Title: Dead Life

Author: Jos Mous

Email: wotan_anubis@yahoo.com

NOTE: The fun thing about vampires is that there are so many theories and ideas about what they are and how they work. The only thing everyone is certain of is that they A) are dead and B) drink blood. Besides that, pretty much anything goes.

Mistake

"Get that, will you Robin?"

Without saying anything Robin stood up and walked towards the front door, leaving the game of Mario Kart 64 she was playing with the others.

"You shouldn't order her around so much." Sam said.

Brooke looked at her in wonder. "Excuse me?"

"She's not your slave." Sam said.

"Opinions about that vary." Brooke said smiling. "But she drank my blood, so she belongs to me."

"I belong to you." Sam whispered.

Brooke smiled. Just a few more days. She could wait a few more days. She did have eternity, after all.

"It's Carmen." Robin said as she re-entered the living room.

"Carmen?" Sam asked.

Brooke groaned annoyed and turned off the Nintendo. "This is going to take a while."

"How does Carmen know you're here?" Sam asked.

At that moment Carmen entered the living room. She briefly glanced over it until her eyes rested on Sam. Her eyes narrowed considerably when she saw her. "What's that human doing here?"

"Shut it, Carm." Brooke said. "What do you want?"

Carmen looked over at Sam again, then back at Brooke.

"I think I'll be going now." Sam said, feeling that being alone in one room with two vampires who obviously were not on good terms with each other was not a good idea.

"Why?" Brooke asked, not taking her eyes of Carmen. "Because she has a problem with humans?"

"Look who's talking." Carmen scoffed. "Nicole came back to school a few days ago, you know. You did a pretty good job on her."

"Nicole?" Sam asked.

Carmen smiled. "Didn't you tell her?" She looked at Sam, her smile everything but friendly. "Your little girl here likes toying around with the minds of humans. Preferably through a whole lot of pain."

"Oh." Sam said. "I already knew that."

Carmen's eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. Unlike Brooke, who was smiling brightly. "You _knew_!? Yet you continue to stay with her?"

"I love her." Sam simply said. "And she loves me."

"Was there anything else, Carmen?" Brooke asked sweetly.

"Mark sends his regards." Carmen said, ignoring the only full-blooded human in the room.

"He can keep his regards." Brooke said.

"He's your sire, Brooke!" Carmen yelled.

"So?" Brooke asked. "Does that mean I have to follow him around like a puppy?"

"You could at least show a little respect." Carmen hissed.

"I was a mistake Carmen. You know that. He simply intended to feed enough from me, then wipe my memory. Only he got greedy and killed me. Someone who can't even control his bloodlust isn't worthy of respect."

Carmen stared at her, anger blazing in her eyes. "I keep wondering why he cares so much for you." She said through clenched teeth.

"He doesn't care for me. He just wants me to keep a low profile. Which, by the way, I turn out to be rather good at. So run along now and tell him to leave me the Hell alone!"

"I'll do that." Carmen said. "But there is just one more thing. Someone in this town is killing us."

"Human?" Brooke asked, all her animosity briefly forgotten.

"No." Carmen said. "One of us."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Those who do usually don't live to tell the tale."

"I'll be careful."

"You do that." Then Carmen turned around and walked away.

Brooke sat back down in her chair, turned the Nintendo on again and picked up the controller.

"Why do I have a feeling I missed a whole lot of that conversation?" Sam asked.

"None of your business." Brooke answered briefly.

"It concerns you. It is my business."

Brooke sighed. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"A couple of things." Sam said. "First of, how long has Carmen been a vampire?"

Brooke shrugged. "Couple of years."

"Years? How is that possible? I mean, I do distinctly remember her going to school with me."

"Your point being?" Brooke asked. "Look, the only reason I don't go to school is that everyone thinks I'm dead. Carmen on the other hand was not found before she woke up."

"So, you can live in sunlight then?"

