Young Writers Society

Isabella Von Ray

"Ugh," was the first sound to leave my lips. But it was small and even I could barely hear it. My body was stiff and was lying on something hard pretending to be soft. I tried to open my eyes but the light in the room I was in was just too much for my tired eyes to bear. Where am I? An acceptable question to ask myself. Last I remember is I was being carried and then... What? I tried to remember but my head started to pound so I just gave up on that, focusing on the noises in the background. The obvious drone of a Colgate commercial and a few voices on top of it all.

"Damn congressmen," someone was saying. "Why the hell can't they just leave us alone?" There was the sound of something hitting what sounded like glass and another of someone sighing.

"We do what we do to survive!" someone - a man - said angrily. Then there was silence. My best guess was that the commercial of whatever they were watching had finially gone off. [i]I'm standing here out side of Capitol Hill as discussion about what to do about our nation's vampires goes on inside. Vampire Superman, Dmitri Collins, fights to keep his kind above ground..." Wait. Did she just say Dmitri? How could he possibly be at Capitol Hill? I just saw him a few hours ago.

"What's going on," I asked myself, a bit louder now.

"Oh, welcome back," someone said suddenly. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter before trying again to open them, slower this time. "Glad to see you're awake." Finially, the area arround me came in view. The air was stuffy and dusty and the only lighting was that coming from the TV and a few dim lamps placed randomly around the place. There was a small and cute sofa that didn't seem to belong around all this mess, and a recliner with a small water stained table in front of it. The man in front of me had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I smiled wearily.

"Hello." I frowned at my voice and cleared my throat before trying again. "Where am I?" The boy smiled but it looked forced and fake and helped me sit up.

"Our...home. Sorta."

"Who are you?"

"Your savior!" I raised an eyebrow at him and tilted my head slightly to the side. The international sign for what the heck are you talking about. "My name's Tom," he said. The person behind him screamed something about being ignored and Tom told me the man on the sofa's name was Peter.

"Isabella," I replied. I looked around him at the TV. "What's this about vampires and keeping them above ground?"

John Ryder

Two gunshots went off and Tom came out of the cub with a girl.

"Your man's in their, good luck" Tom said and kept walking. Angry blood brothers and a youth gang called the yound bloods started to a mass at each end of the street. To my horror I could see they were all carrying weapons.

"Kids just caused a fucking riot" officer Martinez said. She was a very nice young uniformed officer. By young I went twenty-six , which was older than me but the fact that I was her superior always made me feel older.

"Oh fuck" Conroy said. Suddenly the swat team that we had had come over just incase stopped looking so board and perked up. The swat leader jogged over with an assault riffle and handed it to me.

"What do you want us to do hold our ground or get the hell outta here?" He asked.

"We don't have a choice were blocked in by these bastards" I said. We moved are cars out into better positions that blocked off the road. I grabed the radio in one of the police cruisers and used to get hold of the other police units that had been blocking off the club.

"Sir, what the hell going on we've got vampires converging on your postion. Blood brothers, young blood even the angry bastards. Their all converging on fifth street...... Oh shit one of my guys just opened fire their coming down hard on us fuck I gotta go" The captain at the other end of the line dropped the radio. The story was the same from the rest of the squads.

"Okay drive your cars out into the middle of the road and break up the rioters, oh and someone call the riot squad" I said before putting the radio down. Conroy gave me the thumbs up and jogged across the twenty metter gap to the other cars to call the riot squad when bang! Someone fire their gun and it wasn't us Conroy dropped to the ground blood streaming out of his head.

"Open fire" I said and we let loose spraying bullets into the angry crowd. The mob started charging at us. They just kept coming and by the time are rifles clicked empty they were only 12 meters away.

"Run for it" I souhted and we started sprinting towards the alleyway were the last victim had been. Joey and Me stopped in the alleyway Reloading our rifles we tried to keep the gap open for the swat team who hadn't heard us.

