Preface, Chapter One- Ann

Preface
It was around midnight when Anastasia heard something by her window; but when she looked, there was nothing there.
"Ugh, it must've been that stupid bird again." She crawled slowly back in her bed and under the covers. In her dreams she saw a strange man; he was dressed in a black trench coat and black boots, and for some reason just looking at him struck fear into Ann's very core.
She asked, “Who are you?” He didn’t reply, all he did was rush in to her room and bite her hand. She had awoken and she didn’t even know; startled and flustered, she saw the man exit the room with grace and silence. She ran to get a bandage. And then she saw it, the ripped flesh, and the blood. She realized that who and what she had just seen was trying to tell her something.

Chapter 1- Ann
I was having a bad dream I thought.  I got bit by some random guy and it hurt really, really bad-- but it was all over now.
Whenever I took a breath my throat hurt, it was an odd sensation, but it hurt. So I decided to try not to breathe. It worked!  I didn’t even need to breathe! I wonder why, I thought.  I was still really tired so I took a little nap on the couch.
When I woke up my throat hurt again it felt like. . . like a thirst, a hunger. I couldn’t explain it but I wanted it to stop.
My friend Scarlet came over later that day, a surprise visit, she was the same age as me, fifteen. She wanted to know how I was doing. As I was supposed to hang out with her today-- I had forgotten all about it. My mom answered the door for me, and then called me downstairs to greet her.
“Hey,” she said, “how’s it going?”
I sighed and then replied, “I feel just fine.”
“Good, I care about that,” Scarlet said.
“Care about what Scarlet?” I asked, confused.
“About how you are; and what’s going on with you. I’m your best friend Ann,  why would I not care?” Then Scarlet giggled, like she thought it was funny that I was acting like a retard.
“Well. . .”
“What Ann?” She sounded worried. “You can tell me anything! What’s wrong?!”
 “Um, nothing. Er. . . I’m fine, forget it. I’m probably going to be saying all kinds of weird things, I’ve been awake for a while, and I’m tired.” I said this quickly.
“Well, Okay, Ann. But next time, remember you can tell me anything, okay?”
“Okay, Scarlet.”
“Good." Scarlet smiled, with a pleasant feeling inside of her, it seemed. Then she made me a sandwich and brought me some water. For some reason I didn’t like it. The water tasted gross as did the sandwich, and I asked her if the water was purified. She said, it’s just the same water you’ve always drank.
“It’s not any different?" I asked her, "really?"
“Nope,” she said, "no difference."
"You’re sure?"
“Yes, of course.” Scarlet retorted. Well, okay then! I guess it’s just me, I wonder if my dream was as real as it seemed, the bite mark was gone.
It couldn’t have been real.
When she gave me a sort of ‘welcome back’ hug I inhaled and caught a wonderful smell! It smelled like. . .like. . . .blood and I could hear this thumping noise that sounded like her heart, it was beating. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, and to tell the truth I was really scared; and I wish it wouldn’t have happened at all. I couldn’t take it anymore, the smell was just way too strong for me and I had the weird instinct to lunge to. . .to. . . bite. I was scared! I thought I might never be able to be around her again, and she was my best friend- how could I stay away from her, when we hung out all the time? It made absolutely no sense to me why I was feeling these things.
I lost all control and screamed out loud. I ran into my bedroom and started sobbing to myself thinking I was crazy, I was wrong. Scarlet quickly noticed and ran behind me into my room.
“Oh my goodness Ann, What’s wrong? Did I hurt your feelings? What's going on? Oh my gosh are you okay?” she acted so nervous and scared. Or maybe she wasn't acting. I was shocked that she cared so much about me, but then again she really is a nice person.
“Scarlet I’m okay. Can you just. . . go home? I just don’t want you to see me like this, please? I'm er. . .having some issues.”
Scarlet paused in confusion before talking. “Um, Sure.  If you want me too I will. You’re sure?” she asked, obviously concerned.
I thought about that for a minute and though I was sad to say yes, I did.  She left. And I started to cry, alone, thinking about how horrible my life was going to be. How could I be around my mom? Or. . .go to school? I choked back a sob, but it came out in the next second as I gasped for air; a savior from my tears. Mysteriously there were no tears. It didn’t matter anyways, I was still devastated.
The very next day, the first thing I did was apologize to Scarlet, or I was going to. I woke up and ate my favorite food, pancakes, but they tasted absolutely disgusting and I didn’t know why.  I asked my mom if she was using a new brand of batter and she replied with a no and a concerned and puzzled face.
I thought to myself. What’s my problem? Is there something wrong with me? I decided to take a walk in the park that was a few blocks away to maybe brush off some questions and to try to calm myself down, but when I tried to walk out the door,  the sun hit me and it burned! I mean it when I say it. My hand turned red and I got blisters! But like any fifteen year old girl would do, I screamed, loud. Of course my mother came rushing to my aid and looked at my hand.
She asked very concerned, “Oh goodness, honey, what happened to your hand?!”
I replied hesitantly, trying to think of an excuse, “Um I touched the doorknob. . . it must’ve been in the sun. I. . . I think I’m going to go lay down."
“Oh no you don’t! Let’s get this under some cold water, and bandaged,” my mother said sternly. So I did.
Afterwards I lay on my bed and twiddled my thumbs until I finally got enough courage to pick up the phone and call Scarlet, she answered as always, “Hello?"
“Hey Scarlet I’m not going to make it over. . . I feel a little different, you know still from this morning."
I could almost picture Scarlet's dissapointed frown, “Aww! What’s wrong?”
“Erm. . .I burned my hand on the um. . . the oven,” I lied.
“Oh my goodness! Well then I’m guessing you’re not going to be at school tomorrow either?"
“Yes, and Scarlet I’m so sorry about what’s been going on lately. I’m just a little overwhelmed about what’s been happening you know with my injury and what happened to my hand last night."
Scarlet was making a confused and curious face now, "What happened to your hand?"
Oops. I didn't mean to say that. Crap! I still replied anyway, maybe she could help me. "Last night I had a dream that a man bit me, and it felt like fire was coursing through my veins. . .I woke up with a scar of a bite mark on my hand."
“Oh. . .well thats a shame. Very interesting, I wonder. . . Well, I suppose I should leave you then. Bye Ann, I hope you figure it out. Hey, call me okay?”
The conversation was over now. “Sure, Bye.” Then a split second after I hung up I was on my laptop. I searched and searched until I found out what I already had assumed I was. a. . .vampire.
I couldn’t believe it and I wouldn’t accept it. But now it all came together perfectly, Scarlet’s amazing smell, why I could hear everybody’s heartbeat, why the sun burned so much; and then I knew how it happened, how I had been changed, that night when the man came. I looked at my wounded hand, teeth marks just like the ones that were shown on the website. Then I thought, why me? Why now?
I didn’t have an answer what was I supposed to do, I mean how am I supposed to deal with the hunger and the instinct to kill but most importantly, what do I eat? That’s one question I sadly knew the answer to, and tonight was the night to find out how.