Cross my Heart, Hope to Die

It's just a regular day, I tell myself. Go to school, then go home. Well, where is home? If home is where you are supposed to feel safe, then I guess my home is school. I feel safe at school. They can't hurt me at my home. There are too many humans around, they wouldn't risk exposure.
"Dawn?" I hear a voice behind me. "Just a little more please?" His hands reach out to grab me. I've already given them too much this morning. My head is spinning and I can barely focus. My hands peel his from my body, and I start running. To my home. "Dawn?!" Footsteps approach behind me. Why did I even run? I know he is faster than me. They all are. His arms wrap around my body as he wrestles me to the ground I put up a weak fight I knew I was going to lose. It's the same as a fight between a lion and a rabbit. Then he drags me behind a tree to hide us from anyone that might pass us by. My vision blurs. I black out as I feel his teeth puncture my skin.
When I come to, its dark outside, I'm by the oak tree. Great, I missed another day of school. And I missed going home. Now I must go to the place I belong. Or else they will find and kill me. I'd rather live in hell than die a painful death in hell. I start walking, a few houses, I hadn't even gotten close to school before he attacked me. I stop at the front door, dreading walking into it. I own this house. They bought it, but my name is on the deed. Yet, it's not home. This is hell. We all have our own hell. Our own thoughts of what hell is or could be. The worst of the worst. My hell is this. I'm living my hell. I have tried to commit suicide that is, in the past. They just drank. And then stitched me right up. They have some connection with me, they marked me. Now I can't go anywhere without them knowing exactly what I am seeing, feeling, and thinking. I hate it. They knew that I was going to kill myself even before I was certain. They were ready, needle and thread in hand. Ready to temporarily fix me.
"So are you just going to wait out here? It's cold." Lauren opened said as she the door, and shivered. Like I was saying, they can feel what I feel. I walk inside, Lauren passes me to join Rick on the couch. They were watching a movie on the ancient and broken television that they won't replace. I walk to my bedroom, looking down to avoid any eye contact. Rick gave me a look; he must not be hungry after this morning's ordeal. I pass Hunter and Catherine together in the kitchen. As I pass, Hunter grabs my arm.
"Where do you think you're going, Dawn?"
"T-to my room..." I stuttered. I knew what was going to happen next. It's inevitable. I tried running away once, and my punishment was harsh. I give up.
"Wrong." He flashes that smirk that haunts my nightmares, and then he grabs my arm. He leads me to the couch, and Catherine trails behind.
"Just go to sleep." Catherine said as I felt two sharp teeth puncture my skin, and two more on my other arm, and then I black out. Hoping that they decide to stop before I die. I am expendable, after all.
I wake up in my bed, the sun blinding me. I walk out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. This is the one time I feel safe in this house; I open the windows in the living room, so they will not come in. They sleep during the day. They wouldn't dare walk in while the sun is almost risen. I get dressed and get ready to go to school. I make sure to wear long sleeves so the bite marks aren't visible. I put on the necklace that they gave to me when they first marked me. It is supposed to protect me from convulsion and, heaven forbid, marking me. Heaven forbid, another vampire marking me. I grab my backpack, wiping off a few drops of blood that must've fallen on it.
I am late for school, like usual. To not be late, I must leave before the sun rises. But Lauren compels my teachers to think I have been at school all day and to give me good grades. One of the perks of being a human blood bag. I don't have any friends. No one likes me, the weirdo who is always depressed and wears long sleeve shirts all the time, even in the summer. To cover my scars. And then there's the fact that I rarely show up to school.
I feel safe at school. Well, I felt safe at school. Past tense. I felt safe until I was called to the office and saw my favorite person in the world (I am being sarcastic by the way). His eyes met mine through the glass door, he was standing in the front office, unnoticed by the principal. His skin was covered which allowed him to come to my safe-haven. He invaded my home. I open the door, trying not to feel fear. I put my head up and walk directly to him.
"Yes Rick?" I say, trying to keep and maintain eye contact.
"I need more." He pulls his sunglasses off his face and I see the effects that not having blood has on him. His eyes are bloodshot and red; his veins are visible through his skin.
"Well, you should've had some last night."
"I did. Just give me some right now or I will murder everyone in this room." He said forcefully as he points to the people that are just doing their job, probably compelled to ignore him and everything he says. I don't want innocent humans to die on my account.
"O-okay." I follow him outside of the school and into his car. I give him my arm while staring out the window. I black out. When I awake, I am in the same car, still parked in the school parking lot. It's dark outside, probably around midnight.

I wander to the house; I know the way. And as I open the door, I am greeted with my housemates. Catherine comes to me first. "Finally you're home. I'm starving." She said with a grin. A grin so gleefully wide that I couldn't help but look at her with pure hatred. She ruined my life. She, one whom will never die, deserves to die. Like they say, 'only the good die young'. And my personal addition: 'And the bad never die.' Unless... No, they can read my thoughts. I look at her, wondering if she heard. Her eyes flame with anger, and she tries to read me, to see if I will do it. If I could do it. I start thinking of something else, of anything else. I burry that thought deep inside of me. They can never know it existed. I am dispensable, after all. With just a flick of their hand, a snap of my neck... The pain would be over. It would end. My personal hell would be over.
My mind wanders off into another place, a happier place. As I sit on the couch, they surround me. And then I pretend that fairies are giving me kisses on my wrists where their sharp teeth puncture my skin. I pretend that I fall asleep under the moon surrounded by flowers. I pretend that life is great, that I am happy.
As I open my eyes, I am faced with Rick's devilish smile. It's too wide.
"Hello there." And I notice, the sun shining behind him.


