1

Sharlynn's POV

I stared at my mother and tried to tell myself that I had misheard her but the more I looked at her, the more I felt hurt that she wouldn't believe me! Her eyes had so much rage in them and her brows furrowed as she watched me closely.

" Mom it's true, they ARE real! I saw it with my own -" 

" - don't you dare say another word Sharlynn!" She yelled at me and I jolted in fear at her harsh tone, she was always so gentle and believing of me, why wouldn't she believe me now?!

" You expect me to believe that it was a vampire that attacked Aliyah?"

" But mom -" 

"-You're trying to say that if the police come here right now and ask you to explain what happened you'd say it was a freaking vampire that killed a girl?!" She yelled yet again, her eyes almost popping out of the sockets if it were possible. 

But it wasn't just a girl that the vampire killed, it was my best friend, Aliyah. As I looked at the evident disbelief in my mom's eyes it was at that moment that I knew that if my mom wouldn't believe me, no one would.

" Those stupid vampire movies the both of you spend your whole life watching have messed with your head!" She said as she looked at a pile of DVDs on my bed that Aliyah had brought the previous day for a sleepover. They were all different vampire movies and we loved to watch at least three per night and reviewed them. 

Aliyah wanted to write a groundbreaking vampire novel and had started watching lots of movies about it and I as a supportive friend joined her. Now, she's dead - murdered by the very creature she'd hoped she would write about in a fictional novel.

" Are you gonna say something Lynn?" My mom said, still folding her arms across her chest waiting for me to give a sensible answer but I didn't know what to say. Until last night while Aliyah and I were coming back from a totally disgusting party, I thought vampires were just a myth but seeing the fangs protruding from the blood-bathed mouth of a silver-haired teenage boy, I knew that this was no fiction!

As I struggled with what to tell my mom who was still angrily glaring at me, the morning breeze swept lazily into my room through the windows and I instantly perceived Aliyah's cologne and remembered how she playfully sprayed it on the curtains yesterday night just in case a sexy guy finds his way in my room after the party. But that memory was just too much for me to bare so I burst into tears because she was dead and a vampire killed her -  but no one believes me, not even my own mom!

Some days later Aliyah was burried and as each day went by I told myself one thing - I will prove the existence of vampires one day but for now... I'll focus on keeping myself safe so I don't become a blood bag for anyone of such disgusting creatures who killed my best friend. 

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

It was yet another night of Sharlynn and Dean working late at the restaurant, she knew that the streets were dangerously unsafe at that time of the night but she was left with no choice - Even though she feared that something was lurking in the dark.

She didn't always dread the dark or the thought that something was lurking around in the woods coming for her, on the contrary, she wished that she would be entangled in the world of supernatural creatures who she would befriend and end up having the most memorable and eventful lifestyle coated with danger, fun, and excitement. But after what happened with Aliyah she despised vampires, even though most of the world think they don't exist.

After Aliyah's death, she and her family immediately moved to Hollow hills for a fresh start after they saw how hard it was for her to move on from Aliyah's death. But it seemed Hollow hills only brought more problems. Her father lost his well-paying job and his health deteriorated very fast. Now he has a stroke and her mom works two jobs to take care of her and her three younger brothers. Working at this restaurant was the least she could do to help out, even though it really isn't enough.

 " You know, I could drive you home or....you could sit there brooding about something that I could also... totally help you out with," Dean said pulling her out of her thoughts. Dean didn't need to work at the restaurant, he was just serving punishment for something Sharlynn was yet to discover, and ever since, they became so close much to her boyfriend's displeasure.

As Dean waited for Sharlynn's reply, she tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled, revealing her dimples. Whenever she smiled like that Dean asserted that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her green eyes were vibrant and youthful, they carried innocence but still managed to seduce him each time she looked at him like the way she was looking at him now. Her brown curly hair seemed to shine peculiarly whenever the moonlight shone on her, especially the ends of her hair that looked almost red - he still couldn't tell why since it always looked completely brown during the day. Either way, Dean was convinced that Sharlynn was enchanting and there was no denying that. 

"Dean..." Sharlynn started to say and he was pulled out of his thoughts.  

"....don't even start with your tempting offers. The only thing I need help with right now is a safe ride home so... let's go," she said as she wrapped her red scarf around her neck and winked at him playfully.

