"Annalies!" His voice echoed through nothingness. "Momma!" Voices all warped by the swirling blackness in Annalies' vision. Blood. Droplets of blood began to fill her vision as she stood barefoot on a hard wooden surface. Blood. The smell became intoxicating and it was all that she could focus on. Suddenly, it filled her mouth and she felt so alive. Her heart beat in her chest and warmth swirled through her. She bathed in that feeling and then pulled away when the flow staunched. The man's face was twisted in horror. "Hanz?" She gasped, but he was suddenly gone. She could only see blackness. "No!" She yelled as she sat up in reality.

The TV cast a blue glow across her living room. Annalies wiped the tears away from her face as she took in a deep breath. It was just that dream again. The faces of her late family had always haunted her dreams every time she closed her eyes. It caused her to not want to sleep. It wasn't like she needed it, but sometimes she found herself dozing off into oblivion. For a few brief moments, it felt good to forget the world. Until the ghosts of her past seeped into it. Then it was simply torture.

She attempted to shake the thoughts out of her head as she grabbed the play station controller. Tombraider's theme music played through the TV's speakers. She had been playing when she dozed off. It was a Friday night at roughly 8 p.m. and it had been a long, stressful day. She had had two tests. Honestly, if she could coast through school without taking a single test she would. Tests were the bane of her existence. Just think about that for a second. On top of a long list of evil things, bloodthirst, and loneliness, tests were Annalies' most hated thing. She was sure she had failed both exams, but oh well. Why did she need to answer questions to prove she knew the material? Her mind had a plethora of knowledge. It just happened to go blank whenever she stared at the trick questions on a piece of paper.

The apartment felt empty. She couldn't hear Adam's heartbeat. It made Annalies' chest feel empty considering her own heart had stopped beating hundreds of years ago. Somehow being around him was like getting a jolt of electricity. It felt like the only thing keeping a zombie like this vampire alive. Besides the blood. Drinking blood was on top of the list of things Annalies thoroughly enjoyed. There truly was nothing like feeling the warmth of it swirl inside of her belly. It brought her to life much like Adam's electricity. She could then hear footsteps coming down the hallway outside her apartment door. They were familiar. Finally, Adam was coming home. She quickly pressed play on her game and began playing. She did not want to seem like she had been lost in her thoughts. Which she had been, but oh well. Time to play the part of Kathrine: a nerdy 21-year-old woman who loved being invisible.

--

Markus let the music flow through him. Its electric beat thumped through his body as he swayed. His hands were placed firmly on Cassandra's waist as they both moved to the music. He had finally convinced her to go to a party with him after a few months of seeing her. He knew his sister would greatly disapprove, but there was something about this woman that entranced him. It wasn't just the intoxicating scent of her irresistible blood either. It was something foreign that he ached to explore further.

He was tired of not enjoying every aspect of his life. If that was what his sister insisted on doing then fine. He was not obligated to do everything she wished. He had been alive just as long as her and he sure as hell could make his own damn decisions. So now, after 300 years of loneliness, he was letting himself go. He was enjoying a human being's presence for more than just a petty snack. He leaned forward and put his mouth next to her ear, "Having fun, darling?" He asked, purposefully letting his breath tickle her ear.

From this distance, he could smell her blood and it stirred a desire deep inside of him. As tempting as it was to sink his fangs into her neck in that moment, he resisted. He did not want to use her as a blood bag. He had yet to give in to his predatory instincts around Cassandra and he never would. He wanted to be in an actual relationship with her. Not something driven by blood.

God it was good to be getting back. Later classes were always a pain, not to mention when you have an exam due. Adam hurried down the hall to reach the apartment, he just wanted to sit down and relax. While he was a pretty sociable person, all that talking, and being around busy people, and working caught up with him. His usual drive was starting to wane, as it did this late into the school year. He just wanted to be alone. Alone with the right company.

He made it to the door, and reached for his keys. Stopping himself to take of his shades. She always poked fun him for wearing them inside, so it had become habit to take them off. Seconds before she could see. After slipping the eye-wear away he fished out his key card and entered the place. Around the bend of the entryway he could see a dim blue glow. He smiled a little to himself and took off his shoes, nudging them over beside the others with his feet. He took of his coat and folded it over his arm as he made his way into the living room. He lavished his walk there. Not to stall of course, but just to drink in the feeling of being home. Knowing exactly where everything was, being used to the smells, the colors of the walls, the familiar scuffs and bumps. Then the sight of her.

