I was running through a crowd of people whose faces I couldn't see. They were peasants from my village, but I couldn't tell who they were. I raced passed them and into an abandoned house. There I heard the cries of a child and infant. Just as I got close to finding them everything went dark. My eyes began peering open to the warm streaks of sunlight which had entered my room. ' If only I had been able to finish the dream,' I thought while arising from my bed.

I had that same dream many times before. It always ended before I was able to see the two who cry. I'm not too sure as to what it meant. Each time the people had no faces, or I simply couldn't see them. And each time I would run to that same house, but each time I dreamt it, detail was added. Now I was able to see the full moon to guide my way. Now blood covered the outside of the home and I could see that this was where a wealthy family resided. And this time I saw their shadows. That had never happened before.

I forgot about the dream, sending it to the back of my mind. Nothing was going to get to me today. No, not on my fourteenth birthday! It was the first of July as well as my estimated birthday. Maybe I would be able to find a family this year. I didn't like the orphanage where I lived. It was cold and damp and far too crowded. That's right; I was a foundling. I had been found at two years old and have resided there ever since. It was horrible, though. We would get beat when we cried or did something wrong. I suppose it was good that we had food and shelter, but we ate very little. Some said we looked sickly, adopting out of pity and others had adopted for work purposes, but I rarely saw any who were adopted out of love or compassion. Still, at least we would have a chance to get out of there.

It was six in the morning. Soon-to-be parents would be coming in shortly. We had a lot of them come in around this time of the year. First we would go eat before they came. Once we arrived there I saw David. He was two years older than I. David was my best friend, and we knew a lot about each other, although there was something very important that he had never told me. Our meal was small and didn't fill us, but we ate without complaint. This particular orphanage was poor and didn't have much money for things such as clothing or food. Because of that we each only had two sets of clothes and no shoes. Some others were malnourished. The only thing we had enough of was well water. Each day the elder orphans would cook and clean, while we would do small things like fetch water, so we usually weren't bored.

We arrived at our rooms right after breakfast. In the hall David whispered, " Julia, good luck." He had always wanted the best for me. David was the type of person who would put others before himself. He would be happy if he had nothing, so long as his friends were safe. I had heard that we were found abandoned on the same day, and that he would play with me as a child. I couldn't remember much from before I turned three, but I think that was true. David would always cheer me up too. He always new how to make me smile. David was close to me, like the family I never had.

We stood in rows as couples entered the room, one by one. Some wore clean, expensive clothes with beautiful jewelry on the wives, while most wore old rags and dirty suits. That was expected while living in the 19th century, or the year 1898 to be most specific. Most who were middle-class couldn't afford fancy things, but could afford a child. The rich couple that first came in studied us as if we were objects. The girl next to me, Ruth, was being talked about by some farmers. " Come on." The wife ordered before grabbing Ruths arm tightly and dragging her away. Like I said, most weren't so kind to us orphans. I wondered if David or I would be picked by adults like them. Hopefully not.

A wealthy couple stumbled over to David. I tried not to look but couldn't help it. They discussed him and I knew this would be goodbye. " Alright boy you're with us." stated the man. He shook his head with a fierce look in his eyes.

" What, boy? Hurry up, the coach is waiting out front." complained the woman. while grabbing his arm and tugging. David wouldn't move.

" Not unless you take my friend too," was his reply. He was being too daring, and I would have rather David go and live happily with them. The man became angry and hit him hard across the face. I covered my mouth in shock. But David stood just as strong as before. He was determined.

" How dare you! You're in no position to speak to us like that." shouted the man furiously. No visiting adults had ever hit a child before; it was unheard of. And to hit David, who had never done anything wrong...that was a shock. Everyone went silent as the three stood still, staring at one another. After a few more minutes the couple grabbed the boy next to David and stormed out of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued to stand still for the couples passing by.

If I wasn't perfect I would never get chosen. Boys were chosen more often because they could earn their keep better than girls. I would do boy's chores if they chose me. One by one the boys were picked and every so often a girl. David and I stood silent as we watched our friends find families. I would have changed my clothes if I had wore them for three weeks, but it had only been ten days. Every year this happened. David, Clara, and I would never get picked.

Clara had been a friend of mind for a number of years now. She was a shy girl whose family died four years ago. Clara had no living relatives and thus became an orphan. It was hard for her to speak openly with unfamiliar people, especially adults. It still was. She was pretty though, so many couples had wanted to adopt her, until they saw how shy she was. I remember the first time I had seen her. Clara was sobbing in a corner when I asked her what was wrong. Sadly everyone knew that she wouldn't get adopted easily including Clara herself.

But this time was different. This time that all changed.

The entire time she smiled at the couples and in no time at all a man and woman walked up to her. The girl knelt down beside her and asked, " How would you like to come with us?" Clara looked down at her feet and began fiddling with her hair. That's what she did when she was nervous. She nodded and the man who was to be her father softly grabbed her hand. The three left and David and I knew that she would be happy. That was one of the rare compassionate families every orphan dreamed of becoming a part of, but there was still some hope left.

One last couple entered the damp room. I didn't notice. My smile had disappeared not long ago. Many kids were still left and only two couples remained. My eyes glanced over to David, who was being dragged away by a middle-aged man and his wife. Now I was alone.

Only a wealthy young woman was left. By the looks of things she was a widow, but I couldn't be sure. She gracefully walked over to me. The woman gently grabbed my hand.

