Awakening of the End: Chapter 3

"Shy, we should go right now. This place is freaking me out," Lee tensely said.

"I am not leaving." He turned to look at the tomb. "Not until we look inside."

"What? You can't even get the top off, so how do you expect to look inside?"

"Sure we can get the top off.” He smiled to himself, not listening to a word being said to him. “We'll just have to use all of our strength."

"Hold up, where do you get this we stuff from? I'm not going to help you. Jade and I are leaving. If you want to stay down here and try to get a look inside that damn grave, go ahead, but count us out." He grabbed Jade’s arm to drag her away. We have to leave now, he told himself.

Not noticing the warm flesh gripping hers she stared at the tomb. Through the haze in her mind she felt something coming.

"Jade, let's go," he told her, needing to leave right now.

She easily slipped out of his grip as she was drawn closer to it. "No," she whispered, barely opening her mouth to get to word out.

"You heard her; she wants to stay," Shy pointed out as he moved towards them. "Now why don't you go home or back to school and let a real man take care of this." He smirked smugly at him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry about Jade. I'll take good care of her, I promise."

The cocky expression on his face was the last straw. Lee’s muscles tightened as his jaw set. "Get your hands off of my sister." He roughly grabbed hold of her hand to pull her back to him "She's coming with me rather she likes it or not."

Letting her go, Shy did as he was told. Darkness filled his eyes as he watched the younger man take his woman. Let‘s do this, he mentally said. He lowered his upper body before he lunged at Lee to tackle him to the ground.

Not wanting to drag Jade with him he let her go. He barely had time to brace himself as he hit the wall. Loose dust rained down on them. He gasped for air as Shy rammed his head into his stomach. He knew he had to do something. He pushed the pain deep down inside as he brought his right knee up to collided his face. Driven by pure rage he threw him off of him.

Shy's head painfully jerked back. He felt his anger well up inside of him, and he let it explode onto Lee.

Jade didn't see nor hear any of their fight. Her eyes were glued to the tomb as white light spilled from the crack in the middle of it. The floor rumbled as the walls shook. The boys stopped fighting. Confused, they glanced at each other for the answers neither knew. When they turned to ask Jade what was going on they saw the tomb and knew right away what was happening.

"Oh my God," Shy whispered. “It’s true." He glanced at Lee, half hoping he’d say it wasn’t.

Shaking his head, he turned to look at him "I hope not," he admitted as he wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. He looked at the tomb with a weary eye. "Because if it is, we just woke her up."

They watched in fear as cracks appeared all over the tomb. The light pouring from it quickly filled the room. "I'm getting out of here.” Shy reached for Jade. As soon as his fingers touched her cool skin she spun around to face him. With a vacant look in her eyes, and in a voice much harsher than her usually sweet one she said; "Let me go." Words spoken she turned away. The tomb rattled and small pieces tumbled off. Stunned by the wicked look on his sweet gentle girl’s face he did let her go.

Lee looked at her right hand. His concern filled him when he saw that it was swollen and irritated. The bite looked twice its original siz,e and he could literally see it throbbing. He moved closer to Shy. This is bad, he thought. Fear wrapped itself around his heart. This is really bad. He tapped Shy’s shoulder to get his attention. "See; I told you it wasn't a rat," he pointed to her hand.

"I think you'r-" He never got the chance to finish what he was going to say as the tomb finally exploded.

Huge pieces of shattered concrete flew everywhere. Lee was the closest to the crack in the wall. He could have easily made his escaped but he couldn’t leave his sister. She was still standing in her spot, and didn't seem to notice the football-sized piece of concrete flying towards her head. Mentally cursing to himself he covered his face with his arm as he went for his sister.

She‘s a fucking nut, he thought as a dime-sized piece hit his lip. Fresh blood quickly followed the pain he felt from it. Damn it. He closed his eyes as he wished this were all a bad dream. But it wasn’t, and he wasn’t going to be able to just wake up to make it all go away. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the ground with him. The piece heading towards her flew over them as they hit the floor.