Coming into the living room he threw his coat onto the armchair, before looking to the TV screen while swiping his hands through his hair.
"How far are you now?" He liked to slide into a conversation. No hello or goodbyes. You would think that being used to so many people coming going would make you act the opposite, but in his mind Adam was in a constant conversation with everyone he knew. He was just picking up where they left off. He made his way around the coffee table and landed close beside Kathrine. He let himself slump into her with a nearly inaudible hum. "How was your day?" He asked aloud, having a decent idea that it wasn't the best, considering the look on her face.

---

Feeling the breath on her ear she tensed a little. Those were sensitive. Cassandra couldn't help but smile as he whispered in her ear. "Well...It's not so bad." She breathed contently. She had been reluctant to go out. She knew she wasn't the best dancer, but she also felt bad for cooping Markus up like that, plus it was good to get out every so often. She just hoped she wasn't too awkward on her feet.

The music filled the air around them, and she did her best to let it move her, though honestly, Markus was doing a better job of that. Earlier on she was pretty tense, well, more so then she was now. All the people around her were so much more used to this then she was, she felt a little out of place. It was worth it though, with how things were going. She had her hands around him and it felt pretty great to be so close with so many people around. It made her feel like she could show off they were together.

She lifted her head to get a better look at his face, flipping some hair away from her eyes. He was smiling. She noticed she was too. "Having fun?" She mirrored, looking into his eyes. She saw that look in them. That look she usually saw when they got close. She felt like she was doing something right when she did. Like she had something he wanted. Almost like it flowed through her veins.

"May or may not have been captured by the trinity. Remains to be seen." She winked at him as she paused the game. She leaned into him and sighed contently. His skin was so warm. It made goosebumps break out across her flesh. "Don't. Get. Me. Started. Adam, I think I may go crazy before the week is over!" She turned, leaned back against the arm of the couch, and propped her legs up on his lap, "Why do they make tests so hard. Like I honestly don't get it!"

She let her head roll back onto the armrest and closed her eyes with an exaggerated groan. "Let's play a game." She opened her eyes and smiled over at him. Being overly theatrical was incredibly fun with him. He never seemed to mind it and it was very entertaining for Kathrine. Her eyes found his neck where his veins pulsed. She suddenly remembered that she had yet to feed that day. She was planning on going out before he had come home, but then she had fallen asleep. Now she was just stuck playing it cool while her insides burned with desire. Good going Anna. Damn idiot.. Her self-depreciating thoughts made her inwardly sigh. Perhaps she could sneak out later to get a midnight thrill.

At least the next day would be a Saturday and she had no classes. She could sleep in and then play video games for most of the day. Or maybe she would pick up the damned violin and try again. The offending thing was sitting over in the corner. Out of all the instruments she had ever tried to learn, the violin seemed to be the most elusive. She had played guitar, bass, and cello before. All stringed instruments with relatively the same structure. Yet the violin was being a little asshole.

--

Markus grinned when he felt her tense up against him. It thrilled his inner predator. He tried pushing that back as he continued to dance with her. "I told you it wouldn't be terrible." He pressed his lips against her neck. Her pulse pushed against them. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. His eyes glistened with playfulness. Even if he was enjoying dancing he kind of wanted to be alone with her for a little while. Something inside of him cautioned against this, however. He had neglected to feed the day before. Now here he was, at typical hunting time, dancing with his girlfriend. Once again neglecting his grumbling stomach.

Perhaps he should sneak away into a different room and quickly grab a snack. It would just be for her safety. He glanced around the room after pulling her closer. He couldn't see anyone off by themselves and he knew he didn't have enough time to get someone by themselves. He had to be quick so that Cassandra wouldn't realize anything.

Then he heard police sirens off in the distance. Suddenly the lights turned on and someone was yelling over the music, "COPS!" Then the music cut off as well. Apparently, there were plenty of underage drinkers at this little shin dig and someone had made a noise complaint. "Time to go." he wiggled his eyebrows at Cassandra as he grabbed her hand and led her out the back door. They ran down the street together and just as the police swirled on by they began walking normally.

"Where to?" He asked, squeezing her hand, "Home or bar?" He was secretly hoping for bar so he could sneak away to feed. Unfortunatley, he doubted she would want to go anywhere right now. She probably wanted to go home.

Adam lifted his hands so her legs could fall in their place. He propped one behind him on the couch and let another fall back onto her. "I think they are hard so they can test what you know" He smiled at her. At her offer, he throw up a single brow, and gave a small whistle. "What kind of game? You want to Kick my ass at Street Fighter again?" It was well known between the two that Katherine could kick his ass at any game they played. Adam also knew that if he ever won, he was extremely lucky, or being played with in another way.

