• Chapter 29
    Small Chance
    My eyes fluttered open, the repetitive dream misting away from my sight, my body still full of the pleasant nub feeling. I could see clearly, no fog came to blur my vision. I looked closely, my right leg was wrapped in a white bandage.
    “Ahhh good to see you’ve woken up,” a woman walked in, her body aged, but not her personality. “That was quite some fall you took there, Hai.”
    “Fall?” I questioned.
    “Yeah, apparently you became unconscious and fell down the stairs. You got quite a lot of scars and bruises, not to mention you sprained your ankle. Edan brought you over here early this morning.”
    “Edan brought me here?”
    “Yes and good thing too, you had lost rather a lot of blood. In fact he has been waiting outside all day. I’ll go let him in.” She walked over to the door, and motioned him in. They walked over together, the elderly nurse’s pager vibrated. “Oops I’ve got to run. Somebody isn’t feeling well.” She smiled and exited the room.
    Edan gently grabbed my hand, saying nothing.
    “Y-you’re a-a,” I stuttered.
    “Just say it, Hai,” he sighed, avoiding my eyes.
    “You’re a vampire? Aren’t you?”
    Edan gave a deep sigh, “Yes. It’s hard to admit, but it’s true.”
    “Then why didn’t you kill me?” I muttered.
    “I don’t kill humans.”
    “I see. But then how come you had such self control? You’ve got to be really old to have that kind of control.”
    “First of all I haven’t been like this for very long, and second I really don’t have an explanation for that.”
    “How long have you been like this, Edan?”
    He gave another sigh, “I don’t want to cause you worry.”
    “Tell me.”
    “No. You’ve got too much to worry about already.”
    “Like what?”
    “The Damned, for some reason they want you, and it’d be best for you to be careful. They are not the sort of people you want to be around, trust me.”
    “Why would they want me?”
    “I don’t know Hai, but I do know this. If they do get you, be prepared for death, they are from the Netherworld.”
    “Oh, I understand.”
    “Just promise me you’ll be more careful.”
    I sighed. “Promise.” I started to feel lethargic.
    “Good, now just lie down.”
    “Not until you tell me how long you have been a vampire,” I declared stubbornly.
    “Hai-,” he started.
    “Please?”
    He avoided my eyes again, “Six months.” Six months? That wasn’t very long; I should expect him to be ravenous and uncontrollable. But he wasn’t like that at all. He had saved my life.
    Edan started for the door, “Wait!” I called. He turned around, “Thank you,” I whispered sheepishly. Edan walked up to me, brushed the choppy chunks of hair out of my face, and placed his cool dead lips to my cheek. I couldn’t believe it.
    Edan kissed me.
    “Just be careful. Now go to sleep.” That’s when I for sure saw it, yellow eyes. I uncontrollably and drowsily closed my eyes. I felt his cold hand tuck my hair behind my ear. The world was fading away.
    I had learned a few things
    A group from the Netherworld called the Damned was after me.
    Edan was a vampire.
    There was a chance he was in love with me.
    And that there was a small chance loved him back.

    The whole world was gone in a flash, embers standing in its place.

















    Chapter 30
    Tornado
    I wobbled up to the door, not quite used to my new best friend, a pair of crutches.
    “Steady,” Edan said holding my waist, helping me keep my balance. It had been 3 days since I had arrived in the infirmary, and since I had been attacked by a savage vampire. I stumbled forward. Edan catching me in his arms again, I couldn’t get used to his lightning fast reflexes. “Maybe you could use a bit more practice.”
    “I guess I do,” I giggled. He opened the door and helped me inside the dorm. Drea came running up frantically.
    “Hai! You’re back! I was really worried!” she smiled embracing me tightly.
    “Uhm, Hi Drea?”
    “Oh joy Hai is back after her brilliant plan to get sympathy from everyone,” Cana said sarcastically rolling her eyes.
    “Cana I didn’t do this on purpose!” I defended myself.
    “Oh put a sock in it! I know you did it on purpose!”
    “Cana!” Drea shouted lightly slapping her arm. “That wasn’t very nice at all! Apologize!”
    “Why should I?” Cana crudely responded. Edan carefully tugged me closer.
    “I think I’m going to leave, I’m no good with these cat-fight things or whatever you call them,” he whispered leaning down to me.
    “Ok then, I’ll see you later.”
    “Yeah, see you later,” Edan smiled and ruffled my hair before leaving the room.
    “Drea, no matter what you say I am not going to apologize!” Cana yelled.
    “Cana! Just do it!” Drea called back.
    “No! N-o!”Cana shouted. “Now if you don’t mind I am going up to my room and do not bother me with this crap again!” She stirred up the room as if she were a tornado as she walked up the stairs. The faint sound of a slamming door shattered the glass-like silence.
    “Hai I-,” Drea began.
    “It’s ok Drea. I’m just going to go up to my room now.” I hopped up the stairs. I rushed as fast as I could on the crutches. I shut the door behind me and flopped down on the bed. I didn’t care if my horrible nightmares returned; all I wanted was sleep.





















