The theme of the farewell ball is the 18th century.
The dress Lucca gave me is magnificent.
A blue corset with silk straps falling below the shoulders and a large, full skirt, with several layers of lining underneath, which makes walking almost impossible.
How did women walk with that?
The shoes are also blue with a low heel, but no less perfect and intricate than the dress.
How did Lucca get the money to buy all that and live alone?
He doesn't have a job, which was obvious since he spent all his time with me.
My mind wanders through various possibilities as I secure my bun with a turquoise rose-shaped ornate hairpin (also given by Lucca).
Out of nowhere a sensation of impending doom clouds my thoughts.
My mind goes to Sammy.
It's been so long since I've seen her.
I hope to meet her at the ball.
Lucca appears at the door with a bouquet of white lilies, my favorite flowers.
He is wearing a black tailcoat, a white blouse with ruffles typical of the 18th century, leather pants and black boots.
His outfit is elegant and at the same time wild and sexy.
He puts the bouquet in a vase on the windowsill and approaches me.
He gently takes my hand and kisses each of my fingers.
"You look beautiful." He says. His eyes twinkling like stars.
***
As soon as we arrive we became the center of attention.
Over the door hangs a large banner that reads "SOUTH LAKE HIGH SCHOOL FAREWELL BALL, WELCOME TO THE 18TH CENTURY."
Everyone is dressed according to the occasion.
It's a whirlwind of dresses full of frills and ruffles.
Marcy is standing near the punch table, wearing a short, sexy red dress.
It looks like an outfit used to satisfy male fetishes, I doubt anyone in the 18th century would even imagine such a dress even in their wildest dreams, I doubt she cared at all about the theme.
She is visibly upset and angry with her little followers buzzing around her like a flower full of flies.
I decide not to even look at her.
I don't want any trouble.
Instead of bothering with Marcy, I look for Sammy, but there's no sign of her or Kaio.
A slow song starts playing.
"May I have a dance?" Lucca asks.
"But I don't know how to dance." I try to deny it.
"No problem, my lady, just let me lead you."
And that's exactly what I do.
He leads me to the center of the dance floor, places my hands on his shoulders and puts his hands around my waist.
At that moment it was as if there were only the two of us. His gaze boring into mine, unraveling a happiness deep in my chest, there's no other sound but the music around us and my own heartbeat. He twirls me around and I actually think I'm not that bad at dancing, at least my feet don't end up over his feet.
I feel the fabric of his clothes very soft on my fingers and his smell lingers on my nose with a hint of sweetness that makes me want to curl in his arms and take a big sniff.
Sudden sharp screams bring us back to reality from our little bubble.
Everyone in the gym runs to the football field without caring about anything else. Luccas holds my hand firmly and we follow the crowd.
As soon as we arrive we are able to get a view of what was happening.
A crowd gathers around David Field and Matthew Jackson (two super popular athletes who liked the same girl, Laryssa Ruthford), the two are locked in a violent fight.
Laryssa is nearby, just watching the two boys who are fighting, probably over her.
A faint dew begins to fall. It's a little strange but I ignore it.
The two athletes roll across the grass, stopping near the beam that supports the scoreboard.
The dew is replaced by heavy rain, but no one cares, like everyone is hypnotized by the fight.
I'm soaking wet very quickly but my feet refuse to move back inside.
A bolt of lightning cuts through the sky and hits the scoreboard, which falls, fatally crushing the two boys who had no chance of escape.
The suspended power lines, having previously been tightly tied near to the scoreboard, arc flash and whip around before descending onto other two football players standing near the stands.
They are Brandon Leonard and Edy Stell.
These ones couldn't escape either, the line cut their necks with the same precision as a razor, sending at the same time a powerful electric shock into their soaked bodies.
Their heads roll across the floor and their limp bodies fall face down.
This can't be happening. How can power lines simply decapitate someone? This isn't real.
Panic grips the entire student body.
Lucca grabs my wrist and leads me towards the parking lot. My legs are like filled with lead, making each step heavy and Lucca is the only thing keeping me from falling.
This isn't real.
It's not possible.
No matter how strong the arc flash. It can't cut people's heads off like a melon. This must not be real.
The rain doesn't stop.
As I approach the parking lot, I see Sammy, Kaio, and Louise near a blue Miata.
They are arguing, but I can't hear what they are saying. I feel like I'm underwater, my ears blocked, the sound is like from far away and my body is trembling.
Lucca stops, his expression one of confusion.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" I ask, my teeth chattering like I'm freezing.
