Inspiration:
Well my inspiration for this story I'm afraid is simply that I love vampires. I am a sucker for paranormal romances so I have attempted to write one a few times. Also, I know that a bit into it the quotes aren't capitalized "like this." when it should be "Like this." When writing, I got lazy and this was years back. So I hope you enjoy it. If it is too long I'll delete my entry :]
Caught in the Middle
By: Riska Azumi
Andy and Crystal walked into the night club. They had been best friends since she saved his butt when some guys went to fight him in ninth grade. They went over to the bar and ordered some cokes. The local band ‘Loco’ was playing tonight. Crystal turned and saw a handsome boy sitting with his friend. Andy noticed her looking.
“You like him?”
She looked at Andy.
“He’s hot.”
“Want me to go talk to him?”
“No thanks.”
She looked across the room and saw Tracy.
“Oh no, we’ve got trouble.”
Andy noticed the girl.
“She doesn’t have any backup.” He said, returning to his coke.
“Crap. She’s loaded.” She said, referring to the knife in Tracy’s hand.
“Uh-oh.” Andy said.
Tracy walked over to them.
“Hey! I heard you ratted out one of my girls.” Tracy said.
“Ha! I’m not rat. You of all people should know that.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me!” Tracy said.
Andy stood up.
“Why don’t we all just settle down.” He said, calmly.
“Why don’t you sit down and shut up.” Tracy said.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder. Crystal looked behind Tracy to see the hot boy standing behind her.
“What do you want?” Tracy asked.
“For you to leave them alone.”
“This is none of your business.” She said.
“It is if you’re disturbing me.” He took a step closer to her.
She pushed him and kicked him to the ground. She turned to Crystal and in a split second she was out the door. The boy got up.
“Are you ok, Crystal?” Andy asked.
Crystal removed her hand from her stomach, exposing a wound.
“She… stabbed… me…” Crystal said between breaths.
She was bleeding very badly. Crystal stood up and passed out in the guy’s arms.
Crystal woke up with Andy sitting next to her on the bed.
“Thank goodness you’re ok.” He said, hugging her.
“Ow!” she screamed.
“Oops, sorry.”
“Where am I?” she asked.
“You’re at Damon’s mansion.”
“Damon?”
The hot guy from earlier walked in.
“Yes?” he said.
“Oh, you’re Damon.”
“Yes I am.”
He walked over to her, holding a glass with a red liquid.
“Here, drink this. You’ll feel much better afterwards.”
Crystal took the drink and drank every drop.
“Wow. I can’t even feel the pain anymore. What was that?”
“An old family recipe.”
She got up.
“Well, thank you.”
“No, don’t thank me. I should have grabbed the knife when I had the chance.”
“No one is that fast.”
He looked at the ground.
“I am.” He said.
“Listen, I’m fine. And if you hadn’t of been there I would be in even worse shape. She would have killed me.”
Andy stood up.
“She’s right. We both would have been killed. If Tracy thinks you messed her up in some way, you’d better get the heck out of dodge.”
There was scilence for a moment.
“Well I think that I need to go home.”
“Oh, ok. Well, here’s my number. If she comes back, call me.” Damon said, handing her a slip of paper.
“Ok, thanks.”
She followed Andy out to the car. She dropped him off at his house and headed home. She got into bed and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night she heard clanging from downstairs. Se snuck down and saw someone dressed in all black. She ran back to her room and dialed Andy’s number.
“Hello?”
“Andy? Someone’s here. Downstairs! In the house.”
“I’ll be right over.”
She hung up and crept back down the hallway. Andy stormed in the door.
“Crystal?!”
She ran to him, but the person made it to him first. The man grabbed Andy and dragged him into the next room.
“NO!” She ran to the phone and dialed Damon’s number.
“Hello?”
“Damon! Someone’s here! And they have Andy!”
“I’ll be right there.”
Five minutes later, Damon came through the door. Crystal was crying.
“What? Where is Andy?”
She pointed a shaky finger to the next room. Damon grabbed her hand and went into the next room. Andy lay on the floor, motionlessly. Blood was coming from his neck.
“What happened?” Damon said, looking Crystal in the eyes.
“T-t-the man… he… grabbed Andy… sliced his neck… two puncture wounds…”
Damon examined the wounds.
“He’s dead…” Damon said.
Crystal started crying again.
“I’ll find who did this and kill them.” Damon said, already knowing who did it. “Come on. You’re going to have to live with me in my mansion for a while.”
Crystal nodded her head.
“I have to pack.”
“Ok.”
She walked upstairs and loaded a bag with clothes. Then she walked back downstairs and over to Andy’s body. She took his necklace he always wore and placed it on her neck. Then she got his class ring off his finger and placed it on her thumb. She gave him a kiss and a hug, and then leaned down to his ear.
“I’ll find who did this, and I WILL kill them.” She whispered, and got up. “I’m ready...” she said to Damon.
On the ride over to his mansion she didn’t say anything. Her thoughts were on Andy. They arrived at Damon’s mansion. He carried her things inside. He walked up the stairs and she followed. He led her into a room.
“This will be your room. If you need anything, my room is right next door.”
She gave him a hug.
“Thank you.”
