ZONEVILLE PART II:The rage

Back to point 1

"We can't let him do that!!!" Said Brook really alarmed, I get more certain that she likes him by the second.

Morning started with a lump in my throat, my conversation of last night with Jeremy brought good and bad news. The good news are that Jeremy doesn't want to be part of the council thank god!! I mean they are just 5 members fighting against vampires, c’mon!! One vampire can bit them all together, so I'm happy he doesn't want to be their next meal. I'm being shellfish I know but I don't care they have taken enough from me already, and the bad news is that he wants to talk to them…I can't allow that to happen cause at the moment they see him they will tell him everything and he'll go ballistic I'm not taking that risk, no freaking way.

Brook, Jenny and I were talking about it while having breakfast, Jeremy was still in bed and he better remain there for today...I have to thank him from drinking that much last night, at least that hangover won't allow him to go anywhere today.

"We still have to go see my gram's...the three of us" said Jenny. Oops I almost forgot about that.

"What are we going to do?" Said Brook

"I don't think he's getting out of bed today and if he does visiting the council won’t be the first thing he'll do"

"If we go now we'll be here earlier" said Jenny but Brook didn't agree "I don't think we should leave him alone..." she said Hhmm...Brook is giving me chills, does she like him that much? Let's leave her here then...I don't want her to carry that worried face around me all day or I'll get worried too.

"You stay" I said and she looked at me very shocked "we have to go, we can tell you everything later, stay and take care of him. Don't let him get out of the house"

"Are you sure?" She said, still didn't believe it

"Yep...stay, Jenny and I will go and don’t let anybody in"

Finally we all agreed in what we would do and Jenny and I got ready to go.

I showed Brook where the medicines where in case he needed something and we left.

Jenny and I got in my car and I drove towards her grams. In the car we started talking about what to do to prevent Jeremy from meeting the council. Things like a little trip out of town for a while I even thought about leaving Zoneville for good...there isn't anything left for us in here.

The red flags disappeared from the windows and doors of the houses, the awakening day ended already so there was no need for them to have them up.

We passed through those weird trees and it gave me the chills again, the crazy thing was that Jenny too felt something, maybe we were being followed.

I was glad I wasn't alone...I don't understand how I manage to always have a problem with my car in this area when I'm on my own. Spooky.

Once in town we saw people playing around and laughing as if nothing happened. That disturbed me a little too much. I couldn't understand that. Yesterday one of the most known women if not important of this town had her last goodbye to the people she so much protected and they already were having fun...I was glad Jeremy was asleep I don't think he would like watching these, cause I didn't.

"C'mon Gabrielle...people has to move on otherwise we'd be stucked in sadness all the time. This is been happening for decades...don't be sad"

I didn't like admitting it but she was right, this people have faced the lost of their brothers, sinsters, parents and friends for a long time now, is not fair for me to claim they don't care cause they do....

I understand... when daddy died I cried once and never cried again till I came here. And with mum well, you know my burden but I don't wanna cry. To cry makes me feel vulnerable and I need to be strong. I need to be strong if I want to protect Jeremy.

We finally parked the car in front of Jenny's grams house. We walked up to the door and we knocked.

"C'mon in is open" Jenny's grams said from inside the house, that shocked me a lot.

"How can she just invite people in like that we could be vampires"

"Oh relax she knows is us"

"How do you know that?" I was getting annoyed...people shouldn't invite estrangers in their homes as if everybody was un buen samaritano.

Jenny made me turn around and look at the right side of the house, there was a small window from where Jenny's grams was looking at us...I felt a bit silly after that but what can I do? I'm concerned.

We got in the house and as I walked in, I started to feel dizzy...deja vu again, there was something about this house...

"Have I ever been in this house Jenny?"

"No that I know, why?"

"Then Gabriella's been here"

"What! Your ancestor? The one that looks like you?"

"Yes Jenny Gabriella"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, she is" said Jenny's grams that was now behind us...spooky.

"Welcome Gabrielle, I'm Penelope. Now come in girls we have too much to talk about" we followed her into the living room...yeah now I was 100% sure that Gabriella's been here before it looks like it hasn't changed much and that smell...where is it coming from?

"What's with that smell?" I asked intrigued, it was like lilac and wet wood but something made my stomach retorcerse. Penelope smiled at me and sat down.

"Is the smell of what you are going to drink" huh??  

She told us to sit down and then she took a huge old book that was underneath her couch and put it on the table.

"Wow grams what is that?"

"Is our familiy's diary" huh? Family diary? And she continued "as you know in our family being witch is not for everybody...we don't know how it started but it's said that our powers jump a generation that's why my daughter doesn't know about magic but my granddaughter does. Our witches ancestors have been writting in this book important spells and information to keep future witches posted...you know there's no better spell than the ones they used in the old days. But they didn't just put that kind of information down, they sometimes wrote on a daily basis explaining what was going on in Zoneville"

"Woow" Jenny and I said at once

"Yes, that's what I said too, you'll be able to know what really was happening in here without any editing. Just our family members, our witches family members know about this book"

"Then why are you telling me this...?"

"Cause you play a really important part in it Gabrielle. The first time I saw you when you came here looking for Jenny I felt like I knew you from somewhere" Penelope started looking through the book, page for page till she stopped in a page that had a painting on it, and then she continued talking "here you are" she showed us the painting and I couldn't believe it, there she was...Gabriella.

"Our ancestors knew each other" said Jenny amazed with a smile that covered her whole face.

"Yes they did"

"Is that why you told me to trust her grams?"

"Let me explain..." She passed through a few more pages before Gabriella's picture apeared "here it is...the first entrance about Gabriella that Peny Anne did...Penny Anne is the witch who made the potion for Mr Christopher Martyr" O.M.G!! Is that possible?

"We are all linked" said Jenny, her eyes opened like a buho's.

"So...does this mean you know about..."

"Vampires? Yes I do and so well that I know you are dating one, the same one Gabriella dated to be exact"

"I'm not with him anymore"

"Why?" She said surprised. I don't understand this, hello VAMPIRE?? Why would she want me to be with him?

"Long story"

"You are gonna have to trust me too Gabrielle. Everything will be ok if we stick together" she's all the time saying that sentence but she ain't explaining why.

"Ok then, let me first tell you what I know about your past cause you are Gabriella, different mind, different persona but still...you are her. I'm pretty sure you've been having your old memories back and my granddaughter told me that when she tried to read your past she couldn't"

"That's what I don't get" Jenny interrupted "if she's still Gabriella why couldn't I read her hand?"

"It doesn't work like that honey...she shouldn't even remember anything of her past. This kind of things rarerly occure, but when they do you need to pay attention and be careful" I'm getting scared now...let's hear another side of the story. 

"The first time Penny Anne saw Gabriella was by Christopher's hand. She knew him and Leonard since they were kids but lately she felt something was strange, they weren't normal people anymore and she was concerned about Gabriella's safety as she knew the McGraw's family and respected them. Every now and then she used to check on Gabriella, she feared she would become what Christopher was...a vampire. Even thou she knew Christopher was a vampire too she was still looking after him. Gabriella seemed in love and Christopher too, he never did anything wrong, never hurt anybody, strange for a vampire but true. Penny followed him a few times to see him feed from animals, he noticed that one day and they confronted each other. Nothing bad happened, he explained and she understood but she never left Gabriella off guard. Later on things got messed up, Leonard the rebel came back and he won Gabriella's heart making Christopher misserable" and there she stopped talking, why did she stop talking?

"What happened next?" Said Jenny intrigued as I was.

"She'll have to see it for herself" said Penelope and went to the kitchen. Jenny and I looked at each other wondering what she meant by that.

After a few minutes she came back with a mug, she walked up to me and offered it to me, to drink.

I looked at it with a bit of disgust, it didn't smell nice.

Jenny was looking at me with enourmus eyes; she wanted me to drink it...meanwhile Penelope was still with her arms streched waiting for me to take the mug.

I finally took it and after a few seconds of doubting if to drink it or not I took a zip.

Jenny was still looking at me and Penelope sat back again on her seat, she was looking at me as well but not like Jenny, it looked as if she was waiting for something to happen.

Jenny asked me a few times if I was ok which was starting to tire me up. I was feeling ok, nothing new happened, nothing changed...and then suddenly I felt light headed, the room was moving around and around, I felt dizzy, I tried to reach the back seat so I could lie my back on it and I finally closed my eyes.

