Heartbeat

 'It was dark and stormy night, the trees bent in the gale as the lone girl walked along the soaked street.' Ick. I hit the backspace button and quickly deleted the cliche begining. Stupid English assignment. "Write a horror story, it'll be fun," was what the teacher had said I groaned and stood up stretching. I grabbed my powder blue jacket as I walked out. I pulled it on and put the hood over my long brown hair. My green eyes flicked this way and that as I stepped into the street. 1

 I walked alone, unsupervised. I didn't get a lot of strange looks. I was always alone. Of course I was. Here I was, fifteen, and I was basically selfdependant. That usually happens when your dad is a convict and your mom is a drunk. She was probably in some bar, flirting with some man she barely knew. Again. I sighed. I walked a little faster searching for inspiration for a horror story. I wasn't paying any attention to the world around me.2

 Wham! I was pushed into a wall. Hard. I struggled against my captor with all my might. He had a scarred face and his breath stunk of alchohol. His hair was blonde and his eyes were blue.3

 "Now then, Sweetheart, where are you off to all alone?" His other hand covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream I thrashed around, trying to break free. I fell forward. Where had he gone? i saw the boy before he saw me.4

 His hair was black as night. As he turned around from the unconcious man I saw that his eyes were gray, just like a stone. His skin oh so pale. And his perfect white teeth, which flashed as he smiled at me, gave me chills. His canines were pointed. Vampire teeth. I gasped and he smirked.5

 "You catch on faster than most folks don't you?" he teased in his perfect even voice.6

 "You....Are you....a vampire?" I asked eagerly.7

 "Indeed I am. The name's Zack," he replied.
 
 "I'm Kira," I said staring at his perfect features.8

 "Oh yes, you're the girl with the murderous dad!" He declared. Murder? My dad Murdered someone? That was new. He was supposed to be in prison for drug selling.9

 "Er....Murder?" I asked sure that confusion showed in my bright green eyes..10

 "Yes. You're father gave us quite the scare. It makes me wonder who turned him," came the reply. Us? Turned him? Vampires? I was very very conused. He must have seen that for he said, "The members of my coven and I had to make sure that he didn't uncover our secret to the mortal world. Whoever turned him into a vampire must have had wanted him to achieve something." He started walking towards me, I was drawn forward like a puppet on a string. I couldn't deny it much longer, I was in love with this boy. Head over heels over fangs in love with him. My mouth hung open in anticipation...was he going to kiss me? 11

 He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against mine. I melted into it wrapping my arms around his neck. He broke the kiss apart...and we both understood....The ties of Vampire and Human kept us from each other. He leaned forward again...and bit my neck sucking my blood, turning me. The pain felt like sheer bliss to me as I fainted in my vampire's arms. Oddly, I remembered briefly before losing all conciousness., that I left my light on at home. Oh well. I smiled in sheer heaven as I thought that I was finally free, free from scorn and gossip....well maybe not....I still ran away with a boy but that wasn't unheard of but I was free of my drunk mother and my convict father.12