" Welcome to the family," she greeted as we finalized my adoption. I couldn't believe it; after twelve years I was part of a family. Now for the first time in my life I had a home. I shivered a little, it was chilly. My new mother smiled softly and handed me her coat, she was very kind.

We boarded the local train, for her house wasn't in this town. She sat elegantly next to me and smiled. I had my hands resting stiffly on my lap and was slightly nervous. It went silent.

" Tell me you're name." she ordered in a kind manner.

" Oh um...I'm sorry. My name is Julia." I stated quietly. She kept smiling.

" Well it's nice to meet you, Julia. Don't worry, I'm not one to hit my kids. I hope we get along well." I paused for a moment before a big smile adorned my face. I nodded happily.

I looked out the window and watched the scenery fly by. It was already sunset. Just then something zipped by my window, and it wasn't an animal; it was a human. His face was hidden and he wore all black. Just then the train spun out of control. The train was off of it's tracks! I remember hearing screaming but then it all went dark.

I awoke to see a boy with ebony hair and blue eyes. He seemed worried at first but smiled with a sigh of relief.

" Good, you're alright." Then I remembered what had happened and in the distance I could see the train up in flames. No one could have survived. My mother...

" Please tell me, did anyone else escape?" I asked in a panic while grabbing onto his shirt. His smile disappeared, and I knew then and there. My eyes widened as I realized that the woman who adopted me was now dead. Tears swelled up in my eyes. I was giving in to despair but the boy wouldn't let me.

" Instead of going over the past, why not help bring the killer to justice?" he asked. I looked to him with bloodshot eyes and wondered what he meant. It was a train accident, not a murder.

" What are you saying?" My voice was a bit shaky, but that was to be expected. Who would've done something as horrible as this? It was a true tragedy which I would never forget.

" This was no accident. Someone or something deliberately detached the rails and caused this to happen." Questions lingered within my subconscious

about...everything. I couldn't comprehend all of this. It was too sudden. But who was this boy? He looked to be around my age but I couldn't say for certain. And what did he mean something? Was he trying to say that the culprit wasn't human? That would be completely absurd! Still, I had to trust him if I was to avenge the woman's death as well as the rest of the victims.

" Who are you, sir? And may I ask why you decided to save me and not the others?" I questioned while trying my hardest to dry my tears and stand strong. He spoke only seconds later.

" My name is James. The reason I saved you and only you was because the rest were unreachable and you had somehow been thrown out of the train before it crashed. It was pure luck that you were saved. Now may I ask you for your name?" He stood, staring at the blazing flames and dark grey smoke. I was now aware of the pain in my back.

" It's Julia. And, well, thank you for before. I'm forever in your debt, James." He truly was my savior, but how was I thrown out of the train? I thought long and hard about what happened as I started going unconscious back then. I remembered lots of screaming and people were crying. There was a little girl who had hit her head and her mother tried waking her up. Then the woman who had adopted me picked me up and threw me out a broken window. That was what had happened. On top of giving me a family she also helped save my life, and I would never be able to repay her because she was dead, leaving me once again alone.

Then I started to get curious.

" By the way, what were you doing here at such a late hour? What if a pack of wolves or coyotes had gotten to you? You should have taken shelter somewhere long ago." I stated.

" Well you don't have to worry about me; I can take care of myself just fine. Thank you for your concern though, it's well appreciated." He said while walking away. I wouldn't let him off the hook just yet. Quickly my feet began moving faster and faster until I caught up to him. I put my hand on his shoulder and he spun around slowly.

" Come on tell me. Why were you here? I'm not leaving you alone until I get a straight answer out of you, so you might as well tell me." I said with concern, not only for him but for the people he may encounter. What could be so bad that he didn't want to tell anyone?

" Fine, alright I'll tell you. You probably won't believe me anyways. On top of the times being so rough there are these human-like creatures which you yourself are not aware of. These things are called vampires and they threaten our very existence. I'm a hunter of these creatures." James announced with a sigh. He was mad, simply insane. Vampires? Those didn't exist! There were just made up to scare little kids, nothing more.

" You must be out of your mind to think those make-believe things actually exist! Besides, even if they did that doesn't explain why you were out here." I explained while laughing a little.

" They are real, Julia. I've seen them. And I think that the man who caused the train wreck was one of them. Listen, I'm in search of a sword which can kill these beasts. It was created by Charles J. Moore in the late 1700s and has been blessed countless times. It may be the only thing that can stop them now." James explained contently. I could tell he was being serious but couldn't help giggling a little. It wasn't a conversation you would have often, that's for sure.

" Why not use a wooden stake? That would work. But umm, how can you be sure that they're real? Did the tooth fairy tell you?" I said while failing to hold back my laughter. James clenched his fists. He wasn't in the greatest of moods now.

" I told you I saw them. They attacked my home, and transformed my brothers into despicable blood-suckers. I have to get revenge for them, no matter what it takes. Oh, and that legend about them dying by stabbing them in the heart with a wooden stake is false. They're immortal so their hearts don't beat; they get their blood from humans. You can only kill them by bathing them in sunlight, or stabbing it in it's stomach with a blade dipped in holy water." He lectured. I started calming down and left my mind opened to different ideals.

" So why not get an ordinary knife like that instead of going through the trouble of finding this holy sword you told me of?"