~CHAPTER 2~
I practically jump off the couch, my head pounding. How is he in the sun? How is he not dying?! I started to panic. What if he is now immune to the sun, if it doesn't hurt him at all?!
"H-how?" I trailed off, trying to find my voice again.
He flashes that devilish grin. "It's a secret." His laughter, the one that haunts me. He saw the fear in my eyes. "Scared, huh?"
"How?"
"I can't tell you. But I have a surprise!" Dread filled me.

The last time those words left his lips, it was my friend. Dead. The one person that liked me enough to care for me. Her name was Caroline. She saw my scars one day and followed me home. Those words escaped his mouth, he took me in the kitchen. Where she lay dead in a pool of blood. My jaw dropped as he licked a drop of blood, that I could only assume was hers, off his lip. "And that's why you don't bring friends home." He said, sadistically, as I started crying. "We won't need you tonight, go to sleep. I will dispose of the body." Caroline is why I keep my head down at school, she's why I don't talk to people. I try to be the person everybody hates. So, they don't die. It's for their own protection. I may be an outcast, a weirdo, a loser. But least innocent lives ending. If anything, I am saving lives, so they don't kill another. And they use me so they don't have to.

I dream of Oregon. When we were in Portland on a "business trip" for Rick. I stayed in the hotel the whole time, of course. It overlooked the nice lake surrounded by trees, turning red from the chilly air. Rick was gone the whole time and only came to the hotel once in the middle of the night, to drain me. I felt as if I wouldn't wake up. He alone has never taken that much before. I remember fear and panic when my eyes closed and I passed out, hoping to look at that lake again.  He didn't go on business trips often, and I never knew what they were for. The rest of them would stay home. They would sleep so they wouldn't starve. They trusted Rick to come back in a timely manner so they could eat. My return is always the times I dread.  They drain me for multiple days, trying to replenish their hunger.
As I flash back to reality and Rick sadistic smile, we're still fills me. He walks into his bedroom, and I get the hint to follow him. It's dark, no windows. there is a dim lamp in the far corner to illuminate the outlines of furniture. Which isn't much, just a bed and dresser. he let me walk in first and my heart leaped as he closed the door behind me. They're done with me, he's going to end me, I'm disposable. Scenarios were running through my head, alternate endings, Escape Routes, ways to kill him... Change of subject. Butterflies... As his jaw clenches and he stares at me, on alert. My happy place. 

"What's the surprise?" My face, expressionless.
"This." He points to his room. "You're mine now. You don't feed the others."
"What do you mean? How will they survive?"
"They got another one. Because I can't share any longer. I am not getting enough blood. I need more.
"But... I don't have any more to give. If you drink too much, I will die.
"I wouldn't do that..." His eyes locked with mine. "I actually like you." He flashed his fangs at me, "O neg is my favorite." I turned around and started walking to the door. I can't be his... The others will want me back. Did they kidnap another one? As my hand grasps the cold doorknob, he mumbles, "I still expect to eat tonight."
         I leave without a glance back, I wanted to get out of there. As I turn the hallway corner and walk into the living room, I see an unfamiliar face. His brown eyes were filled with fear as he looked at me. Lauren and Catherine were drinking from his wrists and Hunter was already asleep on the other couch. "Help," he mouthed. It took all my power to turn away from him and walk to the kitchen he saw my scars though. I saw his eyes Dart to the many puncture wounds that cover my wrist. I wonder where they caught him. He looks like a good person. He looks like a good friend. But perhaps I'm just desperate for someone to know my secret and survive. We can get through this together. I will walk into the living room, I walk into the living room, curious if Lauren and Catherine were still eating. They are passed out next to him. He was still sitting up paralyzed, probably in shock. my heart went out to him, I've been in this place before. Alone. As I walk over him, grabbing the bandages on the counter and reach forearm, he flinches and slaps my hand away period his arms are right, from the blood his eyes were dark and cold, staring off into space behind me.
         


As my eyes opened, I feel the dried tears on my face. As I slowly walked to the kitchen, I look at the place where my friend was so late, dead. There wasn't a trace. I couldn't help myself from thinking about her family. She had a little brother too, Luke. He was only 7. His life changed over the next few days. Losing a family member changes you. I wouldn't know. I lost them all. Even though they left me, without a trace, I still feel as it is mine old phones. Rick found me soon after my mother and father abandoned me. Just a few days... I just hate how they left me, they didn't even say goodbye. Everything was still there, their cars, clothes, and personal belongings. Everything. Everything except them.
"Please. Help me." Those words escaped his lips. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. If I helped him escape...