I hate when this happens...are you telling me that I'm dreaming again? So this is what she meant...I'm gonna have to see it for myself, nah...not good.

*********************************************************************

I woke up in the woods and I wasn’t pleased by it. The woods felt different, scarier. Why was I so scared? This ain’t real right? As I stood up I realized that I was wearing a period dress again *sigh* what is all this about… I started walking; strangely enough I knew where I was going so I walked. Something felt really strange and without realising it, I was running. I could feel something behind me so I run faster. I could finally see the light ahead me in between the trees, I was almost out but I heard my name and that made me stop. Somebody called my name. Hold on... did I hear my name? I kept running and when I was almost out I tripped and fell.

I needed to calm myself down a little. This is just a dream I told to myself. I just drank that awful tea at Penelope’s house…I’m just dreaming. As I stood up again I saw blood in my dress, is this blood? I had a wound on the palm of my hand, am I really bleeding? How is this possible? I wanted to taste it to see if it was for real but I couldn't, instead I stood up and started walking. How could this be real blood, this ain’t real but it surely smelled like it. I heard my name again, I looked around but I couldn't see anything. My heart was racing, what was going on?

“Did you just come from the woods?” that voice…I turned around and there he was as gorgeous as always

“Didn’t you hear me last time? I thought I told you not to walk alone and less in the woods” He said with a soft tone, it reminded me of the way he used to talk to the history teacher, but I don’t get this picture, why is he talking to me? I’m obviously in the past but why is he acknowledging me?

“Gabriella, are you listening to me?” oh please tell me he didn’t just call me Gabriella. while I was trying to figure out what was going on he’s expression darkened, he looked frustrated.

“Blood” he said and I remembered, I’m bleeding, he’s a vampire, my mind screamed DANGER! But my body was comfortable. He ripped his shirt and with a peace of fabric he cleaned the blood on my hand.

“You need to be more careful Gabriella” His expression became brighter “your hands are too precious” he said and continued cleaning my hand. My heart was racing and it was so weird to have him touching me again after I told him yesterday that I didn’t want to see him again. But of course, the Christopher that is standing before me doesn’t know about what I said to him or what I’ll say to him…you know what I mean.

He turned my hand around and his expression darkened again, I was looking at his face all the time and when I saw that dark expression I wondered what was wrong, I looked at my hand and O.M.G!!! There was a ring on my finger; a big bright diamond was blinding me. He then let go of my hand.

“Let’s go Miss McGraw, I’ll take you home” Miss McGraw did he say? Hold up, Gabriella McGraw? Darn it!!! Am I playing Gabriella? Shit, shit, shit!!! Am I actually here? It can be, can it?

“Mr Martyr?” I said with a moking tone. Did I just call him by his surname?

“Yes?” He looked at me with a frown and then his eyes brightened a little.

"I know this is difficult for you to acomplish but I'd like to plead you one more time, I would very much enjoy the night if you could be there tonight" what the heck am I talking about? "Miss McGraw" he said with a sweet voice "stop calling me by my family name Christopher, I'm no estranger to you" wow I look angry.

"Miss..Gabriella, *sigh* I don't even know how can I still be next to you right now while knowing you will announce your engagment in a few hours" MY WHAT!! I thought, and what I said was “you know you will always be in my heart but you must accept my decision, I know I'm being selfish but you mean a lot to me. I need you there tonight” I said with a tone that obviously a lady like me shouldn't have and then i got dizzy.

“Are you not feeling well? If that’s the case you should delay tonight’s announcement” he said with a cheecky smile

“You wish” said another voice coming from behind us; I turned around to see Leonard with frown. As soon as they caught each others eyes I could see the sparks coming from them. It felt as if they were about to fight. After a few seconds Leonard’s eyes fell on me.

“My lady” he said and kissed my hand *sigh* this is intense.

“You can leave now cousin, I’ll take my future wife from here” said Leonard emphasising on WIFE, Christopher gave him a last glance before leaving without even saying goodbye; it really hurt me to see him like that.This was killing him, I could see it clearly and I could feel it…so I'm about to announce my engagement to Leonard? But why do I feel like this? I feel happy to be with him and at the same time my heart is aching.

“My lady, Is everything all right? I heard my cousin saying that you are not feeling well” I didn't answer him, at this moment in time I couldn't make out what was happening, I thought this was going to be like one of my dreams, I was supposed to just observe not to feel but I can't control this body, it looks like I'll have to go with the flow… but why do I feel like this? Every step away from me that Christopher takes is making my heart ache and at the same time Leonards touch makes me certain that I love him.
Leonard so different than the one I know; he still has this bad boy aura but he’s so sweet and considered.

“My lady, we need to go. You wouldn’t like to be late for our engagement” I suddenly snapped out of it, engagement? Tonight, is tonight! Gabriella dies tonight I die tonight.

**********************************************************************************

"Grams, do you think she's ok?" Said Jenny while looking at Gabrille's uncomfortable body still lying on the sofa of her grams house.

"She must be, we just need to wait"

*********************************************************************************

There's not much difference from how the town looked before as to how it looks now or how it will look. The houses are still the same and the atmostphere too.

While walking by the hand of Leonard I could feel loads of eyes on me, it felt like back in highschool all those glances on the first day.

In town kids playing around, merchants on the street, red flagsssss, red flags!!! "Somebody else has been attacked" I said without me wanting to, I really have no control of this body and what it says.

"Yes my lady, but don't you worry about that. There must be some animal around" said Leonard very calm

"But this is the 3rd victim Leo, are you sure is just an animal" I said and his expression darkened "is there something wrong?" I asked and then he looked at me with a sad expression. "Is the first time that you call me Leo, mother used to call me like that" he said. Darn it!!! Gabriella shouldn’t have said anything but surprisingly he asked me to call him like that more often. I couldn’t help by smile and not because it was Gabriella’s body but because I felt like it.

The rest of the day I spend it with my parents, it was wonderful to be able to feel the warmth of a family again, a big family because I had cousins, uncles and aunties around me the whole day. And especially what made me happier was to have somebody to call mum even thou for a while I was treated as Gabriella and she was loved by everyone.

The night came and I was in my room resting for a bit before the ceremony started. I was so comfortable in that bed that I even forgot where I was but after a few minutes I suddenly woke up and started walking out my room and out the house. I didn’t know where I was going but my body did. It felt as if I perfectly knew where I was going and I felt anxious, I started to run trying to hide from the citizen’s eyes till I arrived to the woods. Why was I here? I’ve been told not to come here, what am I doing here? I kept walking till I arrived to an abandoned house, I was hiding from something while walking forward, but what was it? And then I saw it, something I could’ve never imagined. There kneeling over a dear was Christopher feeding from it. I wasn’t even scared; I could feel my body walking forward while my mind was screaming to get out of there. But I just sat down at a corner of the house and I watched him feed as if nothing important was happening.

*********************************************************************

Renzo was sat on the sofa in the living room, something was bothering him. Usually you wouldn’t even notice that he’s in the same room as you but now even the twins were irritated by him. Something was in his mind and he didn’t like it at all. 

*********************************************************************

After I got home I got ready and I was walking through a long corridor, I was wearing a beautiful dress, I never thought I could look so good, I can tell that being in the 17^th century is my thing. Music…I hear music so I walk towards it. It becomes louder and I can hear people talking and laughing too.

On my way I catch my reflection in the mirror and I stop to look at it. I look beautiful and then I see my medallion, I smile at the thought of having it around my neck, it was an important present and it had to be with me at all time, it was special. 

I kept walking and finally found the place where the music and voices were coming from…it was a ball dance. Wow I'm having a big déjà vu in this dream like reality. People turned to look at me when I came in, I received a lot of smiles and praising comments, I felt really happy, tonight was going to be a special night.

I walked towards an old man that hugged me and kissed my cheek when he saw me.

“Thank you very much for allowing us to use your home for our celebration” I said to him

“It’s an honour Miss McGraw; you well know that he’s like a son to me” he said with a huge smile, O.M.G I'm talking to Christopher’s father…my mouth just kept moving.

“Leonard’s not here yet and I can’t find Christopher either”

“He must be on his way, not to worry” I smiled at him, lowered my head in reverence and walked away, away from the room, away from the noise and into…huh oh! This room again. I know where I am, it’s gonna happen here. I tried to run away but my legs wouldn’t move towards the door, instead I walked towards my dressing table and started making myself look prettier.

