeks “You’re doing Italian and history today , you’re favourites” Maria said desperate for Adeline to smile “Sweetie I know what Jane did was terrible but you’re going to see Alec in a few days and you don’t want him to see you upset do you?” Adeline shook her head in response. Maria got a hair brush and began brushing Adeline’s champagne waterfall. The sun shone through the small window and Adeline’s face brightened up a bit, she got out of the bath with the help of Maria , she got dressed in a blue dress and Maria tied her long hair into a plait with a white ribbon at the end. They both proceeded to the kitchen both silent , ate breakfast in silent and Adeline left for lessons with Marcus in silent. He was already waiting for her in a small light room where they had their lessons which was full of books. As she was writing out about the history of Napoleon, Marcus noticed that she was unusually quiet and sad , he guessed it was just Alec’s absence but he decided to check just in case “Is everything all right Adeline?” , She nearly said the reason she was in silence but her and Maria had agreed to not mention what Jane had done to anyone “Yes I just miss Alec” she said and returned to her work. Over the next few days she pinned for Alec and could not wait to see his burgundy eyes, she did not have to wait long as Alec returned in three days , he rushed to the kitchen as it was lunchtime , there she was his little angel . She turned when she heard the kitchen door open and she rushed into Alec’s arms “Hey angel I’ve missed you so much” she hugged him tighter at these words and he kissed her head happy to be with his angel. When she pulled away to face him , she looked different to him and that worried him , she smiled at him but it did not fall him , she was gripping onto him for dear life and her eyes were on the brink of tears “What’s wrong , little one ? Was it the nightmares?” he asked her , hoping that it was only that. She said nothing and then slowly shook her head , she did not like lying to Alec. He looked at her desperately “What’s happened?” he almost shouted at the two girls , “TELL ME!!!” he shouted at Maria while shielding Adeline from anything and everything “It was Jane , Jane” She whispered back. Alec’s eyes widened in horror , it could not be? She wouldn’t? She couldn’t? She liked Adeline didn’t she? He handed Adeline to Maria and ran out of the kitchen , searching for his sister. Adeline wriggled out of Maria’s arm and followed him despite Maria’s cries for her to come back. Alec was fuming , he never thought Jane would do this to him “JANE” he shouted , Adeline ran to his voice , she saw him in the corridor shouting for Jane , who was now walking towards him with a smile on her innocent face “Brother , its so nice to see you home” Alec glared at her and then held her at the wall by her neck, looking as if he could kill any second “What did you do to her?” he spat at her, so angry that someone , especially his own flesh and blood had harmed the most important thing to him.“I have no idea what you’re talking about now put me down” she said angrily back , he released his grip on her and then “You know exactly what I’m talking about, you hurt Adeline”
“Yes well she deserved it” she said and began to walk away almost pleased with herself, Alec grabbed her by the wrist and shouted “You could have killed her” saying his worst nightmare out loud , scared him to his very core
“Well then it would have saved you from doing it!!” Alec looked disgusted and a new wave of self hatred began “I would never set a finger on her, how dare you!!”
“In 10 years you will , when you turn her into one of us , when you take away her soul and turn her into a monster like us” Alec looked like he had been shot in the heart , Adeline didn’t understand what Jane had just said , “Why did you do it ? Were you bored and decided that Adeline was a Voodoo doll? What has she ever done to you?” He shouted at her , wondering what could possess her to hurt an innocent child
“Stolen my brother” she spat back , Alec sighed deeply and looked his sister in the eyes “She hasn’t stolen me away , she needs me and I need her and I love her , and I’m sorry if me being in love with a human is disgusting to you but I love her more than anything and if you continue to be this cruel to her , then we can never be siblings.” Not human? What did he mean? Adeline asked herself ‘and why was he taking away my soul and turning me into whatever he is? Would he kill me I thought he loved me?’ a tear trickled down her cheek and she ran to the library , she had to find out what he was. Rows upon rows of ancient books were around her ,she had no idea where to start. All her wonderings from the last few months were all running around in her head. She ran her fingers over the old books and found one that interested her ‘Cruel Monsters that walk our earth’ she picked it up and began to flick through it . Ice cold. Don’t sleep. Glitter in the sun. Don’t eat. Fast. Strong. Special abilities. Exceptional beauty. All the words described Alec and yet she had no idea what that meant he was. She read down the page and read ‘There is no creature more cruel and terrible on earth than the Vampire. These evil creatures will the suck the blood of every living creature they can, but their favourite prey. Mankind’ Adeline dropped the book. Alec was a vampire.