Music boomed all around me as brightly colored lights rhythmically flashed, piercing through the darkness and illuminating my surroundings ever so slightly. I startled when two large hands wrapped themselves around my waist. He leaned in towards me, and I could smell a blast of his minty fresh breath as it brushed against my cheek. I watched as one of his hands delicately traced up my arm, leaving my hairs standing in its wake. My body stiffened when his fingers lightly etched tiny circles onto my bare skin. With my heart racing, his hand suddenly slid behind my hair. In a stark contrast to the tenderness it had just shown, it tightly gripped the back of my neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" I questioned him in a raised whisper, not wanting to cause a scene.

He didn't answer me, so I cautiously looked up at him. I tried to pull myself out of his grip, and panicked thoughts began to race through my mind. You're not my boyfriend! I don't know you. Who are you?

The man smirked at me and started to tighten his grip around the back of my neck. I could feel his nails gradually extending and scraping along my skin, snagging in my hair as they grew. My mouth fell open when I peered into his raven eyes. When he scowled at me in response, I instantly knew that I had made a huge mistake letting this monster touch me.

I glanced around the room. I hoped that someone would have noticed what was happening to me. I hoped that somebody, anybody, would come to my aid. Or maybe, just maybe, Tristan would arrive and kick the guy's ass. My hope gradually died when my eyes roamed around the dimly lit room and saw that every single person had turned their backs on me. What the hell was going on? I thought as I glared back at the mysterious and frightening stranger.

He opened his mouth into an evil smirk, and with a perfectly timed flash of the disco lights, I could have sworn I saw fangs. Fear instantly spread throughout my body as I searched his pitch—black eyes for answers, but there was nothing there. All that stared back at me was emptiness and hopelessness.

Everything around me began to move in slow motion. I closed my eyes, and before I had a chance to open them up again, a sharp pain engulfed me. His nails pierced into my skin when he yanked my head to the side. With my eyes still firmly closed, I tried to squirm, but he dug his nails deeper into my neck and I lost all ability to move.

My heart was racing, and my breath was a shallow pant as tears slowly began to stream down my face. An icy cold shiver ran down my spine, while his free hand swept my hair back over my shoulder exposing my neck. His unnaturally cold breath made my skin tingle when he lowered his face towards me, and my body automatically stiffened as his lips caressed my neck. I couldn't believe what was happening, it couldn't be real. Please God, help me! I screamed in my head, begging for my life.

I felt the man's lips part allowing him to taste my skin with his tongue. I tried to let out an almighty scream, but air is all that escaped my lips. He sank his fangs deep into my neck, piercing through my skin like the soft flesh of a peach. It sent a wave of scorching pain throughout my body like a volcanic sea of lava. The once—booming music was now a low hum, and I could feel the world slipping away from me. The little flashes of light that were once there, now faded away into hopelessness and empty darkness just like my attacker's eyes.

He hastily pulled his fangs out of my skin, making my legs weak. They were unable to hold up my weight any longer and buckled beneath me, making me collapse. My body fell to the side and my head slammed into the hardwood floor. I heard a woman scream as I lay there motionless, unable to open my eyes, or speak a word. I exhaled for the last time. No strength left in me to inhale again. Silence and peace washed over me as I succumb to the icy—cold hand of death.

Freya Rose

Beep, beep, beep!

"Urgh," I groaned as I rolled over in bed. I lazily waved my hand around in the direction of the incessant screeching noise. I missed my target a few times, swatting the bedside table instead. Feeling frustrated, but still too exhausted to open my eyes, I gave it one last go.

Oh yeah, this jerk is going to get it! I thought as I lifted my hand up into the air, then brought it back down with all my might.

"Damn it!" I screamed out in pain when my hand collided with my alarm clock, bending my little finger back like it was some sort of contortionist. "You son of a bit..." I trailed off while shoving my injured finger into my mouth. I sucked on it in a pathetic attempt to stop it from throbbing. Well, that was a hell of a way to wake up.