" Because each time you use a regular knife or sword dipped in holy water you must dip it again. Charles' sword as constantly been blessed and completely submerged in water. The blade is even part silver! And if I can find the chosen one then with a swing of the holy sword and the right incantation, he'll not only kill the original vampires but will also cleanse the transformed ones. No bloodshed will be necessary that way and I'll get my brothers back! This is the only way." I couldn't believe how determined he was, but I understood why. And the twinkle in his eyes when he talked about that sword was so pure that he in turn ended up motivating me.

" I'm going with you!" I shouted as the stars arrived in the velvet sky with light grey clouds overshadowing the full moon. The excitement made my blood boil.

" What? No you're not! You'll only slow me down if I let you come along. Besides, what would your family say?" Those words did it. I turned away and look up towards the deep sky which stretched on forever.

" I don't have any family. I was orphaned at two years old and the orphanage isn't exactly what I'd call friendly," I turn back to him, " just please don't make me go back there. I won't be a nuisance to you or your mission, I promise! Please." His eyes gently narrowed as his gaze turned to my eyes. Then his sad expression vanished as he kept on walking, smiling.

" Just don't cause me any trouble, alright? I have enough to deal with without having to fix your mistakes." I smiled happier than I had in a long time and nodded.

" Yes thank you! I won't let you down James, you'll see!" I said with trotting alongside him cheerfully. I looked up ahead. We were heading towards my hometown. I turned to look behind us. Off in the distance I could see piercing golden eyes connected to grey figures. I shivered silently at the thoughts of what might have happened to us if we hadn't left when we did. My arms wrapped around James' arm without me noticing. I realized it only moments later.

"What are you doing Julia?" he asked coldly without stop. I turned away in pure embarrassment while trying to hide my flustered face, replying,

" Don't get any ideas. I'm just a little jumpy, its not like I'm scared or anything!" His new found smile told me that he thought this was funny.

" You are scared, admit it."

" No I'm not! The pack of wolves back there makes me nervous, that's all!" I argued after releasing his arm and walking in front of him, forcing him to a halt. I tried my best to conceal the fear reflecting in my eyes as hungry wolves howled at the unseen moon. It was then that the ominous bank of dark grey clouds made itself known to me.

My feet were cold and covered with mud from a storm the night before. A cool breeze lingered in the air. Plus me not having shoes made it all the more worse. My long, sandy brown hair which was once clean was now covered in dirt. Some hairs were burnt as well. My bluish green eyes grew heavy and longed to shut more and more as dawn nears. Frosty dew slowly formed on the blades of grass below me. I grew tired of walking and wanted to just collapse on the ground then and there, but I didn't.

James was no different from earlier. He must have been use to it.

He had a bold character and firm grasp on his beliefs. Looking at him I was unable to discover what thoughts ran through his mind. If he had been keeping any secrets from me then I wouldn't be able to tell. James had a strong disposition and pure intentions. He seemed kinder than he acted, but that's just how I felt. If someone else had been saved instead of me then they may have thought differently. Most of his past was a pure mystery too. What was he hiding? Also, he was very stubborn when it came to vampires, obsessed is probably a better word to use.

They always seemed to be on his mind. To what extent would he go to take revenge on these strange and unknown creatures? And if they really were real then why hadn't I seen them? Did they hide within the shadows like the old stories said, or did they turn into bats like the legend foretold? And if they truly existed then where had they come from? What did they want? I began to wonder if James knew. And how could they turn humans into their own kind? I had heard about the blood sucking but how could that transform us?

" Hey James, how is it that vampires can turn us into blood-suckers?"

" They have a venom in their fangs. When they suck a person's blood that venom is injected into our bloodstream and morphs the way our bodies work. Then it begins warping our organs and bone, causing a great deal of pain before targeting the brain. But I thought you didn't believe in vampires. What changed?" he asked, his eyes fixated on mine as we paced through the field.

" Nothing really, I just thought that it would be better to keep my mind opened, just in case it were true. But can we take a rest yet? My feet hurt and I'm half asleep. If we don't stop now then I'm going to pass out!" I complained, exaggerating the last part. He thought for a moment, then he rolled his eyes and replied,

" Alright I give in. Ten minutes, then we leave. Do you understand?" I nodded in a joyful reply before laying myself on the ground while looking to the sky. It seemed like a velvet cloak which wrapped around the Earth. The stars twinkled, as if speaking to me in some unknown language which made perfect sense to no one other than myself. The lingering clouds above us started to pass, revealing a shining silver half moon, beckoning to me from afar. The sight was enchanting, like a fabulous, frozen painting. Unlike previous nights, there were billions of stars sprawled out, magically lighting the Earth ever so slightly. I seemed to lose myself within their bright beauty. Then I noticed that over ten minutes had passed, or so it seemed. Turning to my right I saw that James had fallen fast asleep. He was more worn out than I. How long had he been fighting for? How long had he been alone? I at least had David and Clara to motivate me and help me, but all this time he had lived in solitude. Thinking about it I realized that it was natural for him to talk informally and rudely, because he hadn't needed to talk politely to anyone in a long time. ' I wonder if he was lonely,' I thought while taking off the coat my mother had given me and wrapping it around him softly. He startled me by groaning unexpectedly. I smiled and laid back down. My surroundings started blend together to become one big blur before it everything went dark.

