Blood Red

By Sabina Amaris

Hella is an ordinary teenage girl living in London. Or at least that's what she believes. When she is sent to Wildomar, a small American town no one has ever heard of, after a strange accident she cannot quite explain, she realises that nothing is what it seems. There is a door to her inner world in her aunt's house, people who claim they are vampires want her dead and her best friend, Trace, seems to know everything about it. Consumed by curiosity, Hella decides to uncover his secret, not knowing that it could change her life forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Dec 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499089516

Sabina Amaris

Born in Bucharest in 1997, Sabina is a young dreamer aspiring to become a writer. She believes every person is a mystery, but she hasn't yet uncovered hers. Though fond of darkness and antagonists, her way-too-innocent soul finds solace in the light. Her ambition and lack of confidence sometimes consume her, but she never fails to get up and fight, constantly striving to be the best. Torn between the many things which fascinate her, she lives in a world where contrasts collide, an idea reflected in her personal motto: "Why be just one thing when you can be infinite?".

Book preview

Prologue

I opened my eyes to the trees above me. They seemed so high and somehow dangerous, as if a monster could come out of the thick foliage any second. I felt stiff, and I realised something: I knew what a tree was, I knew what a rock was, I knew what everything around me was, but I didn’t know who I was. I couldn’t remember anything. I felt brainwashed. How had I gotten there? And where was here? I tried to remember, but my memories started from the moment I woke up in the forest. Because I assumed it was a forest. And I also assumed that I was lying on the ground, as it felt cold and muddy. When I tried to get up, a deep pain in my left leg left me breathless, and I realised it must have been broken because it wouldn’t move at my command. I tried to shout for help, but my throat was hoarse. I raised my eyes and saw a woman standing five meters away from me, leaning against a tree. She was smiling in a creepy way, almost laughing when she met my desperate eyes. And I froze in place when I realised she wasn’t an ordinary w oman.

Her black wavy hair was falling down her back, shining like silk. It really seemed as if it was made of silk, and I felt a sudden need to touch it, to see if it was really that soft. Her skin was pale white, and it looked like it was made of marble, but also delicate and fragile. She was tall and perfect: athletic and strong, but curvy at the same time. I crawled instinctively, trying to hide my definitely-not-ideal body. But what shocked me the most, what made me shiver with fear, was her face. My first impression was that it was beautiful, with full red lips, big bright eyes, and a small, perfect nose. And she would have been the perfect beauty, if it hadn’t been for the thing that scared me. Her eyes were deep red, a shade close to the colour of blood. It wasn’t human. And she didn’t seem to have contact lenses. And then I noticed something else: on her lower lip, coming out of her mouth, I could see a pair of fangs. They were small but seemed extremely sharp. I could see hunger in her eyes, and her sarcastic grin scared me. Flashes of the stories I must have read in the past made me realise what she was. And I screamed in despair as she started laughing.

She was a vampire. Her eyes, her fangs, her body, her hair shining … all meant to attract stupid humans. But wait a minute: vampires didn’t exist, right? They were just monsters invented to scare the little children. But what if they were real? What was going to happen? I immediately had the answer to that. And I didn’t want to think about it. So I concentrated on the vampire, trying to guess what she was going to do next. She stood straight and came towards me. Only that she didn’t seem to be walking. She seemed to be … floating. That was the best word I could come out with to describe what it looked like. When my eyes met hers, it was like she was hypnotising me. I couldn’t move anyway because of that stupid leg, and I seriously doubted that I could have outrun her if the situation had been different. I tried to shout for help again, even if I knew I had no chance to escape. And then she said, ‘Shut up, little human. Nobody is going to hear you.’

Her voice was soft, and it somehow sounded like bells. It was attractive, and I knew she was trying to make me do what she wanted. And I got angry. Yeah, it is a stupid thing to do when you are facing a vampire who seems to be coming right from a nightmare. But that was what I did. So I gave her a deathly look and said: ‘How do you know that? Go on, kill me. I don’t give a damn about it. Do you actually think you can show off with killing a defenceless human?’