"We don't like to, but it’s possible. Anything else?" Carmen's brief visit had put Brooke in a very bad mood. But that had never stopped Sam before.

"What did you mean with you being a mistake?" Sam asked.

"Haven't you been listening?" Brooke sighed and closed her eyes. "Turning from a human to a vampire isn't all that easy. Your first instincts are to slaughter every human in a ten mile radius. That draws attention we don't want. Normally speaking humans are carefully being prepared. Visited nightly, slowly drained, strange images put into their minds, stuff like that. I on the other hand did not have that luxury. My 'sire' was particularly hungry and drained me completely." Brooke deliberately did not look at Sam, but instead focused angrily on the TV-screen. "They were lucky. I don't feel the need to kill humans. It's pointless. You waste a good source of food and a lot of fun."

Sam chose to ignore that last comment. She had become quite adept at ignoring a lot of things. Screams of pain, for one thing. She knew she couldn't run away. Brooke would track her down. And besides, she didn't want to leave. Her love for the vampire was so great that she would accept anything from her. Even her delight in the fear of others.

"How often does it happen?" Sam asked out of the blue.

"How often does what happen?" Brooke asked.

"Vampires killing vampires."

"Never." Brooke snarled. "We're not like humans, you know."

"But, Carmen said..."

"Forget what Carmen said. Whoever's killing is no vampire."

"Brooke, you're lying. I just know it."

Brooke glared at her and for a moment Sam feared her life was about to end. And that she wouldn't wake up again. Then the blonde looked back the screen.

"Not everyone likes being turned." Brooke said in a toneless voice. "I for one didn't want to. I hate my sire for what he did to me and that makes me an outcast. But for some the hate runs deeper. They resent everything they are and they want to wipe it all out." The vampire looked at her. "Does that answer your questions?"

"One more." Sam said smiling. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow night?"

Brooke looked at her confused. Then she started smiling as well. "Maybe. If it's important."

"Oh, it is." Sam said. "Tomorrow will be the day I die. And I want you to be there with me."

Transition

NOTE: Here it is. One of the most important points in the series. I just hope I haven't screwed it up.

Sam had read once that some vampires missed the feel of the sun shining on their face. She didn't believe that. She had lived long enough with a vampire to know that they hated the sun. The sun weakened their strengths, and could kill them if they weren't strong enough. How could you miss an enemy like that?

Sam leaned against the sign welcoming every car owner into their city. For some reason she wanted it to take place here, just after sunset. Brooke had found it ridiculous, bordering on the edge of a cliché. Sam didn't care. Not only was it something that meant a lot to her, something that would prove her love for Brooke once and for all, it was something that you could do only once.

A car pulled up on the road next to her. Brooke quietly got out and moved next to her, leaning against the sign as well. The blonde looked at her. Sam kept staring off into the distance.

"Are you ready?"

Sam looked up at the sky. The stars shone brightly, some even brighter than the moon. Somehow Sam felt that it should be clouded, darker. It would be more appropriate in her mind.

"Yeah." Sam answered.

Brooke stepped in front of her and gazed into her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Sam nodded.

The vampire smiled, it almost seemed sad. She cupped Sam's face in her hand and kissed her. Brooke's hand and lips were cold and dead, yet Sam found them comforting. Brooke broke the kiss and looked into Sam's eyes again. Brooke opened her mouth and showed her fangs.

It was the last sight Sam would see as a human.

And she found it to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Sam closed her eyes as the brief pain shot through her. She clung onto Brooke as if her life depended upon it. She could feel her blood leaving her body and pressed the vampire closer to her. Her heartbeat started to become erratic. Being so close to Brooke, giving her the most valuable thing she had -her very life- made her heartbeat go berserk. Sam felt herself weakening, her heartbeat faltering, she wrapped her arms as tightly around Brooke as she could. In part to keep her close, and in part to prevent from falling. She felt darkness creeping up to her, but resisted against it, wanting to be conscious for as long as she could. But soon the darkness overcame her and she fainted.

