Serenity's Dark Beauty

by J. R. Mitchell

  "Aren't you afraid your mom will find out about this?” she asked turning her face up to look into his eyes. “After all nearly every college student in town is here."

  "I'll find some way of explaining it that will keep her from getting too mad."

  "What? You'll tell her you were drunk like your brother?” she asked smiling.

  "I think I am.” It felt as if time had stopped as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was long and sweet. When they finally pulled apart the music had already changed to a heavy metal rock song.

  * * * *

  Serenity was completely shocked. Of all the things she thought to happen here this was not one of them. What bothered her most about the kiss was how it made her heart race. It felt almost as if she was floating. He was so handsome. Quickly she backed away. She knew if it went any further Erika would make her life a living hell.

  "What is it?” asked Garret. She had responded in kind with him to the kiss and he knew it.

  "Your mother.” she whispered. Tears coming to her eyes at what she knew she was giving up. “This can't happen. I have to go.” As quick as she could she turned and ducked into the crowd of people around them. If she could get lost in the mass of dancers she knew she could get away. Behind her she could hear Garret begging her to stop. I have to get away she thought, ducking into the large dinning room.

  As she pressed through the many drunken bodies a loud noise suddenly sounded. It was the tolling of the great grandfather clock in the living room. It was too loud, being able to sound over the music. The people around her started laughing, they thought it was funny. But Serenity fell to her knees. The clock sounded as if it was right in her ear. It struck again and she felt a strange feeling move through her body. Again it struck and a strength came to her she had never possessed before. Each time the clock sounded Serenity felt something within her change.

  She stood up to look at the crowd when the clock struck again. In that instant her eyes changed to gold and glowed for a brief second before changing back. Serenity was now able to see the crowd with a vivid clarity. Even the dark corners of the room were lit to her as though it were day. Finally as the clock finished striking twelve she felt her teeth change. Feeling them with her tongue, she found that the fake fangs had fallen out and been replaced by real ones. She was scared. She didn't know what had happened to her.

  Quickly she ran over to the mirror she knew hung on the wall in the living room. She looked to see if she could see a difference. If she could see the fangs but she saw nothing. Nothing different as well as nothing at all. She stood right in front of the mirror but it did not reflect her image.

  "What's happening?” she cried quietly to herself. She whipped a tear away with her hand to find blood. It was coming from both her eyes. She was crying blood! Serenity panicked. She knew something was terribly wrong if she had fangs, no reflection, could see in the dark and was crying tears of blood. She turned to leave when she heard Garret's voice calling her name. He had found her and was making his way to her as quickly as he could. I can't let him see me, she thought. And running faster than she thought she could, she escaped the house and disappeared into the night. Garret's voice still echoing in her ears, calling for her to come back.

  Serenity got as far away from the house as she could before stopping to take off the boots and threw them aside. She knew she could run faster without them and would need all the speed she could get because Garret had a car. He didn't have to travel on foot.

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  Chapter 2

  By the time Garret reached his car, Serenity was nowhere to be seen. He jumped into the driver's seat, he had to find her. It was as if he needed her. When she left his arms he had instantly felt the loss of her. He didn't understand what was happening, all he knew was that he wanted to hold her again, needed to be close to her. From how she reacted to the kiss, he was sure she felt the same.

  Garret sped down the street with his brights on. He was going as fast as he possibly could without causing his surroundings to blur. Though he searched carefully, he didn't see Serenity anywhere.

  "Impossible.” he said to himself, “She couldn't have gotten very far on foot.” He searched the whole town even stopping at her house, but the lights were off and the place looked deserted. No, he thought, she wouldn't come here yet, not with the risk of running into my mother. Finally he had to give up the search. Turning around, he headed back to pick up his brother. Reaching the party, he found Dan outside waiting on him.

  "What do you think your doing?” scolded Dan as Garret got out of his car and met him on the porch.

  "What do you mean?” he tried to pretend ignorance.

  "Don't play stupid with me Garret! You know damn well what I mean. I saw you kiss her!” The music booming in the background was the only answer. Garret didn't know what to say. “How can you do that? Your mother's probably going to try and kill her now, with some bullshit story of Serenity trying to seduce you to get back at her!"

  "I know!” Garret was frustrated. The worse part was that Dan was right.

  "Then why'd you do it?"

  "I don't know.” he whispered mostly to himself. Before he had always been able to keep his feelings for Serenity locked away but when she was in his arms he had lost control. “I hadn't intended to but with the party and everything I guess I lost it. Don't worry I won't let my mother hurt Serenity, I will protect her."

  "How are you suppose to do that when you can't even find her?” he retorted, “What'd you do to make her run off like that anyway?"

  "Nothing! I swear! The only thing I can figure is that she thought about what my mother would do and it scared her off. I tried to catch her, to tell her it would be okay but she was gone before I could."

  "I can't blame her. Erika's put Serenity through hell already, so think what she'll do now."

  "I know.” Garret didn't want to even think about it right now, “Look I'm going to get Phillip and leave. Maybe I can keep this from getting to my mother somehow."