"Shit" I said as blood brothers with hand guns and uzi's butchered them. As our Rifles clicked empty the second time we gave up and sprinted down the alleyway. The six uniformed officers that were still alive had broken a back door to an apartment down and inside struggling to open the front one. Just as we got their the door was kicked in and hail of bullet flew past my face. I jumped to the side and the ran the first few steps of the stairwell. Stopping only when I realised Joey wasn't behind me. I turned around to see him on the floor, bullet ridden. I started running again busting onto the third floor. It was full of vampire women and their children, some of the women were 16 and had children of four with them.

"ssh" I said and creaped to the end of the apartment kicking in the end door and shutting it behind me. A very drugged up girl had been left with her legs open by her 'boyfriend' when he had wanted to get to the fight.

Tom Gray had just caused a riot were at least 25 police officers had been killed and over a hundred gang member killed as well. He had just single handedly pushed through the senate's constitution. If I ever saw Tom gray again it wouldn't be for a good laugh at a bottle of beer. It would be so I could put a bullet between his eyes.

*Sorry that this has taken so long*

~Clare~

I wandered out of the club again with Peter, wondering who exactly was being babysat this time. I'd seen Alice going in there earlier but I was fairly sure she could take care of herself - she went to that club enough without me anyway.

A few moments later, the sound of a gunshot rang out through the street, and both me and Peter turned to scout out the sound. I swallowed nervously. "Do you think that came from ...?" I asked quietly, and Peter nodded wordlessly. "Alice was in there." I said quietly.

Another silent nod from Peter.

"Then we have to go back! She's my sister, I can't leave -"

More gunshots. I started forward uncertainly, looking back to Peter for reassurance. "Are you coming?" It was too dangerous for me to go alone, and we both knew this. But I couldn't just leave her, not now with the sound of gunfire constantly sounding in the background. Not now when I could hear the police sirens calling out and a distant shouting coming from the direction of the club. Not now.

I turned to look back down the road, where Alice was, when I saw a familiar silhouette making it's way towards us. At least, I thought it was familiar ... but since when had Tom cared enough about strangers to carry them around? As the figure neared us, I saw that it was Tom, an unconscious girl cradled in his arms. ...Alice...?

A second glance destroyed this surge of hope immediately. It was the young girl I'd seen dancing with that vampire. So why had Tom felt the need to 'rescue' her?

"What happened?" I asked anxiously, at the same time as the irritated question "What did you do this time?" came from Peter.

Smoke was everywhere from the fires all around, from laying on the floor. I was faintly aware that I was bleeding from my arm. I kept coughing, faintly aware of the vampires leaving. I also saw Tom, leaving with another girl. Until I was the only one left in here, and the building was collapsing. What did I do then?

I fainted.


Sorry for the short post! I didn't know how to come in!

Peter Harving

"Tom, what happened?" Clare demanded.

Peter watched Tom, barely noticing the girl in his arms. He knew the look in his eyes. It had been near-constant in Tom when Peter first met him a year ago. He'd calmed down after that, stopped killing so many civilians, but now it was back.

"What did you do this time?" Peter asked. Tom shoved the girl into Peter's arms and turned back towards the club. "Where are you going now?" Peter demanded, holding the girl awkwardly in his arms. "What do you expect me to do with this?"

"I'm going to go find Alice," Tom said. "Since you didn't have the sense to make sure she got out too."

"What am I supposed to do?" Peter asked, looking to the girl in his arms and to Clare.

"Take them to our place, Pete," he said. "Make sure you aren't followed. I have a feeling this place isn't very safe for us anymore." He started running back down the street toward the club.

Peter adjusted the girl in his arms and grabbed Clare's hand, pulling her along with him. "Come on," he told her. "Tom may be a reckless idiot, but he knows when we're really in trouble."

***

Tom showed back up at the house with an unconscious Alice in his arms an hour later. He took her to a spare bedroom that wasn't kept up well and let Clare look after her.

Peter sat, sunken down in the old relciner in the living room. He'd put the girl on the air matress he usually slept on and kept watch on her through the corner of his eye. The rest of his attention was focused on the television. After a few minutes, Tom was lounging on the couch watching as well.

"What's going on?" the girl on the matress said. Peter and Tom both looked at her; she sat up on the matress, watching them warily.

"Oh, welcome back," Tom said. "Glad to see you're awake."

"Hello," she said slowly, her body wavering. She looked like she would fall back over any second. "Where am I?"