Just when he opened his mouth to say something more, a rather loud grumble exuded from his stomach. He bit his lip and winced slightly. "Sorry. Haven't eaten in a while." He threw a glance towards the kitchen, then returned his gaze to her. "You hungry?" He flashed his white teeth at her, trying to coax her away from the alleged game for a moment.

After all, no matter what kind of game it was, they had the weekend to play it, and he played better on a full stomach.

---

As his lips reached her neck she felt the corner of her lips grow farther apart. She closed her eyes to take in the feeling. He pulled her close to hide his outward gazes, but it didn't matter, her eyes were still closed anyways. Only when she heard a series of loud noises, and felt the absence of music was she pulled from her pocket dimension. She felt his hands leave her sides and meet her own, then she was being pulled towards an exit. She was in slight shock, going from something so pleasant to something so exciting.

Well, exciting in another manner. Excitement was an interesting to Cassandra. While she craved it, too much at once honestly scared her. She needed it to keep going but it was also what stopped her more often then not. As they slowed she felt her eyes g heavy, and fall to the floor. She thought that if she looked around as she wanted to, she would seem as worried as she was.

With a squeeze of her hand, Markus drew her look back up. She saw his expectant face looking back, as she contemplated the question. She gathered that he probably wanted to keep going. While they were at the party for at least a fair little while, it wasn't that late at all. She tossed around her options, being conflicted. She could go along with him, and they could head out to the bar. But she knew she didn't want to. She wasn't in the mood to drink any more, in fact she wasn't really in the mood to be out anymore. The excitement got to her.

"Maybe another night?" She asked sheepishly. She hoped he didn't mind too much. She had been called boring before at stuck in her mind with every decision she made.

"How can you be thinking about food?!?" She exclaimed, "You just don't wanna get your spine torn out in Mortal Kombat...again." Kathrine stood up and walked into the kitchen. She hoisted herself up onto the counter and proceeded to swing her legs back and forth as Adam followed her into the kitchen. "So. What are ya gonna make? Something good I hope?"

Due to her quick reflexes gifted to her by her curse, she was incredibly good at video games. It didn't help that she had the ability to stay up all night without getting tired just to perfect a game strategy. This was likely a hindrance to Adam as he never beat her at any game unless she went easy on him. She wondered how badly this hurt his ego and smirked a little at the thought. She almost said something aloud about it, but she wasn't in the teasing, playful argument mood. Even if her mind was thinking such things anyways.

She watched as he moved about the kitchen. Her eyes scanned all over him unwillingly. She knew exactly where her mind was headed to now and she would rather keep it from such things. Somehow after hundreds of years of only being close to her brother she had gotten close to a human. He was funny, sweet, and incredibly attractive. The way she felt around him mirrored what she had felt for her husband Hanz. But those kinds of emotions were no longer allowed in her life. She was no longer human and hadn't been for quite some time. She needed to let go of human connections. Although, it was getting more difficult to see it that way as she settled into living with Adam. They had only been living together for a few months. It felt like an entire lifetime. It felt right and no matter how much she denied it she had fallen for the human standing in front of her. And it hurt. It hurt more everyday as she thought of when she would have to leave him behind.

--

He felt his insides fall. He wouldn't be feeding tonight until after she fell asleep. He knew now that he was probably going to stay the night at her apartment as he usually did on Friday nights. How in the world would he control himself? Unless she didn't want him to stay. He would keep his mouth shut until they got to her door.Than he would kiss her, say goodnight, and see if she asks why he doesn't want to come inside. If she asks his hands would be tied and he'd have to go inside to spend the night.

If not, which would hopefully be the case, he could go hunt and alleviate any danger she is in by being around him in a hungered state. As they began to walk home he could only feel his stomach growing more hollow. He had been in the sun taught day and it had taken a toll on him. Markus had then attended a party full of many bodies that only strengthen his thirst. How could he be so careless? Especially when Cassandra is involved?

They managed to walk through the small college town of Dinkytown without any problems, but then they were finally at her apartment door and he could feel sweat building on his palms. He kept his inner feelings carefully concealed and smiled softly at her. "Goodnight." He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers softly.

Adam glided into the Kitchen after Katherine. He couldn't help but smile faintly at her. "No comment" he threw the words into the air as he turned his back to her. He opened the fridge and scanned the contents. He didn't mind cooking, he had gotten pretty used to it as a kid, but tonight he wasn't in the mood. He swung the fridge door closed and opened the freezer above it, then pulled out a frozen pizza.

"Good enough?" He gestured to Katherine, turning around. He set the thing on the counter and fiddled with the oven to start it preheating. After doing so he made his way over to Katherine and placed a hand on the counter to each sie of her. "Are we eating together then? Or are you not hungry?"