  "You'd better. It's your fault this happened.” Dan turned and went back into the house. Garret followed. Together they were able to drag Phillip out to the car. When Garret got home, he put his brother to bed then went downstairs to find his mother in the kitchen.

  "How was the party?” she asked as she heated up some leftovers from dinner.

  "Fine, but Phillip got drunk so I decided to come back early.” He needed to find a way to hide what had happened with Serenity. “There were a lot of interesting costumes. Most were so good I couldn't even tell who the person was."

  "Nice.” his mother replied in between bites.

  "Penny was drunk too. She had a real good vampire costume. It was a long black dress and she had a wig to match. I danced with her for a while but then she passed out. Nothing really interesting happened though."

  "Well I'll see you in the morning.” Erika finished her food then headed up to bed. Garret just hoped that if anyone mentioned the kiss then his mom would think they had mistaken Penny for Serenity.

  * * * *

  Serenity ran deep into the woods. It was the only place she could think of where Garret couldn't find her. Hoping she was far enough in, she leaned against a pine tree to rest. Her mind was racing. She couldn't figure out what was happening to her. Blood was streaming down her face, turning her cheeks red as she smeared them with her hands.

  "Whose there?” came a voice form behind her. Serenity jumped. She turned around to find old man Whitaker in his hunting camouflage and a gun leaning on his shoulder.

  "Serenity Stoker! What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? And what's that all over ya face? It looks like blood."

  "It's paint.” exclaimed Serenity quickly.

  "Why do ya have paint on ya face?"

  "For Halloween. It's part of my costume."

  "Oh, I forgot you heathens celebrate that evil holiday.” Serenity barely heard a word he said. All she could concentrate on was
the sound of his heart beating, the blood pumping through his veins. Suddenly she doubled over with hunger pains. She had never felt like this before. It was like her insides were knotting up with the need for food. “What's wrong with ya?” The old man's voice seemed too loud, or was she just hearing it more?

  "Had too much candy and beer.” She was starving. The sound of his blood was making her mouth water. Before she knew what she was doing, she had grabbed old man Whitaker and slammed him into a tree. He struggled to get free but it was no use. She was just too strong. He had dropped his gun when she grabbed him but it didn't really matter. Serenity just knew that it couldn't hurt her. Pushing his head to the side, she used her newly acquired fangs to puncture the tender flesh of his neck. As he screamed she impatiently sucked his sweet tasting blood. She felt his struggles stop but paid it no attention. She wanted more and more till at last there was none left. Dropping the lifeless body to the ground, she stared at it in wonder. The blood had given her strength. It healed her emotionally as well as physically. She felt wonderful, like all the night belonged to her. There was no one powerful enough to stop her from taking whatever she wanted. With her newly found higher intellect, it came to her what she had become. A blood drinker. A vampire.

  Serenity flew through the air enjoying each of her newly discovered abilities. She was in love with the night as much as she was in love with being a vampire. But she still did not know how it had happened. It had to do with the dress, that much she was sure. The clerk had said that it used to belong to a vampire. A vampire who was born and died at midnight on Halloween. That was exactly when the changes occurred. She would have to find out the reason it happened. She remembered that there was a professor at the college who studied things like this, perhaps he would know. She would have to pay him a visit tomorrow night.

  Now that she was a vampire, Serenity didn't want anything connecting her to her lost humanity. Humanity was a weakness that she was glad to be rid of. But even so, and added to it the sheer bliss of what she had become, Serenity couldn't help but think of Garret. No matter how hard she tried, her heart would not forget him. That kiss had enough power to get through all of her defenses.

  As she flew on, distracted by thoughts of Garret, she suddenly got a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Danger, screamed her instincts and she searched around for it's source. The only difference was that the sky had begun to lighten. Dawn was coming. She did not know how much of the theory about vampires was true but apparently this was. Every muscle in her body was tingling with dread. Quickly she changed her course and headed home. Once there, she ran in through the back door, locking it behind her. Serenity searched the house for a place to hide. I have too many windows, she thought as she ran through the house.

  Remembering the basement, she bolted for the door. Moving as fast as a vampire could, she got through the door, locked it behind her and flew down the stairs. In all, it took her about three seconds which was lucky because the sun rose to full force as soon as she reached the basement floor. Serenity suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Her body lay sprawled on the concrete. All life gone from it. If anyone had found her there, they would have thought her dead. They would not have known it was just the daytime sleep of the undead.

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  Chapter 3

  Garret was up early the morning after Halloween. He showered and dressed quickly. Then, skipping breakfast, he jumped in his convertible and drove to Serenity's house. Erika had left earlier to help prepare for a car show in the next county. She would probably be gone all day, giving him plenty of time to search for Serenity. Robert was at work and Phillip was in bed sick with a hangover. School didn't start back till tomorrow, he would have all day.

  Reaching the house, he found it looking deserted. All the curtains were drawn and when he knocked there was no answer. Garret pounded on the door. He had to see her, he wasn't entirely sure why but there was this feeling in his chest, a craving, that only she could sate. Eventually he gave up on the house and decided to check the diner where she worked. Jumping in his car, he sped down the road doing sixty instead of the posted thirty-five. When he reached Main Street he found Charlie's Diner busy. He had to park nearly a block away, resisting the urge to run, he finally reached the entrance. He had to squeeze through a multitude of bodies to reach the front counter.