I shivered suddenly, something was about to happen. I heard a scream from one of the rooms and I ran towards it to take a quick look. I saw one of my guards being attacked by something, I gasped but I couldn't move. Then my eyes met its red eyes and I screamed as that thing snapped the head of the guard and flew across the hall, through the door and into my room.

Its red eyes focused on me, Leonard? my body didn't seem to recognize him at first but then it did...his glance focused on my neck? On my medallion. "Gabriella" he said and then he showed his canine teeth at me furiously. I could hear people knocking on my door but I wasn't screaming anymore.

“Leonard, I know what you are and I don’t care, I know that you don’t want to do this” He stood still for a while looking into my eyes, I thought he calmed down but he walked towards me so fast that it was a blur, in no second he was in front of me, ripped my medallion from its chain, opened his mouth and yanked his teeth in my neck. I screamed as pain was running through my body, I felt as if I was being stabbed a hundred times, tears were pouring off my eyes, my lips were burning.

“Leonard, Leo, Leo” I said again and again but he didn’t let me go. I couldn’t handle the pain anymore “Leo” I said one last time.

I woke up screaming at Penelope’s house, I looked around to make sure I was there and alive. Jenny was looking at me really shocked and I felt like I was about to pass out again.

“Are you ok?” said Penelope and I quickly checked my neck. I found nothing.

“Calm down, breathe…whatever you saw, whatever happened wasn’t real” she kept saying. “I thought I was supposed to just watch” I said really hyper “what do you mean?” said Jenny “I could feel everything!! The pain, the love, the pain!!!! I was dying”  “no you weren’t, Gabriella was” said Penelope “yeah, but that didn’t prevent me from feeling her pain as my own pain, I was there. It was not as my usual dreams, I was Gabriella, feeling, talking. I was just seeing things happening with no control of my body, like watching a movie but being there in the movie”

“Have you found anything out?” said Jenny

“Yes. She knew what they were”

“What?” said Penelope and Jenny.

“She knew they were vampires and she just hung out with them, what a stupid thing to do”

“Gabrielle, you are her” said Jenny which annoyed me a lot.

“I'm nothing like her, I’ve learned a lot with what I’ve seen today. She trusted in them, she loved them but they never told her the truth. They always bragged about how much they were suffering and how much they loved her but they were risking her life having her so close. I saw it all, she pleaded. I pleaded and pleaded for him to let me go but he didn't.

“He was under a spell Gabr..”

“No!!” I interrupted Penelope “I don’t want to hear that. Jenny you said that my déjà vu’s were trying to tell me something right? Well here it is, if I don’t stay away from them I will end up like Gabriella and I’m telling you right now that there’s no way I'm letting that happen to me again”

TO BE CONTINUED…..

ZONEVILLE PART II:The rage

Jeremy’s pain



01/09/1990 

We are now in California, is so hot in here so nice and so big. You can't compare it to Zoneville, people here don't look scared all the time they just enjoy life. As I said before, dad stayed cause he took over mum's place in the council. Our last day there, he had a chat with the 3 of us, but then he called Meredith aside and they spent a long time in the office with closed doors. I don't know what they talked about but when Meredith came out, she was as pale as a corpse.

After Christopher left and Jenny went downstairs, I started reading again. I wanted to know how much she knew about vampires so I could too be prepared...and I wanted to know about me. I'm sure she wrote about me, somewhere in here and I wanted to know how she felt when she found out about me. This is the only connection I have with her, the only way I can try to know her cause I never wanted before.

Today I saw her for the last time and the pain was and still is scruciating. I really miss her...I never thought I would care if something happened to her cause I thought she didn't care about me, but she did care and now she's gone because of me.
Tears were pouring off my eyes and I continued reading.

11/09/1990

Today we start school, little Jeremy is been sad all along, he aches for mum and dad but today he started the day happy, he's finally going to school. Meredith started working a couple of days ago and as for me...we'll see. I'm staring high school and even though I was popular in Zoneville, here I'm sure it will be different...hope it won't.

My reading was interrupted again cause Jenny came running into my room with a disturbing expression.

"What's wrong Jenny?"

"They are here"

"Who's here?"

"The council" she said...oops!! Now I understand her expression "what do we do?" she continued she looked very nervous. They must be looking for Jeremy but I don't want them to find him.

"Let's go and receive them...where is Brook"

"She's with them at the door, we didn't let them in"

"Why did you do that?"

"Brook didn't want them in, when they asked for Jeremy she started acting weird plus that other one is there" that other one? We ran downstairs and there they were at the door and Brook was frowning at them, well...frowning at one in particular, Byron. I could not believe he had the guts to come to my house looking for Jeremy.

I walked to the door and they greeted me. They were all there; the 4 of them included Josh Julian and Ben's father, Mr Sheridan. So Josh was in it too...now I understand his words in the church, but what did he mean by that? Do they know how to kill them? And Byron! He's a good actor, I wonder how they do it, being part of the council decade after decade when they still look the same and the others are getting old.

"Hello Gabrielle, I'm Mrs Walts we need to talk to Jeremy"

"He's not here at the moment" I feared that Byron would read Jenny's and Brook's minds and he would find out where Jeremy was. I swear if he tells them where to find him hell will go loose. Sad he couldn't read mine; I would give him an ultimatum. Either way, he kept his eyes on me at all time.

"Do you know where we could find him?" Said Mrs Walts, when I was about to answer Brook poked me on my back, I turned to look at her and she looked a bit scared.

"I don't know where he went, sorry"

"It's ok...could you please tell him we are looking for him?"

"Sure" they all but Byron turned to leave but I had something else to say so I called after them "Mrs Walts I know that Jeremy is supposed to be next in the council but is not a good time to talk about that, he just lost his sister, I... I just lost my mother, let us be"

"We understand that and believe me we wouldn't bother him if it wasn't important so please tell him to pay us a visit soon" I nodded and again they all but Byron turned to leave. Byron was still looking into my eyes as if trying to read me, but I knew better, he can't hear a thing from me. I felt like sticking my tongue out at him, that stare of his was getting on my nerves but soon after that he left. As for the council of course it was important for them to talk to Jeremy and I knew why but I wasn't going to tell Jeremy anything, at least not for now. I know that they are one short in the council but he's the only family I've got left, I'm not going to loose him, not him.

I closed the door and when I turned Brook was behind me still with that panicking look in her eyes.

"Thanks for not letting them in" I said

"I figured you wouldn't like that Byron to come here whenever he wanted to" she said

"Yeah about that...I forgot to tell you something else about vampires *sigh* they can read our minds" their eyes widened...a lot "well not my mind they don't know the reason why, but they can read yours, so were you thinking about where Jeremy went?" They stood in silence for a while just staring at me...yep this was a huge surprise for them.

"I was thinking about what happened in here that day" said Jenny, that day...the day my mother died.

"I didn't think about where he went" said Brook.
They asked me about what else could they do, but I didn't know much either. I knew they were stronger and faster, and that they could hear from far as well as see from far away and that they could read our minds.

"That's violating someone's privacy" said Jenny and at that moment "they are not doing it on purpose is not like a radio, they can't turn it off" came out from my mouth without me realising what I just did. They both looked at me, I guess surprised that I defended them. But I wasn't defending them, that was the truth wasn't it? There are a few things they can't control but anyway, I shouldn't care about that.

Later at night Jenny called her grandmother, I told her she couldn't say anything to her but she told her anyway saying that her grandma could help us figuring out what to do. And we did get surprised of her reaction, she didn't act like somebody scared or anything, she didn't scream at us or panic, instead she told us to go to her house the following day...this was not the outcome I was expecting but she's a witch too and if she won't tell anyone, she might be of help. Jenny said that she remembered her parents always telling her grandmother off cause she would talk to her about magic and scary stories about monsters and that's why she called her. She recons the stories might have been real.

We heard a few noises coming from outside so we looked through the window. We saw a few mans standing outside, I couldn't see their faces and I started to freak out a little. So much darkness out there and those mans... It made me think of vampires. Oh gosh where was Jeremy...is so late.

One of the mans turned towards the house and we all closed the curtains and dropped down on our knees, after a few seconds the  door opened...and Jeremy came in. 

"What are you girls doing on the floor?"

**********************************************************************************

Byron was sat on the chair Stephen Martyr used to seat in his office.

There were paintings on the walls of Stephen and Selena, Christopher's parents and Tiziano and Caroline, Leonard parents.
The two twins where sat on the sofa in a way that looked as if they were posing for a cover of a magazine. 