Adam felt that little pull he first noticed as a teenager. He hough it kind of lame but felt it regardless. He was fully content. Not bustling around or doing anything exciting, but in this everyday domestic moment. He wanted to be adventurous, but lived for the moments that went right. "Me and my boy Liu Kang can whup your but later." He added with a grin.

---

After pulling away from Markus, and coming down from the kiss, Cassandra just felt confused. "You're leaving?" She tried not to sound a little hurt. He always stayed over on Fridays. Had she done something wrong? Was he that dead set on staying out?

"You can stay the night you know. If you'd like..." She posed it more like asking a question, then an offer. Her hand squeezed his ever so slighty. This felt important suddenly. If he stayed she would feel better, if he left she might just worry the night away. Something felt off tonight, not just because they went out of course. That look in his every was different. Maybe a little...desperate? She wanted to know, she felt like she should.

Her still heart dropped into her stomach. She gulped. sure I'm hungry, but not for pizza. Annalies' mind betrayed her and she fought to not mutter those words out loud. Instead she smirked and poked him in the chest, "Ehhh. I guess I'll have a slice." She shrugged and leaned back against the cupboard more. A part of her wanted to wrap her legs around him and kiss him. The other part, her smarter half apparently, rang warning bells inside of her head.

She was careful not to let any of the mess in her thoughts show on her face. She simply kept the smirk plastered there and acted like she was 100% comfortable with him being that close to her.

--

Well, shit. Markus smiled at her and held her tightly, "Of course I will! I completely forgot about our little tradition." He could see the anxiety he had caused her and felt a guilty pang inside of his chest. Carelessness was his new middle name. No more Benjamin. He just had to control himself. Come on man. You're a 300 year old vanpire. Get your shit together.

20 minutes later they were both sitting on the couch watching a movie. Markus had his arm draped around her as he focused intently on whatever it was they were watching. Okay maybe he was only pretending to do so. Cassandra's heart beat strong and it was all he could focus on. Every little thump followed by a swish of blood through her veins. He was totally screwed. What would he do if he drank from her? What if he just made her forget about it later? It would be fun. Markus' instincts were betraying him. His inner predator wanted to attack her here and now.

He gulped and kept his eyes focused on the TV. He knew if he looked away and at her he would lose control.

Adam let his torso be pushed back by gentle gesture. He raised his hands as if to show he wasn't doing anything wrong with them. "Great." He commented as he turned to fetch some plates for the two of them. He lingered for a second though, looking her up and down, before he faced away from her. "Is there anything you'd like to watch while we eat?" He asked over his shoulder, as he retrieved the plates from a cupboard. They had a few different shows they were watching, which they usually caught up on if they ate together.

He went about getting out the cutting board, pizza cutter and oven mitts while he was at it. After they were all layed out he leaned against the counter, crossed his arms and looked back across the room at Katherine. She had one of her trademark grins on, and he found his lips curling in kind. It was infectious and he couldn't care to help it. "What's that look for?" He asked pretending not have any idea. Adam wasn't exactly Einstein, but he certainly wasn't stupid.

They had been together for a little while now, and he had begun noticing patterns. She tended to carry that look when she had things on her mind. Whatever she was thinking though, she didn't show. On some level, it kind of bugged Adam, but he also though it was silly. Each person is privy to their thoughts, why did he care? He just knew he did. Kinda. Maybe.

---

Getting comfortable, Cassandra sidled into Markus' company. They sat together watching an old western movie. She wasn't exactly sure why they chose this honestly, she didn't think either of them were wildly interested on the genre, but she guessed it didn't really matter.

Looking up to his face, she saw the Markus was rather entranced. She smiled a little, glad that he was liking it. She rested her head against him and tried to focus on the movie again. She was already losing track of what was happening. She had been paying more attention to his arm around her, and whether or not she was acting ridiculous for worrying so much. She let out a content sigh and let her thoughts wander.

She knew why she worried, but it was a little unfair to Markus. She would try harder if she could, to get out with him more and to seem less needy. Yeah she was nervous, but that's alright. Growing makes people nervous after all, doesn't it? "Hey Markus?" She said softly. "We can go out again next weekend too, if you want." She knew it might be a bit much so soon, with homework and all, but she had a feeling he wouldn't mind terribly.

If her heart could beat it would be reaching dangerous levels. This tension was always present now and had been for a while. Anna he's your best friend. Nothing more, nothing less.. Besides. He couldn't possibly like her that way. She was firmly in the friend zone. Unfortunately she wasn't convincing he self very well. "Let's catch up on Vampire Diaries. I've got last season jitters." She said. It was incredibly fun to watch shows and movies involving the supernatural. They all had it so wrong and it was comical.