 I was willing to spend eternity with Zack, and I was going to.13

 I woke up three days later. Confused, bewildered. Where was Zack? What had happened? Why did my head hurt? What was my name? The word amnesia popped into my head. Why would I know what this condition was called when I knew nothing of the  situation at hand?
 I saw a note craved into a tree.
 Figure it out yourself. Goodbye. Zack.
 He left me? Just like that? No spoken words, just a carved message. What was my name? If I wanted to remember anything besides Zack I had to know my name. did I have a name? I thought so. The last thing I remember is being turned into a vampire.
 Vampire. The only reason I became a vampire was to be with Zack.
 Death. Could a Vampire die? Was it Possible? I didn't know. Then again I didn't know my own name currently, so who was I to say? What was my name anyway? Oh now I remember. Great. My name was Kira Daniels, except... That didn't seem to be it anymore. So what was my name now? And why didn't my last one suit me anymore? Huh. Strange isn't it? This boy comes into my life, kisses me, turns me into a vampire, and leaves me. What was his problem? Sheesh. I give up everything for him, and he dumps me?
 I pull myself up off the ground and start walking, alone. The sheer silence of everything presses down on my ears. I start crying. i'm alone and now I don't know who I am. This sucks. I want to reach out to someone, anyone. I'm just tired of being alone. What was that? A bird. Geat, now I'm paranoid. No, wait. something's in the bushes!
 "Who's there?" I called nervously.
 "Me," came the reply. The boy had red hair and a gorgegous smile. His eyes were two perfect pools of blue. I saw his pointed teeth as he shut his mouth after speaking. He was a vampire, too. Oh great, here we go again.
 "What's your name?" he asked in a light German accent, "I'm James."
 "I don't know," I whispered, my lips barely moving. I didn't meet his eyes as I spoke. I stared at the ground unblinkingly.
 "Oh, I see, newly turned," he said kindly, "My name used to be Jonathon Dreta, but not anymore. Now I'm James Heart. Which in itself does not seem normal." He said with a grin. I glanced up from the ground and met his gaze.
 "I used to be Kira Daniels, but I guess that name was only for a lifetime, wasn't it?" I said with faint humor in my voice, "Now, I guess, I'm Catalina Beat. It just seems right."
 "Well, it's lovely to meet you Ms. Beat," he said.
 "Likewise Mr.Heart," I replied curtsying.
 "Where's your sire?" James asked.
 "He left me," I replied downcasting my eyes again.
 "He left? Why on earth would he do that to some one like you?" he queried.
 "I don't know! I gave up everything for him, and he just left," I said in a whisper. It was almost like I thought he was watching me.
 "Well he didn't see the prize he had," he whispered, cupping my face in his hand. He wore a plain gray shirt and a pair of torn bluejeans. It looked so casual and yet so elegant. I blinked and glanced down at my clothes. basic white tak top now stained with blood, basic daisy dukes and basic flip flops. It was all so basic. I was boring. Sheesh. I was pathetic. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail as I blushed at his statement.
 "I thought he loved me," I whispered staring at the ground again.
 "Cat," he said sighing, "He used you so he could feed on a human's blood with out getting in trouble."
 "He kissed me though, and it was like Kira Daniels was meant to be with him," I said looking at him, my eyes sparkling with tears.
 "And what about Catalina Beat?" he asked.
 "She thinks he should go to hell," I replied with fierceness.
 "Well said, well said!" he siad laughing, "And I quite agre! Anyone who uses someone like you deserves that place!"
 I grinned and shrugged, my depression was over thanks to my friend James. "You hungry?" I ask with my eyes sparkling.
 "Yeah," he said feverly. I sarcastically toss him a peach. "Oh very funny. come on you need to learn how to hunt." he led the way into the forest and I followed, scared and excited. My first hunt! What would I catch? I wouldn't kill, that was out of the question. I'd just drain a little blood from it to drink....leave enough for it to live on.
 I watched him easily sprint after the rabbit he sighted, catching it easy. He bit into it's neck and drank. I watched in horror as he laid the unmoving beast back down.
 "It's not dead, stop looking at me like that," He said chortling.
 "Then why isn't it moving?" I demanded.
 "It's unconcious, Cat, not dead," he said shaking his head.
 "Oh," I said, calm again. I decided to try. I searched the bushes and saw another rabbit. I took off after it running full tilt. I was fast. Faster than I remembered. Was this an affect of being a vampire? If it was, it rocked. I leaped at the rabbit and grabbed it. I held tight to the struggling creature and snk my teeth into its neck. I drank deeply and then slowed. I stopped drinking as soon as the rabbit stopped moving. For a thin substance blood was very filling.
 I stretched, that had been interesting. I yawned. The hunt had tired me. The trees were spinning. I reached out for something solid, nothing was there. I fell forward, into James's arms. My mind went blank as it did once before, when I was turned.
 Pain. It hugs you like a long lost friend but only wishes to harm you. It clouds your mind and contorts your body as you train to rid yourself on of it. It enveloped me, burning. I gasped. My eyes burned and seared inside their sockets. Everything had a black tint. I jumped up and groped hopelessly in the air, searching for the water bottle always beside my bed, forgetting I was in the woods. I felt arms surround me, James. He held me tightly in his arms, refusing to let me go.
 I gasped and came to my senses at last, my eyes finally stopped burning as I starred into his blue eyes. I guess I knew what had happened right then, as I starred into his unnatraul blue eyes. I scrambled free of his grasp and over towards the river. I starred at my reflection, normal brown hair, but my green eyes were gone. A deep black had replaced them.14