Pictures and colors came into focus as another dream formed. I was in a dreary and doomed mansion. It was one that the wealthy would live in. I scanned the area, looking for something, but I wasn't sure what it was. My vision stopped at fresh blood splattered in the far corner. Quickly I ran outside, immediately noticing the full moon which glowed brilliantly in the dark, starless night. I was drawn to it, although as to why I didn't know. The wind carried the sound of an infant's cries. To me it was as if the child was right next to me; I could hear every little whimper, every sob, and each tear hitting the ground. It was magnified. My surroundings were so realistic that I felt it wasn't a dream, and so I thought the child was also. I raced to where the sound had originated, but it was difficult to find. It sounded like it was coming from inside my head and I was unable to focus.

Rain had been pooring down ever since the dream began. I turned to a puddle located on the ground next to me. In it wasn't my face, but someone elses! She had sliver hair that shimmered beautifully in the moonlight which almost reached her shoulders and golden eyes that shone as if the were priceless jems. The strangest things about her were her small but fangs and pupils which were slits. The girl was wearing steel armour that was only worn by palace guards these days as well as a colorless, black cape. She had an emotionless expression that almost made my heart ache. She continued running and a flash of white blinded me. The light faded to black and my dream was complete.

My eyes opened to bright sunlight and birds churping away. I sat up and whipped my eyes as they ajusted to the light. Then afterwards I noticed my mother's coat was overtop of me and James was no loner around. Where had he gone? I stood and looked around. Nothing. Had he left me alone? Didn't he agree to let me travel with him? I felt insulted; betrayed. How could he? ' I suppose there is a reason as to why he left me behind,' I thought as I headed to town, ' no use crying over it.'

Twenty minutes passed and I had arrived at my destination. The streets were bursting with life, with men and women everywhere you looked. It was the complete opposite of outside town. Here the people were lively and joyouse, as opposed to there being almost no one at all. But oddly enough this didn't seem like home to me. It was as if I had never been there before. I wondered why. Off in the distance I spotted a hooded man exactly like who I saw on the train the day before. Without thinking of what I was going to do I chase after him with questions that needed answers to racing through my head. As I passed through the crowd the man disappeared as I bumpped into someone.

" Oh I'm so sorry, I-" Once I looked at his face I became speachless.

" Julia? What are you doing here?" It was none other than David!

" David? I didn't I'd see you here. As to why I'm here, its a long story." I said as flashes of the accident danced through my mind.

" Were you adopted? Do you live around here? I've got time, so you can tell me." he stated.

" Yes I was, but on our way to my new home...she died." I explaned while looking to the ground sadly. There was a lump in my throut, and it hurt to breathe. David simply stared into my eyes, speechless, while trying to think up a good reply. He acted more shocked then I had originally thought he would. David then shook his head and regained focus.

" How did she die? Please Julia, tell me what happened." I thought about tellling him, but would he believe me?I wasn't sure that I believed it myself. I stood stronge and spoke up.

" You're probably not going to believe this-its rediculouse-but we were in a train wreck. I was the only one who survived. I have reason to believe that it was caused by vampires, but this probably sounds silly." He looked at me with intense eyes fixated on only me. David then put his hands on my shoulders and spoke seriousely.

" Did he hurt you Julia? Did you speak to him? And who told you about vampires?" He questioned in a fearfull voice. I was becomming scared.

" David you're frightening me." I said, quivering ever so slightly. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. David continued to stare deeply into my eyes. His gaze was full of sorrow and pain, and it made me want to cry.

" Sorry Julia, I got a little carried away. Please forgive me. But I really need to know who told you about them." He looked so pitiful that it was almost impossible to say no. Quickly I looked around. Once I saw that no one was looking our way I grabbed David's wrist and ran to a place with few people.

" It was a boy I met. He helpped save my life and told me that they were the ones who caused the train accident. It's silly, right? Things like that don't really exist." I stated, trying to fool myself. Truthfully I had begun to believe James and his rediculous stories. ' Why,' I wondered.

David looked away with concern, as if he was hiding something from me-something important. He began biting his thumb nail, which was a habbit of his. He would do it when making important decisions.

" David, is there something you haven't been telling me? Answer me honestly this time." He sighed and looked at me with very lonely and concerned eyes. What would he tell me?

" You know how we were found on the same day, right? That's not all. We were found at the same place, too." He paused. I didn't understand what he was trying to say.

" What are saying?"

" Well what I'm trying to say is..." He stopped.

" Is?" I goated him on.

" You and I are..." His voice faded out. I was becomming impatient, not to mention irritated.

" Spit it out already!" I shouted angrily. He must have been extreamly nervous because it took all of that just to get him to speak up. Looking back at it now I realize how hard it must've been.

" I'm your brother." David announced quietly after summoning all of his courage. I started to laugh ever so slightly, thinking that it was a joke.

" Very funny David. Now tell me what you really wanted to say." He went silent. I looked off into the distance and thought about it. He had always been over-protective of me, always came to my aid went I hurt myself, and always knew how to cheer me up. And there was always something he had kept from me. I remembered may things from when we were younger that made this make sense. My head started spinning. Slowly I sat myself down on a nearby bench, my mind elsewhere. I felt dizzy; incomplete. Was it that much of a shock to me?

" Then tell me what happened the night we were orphaned. And how do you know about them? His cleared his throut before speaking.

" First you should know that our family was wealthy, but not because of work..."Our family ruled over the vampires at one point. That's right,we were vampires, but only half. Our mother was a human who fell in love with our father and didn't care about the gap between their species.

