Gem Casandra Lincoln

Gem was home alone when her nightmare began.

She was reading a book, completely absorbed in it, as she was every time she had a new book. She heard the doorbell ring, and without thinking, ran to answer it, still carrying her book in her hands.

As she opened the door, the only thing she saw was a man, in his mid twenties, it looked like, covered in blood.

She stood, frozen in fear, and before she could scream he clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her out. She dropped her book on the ground, and it landed with the spine up. It was strange, but the only thing she could think of while she was dragged away by this man was how it would ruin the spine.....

She was stuffed in the trunk, and she was frightened. Terrified. She screamed and screamed for help until her throat was raw and she could barely utter a sound. She wasn't sure how long they were in the car. Hours? Days? Minutes? She didn't know, but it felt like forever. As her air began to run out, she thought of her brother. What would he think? Would he be angry with her? Sad?

She was almost sure she was going to die when the car stopped. Her eyes burned as the trunk opened and light came spilling in. She wanted to jump up, run, scream for help....but she couldn't move. She tried to catch her breathe, her muscles stiff and sore. The man picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and carried her. She didn't know where they were going, for she was too weary to even open her tired eyes. She had fallen asleep in the trunk as they drove, but never stayed asleep for very long. She wanted to fight, but her will was gone.

She wondered what her parents would think when they came home and she was gone. They had never liked leaving her alone, and when they finally had to go to a Christmas party, this had happened. And her brother had been out, saying he'd bring her back 'the best Christmas present ever.'

That's right, it was Christmas Eve! What a present. Well, from the light that burned her eyes, it was probably Christmas now. Or how long had she really been in the trunk? Maybe it was past Christmas? It has hard to tell.

The man wasn't breathing heavily at all as he carried her. Soon, he threw her down on the grass. She blinked wearily and looked up at him. She looked around, and saw she was in some sort of abandoned field in the middle of what seemed like nowhere. No one to hear her scream, to help her....

As he leaned over her, thoughts of what he might do ran wild through her mind, each one worst than the last. But what actually happened couldn't even compare.

He kneeled down on one knee next to her, and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She was shaking, and couldn't find her voice.

"I was right....." His voice came to her, softer than she thought it would be.

"About wha---" She started, but a sharp pain in her arm cut her off. She looked, and saw that he had bitten her arm. Bitten her!

But she had hardly felt it until he was done. Then she saw them..his fangs, as he let out a satisfied sigh.

"Yes, just as delicious as it smelt that first night..." He breathed, as if he were about to bite her again. But he didn't, instead seemingly savoring the fear that came off of her in waves.

"What are you---" She began, but he was closer now, too close. Much too close....

"Stop!" Gem cried, her strength coming back to her all at once. She shoved him back, and stumbled to her unsteady feet and tried to run, but she tripped. She stood again, but her feet wouldn't cooperate.

The man saw this, and laughed, allowing her to enjoy the feeling of perhaps escaping him. But soon he was in front of her again. He pushed her back onto the grass so she was laying on her back, and looking up at him. She closed her eyes tightly, shaking.

"Oh, fear not, child," He cooed, kneeling down again. "This won't hurt. Much."

She didn't open her eyes for fear of what she might see. But in a moment she felt his breathe on her face, his sickly sweet breathe. She would never forget. It smelled strongly of peppermint.

"Stop---" She choked, but then she felt his mouth on her neck. She couldn't bring her muscles to move, and in a moment he had bitten her.

So many thoughts ran through her mind as his fangs penetrated her skin. What was happening? What exactly was this man? Why was he doing this to her? What would her brother think? Her parents? Would they be worried? Would they ever find her dead body? Where was she?

Had she left the oven on?

Oh, the strange things one thinks about staring in the face of death!

But her thoughts became less and less as she felt more blood being drained. She went limp in his arms, and he soon pulled back.

She blinked wearily, and he had blood dripping down his face.

"You're too pretty of a thing to go to waste," He said, and leaned down and picked her up. She wanted to fight, wanted to yell, but everything was fuzzy.

The last thing she remembered was being carried away in a bloody heap.
~~~~~~~
When she woke up, she was laying in the woods. She sat up slowly, trying to remember what had happened. She felt her neck, and could feel two small bite marks. Her heart beat hard against her chest as it all came rushing back to her.

She wanted to cry, but for some reason, couldn't find the tears.

She stood up, and, though her legs were still wobbly, like rubber, fought her way through the woods. She saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, and spun around. It was him.

Her eyes widened in fear, and she stumbled back, and tripped over a root in the ground.

"Wha----wha----" She stammered, but he was smiling strangely at her.

"Can't find your voice, little girl?" He asked, stepping towards her. She was practically cowering in fear on the ground, unable to stand.

"Have you felt them yet?" He asked.

"Felt what?" Gem asked, her voice soft and scared.

"Your fangs," he said. At his words, she reached up and hestitantly touched her front teeth. Sure enough, they were sharp.

"You're a vampire now," He said, and took another step towards her. "Well, you will be, as soon as you drink my blood," He said. She looked at him as though he were crazy.

"You're insane," She mumbled. "All of this is. It's not real," She said, crawling back.

The man laughed. A small, strange, mysterious, short laugh.

"Is it not?" He asked, kneeling down next to her. "I'm pretty real, aren't I?" He asked. He leaned so close she could smell the peppermint on his breathe again. She knew she would never be able to eat anything pepermint ever again.

In the spur of the moment, Gem reached up and kicked him as hard as she could. He fell over next to her, groaning in pain. She stood up and tried to run, but she hadn't gotten far when he appeared in front of her, seemingly out of thin air, his face twisted in pain. She turned and tried to run again, but he had grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground less than gently. She looked up at him from her spot on the ground, sprawled out in a strange position. She wanted to move, but something stopped her. Fear? Pain? Cold terror?

He was leaning over her menacingly.

"You're crazy," She said quietly. "Crazy. There's no such thing as vampires. You're just insane....crazy......a---" She started, but her voice was abrupty cut off at a sickly sweet scent that hit her nose strongly. She looked up, and saw that the man, whoever he was, had cut open his arm, and blood dripped out of the small wound. It dripped on her face, and she turned her face to the side defiantly. Why....why did it smell so...good?

The man knelt down next to her.

"Drink," He commanded. She pursed her lips together tightly, shaking her head definatly. He sighed, and took her face in his hands. She had her eyes closed tightly, but opened them when she felt him touching her. She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he held tightly. He bit his own arm, and then, before she knew what was happening, he had pressed his mouth to hers, and forced her lips apart and the blood into her mouth.

She tried not to swallow, but tasting it....its was so good....

He repeated this process, and she found herself wanting more of his blood. She didn't resist, and allowed him to force the blood into her mouth, though she didn't like him so close, much less.....practically kissing her!

Soon he pulled back, and Gem sat up slowly. The world was spinning, and she looked at him. The taste of his blood and peppermint lingered in her mouth.

"Bye, little girl," The man called, and he was gone.
~~~~~~~~
She wasn't sure how much later she came across the manor. But she saw a man there, and without thinking, ran towards him, and threw herself at him, crying for help.

But as he pushed her off, she saw them. His fangs.

She stumbled back, fear on her face. But she soon calmed down, and he explained to her more about vampires, and what must have happened to her.

Ever since then, she'd been staying here with all of them. But that one man was the one she liked the most. Andrew. Maybe because he was the first one she saw here. And maybe because she was using him to fill the void in her heart, left by her own brother.

Yet every day, she fears she'll see that man again. The one who changed her life forever.