A young man calmly walked through the forest of the Tondrum Mountains kicking around stone as he went. His eyes glittered with hidden emotions and tears, his mind a whorl wind of memories and pain. Today was the day he turned 16, the day he became a man, and also the day when all his dreams came crashing around his head all because of that little brat. The rock started to go farther and faster in the man’s aggravation. Ignoring the sounds of the bright colored birds and the brilliant red of the autumn sun peaking though the leaves, he started to mimic in a high voice. “Oh look Robert, Sara’s walking. Oh look Robert, Oh look” His voice already deepening in bitter pain before the most recent memory surfaced, the reason why he was out in these woods.

He had heard his mother and father talking, “Emily, I think it’s time for that good for nothing boy moved out, Sara needs more room…”

Not waiting to hear the rest, he ran from the house dark brown eyes flashing. Tuning out his mother’s cries to return he ran deep into the flame like wood.
He stopped breath hitching at the sharp sting. Knowing even his father wouldn’t use his name anymore. With tears running down his face, he turned to the small blue gem like opening, showing through the angry leaves. “I HATE SARA”, he bellowed before collapsing to his knees in sobbing pain, “I hate my sister.”
A stick snapped behind him. The young man got to his feet slowly, “Fa…”
A deep growl interrupted him, “Hush boy your father is not here.” The voice giggled crazily before continuing,” But your destiny is at hand,” It paused again moving forward through the brush. “We know you hate her that makes you perfect.” With a flash of white teeth and a final yell the world went black with only the wind whispering through the trees and the quivering of a bush to tell what had happened.

A group of children and their parents came into view over the far hill. The children skittered around in their eyes bright and their faces flashes of light and shadow as they ran around each other faster than humanly possible. The parents smile and laugh at the children’s antics. Suddenly as they reached the top of the hill they turned as one toward the lone wood cabin. With shouts of Grandma the children took off red ringed eyes almost glowing with excitement. The parents looked at each other smiling and shrugged before running after them.

As they got closer a deep, young, slightly scratchy voice called for them to sit in the grass. They all nodded respectfully to the tall figure as they sat murmuring, “Good morning Grandma.”

Grandma smiled broadly, her sharp green eye looking them over and her sightless brown one shifting around at random. She nodded her head to the parents before sitting down on the edge of the deck. The children shifted around in silence as Grandma closed her eyes. She was thinking about how she looked to them. Her thick red hair pulled into a loose bun, her high cheek bones and thin built placing emphasis on her Native American heritage. The deep scare from her temple to chin showing bright pink next to her olive toned skin; She seemed to be the age of most of the parents (mid 20’s) but leaked a feeling of great age.

At a sound of a hesitant cough, her eyes snapped open. She chuckled softly. “Fine then let’s get started,” She paused again searching for word to begin,” Okay tell me what do you know of ancient vampires?”

A little hand rose in the air. Grandma nodded her head and the little girl started to speak haltingly,” Th.they ha.have br.br …” she gulped looking at Grandma’s face. She finished in a rush, “Brown eyes. They have brown eyes,” she gulped again and whispered “only.”

Grandma barely hid her smirk as the parents exchanged worried looks,” Very good, now what else?” She said with false cheer.

A little boy stood up proudly when no one else answered. He glanced at Grandma and started to recite, “Ancient vampires had brown eyes instead of our blue or green, they moved even faster than we do, and they drank human blood, “He paused there. His little face scrunched up in disgust only to relax a moment later, “what’s a human.”

Grandma’s eyes widen in shock and she stilled, “What’s a human?” she slowly blinked,” they’re so many answers to that question,” she just sat there for a moment more her body still and breath all but stopped. “A human is everything and nothing at the same time. Stupid and smart, loving and hateful, hopeful and hopeless,” she paused one more time both her eyes fixed and hard, her voice fierce,” But most of all, they are us, our base, who we once were and should have been.” Suddenly her voice rose, “DON’T EVER FORGET!” her voice lowered and got soft and her eyes glazed a little almost wistful, “Please don’t ever forget.”

