• Chapter 1- Silence
    There I stood in the dark, morning hallway of Sincere Heights High School. Any minute now, the rest of the kids would come pouring in, blowing my cover. I had exactly 5 minutes to find my Vampiric Charm but I hadn’t the slightest clue of where it might be. For all I knew, it was in one of the 1,600 lockers in this entire school. The sun was almost up- dawn, twilight, whatever you want to call it- and I’m really almost out of time. Everyone knows that Vampires can’t be touched by the sun’s rays without BURNING TO death, or being turned to ashes- depending on how strong of a tolerance the Vampire has to sunlight. Little did people know, however, that Vampires COULD actually survive in the sun with one little thing- a Vampiric Charm. A Vampiric Charm is a crystal that is formed from moon dust that absorbs and reflects the sun’s rays just like the moon, and I needed mine fast.
    “If I don’t find it soon I-.” I couldn’t choke out the words before a knot tied itself into the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t even think of the possible things that could occur if I didn’t get my charm back. This test was by far my most extreme.
    Every so often my Vampress, Teala, would spring a test of my Vampire abilities on me out of the blue. She said she wanted me to be at my optimum level when any sudden challenge came my way. Well, I’m not a fighter, and this IS a sudden challenge, and I’m not doing so well at it.
    So she hid my Charm in one of the many, MANY lockers in this miserable school. So either I find it before the sun comes up and all of the kids get here, or I burn to death and turn to ashes on the school floor. That’s just Teala’s special way of saying “I love you!”
    I scanned every single locker to check for any signs of forced entry, but I couldn’t detect any. I tried to keep the outcomes of this crazy expedition in the back of my mind, with no success. I knew that something bad, as well as inevitable, was about to happen. Suddenly, while I was shuffling thoughts in my head, one particular thought forced its way to the front of my thoughts- The Charm whistle! The Charm whistle is a device that lights up when blown into and that light triggers a special chemical reaction in a Vampiric Charm, causing it to also light up.
    Disoriented, I tried to find it with no success. This was no time to freak out- the sun was already ¾ up- but I couldn’t help it. I tried to think back TO LAST night. What was I doing when I grabbed it? Where did I put it when I grabbed IT? All I remember is Teala SAYING, “today will be a special day. I want you to get to school extra early. And make sure you have your …Oops! Would you look at the time? I must get going. Goodbye, sweet darling.”
    I remember grimacing at this, knowing that another test was forthcoming, so I tried my best to fill in the blank where Teala left off. I was lacing my Converse Boots then, which takes FOREVER. I remember putting something in the outer pocket I fashioned for myself in my right boot. Sure enough when I reach in it: MY CHARM WHISTLE!
    I don’t have much time to admire its beauty so I take a quick glance and blow into it. The bright purple light it emits still blinds me to this day. The light seemed to be tangible as it swirled around me in a beautiful pattern. It soon rushed itself into a locker about a hundred yards from me. The light disappeared and a new light, one coming from the locker, shone in its place.
    Although I never had to use the Charm Whistle I knew what that light was- My Vampiric Charm! Through my amazement at the bright lights around me I felt me arms get stiffer. I looked down in horror as I saw my arms beginning to scab and burn. Impulsively I ran towards the light.
    By now I was anything but sane and I could feel the tears of insanity burning behind my eyes. In a rather sad lapse of priority my prime worry was tears making my mascara run. Suddenly forgetting my make- up crisis, I remembered the more important danger that I faced. I frantically banged on the locker door when I reached it. When I regained the small amount of sense that I had I began to fiddle with the lock. By now, my memory was escaping me and my breathing was like that of a fish out of water. Was it right- left- right, or left- right- right? I couldn’t remember which way to turn a lock to get it to open. Dizziness was taking over me and it seemed as if the ground was moving in angry waves under my feet.
    I was never a quitter, but I honestly saw giving up as the only possible option at this point. Dying would be better than this right now. Anything would be better than this! At least I wouldn’t be in agony mentally and physically. I couldn’t remember whether I was still picking a lock or falling to the ground. All I could see was the locker and the ceiling through fading eyes. Something familiar on the locker intrigued me. It was a name. A name that I knew I should’ve remembered…
    My mind shifted to Teala and my clan members. What a funny story they’ll be able to tell later. A story about how one little Vampire girl in their clan actually died from the Sun’s rays. Not many Vampires get to tell that story, and about 10 vampires will get to tell it. And then I thought about Mordekai. My poor younger brother would be left all alone in that house without a friend. I couldn’t leave him to fend for himself in the mansion. I have to recompose myself for him. I WON’T leave him like our parents did.
    I tap into the insignificant amount of clarity that my brother has bought me to pull myself up. Soon I am once again facing the locker with determined yet burning hands working on the lock. The burning that was claiming my body was unbearable, but I had to concentrate on the imperative things: getting the lock open and staying alive. From a dark corner in my mind the numbers to the combination flowed into my mind. I tried the numbers and they were right!
    Once I had it open, I saw my Vampiric Charm along with a note in a violet envelope. The note was addressed to “Hayley, The Daughter of the Night.” Teala sure had a way of taking a revolting situation and making it seem like a happy coincidence.
    I latched my hands around the little charm for dear life. Immediately my body recomposed itself.
    My unrecognizable scorched fingers returned to their pale fragility. The scabs on my back disappeared and soft white skin took their place. It was as if nothing happened. I flipped open my black compact and checked my face in its mirror. Just as I feared: a dark line trickled down both sides of my face. I just hit my head against the locker and rested, too tired to care about it anymore.
    When the bell rang I was still deep in rest. The screech of the bell jolted me from the 30 seconds of rest I was allowed. That’s when it hit me: I was in some stranger’s locker. I grabbed my note and shoved it under my arm. I closed the locker when I saw the familiar name again. This time, it was just a firm reminder of how stupid I can be and it filled me with rage. The name was the name that I, by now, hated. Hayley Dawn.
    I forgot that I put my name on my locker. I now think of how much funnier it would’ve been if I had died trying to pick the lock to my own locker.© by HumanPole