" One of your boyfriend's newest gifts I see," he said with a scoff and she rolled her eyes. He could always spot anything Ricky got her, "I'm not gonna do that with you today. I'm just gonna wait outside, while you close the restaurant okay?" Sharlynn said with a small giggle which she knew would annoy him and he groaned.

" I don't get how you take gifts from Ricky-Shawn but not money and he's your boyfriend!" he said after quickly closing the restaurant.

 

" As far as it's not expensive, I'll accept it. I've told you that before" Sharlynn said with a sigh, she was starting to lose her mind arguing with a guy who's clearly into her and is completely jealous of her relationship with Ricky.

" Whatever" Dean said, knowing full well that that scarf was anything but cheap and if she knew the price of that scarf, she'd throw it in the trash - even if it means she'll freeze. 

" So, are you excited?" She asked biting her lower lip nervously.

 

" Of course, today is the last day of me ever coming here again!" Dean said and Sharlynn laughed at how giddy he looked as they walked over to his new truck. This was the third one this year, it sure must feel good to be rich - Sharlynn thought 

 

" Well, that makes one of us," She said with a shrug and Dean stopped dead in his tracks, wondering if she was serious.

" Wait, you're still gonna work here?" He asked.

" Ummm, of course... You know I have to work...so that I can survive" she said with a nervous laugh and Dean's face turned grim.

Sharlynn hated to see him upset because of her, his face would immediately lose all the warmth and honestly, his handsome features disappeared too whenever he got like that.

" Look, you know that I could help you," Dean said, suddenly standing in front of her.

" My boyfriend would hate that," Sharlynn said, rolling her eyes. They stood there looking at each other until Dean ran his hands through his hair and said, "Then - let HIM help you at least"

" You don't understand, I-" Sharlynn started saying but just then, a sharp scream rent the air, and Sharlynn found herself latched onto Dean's arm. 

" What was that?" She asked, her voice was shaky, she was beyond terrified. 

 

" Sharlynn, why don't you stay in the car -" he started saying cautiously in a low voice but Sharlynn shook her head vigorously as she said, " - don't you dare leave me here Dean!".

Dean motioned to her to be quiet and she complied but when they heard the scream again - this time it sounded less shrill and loud than before yet Sharlynn almost joined in the screaming but one stare from Dean kept her silent. But that silence didn't last long, the second she saw Dean walking away from her and heading for where the scream came from, she panicked.

" There's no one else here Dean, please! Don't leave me" she whispered but Dean shook his head, " it's a girl Lynn and she's in danger," he said as he turned around and held her small, delicate hands in his.

" Let me just check it out real quick while you stay in the truck. I'll lock you in, it's totally safe," he said, his eyes so reassuring. She knew she could trust him, but that didn't entirely take the fear away.

 

" Fine - but just do it quickly" Sharlynn said as she hopped in his truck and looked at Dean, his eyes were fixated at the end of the street but she couldn't make out what he was staring at because it was dark.

 

" Sharlynn, stay put okay?" He said and she nodded, watching him as he made his way down the street. 

 

After waiting for a while, Sharlynn was starting to get paranoid as she thought of all the terrible things that could be happening to Dean and the fact that she kept hearing the screams didn't help her terror. Her mind suddenly drifted off to the night Aliyah was killed, the way Aliyah screamed as he fed on her. She shuddered and closed her eyes but the memory only became clearer.

When she opened her eyes, she started getting paranoid for sure as she wondered if vampires have now reached Hollow hills and instantly hated herself for letting Dean go because if it was a vampire, Dean would not come back alive. A dear friend of hers would die again!

Suddenly the street became extremely quiet and Sharlynn feared that the worst had happened, Dean has probably been killed and she is a sitting duck in his truck! Just then a figure resembling Dean's appeared from the end of the street and he was heading towards his car. 

" Are you okay?" She heard a voice that sounded like Dean say. For some reason it looked misty as she looked out the window to peer at him but she could make out a figure standing by the window. She kept peering through the window just to be sure it was Dean and when the mist cleared , she almost screamed when she saw a strange yet familiar boy probably a little older than her standing there but that wasn't what struck fear in her heart, it was his hair and eyes! They were silver just like the vampire who killed Aliyah two years ago.