The Vampire Chronicles:  Sarah

            As I walked through the city that was my new home I couldn’t help but dance in the dirty, yet wonderful, streets.  It was SPECTACULAR here!  I was overjoyed when Zachary said he wanted to come to Los Angeles.  It had been decades since I had been to America and I had never lived here.  Alexander was my hero!

            I really hated that Master made me follow him around all of the time though.  It had been so easy the last century when he had given up trying to hide from us and just stayed in England.  But that first century was fun . . . I LOVED to travel!

            Oh Alexander . . . His location changes were so random.  Haha!  I clapped my hands for joy as I jumped around in circles.  I was so, so excited to be here.  So excited!  So excited!

            Huh . . . stop!  I held myself still.  That smell . . . I knew that smell!  I lifted my nose in the air and started sniffing around.  It was six - no - seven blocks away!  Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!  Yay!  It was the smell of the girl who was with Alexander last night and many nights before.  Last night I had gotten the closest to him yet, but it was perhaps a little bit too close.  I didn’t get a chance to look at her since he sensed me before I got there - I hated when he did that - but it was definitely her.  It had taken me forever to find him last night since his scent had been so awfully tainted by that darn werewolf smell.  It was soooo awful!  How could he be around them?  Alexander had never liked werewolves before.

            I skipped along the street, jumping over the tallest buildings as I followed the scent through the streets.  Alexander was not with her tonight, but I already knew that.  He was somewhere else on Sundays.  Haha!  He was such a little rat!  A betrayer to his own kind.  But not to worry!  We would get him; Zachary, Timothy and I.

            Ah, Master Zachary.  I saw the vampire everyday but just thinking about his face made me smile.  After all, he was my savior.  I owed him everything.

            It had been nearly eleven-hundred years since we had met.  I was Seraphina back then and he was Zacharias.  The moment I saw him I knew he was special and he felt the same way about me.  I was only nine years old then, way too young to become a vampire, but Zachary saw something in me that night.  Maybe it was because I was absolutely wicked from the very beginning.  Haha!

            We met around the end of the Dark Ages in Romania.  I believe we were somewhere just outside of Transylvania, and I was there long before that stupid legend of Dracula.  Bram Stoker really made me angry with that one.  I wanted to kill him but Master said no.  It would have been too much of a coincidence if he died drained of blood with two puncture wounds on his neck.  We could not risk exposure like that.  I was angry but I understood, so I went out and killed several other people instead.  One named Lucy, one named Mina, one named Jonathan, someone with the last name Helsing and another with Seward.  It really made me feel better.

            But when Zacharias found me I was not living in some castle like Dracula, I was alone, all alone . . . My entire family had died off throughout the years and I was determined not to follow in their footsteps.  I never wanted to die, and I never have.  HA!  Take that cruel world!  You won’t take me down so easily!

            I survived the only way I knew how, by killing people and stealing their belongings.  Oh wicked, wicked me!  That is why Master liked me so much.  He had been desperately hungry and was watching these people, planning his attack, but when he was just about to make his move I dove in first and stabbed them all to death.  ME!  A tiny little nine-year-old no bigger than a stick.  But they had bread and I wanted it.  Oh well.

            Oh how he loved me then.  He took me in and taught me English.  We traveled the world together and he always promised me that when I turned eighteen he would make me what he was.  I couldn’t wait!  I begged him to change me sooner but he insisted that eighteen was the legal age to change someone into a vampire.  It was such a bummer.

            But God had other plans for me.  He did not want me to become a vampire so he made me fatally sick when I was only seventeen.  Oh pout.  The doctor gave me days to live, if that.  But Master, he was cleverer than that.  He broke all of the rules and changed me anyway.  Sure, there were risks, but I came out just fine!  Vampires would kill for the powers I have.  I am the best tracker there is!  And mind manipulation . . . Well, let’s just say that no one tops me!  Ha!

