“If you want to live, come with me,” says Damon. I hesitate and he looks at me urgently. Death doesn’t sound so bad compared to running away from my company Christmas party with my ex boyfriend. I pull myself to my feet and follow him down the hallway. Panicked screams fill the air as we dip into the doorway and run down the stairs.
“Where are we going?” Damon doesn’t answer but continues to pull me along with him. Finally we reach the door and he stops abruptly.
“Listen. This guy wants blood. So, you need to stay close, and stay alert. Most importantly, if I tell you to run, you run. And you don’t stop. Got it?” I nod, but I don’t know why. Tonight was the annual Kellen Association Christmas party. I landed the job right after graduation, and moved to London for a change of scenery after burning every bridge I had back home.
“You know, all I wanted was to have a normal life after everything you put me through. Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“I wish it was that simple.” he says as we run through the courtyard. A black suburban pulls up and before I can process what’s happening, I’m being shoved into the back seat. Damon gets in the passenger side and we take off.
“Ok someone tell me what’s happening right now or both of you die.” I pull out the silver pocket knife I bought when I moved and hold it out for them to see. The driver chuckles and Damon sighs.
“Put the knife down. The guy who’s back there killing all your coworkers is my dad. He kind of hates me for falling in love with a human and dishonoring the family.”
“Oh he hates you for dishonoring the family? I watched you kill my sister right in front of me. I’m also blacklisted from my family. I sacrificed everything I had for you and apparently that wasn’t enough. Let me out of the car right now.” An inhumane shriek comes from the left side of the car. Before Damon can respond, the car is lifted off the ground and thrown on its side. My head throbs as I try to collect myself. A tall, sleek, and very blurry figure towers over the car, and I slam back against the cold window behind me, holding my breath. Suddenly, the glass shatters in a deafening explosion, shards raining down like deadly confetti. I scream, my body frozen with terror as the figure slowly reaches into the car.
“Damon, what do we do?” I look towards the front of the car and panic when I realize that I’m alone. They left me here to die, of course. Another shriek pierces the air and the figure from outside falls to its knees. The horrible scraping of metal fills my ears as the car is turned right side up.
“RUN!” I hear Damon scream. He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I force open the busted up door and take off into the darkness without looking back. Blood rushes to my legs as I sprint in the night. Now I know that I can run but I can’t hide, Damon will always find me. When the adrenaline fades I lean against a tree and desperately feel around for my pocket knife. Through trial and error, I learned that silver and sunlight really do hurt vampires. Damon has a burn mark above his left elbow from where I slashed him with the knife once. I force myself to start running again, although the effects from the car accident are starting to catch up with me. I gasp and realize that there’s a shard of glass sticking out from my knee. I reach down and pull it out with a pained cry. I can’t make it much further without a miracle. I limp towards the nearest light, and sigh with relief when a small house comes into view. Damon always warned me about the first shelter you see in an emergency, but I can barely walk now. I collapse on the front steps, waiting to die or pass out. A loud whooshing noise fills my ears, and I struggle to sit up. Damon is there, but he seems injured.
“I thought you left me.” I say weakly. When he doesn’t approach me I reach out to him.
“Don’t.” he hisses. I look down and see that my hand is bloodied; He’s hungry.
“Is someone out there?” a voice says from behind the door of the small house.
“Bon appetit.” I murmur before passing out.
When I wake I’m on a couch, and Damon is sitting in the corner away from the windows. I sit up with a start and look around. “Those people, did you…” my voice trails off as he looks at me. I sigh frustratedly.
“We have to get out of here,” Damon says. “My dad will be back soon. He’s injured but not dead.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you need someone who can hold silver to kill him.” I say jokingly.
“Precisely.”
“Wait, what? You mean I have to do it?”
“You or another human, if you have any suggestions I’m all ears.” We sit in silence for a while and Damon slides the blinds shut as the early morning sun starts to peek out from behind the trees. “It’s settled then,” he says, sitting next to me. “At nightfall, we kill my father.”