Sam's heart beat twice.

Then it stopped.

Normally after having fed, Brooke would simply dump whoever she had fed from and leave. Now, however she slowly lay the body down on the ground. She traced a finger of Sam's face. It was already as cold as her own body. A few stains blood were still on her neck. Brooke could drink those too, but this wasn't about feeding. The vampire bent over and kissed Sam on the forehead.

"I love you."

She held Sam's body in her arms for a few moments longer. Then she picked it up and carefully carried it to the car.

Sam was hungry. That was the very first thing she became aware of after opening her eyes again. She was absolutely starved. She felt weak and miserable and she doubted if she could ever get off the bed. The fact that the sun was shining much too brightly outside the closed curtains made matters even worse.

The door opened and Brooke entered, smiling. Sam tried to get up into a sitting position, but her limbs were not co-operating. Brooke noticed it and sat down on the bed besides her.

"Don't try. You're still too weak."

"Did you have this problem?" Sam asked.

"No." Brooke answered. "I woke up at night."

The blonde vampire stroked a few stray hairs out of Sam's face. Then she leaned in and kissed her. Sam eagerly returned the kiss, finding enough strength in her body to do so. She wrapped her arms around the blonde and pulled her closer. She could smell her won blood running through Brooke's veins and her hunger increased even more. Sam pulled Brooke on top of her. Brooke broke the kiss and rolled away from Sam. The brunette positioned herself on top of Brooke and looked down at her, smiling.

Sam could hear Brooke moan once as her fangs pierced the blonde's skin. Brooke's blood flowed into her mouth and Sam hungrily drank it. She knew it was her own blood that now returned to her. The blood got quickly absorbed and soon a trail of fire burned through her veins, giving her her strength back.

After a few minutes Sam broke free and looked at Brooke again. The blonde was smiling, but obviously weakened. She leaned forward and licked the blood from Sam's lips. Then she got out from under the brunette and stood up. She stuck out her hand and smiled.

"Come."

Sam smiled back and stood up as well. Together they left the room. It was still day, but Sam knew that as soon as the sun went down a whole new life would begin for her.

Plans

NOTE: In this story Sam and Brooke are two evil vampires. Yet they seem to be closer to each other than in my other stories. This is worrying.

Sam was very, very hungry. She was also immensely excited. Tonight was her first hunt and she wanted to make sure it went smoothly. She wanted to impress Brooke, show her that turning her had not been a mistake. Wandering through the streets Sam saw two people walking on the opposite side of the road. One was a girl, she walked hurriedly and her head was bowed so that her long blonde hair fell over her face. A little while behind her walked a man, he was rather fat and obviously rather drunk. Sam stared at the two for a few moments, then suddenly scrunched up her face in disgust.

"What's the matter?" Brooke asked.

Sam merely nodded in the direction of the man. Brooke looked at him for several moments, until her face also turned disgusted.

"Rapist."

Sam nodded. Then she smiled. She watched the girl and the man for a while longer. The man was about to open the door to a cafe. He suddenly stopped, looked at the girl and started following her.

"What have you done?" Brooke asked.

"Nothing." Sam said. "Just gave him a few images."

Brooke smiled.

The two vampires silently went in pursuit of the two humans. The man had started to walk rather hurriedly. The blonde girl, noticing this, started running. The man started running as well. The two humans ran into a park and disappeared out of sight. The two vampires slowly followed, taking their time.

"Can I ask you what you're planning?" Brooke asked.

"Sure." Sam responded. "But I'm not going to answer that. Not just yet." They walked into the park and after a few moments they came across a small field of grass. The man had pinned the struggling girl to the ground. His pants were already unbuttoned. The girl's shirt had been torn and Sam gambled that her pants were in a similar state. The girl screamed and cried and begged, but the man continued violating her.