            I smiled to myself as I remembered the wonderful first years of my life.  Oh, to relive that time . . . Wait!  Scratch that!  This time was so much better!  There was nothing but parties and alcohol and sex!  I was so glad to be done with the times where people would want to hang you for sleeping with a married man.  I mean, honestly, who cares!  I almost got executed soooo many times when I was younger.  But it really is hard to execute a vampire.  If I couldn’t disappear fast enough then I would just play dead for a few hours.  It was easy!

            But once I learned mind manipulation I didn’t have to worry about execution anymore.  It truly was an art.

            Ahah!  I stopped at the top of the building I was on.  The smell was stronger than ever.  It was a rather good smell; I could see why Alexander liked it so much.

            I peered off of my roof to get a good look at the girl walking below me.  She was super pretty!  I loved her hair color!  It was a shame vampire’s couldn’t dye their hair, it just wouldn’t stick.  So lame . . .

            I jumped off of my roof and started walking a little distance behind her.  It would be fun to play.  First things first.  No one can come down this street!  Cars, pedestrians, nothing!

            And done.  I smiled.  We were completely alone now.  I wondered how long it would take her to notice.  Would she even know what I was?  Did Alexander blab our secrets?  If he did that was cause for death.  But I would defend him.  We weren’t ready for him to die yet . . . but soon.

            I sent a chilling breeze down the girl’s neck so that she would instinctively turn around; worked like a charm.  Her eyes scanned me up and down as she realized that the street was completely inactive, except for us.

            I hoped she had noticed how awesome I was looking tonight!  I loved the clothes people wore around here!  Master had bought me a whole new wardrobe that was waiting for me when we arrived here.  It was perfect.  All dresses, of course, and all bright, fun colors!  I loved to standout.  Tonight my dress was bright pink and swooshy.  I loved how it seemed to dance along with me when I moved to the beautiful music in my head.  The shoes, of course, were black.  Hey, I needed to keep some form of the vampire trademark color alive, so my shoes were always black.  And when they weren’t my dress was.  A win-win!

            The girl turned back around super quickly.  At first I wondered if I needed to give her chills again but once she began walking faster I knew I had done my job.  I picked up my pace to keep up with her, no point in rushing in my new shoes.  I didn’t want to ruin them on our first night out together.

            Every few steps the girl would glance back again, picking up speed each time she realized that we were still alone.  Haha!  I was done playing this game.  I wanted to meet her . . . Now!

            I caught up to the girl in less than a moment, grabbing her by the neck and throwing her against the nearest building, but she was feisty and she kicked me away from her.  She even pulled a dagger out of her purse!

            “Silly little girl.  You shouldn’t play with weapons like that.  It might hurt you.”  I tried to take it away from her but she swiftly dodged me.  I grabbed her mid-movement and held her up against the wall once more.  “Okay, that was kind of clever.  Who are you?”

            I used my glowing red eyes to try and get her to answer me.  My original baby blues barely showed face anymore.  She poked me in the eye with her free hand.  “Oww!”  I dropped her to the ground.  “That was uncalled for!  Why are you so mean?”  What a jerk!  Couldn’t she just cooperate like a good girl?

            “It is illegal to use those silly mind games on a slayer.  But I’m sure you already know that.  You’re definitely not a new vampire.”

            “Are you saying I’m old?”  Wait!  Focus, focus Sarah!  What else did she say that you need to remember?  Oh yes!  “Slayer?  I had no idea you were a slayer.”

            “Oh, so you were just going to suck the blood of an innocent civilian?”

            I couldn’t even hear her anymore.  I was just so happy!  A slayer, a slayer, a slayer!  I sang the words to myself as I began jumping around in the streets again.  Haha!  “You have got to be kidding me!  Alexander has been hanging around a slayer!  Oh, this is too much!  Haha!”

            Throughout all of my excitement I forgot that I was supposed to be blocking the streets.  Whoops!  But no worries, when I saw the car heading right for me I had no fear.  The pretty slayer girl shrieked though.  She so clearly knew nothing of vampires like me.

            I jumped up right before the car would have hit me; the driver was busy slamming on his brakes.  Even out here I could smell the alcohol on his breath.  Eww.

