• Chapter 1

    “Come on, man,” begged Trevor for like, the millionth time since we left school. “Dude, I already told you, I can’t go with you to the fair. I’m grounded,” I told him for the (like I said) millionth time. “Please, Adam! Amanda Schwinn and Rebecca Anderson are going to be there!” “For the millionth time no!” God, he was a pain. “Hey Adam,” he said as he stepped in front of me. “What Trevor?!” I said starting to get really annoyed. “Amy Rhodes is going to be there,” he told me grinning. Oh man. I’ve had a crush on Amy since we were in first grade. Now we were juniors and I still hadn’t said anything to her. This could be my only chance.
    “Fine!! I’ll go with you. Just don’t tell my parents!” I told him. He whooped. I walked around him. “Dude, you are my hero! My parents said I couldn’t go unless someone went with me and I really want to ask Amanda out,” he babbled when he finally caught up to me. Please make him stop talking, I thought. Trevor and I have been best friends since second grade. His parents and my parents work together so we are always at each other’s houses. Trevor knows everything about me and I know everything about him. So he knows about my ginormous crush on Amy. He always teases me about that.
    He always tells me that I’m hot enough for her. The first time he told me that I actually considered him to be gay, but then he asked this chic Jennifer out so that knocked that thought out. I guess I’m okay looking. I have reddish-brown hair that needs to be cut and I am really muscular. I have to be since I am on the football team. I have really, really blue eyes and sometimes I catch girls staring at them. I snapped back to reality when I almost fell off the curb.
    “Are you going to football tryouts on Friday?” I asked Trevor when he finally stopped talking. “Yep. Are you?” he told me. “Yeah, I’m going to be fullback again,” I kicked a tiny rock down the street. “That sounds cool. I’m gonna be halfback again,” Wow what a shocker. Trevor has been Lincoln’s star halfback since freshman year. I’ve been on the football team since freshman year too. I’m a fullback. I’m not the best on the team but I’m pretty good. “Nice. Well here we are,” I said as both of us walked up to my house. “What are you going to tell your parents?” Trevor whispered to me as we walked up the steps. “Just follow my lead,” I whispered back.
    “Mom? Dad? I’m home!” I yelled when I opened the door. “Adam?” That was Mom. “I’m in the kitchen!” Trevor and I walked into the kitchen. “Oh! Trevor! What a nice, uh, surprise,” she said with a huge, fake smile. Don’t get me wrong, Mom likes Trevor, she just finds him, what’s the word, different.
    “Hey Mom?” I said as I pulled stuff out from the cupboard to make a couple sandwiches. “Hey what?” she said putting her book down. “Can I go over to Trevor’s and study?” “Study?” She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “Yeah, we have a HUGE exam in English. Huh, Trevor?” I turned to him and made a face that said, you had better say yes, you turd. “Yep. It’s the one we have to get an eighty-five on or we fail the class for the semester,” he said smoothly. Holy crap! Did I just hear what I thought I heard? That was the best lie probably ever recorded! Mom looked a little shocked too but I guess we pulled it off pretty good because she said, “Well okay then just be back no later than eleven.” “Thanks!” I yelled over my shoulder as I shoved the sandwiches into my bag. “Bye!” Trevor yelled.
    “You are a GENIOUS!” I told Trevor when we were safely down the street. “I have to be. I lie to my parents all the time,” he said with a smile. We walked the four blocks to the fair grounds and paid for our tickets. “What do you want to do first?” Trevor asked me. “Roller coaster?” I looked at him. “Onto the roller coaster, my comrade!” I said.
    We walked to the huge roller right in the middle of the park. Finally after what seemed like hours, we got to our seats. We got the very back. “Oh man. Alex look who’s getting on!” Trevor pointed to the entrance gates. Oh no. It was Amy and her friends.
