My first thought when I came to was why the heck would I be wearing some scratchy pajama set, on a bed that was too nice to be mine or anyone else's in the house. My body felt heavy, like a weight was tied to my arms and legs pulling me down to the sheets.

Where was Sam when you need him?

I scratched my stomach through the rough fabric, but realized half-scatch that someone changed me, and saw me naked.

I jumped high in the air when my eyes came in contact with a brown pair that scared the crap out of me. Those weren't there a second ago, but they were kind of pretty, if we were talking about eyes I mean. The rest of his face was stolid, but seemed to hold attractiveness in that emotionless look. He looked like one of those super-models I would see in the magazines when I was a kid, maybe even better than one of those people.

We just stared at each other, for a long time, may I add, until he decided to come closer.

"Are you going to drink my blood like in the movies and then do some voodoo stuff and then bring me back from the dead to just to kill me again?" I asked and the Vampire laughed, actually laughed. I thought he was trying to keep his face emotionless so he didn't come off as a predator but he didn't care to show me emotions. I wonder what other emotions he would show me.

"No little one." he chuckled standing up to fill in the space on the bed.

He picked me up bridal style before I could make a sound and carried me through the door that had been open this whole time. I laid my head on his chest, everything was spinning now that we were moving and I wasn't sure if I could keep everything down - if you catch my drift. The smell of lavender and maybe...honey filled my senses and I instantly relaxed - the smell reminding me of home.

"Time for a bath, so either you can strip or I can do it for you." He said.

"I can do it perfectly fine."

But the next thing I know I'm laid back down on the comfortable bed, dressed in a pair of black boxers, that I did not remember putting on. A blanket was placed over my body. It was warm and I was so tired. I have never felt anything as comfortable as this. Not even the bed I had at my childhood home.

My stomach growled loudly—not eating in a few days can do that. I felt him sit next to me and open my mouth pressing something to my lips. A rusty tasting substance was forced down my throat: blood. The rustic taste made me gag but his firm hold overpowered mine so I could not spit it all out. I swallowed it, gulp by gulp until I couldn't anymore.

I was exhausted and my stomach no longer hurt and I was less queasy. Or it could be my stomach again or maybe a cold, let's hope for the latter. I hated when this happened to me, I always had to spend most of my time with Grandma, whom gave me these horrible tasting soups. But just thinking of home, eased me into my most comfortable sleep.

-

The next time I woke up I didn't feel anywhere close to one million bucks, but the total opposite. I had a killer sore throat, one that felt so bad it was bleeding. My stomach wasn't any better, and hurt just as it did before along with that queasy feeling.

I whimpered, curling into a ball as if trying to protect myself. I hated when I was sick, I mean everyone does but I had it the worst. I would always stay in bed having the worst pains in the world, my grandmother said I know how a girls feels but that didn't make any sense to me since I wasn't. The gut wrenching feeling, to the point where I wanted to puke up everything in my stomach's content. The only thing I could hold down were Grandmothers soups. I wonder if she's alive or captured but sad to say she probably wasn't living. I wonder if she would remember Sam and I, even if she did, it's not like I could see her again.

"No need to squirm, my love, you'll get your feeding." he said, his voice so husky and calm I instantly relaxed. What an unnatural feeling of content, I was sure this feeling was not my own.

I was pulled back from my warm and comfortable ball, and pulled into his lap. The gut wrenching pain returned, making me cry out in the most utter pain. He forced that rustic liquid back into my unwilling mouth using his chest as a wall so I couldn't push away.

"Are you still hungry, my love?" he asked pulling away briefly so I could catch my breath.

I didn't answer feeling my stomach no longer throb in pain. His hands wandered my body for a while, and I couldn't sleep, it was a weird feeling. I was nervous and scared but I was also a little curious as to where I was. Not with him touching me, my mind couldn't allow me to sleep.

It wasn't till I actually was able to rest, when he whispered in my ear to finally fall asleep. I was exhausted, and was very thankful.

-

"It's just up ahead!"

"What is?" I asked.

"The clearing." Gracie said her voice dripping with laced hope that I didn't know anyone could possibly have at this moment. I envied her through all this, she had such joy for the simplest things and the most daring personality to put anything difficult to the test. She was always so optimistic, I didn't know how she could do it. I could never be, I was, scared, cold, hungry, thirsty, and all my bones ached like someone personally hit me with a truck.

We ran even quicker into the deep dark woods, discarding any negative times we had and any negative thoughts we once thought.

"What's in the clearing?" Sam asked, yelling over at us.

"Land. Lots of open land closed around a big forest." Riley answered.

This world didn't see much light in these dark days, but a little fascinating thing or idea, it would be like introducing a kid to ice cream. Something so spectacular that they felt awed by the most simple thing, like a clearing. Like the idea of a safe haven.

"Like an island?" I asked.