By the door was Leonard, at the window was Christopher and at the very end of the room was Renzo playing with a blade. Renzo was the same man we saw in Elizabeth's awakening that we never saw before and now we could see his face properly, he was a young oriental Vampire in his 20's and he had a very painful expression.

The 6 vampires were in silence in the room and it looked as if fire would come from the twins eyes. After a while Byron started talking with a serene tone but his eyes were fierce.

"I went with the members of the council to Gabrielle's house...her friends didn't let's us in which made me laugh"

"They know?!" Said the twins at unison

"It looks like they do...I understand one of her friends is a witch and the other one draws, but just because they too have something to hide to the world it doesn't mean they won't talk about us...for them we are the enemy"

"They won't" said Christopher still looking through the window

"How do you know!!" Said the twins again in unison "I told you" said one "you shouldn't have gotten" said the other "close to her" the first one finished her sentence, "she's Gabriella's heir" said the second one "and she looks exactly like her" continued the first one "do you know what that means!!!" Said both of them in unison, "she's destined to be a member of the council" said the first one "she knows our secret" said the second one, "and now she hates you" said the first, "she will come after us" said the second.

Leonard rolled his eyes exhausted, even though the twins weren't talking to him but to Christopher, he answered them.

"Oh for god shake can just one of you be talking? You are giving me a migraine" they both looked at him with a really annoyed face and one of them answered.

"You can't have migraines"

"I feel like having one so shut up!"

The twins hissed at Leonard, they really were annoyed but they were always in that mood anyway.

Tara and Camilla, their parents were explorers; they travelled around the world looking for the weirdness, for mysteries in 1899.
One of their sources led them to Zoneville where they were attacked by a group of vampires. Their parents died instantly drained out of blood, the twins survived the attack but they were transformed into vampires. They were left in the woods when the attackers thought they were dead, and Byron found them. If it wasn't because of Byron, they would've become like the ones out there, the ones with red eyes so they appreciate and respect Byron and his rules, he is like a father to them.

Byron stood up from the chair and started pacing from one side to another of the room. He was thoughtful really thoughtful, trying to figure out what to do to make sure the girls wouldn't talk. With Gabrielle's friends it wasn't going to be so difficult because they could read their minds and find out about their moves but Gabrielle...she was going to be a pain.

"She won't say anything" Christopher said again looking though the window "I know what you are thinking Byron...she won't talk. Even if it now looks like she hates us she doesn't really, she's just hurt. She won't betray us"

"Betrayal is a word used in between friends...are we her friends? How can you feel so secure towards Gabrielle when you weren't towards Gabriella" Said Byron and he kept pacing from one side to another of the room.

That Frustrated Christopher more than anyone could imagine...Gabriella was the love of his life and since Gabrielle found out about his secret, he's been wondering if Gabriella would have reacted the same way. Why he never trusted her enough to tell her the truth? But that didn't matter much now did it cause at the end she left him for Leonard, she's dead and he loves Gabrielle now.

Byron was really frustrated with the situation, there was something he was seeing coming and he didn’t like it at all. The twins were still looking at Christopher with rage; they thought this was his entire fault. If he didn't have gotten involved with Gabrielle in first place, they wouldn't be in this situation right now. Gabrielle was like a timer bomb, you couldn't possibly know when she would explode.
Renzo wasn't paying attention to any of them, neither to the conversation, he was just playing with his blade, he always had a blade on him who knows why...a blade is not needed to kill another vampire and his hands were enough to protect himself from another human.

After a lot of silence and dark glances from the twins, they called it the day and each one of them went their way.

The twins always together disappeared in a flash and reappeared out doors, Christopher that was still by the window saw them walking towards the woods. Renzo was l still in the office.
He walked towards Christopher throwing that blade up and down and stood beside him,  thought the window he saw the glances the twins gave Christopher when leaving. He then gave the twins a twitched smile and then looked at Christopher.

"They are coming for her" Renzo never said much, but when he did, the best thing to do was to listen carefully not because of his oriental accent that was really sexy by the way but because he always said important things, things that by all means people should take into account and what he just said made Christopher's eyes widen.

**********************************************************************************

Brook, Jenny, Jeremy and I were having dinner. It was a really quiet dinner...Jeremy didn't touch his food; he just drank and drank beer. I wonder where all this beer came from... I didn't eat much myself; the food wouldn't go pass my throat.

Jenny had a thoughtful expression all the time, I wonder what was she thinking about and Brook that was beside Jeremy didn't stop looking at him, I could see that she was really worried about him.
Seeing Jeremy like this did really break my heart, he must've been dying inside right now. Everyone he knew, loved and respected was gone and he wasn't hiding his pain.
In the outside I kept a straight face, I didn't want him to feel worse but in the inside I was crying a river too.

"Jeremy you need to eat something or you'll get sick" said Brook but Jeremy just kept drinking, it was so frustrating...I just kept looking at him too. He was about to take the bottle again but Brook put her hand over his trying to stop him from drinking, they looked at each other for a few seconds and there I saw it!! in her eyes...Brook likes uncle Jeremy.

Jeremy removed his hand from underneath hers, stood up and left, I tried to go after him but Jenny told me to leave him alone. She was probably right...I guess he needed a bit of time on his own, he's been around people  the whole day, talking to them keeping kind of calm but now it was his moment to let it all go.

After dinner the girls and I went to my room, I could see Brook freeze at the door, she was looking around my room with fear I would say...

"It's ok Brook I haven't invited any other vampire in" I said whispering so Jeremy wouldn't hear the word starting with V

"That's not entirely true" said Jenny very serious; we stood in silence for a while till I realized who she was talking about...Christopher

"He won't come again; I made it pretty clear that I didn't want him here. He won't come"

"I know" said Jenny with a strange smile on her lips and she continued "there's something about him that gives me warmth" what? Warmth? She needs to explain that to me cause I don't know from where both his body and heart are pure ice cold, he's made it clear to me a few times.
He's body, every time he touched me...and he's heart, every time I plead for the truth that was never said.

"Yes warmth don't look at me like that, I know what I'm talking about"

We were still standing in the middle of the room and Brook at the entrance; I had to walk towards her and drag her in. Then we all sat on my bed and suddenly heard a strong noise coming from the corridors, I quickly stood up and ran to my door, Jenny and Brook behind me.

When I looked out I saw Jeremy attempting to stand up, trying to get his balance back, glasses from a broken battle of beer where all around him. I ran towards him, Brook and Jenny behind me.

"Watch it girls, there're glasses everywhere!!" I said to them, I could even see blood on the floor...from Jeremy’s hand.

"I'll get something to clean this up" said Jenny and she disappeared somewhere downstairs, in the meantime Brook and I helped Jeremy up and carried him to his bedroom. He was drank like I never thought a person could be, I couldn't see smiley Jeremy anywhere around this Jeremy.
I was carrying and it made me feel more guilty...all this was my fault, I could not believe I made him get into this and I hated myself for that, I could feel tears pouring off my eyes, I started crying without me wanting to. Brook looked at me and shook her head in disapproval.

"Stop it, he needs you now" And then she smiled at me, I nodded and stopped crying.
I still thought it was my fault and nobody would ever make me change my mind, but she was right. Jeremy needed me, so I stopped it.

We put him on his bed and took his shoes off, I asked Brook to start running the water for the bath tub so she got out of the room.

Even asleep like he was now, he still looked in pain. I wanted to hold his hand and then I saw the wound with blood on it, I almost forgot about it. I went to the bathroom to get the emergency kit...it was a big cut what he had.

Once in the room I treated his cut and I started stripping him down. A few seconds later he was in his underwear.

"Woow what's going on?" Said Jenny from the door and then Brook came from the toilet "bath's ready" she said making Jenny's eye brow lift. I moved away from Jeremy thinking in ways of getting him in the bath tub...and I could see Brook's and Jenny's eyes drift towards him that was half naked, asleep on his bed...this is so wrong...

I sat on the bed beside him and started shaking him, trying to wake him up but he didn't move an inch. After a while my ideas were ending so I decided to slap him and I did it hard. For sure he opened his eyes but then he closed them again.

"Jeremy don't think I'm going to take your boxes off for you so you better stand up and do it yourself, bath's ready!!!" I said frustrated at last but he just moaned and moaned so I asked the girls to help me take him to the bathroom.

Once there I flashed his head with pure called water and he screamed.... that was funny.

He finally realised that he was half naked in the bathroom with 3 teenage girls, one of them being his niece so he threw us out without a second thought. I really felt like smacking his head for making me so anxious but he will have enough headache tomorrow and that's enough for me.