"Stay out of sight." Sam hissed to Brooke. She looked at the scene in front of her for a while longer, delighting in the fear of the helpless girl. Then she stormed over, grabbed the man by his neck and flung him off the girl.

"Run." Sam growled to the girl.

The girl stumbled back to her feet and tried to get her clothing back on as best she could. Meanwhile, the man had recovered somewhat and lunged at Sam. His attack didn't affect Sam in the slightest, but she pretended to stumble backwards. Then she looked at the girl again. The girl looked back. Her eyes were terrified, but grateful.

"I said, run!" Sam yelled at the girl as she managed to punch the man in the head. Not too hard of course, she didn't want to knock the man unconscious.

The girl looked at Sam for a while longer, the terror in her eyes gone. Only gratitude was left on her face. Then she turned and ran. Sam waited until the girl was out of sight until she dropped the act of pretending to fight the man. She simply grabbed his head and snapped his neck. The man fell to the ground, dead. Sam kneeled next to him and sank her fangs into his neck. The man smelled badly, he was covered in sweat and his blood tasted awful. If Sam hadn't been so hungry she would've just let the body lay there. But for now she swallowed her disgust and drank. After she had enough she stood up again. Brooke slowly walked towards her smiling. She clapped a few times in a way that wasn't too sarcastic.

"Nicely done, Sam."

"Glad you approve." Sam said.

"Oh, I approve alright. It's not exactly the way I would've done it, but still."

"Maybe." Sam said. "I take it you would just get the girl and leave the man alone."

Brooke nodded.

"I figured as much." Sam said. "But you haven't looked inside her mind, have you?"

"No." Brooke admitted. "Only that man when you pointed him out to me."

"That's what I thought." Sam said. "You see, I have. And what I saw..." Sam smiled. "That girl has an awful life. Her parents have perfected physical, mental and even sexual abuse. She has no friends at school, only enemies. She has seen the very worst of mankind all around her. Being raped by a complete stranger is nothing in comparison."

"I take it you are building up to something?" Brooke asked. Humans didn't interest her. What did she care if some girl had a bad childhood?

"I'm getting there." Sam said. "You see, even through all that, that girl has managed to cling on to her innocence. That's rare, Brooke. Very rare. Despite everything she's still a very sweet girl."

Brooke suddenly started smiling. "What are you planning, exactly?"

Sam smiled back. "Well, I just saved her from a rapist, didn't I? I’m the first person ever to be nice to her. So, when I appear at her window in the middle of the night she will be inclined to let me in."

"And then you'll turn on her?" Brooke asked.

"I'm not like you Brooke." Sam said. "Torturing her might be fun, but others have done that to her so many times before, it's just not worth the effort. No, I was planning on gaining her trust. You know, become friends with her. Maybe even gain her love."

Brooke frowned at this. She did not approve of vampires seducing humans. She had only done it once, and that was because of very special circumstances.

"The point is, I simply wait until she trusts me completely. And then I'll start working on her. I'll take that innocence of her and shave off little bits of it."

"You're planning to corrupt her." Brooke said. Now this, she could approve of.

"Exactly." Sam said smiling. "When I'm done with her there will be nothing of the old her left. Just that what I have made her. In a way that is so much more satisfying than simply breaking her spirit, isn't it?"

Brooke nodded. She had never thought of something like that before. On a sudden impulse she embraced Sam in a tight hug and kissed her passionately.

"I am so proud of you." She said.

"Thanks." Sam said shyly.

Suddenly Brooke let Sam go and she turned abruptly away from her. At first Sam felt hurt, then she understood. How she knew it she didn't know. She just _knew_ that a large group of vampires were coming their way. Brooke tensed, folded her arms in front of her chest and stared coldly off into the distance.

Out of the shadows a group of vampires appeared. Sam quickly counted about twenty of them, but she suspected there could be more. Carmen was among them. The leader of the vampires was a tall, thin man. Sam could feel he was powerful.

