Bloodlines

CHAPTER TWENTY: WHAT'S PAST IS PROLOGUE

                I began to wake up, but I don't even remember falling asleep. It was dark and quiet. I didn't know where I was. I tried moving my arms but I couldn't. I tried to focus in the dark, and saw my hand were chained up to a water pipe. I tried breaking free but couldn't. I had no strength. I found myself having the sudden urge for blood. The side of my neck hurt, as if a bee stung me. 
                  Suddenly, the lights in wherever I was turned on. The room was now dimmed red. Jason was standing by the door in his trench coat. "Don't bother, I've already weakened you, you can't break free."
                   "How? Why?" I asked.
                   "Oh, I drank your blood."
                   "But i'm not human."
                   "We're not limited to only drinking human blood, there are other options, like vampire blood. It just doesn't sustain us as much as human blood does."
                   "So what now? Are you gonna kill me like you killed my dad? Go ahead."
                   "Always wishing for death Lucinda, but you already are."
                   "Why did you kill my dad?" 
                   Jason sighed. "There's a lot you don't know about your father, Lucinda."
                   "I know my father very well. He was a good man, he didn't deserve to die."
                   "I knew him in high school, yes. But, we were not friends. More like, rivals. No idea what your mom saw in him." 
                    "What are you talking about?"
                    "Fine, why don't I give you a closer look." Jason dashed over to me, grabbed me by my hair and bit into my neck, drawing more blood until I was weak.
                      I felt his nails dig into the back of my neck and my forehead. Suddenly, I saw this flash of white and a whoosh noise and found myself back at...my school? It felt different though. I looked around and everyone seemed to look like they belonged in the 1980's. Then I saw the banner: class of 1985. I turned another direction and saw Kaitlynn with two other people. One petite girl with pale skin and curly black hair and a boy with cropped-short dirty-blond hair and blue eyes. It took me a moment to realize that those two people were my mom and Jason. 
                      "What is this?" I asked.
                      "It's my past. I weakened you to the point where you'd be in a dream-like state. Then I simply made you see what I wanted you to see." Jason explained. "It's not real though, nobody can see us. Think of this as a high-def instant replay."
                      "What's happening?"
                      "Why don't you listen and find out?" 
                       I focused on the three friends. They laughed and giggled with each other. I noticed the young Jason attempting to hold my younger mom's hand, but she wiggled her hand free. 
                       "Kait, you're going to the winter formal this Friday, right?" Young-mom asked.
                       "Um, yeah! I'll be there." Kaitlynn confirmed. 
                       "Are you going with anyone? How about that boy on the football team, Ryder?"
                       "I was thinking of going alone actually." 
                       "Oh, well Jason, you're going, right?"
                       "Of course, wouldn't miss it." Young-Jason said. 
                        "So Dawn, are you going with anybody?" Kaitlynn asked.
                        "Oh, uh...I don't know." My mom then glanced over at a pale jock boy with midnight black hair. Handsome, yet mysterious would be an accurate description for him. I quickly realized that he was my dad. You couldn't miss that. He was talking to his other friends on the other side of the hall. 
                         "Oh, I know. Felix huh?" Kaitlynn smirked.
                          My mom blushed. "What? he's cute."
                          "And a jock. And jocks like blonde cheerleaders." Kaitlynn's comment made my mom look at herself. She had a small frame and a small body. She wore the usual all-black getup like I do. 
                        Kaitlynn sighed. "I mean, you only live once. Go talk to him, ask him to the dance. You only live once."
                       My mom attempted to make a move but stopped herself. "I can't." 
                       Kaitlynn sighed again. "You know, you've been obsessing over him since freshman year. Our days in this school are numbered. You should tell him how you feel before another girl snatches him up."
                       "You're right." My mom said. "I'll go talk to him right now!" She then walked up to my dad and his friend group. "Hey Felix." 
                       "Gross. Let's get out of here before she curses us." One of the jocks said. The other jocks laughed, except for my dad. They then walked away, leaving my mom standing there alone and upset. Kaitlynn walked over to her and hugged her.
                        I was so tuned into what was happening that I forgot Jason was next to me. "See what I mean?" He said suddenly, making me jump.
                       "I can't believe my dad let them talk to her like that. I thought he got along with everybody. I thought he was in love with mom!" 
                        "That's the thing, he just fell for her. Took her from me," -He snapped his fingers- "just like that." 
                        "You were in love with her too." 
                        "Then and now." Jason placed his palm on my forehead and another sudden rush happened. We were now outside, by the front steps of the school. The younger mom and Jason were sitting by the steps. My mom was crying and Jason tried to comfort her.
                         "Now what's this?" I asked.
                         "Young me trying to clean up your father's mess."