The girls and I went downstairs to make him something hot to drink and Jenny volunteered for that...she made a herbal tea and scramble eggs, easy and quick, we had to be careful with what he ate we wouldn't like him to start puking now.

"Do you think something happened on his patrol?" Said Brook suddenly
"why do you think something happened?" Said Jenny and I was starting to wonder about that too, when he came from the patrol he was a little bit irritated...maybe angry? He didn't find what he was looking for, that's for sure cause he doesn't know what he's looking for and I'll make sure he never knows but still he was annoyed by something, I wonder what it was.

After a few minutes he came downstairs clean and fresh and I could see a bit of old Jeremy again. He walked up to us and apologised for his behaviour.  I quickly ran towards him and gave him a hug; I don't think I've ever done that before, you know, I don't like showing my emotions.

He hesitated for a few seconds before putting his arms around me and when he did, it felt good...the warmth of a family...of two.

He then let go of me but I didn't let go for a few more seconds. When I felt ok, I let go and went back to my seat. The three of them were staring at me by the time a sat.

"What?"

"Are you feeling ok?" Said Jeremy

"Yeah why?

"You've never hugged me before"

"I know"

"Are you sure you are ok?"

"If you didn't like it I won't do it again"

"No!!" he said with a fading smile and then sat down. He was finally coming back, old Jeremy you can't imagine how much I liked that smile now, but just now..

He ate his eggs and drank his tea in silence, we didn't say anything either, we didn't want to disturb his quietness after all a picture is worth a thousand words and it was clear on his face that he didn't want to talk.

Brook and Jenny went upstairs after a few more minutes and I stayed in silence with Jeremy for a little longer. When he finished eating I told him to go upstairs that I would wash the dishes.

While in the kitchen alone I couldn't stop looking around me or through the windows. I knew I didn't invite anybody strange in here again but I started feeling observed. I didn't like that feeling at all so as soon as I finished washing I ran upstairs.

The house was really quiet and Jeremy made me jump when I passed in front of his room and he called me in.

He was sat on his bed and asked me to seat too, he was serious again, I wondered what he would say it was making me nervous now. I sat on the bed and instantly he took my hand into his.

"I just wanted you to know that she really loved you. Even though I didn't know about you till later on, I can tell you that she was always in pain I couldn't figure out at first but it was because of you, all the love she couldn't give to you she gave it to me, and I'm telling you that if she let you go it wasn't because she didn't want you but because of something bigger, I don't know what it is but I know my sister"

“I know Jeremy...we did talk and she explained to me why. It was a relieve at last to know and I felt good... but it didn't last"
I couldn't talk anymore cause my eyes were swimming in tears and my voice was cracking "I just feel like I wasted my time being angry at her and now she's gone" and it was my fault that she's gone was the sentence I couldn't say out loud close to him. We ended up crying together and hugging again.

"I won't let anything happen to you Gabrielle, you know that I'm next in the council don't you?" Oh my gosh...I froze for a moment there, please don't tell me you met them on your way home, oh crap!!! He already knows the truth that's why he was acting like this!!! Oh no...He knows.

"I've decided not to be part of it" huh? what did he just said? he doesn't want to be in the council? hurray!!! hurray!! was running though my mind

“Our family's been dying over centuries because of them...you were right those stupid traditions are getting us all killed. I never understood the council anyway and I refuse to be part of it" hurray!! My heart was jumping with joy, this was better than what I expected, he's decided not to be part of it on he's own free will...I didn't have to do anything. I'm happy now.

"I'll have to talk to them" he said suddenly.
huh ho...That’s not good.

TO BE CONTINUED.......

ZONEVILLE PART II:The rage

2. Trust



I couldn't believe their safety was the most important thing for them.

Before, I thought they were protecting town but they are not. Being part of the council and helping them out was just a disguise to keep themselfs hidden.

Who would think vampires could fight against vampires? Who would think vampires would live amongst humans without a simple taste of their blood?

Just imagine if people found out that they were not descendents but the same people. They would all get the blame of the killings and would be hunted down.

And here they were in front of me, telling me to trust them, to not to tell MY friends the truth about them. What gives them the right to ask me that when they have caused so much pain to my family and the people in this town.

I don't care if they are not the real attackers, this is still their fault and right now I can't deal with this.

Brook and Jenny were still at the door looking at me, waiting for my answer. The look in their faces when they saw the cousins and companiors talking to me just confirmed that they did see something on that day, something that scared them.

I wanted to walk towards them and leave Byron and family behind, I really could not deal with it so I started walking but then Christopher stepped aside from the formation he kept with his family and stopped before me. He was frowning looking at me with narrowed eyes, I could tell he wanted to know what I was thinking and I was glad that he couldn't read my mind otherwise he would have needed to kill me cause now I was the one in darkness, I was the one who wanted to destroy them.

Jeremy came in looking for me and our eyes unlocked to look at him. I could see Brook and Jenny in the background trying to talk to him, to stop him from getting close; it looks like they saw more than I thought.

"Is everything ok?" Jeremy said walking towards us. Brook and Jenny didn't get to hold him back. Jeremy walked up to me till he was facing them all.

"Byron...thanks for coming" he continued saying, if he just knew what they really where he would just pull his hair out of frustration.

Byron lowered his head a little in response of Jeremy's appreciation. Ok that was enough for me; I needed to leave this place.

"I want to go home Jeremy" I said very uncomfortable for having him so close to them

"Yeah, let's go. We've done enough already, let's go home" he hugged me and we walked away but not before Jeremy thanked them again for their support. Their support my foot, they are just making sure I won't open my mouth.

Jeremy walked me out of the church with Brook and Jenny behind us; I couldn't help by look back at where I left them in the church.

Byron and the other man were gone already, Christopher and Leonard were walking away and the two blonde girls were staring at me in a really disturbing way.

"What's wrong?" Said Jeremy making me look at him but I just shook my head and looked back again. This time they were gone… Brook and Jenny also looked back when they saw me looking back again but they didn't find anything because they just disappeared.

We walked up to the car and then Jeremy told us to wait for him cause he needed to at least thank people for coming and say goodbye to them. He made me stay in the car and I didn’t mind because seriously I didn’t have the strength to face all those people again.

I could have just ran inside and tell them about the vampires that were walking amongst us but I didn’t, I couldn't.

Brook and Jenny were with me, they have been with me the whole day. They really were good friends…I wonder what would happen if I told them now the truth. I know they saw something, I can tell, and normal people as I know them to be, would have gone around gossiping about it, but they didn’t do any of that. They just kept quiet and stood by my side.

Those vampires don’t know what friendship can do; they’ve been “dead” for so long that they’ve lost their sensibility and humanity. I could trust my girls I know I could.

Jenny trusted us with her secret, she trusted me, me that met just a few weeks earlier. This was nonsense, thinking about it I should be punished for not telling them earlier...

Their parents would later bring their cloths and stuff to my house because they would spend a few days with me. Jeremy asked them to, he didn’t want me to spend time alone which made me think he was going to continue doing his  patrols with a few volunteers, otherwise he wouldn't think about me being alone. Well, he would but still I knew what was in his mind. You see what I’m saying, he’s just going to go wasted till he finds the animal that’s been killing them all, what he doesn’t know is that the animal he’s looking for doesn’t walk on all fours, he doesn’t know they can even hear his thoughts.

What should I do?

Brook and Jenny were sat behind me in the car and when I looked at them each one was looking thru their respective windows, as it avoiding to look at each other, as it avoiding to look at me. I could feel the awkwardness of the moment and I didn’t like it, we were never like this “Everything will be ok if you stick together, but you need to trust each other” that’s what Jenny’s grandmother said, those words were ringing in my hears now…”I trust you” it came out of my mouth without me wanting it to. They both looked at me and then at each other, I could see the confusion in their expression and I repeated “I said I trust you…but not here” Jenny suddenly smiled at me and I knew she knew what I meant. Brook was still frowning but then she relaxed too.

After a few minutes of silence Jeremy finally came back, but not alone…Ben Sheridan was with him. Where was my mind that I didn’t even notice him back in there? Everybody from class was here or that’s what Brook said but I never paid attention to the faces, I just greeted them and then moved on to the next one.

“I’m sorry girls, I just bumped into him and he wanted to see you before we left” said Jeremy. I didn’t feel like talking or listening to anybody, not even to nice Ben but what he did surprised me. He came around my side, opened the door of the car, dragged me out and hugged me so hard that I felt my lungs coming out of my mouth, but it felt good. I needed that hug. He then told me he would call me and went back inside the church.

