Pass It On: The Storm-Chapter 3-Family Crisis

1

"Who are you?" She asked the man.2

She would have been less creeped out by him if he hadn't had his hair covering most of his face with shadow.3

"My name is...um…Ben." he replied hiding his face even more.4

"Can I see your face?" Anna asked.5

"That won't be necessary. I just want to know your name." He replied.6

"Anna. Why?" Anna asked.7

"Is your last name Storm?" Ben asks ignoring her question.8

"Yes, now, why are you asking me this?" She asks again.9

Ben's face under his hair turned grim and looks scary with the shadows on his face. "Anna, I need your help. The line of women in your family has been special hunters that have teamed up with different clans to try to defeat The Fears. So far, none has been alive to tell this tale, except your mother. Thankfully, she was alive because of my father's heroic acts. Anyway, The Prophecy says the next woman in your family is too help the Vamps defeat the fears. I am Ben Vamp and I have two other brothers, Artemis and Jack Vamp, and you, Anna Storm, are the next one in line. The Prophecy has passed on to you." He said.10

"So, what exactly are you then?" She asked still very stunned at learning all this from someone she met walking home from school.11

"Well, I, and my family and The Fears, are Vampires. The head Vampire of the Fears is Reper Fear and my brothers and I think he may be after you but, knowing him, he will go after your loved ones first."12

"I have to warn Jenna!" Anna said running back towards the school. She then was stopped by bumping into someone. She looked up and it was Ben.13

"Anna, you can't go alone. Let me take you to her house." Ben said.14

"No, I can go by myself. She doesn't know you so she might get scared." Anna protested.15

"Anna, please let me take you there." Ben said and she sighed.16

"Fine, where's your car?" Anna asked and Ben chuckled.17

"I don't have a car. Just hold my hand." He replied and held out his hand.18

Anna slowly took it and Ben pulled her close to him. Anna gasped at Ben as his eyes turned completely black and then the whole world around her did. She closed her eyes and then, opened them to see Jenna's house right in front of her. She thought what she saw was a dream until she looked up at Ben who was smiling at her tight grasp on him.19

She blushed bright, let go of him and stepped away a few steps. "Okay, I'm going to…um…go inside. You stay here."20

Ben nodded still with the big grin on his face. Anna flashed a smile back and headed up to the front steps of Jenna's house. 'Oh please Jenna be home.' Anna thought as she knocked on the door. When she did, the door creaked open and Anna pushed it the rest of the way and went inside.21

"Jenna? Are you home?" Anna asked, then, she saw the red head of hair poking out from the top of the couch in the living room.22

"There you are, Jenna! I have something important to tell you!" Anna said walking towards the couch and getting worried at how still the head of hair is.23

When Anna finally got to the couch, she stopped in her tracks, broke down, and cried. She accidentally kneeled down in a liquid. It stained her clothes and changed their color but she didn't care. She cared about her friend sitting limp and crooked on the couch, staining it and Anna's clothing with her rich red blood and seeing gigantic gash in her neck that would take more then ten stitches. Anna was too late. Reper has already gotten to her friend and now, she has been killed.24

Ben wanted to help Anna. He wanted to help her friend and turn her into a vampire so she could live. But, all that blood is too much. If he sees that, he'll go berserk on every living thing and not stop until he's so full, he's ready to burst. Reper did a sloppy job on purpose because if he made it clean, I would have saved the day and this would have been done and over with. But, he wants to complicate things. Ben will have to get someone who has more control. And, he knows the perfect Vampire.25

Ben closed his eyes and thought, "Take me to Artemis," then he opened his eyes and was in a dark wood surrounded by trees.26

"He must be having dinner." Ben muttered to himself.27

Just as he said that, he turned to see Artemis on his knees, devouring a poor fawn until it looked like a prune. He got up, wiped his mouth, and turned to Ben.28

"Hey, Ben. What's wrong, you look worried?" Artemis asked.29

"I found the Storm but, her friend needs help. Reper got to her and she's dyeing. Her light is fading. There's too much blood for me and you have more control then I do." Ben explained.30

"Alright. Take me there." Artemis said as he held onto Ben's shoulder.31

They both closed their eyes and opened them to see Jenna's house with the door open.32