A soft hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up at the dark haired man standing there, “Calm down Sara you’re scaring them”, he murmured in a voice only she could hear. She looked over and say the children all were about to cry, some with tears already running down their face. She then glanced to the parents who were talking among themselves shooting angry glares her way.

Sara sneered once more for their benefit then stood up fast clapping. The man walked back into the house a relived smile on his face. “Okay then lets continue,” Sara said smiling at the children’s surprised looks, “It’s time to tell you our story. The story of how we began,” she paused one last time to take a breath a slight shake running though her body, “The story of me… So let us begin.”

A shrill wind almost hid the sound of breaking glass and wood at the Miller’s mill one year after the biller boy disappeared. The young Sara miller shivered as everything went quite. She slowly pushed her way out from under the hollow log. The young girl smiled as she heard the birds sing. Ignoring her father’s earlier warning to stay hidden she scurried up the wide wooden steps that pa had build. Her smile grew as she peaked around the open door as only a five year old can, “Pa you scared me. That…” she trailed off as the room slowly came into focus Ma sitting on the couch, Pa in the chair, broken glass and wood everywhere. Sara ran over to her mother tears starting to roll down her small face. “Ma, Mother your china… it’s broken… Mother?” She reached out, her small hand shaking as she touched her mother’s head. A blood curdling scream escaped as it fell back colder that ice. Sara didn’t feel the ground as she fainted.

Sara woke up groggily to a deep voice speaking. Her eyes still closed. “You know drake wants her right away Satfire.”
A woman laughed, “I know what he said Rover no one said we couldn’t have some fun. Why don’t you see if I left you anything in those blood bags?”

Sara opened her eyes just as a scare crow like man ran into her home almost falling in his eagerness. She slowly turned to where t he woman’s voice seemed to have come from and gasped because the woman was the most beautiful Sara had ever seen. The woman smiled and spoke, her rose like lips parting in a soft smile that didn’t reach her eyes,” Hello sweetie, I am Satfire what’s your name?”

Sara just sat there mute and shaking. Satfire’s Dark brown eyes went darker as she reached out and pulled Sara to her feet her black curls shifting in their own breeze. “I asked you, ‘what is your name?’ Do I need to call Rover over here?”

As if munching his name had made him appear, Rover was at her shoulder eyes redder than before and his blond hair like straw. Sara shivered shifting her eyes over and stammered “I. I’m Sa.Sara.”

Satfire smiled more like a grimaced,” Very good”. She said cruelly yanking on Sara’s arm as she turned to Rover, who was growling looking at Sara’s neck. “Rover, alive remember?”

Rover growls deepened as he turned to Satfire,”You told me I could feed here, but you already drained the meat bags.”

“I did? Why don’t I remember that?” Satfire said her voice dripping sweet poison, and gripping Sara’s arm tighter.

Sara didn’t hear the rest because at that moment she caught Rover’s eyes. Memorized the world seemed to cloud with nothing but the pulse of his eyes. She moved slowly toward him. One more step and he could grab her. Abruptly, with a sharp sting from her temple down, she violently went flying through the air. She landed with a loud thump almost ten feet away. She shivered as the two vampires started to circle each other Satfire yelling that Rover was a stupid dog not fit to breathe air. Sara turned running just as Rover jumped at Satfire. She sucked in a deep breath of pain as she tried to hold back the blood dripping down her face. She whimpered as she ran through the autumn forest, her arm broken. Every shadow and snapping twig hid the ragging monsters that killed her parents. Finely she made it to the nearest house two miles away. Just as she started to knock on the door, she passed out for the second time that day.

She slowly gained consciousness her body shaking in shocked cold. Men were talking, so she kept her eyes closed and listened.

“Pastor, what should we do with her? The parent’s deaths must have been very tragic, “said the deeper voice, “Me and my wife could take her being as were family and all. Her mother was my sister, and Lily always wanted a child.”

The higher voice laughed,”Mr. Brown would you really let this spawn of the devil into your home? How do you know she won’t to kill you as well?”As Mr. Brown responded Sara fell back into a deep sleep.

