Act. II - Scene. 5

I. Characters:
A. Vampires
Claudius - The leader of the Rosencrantz clan who seems to be the oldest vampire who kows Roman.
Trudy - A member of the leite clan who doesn't actually have any powers - a usual requirement for membership.
Reynold - A powerful psychic vampire who can control the element of water. In love with Gill.
Laertus - Another psychic vampire who is the older brother of Ophelia.
Ophelia - The youngest looking vampire in teh clan who is also a medium.
B. Hybrids
Vlad lunia Pera - A smart vampire/werewolf hybrid who used to be lawyer and now is a hunter.
Gill lunia Pera - The middle sibling who hunts along side her brother.
Brooke O’Connell - The youngest child who was presumed to have been kidnapped by Roman - now has amnesia.
C. Humans
Kane Kester - A young man who was saved by Gill from his abusive uncle. In love with Gill.
Marney Delmore - Kane's best friend and revealed to be a Slayer. Her intentions are unsure at the moment.
Mahina Delmore - Another of Kane's best friends and is in the same grade as him. Marney's little sister and dating Roman
D. Other
Roman - A powerful fire starter who is Vlad's, Gill's and Brooke's father. His intentions are also uncertain at the moment.
Tiffany - A secretary to Roman - one of the sisters who serves Roman.
Alec - A sister who infiltrated the high school to watch Mahina.
Meg - A necromancer who befriended Brooke to help her remeber under Roman's orders.

- - - -

Gill fell to the floor and watched in horror as Marney tried desperately to free herself from the water tunnel around her. But it was no use, Marney’s pounding sounded distant and far away, as if her fists slamming against the wall simply resonated within. The sheer terror on her face made Gill cringe and what made it worse was the fact that she knew that Marney would be dead soon - and even faster if she kept on using her strength and breath to fight it.

She looked over at Kane and saw him staring in disbelief up at Marney then at the others who were all gasping from the pain, blood seeping from their veins - it was ghastly, and he hadn’t even spotted the last zombie yet.

Gill turned back to look at the zombie and found it weak from its recent attack - crawling on its knees - trying to gather enough strength to aim its powers at another one of them. She looked back at Rey who was beginning to wake up but still laying there, almost motionless. She quickly made her way over to him and leaned down - begging him to wake up and take care of the last zombie. With his water powers he could easily spare Marney’s life and kill the final zombie, but so far, her pleading didn’t make any difference and tears began welling up in her eyes.

She could hear Brooke crying softly in Vlad’s arms, murmuring on about how they were all going to get eaten alive and that’s when she decided that Rey needed a burst of adrenaline, something that would bring him back to the living sorta speak and only one thing would do the trick at that moment - she looked over towards Kane first, and with him still being shocked over Marney’s predicament (and hopefully to distracted to notice), she leaned down and kissed Rey on the lips.

His lips had felt cold to the touch, colder than hers ever were, and she began to remember the first and last time they ever kissed. Almost two thousand years ago - in the bustling city of Pompeii - days before it disappeared under feet of ash. The feeling of death that laid on his lips lingered with her as an aftertaste and she swore that she never wanted to kiss a vampire again. But desperate times call for desperate measures and she pressed harder against him - praying it would work. Finally his eyes opened up and he reached for her face but she quickly sat back up again, “You need to take care of something first.”

Rey leaned on his right arm and turned slightly to find Marney beginning to loose consciousness - her arms that had been banging so hard to fight against the inevitable, were now dangling loosely by her side - floating hauntingly from the tide of the water.

Rey closed his eyes, wanting to join Marney’s sweet surrender versus having to summon the last reserves of his strength. He was so tired and he almost thought he had lost the battle when he felt Gill’s lips embrace his. He had figured a millennia ago that he would have to be dead before he could feel anything like her lips again. Looking back at Gill though, he couldn’t deny her eyes pleading with him to save Marney. So he sat up, aided by her strong arms, and he lifted his own to pull the water from around Marney and suck it up into his own hands. He heaved heavily with the power of the water between him, but Gill begged him, crying out that he was their last hope. Rey sighed and stood on his knees, gathering the strength from within to push the ball of water towards the zombie - flinging it with assured direction with final ounce of strength.

The zombie on his part, stood still, knowing what was about to happen and knowing that he wouldn’t be able to escape death a second time around, he waited for the water to wash across him. The fight had taken its toll on it and it didn’t take long for its breath to become laggard - its muscles sore and its bones brittle. It fell to the ground heavily, the last remnants of water washing over his remains, slowly disintegrating into dust - until it too blew away - back towards the catacombs to join the others.

- - - -

Mahina’s eyes fluttered open hazily; staring up blankly at the wooden beams that ran from one end of the ceiling to the other. She sat up but the sudden vertigo that took a hold of her balance forced her to fall back onto the bed. She felt like she had a horrible hangover and something as trivial as trying to keep her eyes open seemed to bring a rushing pain to her forehead.

“You’re awake.”

She recognized the voice but kept her eyes closed all the same, “Roman - what happened?” She felt the bed dip to her right and slightly turned her head in that direction, but kept her eyes covered with her left arm. She reached out for him and was relieved when she felt his strong hand grasp hers.

