• Chapter 4



    Lance had watched her leave her home and had followed her to school. He now sat outside on the roof of the school looking around at the school’s property. The school wasn’t very big. It was a private school, but not necessarily one for smart kids or even for not so bright kids. It was just private. It was a school that was for parents who just didn’t want their children to go to a public school. Lance sat on the roof of the school looking out at the small fields that were surrounding the school. There wasn’t a single person about and there wasn’t a single sound other than the soft fall of the rain. Lance leaned against one of the heaters on the roof of the school and let out a long sigh lowering his head and closing his eyes listening to the lullaby of the falling rain. Lance opened one eye when he heard foot fall coming from the edge of the building. Lance began to relax though when he saw who it was out of the corner of his eye. It was Faith. Faith was a childhood friend of Lance. She was about 19 years old and had dirty blond hair and a very good figure. Lance had to admit, she was very beautiful. Lance had known Faith since he was born and they had been friends ever since. Faith was also married to a vampire named Serist. Serist was Lance’s master and teacher in Lance’s younger days. He was like a father to him.
    Serist was one of the few vampires on the council and he had a say in a lot of the decisions that the vampire community made. That also included Lance’s punishment. His punishment for becoming infatuated with a human. Serist, however, used his power in the council to revoke and remove the punishment. Lance thanked his old friend and teacher but did not get off free. Serist wanted to meet faith and it was all thanks to Lance that the two even ever met. Lance looked up into the kind blue eyes of he beautiful vampire that stood before him. “Serist is very proud of you” Faith said, her voice just as beautiful as she was. “If he is, he sure doesn’t show it”. Lance said looking away, breaking away from the gaze of Faith’s caring eyes. “It takes a lot of strength and will power to go against the words of the elders” Faith said kindly sitting down next to lance tucking her elegant dress underneath her. “You’re a lot stronger than any of us would have ever guessed”. Faith said trying to look Lance in the eyes “you carry a very heavy burden that has been forced upon you, and you go against everything that the elders have taught us and told us to do”. Faith looked over sadly when she could not meet Lance’s eyes “especially considering what you are fighting for”. Faith said quietly with sincerity in her voice. Lance shut her out and pressed his face into his arms that he now had crossed across his legs. Lance listened and didn’t move until he heard Faith get up and leave and was sure that she was gone.

    Chapter 5



    The rest of the day went by very slowly for Nikki. She has spaced out for most of the day and didn’t really pay attention to anything going on around her. It was lunch time now and Nikki and Jessi were sitting at a table in the farthest corner of the cafeteria. “So?” Jessi asked from across the table. “What?” Nikki asked back looking confused. “Did you see him again?” Jessi asked keeping her voice down so that nobody else would over hear. “Who?” Nikki asked, still confused. “You know” Jessi looked around cautiously “the boy from your dreams”. She said whispering it. Nikki looked across the table at her friend. The truth was, she had been thinking about him all day. She just couldn’t get him off of her mind. She had been trying all day to remember what the dream from the night before had been about, but she just couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t remember. Nikki turned to Jessi “yes” she said to Jessi, but in a way as to tell her that it was the end of the conversation about him.
    Jessi looked over Nikki’s shoulder and a frown came across her face. It was Nick. He had just came into the cafeteria and was making his way over to the two girls. “Look whose coming” Jessi said still frowning. Jessi knew just how much Nikki hated Nick. She also knew about all of the things that nick had done to her. Nikki looked over her shoulder, as soon as she saw Nick; the horrible feeling came over her again. Nick walked up to her and sat down next to her on the bench wrapping both his arms around her and resting his hands in her lap “hey baby”. Nick said greeting and nuzzling her neck. Nikki pulled away from him when she felt his touch and tried to get away. Nick hated it when she tried to get away, so he pulled her in closer and pushed both of his hands into her crouch. She hated it when he started touching her there and elbowed him in ribs telling him to stop. Jessi watched helplessly from the other side of the table as her life long friend was being sexually harassed by her “boyfriend”. Jessi felt so helpless when she couldn’t help Nikki with things like this. Jessi looked up at the clock hanging on the cafeteria wall and was willing for it to move faster so that Nikki would have an excuse to get away from Nick.