At a loud bang the 14 year old Sara awoke panting. Her birthday was in one week, the tenth anniversary of her parent’s death, the tenth year in the orphanage. Sara shivered her mind reliving her dream, No memory of their death. Slowly she got up and walked to the other side of the bed and saw her friend Em. Moving quickly and quietly as to not wake anyone else up Sara lifted the tiny seven year old and placed her back in bed, covering her up. Sighing Sara got back in bed by her to wait out the rest of the first of 7 sleepless nights.

“Sara… Sara come on… Sara, Mr. Fosters going to be mad,” a young impatiens voice, with a barely hidden wobble at the mention of their caregiver. Sara smiled reassuringly at Em, hiding a yawn. Seven sleepless nights and a weird hunger had her on edge and that, this was the first time in 10 years she had remembered a Drake. She started to think of the name again. “Sara!” A high pitched man’s voice snapped, “Get to work or no special birthday dinner.” The man sneered. Sara sighed knowing he meant to just make her hope and give her nothing. She played her part perfectly, smiling brightly,”Yes Mister Foster, right away.” She smiled bigger flashing her teeth as she saw pastor coming up the road.”Can I maybe have some fresh bread and warm gruel?” She barely hid a giggle as a vain popped from his head. “What right do you even have to…” Mr. Foster turned his hand still raised and saw pastor. Her grimaced and patted Em’s head, “Of course Sara everyone can for your special day.” The last word was a hiss. Sara gulped realizing she had gone too far. Mr. Foster’s eyes hid a barely contained rage. It was the room after pastor left for sure. At the thought her teeth and face felt funny. She shook her head to make it go away as pastor spoke eyes glued to her in a short flash of interest., “Good Morning my children.” After a brief moment, the children murmured a hello before slinking, off leaving Mr. Foster, Pastor, Em, and Sara alone in the small garden clearing. Mr. Foster glared after them wishing he could do the same. “What brings you to these parts Pastor?” Pastor looked around hiding glee that all the children had run away. His gaze focused on Sara once again,” I have come to check up on your oldest charge.” He paused smiling brutishly as Sara shifted her feet nervously, “And to say in three days time she will be moved to the cloth factory.” He smiled even brighter a cruel edge to it now. Both Em and Sara gasped. The cloth factory was the worse place for unwanted children to be. They forced long hours with smelly chemicals. Most children died after a few years if lucky. If not they lived the rest of their lives. Growing more painful and red from the acidic chemicals until at most 20 years after starting work they died. No one was sure exactly why. Sara felt her face shift again. She shook her head hoping no one saw. When she looked back at the pastor she shivered at his cold conciliating look. “Why the cloth factory? Why not the mill or even a tavern?” Pastor just sneered and with a nod to Mr. Foster walked away. Mr. Foster turned to Sara as soon as Pastor left. He hit her across the face. “If you ever do that to me again, you’ll wish for the room.” Slowly Sara moved her stinging, malnourished face back to Mr. Foster. Something inside her snapped. She smiled as her face shifted fully for the first time. Her high cheek bones grew more defined. Her cheeks themselves hollowed. Her smiling mouth grew sharp and full as two fangs fell into place brushing past her bottom lip, and in her eyes a thick band of bright burning red bled in around the pupils. Her tall, thin body grew limber and taller. Her growly voice grew soft and sweet,” You see Mr. Foster I don’t care what you do to me; because I promise I can do worse. Mr. Foster has broken out in a sweat as Sara shifted, but her smiled as she started to speak. He lunged at Em grabbing her by the hair. He spoke loudly over her whimpering cries. “Well then, I guess I just won’t have to hurt you.” He shook Em making her scream louder. “I think a couple days in the room will be good enough to make you listen.” Sara’s blood red eyes followed Mr. Fosters every move, even though the right one was somewhat foggy. A low hiss emanated from her chest. “You let her go; Mr. Foster or I swore you won’t like what happens. Mr. Foster shivered his mind telling to stop and run, but his pride not backing down. He laughed evilly and started to drag Em, by her hair, into the house. Into that dark gold room. That airless hopeless dark and when room. Sara roared jumping on his back newly sharp nails digging in. She whispered one thing in his ear before her world went a red tinged black. “Never turn your back to your enemies.”