He closed the door and left the room. She put on a tank top and mini shorts, and lay down. About an hour later, she woke up, feeling scared. She walked next door and opened it. Damon wasn’t there. She walked over to his bed and lay down, immediately falling fast asleep.
Damon walked in, and noticed someone on his bed. He grabbed a knife and walked over. It was Crystal. He dropped the knife and knelt beside her.
“I am so sorry, Crystal. He wouldn’t have attacked you if he hadn’t seen you with me… I just couldn’t keep away. You were so beautiful. Now you’re caught in the middle of my battle. I’m afraid if I tell you who and what I am, you’ll hate me. Vampires and humans have never gotten along before…” he said to himself, caressing her face.
Crystal opened her eyes and felt Damon’s hand on her face. He looked like he was lost in thought. She smiled and put a hand on his cheek. He looked down at her. She scooted over in the bed, and he lay beside her, holding her. They both fell asleep.
Crystal woke up and Damon wasn’t there. She went to her room and got dressed. She walked downstairs and smelled something very good. She followed the smell to the kitchen where some people were sitting. They see her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“No, you’re not intruding. We work here, Miss Crystal.” One girl said, smiling.
“Oh…”
“I bet you are hungry. Come and sit. We have breakfast all made.” She walked over and sat at the table.
The lady brought her a plate.
“Miss Crystal, my name is Kimberly. This is Rose and Amber.” She said, pointing to two more girls. “And these boys are Nick, Ben, and Wes.”
“Hello.” Crystal said to all of them.
They all left and Crystal ate. She was starved. After she finished, Damon walked in.
“How was your breakfast?” he asked.
“Very good, thanks.”
He looked kind of sad.
“What's wrong?”
“I think there is something you need to know.”
“Yes?”
He led her upstairs to his room. They sat on the couch side-by-side.
“I know who killed Andy…”
“Who?” she said, wide eyed.
“The vampire clan I am having some problems with…”
Crystal laughed.
“Vampires don’t exist.”
“Yes they do.”
Crystal felt confuzzed.
“I am a vampire Crystal… Tony must have realized that I had become close to a human… so he went after you.”
“You’re lying. Stop.”
“No Crystal, I’m not. It’s true.”
Crystal was terrified.
“No, no, no, no, no, NO!” she yelled, jumping up.
“Calm down, Crystal.”
She took off running. In the living room were three boys. She screamed. Damon appeared in front of her.
“Crystal! Clam down! Don’t you get it? If Tony sees you he’ll KILL you!”
Crystal started crying. She sat down on the stairs.
“Dude, you really know how to freak them out don’t you?” one of the boys said, laughing.
“Shut up.” Damon said.
He leaned down to Crystal.
“I will kill Tony for you. I am sorry you got put in the middle of all this. I never ment for this to happen.” Damon said.
Crystal looked up at him. She could tell he was telling the truth.
“I… I believe you.” she said, getting up.
He gave her a quick hug.
“Wait a minute! You’re ok with Damon being a vampire?!”
One of the boys asked.
“Well he did save my life…” she said looking at Damon.
“Wow… you have got to be the first human ever…” he trailed off.
Damon smiled at Crystal.
“So… you gonna introduce me?” Crystal said in a whisper.
“O yea, this is Ryan, Jacob, and Zack. They are friends of mine. They live here in the mansion.”
“Hi.” Crystal said.
“Hello…” they each said.
Ryan walked over and kissed her on the hand. Damon glared at Ryan. They looked like they were talking telepathically. Ryan backed off.
“Let’s go upstairs for a moment.” Damon said to Crystal.
“Ok.”
They walked up to her room and they sat on her couch.
“You need to understand, you can’t leave the mansion without me, or if you need to go out, I’ll get someone to go with you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Listen, not to be hurtful or anything, but Tony easily got Andy. I’m not going to let him get you too.”
He lifted her chin.
“I care about you to much.” He finished.
She brought her face u to his begging for a kiss with her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. She could fell his fangs against her lips as he kissed harder. He let go.
“I’m sorry. That was… inappropriate.”
Crystal laughed.
“I enjoyed it.” she said, finally.
She looked at him again, waiting for another kiss.
“You underestimate my ability to control my appetite.” He said warningly.
“Oh…” she looked away.
“Listen, me and the boys are going out for a bit too...” he trailed off. “but when I get back, we will go to a nice club together. Does that sound ok?” he finished.
“Sure.” She said.
“Feel free to explore the place. If you need anything just find Kim, Rose, or Amber. They’ll help you. You have met them haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
He got up.
“Ok, well, I have to go… I’ll see you tonight.”
He gave her a quick kiss and disappeared.
Crystal stood up and walked downstairs. The boys were gone. She explored the first level of the mansion. She opened the first door. It was a bedroom. She quietly closed it and went onto each of the rooms. The first six were all bedrooms. She figured that they must belong to the helpers. She opened the seventh room. It looked like a lounge. Or a playroom almost.
“Can we get you something, Miss Crystal?” Kim asked.
“No thanks, I’m just exploring.”
All six helpers were sitting at a table, looking at her.
“And can you just call me Crystal?”
“Ok Crystal.”
“Um… can I ask you a question?” she asked, walking over to them.
“Sure, ask away.”
“Um… are you six… vampires?”
Kim and the others laughed.
“No, we are blood-bonded humans.” Wes said.