The woman started laughing. She really thought I was funny. And I knew that she was just playing with her food. Shivers went down my spine, but I ignored them. She spoke again, her soft, mild voice disgusting me, ‘You think I would show off with killing you? You are just a food to me. You’re of no use to anyone.’

‘Then why do you put so much effort in trying to kill me?’

She laughed again and said, ‘Actually, I was sent to get rid of you before you become a danger. It would’ve been harder for us to kill you if you had already transformed. Plus, it’s funny to see your shocked face.’

Now I was really becoming curious. I could become a danger? Me? Just a human? Well, I assumed I was just a normal human, but I didn’t remember anything from my past life. So I asked her, ‘If I transformed? Transformed into what?’

Her lips curved into a grin, and she said mysteriously, ‘You’ll never know.’

She seemed to have finally decided to finish with me, because she raised my head brutally and bent slowly towards my neck. I wasn’t afraid anymore. All I felt was fury because I was going to die like that: killed by a bloody vampire. I felt disgusted in a strange way. I tried to fight her, but my hands were moving too slowly, and I gave up. Maybe I was so relaxed because I didn’t know if there was anyone there somewhere waiting for me to come home. I didn’t know if anyone even cared about me. So I gave the vampire one last cold look, and I closed my eyes, waiting. But just as I was beginning to feel her cold breath on my neck, something heavy and furry jumped on her, taking her off me and hitting me hard in the jump. I heard the vampire’s furious scream, then a growl, and then … nothing.

Chapter 1

LEAVING

W hen I woke up, the sun was up, and I was lying in a comfy bed. I heard a voice next to me, calling for someone who probably was in another room, ‘Marissa! Come here. She is wakin g up!’

I heard someone rushing towards me and then a woman’s voice ‘Hellanea, my dear! You’re awake!’

And that was the moment I remembered. I remembered who I was, my past, my family, everything. I remembered when I heard my mother saying my name. She said again, ‘Hellanea, sweetie, do you remember us? The doctor said that you had a temporary amnesia due to the shock of a powerful hit. But he said you would remember everything soon.’

I tried to open my eyes, and I looked at her, even if the image was a little blurry. Yes, I knew her. My mother, Marissa Sherry Moore. A woman in her forties, with curly blonde hair, brown eyes, and a kind smile. Her upturned nose was a little strange, but I liked it. Next to her was my father, Joseph Moore. A big guy with short black hair, who sometimes looked almost dangerous but was actually sweet and caring. I was ‘his little boy’. He was looking at me worriedly. I guess he was thinking about my mental sanity. I sighed and said, ‘Yes, I remember you, both of you. I think I remember everything. But what happened in the forest? I mean that vampire was about to drink my blood and all I remember after that is that furry thing saving me …’

They were both looking at me with odd looks on their faces. My mum finally said, ‘Sweetheart, there wasn’t any forest … Trace claims to have found you lying next to the street, after some lunatic cab driver who was taking you to God knows where slammed the car into a tree and then left you there. And vampires? Hellanea, be reasonable. Since when do you believe in those silly stories?’

Trace? Who was Trace? Oh yes … Trace Molden. He had been my best friend since childhood, and he was like the brother I never had. Why hadn’t Trace told my parents the truth? Maybe because they wouldn’t have believed him anyway. I just had to talk to him.

‘Do you happen to know where Trace is? And I’m sorry I made up all those vampire stories.’

‘Trace is at home right now, sweetie, but I don’t think you can go there with your broken leg. And it’s alright. You hit your head, didn’t you? We should let you rest now.’

