Sarah Darrow absently clutched the amulet , an old habit she couldn't seem to get rid of, hanging from the silver chain around her delicate neck as her warm brown eyes moved over the yellowed page.

One of the first accounts of vampires is found in a Babylonian myth, dating back to 4,000 B.C which tells of demons and spirits , who not being buried properly, returned as the undead. Wrecking havoc on the living.

Eagerly, she flipped the page carefully.

The belief in vampirism persists even today . As recently as 2004 , a Romanian family exhumed the body of a relative, cut out his heart with a scythe and pitchfork , and burned it-

Two ice cold hands wrapped around her neck , a strangle scream left her pink mouth setting the library in chaos.

People who were engrossed in reading jerked at her shriek.

Some glared at her.

Some shook their head in distaste.

Her heart thudding against her chest, she heard laughter from behind as the hands left her neck .

Still laughing, the hourglass figure occupied the vacant chair beside her now chuckling to herself and not giving a damn about pointed stares .

Embarrassed for how she had yelled, she massaged her neck. .wanting to melt away into oblivion.

Carrie peeked at the book she was reading, her brows knitting.

"You really need to get over that vampire fever. Bitch, you got the hots for these bloodsuckers." Carrie said and Sarah wished she would at least try to keep her voice down.

Odd looks were cast her friend's way.

She was talking as if seated in a guest room.

And not at a place that was suppose to be quiet all the time.

"Its not like they are a fantasy character . They are as real as us . So might as well know about them." Sarah said timidly .

Carrie crossed her arms over her prized assets , looking thoughtful.

And that wasn't the first time Sarah wished. She wished she had the beauty and spirit of Carrie Blackwood. She wished she was as flamboyant as her. As . . spontaneous as her.

She was as bold as brass.

In your face kind.

That hour glass figure, the silky auburn waves of hair cascading down her shoulders. .the full lips. A peculiar shade of striking hazel eyes.

In Sarah's eyes Carrie had everything. She seemed to be the favorite child of the Olympian Gods since every God bestowed something upon her.

Where as Sarah was. .well just Sarah.

Plain ol' Sarah.

With plain brown eyes and brown hair. The petite figure everyone made fun of because she seemed as delicate as glass.

Slight pressure and she would break into pieces like a China dish.

"Hate to admit but you're right. These bloodsucker are as real as my fat ass. Don't you wish they were extinct though?"

Sarah tried not to wince at her loud suggestion.

Outright ill will for one of the most powerful being that ever walked earth.

What if one of them was lurking around the library? What if it heard them talking so scandalously about their kind?

"Can you keep it down?!" Sarah hissed.

Carried grinned , her eyes glinting in challenge.

"Are you scared one of those leeches will hear me?"

Before Sarah could reply-Carrie stood up as a horrified Sarah kept looking.

Carrie clapped getting everyone's attention. Specially the male's.

Desperate, Sarah tugged on her skirt furiously but she was blatantly ignored.

"I wanna ask if there is any bloodsucker around here?" She asked with a exuberant confidence only she could muster.

Everyone started to murmur.

Some shifted uncomfortably.

Other's eyes widened in slight fear.

"Carrie! I swear if you keep this going I'm out." Sarah threatened and as if to show just how serious she was about her threat, she shut the book close , dust settling on the table from the old book, slipping the old book in her bag.

Carrie sighed and rolled her eyes as she sat down again. . looking bored.

Sarah's hands stopped.

"I come here to read. Not to . . ." Sarah trailed off.

"What?"

"Not to ...die." Sarah said , a hint of fear in her voice, the last word uttered low.

"I can't believe you're my best friend. You have a long way to go on the road to bravery. I thought college would knock some sense into you but really Sarah, you're a lost cause. " Carrier seemed defeated.

Sarah didn't show how her comment had affected her. Yes she was a meek cat but she didn't want to be reminded that over and over again.

The childhood, the teenage and now the adulthood too. .why couldn't people let her be?

Be who she was.

Not everyone had Carrie's genes.

Sarah stood up, slinging the bag over her shoulder as Carrie glanced at her questionably.

"I gotta go. I have to reach home in ten minutes. " Sarah said hurriedly .

Carrie shrugged, lounging on the chair.

"Alrighty . I'll be off too once I get done with this cutie." She winked at her.

Sarah knew she was talking about the blond guy who just came in.

"Best of luck." Sarah said dryly as she turned for the door.

But the real reason she was leaving wasn't any emergency.