“Oh… um… what are blood-bonded humans?”
“It’s between vampire and human… as long as Damon stays alive, we stay alive. He saved us several times and in return, we serve him. Blood-bonded humans have no vampire strength of their own… in that way, we are still humans. The only thing that doesn’t make us human is that we are immortal. Unless Damon dies of course. Then well all die with him. And no, we don’t drink blood if that is what you are about to ask.” Kim explained.
“Ha! We hardly do anything. We have everything we could ever want here. Food, TV, clothes… its paradise.” Wes said.
They all laughed again.
“Um… ok… thanks. Well… I am going to go back to exploring.” Crystal said.
“Ok, if you need anything just come on back.” Kim said, sitting down.
“Ok.” Crystal said, leaving.
She headed up to the second floor. The first and second rooms were hers and Damon’s rooms. She walked further down the hall and opened the door. It was a pool room. She closed the door and walked on. In the next room was an arcade including a DDR machine. She went wide eyed. She LOVED DDR. She needed someone to play with. She even notice that the walls in this room were sound proof. She thought for a moment and ran back downstairs. She knocked on the lounge door. Kim opened the door.
“Yes Crystal?”
“None of you by any chance would like to play DDR with me, would you?”
Kim opened the door all the way.
“You found the arcade.” She said, laughing. “you’re in luck. Ben loves to play DDR. That’s why Damon got the stupid game in the first place. But I have to warn you, no one in the house has been able to beat him. He’ll be a tough opponent.”
She followed Kim inside.
“Hey Ben! You have a new DDR player.”
Ben walked over. “You like DDR?” Ben asked.
“Yep. Want to play?”
“Yea! Common everyone. Watch this game.”
Everyone walked up to the second floor and to the sound proof room.
“Yea, Damon had to make the walls sound proof because Ben here couldn’t stay away. It used to keep Damon up all night.”
They all laughed. Crystal jumped onto the left mat while Ben got on the right one. Ben turned it on and punched some buttons. When the song choice came on, Crystal chose the song she liked best and they started dancing. Everyone noticed how good Crystal was at his game. Unfortunately, she wasn’t good enough. Ben won the first round.
“I warned you…” Kim said.
They were all laughing. Everyone except Crystal. She put her heart and soul into the game. She was a girl on fire. Ben choose the next song. Crystal didn’t even seem to notice anyone else was in the room. She looked like an angel on a dance floor. She was amazing. Crystal won that round. Crystal got to choose the song for the final round and everyone noticed that Ben was starting to sweat a little. Crystal hadn’t even broken a sweat yet. She had a smile on her face and was just happy to be dancing with the music. She won that round. She had beaten Ben.
“Ha! FINALLY you got beat! And it was by a GIRL!” Nick said, laughing.
“Oh shut up, dork.” Ben said, hitting him in the back of the head.
They all started laughing.
“Hey, who’s hungry?” Wes asked.
Everyone shouted ‘me’.
They all went downstairs and made their lunch. Crystal helped. They had lunch laughing and getting to know each other. After eating, she asked someone to help show her around so she didn’t get lost on her exploration. Ben offered. They headed up to the second floor. He opened the door beside the arcade room.
“This is the movie room.”
He laughed.
“This is Jacob’s hobby. As a vampire, he enjoys seeing movies from different time periods. So they own all the movies that interest him.”
It was a huge room with a giant, black, flat screen TV, Two couches facing the TV which were blood red, and three chairs spread out between the couches.
“Wow.”
There were rows and rows of shelves filled with movies, dvd’s, and other later model type movies.
Crystal and Ben left and waked up to the third floor. He pointed to the first door.
“That’s Zack’s room.”
“So they really do all live here…” she said in her head.
“All of the guys have been very good friends for a long time.”
“Oh.”
They walked to the next door across the hall.
“That’s Ryan’s room.” He pointed tot he last room. “and that’s Jacob’s room.”
They walked up another set of stairs.
“Where does this lead?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
He opened the door at the top of the stairs and there was the roof. It was flat topped with rails and everything.
“…awesome.” She whispered.
“Yeah, I love it out here.”
It was starting to get dark outside. A split second later she saw Damon in front of her.
“Hello, love. I see you’ve met Ben.”
She smiled and hugged Damon.
“I missed you. yea, he helped show me around after we did a round of DDR.”
“Uh-oh. I hope he didn’t beat you too badly.”
“No… I won.”
His mouth dropped.
“What?”
“I’ve never been beaten…” they all laughed.
Ryan, Zack, and Jacob appeared on the roof.
“what's all the laughing about?” Jacob asked.
“she beat Ben at DDR.” Damon said.
They all walked downstairs, and Damon led Crystal to her room and closed the door.
“do you still want to go to the club?”
“yea… but I don’t really have anything nice to wear.”
Damon walked over to the closet.
“here, I got it for you while we were out.”
She opened the box he handed her and saw a pair of black designer jeans, a black tunic top that slanted as it went down her body, arm length black gloves, and a pair of black boots.
“its… beautiful! Thanks Damon! You didn’t have to…” she kissed him on the cheek.
“you’re welcome. Now get dressed. I didn’t know much about make up so I got different kinds. I got Kim to organize all of it. they are in the bathroom. We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”
“ok, I’ll hurry.”