The best example was now ending and it made her somewhat sad. She supposed she would just have to find a new show afterwards. She hopped off of the cohunter and walked into the living room. She began channel surfing to look for a good show to watch.

--

Then his focus was completely broken. He looked over at her and desire swirled inside of him. He tried very hard to reign it back in. But he was then kissing her. He moved on top of her and pinned her down. Something inside of him was screaming for him to slown down, but he couldn't. The predator had taken over and he relished in the feeling.

He took both of her hands and pinned them over her head. Then his face was buried in her neck. As he kissed the tender flesh he could feel his fangs making an appearance. He would enjoy a taste and then make her forget about it. After all, what could possibly go wrong? He then sunk his teeth into her neck.

Adam followed after her back into the living room. He chuckled a bit at her choice of show, "sounds good to me." but of course conceded non the less. He didn't take the show too seriously, so it was pretty alright to just joke about it and chat while they ate. He found the whole thing kind of silly. He didn't really subscribe to the whole vampire shtick. As he plopped down on the couch he couldn't help but watch her instead of the TV. His eyes going up down he felt himself putting on his own "i'm not thinking of anything" face.

What a silly idea. She was pretty It was a pretty bad train of thought honestly. They lived together, what if things didn't work out? Just because they treated each other dangerously close to more then friends already didn't mean that they thought that way of each other. Well. That she did of him. He had stopped lying to himself about he felt toward Kathrine. She hadn't seemed interested this whole time in anyone, so he figured maybe that just wasn't her thing? He noticed he was still staring at her and blinked hard, then popped the joints in his neck and looked away, for something/anything to distract him.

---

Taken by surprise, Cassandra found herself down against the couch. Her hands were pinned and their lips were together. First her eyes went wide, then again they closed. She felt his face leave hers and move lower. She was torn between asking what had gotten into him, and not ruining the moment. It didn't matter though, because before she could speak, she felt his lips again. The words left her and she went with the flow. After another second of adjustment, everything again, shifted.

A sharp pain pierced her neck. Her eyes shot open in alarm, she felt the hands around her wrists tighten, and suddenly the life was leaving her. She stared at him as he drew all the blood he could drink. She was afraid. Devils in the form of memories filled her mind, and she could muster no bravery to move. The past aligned with the now, and while she didn't truly understand what was happening, she was too flustered and begot for it to matter. She paled as more and more lifeblood left her body. She went limp as her energy went with it, and her eyes began to dim, and flutter, fighting to stay alert. A swirl of negativity filled her heart, which so usually kept her alive, now pumped her essence out of her. She reached inside with what left of her will to do something, anything to change things. She found nothing. She let a breath leave her, and then darkness.

Annalies could practically feel his eyes on her as she watched TV. Out of the corner of her eyes she kept peeking. When he cracked his neck she raised an eyebrow and looked over at him, "Watchya thinkin' about?" She had to admit she was curious to learn why he had been staring at her more often lately. Maybe it was her hair. This time around she had nearly fried it with the bleach. Perhaps she would go back to black and maybe add some purple or red streaks into it. Her hair would recover quickly from dying it such a dark color hopefully.

A quick glance at her phone revealed that it was nearly 10 already. She figured she would try to go to 'bed' soon and then sneak out to get her sustenance. The thought thrilled her and she bit back a smile. It would be the perfect ending to a nearly perfect evening. Spending time with Adam always seemed to make her feel alive and after drinking some blood she would be floating all the way up on cloud nine. Perhaps she would also find herself running along a few trails in wolf form after getting her snack. She suddenly craved that feeling of freedom. Her plans made her feel giddy on the inside.

--

He felt her tense. It only increased his pleasure. All of the humanity had left Markus. Only the vampire remained and he was certainly enjoying himself. The blood coursed through his body and he felt warm. He felt himself floating through air. Dizzy with happiness and power. Oh the power that flowed through him. He had never felt this way when drinking blood come to think of it. This human's blood had a certain taste to it. Almost magical. He couldn't stop himself even though he had planned to only take a little. It was too good and the predator decided right then that he should kill her. But when the flow began to weaken and her body went limp Markus snapped back into himself.