I carefully pulled my little finger out of my mouth to inspect it for damage. I half expected it to be broken and flopping around like a limp piece of spaghetti, with the ligaments and tendons held it on to the rest of my hand for dear life. I exhaled with relief when my pinky looked back at me in all its normality. Well, apart from a new purple hue on the inside of my knuckle. Feeling a small sense of victory, I flipped my alarm clock the middle finger while smugly shouting, "I win bitch!"

I gradually dragged my aching body up and swung my legs over the side of my bed. Gravity automatically took over and yanked my feet down to the floor, where they were instantly greeted by my cream—colored fluffy rug. I scrunched my toes into it a few times, stroking the luxuriously soft fibers like I did every morning. I had no idea why I did it, all I knew, was that I had done it every single morning for as long as I could remember. So, now it was more like a compulsion or habit than anything else. I sat on the edge of my bed for a moment then crouched forward towards my knees and rested my head in my hands.

The fight with the alarm clock and the pain in my finger had subsided slightly, but I felt like absolute crap. I had the mother of all headaches, and my eyes felt like I had washed them in a sandbox. I tried to ease the throbbing in my head by circling my fingers around my temples, but it wasn't helping at all. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh while my hands dropped to my sides in defeat.

Suddenly, the bright morning sunshine engulfed my room and tried its best to penetrate my tightly shut eyelids.

"Ahhh, are you seriously trying to kill me right now?" I squealed as I threw my hands up to shield my overly delicate eyes.

"Morning honey. Didn't sleep well again I see," a chirpy woman's voice replied.

She ignored my obvious discomfort. A discomfort that she had made a hundred times worse I might add, by not warning me that she was going to abruptly rip open my drapes and allow the blazing morning sun to burn holes into my dark and shriveled up soul.

"I heard a bang and thought you'd need these," she said with a slight giggle. She paused, I guess she was expecting me to look up to see what she was talking about. "Water and some painkillers," she continued when I didn't respond.

I heard her place them on my bedside table, before bending down and kissing me on the top of my head. I inhaled her scent as she pulled away, and I just loved how she always smelled of lavender and fresh coffee. A smile crept onto my face, instantly melting my frown.

"Thanks, Mom."

I lowered my hands away from my face, and slowly peeled my eyes open to look at her. She was a very attractive woman, with very soft features. She had a messy, dark blonde bob, that rested just above her shoulders. Her eyes were blue, but they had a gold ring around her pupils, so in certain lights they looked green. Around her eyes were some wrinkles, not deep ones, but just slightly noticeable when she laughed.

"I had that damn nightmare again," I said with a heavy sigh.

"What happened this time?" She asked as she sat down on the bed beside me.

"There was music, and dancing, people laughing and having fun. Then, this God—awful scream, and it all goes black. I don't remember the rest, but it scares the hell out of me, and I always wake up with this banging headache."

I lowered my head back down into my hands. Her arm slide over my shoulder, sending a cold shiver down my spine. I shook off the weird feeling of Deja vu and allowed her to pull me in for a hug.

"The dreams are getting more frequent, aren't they?" She asked in a quiet but concerned voice.

"Yeah, they are."

With a sigh, I rested my head on her shoulder, and she kissed the top of my head again.

"It will be alright, Honey. Maybe you're just stressed out from your exams? Now that they're all finished, hopefully the dreams will stop." She slowly stood up and pointed towards my bathroom. "Now get ready, we have your graduation today, or did you forget?"

She stood in front of me with a smirk on her face and one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Oh crap," I shouted out while immediately jumping to my feet and sprinting towards the bathroom.

"Language!"

"Sorry mom," I yelled out and I could hear her giggling as she left.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror to check out what mess I was working with today.

"Urgh. You look like crap!" I said out loud to my reflection, and the cheeky bitch gave me a disgusted look in reply.

My eyes were so sore, so I pulled down my bottom eyelids to inspect them. They were usually bright blue in color and sparkled in the light. Today they were dull, bloodshot, and crudely cradled by large, dark gray bags. It looked like I had been crying all night. Or had been punched in the face by a gorilla.

I huffed and turned my attention to my usually neat and shiny, mousy brown hair.

"Wow!"