It was hell for the following minutes before everything to calm down. The backside of Lee got hit with concrete as Jade beat on the front side of him. She needed to see what was happening. She needed to see her wake up. The air stilled around him. He no longer felt any pieces of the tomb adding to the welts on his back. It’s over, he thought as he relaxed. His arms felt like rubber as he pushed himself off of his sister to slowly rise. His back was to the ex-tomb as he scanned the room for Shy. "Your dick of a boyfriend ran off," he informed her. The room was lit with the light from the tomb. Dread filled him as he turned to see the source of it.

Though the air was thick with dust he was able to see her standing where the tomb had been. She was wearing a very simple white dress that fit her body perfectly. She was as beautiful as the legend had said. Her hair was wild from not being brushed and when she smiled he saw the teeth. Her canines were long and sharp, and then she lunged. The only thing he was able to say was, "God." Then she fed.

Food, power, life, was all Ragana could think as she felt the beautiful thick liquid flow down her throat. She had never enjoyed the taste of blood or a kill like she did now. When there was nothing left in him she tossed his body aside. It took her a few moments to notice the shocked girl sitting on the ground.

Sometime during the death of Lee Jade had fallen to her knees. She had watched as Ragana drained her brother of life. She couldn't believe she was real, that the story of the vampire princess was true. The thing standing before her was the most powerful being on earth. She could literally feel the power Ragana had, and it made her heart stop and her skin crawl.

"You're real," she whispered, feeling cold inside. What‘s happening, a distant part of her wondered.

"Yes I am," she replied as she stared down at her. Trousers, Ragana thought as she eyed the outfit Jade wore. Girls do not wear trousers? Something is not right here. "What year is this?" she asked in a demanding tone.

"2013.”

"2013." Now it was her turn to be shocked. "It cannot be. It was just 1850." Confused, Ragana wasn't looking at her anymore. She looked around the room as she tried to figure out how this could have happened. Then she remembered. She saw Dionsus, the only man she had ever loved, betraying her. She saw the wine he had put the spell in for Mandrake, the one person she truly hated. She felt the anger come back as she remembered lying on the ground while Mandrake stood over her laughing. She watched Dionsus stand there with Mahr, who had once been a friend. Hell, she thought she had loved him at one time but then he had also betrayed her.

Jade’s throat closed when she saw the darkness in her eyes. The savage hunger for blood sparked within it. Ragana wrapped her fingers around her throat as she lifted her off the ground and started to squeeze. Jade could feel the strength in her hand as she begun to tighten her fingers, cutting off her air. This was the first time today she realized the danger she was in. She felt her heart stop as Ragana’s fingers closed. Oh God this is it, she squeezed her eyes shut. Lee I'm coming.

Surprisingly, the tightening around her throat stopped. She refused to open her eyes until she heard Ragana speak. "Where am I and who are you?" Her eyes were as cold as ice as she stared into Jade's. "If you answer true then I shall let you live." She tightened her fingers again, but just enough to let Jade know she meant what she was about to say. "But if you lie, you shall join your brother." She nodded towards the mangled body.

It hurt Jade to swallow. "Brakerstin," she answered, trying to make her voice as sweet as possible.

Ragana’s eyebrows met in confusion, as questions filled her eyes. She didn’t know this town.

Jade was breathing fast. She licked her lips. "That's where you are. In Brakerstin, well, underneath it at least. You're in a sewer." Her heart was beating so hard she could've sworn it was going to pop out of her chest.

Ragana inclined her head to the right as she let the girl go. "A sewer?" She looked at Jade. "They put me in a sewer! Me? The ruler of all vampires, in a sewer?" She held her head high as she promised, "Oh, they are going to pay." It took a moment for her mind to get back on Jade. "And you? You have not told me whom you are yet."

"Jade," she answered as she rubbed her throat. "My name is Jade."

"Are you working for Mandrake?" She hovered over her, ready to strike.

She shot Ragana a queer look. "Who?"

A smile touched her lips for the first time since she woke up. "No one. 2013?" She sat down on a piece of concrete across from her. "Tell me about it. Or do you wish to die. Being the," she paused as her left eyebrow went up. "Person, shall we say that I am. I will let you choose."