Damon left and Crystal got dressed. The clothes fit perfectly around her slender body. She walked into her bathroom. Makeup was EVERYWHERE! Pinks, blues, greens, blacks, browns, reds… the whole nine yards! She picked through the makeup. She ended up choosing a black eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow and some red lip gloss. She looked at herself in the mirror. She clipped her hair into a wild bun. She examined herself. She looked deadly. She walked down the stairs and Damon, Jacob, Zack, and Ryan were waiting. Ryan noticed her first. His mouth dropped. He got the other boys attention and nodded towards Crystal.
“Crystal… you’re… beautiful…” Damon said.
Crystal blushed. Damon took her hand.
“we ready to go?” Zack asked.
“yep. Lets go.”
They all went outside and Damon grabbed Crystal.
“hold on.” He said, and she pulled him into a hug.
A second later, they were standing outside of a club that Crystal had never seen before. They all walked in and sat down at a booth. Three girls came over.
“hey boys. Wanna dance?”
Zack, Ryan, and Jacob left to the dance floor with the girls, leaving Damon and Crystal by themselves. Damon looked at her.
“want to dance?”
“sure.” She said.
They waked over to the dance floor and Crystal started swaying her hips. She could feel people were looking at her. She loved the feeling. Damon was wide eyed. The song changed to a slow one. She put her arms around Damon’s neck. He put his hands around her waste. They stood there, looking into each others eyes. She could feel his mind in hers, and she liked it.
She thought, “anything you looking for in particular?”
She knew her could hear her.
“no, only learning more about you.” he said in her head.
Someone tapped Crystal on her shoulder. She turned around.
“do you mind if I dance with Damon?”
“…yea… sure.”
She stepped aside and the song changed to a fast one again. She watched their bodies move together and she got jealous. Then Damon did the unexpected. He leaned down to her and kissed her! Right in front of Crystal. She got mad. He was doing this on purpose. She turned around and stormed off. Jacob grabbed her arm.
“where are you going, Crystal?”
“anywhere but here! I cant BELIEVE he would do that to me! Make out with another girl… right IN FRONT of me!” she yelled.
Jacob let go of her and she waked out of the club. She started walking in the direction she thought was Damon’s mansion. She started to cry and pictured the kiss again. She came to a park and sat on one of the swings. She thought over what had happened those past three days. She cried harder, and started to swing. A boy appeared in front of her.
“what do you want?” she said, and stopped crying.
“why were you crying?” the vampire boy asked.
“its none of your business.”
“ok… I have a message for you.” the vampire said.
“yea?”
“Tony didn’t kill your friend. He was and still is in England.”
She jumped off the swings.
“then who killed Andy?”
“… the fude that Damon thinks he has against Tony, is actually against… his brother.”
“WHAT?!”
“its true. Michael and Damon are the only descendants of Dracula left. Michael is trying to kill Damon so he can rule over the vampires. Michael saw Damon and you together, and came to your house to kill you. Michael killed your human friend. Not Tony.”
Crystal couldn’t believe what she heard. In fact, she didn’t.
“how do you know?” she asked.
“Tony ordered me to follow Michael with a video recorder. Here’s your proof.”
He handed Crystal a tape, and disappeared. She put the tape in her jacket pocket. No matter how mad she was at Damon, she had to get revenge for Andy. She walked back to the club.
Damon grabbed her.
“where were you?!” he asked.
She had a frown on her face. He tried to enter her mind, but she blocked him.
“what's wrong?” he asked.
She still didn’t say anything.
“I want to go.” She said finally.
Damon went and got the other boys. They left for home. Crystal stomped up to her room, still mad.
“what's her deal?” Zack asked.
“I don’t know. She wont talk to me. And she’s blocking her mind from me.” Damon said.
“dude, she’s mad at you.” Jacob said.
“why?” Jacob put a frown on.
“um… hello?! First you let another girl dance with you instead of her. Then, you start making out with the chick! Right in front of her!”
“so…” Damon said.
“DUDE! She likes you!” Jacob yelled.
Damon looked confuzzed.
“and we all know you like her.” Ryan said.
“oh no! I didn’t know… she probably hates me!” Damon said.
He walked up to her room and knocked on her door.
“come in.” she said.
He walked in and she was sitting on the couch, reading and all changed for bed. He walked over and sat next to her.
“I’m so sorry.” He said.
“for what?” Crystal said, still reading.
“I didn’t know… if I would have known, I wouldn’t have kissed her.”
Crystal put the book down.
“it doesn’t matter. I’m already over it…. and you.”
She got up. He jumped up and grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry. I’ve liked you since I first saw you in the club. I just never knew that you felt the same way…” he pulled her to him and kissed her.
She felt his fangs once more. He let go, and she pulled him into anther kiss. She finally let go. They sat on the couch, holding each other. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she wasn’t sure if he felt that strongly about her. She didn’t want to be rejected.
“I love you too.” He said.
She smiled.
“Damon?”
“yea?”
“how old are you?”
He brought his face close to hers so she could see him.
“want to know how old I was when I was changed or how old I am… now…”
“both.”
Damon sighed.
“I was changed when I was twenty-two…”
“hey! I’m twenty-two also!” she said with a smile.
“… but now… I’m close to…” he thought for a minute.