'Of course he's powerful!' Sam thought to herself. 'You don't get to be the leader if you're weak.'

"Hello Brooke." The man said smiling.

"Gus." Brooke answered shortly.

Gus titled his head and looked at Sam. "And who might this be?" His voice sounded friendly.

"My childe." Brooke was obviously not in the mood to talk.

"A childe?" The man looked honestly surprised. "So soon?"

"It was her decision, really." Brooke said smiling.

"Of course." Gus said, his smile firmly attached to the rest of his face. Sam started to dislike him. "And who is going to teach her?"

"I am."

Gus laughed. "You? You are just as old as she is, how could you possibly learn her anything?"

"We'll manage."

Gus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe." He said. "I admit you both have potential. But are you truly willing to turn that girl into an outcast, just like yourself? Do you truly think she will be happy when she is not amongst her own kind?"

"I think so. And if I'm wrong she can always decide to leave me. But she won't."

"Don't be too sure." Gus said. Then he looked at Sam again. "Samantha, why do you chose such a lonely existence with this outcast when you could be with us?"

"I love her." Sam said, daring anyone to defy her. Brooke radiated with pride.

"Love." Gus repeated. "It doesn't last forever. It never does. And when the love runs out you will be all alone. Don't make that mistake."

"Don't you have anything better to do!?" Brooke yelled. "Like going after that vamp that Carmen claims is hunting us?"

Embarrassment flashed over Gus' face, but he quickly recovered. "He is of no real threat. We'll take care of it soon enough." Then he looked at Sam again. "My offer still stands. Leave this girl so that we may train and guide you."

Sam shrugged. "I like to find out everything my own way."

"You will regret this. I promise you."

"Everyone makes mistakes. But somehow I have the feeling this isn't one."

This time Gus shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you change your mind, we'll be waiting for you." Then he looked at Brooke. "That invitation goes for you as well."

"Thanks. I won't consider it." Brooke said.

Gus turned around and walked away. The other vampires quickly followed.

"So that was the leader of the local vampire clan, huh?" Sam said.

"Yep."

"I don't like him."

"Me neither."

Sam smiled. "What would he do if we decided to give him a little competition?"

"What are you thinking?"

"How about we start our own little clan? He keeps calling you an outcast, but you're just an outcast of his clan, am I right?"

"More or less." Brooke said. She didn't feel like going into an explanation of vampire politics right now.

"So, all we have to do is convince our childes to stay with us, right?"

"I guess." Brooke said.

"Good." Sam said. She stared off into the distance, thinking things through a little more. "Tell me, how is Nicole?"

"Still the same after I released her. She's no longer terrified of me. Instead she's very much like Robin, she does everything I say." Brooke smiled at the memory of all those hours spent to slowly break Nicole’s spirit.

"How would she like to become one of us?"

"She'd accept it as a wonderful gift from me." Brooke answered.

Sam nodded. "That's what I thought." Then she clapped her hands together. "Well then, time to pay the Julian residence a little visit."

Nicole's End

NOTE: More disturbing imageries ahead! You have been warned.

Nicole couldn't sleep. She didn't know why. She only knew that she was lying in bed, her eyes wide open and far too terrified to close them again. She didn't even know why she was afraid. Somehow there were several days missing in her memory. She didn't know what happened, only that it had left her very, very scared. She had already been dragged to numerous psychiatrists and even a hypnotist. That is, after she had come out of the hospital and had made a statement to the police. But no one had found any explanation.

Nicole tried to remember what had happened before the blackout. It had been an ordinary school day. She had been the unquestioned ruler of Kennedy High since Brooke died. Not that she had wanted to take the throne _that_ way, mind you. After school she had simply went home, had eaten, studied and more of those mundane actions. After that she had decided to go out. She was halfway to where she had wanted to go -she couldn't remember where exactly that had been- when she heard someone following her.