I nodded, and they left, giving me one last worried look. I tried to rise, and I found out that I could stand on one leg. I managed to get to the desk, and I opened a drawer. I finally found what I was looking for: my diary. I wanted to see if there was anything I couldn’t remember about myself, so I read the first page, where I was talking about me. And there was written:

Dear diary,

My name is Hellanea Neyra Moore, better known as Hella, El, or Ellie. Yes, I know, stupid name. How could my parents possibly name me Hellanea? I was born on 7 April 1994, and I am fourteen years old. I have crimson hair that goes down to my shoulders (no, I do not mean auburn or ginger; it’s actually crimson) and pale skin. My lower lip is rather huge in my opinion, but my nose is straight, and my eyes are big. People say I am beautiful, but I think that’s too much said. I consider myself a normal human, except that my eyes change colour according to my emotions. I know, strange. I have been living in London since I was born, even if I’ve been to many wicked places. There’s nowhere like home, right? I am funny, a bit of a tomboy, and I only become confident once I get to know people. I am also a little hot-headed and stubborn. Okay, maybe a little more. So I am not perfect, but I am content with myself. Enough for now, Diary. Bye!

Hella

I finished reading. Gosh, I had been so childish back then. Two years had passed, and I had definitely become more mature. I tried to find something else to do. I really wanted to talk to Trace, so I thought of giving him a call. I reached for my mobile phone, but just as I was about to press the call button, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and smiled when I saw who it was. I screamed with happiness, ‘Trace!’

He hugged me tightly, ‘Oh my god, Ellie, you really scared me this time! Are you all right?’

‘Yes, yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me … Come in, what are you waiting for?’

He entered, and I closed the door after him because I didn’t want my parents to hear what I was going to ask him.

‘Listen, Trace, I wanted to ask you … what were you doing in the woods?’

‘In the woods? Ellie, I found you near the street.’

‘You don’t really think I am going to believe this story, right? Just if that furry thing brought me there … but still, a crazy cab driver?’

He was looking at me in shock.

‘What furry thing? Are you sure you feel okay? I mean you hit your head hard, maybe you imagined those things.’

‘No. I didn’t imagine those things, Trace! There was that vampire who was going to drink my blood and then that thing saved me and I … well, I passed out.’

‘Ellie, stop it! You talked to me about this before you left the house, and you told me that you were going to Windsor by cab! You were going to visit your grandparents.’

‘Why would I even go to Windsor? If I wanted to see my grandparents, I would’ve gone with my parents. Trace, I am not crazy! I know what I saw. Don’t tell me I imagined it.’

Trace rolled his eyes, and he gave up trying to convince me that I wasn’t right. Maybe he had realised he had no chance. He said, ‘El, if that’s what you want to believe, then go on. It’s not going to affect anybody, right? But I’ve no reason to lie to you.’

And that was when I started to believe him. After all, he was Trace, and I trusted him. And I didn’t believe in things like vampires. So I said, ‘Fine, you win. I believe you. Those were silly things I imagined.’

He pulled me on the bed next to him and hugged me. I loved Trace. He seemed very different from me, but we really understood each other. He was eighteen years old and really tall. I was tall too, especially for my age, everyone told me that I could be on catwalk for that, but Trace … well, he was eighty inches tall. And he was a rocker. He had tattoos all over his body (okay, don’t think of those guys in prison who have tons of tattoos and you can’t even see their skin anymore), and his blond hair was cut in a careless way, the longer part passing his shoulder. He always wore black and leather and badges and all that rocker stuff. He even had a guitar. He was sometimes mean and sarcastic, but good at heart. Under that tough appearance, a kind, sweet person stood hidden.

He was really understanding with me. He always cheered me up when I was sad. He encouraged me when I was afraid, and he made me realise that I loved roller coasters, because I’d been afraid of them until he had practically dragged me into one. He had never been more than my best friend, even though my parents would have loved me and Trace together. Even if I tried to explain to them a million times that Trace and I were just friends … ugh.

I came back to reality when Trace said, ‘Hey, I must go now. I’ll let you rest.’

‘I don’t want to sleep again. I’ve already slept too much.’

‘You have to heal, Ellie.’