Jade stayed on the ground as she put her hands in lap, and tried to stretch a fake smile across her face. She really didn't want to make Ragana mad. "2013 is great. There are cars, planes, and computers."

She didn't get any of it. "What? Rars, planes, and compoters."

She couldn't help but to laugh. This monster from the past didn't know a thing about today. "No cars, planes, and computers," she said it slow so she would be able to hear how to pronounce it. "See, cars are big and you sit in them. They take you places like horses did, only they’re smoother and faster."

She still had a lost look on her face. Gracefully she rose to walk to her. Looking up Jade wondered what this lost soul from the past was going to do. "This will be easier," she answered her unspoken question. She put her left hand on her forehead and she closed her eyes. "Just relax."

That was hard for her to do. It was like asking a deer to stay calm as a hunter pointed a gun at it but she did her best, and surprisingly enough she actually started to feel calm. It was as if a river of calmness was flowing through her, and it started at her forehead where Ragana's hand was. It worked its way through her body. Her eyes slid shut as shut and she felt a tingling sensation at the mouth of the river on her forehead.

Ragana was reading her mind. She saw a dark skin girl with two braids who looked about ten. Her lips were a little bigger then, but that was because she hadn't grown into them yet. She had the same deep brown puppy dog eyes as she did now. Only now they had more fear and sadness in them.

She used to be so innocent, she sadly thought. I cannot remember when I was as innocent as that. I wonder what happe-... Then she remembered. She had killed this girl's, Jade's, brother right in front of her. A stab of guilt burned through her.

She started a mental search for these cars, planes, and anything else of this time. She saw flashes of big metal machines with wheels going by. Cars, people use these to get around, she told herself. She was certain about this, after all, she had been reading minds for hundreds of years now. Next she saw huge flying machines called planes. The flashes started coming faster as she saw computers, television, clips of wars that Jade had learned about in history, and everything else she had every seen, heard, or learned.

Ragana let go of her as she stepped back. Jade swayed forward. She put her hands on the ground to keep herself from falling over. Her head was swarming with images of everything she could remember. Looking up, she slowly pushed herself back into a sitting position. She was still trying to get her head on straight when Ragana said, "Let's go. I have to get some clothes and find a place to stay." Her feet moved then stopped as she realized she would have to wait for young human.

Slowly, Jade got up. She froze when she saw how Ragana was looking at her. With such intensity that it made her go cold. "What?" she managed to get out. Her heart was sore and her body was tired, she was just wanted to go home.

"We have to take care of something first." She moved to stand in front of her.
Jade’s arms fell to her sides as fear held her in place. Ragana pulled her by the shoulders, and tilted her head to one side to expose her neck. Nervous sweat lightly covered her skin. She watched as her canines grew. Her eyes became more silver than blue, but the blue that you were able to see was the color of the sky. She thought she was going to die of fright.

"This is going to hurt," she warned her before she dug her teeth into her neck.

It stung at first. Jade could feel her sucking her blood. She wanted to fight but knew Ragana would kill her without hesitation. Closing her eyes, she let her finish.

When Ragana pulled away Jade swayed forward again. She caught her since the poor child was too dazed to help herself. "You'll be okay," she assured in a soft tone. Slicing her left wrist she placed it to her lips, "Drink." Jade did as she was told. Ragana’s blood had a sweetness to it that tasted like honey. Before she knew it, she was enjoying it. "That's enough. I don't want you getting sick." Ragana gently took her hand away. Feeling dizzier than ever, Jade suddenly felt weightless. The floor beneath her feet rocked as the walls continued to switch sides. Ragana had to carry her out of the sewer.

Awakening of the End: Chapter 2

Gasping Dedra sat up, holding her throat. It was just a dream, she told herself. But it seemed so real; too real. This simple fact bothered her. The fear of the blade coming at her throat scared her more than it should have since she was a vampire hunter. “I have to get over this human flaw,” she mumbled to herself with a soft, disappointing, shake of her head.

She looked at the digital clock on her nightstand and seven thirty shined back at her. “I’m going to be late,” she cried as she jumped out of bed. In her hurry her foot got tangled in the sheet. She tumbled to the floor and banged her elbow on it. “Ouch, shit!”