Peter pushed himself up from the recliner and put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Our...home, sort of."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Peter, and that charming guy over there is Tom," Peter said. He sat beside the girl on the matress, letting her weight lean against his shoulder. Tom watched him for a minute, a confused look in his eye. Peter wasn't one to be particularly compassionate towards a stranger.

"Your savior," Tom said at last, jumping up from the couch and bowing.

"Do you remember your name?" Peter asked her, diverting her attention from Tom before Tom started to get any bright ideas about this girl. She was too young for him; she looked hardly over sixteen. She reminded Peter of his little sister.

"Isabella," she said. She looked over to the tv, her eyes focusing on the flashing screen. "What's this about vampires and keeping them above ground?"

Peter sighed, rolling his eyes. "Tom singlehandedly doomed all of vampire-kind."

"That," Tom said, "is a lie. I singlehandedly started a mass riot that killed twenty-five cops and a decent amount of thugs. They've been on this underground thing for years now."

"But Tom personally nailed the last corner of the coffin," Peter said. "It's only a matter of time before they're knocking on our door."

Delilah Holmes

There were no nightmares, not anymore, and that was almost worse. Dee stared blankly back at the sun and wondered how anything so bright could fail to pierce her gloom. She swung her legs around, hit the alarm off and sat up. It was a vague five minutes before she found the energy to stand and begin her morning routine. She showered in water too cold but knew that touching the dial would make it too hot. She dried herself off quickly, feeling more awake and a little more alert. Then she remembered. It was today.

Delilah had to sit down to steady herself and she felt a familiar pang of panic. It was today, today she was attending a conference that would be held between humans and vampires. Dee caught a glance of herself in the mirror, her lue eyes wide and her face chalky. Foundation. She needed to wear foundation and fix it. She needed to fix everything. You see, Delilah Holmes had a plan and it involved fighting for human rights. She'd thought about it a lot, she'd even created fragmented lines in her head that she was certain would burst from her mouth if she only got a chance to speak. Humans should have the right to donate blood and not wonder if it was going to be thrown down the back of some monster's throat. Humans should have the right to walk at night and only be afraid of murderers and rapists, was there not enough to fear already?

Reaching for her make-up bag, Dee found herself humming a snatch of an old tune and slowly the panic eased to a fluttering. Yes, it was today and it was going to be good.

____________________
Just a short post to keep Dee moving about.

(EDIT)

John Ryder

I got up, after a few hours rest, and looked outside the window. Fires were burning everywhere and the sound of police sirens was still audible. The sound of crying children came from the apartment floor I was hiding in. I took off my suit and rumaged around in the wardrobe. I put on some black jeans and pulled on a grey hoodie over a white shirt. I grabbed a bright green shoulder bag and put anything I didn't need in it. I made sure that my police badge was at the top so that I could get through the security checkpoints without being shot. As I walked out I nodded in thanks to the women who had kept their mouths shut. When I walked out I was horrified at what I saw. The dead officers had been lined up and sucked dry. Joey was their at the end, at least he looked peaceful, his head was sagging to the left a bit. I walked over to the late Officer Marteniz and grabbed her stun gun. Putting in my shoulder bag.

2 hours later

After a few hours walking through empty streets full of vandilised cars ,shops and many dead bodies. I was now ridding shoutgun in a police cruiser talking to the Boss.

"What's the situation?" I asked, flinching as a blood brother threw a beer bottle at the car.

"The situation is fucked fifth street and the five miles around it in every direction are no go zones, that police cruiser your in is one of four that were keeping the area and it's only for picking up officers that got away from the bloodshed." The Boss fininshed and I nodded. We drove past a line of swat cars and officers dressed in full riot gear.

"Spread out anywhere else?" I asked.

"Nope. their's been a few attempts to break through the police lines but they've failed the gangs are running out of guys that they can afford to lose" the Boss answered.

"So it's over?"

"Not yet, it won't be until tommorow that I can get enough cops down here to launch a counter attack and secure the area. Thats not really the problem though Vampire activist and gangs are screaming out for the rest of the countrys vampire population to riot as well, even worse the Vamps are listening this time. The rest of your kind see's it as the last chance they have to make a difference before they have different right to the rest of us." The Boss let out a sight as he finished speaking.

