L I S A

"Stacy was Edward's little sister. His mother adopted her when she was just six." Martha began and disappointment became clearer in her tone as she caught the pace of the story she was telling,

"Edward's father was the commander of Mason's army. The only mistake he made in his life was serving the wrong master." She sighed out, unable to continue the story showing her worn out face.

"He died when Edward was just eight." Julie continued. "After a few years Merida found Stacy alone in the streets, she was an orphan and that seemed to trouble Merida so much that she decided to adopt her."

"Edward and Stacy grew up together and they're a happy family until one day . . ." Martha paused, "Stacy was kidnapped and found dead in the bushes of the dark woods."

"Edward looked around for her body and it took him a whole week before he finally came across her corpse. He knew from the bite marks that it was the doing of a vampire."

My heart literally stopped for a moment. An invisible hand was wrapping around my heart, squeezing it as I tried to gasp for air.

The pain was unbearable and to think someone had actually had to see it tore my heart into shreds. I was sobbing vigorously on the inside no matter how steady I looked physically.

"Edward has never talked about the incident with anyone. Everything we know, we know because of Merida. She's all he's left." I gave Martha a look not understanding what she meant by that.

"He was broken when Anthony died and then Stacy. And now he has only Merida-if anything happened to her, he'd give in to death."

I stopped breathing momentarily. Death? So if I didn't sacrifice myself two lives would be taken away? That was no pressure at all!

Martha came closer and took my face in between her palms as her mouth softly whispered spells against my face, "You're the only one who can save him."

I watched her in bewilderment. "How?" I found myself saying.

"You can give him a reason to live." I shut my eyes at the cruelty of her words.

The way she meant it was wrong but the meaning her words formed was right.

Yes I was the only one who could save him and yes I could give him a reason to live. Merida. I would save him and give him a reason to dwell on by saving Merida.

My mind was crying even though visible tears never demonstrated themselves. I was now actually ready for it all, I didn't mind Edward swapping me for his mother-two lives were still greater than one.

I knew what it felt like to hold your dying mother in your arms, to listen to her stuttering words, to keep yourself from falling apart.

And at last when there was silence, when no motion or stuttering was left, when all your life seemed to be in vain and nothing is as beautiful as it used to be, when you could only hear the uneven beating of your heart and her last words played on rewind in your head, that moment you lost it all.

And with that you lost the purpose to live when you knew there was no one waiting for you late at night to scold you for staying late outside, you knew then that the aroma of the food now would be replaced by the metallic whiff of her blood that'd got your hands covered like tight scarlet gloves.

It had your heart beating in grief even though you'd realized your soul had left your body.

"Jules!" I was too busy thinking to notice them all gathering around Julie the next moment.

I couldn't understand at first, it seemed as if she was drowning as Martha had her arms supporting her back and all the others hugged her closely.

I noticed her eyes changing from the normal state to a pitch-black. The white substance of the cornea was even replaced by the dim black that was spreading all over her eyes and slithering south of her face.

For a while I believed it was the usual cravings but the way they screamed and rushed here and there in need of something I didn't hear.

I knew something was off and honestly even if I was in a pool filled with vampires I thought this was another part of The Conjuring and there was going to be an exorcism sometime soon-her face wouldn't sell any other clue to me.

Even though I was taking this as a joke I knew how sensitive the situation was from the panic that was slowly breaking out.

And I might be joking about it because I, myself felt the panic build up inside of me and I tried hard not to pass out.

At this point her face had gotten too pale even for a vampire and it was covered with small black snakes slithering here and there in search of something.

Soon the snakes took over her entire body and the worst of it all happened.

The pool we're in started to get contaminated-by what? I didn't have a nice guess.

The water was turning to pitch black same as her eyes by the snakes that liberated from her hands into the water. The water, as I could feel, was getting into a thicker and thicker liquid.

The blackness had trapped every one of them in the pool. They couldn't move a muscle in their body and that included their tongue. I heard no screams as their body went limp and started to float on the water.