I rolled my eyes and hugged him goodbye, and then I sat on the bed thinking. So I had dreamt all those things. Wow, they seemed real. A little too real for a dream. I just had to forget everything, so I closed my eyes. Every time I did that, the vampire’s hateful eyes haunted me, the fear I felt, everything just kept coming back, not leaving me alone. I finally fell asleep and woke up two hours later. I was really dizzy, and I almost fell off the bed. I got up and tried to go to the living room where I thought my parents were. I finally managed to get to them, and my mother smiled. I smiled back, and then I noticed my dad giving me one of his ‘I’ve got something important to say’ looks. I raised my eyebrows, and my mum grimaced before saying, ‘Hellanea, are you all right, sweetie?’

They were hiding something, and I knew it, but I wasn’t able to resist another shock immediately, so I answered, ‘Sure, Mum, I’m fine.’

My father smiled and came to hug me. I put on a weak smile and sat next to my mother on the couch.

The days passed really slowly. My parents were extra careful with me, and they always put a fake smile on their faces whenever I entered the room. I caught them whispering to each other a couple of times, but they quickly denied it. I was becoming really bored of sitting in my bed, waiting anxiously to find out their secret. Finally, one day, when I sat next to my dad at the kitchen table, they had sad looks. My heart started beating faster, but I raised an eyebrow to make them say something.

And then my mum said, ‘Hellanea, we need to tell you something.’

I nodded slowly. I was expecting that. But nothing had prepared me for what was coming.

‘We have talked, and we’ve realised that you need a change.’

‘What do you mean? I have to change school or something like that?’

‘Well, it implies changing school.’

‘Go on, tell me!’

‘You are moving to the United States of America.’

I moved my mouth a couple of times, trying to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out. I was too shocked to do anything. I just stood there, in front of my parents, not being able to move. My eyes turned reddish brown with desperation and anger, and my parents looked at me in a way that made me know they wouldn’t change their mind. I was finally able to say, ‘What? But why? What have I done?’

‘Hellanea, I told you, you need a change.’

‘But I don’t want to go! And to the US? They will all think I’m a snobby English freak!’

My father spoke, ‘Hella, you are just making a tragedy out of anything.’

Oh really? Was he saying that moving across the Atlantic wasn’t a big deal? I growled, furious.

‘I am not moving.’

‘This is not up to you anymore. We’ve made our decision.’

‘No!’

I yelled desperately, realising that I had no chance. They were serious about this. I ran to my room (well, running as in trying to jump quickly on one leg), while daring tears started falling down my cheeks. I sat on my bed and almost laughed at the thought that, for me, having a car crash was not as worse as moving to the damned US. I didn’t want to leave all my life behind. I hated change, even if I usually adapted well to it. I didn’t really belong there, but I didn’t mind. Besides Trace, I didn’t have any friends in London. Actually, I didn’t have friends anywhere. The grandparents I must have wanted to visit when I had had the accident were in Windsor, and I had a loving but a little crazy grandma who always told me that I should be a little more feminine and sociable. Like I didn’t know that anyway. I had a loving grandpa who watched football matches with me. He had taught me everything about football. I liked it that way: just me, Trace, my parents, and my grandparents. I didn’t want anything more. But I had to leave all that behind and move on. But maybe if I didn’t get used to the life in the great US, my parents would let me back. I knew they would. So I calmed down slowly and went once again to my parents. They stared at me, and I assumed they were preparing for the explosion. But I wasn’t going to lose my temper again. I asked, ‘Where am I going to stay?’

‘You will be staying with your aunt Terry Wint and your cousin Ashley. They have a huge house somewhere near Los Angeles … in a small town called Wildomar. You can get to the city of the angels in half an hour, sweetie. Isn’t that amazing?’

‘Yeah, sure it is. Do they have smog and rain?’

They looked at me oddly.

‘I was just kidding … California, sunny every day. Perfect.’

My mum suddenly smiled and said, ‘Hellanea, I haven’t told you the best part … Trace is coming with you.’

‘Really? Are you serious?’

‘Yeah, he said he needs to stay with you. And his parents have agreed.’