    Then for some reason, like someone was pulling my attention away, I looked behind Amy. Then I saw her. She was the most beautiful thing have ever seen. She had long, beautiful legs, half-covered in cut-offs, that walked so gracefully I thought she was an angel. She probably was. Her skin was as pale as a full moon but so much more beautiful. She had a gorgeous heart-shaped face with absolutely brilliant green eyes and full lips. Her hair was amazing. It was a dark brown with lighter browns streaked through it. I started to feel light-headed and realized I was breathing. I took a deep breath.
    As if she heard me, the angel turned and looked deep into my eyes. Then something strange happened. I felt as if someone had lit a wildfire in my chest. It hurt, but still felt good. It seemed to leak into my veins and pulse through my whole body. I felt the fire seep into my fingers and toes. Then the fire seemed to burn more and it started to hurt. I felt a hard pull; like if someone pulled on my heart. I felt this over-whelming need to touch her. Touch her face, touch her hair, and touch her body.
    Then I realized that not even five seconds had passed. I was still looking into her eyes. Then she turned around and walked through the exit. Then as if I had been electrocuted, I jumped in my seat. “Whoa, man,” Trevor’s voice sounded muffled. “I, uh, I gotta go,” I said quickly not taking my eyes off of the exit. I jumped off the roller coaster and practically sprinted to the door.
    I flew out. Where was she? I saw her by the corner of the building. She was staring at me. When she met my gaze, she smiled. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. She lifted one finger and motioned for me to follow her. I couldn’t feel my feet but I guess I was moving because I got closer to the corner. She turned and walked away. “Wait!” I managed to call. The fire was pulsing through my body again. It was hurting more and more.
    I saw her go behind a deserted building. I followed. Once I got behind the building, I stopped. She was right there. She looked up at me from where she was sitting. She motioned for me to sit next to her. Once I sat down, the pain from the fire was almost unbearable. I cringed and wrapped my arms around myself. I was started crying. I felt her put her arms around me. She was very cold. It felt good.
    She put her lips to my ear. “Adam? Look at me,” she whispered. I felt the coolness of her breath. I turned my head towards her. Tears were streaming down my face. She put her ice-cold fingers on my cheek. It felt so good. I closed my eyes. I heard her whisper, “Adam, I can make the pain go away,” I heard myself moan. I think I nodded. “First you need to say my name,” she whispered again. “Elizabeth,” I muttered. I have no idea how I knew that but I wasn’t really thinking straight so, whatever.
    Her lips were at my ear again. “Adam, what I am going to do will hurt at first and the fire will burn. But it will go away. You mustn’t make a sound, okay?” I nodded again; I just wanted the fire gone!
    “First we must go somewhere else. I can’t do it here,” Elizabeth whispered again. “No,” I whimpered. “It hurts so much! Please make it go away,” I started sobbing; the fire started burning worse. “Shhh. We won’t be long,” she said as I felt her pick me up. What the hell? How was she picking me up? I was easily 160 pounds. Right then the fire flared up. I moaned. “Shhh,” Elizabeth whispered again.
    Then it felt like I was flying. Like literally flying. I could feel the cold air whooshing around me. It felt absolutely wonderful. My eyes were still closed. I was afraid if I opened them, the fire might melt me from the inside.
    Then we stopped. I tried to figure out where we were. I still didn’t open my eyes, though. I couldn’t hear anything and it was kind of cold. (Not that I complained.) It smelled extraordinary, like a mixture of flowers’ perfume, sugar, and honey. I loved it. Every time I gulped it in, the fire subsided for half a second. Then it would come back twice as worse.