  "Can I help you?” came a familiar but strained voice as he took a seat on one of the stools. Garret turned to find Penny, her hair a wreck and her eyes blood shot. She was dressed in a light blue waitress uniform, holding a pen and paper in her hands.

  "Penny!” he could not help the surprise in his voice, “I did not realize you worked here."

  "Started a week ago."

  "Excuse me for stating the obvious, but you look terrible. What's wrong?"

  "You know I got wasted last night. Now I have to work suffering from the worst headache you can imagine."

  "Sorry."

  "So what can I get for you?” she asked raising her pen and paper.

  "Actually I only wanted to know if you'd seen Serenity today.” As he finished speaking her face changed from pained to enraged.

  "No!” she growled, “I haven't and she better be glad.” Garret was confused. Serenity was usually an easy person to get along with so he didn't understand the venom in Penny's voice.

  "Why? What's the matter?"

  "She was a no call, no show for her shift this morning. That's why I got called in. I was planning on spending the day recovering from last night's party but the boss said it would be my job if I didn't cover for her."

  "Do you know why Serenity didn't show?” It wasn't like Serenity to miss work.

  "No.” was Penny's curt reply.

  "I'm sorry you had to work,” he tried to sound sympathetic, “If you see her please don't kill her and tell her I'm looking for her.” Penny seemed to think about it a minute before answering.

  "Alright, for you, but what do you want with Serenity Stoker anyway?"

  "She left something in my car last night when I drove her home.” he answered thinking fast. Penny liked to gossip and he couldn't afford to let his mother find out the real truth.

  "Why were you driving her home?” her voice was suspicious as if some how she knew something was going on. “Your mother will go ballistic if she finds out."

  "She was helping me with Phillip. He was really drunk.” Garret was surprised at how easily he was able to lie. It was as if he had been doing it for years.

  "I'll tell her,” she answered believing the lie, “but it won't do any good. It's not like she can stop by your house and get what she left."

  "Just tell me if you see her."

  "Alright."

  "Thanks Penny.” He smiled before making his way back out through the throng of customers and back to his car. The diner and her house were the only places he knew to look for her. Not knowing what to do next, he spent most of the day searching all the stores down Main Street and any other place he could think she might possibly go. She was nowhere to be found. At last he had no choice but to return and check on Phillip.

  * * * *

  Serenity opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the basement. Normally if she had spent the whole day asleep on the cold concrete floor she would wake up stiff and sore. But, she noticed as she gracefully got to her feet, she felt perfect.

  "How wonderful” she whispered in pure joy. Making her way upstairs, she unlocked the door and stepped into the kitchen. A pang of hunger hit her as she remembered that kitchens meant food. But I can't eat any of this, she thought in revulsion as she eyed the corn flakes and spaghetti O's on the counter. Slipping out the back door, she flew through the night sky.

  "Town” her voice held the slightest tint of laughter, “is the best place to feed my hunger.” It did not bother her that she was speaking of taking human life. Her entire perspective on the world had changed when she became a vampire.

  The sky was clear and
her eyes could pick out every detail of the landscape below. The stars were bright and the moon perfectly round.

  "The night is so beautiful.” she whispered in awe, letting the wind take her words and spread them through the air. As she passed over the college, she spotted something that caught her interest. It was a man, probably a student, and even from this distance she could smell his blood. In it she caught the sent of drugs. He would never realize what was happening. Changing her path, she swept down and landed silently in the shadow of a large tree. Her body tingled with the excitement of the anticipated kill. Stepping out from the shadow, she startled the guy who had not realized he wasn't alone.

  "Where'd you come from?” by the look on his face he was having trouble deciding if she was real or imaginary. She smiled, this could work for her.

  "Your dreams.” her answer seemed to him to be more believable then the truth could have. He was more then willing to play along.

  "Are you going to play the same role?” he asked smiling greedily.

  Serenity slowly moved toward him and it seemed that was the only answer he needed. It was with a liquid grace that she wrapped her arms around his waist and gently kissed his lips. He wasted no time in pulling her closer and returning the kiss. Her mouth moved over his face and down to the exposed part of his neck. Then, with lightening speed, her gold eyes glowed as she sank her fangs into the pulsing vein of his throat. It was then that he began to struggle uselessly. He was no match for her strength. His lifeblood flowed over her tongue and filled the growling hunger in her stomach. The taste of it was pure ecstasy. She drank deeply wanting more till there was none left. She dropped his lifeless corpse to the ground in disappointment that she could not have fed more. His blood quieted her hunger but not fully. Never fully. The hunger burned in her always, a thing that could not be stated no matter how much she drank. At least the warmth of his blood flowed through her and took the edge off the need for more. It would have to do for now. If she fed too much then people would start getting suspicious. The thrill of the kill was still a source of intense pleasure. She could never find happiness like this as a measly mortal. She still wondered how she had been given this gift.