“two hundred and sixty seven…”
She went wide eyed.
“seriously?”
“yes. Seriously.”
“woooooooow…” she stretched out the O.
They sat silently for about twenty minutes.
“I think I’ll go to bed.” Crystal said.
“Ok.’ He got up and kissed her.
“good night.” Damon said.
Damon left the room. She heard him walk downstairs. She put in the DVD that the vampire boy had given her and watched it. she saw a mysterious vampire watching the knife incident. It was probably Michael. Then she watched Michael follow Damon, her, and Andy to Damon’s mansion. He waited outside. It skipped to where he followed her home. He stood watching her window. Then he walked inside. A couple of minutes later Andy came in. Michael dragged him into the next room. He put his fangs out and drank Andy dry. Michael turned and saw the camera. He vanished. She started to cry and ejected the DVD. She ran downstairs.
“what's wrong?” Damon and the others asked.
She handed them the DVD.
“watch it.”
She sat on the stairs while they watched it.
“that’s… Michael!” Damon yelled.
The DVD was over.
“how did you get this?”
“Tony wanted to prove that he wasn’t the one trying to kill you. so he went to England and ordered another vampire to follow your brother around. Michael wants you dead. Because if you die, he can rule over all the vampires… HE KILLED Andy!” she yelled.
“he’s gonna pay for this.” Damon said.
“and I owe Tony a big apology…” Damon said.
“man, we all do.” Zack said.
Crystal got up and walked over to Damon.
“what are you going to do?” she asked.
“well, first I’m going to kill Michael. Then talk to Tony.”
“I want to help.” She said.
“you cant. You’re only a human.” Ryan said.
“he’s right you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
She stepped closer to him.
“then turn me.”
He went wide eyed.
“no.”
“why?”
“because I am not going to give you the fate that I was given. I refuse.”
“but Damon! I’m venerable like I am now! I can be killed so easily!”
“I said no, Crystal. End of story.”
She put her head down. A second later she looked up at him.
“well if you REFUSE to change me, at least teach me how to fight. How to defend myself.”
She looked serious and mad all at the same time.
“Crystal… no matter how good you get, you cant go up against a vampire. It is just impossible.”
“I will fight. If you wont teach me, I guess I will die the first time out there. If you do teach me, at least I have a chance. I have already proven I can fight off your powers so if you try to stop me that way, it wont work. You have to let me TRY!”
He cocked his head.
“are you sure you want to do this?”
“yes. I am positive.” Damon sighed.
“you are too stubborn for your own good. We will start at dawn.”
“ok.”
They all headed towards bed. Crystal stayed behind to get a drink. She snuck into Kim’s room.
“yes, Crystal?” she asked.
“are there any weapons in the house?”
“yes, in the basement. It’s the training room.”
“do you mind showing me?”
Kim led her down to the basement. There were weapons surrounding the walls. Crystal looked around, and her eyes found duo blades that curved at the wrist.
“who’s are those?” she asked Kim, pointing to the twin blades.
“those belonged to a powerful vampire, who was slain down. Her name was… Marie.”
“wow… pretty name. Do you mind if I use them for a while?”
“no, of course not. I am going to bed though. Come and get me if you need anything else.”
“ok, thanks.”
Crystal took the blades in her arms and felt a surge of power go through her. Almost as if the blades were calling to her. She smiled. Crystal waked to the middle of the room and took a fighting stance. She felt like she could do anything. She swung the blades around, pretending her opponent was in front of her. She stumbled and fell.
“Crap!” she yelled.
She jumped back up and tried to do the maneuver again. She made it to the floor without falling.
“Yay! I did it!” she smiled at herself.
After what seemed like hours, she walked upstairs and got into bed. She realized that she still had the blades with her. She fell asleep.
Crystal woke up the next morning to see Damon looking at her.
“hey sleepy head. You ready to start your training?”
She jumped up.
“Yes.” She still had the blades in her hands.
“how did you? why did you get those?”
“I went to the basement last night and practiced…”
“you should take something without asking. A friend gave me those before she died.”
“Marie?”
“yes.”
“how did she die?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. she was almost like a mother to me…” he zoned off for a moment and looked at Crystal.
“you ready? Lets go.”
They walked to the basement. He got a sword off the wall and too a stance. She stood across from him with the duo blades at her sides. He came at her. She jumped to the side and did the splits on the ground. It tripped him. He flew across the room and hit a wall. He got up.
“wow… you’re fast.”
“thanks.” She said, grinning.
He took his stance again. Crystal hung the blades at her side. She charged at him and he tried to kick her. She dodged and his sword pierced her stomach. They both looked at her stomach. Damon dropped his sword, which was now covered in blood.
“I am so sorry.” He said.
“no sweat, I can barely feel it.”
“what the heck are you talking about? You’re bleeding!” Damon said.
He walked her up the stairs and to her bedroom. He laid her down and looked at her stomach. The wound was completely gone.
“what the hell…” Damon whispered, looking at her stomach.
“I told you it didn’t hurt.” She said.
Damon was wide eyed.
Crystal sniffed the air.
“ooo! Something smells good.”
She got up and walked downstairs. She opened the fridge and saw a glass with some liquid in it. She drank the drink in a few seconds. Kim waked in and screamed. Zack, Jacob, Ryan, and Damon appeared in the kitchen.