    Chapter 6



    Lance had been sitting on the roof of the school for another two hours before he actually got up and finally started moving around. He stood up and walked over to the edge of the small building and looked out at the property of the school. It was still raining outside and everything was dark and wet, which made everything around the school look very dark and gloomy. He looked down at himself and what he was wearing, he realized that he really hadn’t put much thought at all in what he had put on to wear. He had left the home in a hurry and didn’t really mind what he had dressed in.
    He had put on some black thin silk pants and a long sleeved cotton shirt that fit loosely on him. He also was wearing black leather shoes that had a slight red tint to them, and on his way out of the house he had grabbed his jacket and thrown it on. All of these things were very common things and could be seen anywhere, however, there was one article of clothing that lance wore that was very unusual and very special. His coat. His coat was about as long as a trench coat but had no sleeves, it was also made of a strange thin yet durable material that nobody has yet been able to identify and color of it was as dark as night itself. The only color on the coat was the mysterious red symbol drawn on the back of it. The symbol went from the top of Lance’s shoulders and ended about the bottom of his back and is written in such a deep red that it looks as if it was written in blood. The dark symbol that rests on the material of the cloak seems to also give of a strange aura that glows a deathly blood red when seen in the full light of the moon. The only thing that anybody knows for sure about the dark symbol is that, anybody who gazes into the symbol in the light of the moon are filled with feelings of pain and suffering. Many of the other people at their home have all asked Lance were the dark clothe came from or what the symbol means, but Lance has refused to tell anybody. However, as surrounded in mystery his cloak was, it was not his most prized possession. Lance had two items in his possession that he prized more than anything.
    The first of the two items was a sword. Grief. That was what it was called. Lance had found the sword lying in his room one night, under the moonlight of a blood red moon that hung hauntingly in the sky. When lance brought the sword to the elders, they had recognized it the second they laid their eyes upon its jagged edge. The elders sat lance down and began to tell the young vampire the story that lay behind the dark blade.
    The Legend was passed down from one elder to the next threw countless generations. The blade had been forged during a great war that lasted hundreds of years. The war was being waged between two races, the lycans, and the vampires. The war lasted hundreds of years until the peak of it, when four blades of massive power were created. Two by moonlight, two by blood. That was how the legend went. Even to this day, the war still rages on, but in secret. The lycans, which were now commonly known as werewolves, hid among the humans, secretly attacking the vampires by hiring other dark beasts to do their bidding or attacking the vampires themselves. The four sacred blades that were forged during the war were given to the two leaders of each race. To this day, all of the swords still rest with each races leader, waiting to be used again and to get their taste of blood once again. Grief, however, was not one of the original four blades. Grief was forged and created when a grieving father lost his family both to the two warring sides. Filled with hatred for both the vampires and the lycans, he became blooded into both races. When the two races found out about his, they became very angry and both killed the man. However, they could not kill him before he had forged a blade and channeled all of his pain and sorrow into the blade. That blade became Grief. The blade was now cursed and is said to be able to grow more powerful by drawing on its wielders feelings of pain or suffering.
    The other item of value in Lance’s possession was a necklace. It was made out of a strange dark red metal that was twisted and bent into the shape of a rose. Lance received the necklace from a very dear friend when she passed away. There doesn’t seem to be anything special about the strange necklace, but yet lance still will not tell anybody much about it either.
