5

The hot water sloshed into the tub as I waited, impatiently for the porcelain tub to fill up.

The smell of lavender, lilacs, and rose filled the small bathroom in a flowery steam. I winced as I stepped into the scolding water. "Christ." I mumbled examining my feet that looked as though they were badly sun burned. The water's burning my skin. I thought numbly as I sunk neck deep in the boiling water.

Davide.

His name didn't ever cease to pop into my head. I instinctively touched my neck, wondering if the marks were really there even though, I didn't find them last night or this morning. My fingers touched the hallow of my throat and I noticed my necklace wasn't there.

Tears began to sear my eyes, the way the water burned my skin.

That necklace had been a gift from Davide...and now it's... gone.. It was my most prized possession, even though it was just some cheap shiny plastic made to look like metal. He had gotten it from one of those machines you put fifty cents in and out pops a prize. That still didn't change anything... It was from Davide... I hadn't ever taken it off until now...

My fingers remained at the bottom of my throat where my moon amulet should have been, longingly... What happened to it? Did it fall off? "Where did it go?" I asked myself.

Bright blue neon dots began to blur my vision and blind me. I screeched loudly. I'm blind! I'm going blind!! I closed my eyes tightly trying to get rid of the speckles that clouded my vision. "I want to be able to see!" I wailed.

My eyes shot open as I heard the scream of a girl. I was looking at Demetri shoving me against the wall and ripping off my necklace. Demetri! I thought angrily as my necklace hit the dirty alley pavement. My blood began to boil.

His fangs were barred like a rabid animal and he sank his teeth into my necklace. I screamed in pain even though he wasn't biting me, he was biting the me that was there last night. I pushed and shoved at the empty air in front of me, trying to shove the pain away, but was unsuccessful. "No! Get me out of here!" I rasped. It felt like someone was choking me, like my lungs were being crushed. The beloved blue dots came back and blinded me again, temporarily.

Slowly the blue dots vanished and I was back in the bathroom. " Oh my God." I clutched my neck. I could breathe again, but the pain in my neck was still there. I pulled my hand away, only to see that it was covered in a thick crimson liquid. I ignored the fact that my mouth was watering, and grabbed my towel and stood up.

When I approached the mirror I saw two dark marks on the side of my neck surrounded by blood. "What the hell?" I asked my reflection, moving closer to it. I stared at the marks, and watched them slowly disappear. I gasped. They're gone. The only evidence that they had been there at all was the blood that was trickling down the side of my neck.

I blotted the blood away with a hand towel that sat on the counter, and stared at my reflection a moment longer. My long pale blonde hair was half wet half dry. I looked like I had rolled out of bed. My skin was sickly pale, looking as though I had seen a ghost. My green-blue eyes had specks of brown in them. "How the hell did that happen?" I asked the steam infested bathroom. I looked like a scared little kid I thought resentfully.

I walked out of the bathroom dizzily and slipped back into the dress I wore the previous night. I really should leave I thought to myself censurably and headed out the door.

I headed across the hall to my apartment and put my heels down outside my door, as I turned to get Gladdis to unlock my door, the knob started to turn. Crap.

Snatching my heels up off the floor, I ran to the stairs that led upstairs and hid underneath them, just as the door opened. Two cloaked men walked out adorned in thick black robes that had discreet red patterns at the edges of the robes.

The first thing I noticed about them was that their aura's were white, which for some reason was unsettling to me. The second thing I noticed was that they reeked of death. The smell of blood and metal lingered behind them, the pungent odor made me nauseous and made my nose itch.

"Maybe Davide killed her. He could've been thirsty and wanted a midnight snack. He probably took too much blood from her and he couldn't control himself, causing the demon to take over, and accidentally killed her." The guy on the right remarked.

Demon?

" Maybe," the other guy offered, "but haven't you heard? He left the little mundane wench for Lillith, but maybe you're right. He may have killed her. If so that makes our job a lot easier. No human should no we exist. That's why we had to kill Abela. She was quite beautiful, but knew far too much for a mere human, even if she was a black swan. It's ashame really, she would've ended up dying anyways. As much as Jacopo fed on her I'm surprised she hadn't died before we got to her."

Abela? Davide's mom? They killed Davide's mom?! Anger began to consume me, the way fire consumes everything in its path.

They turned and headed down the stairs. " Let's just hope she really did get killed. If she was turned it would make it all the more harder to take her out later. From what I've heard the little brat has a smart mouth and is very irrational in her actions. You should've seen Demetri come home last night. He had scratch marks on his face and neck. It looked like he ran into an angry cat." One of the men said with a chuckle.

I could no longer hear them because they had already descended out of the building.

Hobbling up I walked hastily back in to Ms. Volturi's apartment. "What the hell is going on?" I asked the hollow walls of the room, half expecting an answer.

I slunk across the room and stared at the phone for what seemed like forever.

Davide.... I need to talk to you... I thought desperately. I need your help, Davide...

I sighed feeling detached and I sat down in the chair resting my chin in my hands. If only there was a way to know if you still love me Davide, I thought distraughtly... no if there was a sign that you still cared about me... if there was a sign that you still thought about me...

Ding. Ding. Ding.

My head jerked up at the sound of the church bells.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

I stood up and hurried out of the kitchen.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

I tugged on the brass handle frantically, until the window burst open letting in the rays of sun.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A warm breeze blew through the window, enfolding me in the smell of the city. The smell of the brick buildings baking in the afternoon sun. The redolent aroma of the restaurants bread, wine, and cheese. The scent of the warm puddles of rain water glistening in the sun. The enticing aromas filled the apartment making it cozier. It started to feel more and more like home.

" Am I crazy?" I asked myself. As I made my way back to the wooden chair. I huffed. " I must be because I'm talking to myself." I laughed humorlessly. That wasn't a sign I thought glumly, just a coincidence. Give me a real sign.

A gust of wind barreled through the room causing the papers on the table, to fall and scatter across the floor. "Jesus Christ." I muttered bitterly, as I kneeled down to pick the papers up. A folded piece of pink construction paper caught my eye. It lay wide open on the floor listlessly. I picked it up and red the cursive writing.

Thank you for everything you have done for me. I love you. Davide

Tears welled in my eyes. I folded it to the cover and read what was written there.

Grandmother.

I must be crazy. I don't care if this is addressed to me or not, I'm counting this as a sign. Davide must still care about me, I thought hopefully as tears dripped from my eyes, causing spots on the tattered pink construction paper to turn red.

I shuffled around the room picking up the papers that were strewn across the floor. As I placed them back on the table, Ms. Volturi slipped through the front door carrying, what I presume was a grocery bag.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands and said, " I need to talk to you."

She nodded knowingly and replied, " Sit down. This could take a while."