“Crystal, stop! You’re drinking blood!” Zack yelled.
Crystal coughed.
“WHAT?!” she screamed, dropping the glass.
“ok! Who turned her?!” Damon yelled.
They all denied.
“then what the Hell is going on here?!” Damon yelled.
Kim walked up to him.
“Marie.” She whispered.
Damon turned to look at Kim.
“Impossible.” Damon said.
“what's impossible?” everyone else asked.
“how old are you, Crystal?” Kim asked.
“…I already told Damon… 22.” She said.
“to be exact, I turned 22 on October 31.”
Damon looked at Crystal with his mouth dropped.
“I told you, Damon.” Kim said.
“What?!” Crystal screamed.
“I… never told any of you… how Marie died… I promised to keep her secret.”
“What secret?” Crystal asked.
“Marie… got pregnant. Vampires cant get pregnant… but she did. She knew she would die in the child birth. She made Kim and me promise to give the baby to an orphanage. She got a powerful witch to bind the child’s powers. Marie his the powers in the blades you were using. She made me look after them. Marie wanted her baby to grow up normal…”
“what does this have to do with me?” Crystal asked.
“the witch said that if the child ever held the blades, her powers would return. At that time, she would quit aging and become a vampire. She gave birth to a baby girl. She died in the process. I took her to Scottsdale Orphanage… I left her there and went back for the blades.”
“NO! this is not happening! I grew up in that orphanage! They told me I landed on their doorstep when I was only a day old!” she screamed.
She vanished in front of their eyes.
“oh, no! she shimmered.” Jacob said.
They heard her screaming in her room. Damon shimmered up to her room. He grabbed her.
“listen! Emotions that are out of control makes your powers out of control as well! You have to calm down!”
She stopped screaming.
“my mom was not a vampire.” She yelled.
She started to cry. He pulled her into a hug.
“she wasn’t… no… its not true…” she said, still crying.
After about ten minutes she calmed down a little.
“listen Crystal, you need to feed. If you don’t, you could die.”
She looked up at him.
“I… I don’t know how…”
“I’ll show you.” he led her downstairs.
“I have to show her how to feed. She’s weak.”
“dude! Human blood will kill her! You know that the first blood a new vampire drinks is vampire’s blood. Duh!”
“oops… I forgot. Here, take my blood.” He shoved a wrist at her.
“GERRRR! Everyone stop looking at me!” she yelled.
A burst of energy went through the room, hitting the vampires.
“…she’s strong.” Ryan said.
“yes she is.” Jacob agreed.
“come on, Crystal. Lets go to your room.” Damon said.
She shimmered with him.
“I’m sorry… everyone was starring at me.” She said.
“I understand, but you’re the most unique vampire in the world… now, come on and drink.” He said, giving her his wrist.
“how?”
“force your fangs out with your mind.”
She tried. It worked. Crystal bit Damon’s skin where the vein was at. She started to drink his blood. She felt his heartbeat slow down and she stopped. Damon looked at her and smiled, pulling her into a kiss. She forced her fangs back in and kissed him back. He let go.
“I love you, Crystal.” Damon said.
She smiled. “I love you too.”
They walked back downstairs. Everyone was waiting.
“we want to see how strong she is.” Ryan said.
Damon looked at Crystal.
“do you want to?”
“yes.” She said.
“lets do it outside.” Zack said.
They all went to the basement, grabbed their weapons, and headed outside.
“who do you want to go against first?” Damon asked.
“I don’t care. You all choose.” She said, walking to one side of the backyard.
Zack went to the other side.
“I got her first.” He said.
“you start first.” Crystal said.
Crystal had her blades at her sides. Zack charged at her. She jumped to the side and stuck out her foot. He tumbled to the ground. Everyone started laughing.
“oh, shut up.” Zack said, jumping up.
Crystal smiled innocently. He took a fighting stance again. He ran towards her and disappeared. He reappeared behind her. She jumped over him, putting her hands on his shoulders and landed behind him with her blades to his back.
“I won!” she said, smiling.
“no fair! How did you know that I would do that?” she smiled again.
“easy, you were upset that I knocked you down, so you thought that if you shimmered behind me, it would catch me by surprise.” She laughed.
Zack frowned and walked back to the others.
“you got beat by a girl!” Jacob chanted.
“o, yea? I would like to see you try to beat her.” Zack said, challengingly.
“fine, I will.” Jacob said.
He grabbed his sword and walked out to the field.
“you ready?” Crystal asked.
“bring it.”
She shimmered in front of him and brought her blades down in front of him. He blocked the attack with his sword. They started to sword fight. Jacob hit his sword against her arm. It sliced her arm about three inches. Damon looked worried, but they still went on Crystal sliced into his stomach and he tumbled over for a second. She jumped on top of him and held her blades to his throat.
“I win.” She said, grinning.
They were both panting. Crystals arms had already fully healed.
“wow, you’re tough.” Jacob said.
She helped him up.
“you too.” She said.
‘my turn.” Ryan said.
“no, she’s tired.’ Damon stated.
“no, I can take him.” Crystal smiled.
“ok, I want to test your mental powers.” Ryan said.