    I felt like my heart was going to burn a hole through my chest. I moaned; this time louder and with more pain. I felt Elizabeth put me down on something soft, but I didn’t notice. I was in the worst pain you could possibly have. I felt like there were hundreds of fireworks going off throughout my whole body. I started crying again. I felt Elizabeth walk away. I reached out for her. “No! Don’t leave me.” I cried. I felt her back immediately. “Don’t worry, my love. I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered to me. “Make it go away, please!!” I begged her. “Of course, my Adam. Do not move or make a sound,”
    I felt her move my head to the side. She traced her fingers down my neck. I shivered. Then I felt her sweet breath on my neck. She opened her mouth and bit. I felt her teeth pierce my skin. I couldn’t help myself, I screamed. I felt her suck and suck and then suck harder. The fire was burning me; I could feel it. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. Elizabeth was gripping my shoulders holding me tight. She kept sucking. “Stop! Stop!” I yelled. She gripped me tighter and moaned with pleasure.
    Then something happened. I felt a sudden rush inside of me. It felt like pure gold. The fire was gone immediately. I felt pure joy. Elizabeth kept sucking. I moaned with pleasure as well. I pulled her closer. “More, more,” I said to her. She obeyed. More of the pure pleasure flowed through me. My whole body loved it. I pushed myself as close to her as I could. She sucked harder. My heart was beating frantically. She moaned and so did I. “Elizabeth,” I whispered.
    She pulled away and climbed on top of me. Her eyes were shining. I smiled. She kissed me, HARD. I kissed back with as much force as I could. She bit my lip. I moaned. No blood came out. “Bite me again,” I whispered.
    What was going on with me? I didn’t feel like my old self. It was like I was an entirely different person. I have always been shy around girls and I have never felt this way about a girl; not even Amy.
    I want her to bite me and send the golden pleasure and bite me. I wanted to feel her perfect teeth pierce through my skin and drink my blood. I wanted to feel her spread the joy through my entire body.
    She leaned down and kissed me again. Then I felt her bite again. Then again. No blood came out. She sat up. I saw horror in her eyes. “What’s wrong Elizabeth?” I said as I sat up. “I…I…I,” she whispered. “What?” I asked. “I...I can’t get any more blood out of you,” she said looking me in the eyes. “There’s nothing there,” I looked at her puzzled. She put her hand on my chest. “Your heart isn’t beating,” she whispered.
    All of a sudden she yanked my arm. We walked towards a huge metal door I had no idea was there. She pulled me to her and wrapped her arms around my waist. “I’m so sorry, my Adam,” she whispered. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her beautiful hair. We stood there for what seemed like centuries. Then she lifted her head and looked deep into my eyes, and I in hers.
    “We have to go talk to someone,” she pulled my hand and unbolted the door. We started walking through a long, dark hallway. I wrapped my arm around her waist. I should have been thinking that two hours ago, I didn’t even know Elizabeth existed and I was about to get on a roller coaster with my best friend. Instead, I was thinking about my Elizabeth. I was thinking about her beautiful hair. I was thinking about her beautiful eyes. I was thinking about just her.

    Chapter 2
    Right at that moment I didn’t realize what was happening to my body. My body was changing. I should’ve noticed my muscles growing and my skin turning pale. I should’ve noticed my movements becoming more graceful. But I didn’t notice any of these things.
    Elizabeth pulled me into a large, dark room. The only light was coming from hundreds of candles lit along the walls of the room. Suddenly I realized that I could smell everything. I could smell the wax coming from the candles. I could also smell the smoke coming from them also. I could also smell other things. I could smell dust and mold. I could also smell like an earthy smell, like a mixture of wet dirt and grass.
    Then I realized Elizabeth was staring at me. “What’s wrong?” I asked her. I realized that my face was in udder shock. I thought I heard her murmur, “Oh no,” under her breath.
    “Elizabeth?” came an old-sounding voice. “Is that you, darling?” Elizabeth mouthed the words I love you, my Adam. I mouthed back I love you, my Elizabeth. “Yes it’s me, Grandfather,” she said not taking her eyes off me. “Who is with you, Elizabeth?” I saw something flash in her eyes. “Well, uh, that’s why I am here, Grandfather,” she said taking my hand. She walked me over to a large chair with it’s back to us.
