The Beginning

The moon shone silver in the black sky as I stepped over the threshold, silently closing the door behind me. The air was cool and whipped across my face. I pulled my sweater closer around me, and I set forth on my journey carrying nothing but the letter that had arrived in the mail two weeks earlier.1

The letter came from a man living a few streets away. I had seen him around as I passed his street on my way to school. He always smiled strangely at me, sending goosebumps up and down my spine. Because we had never spoken, I was surprised when I saw his name signed at the end of the letter, and had decided immediately to do as he asked and meet him at his house.2

I arrived at his front door at exactly midnight, as he had requested in his letter. My hand shook as I raised it to knock, but the door swung open before I had the chance. Unsure of what to do, I hesitated before lifting one foot and uncertainly placing it on the floor inside. 3

"Welcome, Ardemis," he said behind me. I turned around, shocked at what he had just called me. No one knew my real name; I went by Demi.4

"Hi," I stammered. "I, um, I got your letter."5

The man nodded smartly, and a thin smile crossed his lips. He raised a hand to indicate a chair in the middle of the room. "Please sit," he said.6

I made my way to the chair and sat down, the deep purple velevt soft against my trembling hands. I didn't say anything until he spoke again. "So, Ardemis," he began, "tell me; Do you know why you are here?"7

"You asked me to come," I answered. 8

"Yes. I did. Do you know why?"9

"No," I said truthfully. 10

He looked rather amused, but upset at the same time. "Let's start small then. Do you know why your mother named you Ardemis?"11

This was something I had always wondered, but had never had the heart to ask to my mother. I shook my head, and the man looked more upset than he had a moment before. 12

"Have you never wondered?" he thundered. "Have you never questioned your existance, why you lived the day that your parents were brutally murdered? What have they been telling you all these years?"13

His sudden anger forced me deep into my chair. What was he talking about? What did he mean that my parents had been murdered, when they were both home in bed? I asked him, my voice low and high-pitched.14

He looked as confused as I felt. "Ardemis, your parents died years ago, when you were very young. They had stakes driven through their hearts because they were vampires. But you, you were spared because you are prophesized to go on to do great things. You are supposed to be a very powerful vampire. Those men who killed your parents want to get to you; they want to use you power. And this is why you are here. I have been assigned by the Society to watch over you, to guide you in your training as a vampire."15

I stared in disbelief, wondering what he was talking about. This was impossible. Me, a vampire? Vampires didn't even exist. Did they? 16

"I know it's a lot to throw at you at once, but time is limited. You need to know now. You must learn to use your power now." He spoke softly, and I knew he was telling me the truth, no matter how far-fetched it seemed. I nodded slowly to show him that I understood. 17

"Good," he said, and he sat back in his chair. "Now that you understand, you can begin your training." The man shifted in his chair, making himself more comfortable, obviously preparing for a long story. So I was surprised when he spoke only four words; "The story has begun."18

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He held the door open after telling me that the story had begun, and although I didn't know what he meant, I didn't ask. 20

"Good night, Ardemis," he said, and I turned around, but the door had already been closed. I set forth on the walk home, thinking about all that had happened in the past half hour.21

There were no lights on in the house when I returned. That was good; no one could ask questions. I tip-toed upstairs to my room and slipped into bed, smiled, and fell asleep immediately. 22

Five hours later my alarm woke me up. I was tired, but I got up enthusiastically. Today was the day my training would begin. 23

The previous night, before I had left, the man had instructed me to tell my parents I would be going to the library to study afterschool. They would not suspect that I would really be at his house the whole time. The plan was perfect, yet almost promised to go wrong.24

My heart pounded in my throat for the rest of the morning and the afternoon until I reached the man's front door, which again opened before I had the chance to knock.25

"Welcome, Ardemis," he said warmly, allowing me to enter the house. "Now let's go to the library. As I said last night, time is limited." He led me to a large room lined with mammoth book shelves, and I looked around in awe.26

He smiled down at me. "You have much to study," he said.27

"I have to read all of these?" I asked incredulously. 28

The man laughed. "No, not all of them, although I do recommend reading as many as you can. Only about twenty of these are necessary." He glided gracefully to a far shelf that was covered with thick, gray dust and removed two volumes.29

I took the books from him, their sudden weight pulling me down. "So I read these?"30

"Not only do you read them, you memorize them," he smiled. "These two books are the most important to any vampire's power. If you do not know these books, you have no hope of moving forward with the rest of your training. Do you understand?"31

I nodded and assured him I understood. Then, he led me back towards the front door, opened it, and told me to read both books and come back the next week. He opened the door and saw me out, then closed it, and I began the long walk home weighed down with books. 32

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Reading the two books proved more difficult than I had thought it would be. They were old and the black ink had faded to a dull gray, which I could barely make out on the cream-colored, worn pages. But I continued to read, to learn, and to memorize. I would not give up; the man had faith in me, and that gave me faith in myself.34

I moved through the books slowly, but progressed nonetheless. When I finished the first book, I moved on to the second, which was just as difficult to read and was made even more difficult by my parents.35

"Demi, what are you doing?" they asked. "What class is that book for, and why are you studying it so closely?"36

I looked up, unsure of what to say. "It's for History," I lied. "Mr. Bradshaw wants us to read it, so that we can understand history better. This kind of stuff isn't in our textbook."37

My mother and father exchanged glances, but they seemed to believe me because they didn't ask any more questions. However, they did begin keeping a closer eye on me, so I slowed down with my memorization of the book. But somehow I still made my deadline, and I was ready to return to the man's house the next week. And yet, I was still not ready for what he had in store for me once I entered the house.38