"Anything you want me to do, go speak to the congression maybe, make them understand" I said.

" No I've got something more important for you to do, Your gonna find the Vamp that started this riot and kill him, you come out of the zone get a cup of coffee get a list of his know locations and then your going to go find the schmuck and kill him" The boss said. The cop who was driving the car pulled up outside a busy starbucks and I got out. It seemed I wasn't the only one who wanted Tom Grey dead.

"

Bare in mind that I'm not familiar with American politics so I'm not sure how the Senate works. I apologise in advance if I've made some errors - but feel free to correct me!

Dmitri Collins

Upon arriving at Capitol Hill, Dmitri – dressed in his best suit, was hounded by angry citizens baring placards of ‘Down with the Vampires’ and ‘Lock up the Blood Suckers’. The press had also gathered outside in their thousand’s, eager to see who had been invited to speak in this Closed Senate Session, and discover what the conference would bring. As microphones and cameras belonging to various news and media corporations were shoved mercilessly towards Dmitri’s face, he, his professor, and step-father were escorted by security officers and led straight into the north wing of the Capitol building. There, they were taken into a small office where they were told to wait until further instruction.

Dmitri paced about the room anxiously, his hands deep inside his pockets. He had no idea how he was going to fight this bill, and the lack of blood in his system wasn’t helping his thinking process. Suddenly, he felt his professor pull him to the side.

“Here,” he whispered, peering over Dmitri’s shoulder to ensure that his step-father was not watching, before handing him a small vial of blood. “Drink it.”

Dmitri pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and pushed the vial away. “No, I don’t need it,” he lied.

“Yes, you do, Dmitri!” hissed his professor. “The complete lack of human blood in your system is making you weak; you’ve become paler than ever-”

Dmitri attempted to brush past, but the professor’s grip on his arm was firm. “Listen to me, son, I know you pity the humans, but you cannot continue living like this! For a vampire going cold-turkey from the thirst is unnatural and dangerous. If you don’t feed hourly you’ll die, and all this hard work, everything you’ve been working for, it will all die with you.”

Dmitri knew his professor was right, but there was no way he would let it show. “Really, professor...” he said, “I’m fine.”

Before the old man could protest, several officials entered the room and ran through last minute details with Dmitri before leading them inside the Senate chamber.

Other guests who had also been invited were already sat at their allocated places in the circular chamber. Dmitri, his professor and his step-father were led down the wide central aisle to sit behind one of the front desks. Directly in front of them, on a raised dais, sat the presiding officer, a surly looking bald-man who had the words ‘anti-vampire’ written all over him. Dmitri sighed heavily as he scanned the other guests. Judging by the looks they were giving him and the determination showing on their faces, it was crystal clear that they were all here for one reason, and one reason only, to push the vampire registration act. He never felt so helpless.

Senator Burton, the man who orchestrated the bill, strode in several seconds later with a look of sick satisfaction on his face. He and his female secretary whose nametag read ‘Delilah Holmes’ acknowledged Dmitri with an arrogant nod before taking their places.

~Clare~

I watched Alice silently, my brow furrowed as I tended to her wound. Luckily I'd managed to scrounge some antibiotics from Tom, so I hoped that she'd heal quickly. Now all I had to do was wait for her to wake up. A sigh escaped my lips, and I stood up wearily. For now, there was nothing more I could do.

The sound of the television filled my ears as I made my way into the living room. Coverage of the earlier catastrophe was being shown as a voiceover spoke over it with figures of estimated death and injury tolls. I stopped dead still as I watched it, then sent Tom a look that was a mixture of amusement and concern. "Well done, you made the news."

A scowl flashed across Peter's face, but he stayed silent. The girl sitting on the mattress, however, looked to me with wide eyes. "Who are you? Do you live here aswell?" The disbelief in her voice was understandable judging from the pitiful size of Tom and Peter's apartment.

I smiled tiredly, shaking my head. "No, I don't, thankfully. My place is much tidier than here. But that reminds me-" My gaze shifted to meet Tom's. "Can I stay here for the night? Alice hasn't woken up and I don't want to disturb her now."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you'll really be able to cope with our squalid living conditions?" Across the room, Peter frowned again.
"Is there really enough space? We're already looking after Isabella, and us two barely fit here."

