Midnight Grove

Sara awoke the next day to the Vatican bells ringing loudly. She sat up with her hands over her ears and seeing her grandpa yelling, yet no sound was coming out. She stumbled over to her grandma and hugged her. Her grandma was actually crying from the loud clang of the bells. She hugged her and told her that it was going to end in a minute and not to worry.

The bells stopped after five minutes and Sara went outside to see what was happening. She saw hundreds of people kneeling down and praying. She wasn't aware that catholics actually did that. She thought it was something Muslims only did. Sara was amazed by the spectacle.

She went back into their villa and sat and had breakfast with her grandparents. They finished up; talking and laughing the whole time. As soon as they finished up, the cardinal came knocking at the door. Her grandma let him in and they all sat down together. He told them that today all of them were going inside the Vatican archives together.

Her grandma gave out a little excited yelp. No one but the pope himself had been in the archives, that she knew of. She wondered what was actually down there. Her grandma used to tell her stories of giants that were supposedly hidden down in the archives; but Sara never really took that story seriously. The story she was curious about was the stories of the fallen angels. She always wondered if they really were real or not.

They got to the Vatican stairs and the cardinal told them to wait outside, while he went in to open the doors to the archives. He said no one must know how to open those doors; there are good reasons it remains locked to the public. Her grandpa kidded with the cardinal; he laughed and said they must have dracula locked away down there for it to be so secretive. Sara expected to see the cardinal just laugh him off; yet he remained unemotional to the joke. He had a terrifyingly serious look on his face that even frightened Sara a little bit.

They stood outside for a long ten minutes. Then the cardinal reappeared and led them inside. To Sara's amazement; there was a huge portal in front of them as they stepped through the Vatican doors. Her grandma gasped at the sight of it and told Sara to look again. There, within the portal, was midnight Grove; the very place she was trying to avoid.

She looked at the cardinal and asked him what was going on; he told her they needed to go back to where she was nearly attacked and try to find out more about their plans. In order to do that, they would need to infiltrate their plane of existence. Sara didn't like it but she knew he had a good point. They proceeded on after the cardinal into the portal.

For a moment, everything went black and then there was a rush of colored lights. Next thing she knew, she was laying on the soft grass of midnight Grove. She looked to her left and saw her grandma laying next to her; barely moving. Her grandpa was suddenly next to her; helping her up to her feet. She stood up and shook herself off.

Her grandma was on the ground next to her, struggling to get up. She bent down and grabbed her hand and helped her up. She didn't realize how heavy her grandma really was; which caused her to use both hands to help her up. They dusted Grandma off and then took a look around their environment. That's when Sara saw the log cabin; she turned to the cardinal and asked him how they were going to investigate the enemy without being detected.

The cardinal pulled a few colorful cloaks out of his bag and handed each one to Sara and her grandparents. He instructed them to put them on immediately. He said they would camouflage them so they would not be detected by anyone or anything on this plane. Sara wasn't sure to believe that or not, but she put the cloak on anyway. Her cloak was a glorious gold with blue seams all the way down both sides of her cloak; she hoped she would be able to keep it after all was said and done.

They proceeded on to the log cabin. The cardinal stopped just under one of the front windows. He turned and told them to find a window and watch silently. Each of them picked a window and stood, watching quietly. Sara was nervous about what they were about to see; but the thought of knowing she was not alone did give her comfort.

They were watching closely when a thick fog floated over the foot of the mountain. Suddenly, two dark figures came out of the mist. It was her friend Ray and his new bride Lilith. She backed away from the window and pulled her grandmother away as well. She told her that was her friend Ray that had been missing for months. He had been changed since he disappeared in the midnight Grove Park in town.

Now, he looked very different. He was darker somehow. His skin was white as a ghost and his eyes were blood red, instead of the bright blue she remembered. He was also wearing a long black cloak with a white blouse and black slacks underneath. This was not his general outfit.

Sherry stood as she watched the two figures walk slowly to the front door. Three loud knocks came to the door. Sherry walked to the door and opened it. Ray was standing there with his new bride Lilith. She was beautiful, but Sherry knew she was evil.

Ray walked in and Lilith followed. He took Sherry by the hand and said they needed her. She was to be the vessel for their child. Lilith was cursed barren; so she couldn't have her own children. They needed a surragate.

Sherry wasn't down with that. She tried to push them out, but it was to no avail. Ray grabbed her and dragged her outside. Once outside, the three of them flew up into the sky. The next thing Sherry knew, she was headed south towards Ray and Lilith's new house.

Once they arrived, Ray dropped her off at the front door. The house was more like a castle. It's Gothic stone was towering against the night sky. She felt like a ant standing in front of it's gigantic majesty. Ray settled down next to her and walked her to the front door.

Lilith opened the big double doors and stepped aside to let Ray and Sherry in. The foyer was lit with a single oil lamp and was rather small considering the giant size of the house. Ray led her up the winding stone stairs, up to a single room at the top of the stairs. Lilith opened the door to the room and Ray and Sherry went in. The room was the brightest in the whole house.