He quickly pulled away to see an unconscious and extremely pale woman, "Cassandra!" He said, "Oh my...damn it, Markus." He cursed at himself as he made a split second decision. He had to turn her or he would lose her forever. He bit his wrist and shoved it into her mouth. Her body was still limp and it scared the crap out of him. He picked her up and cradled her in his lap as he fed her more blood. "Please. Come back. I am so sorry. I fucked up. Don't leave." He whispered into her hair as he held her close. He hadn't felt so lost...so vulnerable since his family had been massacred. He suddenly remembered the night his life was forcibly taken away from him. He had just done the same thing to this young woman. How could he be so selfish? Because you are a monster. A demon. That is your nature. His thoughts whispered to him.

For the first time in over a hundred years, the vampire Markus began to cry.

"Shit" Thought Adam on hearing her question. He turned his gaze back to her and threw up his brows ever so slightly. "Hmm?" He hummed, feigning ignorance. He hoped he looked as reclined and relaxed as he though he did. After milliseconds that felt like minutes he caved somewhat. "Oh, not much. Just school and stuff." He used this answer as an excuse to look at the TV. Hoping that would be the end of THAT conversation. Just as she glanced at her phone, the oven beeped, signalling both to put the pizza in, and that he was probably in the clear.

The better part of an episode in, and a freshly heated pizza later, Adam was walking back into the living room, with one plate in each hand. He smiled as he gestured with her plate, and handed it to her, before sitting back down beside her. He crossed his legs up on the table, and took a bite. "Shit!" He reared away from the plate and fanned his mouth. Let your pizza cool before consumption.

Fighting a scalded tongue and the laughter of mild embarrassment, he looked away from Katherine. "Is hod" he managed back to her. After managing to get the piece out of his mouth and into his stomach, he let his mouth hang open slightly, letting his poor tongue get some air. "God a boooo" He jeered.

---

Things were hazy. Cassandra felt her body floating on air. She didn't know where she was. She didn't even know if her eyes were open. It was so dark either way she could't tell honestly. The low humming sound that was all encompassing, shifted and changed. It took form eventually becoming the sound of people talking. Arguing. Her eyes adjusted and she was in her room. Not her room now, but her room roughly 6 years ago. She was laying in her bed, confused and dazed. She blinked hard a few times and managed to get herself out of bed. She was dizzy on her feet.

She managed her way to the door, and opened it slightly, letting some light and noise spill in. "Well maybe I never signed up for this!" She heard her mothers voice. What was happening? Why were they fighting again? "Don't act like this is happening to you, it's happening to me! This is my problem!" Wait, this was familiar. "Yeah! It is a problem! You ARE the problem!" The last shout was followed by a chair clambering and a loud thudding sound. Flesh on flesh. Dad hit mom. She felt tears sting behind her eyes. The air was sucked away and the door slammed shut. She was looking at the long mirror she had on the back of it. Her nose and neck were bleeding. "Wha-" Was all she managed to murmur before she was falling to meet the ground. More darkness. This time she woke to a touch. Hands against her shoulders. She was pinned to a tree. A shadowy form somehow more black and dense the void around was the one holding her there. It had no eyes, but it had teeth. It moved closer, and it was all Cassandra could do in a confused blur, but to will him away. And so away he went. Flying backwards with a powerful push, he flew. She stared in bewilderment. This didn't happen. He didn't stay down the first time. She felt trickling down her face and onto her shoulder. Her hands came up to feel her bleeding nose and neck. "Wait.." She took an unbalanced step forwards and went spiraling back into the ground. Through the fall leaves she hadn't noticed, and back into the darkness she did.

Again, she woke to someone elses hands on her. Pining her arms above her head. It was Marcus. He came closer, and closer to her, and as he did, he grew and shifted. Spun into a miasma of darkness. His teeth were so white. And sharp. He lunged, and she screamed.

The surprise that flashed across his face almost made Kathrine laugh. Almost. She held it in and simply gave him an all-knowing look. It said, I see through your bullshit, Adam. Something is up. But as she was about to comment on his ridiculousness she realized the time and the oven beeped. So she just sank into her seat and let time pass. Soon enough she would get her meal. And perhaps give her little brother a call. She hadn't heard from him in a few days.

"Mmmm. Pizza." She giggled with excitement as Adam came back into the room some time later with the food. She immediately took a bite, ignoring the searing hotness of it, and almost spit it out with laughter. Unfortunately, Adam had done the same and he didn't have pain resistance or fast healing skills. Instead, he yelped in pain like a puppy dog. "No shit sherlock. Let's take baby bites, hon, you don't wanna hurt yourself." She dawned a high-pitched voice just to mock him. Oh, boy was this hilarious. Then she couldn't hold back the laughter. It rumbled in her chest as she took another bite of pizza.

She wasn't exactly fond of the taste of human food. Everything paled in comparison to blood. Yet she often found herself eating anyways. One has to blend in. Even if it means eating disgusting things.