I shrugged mildly. "I'll sleep on the floor in Alice's room, if you have any blankets I can borrow."

"We'll need to start leaving tomorrow anyway," Tom said. "This place won't be safe for much longer."

Isabella Von Ray

I jerked my head to look at Tom.

"What do you mean we have to leave tomorrow," I stammered. Peter turned to me and gave me a look that Alexander usually gave me when he tried explaining things.

"It's not safe for us. For you either. The police will probably be on look out for all three of us and the gang Rip owns will be looking for you." He spoke softly and slowly, as if I was some child. I frowned and tried to stand but my legs gave out and I fell back onto the matress. I could not be getting weak so soon. I felt around in my pockets for the vile of O- that I put in before I left.

"What do they want with me," I asked softly while still feeling around. "I didn't do anything." My fingers hit something glass and I quickly pulled out the vile. Broken and empty. Groaning, I dropped it to the floor and laid back.

"You must be worth something," the girl said. I think her name was Clare. I'm not sure. "Do you owe them anything?" I bit my lip in thought before shaking my head slightly.

"No. That night was my first time out of the house. I'm not allowed out because I get weak so easily because I'm blood type O negative." Peter, the one next to me, knitted his eyebrows together before standing and going to where I assume was the kitchen. He wet a towel and brought it over before putting it on my head. Funny, he was acting just like Alexander...

"Anyway it goes," Tom said with a bundle of blankets in his arms, "it's not safe for any of us. It's best if you stick here for a while." He brought the blankets over to Clare and she took them back into a seperate room. I nodded slowly and closed my eyes. Twenty-five cops and two members of a well known Vampire gang have been killed today in a mass riot today at the Lost Boys. Police have identified the starter of the riot to be vampire Tom Gray...

"You've screwed us this time," Peter sighed.

"Shut up." This outbreak will certainly not work out in Dmtri Collins favor in fighting for Vampire rights while at Capitol Hill. It would most likely criple his argument...

"What are they trying to do," I asked. Peter looked down at me and sighed.

"Trying to force vampires underground and keep us away from all the humans. They want us gone."

"But, why, we don't do anything really bad. I mean, we have to survive...right?" I just got news of another killing that happened not too far away from the Lost Boys club. Three dead bodies have been found abandoned outside of a small house on the suburbs. Thirty-two year old Cynthia William, six year old Georgia William, and forty year old Jerry William. Cynthia William has been drained dry of her blood. The DNA picked up at the scene has been examined and matched the profiles of two suspects, Isabella Von Ray and Alexander Von Ray. Both vampires...

"Oh no..." Peter looked over at me with a confused look on his face.

"Isn't your name Isabella?" I nodded stifly and closed my eyes.

Dmitri Collins

Several seconds passed until the presiding officer was ready to begin the session and allocate the first speaker. It came as no surprise that Senator Burton was called upon to speak first.

“Mr. President,” Senator Burton began, standing from his seat. “Vampirism, or Porphyric Hemophilla, as Mr. Collins prefers to call it, is a disease worse than any cancer. It is a fact that those who have it are extremely dangerous, for their very existence depends on our demise-”

“That is not true,” Dmitri interrupted.

Senator Burton’s eyes locked on Dmitri. “I beg your pardon?”

Dmitri addressed the presiding officer. “Mr. President not all vampires are dangerous. I am one myself and I have not touched a drop of human blood in over five years-”

Senator Burton chuckled. “While that is very noble of you, Mr. Collins, the fact still remains that the overwhelming majority of vampires do need human blood. Like crack-addicts they need to feed hourly...” Senator Burton began to wave a file into the air, before continuing. “I have here, a list of the latest victims of vampirism: Lucy Davidson, age 18, Jennifer Richards, age 20, Annie Holmes, age 15...”

Dmitri noticed Senator Burton’s secretary look down as the name was read. Of course, he said to himself, Annie Holmes was her sister...

“...and Terry Handsome, age 19,” Senator Burton continued. “All perfectly innocent human beings - all sucked dry from blood. And these are only the latest victims. Statistics from the VMS show that in this year alone, vampire-related murders throughout the country have increased by up to 50%. Just minutes before arriving here, I received word that a single vampire had managed to kill 25 patrol-officers and over a hundred civilians.”