The room was a light pink color and the bedding was white with little Pink pansies all over it. The window was a huge picture window she could see for miles from. She stood looking out at the night, the stars speckled the sky like confetti and the moonlight was so bright, if she didn't know better, she would've thought it was day. Ray Came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He whispered that this could be her new home, she didn't have to go back to midnight Grove Park if she didn't want to.

Ray turned her towards him and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss. She had never been kissed before, so she really didn't have anything to compare it to. He finished and pulled back, holding her by her shoulders. She opened her eyes and for a moment, saw the old Ray; the human Ray.

Then, in a flash, Ray was back to his dark demonic form. She turned towards the vanity on the north side of the room. As she walked up to it, she realized she looked very different. Instead of her strawberry blonde hair; it was now fire red. Her skin was lighter and smoother as well.

She turned to Ray and asked him what he had done to her. He said that his enzyme in his saliva had the ability to change the other person's physical body when he kissed or bit someone. She was turning into a vampire, just like him and Lilith. She could feel the tears rolling down her cheek. She never wanted this.

The dawn was beginning to approach. Ray closed the window and pulled the heavy curtains closed. He said it was time for her to rest. Once dusk came once again, they would go and attempt her first hunt. Sherry laid down on the beautiful king size bed and Ray covered her with the blankets. He kissed her forehead and said to sleep well.

Now Sherry understood why her grandmother said to never go down the path in midnight Grove Park. Once you did, you never returned.

Sara awoke the next day to the Vatican bells ringing loudly. She sat up with her hands over her ears and seeing her grandpa yelling, yet no sound was coming out. She stumbled over to her grandma and hugged her. Her grandma was actually crying from the loud clang of the bells. She hugged her and told her that it was going to end in a minute and not to worry.

The bells stopped after five minutes and Sara went outside to see what was happening. She saw hundreds of people kneeling down and praying. She wasn't aware that catholics actually did that. She thought it was something Muslims only did. Sara was amazed by the spectacle.

She went back into their villa and sat and had breakfast with her grandparents. They finished up; talking and laughing the whole time. As soon as they finished up, the cardinal came knocking at the door. Her grandma let him in and they all sat down together. He told them that today all of them were going inside the Vatican archives together.

Her grandma gave out a little excited yelp. No one but the pope himself had been in the archives, that she knew of. She wondered what was actually down there. Her grandma used to tell her stories of giants that were supposedly hidden down in the archives; but Sara never really took that story seriously. The story she was curious about was the stories of the fallen angels. She always wondered if they really were real or not.

They got to the Vatican stairs and the cardinal told them to wait outside, while he went in to open the doors to the archives. He said no one must know how to open those doors; there are good reasons it remains locked to the public. Her grandpa kidded with the cardinal; he laughed and said they must have dracula locked away down there for it to be so secretive. Sara expected to see the cardinal just laugh him off; yet he remained unemotional to the joke. He had a terrifyingly serious look on his face that even frightened Sara a little bit.

They stood outside for a long ten minutes. Then the cardinal reappeared and led them inside. To Sara's amazement; there was a huge portal in front of them as they stepped through the Vatican doors. Her grandma gasped at the sight of it and told Sara to look again. There, within the portal, was midnight Grove; the very place she was trying to avoid.

She looked at the cardinal and asked him what was going on; he told her they needed to go back to where she was nearly attacked and try to find out more about their plans. In order to do that, they would need to infiltrate their plane of existence. Sara didn't like it but she knew he had a good point. They proceeded on after the cardinal into the portal.

For a moment, everything went black and then there was a rush of colored lights. Next thing she knew, she was laying on the soft grass of midnight Grove. She looked to her left and saw her grandma laying next to her; barely moving. Her grandpa was suddenly next to her; helping her up to her feet. She stood up and shook herself off.

Her grandma was on the ground next to her, struggling to get up. She bent down and grabbed her hand and helped her up. She didn't realize how heavy her grandma really was; which caused her to use both hands to help her up. They dusted Grandma off and then took a look around their environment. That's when Sara saw the log cabin; she turned to the cardinal and asked him how they were going to investigate the enemy without being detected.

The cardinal pulled a few colorful cloaks out of his bag and handed each one to Sara and her grandparents. He instructed them to put them on immediately. He said they would camouflage them so they would not be detected by anyone or anything on this plane. Sara wasn't sure to believe that or not, but she put the cloak on anyway. Her cloak was a glorious gold with blue seams all the way down both sides of her cloak; she hoped she would be able to keep it after all was said and done.

They proceeded on to the log cabin. The cardinal stopped just under one of the front windows. He turned and told them to find a window and watch silently. Each of them picked a window and stood, watching quietly. Sara was nervous about what they were about to see; but the thought of knowing she was not alone did give her comfort.