--

Shit Shit shit shit shit. Grief had turned into pure panic. She wasn't waking up. How long did it take to wake up after being turned? Were there signs of life? The only other 'turning' he had present for was his own and he was unconscious at that point in time.Shit Shit shit shit shit. What the hell was he going to tell his sister? Just call her and be like, "Hey! So. I broke your most fundamental rule. And I killed her." Like hell would Annalies allow him to live after a fiasco such as this.

Markus stood up, still cradling her in his arms, and carried her back into her room. He tucked her into bed and then disappeared into the bathroom. When he reemerged he had a damp washcloth in hand and began to wipe the blood off of her neck. At least he hadn't ripped her throat apart. The only wounds visible were the two bite marks. Then before his eyes, the bite marks began to heal. It was slow, slower than a usual vamp's heal time, but it was sure. She was turning.

So instead he could call his sister and be like, "Hey! So. I broke your most fundamental rule. Killed her, then turned her." So much better. Sort of. Markus looked down at the beautiful girl he had ruined. He could practically see what would happen when she finally awakened. He could already feel the hatred coming off of her in waves. He was in for a reaming from his possible ex-girlfriend and his big sister. Well, today turned into a shitshow.

He stuck his red tongue out at Katherine. "Kiss it better then" he said jokingly. He went about as she did though, laughing lightly and gingerly taking bites of the hot pizza. He knew it was terrible for him, and that it honestly wasn't that great, but he kind of loved frozen pizza.

After watching an episode or two of Vampire Diaries, and finishing off a healthy portion of pizza, the day really caught up with Adam. He weighed his options. He knew he should get some rest, but just staying up and chatting was enough incentive to jeep him up. "You feeling tired?" He said trying to let it show that he was. He didn't want her to make a decision based him. In fact he wanted he wanted to make his desicion based on her. "Or were you still itching for that game?" He reclined further into the couch. More then ready to fall asleep right there.

"You don't deserve my awesome kisses, Darling." She wiggles her eyebrows playfully and went back to watching the show. She ate only one piece of pizza and decided that was enough of it for several lifetimes. Then she let herself sink into the awful guilty pleasure that was Vampire Diaries. Oh only if Ian was a real vampire. She could definitely rock his world.

She felt her thirst growing and began to hear the enticing sounds of Adam's blood. Relief filled her when she saw how tired he was and realized she could finally sneak away. She yawned and stretched, "it's been a long day, pizza mouth. I'll have to kick your ass sometime later." She winked at him and stood up.

Adam nodded softly to her. "Sounds good." He smiled and grabbed the remote, turning the TV off. After turning out the lights, just before heading off to his room, Adam turned back, and while she wasn't in clear view "Goodnight!" Adam said loud enough for her to hear. He closed his bedroom door, changed into sweatpants and an even looser fitting T-shirt, and got comfy. He drifted off into sleep, with thoughts of the night dancing in his head. "Kiss it better" He moaned quietly. That could have been taken wrong. Or right? He didn't know. He just hoped her teasing back was in good nature. After not long, the worries left in place of a deep sleep. Adam was out fast.

With him finally in bed she could go out hunting. Boy was she excited. It bubbled inside of her and she could feel her fangs elongating as she dressed into her hunting clothes. She dawned her leather pants and cleavage baring shirt along with stiletto heals. It was fun to dress as a ho. It also aided her in finding the pervs she could drain dry.

Once dressed she ran out to the living room and quietly exited the door. Adam wouldn't suspect a thing. Her usual hunting club was busy like always. She climbed up to the fire escape along the side of the building and waited. Usually people came out for a smoke in this ally. Then the perfect target exited the club.

An evil grin spread across her face. The predator was in control now. She jumped down from the building carefull to not make a sound. "Hi." She said sweetly. The guy looked her up and down as his mouth slowly curved into a smile. Annalies pinned him to the wall with no warning and began taking her fill. Afterwards she simply whispered into his ear to forget.

Hours after Adam went to bed Annalies returned glowing and played some tomb raider. She didn't even bothere to change. No one would be awake for another three hours at least.