            I landed on the hood of his car, staring at him with my bright red eyes.  The girl in the car with him was screaming as I told him what to do through my mind.  “Drive away.  Keep driving north, on roads only,” you had to be specific, “without stopping for anything.  You will not stop until your car runs out of gas.  And make sure you’re going fast.  I want to see a good chase on the news tomorrow.”  I looked over to the screaming girl.  She sure was annoying.  My eyes returned to the man’s.  “And don’t let her out for any reason.  P.S. you will both forget our encounter.”

            They both nodded.  I jumped off of the car and landed carefully on the street beside my slayer girl.  The moment my feet touched the ground the car sped off to the north.  What fun that was!

            “What did you tell him?”

            I smiled to myself.  “Oh, nothing of importance.  It should make for a fun night though!”  I loved fun!

            But the little slayer girl . . . I don’t think we loved the same things.  “I hope you covered for yourself properly!”

            Oh please!  “Oh my gosh, you are such a bore!  I thought you would be fun!  Alexander has such a nice aura when he’s around you!”

            I started to walk away but for some reason the silly girl followed me.  “How do you know him?  Have you been watching us?”

            Aw, I wish I had been.  But Master wouldn’t let me.  He only let me observe from a safe distance.  It wasn’t the same without pictures!  I began skipping backwards so that I could face the girl eye-to-eye.  “Alexander and I have the same Maker.  So I guess you can say he’s my brother!”  In a gross, incest sort of way.  I mean, she had to have suspected that Alexander and I had been together.  It was in the vampire nature to spread themselves around until they found the one they wanted to mate with for life.  It’s a rare find but I know it exists.  I’ve seen vampires in love before.  It seems really nice.  Oh, love sigh . . .

            I knew instantly by her reaction that Alexander had told her nothing about us or the story of what tore us apart.  I wonder if she even knew who she was competing with . . . That stupid Rachel and her stupid memory.  Alexander would never forget her.  He needed to, she was annoying anyway.  I liked this girl better.

            She asked me, “What is your name?”

            I felt skeptical about answering, but I was never one to keep secrets.  “My name is Sarah.  It has been changed many times over the years but I think I’ve found a good one now.”

            “And your accent?”

            Hmm . . . “Oh boo.  And I was trying so hard to speak with an American one.  Normally I’m pretty good at switching it around.”  I can’t believe I got it wrong!  “I’m from all over deary.  And what is your name?”

            “I don’t think . . .” I didn’t give her a chance to deny me an answer.  Within seconds I had her purse in my hands and was down the street scanning the contents inside.  I immediately took out her wallet and looked at the I.D.  “Raina Tracey . . .” Raina had now reached me and yanked her things out of my grasp.  “I like it!”

            “Do you have no boundaries?!”

            Gasp!  She raised her voice to me.  No one ever raises their voice to me!  I grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her with me as I leaped onto a tall building throwing her on top of the neon sign above it.  After releasing her I began to jump away.  “Don’t test me Raina!”  I’ll show her boundaries!

            I watched her from the ledge of the building across the way while she figured out the best way to climb down from there.  It took less time than I expected.  Once she managed to pick the lock to the roof’s exit I decided to jump down and wait for her on the street.  She came out of the door with an angry look in her eyes.

            “That wasn’t funny!”  She pointed at me as she began to storm off.

            I couldn’t help but laugh.  “Yes it was!  Hahaha!  I’m super impressed by you.  No wonder Alexander chose you to replace Rachel.”

            Her face sunk low at the sound of Rachel’s name.  So she did know it.  “Why do you say that?”

            Haha!  It was so much fun to play with her head.  “Oh, you know.  In his eyes there will never be another Rachel.  She was his one and only.”  I laughed as I went skipping off in the street.  There was a club a little ways up and I wanted to dance.

            As I started my dancing in the street I called back to the slayer I was leaving in my dust.  “I wouldn’t mention to Alexander that you met me!  He has a history of running away when I’m around!”

            There were some cute boys outside the club so I went up and took the cigarette out of one of their hands and put it out.  It was a disgusting habit.  We all danced in the street for a while before I dragged them into the club with me.  I checked for Raina’s presence but she was long gone.  Oh well.  We’d play again another day.