‘It’s not like they had a choice. He’s an adult now. And Trace’s parents don’t even care about him. They only worry about themselves being seen with a ridiculous boy, as they call him.’

But I smiled, knowing that I wouldn’t be alone in that enormous country, with all those people who were going to hate me. Well, the future didn’t sound that nasty anymore.

Time seemed to be passing too quickly, like it was in a hurry, like it really wanted me to leave. And the stupid leaving day finally came.

I was sitting on a bench in my beautiful orchard, absently petting my Appaloosa mare, Jackie. I was going to miss her so much. I decided to take one last ride, since my leg was a lot better, even if I was still wearing a bandage. I got up and rode across the fields. I laughed sadly as the playful wind messed up my hair, running with me for the last time. A tear was trying to get out, but I stopped it. I didn’t want to cry like a baby on my last day there. And then I heard, ‘Hellanea, come on! You have to go!’

I sighed and dismounted. I looked at the whole life I was leaving behind for one last time, and then I turned away, never looking back. I knew that would’ve been too painful.

When I got to the front of the house, everyone was waiting for me. I silently got in my parents’ car, and Trace came after me. We got to the airport and then to the plane, everything passing too quickly. We finally got in the plane, and I looked through the window. The last thing I saw was my mom’s crying face and my dear Heathrow. And then tears invaded my eyes.

Chapter 2

A NEW HOME

I died. Or at least I thought I did. I was in London again, and my parents were hugging me, telling me that they were sorry they had wanted me to leave. Then the image changed: Trace and I were riding Jackie back at my house, and he laughed as I screamed of happiness when the horse started galloping. The wind was whispering in my ear again, welcoming me home. Then another image came: I was at my high school, and the girls were looking at me with anger in their eyes because I had come back, while the guys told me they were happy I had decided not to leave forever. If this was Heaven, then being dead wasn’t that bad.

But someone wanted me alive. I felt a hand shaking my arm and Trace’s voice calling my name. I mumbled something, not wanting to wake up.

‘Ellie, come on. We’ve just landed. We have to get down.’

I opened my sad black eyes with regret, and Trace hugged me. I got up slowly and took my luggage. I had three bags because I hadn’t wanted to leave any precious things behind. Like my favourite sneakers, which looked like they’d been through a war. A great war. My parents had been trying to convince me to throw them at the garbage hole for ages, but I couldn’t bear the thought of doing that.

We got out of the plane and ordered a cab. I rolled my eyes when I saw the big black car with smoky windows that was waiting for us. Trace laughed about it, trying to cheer me up a little bit, and we got in. The driver was a big samoan who looked like he was coming from an action film. He had big muscles under his uniform and a deep voice. He asked, ‘Where are you heading to?’

‘Hello, sir. Wildomar, if you don’t mind.’

He laughed when he heard my accent and murmured to himself, ‘British … awesome.’

I gave him a death glare and sighed. It was going to be a long day. Finally, after one hour and a half driving from the Los Angeles International Airport, we got to Wildomar or Wild as I had decided to call it. Trace paid the driver, and he left, probably wanting to get home faster. Like I did. Just that my home was across the ocean. Wicked.

Trace hugged me goodbye because he had rented his own house to stay there. It was easy for him. I had to stay with my aunt and my cousin. A month ago, I hadn’t even known I had a cousin. I started walking slowly towards where I thought the house was, while looking at a map. And I finally got to it. It was outside the town, just like ten minutes by foot from the exit. It was immense, more like a mansion than a house. It looked like it dated back to the eighteenth century or something like that, even though it was probably new. There was nothing old in America. Wow! I shook my head, reminding myself that I didn’t want to stay here. My relatives had to be really rich snobs if they owned something like this. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and knocked. Only five seconds later, the door opened, and I found myself facing the strangest woman I had ever seen.

