Chapter One

Benji leaned towards Rachel and clasped her warm hands. He worried what she would say when he told her his secret. He wavered, trying to determine if he wanted to tell her the truth about himself, or make something up.

He looked into her green eyes and with his free hand, brushed her hair from her face.

“Swear again,” Benji said, his voice quivering. “Promise me you won’t tell.”

“I swear. I swear,” Rachel replied, staring back at him with her large eyes.

Benji took a deep breath and exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. He had never shared his secret with anybody before, especially not a human, and he was working through an inner struggle, debating how to tell her. He looked around the covered bridge to make sure nobody else was around.

He looked back at Rachel, still staring at him, and felt her hand get clammy. He knew she was getting more nervous with each moment of anticipation.

“I’ve never told anybody this before,” Benji began. “I hope you will still think of me the same way after I tell you.”

He stopped speaking, closed his mouth and swallowed. He felt his voice getting weak. He didn’t want to continue, but knew he had to at this point.

“What is it? Just tell me already!” Rachel said.

Benji inhaled. “I’m a vampire.”

*

Rachel stared back at him with a confused look on her face. He felt her warm hand slide out of his, as she took a step backwards. Silence filled the air as they both stood there, staring at each other.

Benji didn’t know what to do. Should he tell her more, or should he wait for her to say something? He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but it wasn’t the response he was hoping for. He was angry with himself for letting their relationship get this far, and angry that he told her his secret. He knew it was a bad idea all along, but she gave him no choice. He knew she would leave him if he hadn’t.

Standing there on the covered bridge, Benji watched as Rachel began to shake her head in disbelief. She looked him up and down as if he were some sort of alien.

“Vampire?” Rachel said. “Stop lying. Tell me the truth.”

Benji didn’t know how to respond. He could tell her it was a lie and make up something else: something less scary and more believable. He thought for a moment but knew he had to stick to the truth.

“I am telling you the truth. I’m a vampire. I haven’t been completely honest with you about everything, but I want to make it right now. I will tell you everything,” Benji said, looking at her, trying to read her changing expressions.

Rachel took another step backwards and said, “No! This can’t be. Vampires don’t exist.”

Benji could see her body begin to shake as she moved even further away from him. He wanted to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be OK, but he couldn’t get close to her.

“Please hear me out,” Benji said, trying to salvage the remaining bits of their relationship. “I was born 3,000 years ago. I live in a castle, but have to flee when danger nears,” Benji said, trying to help Rachel make sense of it all.

“Stop saying these things. You aren’t making any sense,” Rachel said, waving her hands in the air.

“I told you I lived with my parents in a house near AHS, but I don’t. I don’t have parents and I don’t live in a house. I live at Lyndvia Castle,” Benji said.

“This is crazy. I feel like I know nothing about you. I can’t do this,” Rachel said as she turned away.

“Wait, let me finish. I won’t hurt you, I promise. I don’t feed on humans.”

“Stop! Don’t come near me. I need to go now,” Rachel shouted as she began to walk quickly away from Benji and the covered bridge.

Benji stood there, and watched Rachel leave him behind.

“Stop, don’t go! I promise I can explain it all,” he yelled after her.

He started running towards her, which made Rachel run even faster. “You swore you wouldn’t tell!” Benji screamed.

Benji stopped running, realizing it was useless to follow her. He knew she was scared and didn’t want to be with him anymore.

He came to a stop along the side of a dirt road and sat down. He replayed what had just happened over in his head, but still couldn’t believe it.

Did he really just tell his secret?

Part of him was glad he shared it with her. But a part of him felt regret. He wondered if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Chapter Two

Rachel peered over her shoulder as she ran down her block, checking to see if Benji was still following. She was scared and out of breath. She had never run so fast, or as far, as she’d run tonight.

As Rachel neared her house she saw the flashing blue-and-red lights of a police car in her driveway. When she looked closer, she saw her parents standing at her front door with the police. Now Rachel was even more worried and scared. Why were the police at her house?