    “Oh, my darling Elizabeth. You have found your Heart,” I heard her grandfather whisper. “Come here child. Let me see the work you have done.” Elizabeth lightly pulled me over to the other side of the chair. Her grandfather was wearing a black cloak and black silky pants. He had small eyes almost hidden under half-rimed glasses. He had gray hair that went down to his shoulders along with a beard. He almost looked like a bulldog I saw once, covered in wrinkles.
    He motioned for us to sit on the floor in front of him. I sat and crossed my legs. Elizabeth sat next to me and twined her fingers through mine. I squeezed her hand.
    “You two have a very strong connection,” her grandfather said. I jumped a little. He smiled. “I knew I would find you walking in here one day with you hand intertwined with someone,” he said to Elizabeth. She smiled, looking down. He turned toward me. “Tell me your name, son,” “I’m Adam,” I replied quietly. “Well Adam, you are in for a long and maybe painful journey.” He scooted back in his chair. “You are going to change very dramatically,” he said, “very quickly.”
    He looked at me with serious eyes. Elizabeth squeezed my hand. “What did you feel when you first saw Elizabeth?” He motioned in Elizabeth’s direction. “Um, well, once I got close enough, it felt like I was being burned from the inside,” I said, remembering. Her grandfather nodded. “Just as I thought. This rarely happens. EVER. What happened to you was Elizabeth’s fire-shine. Fire-shine is the power that female vampires have deep in their souls,” he told me. “Males have moon-shine. The females’ fire-shine only becomes active when their One is within a short distance of them.”
    I was dead silent. Now I can see what he was talking about. I turned to Elizabeth. “Did you feel anything when your fire-shine erupted?” I asked her. “Well,” she said, “I was about to step on the rollercoaster when I felt this tingle in my chest. Then it started getting warmer and warmer. It felt good.” She looked up at her grandfather. “And then it felt like I wasn’t in control of my body anymore. I looked up and I saw Adam staring at me. Once I looked at him the warmth started getting hotter.” She looked at her hands. “I knew that I needed to put the fire out by…drinking his blood.” She winced and so did I. “So you had him follow you and then you brought him here,” her grandfather finished for her. “Yes. I didn’t even know we had that room,” Elizabeth told him. He nodded. “We have that room under a spell that makes it invisible until you have had your fire or moon-shine erupt,” he told us very sternly.
    Then he turned towards me. “Adam, you are not the same anymore. You have changed very dramatically. You are not human anymore. You are now a vampire.”

    Chapter 3
    “What?” I said totally confused. “You are now a vampire. Just like Elizabeth and myself,” Elizabeth’s grandfather said softly. I turned to Elizabeth. She had her head down with her eyes closed. I looked back at her grandfather. “How?” I whispered.
    Her grandfather looked me in the eyes. “Once a fire-shine has been shone into a human, the shine causes the body to prepare for its blood to be gone,” he said. He leaned forward towards me. “You see, the fire-shine will turn into a silver, or gold if it is very strong, liquid that will replace your blood for a few weeks, while your body finishes changing,” he leaned back again. I shot another glance at Elizabeth. She still hadn’t moved. I squeezed her hand.
    “Once your body has stopped changing, blood lust will be upon you very strongly for exactly three days. During that time you will not sleep; you will just loose control and hunt for those three days,” he told me straight to my face. This was serious.
    Suddenly Elizabeth’s face shot up. I jumped a little. “Grandfather, was it the fire-shine that made, um, drinking Adam’s…blood,” she shuddered, “pleasurable?” Her grandfather looked at her confused. “It was pleasurable?” he asked. “Yes,” we both said at the same time. We looked at each other. “It felt like…like…oh man I can’t even describe it. It just felt amazing,” I told him.
    He looked at us like we were crazy. “What’s wrong Grandfather?” Elizabeth asked, sounding worried. “That is strange,” he said. “No one in the history of vampire history has ever found changing someone with fire or moon shine enjoyable,” he said the last word with disgust. “What do you mean?” I asked.