What a way to start the day, she mentally sighed as she lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Pulling herself up she quickly hopped in the shower. With her robe loosely tied around her she ran to her closet to throw on her undergarments, blue jeans, a white fitted tank top, and a pair of comfortable shoes. After her last lace was tied she grabbed her books and ran for her car.



“You’re late again Miss Jones,” Mrs. Nelson said in a critical tone as Dedra interrupted her class.

“I know. I’m sorry,” she replied as she sat in her seat.

“I know. You always are,” she said before she returned to her lessons.

Ivy leaned forward to talk to Dedra though her eyes stayed on the teacher. She didn’t want to get caught in her taunting. “At least you could have had the decency to wear something nice for once in your life.” She smugly smiled as she sat back in her seat. Though her comment was childish she felt extremely good about it.

“She does look nice,” Eddie quickly came to her defense. “Of course you wouldn’t know that. After all, you did wear that today.” He eyed her outfit with his left brow raised in awe of her bad taste.

She was wearing ankle high white boots, a white skirt, and a little pink top. “Excuse me, but this is in,” she motioned to her outfit.

“Maybe where you’re from, but here on earth, it’s out.”

“Fag,” she spit the insult at him.

“Do you two mind? I’m trying to teach a class here,” Mrs. Nelson interrupted in an irritated tone. She quickly put a end to whatever fight was about to begin.

“Sorry,” they apologized.



After school Dedra and Eddie quickly found Geneva so they could go to Dedra’s house. “So what happened last night?” Geneva asked. She helped herself to a bag of chips she found in one of the kitchen’s cabinets.

“Something happened last night?” Eddie asked. He took the chips out of her hand to place them in his mouth.

She shot him a dirty look before answering. “Yeah, but she won’t tell me what.”

”I didn’t say I wouldn’t tell you. I just wanted to wait until later," Dedra corrected her as she sat in a chair at the table.

“Well, it’s later,” Eddie pointed out as he sat next to her. “So do tell.”

She told them of her adventure of the night before and of her strange dream. She left out the details of Dionsus though. That was one thing she wanted to keep for herself. “Wow, now that’s what I call a night,” Eddie said. He dropped the last crumb in his mouth as he finished Geneva’s bag of chips.

She got up to get a soda. “Yep; I’m your regular party animal.” She turned to look out the window and saw a woman standing there. Shocked, her fingers lost their hold on the can. The woman had a creamy complexion with short black hair with red streaks in it. She was wearing gray slacks and a purple sweatshirt. Her darks eyes were focused on Dedra.

“Dee, what is it?” Geneva asked, jumping out of her seat to help her friend. She rushed forward and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. “Dee, what is it?” she repeated as she looked out the window, not seeing anything.

“Don’t you see her?” she asked, never taking her eyes off the strange woman outside her window.

“See who?” Eddie asked with a hint of worry in his voice. He stared out the window, not having a clue what was wrong with her. Women, his wondered. “I don’t see anyone,” he admitted. He grew tired of looking out it and looked back at her. He stepped between the two women to gently grab her shoulders to he turn her to face him. “Look Dee, there’s nobody out there.” She started to protest but he continued; “You had a stressful night and now you think you’re seeing people who aren’t there.” He searched her eyes in hopes of seeing reason in them. His eyes were pleading with her to stop this nonsense. “It could happen to anyone,” he tried to assure her as well as himself.

“Not me,” Geneva said with certainty.

His back straightened as he told her to shut up with a hard look. “It could happen to anyone,” he tensely repeated. She could hear the warning in his voice. She wouldn’t dare say another thing.

“What are talking about? She’s right the-“ She stopped mid-sentence when she realized nobody was there. “She was there,” she said as she pointed out the window. Over her head Geneva and Eddie shared a doubtful look. Stubbornly, Dedra stomped to the door. She would prove them wrong. She would! “You have to believe me. She was right there, just outside the window.” She stood in the doorway, and looked up and down the street for the mystery woman. She had to be out there somewhere; Dedra wasn’t the kind of person to see things.