 I was torn at the sight of my new eyes. One half wanted to screamand the other was secretly glad that my eyes were black, so different from the stone eyes of my hated sire. I blinked. They would do, I briefly wondered why I cared of the color so much, then I realised that I had secretly wanted blue eyes, like the one's of James, for I... 'Oh, no, Catalina, you're not going down that road again. You will not fall in love with a vampire.' I was rebeling against my own thoughts. I was falling in love with James, but did he love me? Why did such questions haunt me?15

  I decided that the reason why was inconsequential, and that how long I had been out mattered more.16

  "What's today's date?" I asked, still human in the way that I cared about time.17

  "The fifteenth of May," was his reply. I was so surprised that I fell in the river and dragged myself out, soaking wet.18

  "Tomarrow's my birthday!" I exclaimed. I had totaly forgotten my own birthday! How busy had I been these past few months?19

  "It is? Really?" he asked, "If it is, I have the perfect gift in mind," he said, teasingly, "In the meantime, dry off and get some sleep. you look like you need it." He pulled some dry clothes out of his pack and handed them to me before walking off. I hurridly slid them on happy they were dry. I stretched and crawled into a sleeping bag to sleep the day away and the night. Six days I had been out. By now they are searching for me in every back alley in the city, unaware that I am more or less alive and well as a vampire.20

I woke up before the sun had trully rose. I sat up and stretched. I noted that James's sleepbag was already empty. "Are you ready for your present?" came his quiet voice from behind me. I stood up and turned around. "Sure," I said cheerily, trying to figure out if I had gained a year or not. "Ok," he said smiling, "Close your eyes." I did as he said and waited patiently. I heard him take a deep breath, and then, I felt hi lips on mine. i was surprised, but then I kissed back with passion. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his around my waist pulling me closer. I broke the kiss and gasped for air, opening my eyes and smiling at him. "Best present ever," I said. "Mmm...glad you like it," he teased gently. "What would you say if I asked you to marry me in the vamnpire way?" he asked all playfulness gone. "I'd say yes of course," I said with a smile, seeing the question in the question. "Then, on that happy note, I, James Heart, take you, Catalina Beat, as my soul mate. Let me burn with Zack if I break my promise," he said adding humor to the vow that would change my last name to Heart-Beat. How ironic. "I, Catalina Beat, take you, James Heart, as my soulmate. Forever more I shall be Catalina Heart-Beat," I said following the instructions he sent to me through a mental connection. I hugged him and kissed his lips again. "Sora?" came the hated voice. "Go away Zack," I said coldly turning around. He ignored my tone and continued, "Sora, I am madly in love with you, please come back to me." He was begging, I read his thoughts quickly, he had to find his soulmate or he would be punished for every mortal he turned "No," I said simply turning away. and starting to walk off. " PLEASE! I forgive you," he called after me. " You forgive me, Zack? You left me alone and confused in the wildeness! I did nothing to deserve that except love you," I seethed at him. "Please, I love you," He said. "Goodbye Zack," I said walking off with James. "Sora!" He called after me. I ignored him. I wasn't Sora anymore. "SORA!" I turned slowly to face him that time, "My name isn't Sora anymore. It's Catalina Heart-Beat. Goodbye Zack." That being said I turned away forevermore.