She was thirty, maybe forty years old. Her hair was bushy and … blue with a pink streak. Her blue eyes were blurry, and I could see that they had once been beautiful. She had a childish smile on her face, and she hugged me tightly, as though we had been friends since forever. I realised I was staring at her with wide eyes, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by that. She just laughed and said, ‘You must be Hella! I am so happy to finally meet you! My brother told me everything about you. And sorry for shocking you like that, I’ve always been a weirdo. Or at least that’s what they say.’

I liked her. I really did. She was so different from what I had expected. I was ready for a fifty-year-old hag who hated me. I wasn’t ready for someone who seemed to love me from the second we met. I smiled and said, ‘They call me a freak. And it’s nice to meet you too, Auntie.’

Auntie? What was that damned country doing to me? I entered the house and realised that it was ultra modern on the inside. Of course, I saw a girl standing on a beige couch. She was looking at me with hatred in her eyes. Her blonde, wavy hair made her look like an angel. To everybody but me. Her blue eyes were her mother’s, but everything else was different. She was dressed in a pink tank top and a white miniskirt, and she giggled when she saw my jeans and grey T-shirt. ‘Welcome to Barbie land,’ I thought to myself. Aunt Terry appeared from my back and said, ‘Hella, this is your cousin Ashley. Ash, please show Hella to her room, okay?’

‘Yeah, because otherwise little Hella will get lost here, since she is used to her little dungeon in London.’

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I felt like I was going to explode, and I growled, furious. I said, ‘I don’t think they teach you how to ride a horse here in hot dog land, Ash sweetheart. And I think that if you’d see rain, you would totally melt because it would ruin your fake tan skin, right?’

She didn’t have a comeback for that, and I smiled sarcastically. Aunt Terry said, ‘Look, you two. You have to get along, okay? I know you are different from each other, but you will live in the same house for a long time. So start getting used to it, please. And don’t throw daggers at each other.’

I nodded and lifted my luggage, following Ashley towards my dorm.

We climbed some stairs and then went through a really long hall. Just when I thought it was never going to end, I heard my ‘awesome’ cousin saying, ‘This is your room, British bitch. You’d better not unpack yet. Maybe I can convince Mum to kick you out of here.’

‘You’d better not hope that, Pinky. You should get used to me, or else you’ll end up so depressed that you will be locked up in a mental hospital. And that wouldn’t really bother me, but I think Aunt Terry wouldn’t be so happy with it.’

‘At least find yourself something better to dress in. My reputation is going to go down because of you, tomboy.’

‘That wouldn’t bother me either, girly girl. And I like how I dress up.’

She looked at me with hatred and tried to hit me. I dodged her and her hand went right into the wall. She screamed with pain and said with an affected voice, ‘I broke a nail! I hate you, Hellanea!’

I started laughing as she ran to tell her mum about how I had ‘injured’ her. It was just great. I was stuck in a really big house with a Barbie doll. I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore her, so I opened the massive door behind me, entering my room.

It was the biggest bedroom I’d ever seen. It had a big window that was almost covering one wall and a spectacular view of the woods. A big bed was on the left side of the room. I sat on it and yelled with surprise. It was soft, comfy, and so big I could almost get lost in it. I moved a lot when I slept so that was perfect. A desk with a state-of-the-art computer was on the other side of the room, next to a blue couch and a big wardrobe, which could fit more clothes than I could have bought in a century. I was looking excitedly at everything. The house was beautiful. Aunt Terry was a great person. My room was incredible. But something was still missing. As if I had left a piece of my heart back home. I wasn’t going to cry again. My tears were already drowned. But I crawled on the bed like a hurt animal and wished that it was all just a nightmare. But if that was the nightmare, then the reality would have been the crazy vampire trying to suck my blood. So maybe it was better that way. I fell asleep really fast because I was exhausted after a ten-hour flight, and I hadn’t really slept well since I had found out I had to move.

I woke up when I heard the door opening brutally, hitting the wall. Then I heard that shrill, hair-lifting voice, ‘Hey, cousin! Wake up. Dinner is ready!’

I threw a pillow at Ashzilla, as I had decided to