    Chapter 31
    Swear On Blood
    I stumbled at the sound of a thunderous pounding at my door. I dropped the pins down on the bathroom counter and crutched my way over to the door.
    “Hai Gao you open this door right now!” I swung open the door; Cana’s pale anger painted face was before me.
    “Cana what do you want?” I questioned.
    “Oh don’t you ‘what do you want Cana’ me!” She threw out the words with force. “Don’t tell me you didn’t do this!” She held out a dagger. “You thought it would be so funny to put this in my room in the middle of the night! Yeah, mess with the mental girl huh? Is that what Drea told you? How did you even get this here? I thought knives were forbidden!”
    “Wait you think I did that?” my words weren’t as forceful as her anger fill ones.
    “I don’ think I know! If it wasn’t Drea, Jerri, Maureen, or Luna. So that leaves you little Miss ‘Innocent’!”
    “Cana I didn’t do that!”
    “Don’t bother lying, Hai! I know you did it!”
    “Now you are calling me a liar?”
    “People are liars! Like when people say they won’t do something like kill themselves and then they do! Yeah you’re one of those liars!”
    “Cana I swear on blood I didn’t do that!”
    “Just stop lying you did this!”
    “Why on Earth would I do that!”
    “Because you were angry and me for ruining your plan for attention! So you got revenge! This is something you would do Hai, admit it!”
    “Why would I do this if I know how you feel!”
    Her voice calmed, “What do you mean?”
    “I’ve woken up with a knife in my hand as well,” I softened my tone of voice.
    “Prove it.”
    I crutched over to the desk. With my free arm I pulled open the drawer, taking out the dagger, somewhat running back over to Cana, dropping it in her hand. “Here, it’s been proven.”
    She compared the two weapons, “They’re identical.”
    I looked closely, “They are.”
    “Now the big question is, how did we end up with them?”
    I shifted my eyes back and forth, from one side of the room to the other. “Cana, did you by any chance have a strange dream before you found the dagger?”
    “Yeah why?”
    “So did I. What was yours about?”
    “My friend came to me and gave me this.”
    “I see. The same thing happened to me, but with my mother, she came to me and said life was so much easier where she was, in Heaven, and told me to stab myself with it.”
    “Hai? I hope you don’t mind me asking this but, how did your mother die?”
    “Oh yeah, well she was hit by a car. She was crossing the street when a drunk driver slipped across the road and hit her. She was immediately killed on impact.”
    “I’m so sorry,” Cana muttered in a downtrodden tone.
    “No it’s fine, she’s ok now,” I said fighting back tears.
    “He’s not ok, my friend, he’s in Hell, I know it. You remember that murder and suicide from June. That was my friend, he was a murder.” Tears started to flow down her cheeks.
    I then did something neither of us was prepared for. I embraced Cana, her wheaten hair brushing against my face. I had dropped my crutches, in order to hug her. “It will be ok Cana.” I let go, immediately hitting the ground, reaching for the crutches.
    “Uhm I should probably get going,” she muttered, seemingly abashed.
    “Yeah.” She shut the door behind her. I stood back up, confusion the only feeling I had.
    Chapter 32
    Coughing
    Serenity’s deep brown eyes opened, reflecting the dawn’s light. She arose, stretched, and let out a cough. Oh Serenity I think you might be sick again, why don’t you lie down, Mizuki said filled with concern.
    “No, Mizuki,” Serenity let out a harder cough, “I’m fine.” She coughed recklessly, her chest filled with a sharp pain.
    Serenity you are sick! You must go tell your mother!
    “Like she would care! To her I’m barely worth what I am to raise, and she hardly does that!”
    Then go over to your neighbor’s house, they are doctors, they could help you.
    “No!” She coughed harder, losing her breath for a minute. “I refuse to be near those murderers!”
    Now Serenity you know that isn’t true! Mizuki said sternly.
    “But they could be with the Netherworld, killing off the Guardians.”
    Serenity I can assure you that isn’t true, I ,myself, have read their minds.
    “You read their minds, how did you do that Mizuki!” Serenity coughed.
    Mizuki took a deep sigh, I took over your body and used the gift.
    “You took over my body!”
    Please, don’t be angry it is the only way I could have used the gift! And you were asleep, no harm was done! All I wanted was to see if you were safe, and for now safe you are.
    “Mizuki? Are all the other Guardians and their Hosts safe?”
    There’s only one way to know.
    “What’s that?”
    I have to take over your body. Only for a little while.
    “Ok,” Serenity coughed harder, “I’m ready. Just do it.” She closed her eyes, waiting for the strange sensation of losing her body. Her eyes opened, no longer a deep brown, but the odd purple color. She no longer was in control of her actions, nor her voice.
    “Ok, Serenity, now all I am going to do is read a few minds. Just relax.” Serenity didn’t like the feeling of being only in a person’s mind, she felt trapped. That was a rather unpleasant feeling, only being able to speak. She began to become uncontainable, trying her hardest to escape the prison of which Mizuki had lived in, the back of her own mind. “Serenity stop! If you struggle this will not work! Just be calm and you will have your body back soon!”
    Mizuki stared forward with Serenity’s eyes, a glassy glaze veneered them. Time couldn’t seem to move fast enough as Serenity was fighting back her own instincts. She broke the glass as she blinked. “Ok Serenity, I’m done, I will give you your body back.” Serenity then flew back into reality, thankful for the pain she felt as she let out a cough.
    “What did you find Mizuki?” She took a deep breath, happy to breathe air.
    Oberon, Candika, and Kamali have all been awakened. Orpheé, Jinaki, and well Matoko have appeared to be either dead or missing. Mizuki sighed, wondering how Serenity would take this. While Xiomara and Jia Lee haven’t been awakened yet, which slightly worries me.
    “That doesn’t sound too good.”
    I know we are missing at least five Guardians, I’m sure Xiomara will be fine. But Jia Lee, she has always been a bit gullible and often finds herself in trouble.
    “What about the three we have? Are they ok, do you know where they are?”
    They are fine Serenity, just relax, worrying will not be good for your weak health. Everything is ok, I am sure that Oberon has done a good job looking out for them.
    “Ok, Mizuki,” she started to cough so hard, she couldn’t breathe at all.
    Serenity go get help right now! Mizuki cried. Serenity tried to get up, but the ground fell from under her. She couldn’t see anything, the only thing was the sound of her own pain filled coughing echoing in her hears.