Geneva moved to stand behind her so she could pull her back inside the house. “Sure she was,” she said it the way you would say to it to a child whom you were trying to comfort. Eddie shut the door as Dedra continued to claim she had seen a woman across the street.

When they were back inside the woman headed to her car.


“Why are we doing this again?” Jade asked as she crept closer to her boyfriend Shy.

“To see if the story is true, once and all,” he glanced over his shoulder just as long enough to remind her.

“Not to mention we get out of school for a day,” Jade’s younger brother, Lee, added.

They stopped when they came to a fork in the sewer. “So, right or left?” he asked. He shined his flashlight down the right tunnel then the left one.

“Well the story goes ‘to right her wrongs is why they buried her along’ “Lee quoted.

He held the beam of light to shine on him. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

“I don’t know but that’s what it says,” he admitted as he covered his eyes. “Now get that damn thing out of my face.”

Feeling a surge of anger his jaw set. This is not the place to get lost. Damn him, he bitterly thought. “What do you mean you don’t know?” His voice grew louder with each word he said. “I thought you knew what the hell you were doing. If I-”

“It means go right,” Jade calmly intervened. She was bored with the way the guys would always try to dominate each other to be the alpha male.

The guys looked at her. “How do you know?” Lee asked.

She didn’t take her eyes off of the right tunnel to address him. “ ‘To right her wrongs is why they buried her along,’ ” she re-quoted. Her face was a cool mask as she kept her steady gaze onto him. “Don’t you see, right her wrongs? Right,” she stressed the one word. “As in down the right tunnel.” Her attention slipped back to the tunnel.

“Okay; right it is,” Shy proclaimed as he headed in that direction. He didn’t wait for either of his traveling buddies to follow him. The water lapsed over his shoes with every step he took. The further he went the deeper and darker it became.

Somewhere down here she was buried and Jade knew it. She could feel it. It was like a great hand was pulling her towards the lost legend. It was crying out to her. It wanted and needed her to free it. She tried a number of times to stop walking, but her feet wouldn’t listen. They continued to move forward, taking her closer and closer to this evil forsaken thing of the past. She tried to speak out, but found she couldn’t open her mouth. She was too scared of what they were about to find.

“Dang, how much further do we have to go?” Lee asked as he covered his mouth and nose. The air was the foul odor of rotten trash. “It sticks down here.”

“Of course it does dumb ass,” Shy replied as he continued going deeper into the tunnel. “It’s a sewer. What did you expect? For it to smell like roses?"

He stopped walking as his body tensed. “Man, I’m tired of you disrespecting me.”

“Oh really?” Shy stopped walking as well. He turned to completely face him. “And what are you going to do about it?”

He took a threatening step towards him. “I’m going to teach you a little respect. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Jade drifted away during their argument. She had seen them fight so many times that now it meant nothing to her. She noticed to the left the wall seemed to darken. As she stepped closer to it she saw it was because it was cracked.

“And how are you going to do that?” Shy asked, also taking a step forward. He was about the same size as Lee but he had more experience in fighting, and they both knew this.

“Guys,” she called over her shoulder. She eyed the darkness inside of it as she stood next to the crack. She was too afraid to poke her head into the unknown. She needed Shy’s flashlight; bringing only one had been a mistake on their part. “Guys, look at what I found.”

Neither of them wanted to back down from the fight but in the end curiosity got the best of them. “I think we found Sleeping Beauty,” Lee said, looking into the hidden room Shy’s light easily filled. It was painfully small. It had rough rock walls and to the left stood a concrete tomb. “So which one of us princes gets to kiss her and wake her up?” he asked in a mocking tone.

Shy’s eyes slid to look him. “You can smart ass. I’ve already found my princess.” He shot Jade a sideways glance before stepping through the crack. As she entered it she stumbled over her own feet. He easily caught her. “You’ve got to be careful sweetheart.” She gave him a thankful smile as she pulled away to get a better look at the place.

“You know, I expected something bigger,” Lee confessed from behind her.

“Sooo, she’s in there?” Shy asked. Disbelief covered his face he moved closer to the tomb. “Well, let’s get the top off and take a look at the old hag.”