She nodded, grabbing my hand tighter in hers. She looked down at me with those pretty hopeful eyes, ones that haven't shed a tear since I have known her.

"Yes, except it's trees, not water." she said, her smile was so big and so full of happiness I thought her face would break.

We were almost there, so close. Just a few more steps. I wanted to give up, my bones hurt too much and my breathing was ragged and cold from running so long. But I just had to make it a few more feet, that's it, make it to somewhere safe.

Once we reached the outside of the forest the light blinded me, it was bright compared to those deep dark woods. The suns' heat instantly warmed my cold skin like my own personal heater. I loved it, feeling the warm breeze run through my hair. I sucked in a large gulp of air and smiled to myself, to find that this was over. I was tired and hoped we would find water.

"What's that?" I asked, referring to the large white house and the little barn.

"A house!" Gracie said happily, pulling me over to Sam and her lover. She turned to hug Riley and he spun her around, like a princess. We seemed to go in slow motion as everyone cheered and sang with happiness. Sam and the other boys just rejoiced giving high-fives and hugs.

"Let's go see what's inside." Riley said picking up his large knife.

Sam grabbed my hand this time. I looked up at him noticing how much older he looked. He had long lean legs and a lean body. He was very handsome. I never did notice before, but he had some scars on his hands. But it made him look more tough.

But before I could take a step onto the fresh grass, I looked back into the deep dark woods, that I was glad escaped. The darkness as black as pitch, calling all to the light to suck in, to destroy everything in this bitter world. I smiled to myself, it sucked us in but we made it, we got out to the outside world.

The minute we stepped onto the property, a loud screeching sound echoed throughout the house and a large swarm of blackness swirled in different directions like clouds. I didn't know what it was but the worst screeching sound torn into my ear drums, the black swarm coming toward us. We instantly ducked but the bats didn't come for us directly.The bats swarmed the property before directing back into the woods, from where we came.

Riley went to the house first, going in slowly, as if something else would pop out at us; and i'm sure something could. Sam followed him, motioning for us to follow. The furniture was still nice and neat, the paintings on the wall in tact as if people had lived here just moments ago. It was still in really good shape, minus some bat poop in one of the rooms. I saw pictures of two little kids, twins. A boy and a girl, both had brown hair and dark green eyes. They looked young in the pictures, younger than me. The parents looked the same but the pictures shattered. The glass broken everywhere.

I wonder what happened to them? Maybe taken? Killed off?

This was a large house, and I mean huge.

The kitchen had an awful smell, as if the room was spoiling or a dead animal died in here, but in no time we realized it was the fridge; the electricity was out and no doubt there was dairy products in it.

There was food in the cabinets, just boxes of cereal or ramen noodles. I sat down in one of the wooden chairs and watched my brother start to clean.

The five boys were searching upstairs and started to scoop some of the bat crap out of the rooms. I decided to look through the boxes of food and sort some of it, what was good and what wasn't. This stuff wasn't too old but some was definitely bad. They found garbage bags, and started throwing things away that were useless and lying around. So I would throw an empty box in the garbage and Sam would smile at me and say I was doing a good job. It felt good to be able to help, even if it was the smallest thing ever.

I felt very important even if I was doing the most simplistic job anyone could have.

--

"Sketch, no."

"But Sam!" I whined, I just wanted to help with the planting and building. I sat down on the ground, twirling flowers, angrily.

We have been here a few weeks, the boys got the house cleaned up and we're now working on planting and building everything outside. Gracie found wild veggies in the woods, and some seeds in the shack outside.

I pouted when I saw the other boys, building the chicken coop. The chickens were running around, squawking so annoyingly that I wish we could use them as target practice. I didn't like them, they always picked at my ankles and squawked like they had nothing better to do. We found them later on in the week in the forest around some cave, probably food for some monster, I wasn't sure.

Gracie was going around, picking up the eggs since some of them were hens. I jumped up ready to help her. I just really wanted to help with something but Sam was also so grouchy.

"Sketch sit down, now." Sams' voice was firm and commanding like it always is. I sunk back down and started playing with the grass again not bothering to care about anything else right now.

Sam took the nails that we found in the basement and started hammering them down to the wooden shack. They were almost done with the coop, and then finally the chickens could lay their eggs in the building, instead of a little fence that Riley built really quick.

As soon as Gracie was done, she went inside to her sewing machine to make clothing that I don't know how she found. Gracie had a ton of thread, yarn, and needles downstairs but it was miraculous that this stuff was still here. It was weird, as if someone knew this was going to happen, and stacked up on things. We did find a lot of coupon books so maybe we were lucky to come across a mysterious family with a habit of cheating the food system.

But soon I would turn eleven, so I will be able to help with all the labor and stuff. I just hope that that day comes soon. Sam says we are safe here, and for now we are. Hopefully it stays that way.

Hopefully we survive in our safe haven.