He tucked a loose strand aside, brushing his fingertips across her cheek, “You came to see me - and I guess my vodka was a little too strong for you.”

Mahina threw her arm to the side and sat up blazingly, regardless of her head screaming at her for it, “I can hold my liquor!”

Roman smiled at her then leaned in to kiss her on her forehead, “I know . . . Come - Tiffany is going to take you home.”

Mahina looked over his shoulder and saw a tall brunette hovering in the background, the woman stepped forward and forced a smile at her. Mahina simply nodded back at her, then smiled at Roman, “Whatever you say.”

- - - -

The clan left the house - dazed and confused - and more importantly in pain. Nobody talked, and no one chose to speak about what happened. They were happy of course that Brooke was safe, but a dreary silence came over all of them.

Brooke on the other hand, was no longer upset, she was calm and centered. The nervous wreck of a child she once embodied (really only minutes before) was gone and the only thing that remained was a steady woman that she remembered all too well. She had waited until Gill and Kane fell behind them before she felt comfortable enough to talk to the Rosencrantz clan about her revelation. She had hoped to talk to Vlad about it first, but he had offered to carry an unconscious Marney back to her house and was long gone. Looking behind her one more time, she saw Gill and Kane out of ear shot, solemnly walking behind her and she turned back to the clan, “I remember.”

The clan stopped, with Claudius being the one to signal over to Gill that maybe she should take Kane somewhere else. Gill silently acknowledged his gesture and tugged on Kane’s jacket for him to fallow her, he was still in such shock that he easily listened to her. They headed the opposite direction, aiming for a shortcut through the park while the others stayed on the sidewalk, close to the alley.

“What do you remember?,” Laertus asked first and Brooke looked up at him, then at the others, smiling at each, affirming their hope that she remembered each of them, except for one -

“I don’t know you Trudy, from before I mean - right?”

Trudy blushed a little and smiled, “I was turned only recently - twenty years ago to be exact.”

Brooke folded her arms over her chest and smirked, “So what’s your power - I mean everybody has a power in the Rosencrantz clan, that’s makes us so elite.”

Trudy’s smiled faded and her gaze fell downwards, “I don’t have one.”

Brooke laughed a little and coyly replied that she couldn’t understand why Claudius would ask her to join then. Claudius bent down to her level and smiled himself, “Stop being a jealous bitch Brooke.” He stood upright again, and crossed his own arms, not giving her a chance to reply, “Now tell us what you remember. What happened.”

Brooke tilted her head, trying to mockingly seem more important than she really was, “I’ll talk about it only with vampires that are of a more dignified manner.”

Rey, still applying pressure to the gash across his abdomen snickered, “Gees Brooke give it a rest - we’re starting to miss the little girl that replaced you already.”

Brooke relented and sighed, “Fine - I’ll tell you what I remember last.”

- - - -

Gill and Kane walked silently onto the dirt path that waved around random trees within the park. Each with their own reasons to remain silent but when they had almost made it through the woods, Kane stopped them both by placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her to face him, “Gill, maybe we should talk about what happened.”

Gill was still too embarrassed to say much of anything, much less talk about what had just happened. Between having a gun pointed at her from a Slayer - not to mention that the Slayer was Marney - and then dealing with zombies to rescue Brooke and then Kane and Marney stumbling in on the act . . . It was all too much, even for her. But the impending issue had to be dealt with, so she looked up at him, “Kane, if you want to leave - we’d all understand, but if you still need a place to stay until you get to college, you can stay with us.” She waited for his reply but when he instead turned around, away from her, she got nervous and stepped closer to him, “Kane, I understand that you’re confused and angry and probably hate me right about now but you can’t tell anybody, especially Marney.”

Still not facing her he asked what Marney had to do with it but she ignored the question, only repeating that he couldn’t tell anybody, no matter how mad he was at her, “Please, Kane - even if you find me revolting you cannot say anything.”

Kane chuckled, “Revolting?” He finally turned to face her, smiling down at her, “Gill I love you.”

Gill stepped back a little, she figured he had a puppy dog crush on her, but full blown love? Especially after everything he had seen? She tried to understand it before she opened her mouth to reply but her heart spoke up before her reason had a chance to, “Are you freaking nuts?! . . . I’m a vampire - a werewolf . . . A hybrid! I’m totally dangerous . . . My diet consists of blood from animals. Everyone in the house is a vampire.”

“I knew that.”

Gill froze, how could he have known that? But he continued before she even had ask.

“I mean, I know I seem like a really dumb guy but even I couldn’t deny the things I saw at the house. Like no food in the pantry until I said something. Never having anybody eat with me. I wasn’t allowed in the basement and even when I tried sneaking in their Brooke always stopped me. And you guys always wore sunglasses or carried umbrellas when you went out into the sun - and that was only if I or Brooke haggled you guys to come outside - I mean that among other things,” Kane stepped closer to her and she didn’t hesitate, “Gill I knew you were different, but I also know you saved me.”