“Tsk, tsk,” he said, shaking his head he slowly moved closer to the tomb. “So much disrespect, it’s Ms. Hag.” The guys shared a smile before focusing on the tomb again.

Jade stayed in the background as she watched them. She was lost in a state of bewilderment. She felt distance, as if the ground was splitting between them. The strange images clouding her mind didn’t allow any room for thought.

The guys used all of their strength to try and pry the tomb’s top off, but it wouldn’t budge. Shy let go of it to rub his stiff shoulders. “Damn, I think I pulled something.”

Lee set one of his elbows on the tomb’s top as he rested his chin on the heel of his palm. With laughing eyes he watched him rub his pains. “What a hero.”

The sound of loud tapping invaded Jade’s twisted mind. ‘The black rose stop wilting as a hammer nailed her coffin shut.’ No, she mentally screamed as her mind filled with dead blackness. Looking around she was determined to find the source of the irritating noise. She sighed with disappointment when she found nothing because rock walls surrounded her. Where could it be coming from, she wondered.

Don’t give up, a strange voice commanded. Fear gripped her heart as she did as she was told. Her free will was gone. She was now a doll for beings more powerful than herself.

Tap-tap-tap. Her eyes narrowed on a five-inch hole in the wall off to the side of Shy’s head. That’s where that awful tapping is coming from, her anger said. Her feet seemed to move by themselves, and she couldn’t stop herself from walking towards it. What’s in there? As she got closer her head throbbed. Tap, pain. Bright red merged with the blackness behind her lids with each blink she had. Determination filled her. She knew she had to stop it

Lee and Shy were too busy cracking jokes to notice her sliding by them. It wasn’t until she was on the tip of her toes that Lee glanced in her direction. “What are you doing Jade?”

Squinting, she wasn’t able to see inside the hole. It was too dark. Tap-tap-tap. But she could hear it, and that was more than enough to keep her motivation to keep inspecting it. “I’ve got to stop it,” she said to herself in a much softer tone than she normally used. Her right hand started to sink into the cold hole.

“Stop what? I don’t hear anything.” The intense look on her face worried him. Something was wrong with his sister.

“I have to stop the tapping. The awful tapping.” Her hand sank further into the hole. He watched as a little figure leaped out of it to bite her hand. She screamed, snapping her hand back to look at her new wound.

Rushing forward he tried to get to her first but Shy beat him to her. He gently took her hand into his own to inspect it like a good boyfriend. “Jade baby, are you all right?” he asked as he searched her dazed face for any sign she was okay.

“Of course she’s not. She just got bit,” Lee answered for her. His eyes darted across the ground for whatever had bitten his sister. Slowly, he leaned forward to look inside the hole. It wasn’t there. “Where is it?”

“Where is what?”

He looked at Shy as if he should have known what he was talking about. “The thing that bit her. It’s not in the hole anymore. Which means it’s somewhere out here.” He scanned the room again.

Shy wasn’t worried about the creature that had bit her. “So? It was a rat.” He watched as she slowly walked to the tomb. “If it try’s to bit you, step on it.” His eyes ran down her body. He would have it tonight. A small smile curved his lips as he went to be by her side.

Lee was sure it hadn’t been a rat. But what was it then, his mind hurt with the question. Taking a small step, he moved closer to them. “Shy,” he said in a tense voice. “It wasn’t a rat. It was something else, and I really think we should take Jade to the hospital to get it looked at. After all, it could’ve had a disease.”

Shy grabbed her hand to roughly inspect it again. A little blood ran from it but that was all. “It’s not bad. She’ll live.” Dispassionately he dropped her hand. His job was done.

Lee was shocked at how uncaring he was being to his girlfriend whom he so called loved. Jade didn’t seem to notice. She was still in that strange dazed state. It was starting to scare him.

Her bleeding hand slowly rose. With her mind locked on the coffin she felt numb to the world. Some unknown force was pulling her strings. Now she only did what she was made to do. She ran her lightly bleeding hand over the top of the tomb and down the crack across the middle of it. Lee’s heart went cold in his chest. He didn’t know how he knew but he did, that she shouldn’t be doing that. Jade, his mind whispered.