    Chapter 33
    Far From Her Reach
    Serenity opened her eyes; the first thing she noticed was the faint smell of rust. I’m at the neighbors’ house aren’t I, she thought running her fingers through her silky ribbon hair. She hated it there; she didn’t want to stick around much longer. Though they were kind people, Serenity found the man and woman rather odd. The house always smelt faintly of rust, the woman cooked as if she hadn’t in centuries, and they always disappeared into the woods. Yes, the man was a wonderful and skilled doctor and his wife was a nurse, but the last patient they had died.
    The last patient was her older brother. After the severe incident with the Netherworld, he had been taken to them. But he didn’t survive. Serenity defiantly wanted to leave, this home held to many memories.
    The odd couple would watch over her until her brother had returned home from track practice. They cared for her while she was young, even while she was an infant! They were the closest thing they could think of as real parents. Her mother didn’t care to even look at her, and she had never met her father of who was at war. These people were practically her parents.
    But yet then Mizuki and her brother had looked out for her. But they could never fill the hole where parents should be in her heart.
    “Serenity? How are you feeling?” The woman walked up gently placing her shand on Serenity’s shoulder. Serenity looked away, not wanting to see her. “Serenity I understand you’re upset, but please don’t be angry.”
    “I have every reason to be angry, I’m all alone now.” She coughed again, her throat burning and her chest aching.
    “Relax Serenity your sick, you’ll stress out your body and become worse.” Serenity knew what that meant, ‘relax or your body will go into overdrive and you’ll die this time.’ She knew that since she was always so sick, there was a good chance she wouldn’t make it to adulthood. In fact there was no chance she would make it into adulthood. And being a Host put her life in even more danger, leaving her to live into her early teens if she were very lucky. Most likely to live to be about ten, five years left, unless the Netherworld killed her first. If she wasn’t a Host she would live to be about seventeen.
    She knew that she was going to die sooner or later, what she didn’t know was which one was better. To die know and get it over with, or suffer through whatever time she had left for Mizuki.
    This worried Serenity. What would become of Mizuki if she were to die right now? Would she have to wander the Earth until the Netherworld captured her? If the Netherworld did capture Mizuki what would they do to her? Torture her, sacrifice her, or kill her on the spot? She coughed harder and harder, she worked hard trying keep her eyes open so that she wouldn’t sink back into the uncomfortable unconsciousness.
    “Serenity? It’s ok I’ll go get my husband, just hang on!”
    “No! I don’t want to be killed!” her words started to weaken as she choked, alongside regret.
    “Serenity, we didn’t kill Edan.” The woman let out a sigh, “The truth is he’s fine, I can’t tell you how but he is. Now just lie down while I go get Mr. Kellan ok?” Serenity nodded, still not completely believing. All she wanted was peace, but that was something she knew was far from her reach.





    Bonus Junk
    I was at a church retreat all weekend when I realized something. Well it was 12 am and we were having adoration of the Eucharist when the girl next to me started crying, so I consoled her. Then I found myself repeating future lines for Edan and I was like "Dude" in this semi loud voice. The funny thing was (being the christian that I am) when I was thinking about taking Edan out of the story God (dont diss me!) told me to keep him. AHH he releaved myself to me!