The darkness swirled and shifted, becoming brighter and brighter until it was nothing but light. A high pitched ringing sound nearly masked growling, hungry panting and screaming. Cassandra realized those were all her own. She felt things she had never felt before, and she was terrified for it. She feel deeper into the burning light, shielding her eyes she she finally dropped. Waking with a gasp she flung her arms to her sides. Her body rose off the bed unnaturally, suspended in air. Her eyes were pure white. She felt hungry, powerful, tiny and huge at the same time. She felt a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, and suddenly she shook once, then hit the bed. When she did it was like a shock wave. Energy rolled through the universe, emanating form her. As if the tectonic plates collided in response, the earth shook. Still unaware of who or what or where she was, Cassandra grasped the sheets in a blind panic. She was crying. It felt quite literally like the world around her was falling apart. Books from her bookshelf came loose and hit the floor. A framed photo of her and her mother shattered next to the waste bin. Her computer monitor fell heavily, dragging down the keyboard and mouse. Cassandra fought the rising feeling in her gut. She knew why this was happening. It was her. She wasn't who she thought she was.

---

Waking with a start, Adam felt the world move under him. "Woah" Things shifted and fell, and he nearly rolled out of bed by mistake. Getting up on shaky feet he pushed his way towards the door, arms outstretched. "Katherine!" He yelled with concern. Was she okay? Maybe she was sleeping through it, nothing bug had fallen had it? "Katherine! He yelled again, slumping against the wall without want. "Talk to me girl!" He sidled the support and slid along it, making his way towards the living room, where he thought he saw light.

Annalies was minding her own business while playing her game when the world began to shift. It was overwhelming for her not only because everything had begun falling off of shelves, but also because her enhanced hearing could sense everything around her. She could hear every single shift in the earth's crust. It pounded into her ears like it pounded into the buildings. People were screaming in anguish. How strong was this earthquake? Definitely, the strongest Annalies had ever felt.

Then through all of the chaos, she heard Adams voice, "Adam?!?" She yelled, probably too loud, and she was able to focus again. She stood carefully and made her way towards the hallway with complete disregard to what she was wearing. Her bare feet padded along the floor until she reached the hall, "Adam?!" When she reached the start of the hallway she braced herself against the wall and sat down. She knew she couldn't realistically be hurt by falling objects, but she had to act the way a regular girl was supposed to in such a situation.

--

Markus woke with a start. He had been dozing off in a chair that he had pulled in from the kitchen. The earth was shaking and it made his teeth rattle. Then there was Cassandra, laying in bed. "Cassandra!" He yelled as he picked her up and moved as fast as he could to the doorframe. At least there they could be safe without worrying about collapsing ceilings. At first it was extremely difficult to focus due to everything going on around him, but then he looked down at her and saw the pure terror in her eyes.

Was she scared of the earthquake? Or of him? At the moment he was just relieved to see life in those eyes. Even if she never wanted to speak to him again after all of this mess was cleaned up, he would understand. Markus had robbed her of life and he had enjoyed doing it. That was the worst part honestly. While his predator was at the forefront of his mind he enjoyed every second. Especially when she had tensed in terror.

When the shaking stopped he let go of her but remained sitting. "Cassandra..." He gulped, "We need to talk."

Turning the corner, Adam found Katherine on the floor. "Katherine!" He shouted in alarm. "You alright?" He asked as he hastily rushed towards her. His rushed gate found him on the floor next to her, his arm draped around her shoulder. "We should get some cover!" He said in a panicked tone. Looking around the place as if he didn't live there. His heart was beating at an express rate. "Are you hurt?" He repeated, his focus falling from finding safety and back to her.

He had never experienced an earthquake before. He vaguely remembers what he'd learned about them. Hide under a table? In a bathtub? What would they do if one of them was hurt and they got trapped? His mind was gong a mile a minute, and his body stalled in it's place. He really didn't want to drink his own pee. That's a thing that happened in these situations right? He might actually want to die instead. Just as his mental piss-ca-pade was to continue, the shaking slowed, and stopped. The ground wasn't as level as before, the rooms were in ruin, and they were lucky to have not been clubbed in the head by debris. But it was over. Adam realized he was stiff in the silence, letting himself go slack and he slumped against the wall next to his roommate. He didn't notice the cold sweat on his forehead. His breathing was heavier then he was aware too. "So..." He said aloud. "You're okay then?"

---

The pure white left Cassandra's eyes as she was swept off the bed. Her eyes switched to their usual brown, and were filled with terror. "No!" She felt herself being dragged away by the shadow man in her mind eyes. When they stopped she was staring up at the door frame, and at Markus. For a second she didn't remember how she had passed out, and when it came to her, the rumbling seemed to grow in volume for a moment, before she felt almost all the energy leave her body, and the shaking was over. She was breathing heavily and she felt a horrible mess. She could not muster any words, so his took the air instead.

"Yeah" She said, with a tone somewhere between fear, confusion, apathy, and disgust. Her mind was filling with understanding gained from the visions, and she wasn't sure this was a dream she could wake up from. "Yeah we do..." She pushed against him somewhat, trying to put a little space between them.