Crystal threw her blades off to the side. Ryan sent a burst of energy at Crystal. It hit her and she flew backwards about ten feet. She jumped up and sent a burst of energy back at him. He acted like it didn’t faze him at all. She got mad and sent another burst. He still stood strong and sent a burst at her. She put up a mental shield. It blocked it easily.
“so that’s how he’s blocking.” She said in her mind.
She threw a blast at him and another and another. All right in a row. She broke through his mental shields. She threw another blast at him and he flew backwards, passing out. She ran over to him.
“uh-oh. Is he ok?” Crystal asked the others.
“yea, I’m fine.” He said, getting up. “but you win.” He said, grimly.
“awesome, its Damon’s turn!” Zack said.
“I’m not going to fight her.”
“why? You scared?” Zack said, laughing.
“no, she’s already proven she’s good. She needs to rest.”
“hey, I’m right here. You’re talking like I’m not here.” Crystal said.
“oops… sorry.” Damon said.
“its ok, you’re right. I’m exhausted. That mental power takes a lot of energy out of you.” they all headed back inside.
“who’s up for a movie?” Jacob asked.
Everyone said yes.
“winner chooses the movie.” Jacob said.
“ok, I choose ‘she’s the man’ with Amanda Bynes.”
The guys sighed.
“ok.”
They headed to the movie room. Damon, Crystal, and Ryan sat on one couch. Jacob and Zack sat on the other. They put the movie in and started watching it. everyone, even the guys, laughed the whole way through it.
Halfway through the movie, Ryan put his arm around Crystal. She jumped up.
“why did you do that?” Crystal asked.
“do what?” Damon asked.
“Ryan put his arm around me.”
Ryan laughed. “no I didn’t.”
Crystal growled. “don’t lie!” she yelled.
“are you sure he put his arm around you?” Damon asked.
“you don’t believe me?” she asked.
“I believe that you believe that he put his are around you.”
Crystal growled and stormed out of the room and towards the front door. She didn’t like the feeling when Ryan put his arm around her. It didn’t feel right. Almost as if at that moment he wanted to rip her head off. She could explain her irrational feelings, but he couldn’t just ignore them either. Damon appeared in front of her.
“where are you going?” he asked.
“out.” She stated, flatly.
“you cant! Michael could be watching!” her eyes turned a dark color.
“good! I’m tired of staying here! And you don’t even believe what I say so I don’t care anymore!” she yelled.
He was blocking her path. She shimmered outside and started walking and crying. She knew something was up with Ryan. She had a weird suspicion that he was involved in Andy’s death. Damon opened the door.
“come back, Crystal! Please!” it took every ounce of energy she had to not listen to his voice.
She kept facing forward, not looking back. She loved Damon and she didn’t want him to get hurt. But she had to get away. She shimmered to her home and looked around the place. Andy’s body was gone. She had figured as much. She walked down the hall to her bedroom. It looked just the way she had left it. a mess. She hadn’t expected it to change. She had been on her own since the age of eighteen. She picked up her pillow off of her bed. So many nights Andy had spent the night. Talking and goofing off. Her eyes started to tear up again. Pretty soon it was dark outside. She had stopped crying and was just sitting there, thinking.
“I could have changed him… if I knew what I was, I could have changed him…” she thought over and over again, rocking back and fourth in her bed.
A little later, she shimmered back to Damon’s mansion. She walked into his room. He was laying in his bed, asleep. She walked over and sat beside the bed.
She started to whisper, “you know I love so much… but I think Ryan is in league with your brother. I felt it when he touched me… I know it sounds irrational, but I just know it.” she closed her mouth feeling stupid.
“he’s asleep, idiot.” She thought. Damon rolled over to face her.
His eyes were open.
“you’re not an idiot.” He said.
She turned bright red. He sat up.
“I was so afraid you were mad at me.” Damon said with a frown.
‘I’m not mad… I just… freaked out.” She said.
He picked her up and put her in his lap.
“Ryan has been my best friend for years now… I just don’t understand why he would turn against me.”
She turned her head, ashamed.
“I know, but I still know what I felt…”
“then we’ll have to prove it before we act.”
“I have an idea…” she told him her plans and after about two hours their plan was finalized. Morning came and they put their plan into action.
She walked downstairs and Ryan was in the living room. She walked over to him.
“hey Ryan.” He turned his head.
“oh… its you.”
“listen, I just wanted to say I was sorry.” She said, moving closer to him.
“yea, right.” He frowned.
“you know how emotional girls can get. I’m sorry I got that way with you. I never ment to.”
He watched her move closer. They were only a foot apart. She put on the best puppy-dog face she could.
“I’m sorry Ryan. Please forgive me…” he smiled, obviously pleased.
“ok already. You’re too cute to stay mad at.” He laughed.
She smiled. The others walked in.
“glad to see you’re not fighting.” Jacob said.
Everyone laughed. After feeding, they all decided to go watch pirates of the Caribbean. Crystal sat on the two seat couch and Damon sat next to her. They started up their movie. Half way through, Damon bit Crystal’s neck. She screamed, jumping up.
“you bit me!”
he stood up.
“will you chill and shut up?” he asked.
“oh no you didn’t!” she slapped his face.
He grabbed her arm and twisted it. they both growled.
“hey, guys! Calm down!” Zack yelled, jumping up.
