He slammed me into the wall.
“You better bring her tomorrow!” Juan snarled.
“And if I try anything stupid?” I asked.
He growled, “You suffer eternal life.”
“In other words you’ll-” I swallowed, “Bite me?”
One nod and he was gone in a blur.

~~~~~~~~//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Chapter One*
-Norene-

The buzzing of my alarm was dull and annoying.
I pounded my fist on the off button and slid out of bed.
“Mom!” I yelled, “Time to get up!”
She poked her head in the door, “Already up!” she sang.
“Okay” I mumbled.
Straightening my hair was impossible so I settled for putting it in a loose ponytail.
After putting on eyeliner and slipping on a pink cami and jeans, I was out the door and on the bus.
As usual, the ride to school was agonizing after all of the elementary kids got on.

When I got off the bus, the warm silence dropped down on me. I pulled the door open and walked to my locker.
“Took you long enough” Michelle mumbled.
I gave her my best question mark look.
“I tried calling you! But you never answered.” she said.
“When?” I asked.
“Around eight last night.”
“I was at the library labeling!” I said, “I told you that!”
“Oh…”
“Yeah. Oh.” I said, “Do you want to come with me tonight?” I asked.
Please say yes, PLEASE! I thought.
“No. Not really.” she mumbled, “I have a lot of late work.”
I clenched and unclenched my jaw.
“No.” I said tensely, “That’s okay.”
She nodded and we parted to walk to class.

All my classes were a headache and I had loads of homework.
I took the bus home and decided to take a nap.

When I woke up it was seven thirty so I called the transit while I slipped on my shoes.
“City of LeSueur Transit. How my I help you?” A woman’s voice said.
“Yes, I would like to be picked up at one thirty five woods drive.”
“Okay. The bus is on it’s way ma’am.” she said.
I hung up and flopped down on the couch.
I dazed off, thinking about what happened last night.
‘You better bring her tomorrow!’ he’d said.
The transit pulled up and I raced out the door.

*Chapter Two*


I unlocked the door and wearily stepped into the library.
I didn’t want to be here.
I walked into the back room and started to label the new books.
I was shaking with fear.

An ice cold hand wrapped around my neck and pushed me into the wall.
“Now, I don’t want any trouble.” a low voice said in my ear.
I whimpered.
“Where’s Michelle.” he demanded.
“Oh, good god Juan!” I said, struggling to break free, “I don’t know! She didn’t want to come with me tonight!”
He squeezed my neck harder. “You disgust me!” he growled.
He turned me around and slammed my shoulders in to the cabinets. Bearing his fangs and holding me there.
“Get. Her. Here. NOW!” he snarled.
And then, he was just, gone.
I slid down to the floor and pulled out my phone.
She answered after the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Michelle? You need to come to the school. Now.” I said.
“Why what’s wrong?”
“Just get here! Hurry! And be careful.” I hung up.
I sat there on the floor.
For half an hour.
I held my breath as the door opened.
“Norene?” Michelle.
“Over here,” I whispered, “And close the door. Lock it.”
Just as she did, I heard the frond door of the library open.
Michelle slid to where I was.
“What’s-” I held up my hand, signaling her not to speak.
“Norene?” Aubin, “Are you here?”
In the dead silence we laid in the dark.
Fear covered the air.
A shrill scream came from the other side of the door.
“N-n-Norene what’s going on?” Michelle said.
“Shh!” I said.
There was a thud, and then a bang at the door.
“Open it!” Juan snarled, “Now!”
I slid back further into the room, pulling Michelle with me.
Another bang.
The door burst open.
I opened one of the cupboards and Michelle crawled in.
Then I got up, and walked over to him.
“What?” I growled.
He smiled, and I’m not talking a sweet smile. I’m talking a devilish I’m-going-to-hurt-you-if-I-don’t-get-what-I-want smile.
“Where is she?” he said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I was such a horrible liar.
He bared his fangs and slammed me into the door.
I slid to the floor. Pain. Throbbing. Oh, my head!
“Where. Is. MICHELLE!” He snarled.
I touched the back of my head.
It was warm, wet, and sticky.
Blood.

I pointed to the cupboard I’d sent Michelle in. My hand was shaking. He walked over and pulled on the door.
Locked.
Oh god, I thought, just unlock it!
He yanked it open and pulled out Michelle.
“You tried to hide her from me!” he growled.
I was crying now, “I-I-I’m s-s-sorry.”
I saw his jaw clench. “You know the consequences.” he mumbled.
I held out my arm. He bit down and,
darkness.

*Chapter Three*

-Michelle-


“Where. Are. We. GOING!” I yelled. For the billionth time.
We were in the middle of the woods.
Juan was carrying Norene. She looked dead. But, I was too horrified to ask if she was.
I saw him take a sideways glance at me.
“She’s not dead.” he said flatly.
“She looks dead though.” I whined.
He clenched his jaw. “She tried to hide you.”
I looked up at him. “Why is that such a bad thing?”
“All I can tell you is that you’re very important. Nothing more.”
Silence came after that. For a long time.
“What did you do to her?” I asked.
“I bit her.” he said tensely.
“What’s going to happen when she wakes up?” I said, voice quivering, “I-If she wakes up.”
He looked worried, “I don’t remember.”

We had walked up to a triangular shaped pond. There was a tree at each corner. And in each tree there was a gemstone. Beams of light were shining from them and connected in the middle.
Juan started to walk up to the edge of the water.
“Wait! What are you doing?” I said.
“Unless you want her to die, she needs to be transformed.” he said.

He walked up to the edge of the water and held her up. She slowly floated away to the middle of the beams.
As soon as they touched her, they turned red.
“Oh, god, no!” Juan yelled, “No, no, no, no!”
Norene’s body jerked and writhed but the beams held her there.
“What’s happening!” I screamed.
But he was already gone. He ran up a tree and jumped.
He knocked her right out of the beams.
I ran over as fast as I could and collapsed next to her.
I shook her by the shoulder violently, “Norene! NORENE! Norene, please wake up!”
She laid there. Motionless.
Juan came down on his knees. “No! She wasn’t supposed to die!”
I got up and backed away slowly. “This is all your fault!” Tears were coming down my cheeks.
“Why! Why would you do this!” I screamed at him.
“I was supposed to retrieve you two.” he mumbled, not meeting my eyes.
“Why? Why do you need to have us?” I demanded.
“You would be powerful. My headmaster knows all.”
“You killed Norene.” I said tensely, “How do you know you won’t do the same to me?”
He looked up at me, “I can fix this.”
“No, you can’t.” I said, “You really can’t. She’s dead. For good.”
“Listen to me Michelle!” he growled, “The headmaster will fix this!”
“You can’t fix a dead person!” I yelled.
He glared at me, “All she needs is more venom. And I have no more for the day. I have to bring her to the headmaster!”
“No!” I screamed as he walked towards her, “Don’t touch her!”
He kept walking. And just as he was about to grab her,
her eyes opened.
She sat up and looked at us, back and forth.
“Wh-What happened?” she asked.
I ran to her and came down on my knees.
“Y-You’re alive?” I whispered.
“Well obviously!” she said, then looked at Juan, and glared, “You said the venom would kill me.”
“What!” I screamed.
“Michelle calm down!” Juan yelled, “It did, Norene. But that’s what I needed it to do in order to transform you.”
She nodded and looked at me. “You have to listen to him, or he’ll kill both of us.”
“Okay,” I said.