Dusk

Dusk-Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN-FUNERAL

As I walk into the school doors the next day, I catch a glimpse of Alexander Hale standing by my locker. When he saw me, he looked shocked and pretty angry.

"Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to leave?" he asks me.

"I'm not leaving. I want to stay here with you," I say.

He blinked; and then he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. His mouth was beside my ear when he muttered, "I really don't want you to get hurt."

I close my eyes and whisper back, "I won't. I want to stay. But I need to find out more about you."

He pulled back and looked at me. Then he took my hand and we started walking towards the exit of the school.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"If you want to know more, you're going to have to trust me," he said.

Then he lifted me into his arms and raced away from the school. It was as fast as a lightning bolt; everything seemed to disappear behind us.

We ended up at what I thought to be of his house; a big, open mansion. He took me inside and removed my jacket for me. I glanced around his the living room we were in a gawked at how beautiful it was.

"Giselle's not here. She's out hunting. But my parents and siblings are here," he told me.

I nod and he leaded me towards the kitchen. There, I saw most of his family: Nicolai, Damien, Serenity, Anastasia, and his parents who looked like teenagers.

"Christopher. Kyla. This is my friend, Ellice Rose," Alex said, introducing me.

Christopher and Kyla nodded towards me, but looked suspiciously at Alex.

"So, you're vampires?" I blurted out.

All of them turned to me, shocked. They gasped and turned to Alex.

"How does she know this?" demanded Kyla.

"She needs to know. You remember what Giselle saw. I've been trying to convince her to leave, since she's in a dangerous spot here in Oregon," explains Alex.

"Yes, Ellice. We're vampires. But it's not your business to know, so you'd better leave before we all suck the life out of you," Anastasia says, turning to me.

"Anastasia!" Christopher gasped.

Anastasia narrowed her eyes at me and turned away.

"She wants to know more," Alex said softly.

"I hate to burst you bubble, Alex, but she can't know these things," Serenity said.

"But if she's to stay here, she should be warned, right? And if she already knows what we are, then maybe we can explain at least some to her," Damien told us.

All of them nodded in agreement except for Anastasia.

"I'm not dealing with this. Consider me gone," she said.

She got up from her chair and left.

"The vampires were created by the devil," Kyla told me.

" We were bloodthirsty monsters that killed humans and caused war with other vampires," continued Christopher.

"Their were sides to vampires: the good and evil. But we're obviously on the good side," Serenity says.

"Who are your enemies?" I asked curiously.

"The werewolf pack. They're shape-shifters that we jut can't stand. We're sworn enemies," Damien says.

I remember the time I saw the wolves in the woods. And now I've learned that they were the vampires' sworn enemies. Mythical creatures, I just couldn't believe.

"But there's also the group called the 'Necrophyles,' which means 'lovers of death.' They're a group of evil vampires and werewolves. We've been at war with them for centuries," Nicolai tells me.

I was about to reply when my cellphone rang. I excused myself from them and went to answer it. It was Carlos calling for the funeral to start.

"I'm not coming," I said stubbornly.

"You have to. Please, Ellice," he begged.

"Fine, but don't expect me to give a speech, okay?" I tell him.

"Sure. I'll go for you."

I smile. "Okay, see you there."

I go back to Alex's family and tell them I have to leave for Elle's funeral.

"You do know who the murderer was, right?" Serenity asked me slowly.

I choke back my tears and nod. "Alex told me."

"Ellice, we are so sorry. Our daughter just can't control her bloodlust," Kyla told me.

I give a small smile and nod. Alex takes me by the hand and leads me to the front door.

"Hold on, I don't have my car with me, it's at school," I said.

He pointed out the window and I saw it on their driveway. I gasp and ask, "How'd it get there?"

He pointed to his head and smiled. "The power of telekinesis."

"Wow. So you're a psychic too."

He nodded and gave me a brief hug. "Be very careful," he said cautiously.

I nodded and walked towards my SUV. I got in and drove all the way to Elle's funeral, nervous to see her face again.

When I got there, I wiped my watery eyes and looked in my compact mirror from my bag. I didn't look good, especially for a funeral, but I didn't really care. I hopped out of my car and walked towards the entrance. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was taking deep breaths. It's just this, I told myself, then you won't have to deal with her anymore. And never see her again.

When I'm inside, Carlos notices me and gathers me in a hug.

"Hey, how you feeling?" he asked me.

"I'm okay," I said softly.

"My parents want you to stay over for a while."

I just shrug and say, "I'll think about it."

And then it was time for the funeral. The priest gave his prayer for Elle, and I just sat there next to Carlos, staring at Elle's dead body. I couldn't hear anything anymore, I could only see my dead mother lying there, the life drained out of her.

Finally, it was over, and they were going to hammer the coffin, and bury it into the earth. That's when I notice Carlos leaving. I watch as he heads towards a forest behind us. I turn around and run after him, and by the time we're in the forest, he turns to face me.

"What are you doing, Ellice?" he asks me.

"Where are you going?" I ask him.

"You don't need to know."

He turns around and keeps walking deeper into the forest. I run after him and grab his arm. He winces and pulls back, and that's when I see the scar on his arm he wouldn't talk about.

"What's that?" I ask, pointing to it.

He covers it up and murmurs, "Go back, Ellice."

I shake my head. Then I realize the connection: Carlos' scar like the wolf, the wolves, his reaction to the wolves, and him telling me to leave.

Carlos was a werewolf.