    Lance looked out into the rain that was still persisting and continuing to fall when suddenly a noise arose and caught him off guard. The noise was the sound of foot steps. He instantly went for the sword at his side and whipped it out of its scabbard at an inhuman speed and quickly spun around to face whoever had approached him. Standing before him was a man with short messy hair that was a dark shade of red. The man was wearing entirely black and wore a dark colored cloak that he had draped around himself. However, there was one thing that stood out more than anything. His eyes. The man’s eyes were a deep shade of crimson that shone brightly in the dim light of the rainy day. The man grinned a toothy grin and reached at his side drawing out a long sword that had a small silver handle and a crest imprinted on the blade. Lance all ready had his sword and held it pointed the man “what do you want?” Lance said darkly. He knew exactly what this man was just by the color of his eyes. He was a Rogue Vampire.
    Rogue vampires were vampires that went against everything that the elders taught and instructed. They are hated by all vampires and are often referred to as “dark blood”. All vampires hate their “dark blooded” cousins and most vampires make a personal goal to hunt down and kill them. There is, however, one reason why most vampires hate these dark fiends so much. They kill who they drink from. When a vampire drinks blood from its victim they are rendered unconscious from one of a few special natural abilities that vampires are given when they are born. Vampires also don’t drink as much blood as most people think. A full size vampire can survive for up to four months with only a half a pint of blood, so there isn’t ever necessary for a vampire to kill who they drink from. Rogue vampires, however, viciously kill their prey and drain their bodies’ dry of blood. Drinking that much blood is extremely bad for a vampire’s heath and often drives them mentally insane if they do.
    Lance glared at the dark figure before him. “The same thing that all of us want”. The Dark blood purred his voice chilly and unnerving. Lance began to grow inpatient with this dark creature and swung his sword at his enemy standing before him, arching the swing aiming it at his throat. The dark blood quickly brought his sword up and blocked lance’s sword with the blade of his own by the handle of his sword. The Rogue then spun around swinging his sword in the same direction as his spin using the momentum of the spin to whip the sword at lance. Lance quickly jumped up and kicked off of one of the heaters on the roof. He narrowly dodges the sword and hears it whip by him as he drops back down from the jump. He lands on the roof of the building and goes into a roll bringing his sword straight out and up until he feels it plunge into his enemies’ chest, missing his heart by only a few inches. A look of complete shock came across the Rogue’s face as it felt the blade pass into its chest and it fell back and slid off of the edge of Lance’s sword dropping to the ground dead.
    Lance looked down at the dead vampires body lying on the ground and soon turned around and walked over to the edge of the school looking around for any more rogue vampires that might be hiding. Suddenly, and without warning, the dead vampire jumped up onto its feet and charged lance at full speed intending to throw lance off of the building. Lance had seen this coming and quickly spun to the side and grabbed the vampire. He then swung himself around and used the momentum of the spin and his strength to hurl the vampire off of the roof of the building and down crashing toward the ground. Lance took a few steps back and waited for the sickening thud of the dark blooded vampire’s body hitting the ground. Lance turned around and looked around the roof. He walked over to a puddle that had formed on the roof from the rain and washed his blade of the vampire’s blood and then resheathed it in its scabbard. Lance looked down, into the dark surface of the now blood stained puddle, and looked at the boyish face that was reflecting on its dark surface. He reached up and brushed his dark bangs out of his face and ran his fingers along the dark red scar that ran across his left eye and continued into part of his face. He looked away from the dark image in the water and stood back up and looked out at the dark streets around the school. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sound of the falling rain. He kept his eyes closed but watched as painful memories of his past flashed through his mind. Lance stood alone as a single pain filled tear rolled down his face and stood there, holding tightly to the necklace that hung around his neck. He opened his eyes slowly and looked over the edge of the school and growled angrily when he saw that the vampire’s body had moved and now was gone. He wiped the tears from his face and walked back over to one of the heaters on the roof and sat back down closing his eyes and trying to zone everything out and hear nothing but the soft lullaby of the rain falling around him.

