The Dark Starlight: Prologue 修改稿

Prologue

      It all started on Halloween.

      That night, my friend Kat and I went trick-or-treating. Time went by, and it was already 9:30. The kids in the street was becoming fewer and fewer. Somehow, with the scary shape of the street lights, the eerie silence and the uncanny screams from some faked haunted houses, I hated to admit, but I was kind of spooked.

      Kat wanted to go home, but I wanted to go for a few more houses and get some chocolate bars. I know a short cut through the graveyard.

      "Come on, please, please, please!" I begged her. I was certainly not going alone. Not because I was scared, of course, I was worried that Kat might get lost walking home alone. Not waiting for her answer. I grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the graveyard.

      Kat sighed and trudged after me. We wondered off in the graveyard. The fog was so thick. I couldn't even see within 20 feet.  Ten minutes later, Kat gasped and pointed at a tombstone, a funny look on her face.

      "What?" I asked her, "Saw your own grave?"

      "No, I saw that tombstone about five minutes ago. I think we've been going around in a circle!" She said wearily. 

      I was dumbfounded.

      "OMG! I'm sooo sorry Kat! I thought I knew the way! Which, apparently I don't. I didn't mean to go around in circles! I didn't mean to drag you to the graveyard, I didn't mean —" I was babbling.

      "It's Ok, just calm down. Look, there's another path, we can go and try that one." Kat only smiled at my panicky look, which made me want to hug her.

      So we went on, about 20 minutes later, a house rose in front of us. Yes, it literally rose from the ground and it was just hanging there. More a castle than a house, and there was a ancient looking tablet dangling above the gate – Vampy Hotel. Weird, but it was probably just for a Halloween decoration.

      Not thinking with my head, I began to go for the door. But Kat grabbed my sleeve.

      "What's wrong?" I asked her.

      "Don't you think it's weird? A house rising from the ground? In the graveyard? I don't know about going in." She said hesitantly.

      "Then what do you think we're supposed to do, wandering around the graveyard, and starving to death? Anyway, it’s probably just a decoration that was made to look creepy. I'm going in."

      She scowled at me and muttered, “Do whatever you want, I’m going home.” After that, she stomped off.

      Looking at her back, I thought of the rumors about the graveyard. And a horrible thought came to me: What if the stuff about man eating was true? What if they were not just animals? And what if Kat was to meet one of them?

      I frowned at myself. How could I have thought that? I slapped my forehead and ran after her. “Kat, come back! It’s dangerous walking alone out here. Let’s go home together!”

      No answer.

      “Kat? Where are you?” I was definitely scared now, “Kat?”

      Everything was like a blur to me after Kat went away. I scarcely remembered that I somehow opened the door and let myself into the house. I was wondering in some kind of guest room. There was a grand-father clock, a big sofa, and then there was nothing, I was studying the clock when I heard a thump and the floor creaked, something snarled. I was instantly sober then, and I was scared. I soft footed up the hall, walking towards the sound, and found a slightly cracked door. I peeked inside, it was dark, but by the dim moonlight, I vaguely saw two shadowy figures, one hitting the other. I was startled, and couldn’t muffle the gasp that escaped my mouth. The striker stopped throwing punches that seemed really painful, turned and glared at me. He had blood red eyes. His red eyes narrowed and he started towards the door, towards me. I was frozen, just standing there, watching him stalking my way. Then I was pulled back by a strong force, and fell into another room.

      I turned and hit whoever it was that had pulled me with my elbow, hard on the face. It was a boy, several years older than me, maybe 16 or 17. He had fluffy dark hair, handsome features and red eyes. The eyes, they bored in to me. I whimpered, and crawled under a desk in the room, curling myself into a ball. When I looked up at him, I didn’t see what I expected, not the boy snarling and lunging, but rather him touching his face looking amused at the fact that I hit him.

      Then the impossible became probable.

      The bruise that should have lasted weeks healed itself. Seconds later, it was like the blow never even landed on his face. I intelligently gawked at him.

      He smirked and sniffed the air, like he was, smelling me. Then he furrowed his brow and spoke the first words to me ever since we’ve met, “You are not our kind.”

      It was a statement, not a question, "Your kind?" I asked, confused.

      He said nothing

      So I asked stupidly, “How did your face healed so fast?”