I think I'm going into shock.
"I can." He answers with a strange tone in his voice.
"And what are they arguing about?"
He pauses a moment.
"Louise is threatening Sammy, and Kaio is trying to calm the situation."
I have a skeptical look on my face. This doesn't make any sense.
I just see them move.
Kaio is half redhead, half albino, with big blue eyes. He's quite handsome.
But it doesn't suit Sammy very much.
Suddenly he steps in front of Sammy and Lou plunges a knife into his heart.
His body falls inert to the ground.
Sammy screams in despair, and falls to her knees next to Kaio, trying to make him respond.
But it's too late.
I try to go there, but Lucca stops me. My eyes are as wide as saucers. My body is shaking violently.
This isn't real.
This can't be real.
None of this makes sense.
Wtf is happening right now.
I can't believe Lou had the courage to take a life with her own hands, in cold blood. Wait, she tried to kill my sister.
WHY?!
"Why did she do that?" My voice comes as a whisper.
"Because Theodore poisoned her mind, he controls her, and she allows it." He answers calmly.
I'm thunderstuck again. My body is going numb with terror.
This can't be real.
"Unfortunately, anyone who allows a vampire to control them becomes a slave to their own conscience, and there's no salvation. They'll stop at nothing to take you. The strangest thing is, he shouldn't be here; he's a Hunter, not a Seeker. This doesn't make sense." He talks almost like he's just saying out loud to himself.
That's impossible.
Lou would never do this.
I don't want to believe it. Lucca holds me while I tremble. I feel somewhat hysterical. My mind goes blank and comes back in terror. I feel a little faint like there's no oxygen going up my brain, I try to inhale more but my body doesn't respond to me.
"She would never do that." I say with a hysterical tone in my voice.
"She already did. I know it's hard to accept, but…"
I try to go to where they are, and Lucca tries to stop me again.
But taken by a force greater than me, I manage to push Lucca, who falls to the ground stunned.
I need to save my sister.
***
Sammy gets up, and Lou tries to hit her.
In one swift movement I come up behind Louise and take the knife from her hand. I'm not even thinking about anything right now. I just need to take the threat from my sister.
She turns around.
Her eyes are red, the pupils wide and round almost swallowing the irises.
Her hair is tangled and she is pale, her lips purplish.
This is not Louise.
She opens her mouth wide, and a guttural sound comes from deep in her throat.
Her teeth are unnaturally sharp. The image sends a cold thread down my spine, my soaked body feeling like I plunged into an ice cellar.
"Why did you do this, Lou?" I ask, still holding her hands tightly.
"Do you really want to know the truth?" She laughs, a flicker of something passes through her eyes, too quick to catch. Her voice is not like herself, too low and cold.
"I want."
"You want to know why I'm jealous of you?" Her voice becomes hoarse.
I'm stunned for a moment.
She's pretty, rich, her parents give her everything she wants.
Why would you be jealous of me? I only have Sammy and Lucca, I lost my parents, and I'm about to become a creature that until now only existed in legends. I'm considered a weirdo and a loser by almost everyone at school, I've always been the victim of pranks, I don't have a very good life, no one in their right mind would be jealous of me.
"How can this be? My life is a mess!"
"You never noticed, did you?"
Notice what?
"Everyone wants you!" She shouts, trying to free herself from my grasp but for some reason even trembling I'm still stronger than her.
Theodore really controlled her mind.
"Everyone hates me! You're insane" I say.
"You're too stupid to realize. Marcy hates you because you can compete with her! You're perfect!"
"Do you hear yourself talking? You completely lost your mind."
"Let me help you, everything will go back to normal, he won't control you anymore, just let me help you." I beg.
"I don't want your help. Nothing will ever go back to normal. You don't understand. Theo is the only one who understands me. He loves me! You're a problem between us. He said that if you died, he would stay with me forever. But Sam followed me and overheard me. She was going to warn you, so she had to die, but this creep got in the way."
Her face contorts in spasms.
She's worse than I thought.
I'm too speechless and skeptical to think of anything to say.
It must not be real.
Her red eyes glares at me, and she steps forward, hands outstretched trying to break free from my grasp and go around my neck, her nails long and dirty.
But before she can dig her hands into my neck, she falls motionless to the ground.
Lucca had stabbed her in the back with the same knife she used on Kaio.
Then while I was recovering from the shock, he does something I would never have imagined he had the courage to do.
Lucca Kingsford breaks my neck.