    Chapter 7


    “Why do you stay with him?” Jessi asked Nikki concerned for her very close friend. Nikki didn’t respond and just continued walking down the hall with Jessi. “Why do you stay with him if he treats you so badly?” She asked again hoping to get an answer this time. “Because I'm scared”. Nikki said as a tear rolled down her face. “I’m just so scared”. She said again her voice now shaking. Jessi pulled Nikki of to the side and out of the school and sat her down on one of the benches set up around the school’s property. It was still raining, but Jessi just ignored it. “Are you ok?” She asked Nikki deeply concerned for her. “I’m fine”. Nikki said quietly looking away. “No, your not”. Jessi said looking her in the eyes. “Nick has done something to you that is deeply hurting you”. As if on cue, thunder began to rumble in the sky and it began to rain even harder. Nikki moved her head over to her friend’s shoulder and began to cry lightly. Jessi wrapped her in a hug and hugged her tightly whispering that she was going to be ok and that nick was going to pay for what he has done. Soon enough the bells rang and the girls had to get to class. Jessi gave Nikki one last hug before leaving and they both departed leaving for their classes.
    Nikki sat down in her seat and dropped her stuff on her desk. She buried her face in her arms and rested her head on her desk. She just about jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around in her seat to see who it was. Her heart sank. It was Nick. She had completely forgotten that she had this class with him and he had caught her completely off guard. “are you doing anything tonight?” he asked her casually. “No, why?” She asked looking away trying to avoid his gaze. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk in the park tonight”. He said smiling. She looked at Nick and then down to the desk. She wanted to say no more than anything, but she couldn’t. She wanted to refuse and never see him again, but she knew that id she said no, he would get angry and would probably hurt her again. “Sure”. She said burying her face in her arms. “Great, ill pick you up right after school”. Nick said and hopped back over to his desk on the other side of the room. She hated being with Nick, she hated it more than anything. Even more, she hated being alone with him where nobody could see what he did to her. Nick was a very strong and forceful person and it scared her so much to be alone with him.
    Nikki looked at the teacher who was now giving his instructions for the day. She wasn’t listening and zoned out everything else around her. She buried her face in her arms and rested her head on the cold surface of the desk trying to drown out all the noise around her. She sat there quietly thinking and listening to all of the events of the day echoed in her mind. She looked over at nick, which was sitting in his chair and grinning at her. She dreaded the time the two of them spent together and was terrified of what nick might have planned for her when they went to the park. She looked away from him and looked up at the grim face of the clock hanging on the wall. She slowly counted down the seconds of the clock like a person would count down the seconds of a bomb, sitting 2 feet in front of them. She sat quietly in her desk as her grim fate slowly approached her.

    Chapter 8



    Lance stood on the edge of the roof looking down at the doors of the school. It was still raining and he had been waiting outside for a while now. It was about 4 o’clock now and it was starting to get dark out. Lance leaned over the edge and waited cautiously for the school bell to ring. When the bell rang, thousands of teens all flooded out the small doors of the school all screaming and talking amongst each other. Lance waited patiently and smiled when he saw Nikki and her friend walk out of the school. She was one of the last people to leave the school and seemed as if she was trying to hide from somebody. Lance watched from the roof as the wind blew her long black hair and revealed her face in the dim light. He smiled when he saw her face, the smile didn’t last though. He watched a man walk up to Nikki and he could sense her discomfort. It was Nick.
    Lance hated Nick more than anything. He had seen enough of the things hat Nick did to her to hate him beyond measure. There was another reason why he hated him so much though. He reeked of lycans. He wasn’t sure if he was a werewolf or not or if he just spent a lot of time with someone who is one. The scent of wolf was definitely on him though.
    Lance watched the three walk over to a truck and Nick and Nikki climb into it and drive off. Lance quickly jumped down from the roof rebounding off of one of the benches that sat at the bottom and landed perfectly on his feet. He pushes off of the ground and takes off running after the truck. He begins running at a normal speed but soon accelerates to his full unnatural vampire running speed. As he runs along the street he uses another one of his special vampire gifts and begins to blend in with everything around him. He chases down the truck until eventually they stop at a park. When he saw the truck parking he jumps up into a tree using a bench to jump off of and hides in the branches watching. He was tired of the way that Nick treated Nikki and he heard the metal of his sword creak when his grip on its handle tightened He watched them get out of the car and lance followed them closely keeping his hand on his sword, ready to kill nick if he tried to do something to her. Lance watched quietly as Nick pushed her to the ground and stood over her as if he was about to beat her. Nick suddenly looked up and let out a moan of pain. Lance looked up to see what he was looking at and a dark grin came across lance’s face. He now had an excuse to kill Nick. He was looking at the moon.
    Lance dropped down from the tree and silently drew grief from its case. He watched and waited for the moment to kill the beast that was about to take form. Grief began to give off an eerie glow in the moonlight that seemed like it hungering to spill nick’s blood and was trying to will lance to do it. Lance jumped back and kicked off the tree charging toward the beast that now stood before him.