      He grinned, showing his canines.

      Then, the truth dawned on me.

      "You're a… You’re a, a vamp…" It seemed that I couldn't sputter the word out.

      "A vampire." He finished for me, still looking amused

      "Vampire, right. Vampires?" After I totally swallowed the word and reminded myself of its meaning several times, I gawked at him again and squeezed further into the desk’s corner. He could have drained my blood, he could have eaten me. The thoughts dawned on me, and I squealed.

      "I don’t want your blood." He said in distaste as I whimpered, as if reading my thoughts.

      “Um, thanks?” what was I suppose to say? If you’re not going to eat me, then let’s be friends?

      He rolled his eyes at me.

      Ok, he wasn’t a talker then. “What, what happened in there?” I cocked my head at the room he just dragged me from.

      "Newborn. Gone mad." He said grimly. "How did you get in hotel, mortal?" the coldness of his eyes like daggers thrown at me.

      A shiver went down my spine, when he addressed me like I was some kind of insect. I shook my head, "I don't know, I was crossing the graveyard with my friend, and the house, or as you said, the hotel rose in front of us. And I just opened the door and walked in. Then I heard noises and I got to that room, and, and you know the rest." I was babbling again.

      The amusement were still lingering in his blood red eyes, "And where is your little friend, may I ask?"

      "We got into a fight, and she ran off, saying she's going home." I told him

      "Ah, then you’ll probably never see her again." He said.

      "What?" I stared up at him, “What do you mean I’ll probably never see her again?”

      He simply shrugged, “There are newborns running around all over the place.”

      I was in shock, feeling my stomach turning up-side-down, imaging the new born just in the next room getting his hands on her. I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent the tears from crashing down.

      We fell into silence. He was as still as a statue. All I can hear was my ragged breathing, and my thumping heartbeat.

      After it felt like a decade had past, the boy’s nostrils suddenly flared and he lunged himself at the door just a second before it burst open. He moved so fast, he was like a black blur of shadows. Someone, or something was snarling at the doorway, and they collided with low growls and snarls and grunts and fists. I watched in awe as the two figures crashed from wall to the door that now only hung from its hinges, from door to wall, and from wall to the door again. Until finally, I heard a satisfying snap. One of them fell onto the floor, the door fell right after him, landing on him with a loud thud, his neck was twisted at an odd angle. It was new attacker. The butterflies in my stomach stirred again.

      The boy straitened his shirt and gave a low whistle. Instantly, someone appeared at his side.

      “Yes, master?” The new comer asked humbly with his head lowered.

      “Clean the mess.” The boy said, cleaning his nails, not even giving the new comer a glance.

      Seconds later, the new comer vanished with the body, the door and the mess.

      Then the boy turned to me. Taking in my horror stricken face, the coldness in his eyes softened a little, and turned back to amusement. Also, amazingly, he even cared to explain.

      “That was a…”

      “Newborn?” I whispered softly.

      “Yes.” He admitted.

      “Why did you save me?” I felt sick, thinking about how the two newborns I had met today behaved and what would they do if they find Kat.

      “For reasons you don’t have to know.” He shrugged. “You should go now, go home.”

      “Right.” I stood up, feeling hollow inside.

      He sighed, “I’ll show you out.”

      I trudged after him down the stairs and into the great hall. His footsteps are silent like a cat’s, and mine, loud and clumsy. I didn’t care if I was the only one that was making any noise. All I could think about was the newborn, Kat, the newborn, Kat.

      I didn’t realize he stopped until I bumped into the boy’s back. It was strong and muscular, and it made my nose hurt.

      “Sorry.” I mumbled, taking a step back. “I should go then.” I headed towards the door.

      “Wait.” He grabbed my arm, “You wouldn’t be able to get out like that.”

      I looked up at him, confused.

      He took a deep breath, “Do you trust me?”

      Well, he did save my life, but still, he was a vampire, the undead.

      “No. Not really.” I shifted uncomfortably under his grim stare. “Why did you ask?”

      He smiled a little, “Nothing, just remember that I mean you no harm.”

      He lifted my chin, and forced me to look into his blood red eyes. His lips moved slightly, forming some words I didn’t hear clearly. My eyes drifted close, and the last thing I remembered was his silky voice, whispering in my ears, “By the way, my name is James.”