Alice
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It'd been two hours since I'd been dragged through the forest. I was so out of it, I didn't know where I was until a bucket of water was dumped over my head. I screamed and cringed as I tried to shake it off of me. My skin felt like it was burning. I was sitting in their camp tied up.
"Well, well, well." An all too familiar voice said behind me. "We meet again." Sounded like something out of a movie. I tried to see where they were, my eyes getting bigger until he was standing right in front of me. "The little traitor."
"I was never on your side, therefore I'm not a traitor!" I scoffed.
He paced around me so his voice was coming from all sides. "I take a lot of pride in being a vampire, then you came along, shaming us." In a short explanation, I've been keeping something from everyone. It's true, my brother and sister were dead-killed, that is. By vampires, that is.
I'd been selfish in my decision to send a vampire after them. I never wanted to part from them so I had them turned into vampires. But that backfired quickly as they were afraid of what I had become and fled instantly. I tried to explain everything to them but it was no use. They created a small group of vampire hunters led by vampires, brainwashing people into believing we're all evil. Kind of ironic.
Christophe, my old brother, was turned into a vampire a month after I started learning the trapeze. After Alex offered to teach me, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do it. One day, I snuck into the tent and climbed to the top of the ladder to grab the swing. It was that rush of feeling free while sailing through the air that I decided I wanted to be a trapeze artist. Later that day, I asked him to teach me for real.
Aurelie, my dear sister, had betrayed me. She used to be so innocent, following me around like a shadow with her curious eyes. I'd turned them into monsters.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and the ringtone came on, "Bad Wings," by The Glitch Mob. Alex's ringtone. Horrible, horrible time to call. Please turn off!
"Who could possibly be calling you?" Christophe reached into my pocket and answered my phone. "Alice's phone. It's almost time for her execution. We'll take pictures for you." He paused and surprisingly held the phone over to me, untying my wrists from the chair.
He started speaking in Russian and it took me awhile to translate in my head.
"Where are you? What's going on?" I should've been studying up on my languages while I was here.
"I'm still in Virginia. In the forest. My siblings have captured me." I said as fast as I could.
"The crazy hunters?" He asked. "I'm on my way."
"You'll never make it in time!" But he had already hung up. Like they were going to let him leave the circus.
Christophe snatched the phone back. "You won't mind if I have this, you know, since you're about to die." He slid it in his pocket. "Aurelie, get the tools."
Tools? I didn't want to know how I was about to be killed.
The henchmen began piling up firewood and a post. Oh gosh, they were going to try to burn me. I looked down and tried to get the rope off that was tying me. All the hunters were staring me down, guns pointed at my head. I stopped fidgeting and sighed. This was it. All my training, and I was captured by my own family.
Out of no where three of the henchmen fell down in front of me, drowning in their own blood. What the heck. In the next second, my wrists were untied and Alex was standing in front of me looking very scary.
"How did you get here so fast?" I ask.
"I've actually been here awhile. I wanted to surprise you with a visit. It is your birthday this week. Or did you forget?" Alex gives me a gentle hug which even hurt my bruised shoulders.
"I stopped celebrating birthdays a long time ago. But thanks for coming." I smiled and stretched my arms out. "Now, let's kick some butt." I flitted over to my left and grabbed a gun from one of the fallen henchmen. Aurelie and Christophe were returning from a tent and caught on to what was going on. They ran at me, fangs out and ravenous. I shot him three times in the chest. Then I pointed the gun at Aurelie shakily. I didn't want to lose them for real this time, but what was left of their original selfs was gone a long time ago.
I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger just in time. Aurelie's hand grasped my shoulder as she staggered forward. I took a step back and let her fall to the ground.
Alex found the lighter in Aurelie's hand and set the camp ablaze, the flames licking at the bodies. I felt myself tearing up. "We should go." I nod slowly and run over to where Christophe is lying, dead, and grab my phone from his pocket. I jog back over to Alex and we both take off through the forest.
A few minutes later, I was standing back in front of the mansion, feeling especially tired. Alex laughed.
"Since we have no reflections, you might want to ask someone to help you clean up, you look awful." He started pulling leaves and twigs out of my hair.
"Yeah, thanks." I laugh sarcastically. "So where's my present?" I was just joking.
He reaches into his pocket and lays something in my hand. It was a beaded bracelet made of black jade. "It's gorgeous!" I slide it on my wrist. Even goes with my outfit. It goes with everything I own. This looks expensive.
"It wasn't too much money, don't worry." He smiled. "I'm gonna go back and extinguish the fire so I don't start a forest fire. I have to head back to the circus in the morning, that's why I was calling."
"You should stay here, with us." I offer. Why? I don't know.
"I'd love to, but I belong with the circus. I'll see you when all this is over?" He asks.
"If it's every over." He waves. "Call you tomorrow." And just like that, he's gone again. Such a great friend I have. He's just like the older brother I lost. I dried my eyes and opened the front door, praying that I wouldn't run into anyone. Kateri was hanging out with Riley, Solana, and Ace in the kitchen.
Oh, dear me!
"Alice!" Kateri cried rushing over to me as I shut the door. Great, I was gonna get an earful. "What happened to you? You look awful? I'll beat them up for you!" She grabbed my wrists which were still bruised from the rope.
"Don't worry, they're dead. Just some people from my past."
"Poor you! Wait, what do you mean they're dead? You killed someone? I will meet you upstairs, you need serious help. I have just the bath salt for you. And you'll need at least four bottles of shampoo!" She starts taking leaves out of my hair too. "I could cry! Is this a new bracelet. Ooh, who got it for you?"
"My friend, Alex. Today's my birthday." I admitted it.
"What! I'm your friend! I did not know of this! I'll get you something later, I promise!"
"Don't worry about it, really!" I insist. It was times like these when friends were great to have.
The End
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Okay, we all know Alice's past now! Can't wait til the main plot starts.