"Their in there." Ben told Artemis as he pointed to the house. Artemis ran with incredible speed into the house and where Anna was.33

"Anna, I'm Artemis. I'm going to help your friend okay?" Artemis told the sobbing young girl on the ground surrounded by blood.34

Artemis stepped over to the other side of the couch and bit his wrist so it bled and hung it over Jenna's mouth so that the blood flowed into her mouth. Anna looked up at what he was doing and was disturbed, shocked and happy at the same time. Jenna's skin then started going pale and the gash in her neck slowly disappeared. Once the cut in Artemis' arm disappeared, Jenna's gash was gone too.35

"What did you do?" Anna asked.36

"I'm turning her. In a few days, she'll be full Vampire but, she'll have to feed so, I'll be back by then." Artemis said.37

"You did what?!?" Anna got up and started yelling, "Why does she need to be a Vampire? Couldn't you just let her die like a regular human! I don't want her to be twelve when I'm fifty! What were you thinking? Do you Vampires have to change every living human who's about to die?"38

Artemis got up and Anna regret saying all those things. "Anna, your important to the race of Vampires so, I can't kill you but, if I could, I would do a much messier job then Reper. I didn't want to scare you, but here's the truth. The fears have been eating other vampires for food because of the problem with eating humans and revealing our secret so, instead of eating animals like the rest of us, The fears are reducing the race of vampires by eating any that get in their way or protest.39

There is a prophecy that states when a woman of Storm is born, fate gives Vampires a savior. When a male Storm is born, another hundred Vampires get killed by the Fears. So far, the women in your family have failed but, everyone is hoping you are different. So, get over the fact your friend is a Vampire and get upstairs. I'll clean this up and Ben could look over Jenna. Here, take her and change her into clean clothes." Artemis picked Jenna up and throw her over Anna's shoulder. Anna stumbled back a bit but Jenna wasn't heavy. She carried Jenna to her room and left Artemis to clean downstairs.40

Anna smirked at Artemis being so strong with his words. That smile was cleared when she remembered what he said. 'You're important to the Vampire race so, I can't kill you,' was he going to kill her? It sounded pretty clear about what he could have done but, a tradition of my family has been passed on to me and it's fighting vampires? This is too weird. Why now? Why has Reper just suddenly decided, 'Hey! I'll just start killing Vampires and look for a new born girl with the last name Storm,' is that how it started?41

"Actually no but, that's a whole other story." Said Artemis who was in front of Anna as she walked down stairs. "Is she dressed?"42

"Uh, yeah she is." She replied as Artemis nodded and walked upstairs.43

The couch looked perfectly clean and so did everything else like nothing happened. Ben sat on the couch with his dark hair pushed back and wearing a casual suit. He looked like he was in his early twenty's and he was going on a date. 44

"Sorry about Artemis." Ben said, "He's usually the rational one but, it must be something about you that's making him act out." 45

"You mean like how you guys need me to save the race of Vampires?" Anna asked.46

"Something like that." Ben said smiling, "Well, I should take you home. Artemis going to be with Jenna for a bit to get her to calm down about being the living dead."47

Anna chuckled. "Alright, Ben." Then, Artemis came downstairs with Jenna over his shoulder.48

"I got her to wake up for a few minutes to make sure she's not completely damaged." Artemis said.49

"Artemis, I'm sorry about lashing out. I was just-" 50

"-Scared and sad for your friend? I understand, Anna. I'm sorry for acting like I did." Artemis finished for Anna.51

"It's okay. Now, what are we going to do with Jenna?" Anna asked.52

"Your going to take her. She'll stay at your house and we'll make it look like she ran away." Artemis ordered.53

"That's the plan? Okay, my mom will understand." Anna said taking Jenna and leaning her on her shoulder54

"Hopefully she will. And, Anna," Anna turned to look at Artemis, "Be careful."55

"I will." Anna replied as she dragged Jenna out of the house.56

"Real smooth, Artemis." Ben said smiling at his brother.57

"Oh, shut it!" Artemis replied smiling bigger and nudging Ben, "Go look for some paper and a pencil. We have to write a convincing 'run-away' note."58

Ben nodded and speeded up the stairs to look. Artemis sighed and sat on a dining chair as he stares into his bittersweet nightshade ring and wonders how he got himself into this mess.59