Jacob tried to pull them apart, but they shoved him away.
“you’re just an irresponsible BRAT!” he screamed, breaking her wrist.
She screamed with pain and sent a burst of power at him.
He flew backwards.
“Jerk! I’m out of here!” she shimmered out of the mansion, holding her broken wrist.
Damon got up.
“dude! What was that about?!” Jacob asked.
He stormed out of the room.
“she blames me for Andy’s death. Stupid, ungrateful little…” he trailed off and walked off.
“wow… now that was a fight.” Zack said.
Everyone went to their rooms, deciding to take a nap. Ryan walked to his room and opened the door. He noticed Crystal sitting on the couch, holding her wrist. He walked over to her.
“what was that all about?” Ryan asked, sitting next to her.
“we just had a fight this morning. I got real mad…” Crystal’s bone was sticking out of her arm.
“ouch.” He said.
She followed his gaze.
“yea…”
He held up his wrist.
“you sure?” she asked.
“of course. I cant stand to see you in pain.”
She gave a weak smile and took his wrist. As she drank, her bone slid back into place and healed. She let go.
“…thanks.” She said.
He smiled.
“no problem.”
She scooted closer to him. He raised an eyebrow, not saying a word. She laid her head on his shoulder. He ran his hand through her hair.
“Ryan?”
“yes?” there was a pause.
“…I like you…”
Ryan didn’t say anything.
Several minutes went by. She started to get up, hiding her face behind her long hair.
“… ok, I get it. Bye Ryan.” She said.
He jumped up and grabbed her arm. He swung her to face him.
“I like you too. I have for a while. Damon didn’t deserve you.” he said, kissing her lips.
She smiled and kissed him back. He backed up and sat on the couch, still holding her. He kissed her cheek, then her neck. She moaned a little. He bit down hard on her neck, making her jump.
“sorry.” He said.
“no, its all right.”
They kissed a couple more times, then she pulled back.
“what’s wrong?”
“I’m… I’m going to go find Michael. Damon wont rule if I have anything to say about it.”
He looked at her quizzically.
“why are you telling me this?”
“because… I like you. and I know you’re friends with Damon. I told you so if you wanted, you could try and stop me.”
Ryan looked deep in her eyes. She was telling the complete truth. She really did hate Damon now.
“since you were truthful, I’ll be truthful with you.”
she smiled a pit and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He laughed.
“nothing like that… yet.” He said with a grin.
“I know where Michael is. I’ve been the ‘secret spy’ in the house for him. Damon can’t rule. He’s not strong enough.”
“take me to him.” She said, seriously.
“why?”
“I told you, I want to talk to him about something.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. He shimmered, taking her with him. When he let her go, they were at a small house.
“he lives here… for now.” He said with a smirk.
They waked in. Michael stood at the door. Crystal bowed low to the ground.
“what is SHE doing here?” he growled.
“she’s with me. She’s mine now.” Ryan said with a grin, kissing Crystal again.
“hm… what happened to my brother?” Michael asked.
“we got into a fight… he broke my wrist… like he was trying to kill me.”
Michael was in front of her in a flash. He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.
“Michael! What are you DOING?!” Ryan screamed.
Crystal stayed clam in his hold. Michael growled.
“Michael! STOP!” he yelled.
Michael dropped Crystal to the ground and looked at Ryan.
“you just told ME what to do?!”
Ryan gulped.
Michael sent a burst of power at him. He flew backwards. Crystal used this moment. She took out her blades and sent several bursts of energy at Michael.
“you! you killed Andy!” she yelled.
Damon, Jacob, and Zack appeared.
“hm… you were right.” Jacob said.
Crystal sent another burst at him. He fell down, disoriented. She pounced on him, her blades to his neck. He just started laughing.
“this is for Andy, you b*****d!”
She sliced her blades into his neck and chopped off his head. Meanwhile, the other boys were ‘taking care’ of Ryan. She slid to the ground. It was over. She had taken revenge on Andy. Damon came behind her.
“sorry If I hurt you too badly. We had to make it convincing.”
She put her arms around him and didn’t let go.
Later that night Damon and Crystal were sitting on her bed.
“I guess this makes you king.” She said with a smile.
He looked at her.
“I guess so. I love you so much Crystal.” he said, smiling.
“I love you too… what are you smiling about?”
“Crystal, would you do anything to be with me?”
“yes…”
“would you even die for me? In a manner of speaking…”
“yes…”
“would you spend all the rest of our lives with me?”
“woo, wait!… are you… asking…”
He got down on one knee on the floor.
“Crystal Van Helsing, will you marry me?” she smiled.
She wasn’t surprised that she was related to the original Van Helsing. He must have been her… wait… father???
“Yes, I will marry you, but am I really a Van Helsing?”
“Your father was Van Helsing. Your mother, a vampire. He shouldn’t have fallen in love, but he did.”
She kissed him passionately.
“I love you so much Damon. I am so glad we’re getting married.”
He smiled. That weekend they were married, making her his queen. Queen of all the vampires. She as happy. She was strong. For she was not only a vampire, she was a Van Helsing. And no matter what life threw at her, she would always have her true love, Damon
The End
Khione-Kori of Boreas rolled 2 6-sided dice:
6, 4
Total: 10 (2-12)