People were coming out already, it was all done.

“let’s go home” said Jeremy and he started the engine, looked at me and for the first time in a long time he gave me one of his famous annoying smiles before driving off to home. I couldn't help by wonder how he’d been able to repeat this situation again and again. With his mum, his dad, sisters, cousins etc…he’s actually been closer to death than I have and still my future says there will be more blood, how much more? This is tiring.

Our way home in the car was quite.

All the houses in town had red flags hanging on their windows or on their doors. When I asked Jeremy what was all that about he told me that it was tradition to put up the red flag every time a member of the council dies.

“But I didn’t see any when Sam Julian died”

“They put them up just on the awakening day, you didn’t come to town that day”

Oh my god!! I totally forgot about it, Sam Julian is dead which means Josh is going to take his place in the council and Jeremy any time soon. But was Josh already part of it? I did see him talking to them as well as Jeremy but I'm sure they didn’t say anything to Jeremy yet, is just so soon to tell him something like that, I don’t even want to think of his reaction to the news but what about Josh... he’s dad’s been gone for a while now, is he a part of the council already?

We finally got home; the neighbours as well had the flags up.

I don’t know if I liked to see them, it was like announcing all around, Elizabeth’s dead!! It was just wrong; I stopped outside the car and looked at the flags for a while. The wind was blowing them and as it moved, that red colour looked like blood. I was so immerse staring at it that I didn’t even realised that Jeremy already opened the door of the house, he had to come back out and drag me inside.

“Go upstairs and rest Gabrielle” he said taking off his jacket and putting on a jumper.

“Where are you going?” I asked him but I already knew where he was going, he was planning on doing a night patrol where his live would be at risk.

“I have things to take care of” he said while changing his shoes for trainers.

“You are going after them aren’t you?” I didn’t say after the animals’ cause I knew better, but he just kept getting ready ignoring what I was saying. That made me get angry, he didn’t know what he would find out there but he was going anyway.

“Are you trying to live me alone in this world?”

“C’mon Gabrielle, you can’t expect me to just seat back”

“Yes, that’s what I expect you to do…uncle” I never called him uncle before and I thought it was time to get started; he looked at me almost with tears in his eyes and hugged me.

“I have to do this, i won’t be gone for long and I won’t go alone” I surrendered, there was no way he was going to change his path but I understood, if I were strong enough I would also go but to hunt the real ones. I know how to do it and that’s the worst thing of all, I know how to kill them I could just tell them what I know but I didn’t, stupidly I couldn't and at the end Jeremy left.

Brook was in the kitchen preparing something to eat while I was with Jenny on the couch in the leaving room. From there I could see Elizabeth’s small room, the one she used as an office and I couldn't help by getting in.

“Where are you going?” said Jenny

“I need to see something” I said and I kept walking, I opened the door and switch on the lights. I could still smell her perfume in here; she spent more time in this little cubical space than in any other place of the house.

“This was her office” I said to Jenny that by now was beside me.

“We shouldn’t be here Gabrielle, it will just hurt you”

“No, hold on” I started looking around, this house was so big but her office was so small, how could she work in here? Even sometimes she used to lock the doors…where is the air coming from, how could she work in this little space. I could see Jenny from my periphery, she was admiring something. Something caught her attention.

“What is it?” I asked her, but she never answered. I tapped her shoulder but she was still staring at something. What was she looking at she was like frozen. I walked closer to her calling her name but nothing. Brook called us from the living room and I told her to come to the office.

“What’s wrong with her?” Brook asked me with a frown

“I don’t know” Brook walked around Jenny to see what see was looking at and then she called my name. “Gabrielle look at this”. I walked around Jenny and Brook showed me what it was, it hanged on the wall and it looked like an old weird mechanism.

“What is it?” I asked Brook but instead Jenny answered “is a lock” she smiled and became normal again.

“This is a lock…how do you know?” said Brook

“I’m not sure...I just know” Jenny said and then looked at me “so your mum knew about witches too”

“Why would you say that and why were you looking at it like that?” I asked her wondering what had a lock to do with witches

“This lock is enchanted, this kind of locks are used when you want to hide something that just your lineage could find and I was trying to figure out what it was, I don’t know I just couldn't stop looking at it”

“Ok so what do I do?”

“You open it”

“How?”

“That I don’t know, but just a member of your family can open it that’s the only thing I can tell you” said Jenny, Brook stepped forward and tried to touch it but Jenny grabbed her and pulled her back “you don’t touch that lock” she said with that weird glance of hers. “Go and open it” she continued pushing me forward “well there must be something important in it to be hided magically” she continued saying and I stepped forward, I looked at it for a while but there was no buttons or anything. It had dust on it so I blew it off and then a hole opened as if a mail box. Brook and Jenny stepped closer to take a look at it.

“What am I suppose to do now?”

“Put your hand inside” said Jenny

“You know more than you are telling me”

“I really don’t know how I know these things, just do it” this felt like in those TV shows where they put a box that is covered in front of you and then they tell you to introduce your hand inside, guess what's in there…I took a deep breathe and slowly introduced my hand. It felt empty inside, I couldn't touch anything and suddenly something pinched my finger making me scream and step back. When I looked at my finger I had a little drop of blood and after a second the door opened leading us to a bigger and brighter room. This was weird and awsome. We got into the room and just by being in there I felt like being in the 17th century, it looked like this place was still conserving the real walls and floors, this part of the house was the real house from back in 17

03…I could se paintings and pictures of a lot of people hanging on the walls.

“So this is Meredith” said Brook, I walked towards her that was in the far east of the room, looking up the walls to a picture of a young beautiful woman that looked a lot like Elizabeth.

“She was beautiful…my dad told me  he had a crash on her in high school” said Brook “he said she, Elizabeth and Jeremy left town for a few years and when they came back she got straight into the council”

“Woow” said Jenny “she does really look like you Gabrielle, is so scary” I turned to look at the picture she was looking at and of course she was talking about Gabriella. All those pictures were from our family, from our ancestors, there even were dresses of that period of time hanging on the walls. This place looked like an antic shop and there were books everywhere.

“You should put Elizabeth’s picture in one of the walls, she’s now part of this place” said Jenny “it looks like a museum” yes I should put her picture up here, I wonder if Jeremy knows about this place.

There was a modern desk with a laptop on it so I guessed this was the real place she used to work in. There was an open book on the desk so I walked closer to see what it was. I started reading it without even realising cause something about it was familiar to me. It was Elizabeth's hand writting.

“It’s been years since the last time I wrote but today is important. She finally talked to me”

“Oh my gosh is her diary!!!” in no second Brook and Jenny were behind me

“What is it?” said Jenny

“I didn’t know she kept a diary…” I passed a few pages back and started reading from the middle “today Meredith told me something I couldn't believe, she said that the death of mum and dad weren’t caused by animals but by something else, I couldn't believe it when she told me that but I have to believe it cause I need to be prepared”

As soon as I finish reading it Brook looked at me with narrowed eyes “Something else?” She said.

“I think we need to talk” I took the diary with me and we walked out of the 17th century and back on the 21^st, once we walked out, the door closed and sealed by itself. Does this mean that everytime I want to get in here my blood has to be derramado? And then I complain about vampires tsk tsk.

 We went into the living room where I told them to take a seat. Before I started explaining I told them that this was something I found out by chance and that I never told them cause it wasn’t a secret that belonged to me.

I told them everything I knew about them, including the way Gabriella died. I explained them all the things that happened to me since St. Martyr's day and at last my terrible mistake with that strange man that turned out to be a vampire.

"Oh honey you can't be held responsible for that" said Brook "yeah you didn't know you were inviting a vam...you know...in" Jenny couldn't bring herself to say it, it was weird to be able to finally talk about them with somebody. "Even though I didn't know, I could have told them the truth when he came into my room the first time" I felt so frustrated that tears started pouring off my eyes, I tried to hide them but it was late. They already saw them "you didn't know it was going to get to this" said Jenny while seating beaside me.

“If those vampires have been walking amongst us for centuries I recon they must have known the real Gabriella, your family started with the hunting and they know that…if they see you…do you realise what that means?” Jenny said now really alarmed, I’ve been talking about vampires killing people and she didn’t even blink and now she starts freaking out.

“Elizabeth must have known something wasn’t right when you told her about that stranger coming here and that’s how he got to her, he was waiting for you but Elizabeth was waiting for him” Jenny said

“What is going to happen now?” said Brook and I really didn’t know what to tell them.