Then their followers attacked. You see, our parents had forbid all vampires from drinking the blood or eating the flesh of livng humans. They preffered to eat the flesh of a human because they believed that it allowed them to live longer, even though it didn't. Vampires can eat any form of meat and drink any form of blood, so our parents thought that it wouldn't be a problem. It turned out to be their downfall. Instead of simply defying their orders they seeked their revenge on our household. Not all vampires helpped in the murder of our parents, though. Some continued on with daily life while others defended our home. Yet in the end, none of it mattered.

It happened on the night of a full moon, when their powers were at their strongest. They crept through the trees, the moon illuminating their path. One by one they slaughtered the guards and got closer and closer to our parents. They had no clue what was going on until it was far too late. As our mother ran to our aid they watched from the darkness, waiting. Our father had already been killed. If a fellow vampire sucks your blood then you die. Then all together they swarmed around and ripped of pieces of her flesh until there was nothing left. It was a miracle that they didn't find us back then. And if they had, who knows what may have happened." You're wrong. There's no way that we're vampires! How can we stand the sunlight? We shouldn't be able to, right? I don't believe you!" He smiled.

" If you didn't believe me then why did you listen until the end? We are able to stay in the sunlight because we're half human. If it wasn't for that then we wouldn't be in these forms and therefore would have died long ago."

" It's still impossible! Why haven't I tried to bite anyone and why do I look perfectly normal?"

" I told you it's your human side. If you were to try to turn into your other self at night then you would appear to be a full-fledged vampire, but unless you do that you shall look human." David answered calmly. This made no sense to me. Everything was comming at me so fast that I had next to no time to take it all in. The void of my past was now filling, yes, but I barely knew how to make any sense of it. And to think that two days before this I was an ordinary orphan. Now there was all this talk about family and vampires...it was crazy!

What's more is how everything seemed connected. The day that I became adopted was also the day a vampire coincidentally decides to cause a train wreck. Then I'm saved by a boy who believes in and whose family was killed and transformed by vampires. And when I run into David he tells me that we're siblings as well as vampires. Was I going insane? Could it be that this was in my head? Or just one big dream? Yes, that had to be it! I would wake up in the orphanage and everything would be just as it was. Who was I kidding? This was too strange to be a dream. I had to pull myself together.

Then I looked behind David to a boy who was casually passing by. It was James! I took off running without another word to my brother. David followed soon after. I stopped in front of James. I could tell that he was shocked to see me.

" Julia, what are you doing here?" he asked cluelessly.

" I could ask you the same thing. You just left me there instead of taking me with you like you had promised. You lied to me." I stated in an angry voice. He turned away.

" I never had any intention of taking you along with me. If we ever ran into those monsters they'd tear you apart, literally." was his reply. Monsters; I didn't like being called that, even if he was unaware of me being one of them. So I was a monster?

" Believe me, I can handle myself. And why are you here anyways?"

" I got a lead on the sacred sword and thought I would check it out. By the way, who's he?" James asked while looking to my brother. Brother; I was still ajusting to that.

" That's just David. He's a fellow orphan, as well as my brother." David smiled upon hearing that word. I didn't really notice.

" Julia, when are you going to tell this vampire hunter the truth?" David asked, giving James a reason to become suspicious. I elbowed him, as if to tell him to stop talking.

" Vampire hunter? You mean you told him?" he asked with anger.

" No I didn't, I swear. I just said that you knew about them, that's all!"

" Then how did he know?" he questioned.

" I knew because the only humans who know of vampires as more than fairy-tales are hunters. It's quite easy to figure out. But tell me, what is this sword you speak of?" David asked, circling the hunter as if James were his prey. The more he did, the less human it made him look. I was worried that he would blow our cover.

" Alright, I'll trust you for now. It has the power to destroy those monsters and free the humans which they have transformed. But Julia, what truth was this brother of yours talking about?" My hands became clammy and my heart started racing nervousely. Would he find out if I never told him? I knew that I'd have to tell him eventually, but not now.

" Forget about it, its not important. You know, I liked it better when you were sleeping. You looked just like a little child. Besides that you also didn't ask so many questions." I exclamed. He looked at my stangely and I laughed.

" What do you mean by that?" He asked, insulted. I ignored his question and continued to talk with David. James, I imagine, didn't like this.

" Well now you know about his quest. James plans on destroying each and every vampire on this Earth." I explaned the obvious.

" I can see that. And you were going to help him with such a thing?" I nodded. After everything that had happened I half expected him to yell, but that wasn't his character.

David had never raised his voice, at least not from what I could remember. He had a soft heart and a stronge mind, as well as a pure soul. If someone like him was a vampire then did they-we-really deserve to die? David had never lied to me, no matter the situation, which is why I believed him when he spoke of us being brother and sister. Besides that, we did look alike in some ways. My hair was a soft sandy brown while his a bold chessnut. Our eyes were the same deep green, though. Exactly the same.

Right at that moment I was more concerned about James finding the sacred sword. Would I die also if he were to use it? Better yet, could he use it? Earlier he had mentioned needing the chosen one, so I began to wonder once again. Who was this chosen one? James was fixated on our destruction. There is was again; our. It was hard to believe that I was one of them. Why had this happened to me and not someone else? I stared at the sky, half dazed. There were few clouds that day, and the suns light seemed warmer, as to why I'm not sure. The temperature was well above average, or so I thought. I was starting to hunger due to not eating. The last time I had eaten was at breakfast the day before.