“Then you only love me because I saved you when you were vulnerable -”

Kane shook his head and grabbed her by the shoulders, “No Gill that’s not what I meant. I mean you saved me and then you showed me that I deserve to be treated with respect and compassion and not have to get my head bashed in for it. You were not only my friend you were my savior.”

Gill pulled away from his grasp, “Kane - you’re a confused boy.”

“I’m almost eighteen.”

Gill smirked, “I’m 1, 926.” Then she burst out in laughter as she watched Kane’s cheeks flush in the most reddish color she had ever seen. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, and he embraced her back, holding her head close to his heart, “You know this can’t happen.”

Kane leaned his head against hers and held her tighter, “But it’s a start.”

- - - -

Marney was shivering from the wet clothes that clung to her body, and though Vlad was holding her in his arms, he absolutely refused to look down at her. It would remind him too much of a similar predicament he had almost five hundred years ago. A situation that he refused to think about - and this girl in his arms wouldn’t change that. If he was completely heartless, he’d let his smarts throw her down on the sidewalk and as a favor, call Mahina to pick her up. But then again, not sure if Mahina was alive at the moment - much less capable of answering the phone - he put the thought in the back of his head and continued down the sidewalk.

It was then that he heard a car pull around the corner and he looked up to see a large black limo stopping down the street where Marney lived. The driver got out, walked around to open the door, and Mahina climbed out. She turned to the driver to thank him when she spotted Vlad, and in turn Marney in his arms, past the driver’s frame. She pushed him aside and ran right up to them, “Oh my God - what the hell did you do to her!?”

Vlad looked past her at first and saw a tall brunette join the driver on the sidewalk - but just past the both of them - he saw a rabbit and toad - unceremoniously hovering beside the limo. He recognized the bunch instantly and was careful about what he said next - in case they ran off to report to Roman, “Mahina you have no right to talk. You’re mixed up with some bad company - and if you hadn’t disappeared in the first place then I wouldn’t have had to save her. Here.”

He stood Marney up and pushed her onto Mahina. Mahina, frowned at him, “Leave us alone.”

Vlad didn’t turn back and made sure to speak up loud enough so they all could here, “I don’t want to have anything to do with any of you.”

- - - -

Brooke and the others were almost at the house and her story was coming to a close, “It was 30 km from here, downtown London - Dracula had just come out and we were all silently wanting to kill Stoker for it. Every vampire, anywhere had to be extra careful from all these new Slayers who were emulating Van Helsing. In fact, ironically even, I was looking through a store glass window at the very book when I remember hearing his voice. I had been out, attempting to buy art supplies and leaving Vlad and Gill - like always - to fight over where we would move to next.”

“‘His voice’ - as in Him - Roman?,” Claudius asked.

Brooke nodded, “I turned around, looked up at him - and everything until I came out of that door in the park is a blur.”

Laertus looked down at her with disbelief, “That’s almost 150 years Brooke.”

Brooke scoffed, “Yeah and it was Roman who did it. We all know how powerful he is. Let’s just hope he’s not us fallowing now.”

Claudius and the others agreed, “I doubt it. But we’ll stay around for a while just to make sure.”

Brooke looked up at them, her right hand opening the gate to the house, “Thanks for your help, but I don’t plan on ever letting myself forget again - I won’t need your help then. I won’t let myself.”

They all walked in together and Trudy locked the gate behind her.

- - - -

Vlad walked solemnly home - bringing Marney home took more of a toll on his spirit then he realized. He was beginning to care too much about what happened to her and he knew he had to shake it off before it got out of hand. The last time he let himself get carried away, a girl wound up dead - and no matter what anybody says - he might as well have lit the pyre himself.

He grabbed the edge of the collar of his jacket, pressing it closer to his neck, protecting it from the cold; the season’s were changing, and as always, the change in weather brought the change in him. Soon her anniversary of her death would surround him like a waking nightmare and he shivered within.

He was so consumed by the chilling feeling of the memories that refused to die with her, that he didn’t hear Roman’s heavy footsteps racing towards him. His father’s fingers wrapped themselves around his neck and he was flung against a wall in the alley; with Roman leaning against him, pinning him in place. Vlad opened his eyes and they grew not only in surprise, but also in fear.

“Hello son.”

End of Act. II

Hi. Hope you guys liked the second act. To me it’s already becoming bittersweet because we are already more than halfway through! I never thought that this story would be so long so I am pleasantly surprised that it is.

Anyways, moving onto this scene - we found out that Kane knew all along that SOMETHING was going on with Gill and everyone at the manor but that he really figured it out? Pretty cool. Anybody surprised with his “Love” confession? Not really I hope. But Gill possibly liking him back? How’s that gonna go over with Vlad?

Speaking of Vlad - something is going on with Marney, and just what did happen with a past love that is tormenting him 500 years later? And his father found him - what’s going to happen next?

And we finally see the real Brooke, as she now remembers, for the most part, her past - she’s pretty arrogant, right? How will she adjust?

And finally, what’s going to happen to Mahina? Keep on disappearing under “Roman’s” watchful eye? Find out in the next Act - up within the month! ß Most likely this will become the last act (only with a slight possibility that there could be one more after that. See you guys then)