            It was close to sunrise when I arrived at our temporary quarters.  We were staying with some humans Master had influenced for now while we decided if we really wanted to live here.

            Master hated it when I came home so late but I was having so much fun I didn’t want to leave!  I really did love this city!  The cute boys at the club had turned out to be quite a good time, and tasty.  There were so many cute boys in this city.

            Timothy was waiting by the door when I arrived with that stupid smug smirk on his face.  I really hated Timothy but we were bound together for life by blood.  Alexander was soooo much better.  I wonder how they could have ever been friends.  “He is angry you know.”

            Ugh!  “Whatever.  It was my first night out.  I wanted to enjoy it so I did!”

            “I can smell her on you.”

            I raised my eyebrows at him.  “Oh?”

            “Yes, oh.  You were not supposed to approach her yet.  Alexander will be able to tell if her mind has been tampered with.”

            Ha.  That was easy enough.  “Well, we don’t have a problem then because I didn’t tamper with her mind.  It was all just a coincidence.  I smelled her only a few blocks away from me so I just had to say hi.”

            “And you did not block her memory?!”  He stood up in a horrible rage.

            I laughed as I pushed him back into his seat, taking my own on the couch.  “Oh relax.  I didn’t do it because I’m not allowed to.”

            “And since when are you one to follow the rules?”

            “Since I didn’t want to get punished by a goody-two-shoes slayer.  Haha!  Alexander sure can pick ‘em!”

            “What do you mean by that?”

            The powerful voice took us both by surprise.  It was such beautiful music to my ears.  Timothy and I jumped out of our seats as Zachary entered.  I smiled at his presence.  Oh how I had missed those dark features on that beautiful face.  “Master!”  He held out his arms and I ran into them, leaning up to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.  He was so wonderful to let me hug and kiss him so freely.

            “Now Sarah, you know I am angry with you for seeing the girl before I gave you permission.”

            Oh poo.  I pouted my lip.  I hated it when he was angry with me.  “I’m sorry Master but she just smelt so good.  You know how curious I get.”

            “What was it you said about her?”

            I smiled at my perfect Master.  “You mean about her being a slayer?  It’s completely true!  She pulled moves out on me and everything!”

            Zachary laughed as he released me from his clutches.  I just knew his mind was rolling with tons of wicked things to do!  Oooh, what were they?!  I wanted to know right now!

            “Oh my poor protégé Alexander.  After all I have done for him he has to go and embarrass me like this.  How will this look?”

            Umm . . . “Not too good?”

            Timothy stepped forward and pushed me aside.  “It is unlike Alexander to break the rules like this.  He must be after something.  There is no way he would ever replace Rachel.”

            Oh please.  “Tell me something, Timothy.  Is it him or you that could never replace Rachel?  She’s not this holy goddess you all make her out to be!  I, for one, couldn’t stand her!”  Master couldn’t either.  That is why we took matters into our own hands.

            He pointed a stern finger at me.  “I never had feelings for Rachel and you know it!”

            “Yeah.  She was only your fiancé.”

            “Arranged by our fathers!  And besides, she ran off with Alexander long before that ever happened.”

            “Jealousy!”  I sung the word as I winked at him.  I loved pressing his buttons.  I mean, we all knew that Timothy never had feelings for Rachel.  Once a playboy always a playboy.  He shook his head as I smiled triumphantly.  “Well, I think the feelings are real.  I got a little taste of his aura last night and you know what?”  They both waited in anticipation.  “They were kissing!  No blood sucking or anything!”

            Zachary turned away from us, taking in everything I had told him.  Timothy and I both felt his smile long before he ever turned around.  “I think we might have something here my precious minions.  Sarah,” I stood at attention, “I want you to continue following this girl.  Find out all that you can about her.  And Timothy, you will follow Alexander.  Make sure you both hide your auras well.  The last thing we want is to be discovered before we are ready.”

            Master Zachary held out his hand and let us take turns kissing it.  He was so brilliant!  And I couldn’t wait to play with Raina some more.  This was going to be so much fun . . .