James started walking away without even one word to us.

" Wait! Where are you going?" I asked, slightly confused.

" I told you earlier that I was investigating a lead, didn't I? That's where I'm going." he replied sternly, as if angered yet not.

" If that's the case then I'm going too." stated David as he stared down at the hunter.

" What? No you're not! I work alone and I would rather not be bothered by the likes of you." James exclamed with attitude. I was unaware that David wanted to join him in his quest.

" Yes, I am. I won't let you take the lives of so many just for your revenge, whether they're human or otherwise." he said clamly, his firce eyes focused on James and I. I hadn't known that he felt so strongely about this. How had he known about James seeking revenge for his family? Now I was really confused. What else was he hiding from me?

" How do you know about my wanting revenge? And what does it matter to you what happens to the vampires?" James questioned as his suspicions of us grew. David was about to answer, but I stopped him. Slowly I walked forward, inching close to James. I put my lips to his ear and spoke the truth. He would have found out about it now because of my brother's slip-up. Goodbye normal life, hello monsterous and dark existance.

" We are the vampires which you seek." I whispered, hiding how nevous I was. I backed away and saw the shock on his face. Once more my heart began pounding faster and faster within my chest. There was a lump in my throut and I felt he was about to speak. I didn't want to hear what he was going to say.

Almost as if on cue, the sky turned a dark grey and within moments tiny dropletts of water sprinkled down from above. The crashing of thunder could be heard echoing through the dangerous skies. People fled from the streets to the nearest shelter while we stood motionless. Suddenly lightning flashed all around us. I jumpped slightly. But in that split second I-for no apparent reason-had looked over to my elder brother. As a bright blue light engulffed us, his eyes turned golden, and his pupils became slits, dissappearing just as soon as they had arrived. There was no reason to doubt him now. James would have to believe what I had said, too. He too a step closer to me. I was frightened because of his earlier comments about vampires and began running away. I still valued my life. I hadn't been paying attention, and I had ran into an old, wooden building.

There was nothing inside other than swords which glowed in the candle light. They all had been hand crafted and uniquely made, but I didn't bother to look at them carefully. Why was there still a swords shop? Nowadays people used guns rather than swords. I didn't try to find out why they were there. Instead I knelt down in a corner, frightened, as a storm raged outside. This storm, however, wasn't caused by the weather. No, it was a storm of a different kind. Tears swelled up in my eyes but I fought my hardest in order to burst into tears.

While I laid my head on my arms and hid my face, a man crept up to me. He was no ordinary shop owner, though. He put his hand on my shoulder, making his presance known to me. I looked up at him, shocked to see piercing gold eyes and short silver hair. He was a vampire, just like me. I backed away in fright, but he just smiled cheerfully in responce. I was even more shocked by that. He took a step closer, his smile just as radient as before. That was when I remembered David's words: some attacked while others did not. I knew it then; a good vampire.

" Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Then he offered me his hand. I took it shyly, not fully trusting the man. He was around my brother's age, I could tell. He lifted me up and I turned away, still not fully sure if he was friend or foe.

" Thank you, sir." I mumbled.

" My name is Richard, and you?" I didn't reply. " I see, you're probably not use to seeing something like me. Well there's no helpping it, since most humans just think we're fairytales. I promise I won't harm you, so please tell me your name." I was reluctant to respond, but did just out of common curtisy.

" It's Julia, and I'm not that scared of vampires."

" Oh, and why not? What are you scared of?"

" I'm not because not all vampires are bad, I should know. What I'm really scared of are humans, one human specifically." I answered. I was scared of humans, terriffied that they may kill me for just being who I was. Richard looked at me strangely, as if I was insane. Maybe I was.

" You're one of us, aren't you?" I nodded. He smiled sweetly once again and softly pushed me over to one of his swords. It was beautifully crafted, but I didn't know much about swords.

" What is this?" I asked.

" It's a holy sword, and so long as I can protect this you'll be alright, at least you will be if you don't get close to a hunter. They spend their whole lives just killing us so that they can make the world a safer place, at least that's what they say. This sword has the power to kill any and all the vampires it's user wants without even stabbing them." He explaned kindly.

" How do you know so much about hunters and this sword, if you don't mind me asking."

" Well in short I use to be a hunter myself, back when I was human. Then one night when I had returned home to visit my family, vampires who had followed me home attacked my home town as payback for all of their comrads I killed. They murdered my parent. Strangely enough, instead of killing my siblings and I, they bit my brother John and made me watch him suffer until becomming one of them. I'm sorry, I'm probably offending you by saying such horrible things about vampires." I shook my head, wanting him to continue.

" Not at all, please continue."

" Alirght, if that's what you want. John couldn't handle the venum too well and went temporarily insane, although to my other brother and I it look as if he had become a monster. John walked up to me and bit me as well. I could feel the venum rushing through me, and before it took control I hit the vampire who was holding my other brother over the head and told him to run. I didn't want him to see me fully transformed. To my surprise I stayed in control the entire time, then John became his usual self. It was my own fault that everyone died and I'll have to live with that, but I'll never forgive those who took my family away from me." I was almost touched by his story. It seemed familiar though, as if I had heard it before.

" I see, so you have been human before, so have I." He turn to me with shock. " I wasn't really human, but I didn't know that I was half vampire. Now someone who I thought was my friend is probably going to try to kill me. If you don't mind, may I stay here for the night?"