Dmitri rubbed his jaws in silent anger. He had heard about the incident also.

“Mr. President,” continued Senator Burton, “What we are witnessing is the beginning of the extinction of the human race as we know it. Vampires have now replaced us as the top of the food-chain.”

People sitting in the gallery nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“In order to save our species, we need a solution, and I believe that solution is vampire registration,” Senator Burton placed a folder on the presiding officer’s desk before continuing. “We demand that vampires come forward and reveal themselves publically, we demand that they be taken away and locked up, or else be ostracised from our society permanently.”

Dmitri could hear mumbles of agreement echoing through the chamber.

“For we are the dominant species, and therefore, we have the right to know exactly who the vampires are and what they are capable of doing.”

“Thank you, Senator Burton,” the presiding officer acknowledged, before addressing the chamber. “At this time, before we look at the opposing view voiced by Mr. Collins, I’d like to open up the floor for any comments or questions...”

[Kitty- this is your character's cue ]

Thank you Coco

Just a query though: I thought the first vampire, Tom, was discovered 22 years ago? So how was Dimitri's father a vampire?

Delilah Holmes

As the officer called for people to speak, Dee's eyes snapped across the room to the vampire. It was rude to stare. Delilah had often heard it said that staring was rude, but she couldn't help it. This specimen, this mistake of human genetics was the closest she'd ever been seated to a vampire. And it hurt. She'd known he would be young, even the oldest discovered was younger than her but- but somehow she hadn't expected him to look so normal. He was handsome in an ordinary sort of way. And that made it worse. His ordinary brown hair, his dark, alluring but not unhuman brown eyes. The only thing abnormal was the pale, creamy texture of his skin and that had the affect of reminding her of a hospital morgue and a dead, pale face with empty eyes.

"Miss Holmes." Delilah blinked, the room coming back into focus and the vampire fading into the sea of other faces. She looked to the presiding officer and then realised that her hand had been raised. Oh yes. She had something to say.

"Thank you sir," Delilah said, steadying her voice as she stood up and held her papers awkwardly. They were notes and research, everything demanded of her station and most of the points the Senator intended to make that day were scrawled quickly in her own, decisive hand. "Mr. President. Gentlemen." She would have said ladies, except it appeared that she was the only female present so she skipped on to the point she wanted to make. Get it done quickly, Dee. And don't give in to fear, don't fall apart.

"The Vampire Registration Act is a very reasonable piece of legislation, in fact it's passive in comparrisson to the atrocities that have been committed. These vampires have invaded our lifestyle, they have killed without remorse and they are inately dangerous. Even those who seek to control themselves are time bombs, just waiting to go off. The Act does not ask for the extermination of vampires, only that the right people are given the means to monitor and control them." Dee paused and locked eyes with each of the important men in the room, trying to make them hear what she was saying.

"There is a register for rapists. Is it not agreed that a family have the right to know if they live next door to a man who may harm their children as he has others? Well then why should they not also be allowed to know that the man serving their children ice cream is a vampire, a creature that may at any moment be over-come with the lust for their blood and drink them dry." The words were getting harder and harder to say. Dee had a lot more notes. She had a lot more points but for now, she swallowed back her tears, said: "Thank you Gentlemen." and quickly took her seat.

There were more speakers and Delilah watched the vampired growing impatience as his attempts to interrupt were each time met with rebuffals. He was told he would have his chance to speak and then. It came. "Mr. Collins," the residing officer said. "Would you now like to present your view to the Senate."

________
Sorry it's a little rushed, I'm meeting friends xxx

Kitty - thank you, I forgot about that little detail

Dmitri Collins

“Mr. President,” began Dmitri, a hint of frustration and tiredness in his voice as he rose from his seat. “While I admit that the overwhelming majority of vampires are dangerous and a threat to humans, I must stress on the fact that forcing vampires to make themselves public will not help the situation, just as closing down blood-banks didn't help. On the contrary, what Senator Burton is pushing for will only expose vampires to extreme fear, hostility and violence from the outside world, which may lead to even more irrational behaviour on their part. The only solution that can help save the human race is a permanent sustainable cure to the disease or an alternative blood substitute.”