Rachel stopped and watched as her parents stood there, gesturing to the police officers. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they didn’t look happy. She stood there watching, as she caught her breath. She composed herself, and began to walk towards the house.

As she neared the front lawn, the motion sensor light lit up her face. She stood there like a deer in headlights as the police officers and her parents turned their heads and stared right at her.

“Is this her?” one of the policemen asked.

“Yes, this is Rachel,” her dad said.

Rachel’s heart began to beat faster, and all she could think about was turning and running in the other direction. She didn’t want to deal with this situation, whatever it would bring. She couldn’t understand what the police could possibly want with her.

Rachel continued walking towards the front stoop, as the two police officers stared her down.

“Rachel Wood?” the police officer asked, as he looked down at his papers.

“Yes,” Rachel said.

“Do you know anything about a Robert Greene?”

The two police officers stood there and waited for her to respond.

“Um… yes,” Rachel said in a quiet voice. “He goes to my school.”

“Yes, he does go to your school. We know that. We want to know what you know about the fight tonight. Witnesses said you were in the middle of it.”

Rachel didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to answer. She was in the middle of it, but she didn’t want to confess everything that she had found out tonight. She was just beginning to process it all.

“I wasn’t really in the middle of it,” Rachel said back, “but I did see it.”

“We need to know all the information you have on this. A few football players at AHS are in very serious condition at Westchester North Hospital.”

Rachel felt her heart sink. She didn’t know what to do.

“We need to know who beat them up. Can you tell us who you were with?”

Rachel couldn’t lie to the police.

“Benji> He’s another student at AHS.”

The police officers looked at each other, and then one began to write in his notebook. She saw him write Benji’s name.

“Where does Benji live?” the officer asked.

Rachel didn’t know what to say. Should she tell them he is a vampire and lives in a castle?

“I’m not sure,” Rachel replied.

“You don’t know where your friend lives?” the officer questioned.

“Well, we are not really friends,” Rachel said. “We just met.”

The two police officers looked at her with questioning eyes. “What is the nature of your relationship?” the officer asked.

Rachel didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t know what they were. Were they friends? Enemies? Boyfriend and girlfriend? She didn’t know.

“I said we’ve only just met. We were becoming friends, but I don’t think I want to be his friend anymore,” Rachel answered in a sharp tone.

“Why not?” the police officer asked.

“Because he’s not who I thought he was,” Rachel replied.

The police officer shook his head in agreement, as if he knew what she was talking about. “Do you know anything else about the fight?” the police officers asked again.

“No, I don’t believe I do,” Rachel said.

“Thank you for your time. If you hear from Benji call the station right away. We have a search team out for him. All we have is one blurry cell phone picture of him, but can’t make out his face. Oh, and if you think of anything else, please let us know,” the officer finished.

“Ok,” Rachel said, feeling worried.

“Thank you officers,” Rachel’s dad said, a serious look on his face.

“Come inside Dear,” Rachel’s mom said. “I think we need to have a little family meeting.”

*

Rachel’s heart was thumping out of her chest and her hands were sweating. She followed her parents into the living room and sat down on the couch.

“Who is this Benji character?” her dad asked, as he made himself comfortable on the couch across from Rachel.

“Some guy I know from school,” Rachel said.

“How old is he and what grade is he in?” her mom asked.

“Well, he’s a senior, he’s 18 I think, not really sure,” Rachel replied in a soft voice.

“18!” her dad screeched out. “What are you doing with an 18 year old guy?”

“I’m not doing anything with him! I told you I just met him, I barely know him,” Rachel said, defending herself.

“You’re fifteen years old, Missy. You have no business with an eighteen-year-old guy. Especially an eighteen year old criminal,” her dad added.

“Honey, I think you’ve taken this too far. She’s only just met the boy, give her some slack,” Rachel’s mom interjected.

Rachel smiled at her mom and they looked at each other with knowing eyes.

“I trust you, sweetie. I know you didn’t have anything to do with this fight,” Rachel’s mom said. “But is there anything else you aren’t telling us?” Rachel’s mom questioned.