"Ok...what is going to happen now is that you are going off to bed...you need to rest that's what Jeremy said and that's what you are doing so start walking" said Jenny pulling me off the sofa. I felt relieved now that they knew, I trusted them and they trusted me. As I walked to the stairs Brook asked me a bit alarmed if Jeremy knew about them too.

“I don't think Elizabeth had time to tell him but he’s next in the council” their eyes widened in shock, they forgot about it already? We are destined to be part of the council wether we like it or not after the previous member dies. I could now understand more than anybody else why Elizabeth sent me away.

“Are you going to tell him that you know?” said Brook and I didn't think about it again till now. If he was going to be part of the coucil he would know so what was the need of me hiding it?

"I don't know yet" was the only answer I could give them and they sent me off upstairs.

I still had to think about the meaning of this deja vu's and nightmares. It is clear by now that I'm seeing Gabriella's past but is it thrue what Jenny said about the warnings? Is something like that going to happen to me? No, nothing like that will happen if I stay away from them. I won't give them the chance to hurt me or anyone I love. My relationship with them ends here.

Once in my room I lied on my bed and opened Eliz...mum's diary, I started reading from the first page.

"03/08/1990

I can't believe mum is gone, is just so hard to live on like this, people keeps dying around us, I don't understand it, I can't stand it.

 

I'm feeling the same pain she was feeling back then, the only difference is that i know why this is happening. She didn't... I went on reading.

25/08/1990

Dad has decided to send us away, he says he's afraid of our safety and I understand why but Jeremy is only 5 he doesn't know what's happening. What are we going to tell him? mum's dead and now he's going to be away from dad cause he's not coming with us he's staying, he says he has commitments with the...

My reading got interrupted when I felt a cold wind behind me, that feeling was so familiar that I quickly stood up to see Christopher in the middle of my room again, like that first night he appeared in here. We stood in place just looking at each other. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling or anything cause he had that poker face of his. I wasn't interested anyway or at least I didn't want to be. He needed

 to leave, I didn't want him close.

After a few seconds of us staring at each other, he stepped forward trying to touch my hand but I moved away. He then looked down like frustrated.

"You told them" he said, but not as a question, he actually knew I did tell them. That only meant he was listening to us all along but I didn't care.

"so? I trust them" I said responding to his none question.

"I know you do but…"

"look" I interrupted him "I don’t want to know anything about you and your vampire world anymore. I don’t even care if you don’t look like the ones out there or if you don't act like them you are still one of them. I don’t understand how I didn’t see it before but you are evil. All this is because of you; you started this situation in 1703 when you decided that you couldn't loose Gabriella to Leonard. You hurt people, you shouldn’t live in the same world as we humans do. You shouldn’t even exist. I don’t want to see you or any other member of your family ever again otherwise you will regret it" I hated him, right now he was the least of all of them I wanted to see.

He kept his unreadible face but his eyes, I could see he was hurt and that... I didn't want to see it.

"Now go away"

"Gabrielle"

"No, leave now!!"

"I think you better leave" said a voice behind me, when I turned I saw Jenny, she had that weird glance of hers and it actually made Christopher back up. He glanced at me for one last time and then vanished before our eyes.

I'm not sure of what I felt when he left but today I was really sensible.

"Are you ok?" Said Jenny, I didn't look at her, I didn't want her to see the insecurity in my face.

"I will be"

TO BE CONTINUED........

ZONEVILLE PART II: The rage

1. Awakening

Leonard jumped out thru the window and Christopher after him. They were running, almost flying. It was so fast that our eyes wouldn’t be able to follow them all the time. They went thru the back yard and into the woods following that vampire that was carrying Gabrielle's mother. 

She was loosing blood, we could see drops of it on the grass as well as we could hear her scream.

Christopher and Leonard ran faster as the sound of Gabrielle's cry -that was still in the room- sank in their ears.

That vampire was incredibly fast, even carrying someone else that was actually fighting against his hold, he manage to always run a few paces away from them.

They could smell the blood in the air. He bit her back in the room. He thrusted his long fangs thru her skin and yanked them into one of the most powerful vains she had on her trhoat, the vain that would give him what he was looking for, her blood.

He fed from her before jumping out of the room and dragged her with him to take more.

Now, those two wounds on her neck were bleeding and that wasn't good. Not for her and neither for the cousins. Even though they fought against their nature, even though they fed from animals and not from humans, blood was blood and there was nothing they could do to not get drawn by it. Afther all, they were still vampires.

As the aroma of Elizabeth's blood penetrated into their nostrils, their eyes turned dangerously red and their fangs grew.

Even their faces looked different; the perfume of her blood was changing them. They wanted a piece of it and they ran to get it. 

It was as if somebody pressed a buttom making them ran in supernova mode. Christopher looked at Leonard and Leonard nodded, in no time Christopher dissapeard leaving Leonard running alone but he was now really close to the vampire. He grabbed one of the loose trunks that he saw on his way and threw it to the vampire but he jumped and avoided it.

Elizabeth screamed again but with less power and Leonard grabbed another trunk; he stopped and waited to see in which direction the vampire's body would turn if he threw it again.

Leonard calculated the posibilities in less than a second and then threw the trunk at him but not before getting another one and throwing it in the other direction.

The vampire jumped again but this time he couldn't avoid it, the other trunk hit him and he fell realising his hold on Elizabeth that was now in the air. She was going to crash against a big tree with lots of pointing branches if nobody stopped her soon.

Christopher then appeared from nowhere jumping in the air and getting her back down safe.

Leonard was already on top of the vampire, but he wasn't strong enough. In one simple movement the vampire swap positions making Leonard stay underneath him and punched him so hard that it looked as Leonard's head would come off. We could clearly see the fear in Leonard's eyes as the vampire grabbed his head and started pulling. A bit more pressure on his hands and his head would come off; he would die once and for all. 

Christopher was still beside Elizabeth that was now faint, he saved her from falling but now what she experienced before with that vampire didn't look like the worst of the things at all, cause the way Christopher was looking at her showed us that he was the worst thing she could have found. Those two wounds were still bleeding and the skin around that area was beating, boom boom boom like drums, showing him the pulse of her vain, the vain where he would find the source of that sweet and delicious smell that was now driving him insane...of her blood.

Leonard was still struggling in the background, calling after Christopher, seeking his help but he couldn't listen, all his thoughts were on Elizabeth, on that blood that shed from her throat. He slowly started to get closer; his tongue ran thru his lips, his mouth was watering.

It has been long since he drank from a human, actually he just did it once and it was an accident but he never thought he would be in this situation again.

Even though they had been finding corpses in the woods thru centuries he never had to try not to fall in temptation because they were all drain out but Elizabeth still had blood in her...enough to make him want to accept what he was and behaeve like a real vampire.

He was about to forget about all this years fighting against his nature and surrender to the darkness, then Elizabeth turned her head towards him and he stopped. That face reminded him to someone he knew, someone he loved in the past and that woman that he was about to feed from was the mother of the woman he now loved. He realised his hold on her in no second and laid her on the floor.

Leonard was still fighting against that vampire but he wouldn’t be able to keep holding for much longer. He tried one last time and cried out Christopher’s name. Christopher turned to look at him and suddenly his face became normal again, his fangs pulled themselves back to their real size and his eyes became brownis again.

He jumped high and took one of the pointing brunches from the tree above him and then ran towards the vampire.

The vampire realised Christopher was coming so he left Leonard and turn to fight him, what he didn’t notice is what Christopher was about to do.

Once the vampire turned and Leonard was free from his hold, Christopher threw the branch at Leonard, Leonarde caught it in the air and yanked it in the vampires back so deep that it came out from his chest. The vampire paralyzed and Christopher was already on top of him pulling his head off.

*********************************************************************************

I never thought that day would come… the day I would stand face to face with Elizabeth A.K.A mum. And I never thought this day would come either, the day I would stand here facing her grave.

The first time I saw her was two weeks after my 17th birthday. Before that, the only thing I knew about her was her name and how she looked like when she was my age.

I always had in mind that she abandoned me and after moving here with her I never talked nicely to her. I never took her into account; I never treated her as my mother.

I look back and all I can see is the time I wasted hating her, instead of trying to know her reasons for not having me by her side when I was a kid, I decided to hate her, to despise her till the end. And when I realised about the truth, when I realised that she sent me away to protect me...it was too late.