" Of course you may, make yourself at home. It is a very old shop but it is also large enough to house up to ten people." He stated, smiling happily once more. I sat myself down and was out cold within a matter of seconds.

My dream was different from the last, but not very. There rain had come to a stop and I still stood next to that puddle. In it I saw the face of the girl from before. It was sunrise, and as the full moon disipated and light shone stronger, the girl's hair grew and darkened. Her eyes changed color while her fangs and claws dissappeared. Once she looked in the puddle again, I saw myself. I ran to where the crying had originated and saw young David and I weeping in a corner. It all made sense now. Everything made sense. Then the dream ended, leaving me with less questions then when I had fallen asleep.

I opened my eyes to see that it was now night. The full moon shone brightly in the starless sky, grey clouds lingered above, passing onto the next town. I saw that the rain had stopped also. Then I looked to Richard, who was polishing the holy sword. He saw me awake and grinned.

" You're finally awake I see."

" What do you mean, finally? I haven't slept that long."

" You've been alseep for one and a half days already. I almost thought that you would never wake up." he stated cheerily. I faced to moon, desperate to be next to my brother. I longed to play games and tell scary stories like we did when I was a child. Then, as I stared deeply at the full moon, my hair shortened and lightened. My eyes became that of a vampire's and afterwards I got the other characteristics. And after it was complete, I had become the girl in my dream. Richard wasn't the least bit shocked.

" So this is your true form, is it? Would you like to come with me for a walk, Julia? Some fresh air would do you good." He stated kindly. I nodded and we were on our way. At night most people in town were asleep, so we didn't have to hide in the shadows. We strolled past the town squair and to the pond nearby. I had went to play there alote as a child, and it was a very important place to me. We sat on one of the benches there, but I didn't expect the following events to start right here. After ten minutes of sitting we heard people comming up behind us. I spun around only to see David and James standing there. At first I could tell that they didn't reconise me, but then David noticed.

" Julia, is that you?" he asked quietly. James became even more shocked by this. I nodded while fear welled up within me. James was speechless. Before another word could be said, Richard arose from his seat and looked directly at James. He walked closer to him, asking

" Is he the one who scares you, young Julia?" I nodded once again. He seemed saddened by my response. Then his eyes grew firce and bloodthirsty, yet I seemed to be the only one to notice. He frowned emotionlessly. " It has been far too long, little brother." James' head aroase and he was very depressed. Now I know why the story seemed familiar, and I understood it all.

" Brother? What have they done to you? What have you become?" He questioned while despeatly reaching out to his brother. Richard clenched his fists and looked at what James had become. He was exactly what Richard had been long ago.

" I've become something I've grown to live with, but you...didn't you learn anything from my mistakes? The unknown isn't something you shold toy with human!" Human; he was acting more like a vampire and less like himself. I discovered that his behavior changed more to that of a beast when he was angered, although anyone could tell. Then I smelt it; blood. The smell cause David to transform himself and the three of us stood motionless.

" Do you smell that?" I asked while watching my surroundings.

" How could we miss it?" asked David.

" Fellow vampires are around, and I think they're headed to the shop." stated Richard, completely ignoring his brother.

" The shop? Wait, what about the sacred sword? Do you think they're after it?" I questioned, not knowing what they would do if they had it in their grasp. James seemed to be listening closely.

" I don't know, but I'm not going to wait to fiind out!" Richard shouted before racing through the streets at an unimaginable speed. That was a vampire. That was who I was, who I had become. I rappidly ran after him at the same pace, with David close behind. It felt like I was floating. My body was as light as a feather.

I wasn't sure what James would decide to do now, but I did know that this battle over the sword tonight would decide the fate of both humans and vampires. We arrived at the old building within minutes. The place was crawling with our kind and I had no clue how we were suppose to fight them. Then I noticed that they were fighting each other, like there were two sides.

" Friends of yours Richard?" I asked sarcastically as we approached the building.

" They're fellow vampires who believe that the sword should only be used by the chosen one."

" Are you sure its alright to leave James back there?" David asked.

" He'll be fine. Either he's with us or against us, I'll let him decide." We reached the shop and immediatly started our assult. Since the only way for one vampire to kill another was to inject their venum into it, most of what I saw was them biting into each other's necks. We, however, took a different approach to this. Richard waltsed in, shooting them all with a gun he had hidden in his coat pocket, getting their attention before starting hand to hand combat. I did the same while David grabbed the sword. I only had to deal with one at a time.

I punched swiftly at the first. She staggered back, then jumpping at me in retaliation. I had trouble focusing after she kicked me in the stomache. I slammed my fist into her face and jumpped backwards before she had time to recover. Suddenly another vampire came from behind and I dodged his attack just before it hit. This was hard for me because I had never fought before. I charged forward but fell once she punched me in the gut. I stood but had no time to hit her. I bent backwards as her fist almost reached my face. I cartweeled out of the dangerouse situation and becond her over to me. ' So this is what I'm capable of,' I thought as she crept closer. She punched. I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me, biting into her neck ever so slightly. Strangely enough, instead of dying she became human and unconsiousely fell into my arms. Was it because I was half human? I placed her on the ground as quickly as I could, listening carefully to my surroundings.