                          I watched as young-Jason stroked my mom's curls while she wept into a napkin.
                         "You shouldn't have to let him make you feel this way. You deserve way better. You know that, Dawn." He said to her.
                         "You don't understand, Jason. I liked him since freshman year. I've never found myself drawn to any other guy in this school until I saw him." The words my mom said seemed to almost punch Jason in the chest. 
                          Then I saw my dad walk up to my mom. "Hi. I wanted to apologize for my friends' behavior earlier."
                          "She doesn't wanna talk to you right now." Jason said.
                          "No Jason, it's okay." My mom defended, then looking up at my dad.
                          "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to grab a milkshake?" My dad asked.
                          "That would be nice." My mom agreed. My dad politely held his hand out for her. Before they left, my mom turned to Jason, who sat still in the front steps. "I'll see you tomorrow."
                           Jason nodded and my parents walked away. Once they were out of sight, Jason got up, picked up a large rock and threw it at the door, making a scratch. 
                          "Love at first sight, isn't it?" The present Jason asked me. 
                          "What's so bad about that? My dad did what my dad would do, take responsibility for his actions, even if he didn't directly cause them." I said.
                           "God, how naive you are, Lucinda." 
                           "So you're mad because my dad made the first move? If you were so in love, you should've made the first move."
                           "Yeah, that was my biggest mistake, good catch." Jason placed his palm on my forehead once again and we ended up at the school gymnasium. This must've been the day of the dance. The setting felt so different in 1985 than it does in 2007, for obvious reasons. The '80's was bright and colorful, with people's hairstyles literally defying gravity. 
                         While everyone was dancing, I noticed one person sitting by the bleachers. It was the young Jason. He sat there, dressed in a red dress shirt, with a black blazer jacket and black slacks. My mom walked up to him. Her hair was straightened, and she wore a black dress. 
                       "Come dance with us Jason, can't let Kaitlynn be the third wheel forever."
                       "I think i'll pass." Jason denied.
                       "Oh c'mon, why come to this dance if you're just gonna sit there all night?"
                       Jason then stood up and slammed his empty coke can on the floor, making my mom jump. "There's only one girl I wanted to dance with tonight, and she's already been snatched up."
                      "Who?"
                      "You."  
                      My mom looked confused. "Wait, what?"
                      "Dawn, I've been in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I know you're here with Felix and all, but I want you to be mine. It's all I want."
                       "I'm sorry Jason, I don't feel that way about you. I like Felix, you knew that."
                       "I knew, but I was hoping i'd make you see that i'm worth it."
                       "I'm with him now, Jason." 
                       "And why does the popular boy always get the girl?" Jason snapped. "Why don't I? For once, it should be me." 
                        "Jason, you're scaring me." My mom said, beginning to back away.
                        "I'm sorry."
                        "I have to go. You'll find someone, Jason. Believe in that." My mom walked away and left the heartbroken Jason alone again. 
                        "That's enough of that." The present Jason said, grabbing my jaw and forcing blood down my throat. I woke up, back in my chains. I still felt weak. 
                         "You're so selfish. You didn't get the girl so you used Kaitlynn's blood to turn yourself into a vampire, then you decided to kill my dad, then walk back into my mom's life, pretending to be the good guy."
                          "Sometimes, in order to get what you want, you have to make tough decisions." Jason then walked past me. 
                           "What are you doing?" I asked.
                           "Dark in here isn't it?" Jason the opened the curtains, letting the sun in. I felt the entire backside of my body burn. It was like being laid flat on a sizzling pan. It was so painful, I couldn't stop myself from screaming. Jason closed the windows and the pain went away.
                           I looked up at my chained up hands and saw that my ring wasn't on. "Where's my ring? Where the hell did you put it, you monster?"
                          "Oh, it's in my pocket, no worries." Jason then opened the curtains again, making be burn once more. 
                          "Please, i'm begging you, stop." Jason closed the curtains and walked towards me and faced me. "If you want me dead, just get it over with. But please leave my friends alone, and my mom."
                          "As much as i'd like to kill you, I can't."
                          "Why not?"
                          "I just can't." 
                          "Enough with the vagueness, Jason. You're a vampire hunter, so why did you turn yourself into a vampire?"
                          "In order to clean up the mess, you have to get dirty."
                          "You want to eradicate all vampires?" 
                          "Exactly. Every day, someone is getting attacked by you bloodsuckers and us hunters are becoming overwhelmed. In order to kill a monster, you have to become the monster."
                          "That doesn't explain why my dad had anything to do with this." 
                          "Like I said, there's a lot about your father that you don't know. He never told anyone his deepest, darkest secrets."