They should've sunken down and then come back but they just floated feeling nothing as if they're in some sort of a stupor. Their eyes were still open as darkness took over their features. They truly looked cold-blooded that moment

I drew my legs up from the pool as my gazed followed the black snakes in the water approaching my ankle. Panic started taking a toll on me and I quickly forgot where my senses should've lied and where they're. I forgot what I was supposed to do in such a situation.

And then I saw her rising up.

Her body was totally fine with no injuries whatsoever except for the black veins that now slithered all over her body.

Her cornea had gone entirely black but now it was forming a red lens like the ones she must've had during hunts. The round lens took the color of bright, glowing crimson, like two glowing headlights of a car. They're bright enough to match the rays of the sun or the wrath of the fire.

Those cold eyes sent a familiar shiver down my spine as my breathing became uneven.

They looked borderline malicious and lethal as she licked the tip of her pearly fang growing out of her mouth.

And then it clicked.

Abruptly I knew what I needed to do as some sanity washed my face and fear crowded in. I let go of the loudest squeal I could muster and gathered myself for a fierce running.

I hopped and carried myself away from her, running deeper into the woods. The moon was hidden behind the darkness just like Julie's cheerful traits right now.

My heart was beating so loud out of fear it seemed to come out in my hand any second from now. I didn't even realize I was crying until later.

Somehow I felt this was it. I wouldn't see the next sunrise and much more-I wouldn't be able to save Edward.

I cried as I ran barefoot towards something I didn't know how dangerous was. I hoped silently I wasn't heading into another lion's den in hopes to escape the first one.

I felt like running into a marathon until finally I stopped to catch a breath. My legs were feelings numb from all the running and my head seemed to be hazy.

I was surely clumsy even if I could muster the strength to walk. I breathed heavily and tried to remind myself that I had to run and run.

I lifted my head up only to be met by those glowing eyes of hers. I jumped back in shock as more tears ran down my cheek. My legs trembled in fear and my lips quivered-I was not far away from begging.

She paced slowly towards me embracing her predatory nature. A smirk made its way up to her face which scared me from the core. She was flashing her fangs at me in a teasing way.

I kept sinking backwards into the trunk of the tree until I couldn't anymore. I was trapped between the tree and my death.

I was foolish to think I could escape death, but I surely hadn't hoped for her to be the source of my ultimatum. If she killed me now, she would curse herself for as long as she could live.

I wanted to remind her that but before I could speak she held me firmly against the trunk by my neck.

I gasped.

"Beautiful." Her voice was darker and reverberated around the trees. She honestly talked like a man and I was confirmed that she was possessed.

It wasn't her.

She brought my face near her mouth and bent in the crook of my neck, she inhaled my scent as if it was the last thing for an air she'd have and then I felt my neck being moisturized and I realized she was licking my throat with her tongue and then it climbed up to my cheek.

"Don't worry little Beth," She began with the same malicious voice that shook me from the core.

"I won't kill you. Just know that you're time is up." She put me on my feet again and let me breathe but I trembled and fell to the grass holding my neck.

I stared at her in awe or rather at him who was giving me surprises after surprises. He had this dark accent that I couldn't quite categorize.

I tried to understand his intention but his glowing lethal eyes were really catching me off guard.

He bowed down to my level and looked intently into my eyes.

"If you want your friends to stay unharmed then you better go to Mason before the Blood Moon." Her face was just inches away from mine as she spoke.

She lifted my chin with her index finger and brought her lips ever closer, "If you don't, I'll get rid of them all." She threatened and moved further in until her lips were pressing against mine.

She captured me in her mouth as I stayed completely immobilized from my previous position and cringed at the murky touch of his.

He didn't give up soon but kept going and I didn't even bother to open my eyes.

At last when I could no longer feel his lips moving against my own, I allowed the light to enter my eyes but before I moved my lashes he whispered silently in my ears, "Soon I'll have it all and not just a touch."

I cringed before opening my eyes and when I did I saw Julie falling to the floor with a thump.

I'd have caught her if I hadn't been occupied with my own miseries and confusion. But after everything he'd said and done, I had only one question for anyone who might be willing to listen, including myself,

What on earth just happened?