I heard running. I spun around to see a male vampire running at me. He smiled sinisterly. I evaded his fangs and kicked him in the shin. It didn't phase him. This one was strongely built and I knew that I would have more trouble defeating him. I heard a scream. It was Richard whose leg had been almost ripped apart. What had happened to him? The man caught me off guard, hitting me and knocking me off my feet. I couldn't worry about the others right now, no matter what. I twisted around swiftly, bringing the man to his knees. I stood, then attacked with a roundhouse kick. It slammed ito his face and I swear I heard something crack. I got in close to him with he recovered from the last blow. I bit him, and the same thing happened.

Then I heard it; two sets of footsteps fast approaching. I spun around. Twin vampires jump-kicked me simultaniousely. Everything went dark for a brief moment. I heard them ready their next attack and jumpped to my feet. One punched, I ducked. I stood just before the other kicked. I lept extreamly high in the air to dodge, then kicked one in the face, knocking her out. The other randomly swung her fists at me. I waited until she was tired out, then knocked heads. She fell due to exhaustion. I bit them both and waited for my next opponent. No one came forth.

Because the rest in my area were all scared I rushed to Richard's aid. There were pleantly willing to fight over there. How could he fight them all off? I grabbed a sword off of the wall and began swinging it around rappidly. The enemies slowly backed away from his injered body, or most did at least. One knocked the sword out of my hand. I hit him then, a serious blow to the throut. He paused while trying to catch his breath as he hung from the roof. I tackled him, causing us both to fall to the ground. I bit him as well.

Our comrads had gotten most of them, but there was not way we could defeat all of them by our selves. I looked over at David. He was doing alright. Then as I caught my breath I heard footsteps at the door. James had arrived. With a seriouse expression he walked inside, grabbing twin swords from their sheaths and swinging them at the vampires' chests. One by one they fell before he had used the full blade. He wipped them at the floor, getting out a pair of guns with blessed bullets. They continued to fall before he reached us. He had one bullet left in each gun. I began swetting, wondering if he would shoot Richard and I. I was momentarily distacted by a scream eminating from the corner where David had been fighting. They had broken his arm by the looks of it. I rushed to his side, forgetting about the two brothers.

I broke into the crowed, picking up the sword I had dropped and stabbing each one that got in my way. It didn't kill them, but it sure slowed them down. Then it came down to one on one. He had a small build but was quick on his feet. The man jumpped from one place to another, too quick to be stopped by me. I lungged at where I thought he would be, but to no avail. Then he grabbed onto the blade. He threw it across the room. Now I was completely defenceless. With his inhuman speed he got himself two inches away from my face before grinning menicingly. I struggled to get free but it was no use. All hope seemed lost.

Then, he bit me. I felt my temperature decrease significantly. My head felt like it was on fire. I fell to the ground as the vampire laughed insanely. ' This is it, I'm going to die,' I thought as everything went silent. My vision became blurred and colourless. I saw three blobs-more than likly people-before I saw complete darkness. The pain in my neck which had been almost unbearible was now gone. I saw a white light while hearing only my heartbeat. I could feel something pulling me towards it. ' I guess it's my time,' I thought while it pulled me further out of the darkness, ' I think I'm ready.' Then, I heard a soft voice echo all around me.

" Do you really want it to end like this?" a young girl's voice asked. A white figure made itself known to me, covered in a viel of blinding light. She stretched her arm out towards me as best she could. " Hurry! We don't have much time before you cross over!" I grabbed onto her hand and held it tightly. A void of pure darkness surrounded me.

I spun around, only to see a mirror. In it was not only my reflection, but also the child. She had long blond hair and deep blue eyes like the ocean. A golden light suddenly covered my body.

" Do you know what a true vampire is?" I shook my head. She smiled softly before answering. " It's a guardian angel hidden within the darkness. They were originally meant to protect, but now they destroy. But you're different; special. Please, with this new power I want you to save the world from falling into utter chaose." She asked. My hair darkened to black and my eyes turned white. Black wings sprouted from my back and my fangs disappeared. What was happening?

I didn't understand what was going on. Suddenly answers which I can't even begin to speak aloud filled my head. Vampires were once angels. They were tempted by darkness and hunted humans rather than help them. They had to be saved, and I was the one who had to save them. Somehow, even though I could barely understand it, I knew I had to do it. Not for me, but for everyone. I knew that this was what we vampires were originally but I'm not sure how.

My body began moving on it's own. I streached out my arms and shut my eyes, seeing my mortal body. My new characteristics formed while a bright light engulfed everyone there. I was thrust back into my earthly body and flew above everyone there before the light faded away. They stood in awe as beams of dark light eminating from my hands touched them. The bodies of the rouge vampires disappeared and their souls became energy. The vampires who fought to protect each lost their golden eyes which were replaced with silvers and whites and powder blues. Their fangs disappeared and on their backs appeared small white and black wings. They flew across the world to help those who were in despreate need of their powers. And lastly, humans who had been transformed turned into what seemed like oridinary humans, but in reality they would protect from afare, like they were meant to.

I floated to the ground where only three remained. Even now I wondered what had happened that day and why David and Richard didn't leave also, but I'm glad. David's white wings had vanished and he looked human. So did Richard. They rushed over asking tons of questions which I couldn't answer. Then I saw James slowly creeping closer.

" James...if you're going to shoot me then do it now because-" He cut me off.

" I'm sorry, Julia. Really I am." He was back to his usual self in no time. We went on with our lives as usual, but I was different. At night, when the moon shone brightly in the night sky, I became the real me. The vampire me. The sword was now useless, and James and I were began to grow closer. Didn't you know? His grudge against vampires had finally dimin