I remember her face that day, the last time I saw her...she smiled at me but her eyes were full of pain because she knew what was coming.

Everything she did to protect me... to now leave me unprotected...it didn't seem fare, it wasn't fare. I can't stop asking to myself what was she doing in my room that day? *sigh* she was paying more than necessary attention to my room lately.

I am the one who invitated him in, I was the one he wanted and I know she knew.

She knew she would leave me, she even told me "I might not be around much longer" she said that to me after our last conversation and I should've known then.

Just when I thought we could fix it, when I thought that I could finally call her mum, that I could be her daughter, she left me again…and it is my fault.

I let him in, I killed her.

The ceremony was in the old church where she was presented to god for the first time, where she was baptized.

Everybody that knew her was there, meaning everybody in town. I didn't want to be there, I didn't deserve a place in her funeral. I couldn't even look at Jeremy in the eye when he took my hand into his and told me that everything would be ok while he was crying a river for the lost of his last sister.

I did this to her and the worst thing is that I couldn't even tell Jeremy the truth, I couldn't tell him how his sister died, how all our family is been disapearing because of something that our ancestors started. I couldn’t even believe it myself.

This town has lost so many people…this town was full of blood and so was my future. I understood that now more than ever, funny was when Jenny said that to me for the first time and I thought she was crazy, but it turned out to be the truth.

Josh Julian, Sam Julian’s son went to the altar to say a few words for my mum…I didn’t even know who he was till Jeremy told me. He carried the same face I was carrying and I felt bad for not going to his father’s funeral a few weeks back.

He didn’t know me but here he was, supporting me. I felt strange when he came and talked to me after his good words for mum. I just felt at all time he talked to me as if his words had a second meaning things like “it will all be over soon, our revenge will be worse” I didn’t understand what he was talking about, what will be over soon? What revenge? You know what? It actually didn’t matter what he said to me or how weird he sounded, we were suffering of the same pain, the lost of our parents but I still had Jeremy, he had no one left.

The ceremony was about to finish and people were walking towards her coffin to say their last goodbye.

Jeremy was still holding my hand, his hand was so hot that our hands started sweating but I let him hold my hand till he decided to go and see her for the last time.

I never cried, at all time I kept my face straight…with pain but straight. I was not the emotion showing type of girl remember? Besides I didn’t want Jeremy to see me like that, he was suffering enough already I didn’t want him to see how devastated I was, how guilty I felt and how much it hurt me to loose her.

So I just sat there for a while…people were getting out and I just sat there, watching Jeremy kneel to kiss her coffin, watching him break down and cry.

My heart was about to burst…I needed air so without a second thought I ran out of the church and hid behind the cars on the parking lot, I didn’t want anybody to see what was happening to me.

I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I let it come out and I cried and cried till I couldn't breathe anymore.

 I closed my eyes, kneeled and rocked back and forward thinking of the mother I never wanted to know, the one that risked her life to protect me, the one that to safe me from all this had to live without me. I couldn't stand it, I wanted to scream and then Jeremy appeared in front of me. He helped me up and hugged me.

“It’s ok Gabrielle let it out, let it all out…we’ll be ok” he said but no, we won’t…if he just knew what I know…but I have a responsibility now. I won’t let anything happen to him, I have to protect him.

The reception was in one of the empty rooms the church offered for this kind of services. I told Jeremy that it was better we didn't let anybody in the house, she never liked having strangers invited in. it took me a while to understand why, but I finally understood and in the worst way possible.

Jeremy and I had to stand there receiving everybody’s condolences *sigh* it was something I didn’t like at all. I had to do the same when my father died and is not pleasant to have to force a smile on your face when you are not feeling like it. I was so frustrated that when people came to talk to me about her, about how good she was, I wanted to punch them all in the face.

I still remember when I came here how everybody looked at her and talked about her behind her back when they realised she had a daughter that nobody knew about, a daughter out of marriage, and when they were gossiping about her relationship with Sam Julian and now they come here and try to sell me all that crap. I really didn’t feel like dealing with all this.

Thank god Brook and Jenny were by my side at all time in the reception supporting me, even hiding me from people when they notice they would come to ask me questions about how was Elizabeth found. I didn’t know what happened after that vampire ran away with her and I didn’t want to know.

Members of the council and their families were all over the place, the expressions on their faces were as bad as mine or Jeremy’s and it looked like it really hurt them to loose her as well.

It was sad to think that the only ones I saw that felt the same pain as we did, were people from an organization created centuries ago that worked together to kill vampires, it was sad to think that those people were her only…friends? But she protected town with them, and I respected them for that.

Jeremy was talking to them a lot, and I didn’t like that. We already talked in the past about the possibility of him becoming a member of the council if…mum died. Never thought it would be so soon and I didn’t want him to be involved but I didn’t know what the best was either. If he became a member he would find out about the existence of vampires and he would go straight after them once he knew the truth about mum’s, Meredith’s, grandpa and ma’s death, he would really know the reason of their deaths, the reason why a big family like ours was, became minimized to two members, and I know he would die, but if he didn’t know, he wouldn’t be able to protect himself properly to take the appropriate precautions and he would die too, but which way keeps him out of danger for a little while longer? *sigh* this is going to be hard.

Jenny’s grandmother came towards us; I didn’t even notice her here. She smiled at Brook and Jenny and then took my hand into hers. An electric current shook my body as she stared at me in the eye; her face serious…that weird glance, the same one Jenny sometimes gives me.

“Everything will be ok if you stick together, but you need to trust each other” she said in a really creepy way, and then she started smiling again. O…k that was weird, what did she mean by that? Does she know I know something I'm not telling them? They didn't know yet the whole truth about the cousins, but I thought on telling them soon.

They already saw enough and it was strange they didn’t start asking for explanations…I guess they are just waiting for the right time to ask me about what happened that day and I'm not looking forward to recall that memory again.

Jeremy came around to tell me that Elizabeth’s coffin was going to be removed from the altar in a few minutes “is your last chance to say goodbye Gabrielle, don’t waist it” he said in my ear and if my heart was beating at a normal pace a few minutes ago, now it started to galope again...like a furious horse.

I decided to go; I needed to see her one last time. I asked the girls to come with me but told them to wait at the door; at the entrance of the church, I wanted to be alone with her for a while.

As I walked towards the altar my hands started shaking, I looked back at the door to make sure they were still there; being alone with her…I felt like she would wake up and get out of her coffin at any time seeking for my blood. 

I took a deep breath and kept walking towards her, I leaned over her coffin and there she was, so beautiful so pale, she looked like one of them and it really felt as if she would open her eyes and stare at me any time soon. But she never did and I laughed at the thought that even dead I wanted her to open her eyes, even seeking for my blood I wanted her to open her eyes…and I started crying again. She would never open those eyes again, she was gone. She was gone. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry” I said hugging her coffin and putting my cheek on the glass so I could feel close to her.

“She loved you”
 that voice... I turned to see Byron standing there with the cousins, the twin blonde girls, and I young man I never saw before, he had black long hair covering his face. “That’s what she said to my boys before closing her eyes” he continued talking and I just looked at him, I couldn't believe they were here.

“She fought till the end and she wanted us to let you know that she loved you” said Christopher. That was something I already knew but it was good to know that she fought that she never let go. “Is everything ok?” I heard Brook with the eco of the church, I was about to reply when one of the blonde girls hissed. I focused on her and she was moving her head in disapproval.

“Your friends can’t know about us” said Byron getting like that my attention

“What?” I was confused, why not tell them, them of all people would understand the situation, is not like they are normal either and if they knew they could protect themselves and their families “they saw them already”

“They don’t know what they saw. Is dangerous for us” hold up! what? Is dangerous for you! Is that all you think about, your family? That you could be found out? Innocent people have been dying for centuries because of you. I couldn't believe it and the cousins were not saying anything, were they ok with this? To protect themselves people has to be at risk? People has to die? At that precisely moment I felt angry, I felt my blood boiling. I felt rage against them. All this was their fault, they started it.

If Christopher wouldn't have encharmed Leonard, Leonard wouldn't have killed Gabriella, our ancestors wouldn't have started hunting vampires and they wouldn't have been coming back looking for revange killing all our families year after year.

Vampires I hate them!!...if they would have been normal people, humans the spell wouldn't have made Leonard loose control and it would have worked as it was suppose to. He would have just forgotten about her. And Elizabeth would be here.

But they weren't humans, they were vampires and they needed to be extermined.

TO BE CONTINUED…