“Alternative blood substitute?” repeated the presiding officer, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yes,” replied Dmitri, ignoring the scoff coming from Senator Burton, “a viable substitute would mean the end of human hunting for good. For the past 5 years, I have been working closely with the Silverman pharmaceutical company to find a suitable blood substitute which contains the right amount of nutrients that vampires of all blood-types need in order to survive.”

“And how successful have you been so far in this venture of yours, Mr. Collins?” asked Senator Burton, smiling as though he already knew the answer.

Dmitri fell into an uncomfortable silence which lasted for several seconds. “Progress has been...somewhat slow, I’ll admit, but I am confident that in a few months time, I will have a viable blood substitute ready for distribution.”

“These are desperate times, Mr. Collins,” Senator Burton exclaimed. “Innocent human beings are being murdered every day, some even as we speak, a few months is something that we cannot afford to give.”

“Then impose a curfew,” suggested Dmitri. “Ensure that no human is out on the streets after 10-”

Senator Burton scoffed again. “Mr. Collins, we cannot impose a curfew on an entire country. It is simply out of the question.”

“Then double the patrols, arm your officers, put floodlights out onto the streets-”

“Silence!” the presiding officer’s voice echoed through the chamber. “Mr. Collins, considering the magnitude of the situation, the Senate is willing to give you 2 weeks in order to create this blood substitute of which you speak of-”

Dmitri suddenly felt faint. “But, sir-”

“Two weeks to create and present your findings to us at the Silverman Corp research facility in New York. If, after two weeks you fail to produce a viable blood alternative, we will have no choice but to commence with Senator Burton’s vampire registration bill. Is that understood?”

Dmitri could hardly speak. He could see Senator Burton throw him a smug look.

“Mr. Collins,” pressed the presiding officer sternly. “Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered, icily, before taking his seat.

As the preciding officer made his made his final address to the Senate, Dmitri buried his hands in his face in defeat.

He was screwed. And he knew it.

Tom Gray and Peter Harving

The room full of vampires (plus the human Clare) sat glued to the television screen, and the live broadcast of the senate meeting. Peter still sat on his matress bed with Isabella leaning against him; Tom leaned forward in his seat on the couch, intently focusing on the screen, with Alice and Clare sitting on either side of him (Alice had since made her way in from the spare bedroom).

"We have to leave," Tom said as the broadcast ended and flowed into anti-vampire commercials. "We have to leave now." He got up from the couch and went into the next room, coming back with two duffle bags. He threw one to Peter. "Pack up anything you'll need for the forseable future. Clothes, whatever Type O we have left in the fridge, anything."

"Come on, Alice," Clare said, taking Alice by the arm. "Let's get home."

Tom stopped and pointed at them. "You two aren't going anywhere," he said. "You're going to have to come with us. If they've seen Peter," he pointed to the television where the news played a clip showing pictures of Tom, Isabella, and Peter and requested information as to their whereabouts, "then they've seen you two and they'll be looking for you."

Peter stood up and went to the chest of drawers he kept all his earthly belongings in. "Tom's right, for once," he said. "We all need to leave as soon as we can."

"But what about my brother!" Isabelle protested. She tried to stand, but only feel back onto the matress. "I can't leave him!"

"There's no time to go hunting for him," Tom said. He came back into the room from the bathroom with a box containing two bottles of hair dye and a box of colored contacts.

'What's that for?" Alice asked, eyeing the contents of the box aprehensively.

"We're all going blonde," he said. "They're playing pictures of us all over the news, we can't look like ourselves if we're going to get out of here. The best we can do is hope that, at a glance, we look like different people." He looked at Alice, and her already relatively blond hair. "We're just going to hope they don't have so many pictures of you."

"Why are we all going blonde?" Peter asked, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Don't worry, Pete, your hair will be dark and alluring again eventually," Tom said, earning a glare from Peter. "It's not unlikely for there to be multiple vampires in the same family, it's genetic after all. We're going to pass for a family." He dumped the box on the floor, pulling out the blonde dye as well as bleach and a bucket. "Who first?"