                          What could my dad be hiding? For sixteen years, I only knew my dad as an honest person who never kept anything from anybody. But now i'm beginning to consider the fact that maybe I didn't know my own father too well, even though we lived under the same roof. Of course all this could just be Jason trying to mess with my head, but he did know my dad.
                          "What secrets?" 
                          Jason laughed. "One day, you'll see how all this connects." Jason began to walk away. 
                         "Where are you going?" I asked.
                         "Your mother's about to wake up soon. Don't worry, I told her you slept over with your friends." He explained. "And by the way, here's your ring." Jason placed my ring on a table, obviously out of reach. He then turned into his bat form and flew away, leaving me hostage.
                         Jeremy, the girls, and Kaitlynn searched for Lucy all night. They even called her every hour of the night. With nowhere left to turn, they went to Freddy's for help. Their only solution was to meet with him and Natalie and ask them to locate her.
                        Alex knocked on the door and Freddy opened. "Jason is the Vampire. Lucy went after him and now she's missing. Can you please help us find her? Please!" 
                        "Okay, alright, calm down. Nat and I will find her, come inside." Freddy said. The six of them went upstairs and Freddy led them to Natalie's room.
                        "Nat, we need your-"
                        "Freddy! Knock!" Natalie yelped. She had just gotten out of the shower and was in her towel when Freddy barged in. 
                         Freddy shut his eyes. "I'm so sorry, but Lucy's missing, and we need to find her."  
                        Natalie's expression changed. "I'll be ready in a minute, i'll meet you in your room." 
                       A minute later, Natalie joined the gang in Freddy's room. "When did she go missing?" She asked, joining the circle.
                     "Last night." Kaitlynn revealed. "We found out that Jason, Lucy's mom's boyfriend, was the Vampire. When he escaped, Lucy went after him, and that's the last we heard of her." 
                      "Do you have anything of hers we can use to track her?" Natalie asked.
                      "Here's this, it's Lucy's favorite necklace." Raven said, handing Natalie the pentagram necklace. 
                      "Wait, how does all this work?" Jeremy asked with confusion.
                      "I'm a wizard and Nat's a witch. In order to track Lucy's whereabouts, we need to channel her essence through the necklace. All it takes is her fingerprints." Freddy explained.
                      "Right, got it." Jeremy shrugged.
                      Natalie and Freddy held hands and held Lucy's necklace with their other hands. Wind blew and a few seconds later, they let go of the necklace and turned to the rest of the gang.
                      "Lucy's at an abandoned warehouse a few miles from here. We'll need a ride though."
                      "I got that one covered." Indi said. "Lucky for you, i'm an expert at hot-wiring cars.
                     "The only supernatural part about that is that you never get caught." Natalie remarked. 
                     Soon enough, the gang left the house and jacked the nearest van they could find. They immediately went on their quest to find Lucy. A lot were going through their minds, especially Jeremy's. For weeks, he's been training with a murderer: his own uncle. The guilt had set in. For all Jeremy knew, he's killed innocent people who didn't deserve to die. People he could've helped.
                     For what felt like an eternity, all I was trying to do was escape these clutches. But I was too weak. I needed human blood. I wanted it. My burns from the sun were already healed, but I knew that the less I went without human blood, the more weaker i'll grow. I felt powerless, not knowing what Jason was gonna do next. Or anything, for that matter. I didn't know what my dad's secrets were. I didn't know where his body was. I didn't know what Jason was planning. All I wanted was answers, and I feel like i'm only getting farther and farther from them. 
                      I began to drift off until I heard a voice call my name.
                     "Lucy!" The voice called.
                     "Who's there?" I asked, "Show yourself."
                     The door slowly opened and I saw that the person by the door was...Jeremy. What was he doing here? And how did he know I was here? I must've been hallucinating, but I hoped to God I wasn't. 
                      Jeremy walked over to me. "Lucy, hey. I came to rescue you." He whispered.
                      "Jeremy, thank god." I said, faintly. 
                      "What's wrong? Where's Jason?"
                      "He's at my mom's...I need blood." 
                      I saw Jeremy grabbing his switchblade and cutting his hand with it. "Here, drink." He said, holding my face and placing his wound on my mouth. As his blood dripped into my mouth and down my throat, I felt my strength coming back. My body was regaining its energy again and I managed to struggle free from my clutches. I was me again.
                       "Ohmygod, Jeremy." I said, hugging him and kissing him on the lips. For once, I felt home again. I wanted Jeremy to hold me and never let me go. 
                       "Come on, let's get out of here." He said. I nodded in agreement. I grabbed my ring, put it on and followed Jeremy out the door. The girls, along with Kaitlynn, Natalie, and Freddy stood by the door, waiting for us. 