The pink blotches on the sky was darkening.

The sky was darkening.

And it meant only one thing.

It was their time to come out.

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Unlocking the door to the small one story house , she stepped in.

The tightness in her nerves calming down as soon as she stepped in.

She made it.

Just in time.

Bolting the door and taking every precaution possible, she stepped back.

The back of the door was adorned with dried garlic and lemon. A necklace of it was hanging on a hook on the door.

Satisfied, she turned around, her hand reaching for the switch and she flipped every light on. The cozy house illuminating . . It wasn't much really. A kitchen, a lounge and a bedroom with an attached bathroom .It was more of a cabin than a house. Actually it was her family's getaway house in the city of New Orleans .

She had to move all the way from a remote area to here for college. And thank God for this house . She couldn't see herself fitting in a dorm.

Stuffed with other girls like chicken.

Everyone here was too fast, too mechanical, too calculating and knowing her submissive nature, she wouldn't have survived the brashness of this city in a dorm.

Dumping her bag in the empty chair, she made a bun of her hair and went towards the small kitchen.

One cup of coffee and everything made sense to her.

One cup of coffee and she wouldn't miss her family so much.

As she watched the coffee brewing, she leaned against the marble shelf, really thinking about the world she was living in. The reality that was so hard to make amends with.

Vampires were as real as the sun was.

As physically present as she was.

The night belonged to them while the day was hers. A human. Mother would often tell her how the slight ray of sunlight can give them a sunburn, a rash.

Legend said if you make a vampire stand in the sunlight far too long, he will die in agony. For he would be burning alive.

Sarah always had a curious nature. When all the children of her town admired the moon, she would ask it's origin.

When everyone admired the stars, she would ask about their peculiar shape.

She wouldn't dare admit the fact to Carrie or anyone else for that matter that she found vampires. . . fascinating. Alluring to the point she wished she could meet one.

But thats about it.

Her mind wouldn't dare cross the part when fantasy became reality. Meek as she was, she didn't want to be a morsel of one hideous vampire.

Sarah had read dozen of books regarding their origin but half of the books consist of crap and other half persisted that they were originally bred in southern Europe, at a rural place that was as dark as they were.

She had actually googled the images of that area and had found it harrowing for they were. ..ruins.

An old monastery that was ruined.

The bloodsucking devils originated from there. At first taking the shape of a monster and then as they spread about in the cities like Paris , Mesopotamia, New York. .they adapted themselves to the likes of human. Dressing like them. Talking like them . Walking like them.

They were an adaptive beings.

Quickly adjusting to the environment around. Tricking humans into thinking they could be trusted. They were not as vile as they were taken. They tried so hard to fit in with humans but nothing could hide them. Nothing could hide their grace, the frozen timeless faces, the tranquility with which they traveled , the smooth flawless face . .the hard hitting beauty that was of each of sex.

They were far too perfect to mingle with the imperfect humans.

As time went by, the envy for human life turned to jealousy. .one so strong they wrecked havoc on humanity. Groups after groups of bloodthirsty vampires conjuring plans to sack humanity. To take everything they had. Turning the world upside down, disturbing the balance, the blood would flow for days and days until seas would turn red. Humans attacking them at nightfall , vampires killing them on sight. It was one deadly world to live in until peace was called.

And a treaty was signed by the Master of all vampires, Count Dracula. An aristocrat Vampire whose eyes carried the weight of the world, the wars he had seen, the worlds he had traveled. Just the sight of his billowing black cloak was enough for the vampires to kneel.

Sarah had seen a copy of the treaty .The original was said to be with the direct descendants of Count Dracula, the ruling family of the Vampires. She wished she could read the original parchment. Even now she could recite the treaty by her heart. In fact she had a copy of it framed on the wall in her bedroom.

The whistling pulled her out of her dark musings . Quickly she opened the drawer and pulled out her favorite cup , pouring in the coffee.

The whiff of it calming down her anxiety.

She was that person who would close her eyes and took whiffs of it. Because coffee was love.

Shutting off the light, she went towards her bedroom , exhausted from today.

As she slipped in her tiny room, the first thing that welcomed her was the. .treaty.

Framed with opaque glass, the elegant writing catching the eyes.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she read it for the thousandth of time.

Just as her brown eyes were grazing the page-

She heard the distinct buzzing of her cellphone , knowing her mother was calling.

Sarah wanted to tell her that now her little lamb was a grown woman and now she wasn't scared of the big bad wolf that the world had become.

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