                        Indi was the first to hug me "Lucy, thank god you're okay." Alex and Raven then joined. Then I hugged Natalie, Kaitlynn, and lastly, Freddy. I was so glad to see them again, I began to cry. 
                        "You found me," I told them, "thank you."
                        "We'll always find you, wherever you are." Jeremy said.
                        The eight of us began to walk towards the exit until we heard loud whoosh noises. 
                        "What is that?" Alex asked.
                        "Vampires." Kaitlynn answered. "Get ready." 
                        Suddenly, five vampires swooped down and surrounded us. They were very pale and gangly. They hissed at us while their crimson eyes pierced through us. Kaitlynn hissed back, then Jeremy took out a stake and attempted to attack one of the vampires, but it got away. The girls, along with Kaitlynn and I fought the vampires. Freddy, Natalie and Jeremy attempted to escape, but one of the vampires stood in front of them, hissing at them. 
                        "Open." Freddy said, making the curtain open, letting sunlight in the dark warehouse. The vampire screamed and spontaneously combusted into ash. 
                        "Nice one, Fred." Natalie winked. 
                        Meanwhile, the rest of us were fighting the other vampires. I grabbed a piece of wood and staked one of the vampires from behind and through his heart, killing him. 
                        Another vampire pinned Alex to the floor but she kicked him off and out the window, exposing him to the sun and making him combust into ashes before he could hit the ground. We then easily finished off the remaining vampires and quickly left the warehouse. The eight of us quickly drove over to my house.
                    Once we got there, I hurried inside, hoping the worst hasn't yet occurred.
                   "Mom!" I called.
                   "In here, sweetie." She called from the dining room. I walked over to the dining room and saw her and Jason sitting there, drinking coffee and finishing up breakfast. 
                   "Hello Luce, how was your sleepover?" Jason asked modestly,
                   I didn't know what to say. Everything seemed normal, except it wasn't, But my mom was in the dark about everything, she didn't know about vampires, witches, or anything, I had to play it cool, or Jason might just hurt her.
                    "It was...thrilling." I said.
                    "Well that's great." He said.
                    "I didn't know you were going to be home so soon, we just finished eating, but I can order you some breakfast if you'd like." My mom offered.
                    "I'm not hungry."
                    "What's wrong Lucy?" Jason asked. "You look spooked."
                    "I'm fine, thank you." 
                    "Well why don't you sit with us? Have a chat." 
                    I sat down and Jason was finishing up his coffee. It was then I finally noticed his day-walking ring. It was gold, like Jacob's, but with a black stone in the center. 
                     "Lately I've been thinking a lot about Felix. How hard it has been for the both of you. It's understandable really. To lose someone you love without reason." He said.
                      "I don't think we should be talking about this." My mom interfered.
                      "I think some things should be discussed." Jason continued.
                      "If my mom's asking you to stop talking about my father, you should." I said, defending my mom.
                      "For centuries, things that threaten us roam around under our noses without even realizing it." He continued. "Sometimes it feels like a burden, fighting the good fight. And sometimes in order to do the right thing, you have to go through the wrongs."
                      "What are you trying to say?" My mom asked.
                      "Well it all comes down to one thing: blood. The demons that go bump in the night, don't walk around in the night all the time. The world's a dangerous place. These demons killed your husband. It's all true, vampires are real."
                        My mom was silent. The only noise was Jason setting his coffee cup on the table.
                       "Mom?" I said.
                       "Jason, get out." She finally said.
                       "What?" He asked.
                       I stood up. "You heard her."
                       "Well I don't want to leave. After all, I've already been invited in." 
                       "Fine then, we'll go. Lucinda, let's-" 
                       "You're not going anywhere!" Jason snapped, grabbing my mom's arms.
                       "Jason, you're hurting me!" My mom yelled.
                       I tackled Jason and pinned him to the wall, holding a knife to his throat. 
                       "Lucy!" My mom panicked.
                       "Mom, go." I commanded.
                       "But what are y-"
                       "I said go!" I yelled, showing my mom my fangs. She headed for the door but Jason turned into a bat, then appeared in front of my mom. It all happened so fast but he stabbed her in the stomach and she fell to the ground. 
                        "No!" I screamed. Jason escaped but I ran over to my mom. I bit my hand, trying to heal her, but she wasn't healing, "Mom!" 
                        I began to panic, so I carried her to the car, planning to take her to the hospital.
                       "What happened?" Jeremy asked.
                       "Jason stabbed her, we need to go to the hospital now!" 
                        Indi drove as fast as she could to the hospital, I held onto my mom. "Please mom, stay with me. I can't lose you too."
                        Once again, I felt powerless. I felt like Jason was winning, and I could do nothing about it. But right now, I needed my mom to be okay. She had to be.