And that was it.

That was where it stopped. The only thing she remembered after that was waking up on the parking lot of Kennedy High. Injured, scared and without any recollection of the past few days.

Nicole turned over in her bed and closed her eyes. She knew that she wouldn't sleep, but she could at the very least try.

"Nicole?"

Nicole's eyes shot open. Had someone said something? Or was it just her imagination? She prayed that it was her imagination.

"Nicole, come over to the window."

Nicole stood up out of bed. Everything inside her screamed to stay away from that window. She herself tried her utmost to not move into the direction of the window. But it didn't help. To her own amazement she walked over to the window and opened the curtains.

Brooke smiled. "Hello Nic."

"Brooke?" Nicole said. "You're dead."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Why do people keep saying that?" She said to herself. Then she looked at Nicole again. "Let me in."

"NO! I AM NOT LETTING YOU IN! GET AWAY, YOU FREAK!" Is what Nicole had wanted to say. Instead she simply opened the windows and said. "Come in."

Brooke was almost instantly inside the room. She looked around a little, then back at Nicole again. She was still smiling.

"I bet you're wondering why you just let me in." Brooke said.

Nicole nodded mutely.

Brooke's smile broadened. Nicole's eyes grew wide and she fell to the floor. Memories started flooding back. Memories of pain, of Brooke inflicting that pain. Memories of crying, screaming, begging. And above all memories of Brooke laughing.

"Now you understand?" Brooke asked sweetly.

Nicole didn't answer. She was writhing on the floor, pain flooding through every fibre of her being.

"Make it stop." She gasped. "Please."

"Why?" Brooke asked amused. "I'm rather enjoying myself."

"Please." Nicole begged. "I'll do anything."

Brooke seemed to consider this. In an instant the pain stopped. Nicole slowly got back to her feet. Her entire body was shuddering. She instinctively backed away. Away from Brooke. If only she would laugh evilly or look sinister. That would be bearable. Instead Brooke just smiled friendly at her, her eyes looked gentle. It was far more frightening than anything else Nicole had ever seen.

"Come on." Brooke said. She turned around and left the room.

Nicole was about to sigh with relief until she noticed she was following the blonde. She didn't want to. She begged to whoever might be listening to stay away from her. But she was powerless.

Brooke led Nicole into the bedroom of Nicole's mother. She was sleeping serenely, completely unaware of either of them.

"Why are we here?" Nicole asked. Her voice was trembling.

"Well, since you don't want to join the fun I suppose I have to get it elsewhere." Brooke said. And she kept smiling so damn friendly.

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked. She knew the answer, but she could hope.

"Well..." Brooke reached down one of the pockets of her jacket and took out a very small knife. Nicole fell to the ground, she started shuddering again. That knife. Memories of that knife going in and twisting around inside her body flooded her. Nicole knew how sharp it was. She knew that Brooke knew perfectly where to stick it to cause as much pain as she could without hurting the organs.

"Nic." Brooke said. "Nic, snap out of it!" Her voice sounded commanding.

Nicole stood up and looked at Brooke. And that knife.

"I see you remember." Brooke said.

Nicole nodded.

Brooke walked over to the bed. "You do know what I can do with this, right?" She asked, letting the knife drift over the sleeping figure.

"W-What are you going to do?" Nicole managed to force out.

"Guess." Brooke said. "I am going to wake up your mom and have a little fun. Plus, I am going to make her think that you are responsible for it."

"You can't..." Nicole started.

"Why not? You can't do anything. She can't do anything."

"She'll know."

Brooke laughed. "No she won't." She said. "When she finally dies it will be your name she curses."

"You can't do this." Nicole said. "Please, don't do this."

"Do you have a better idea?" Brooke asked, getting closer to Nicole again.

"Take me." Nicole said through clenched teeth. "Do whatever you want, but leave her be."

"Getting noble are we?" Brooke said smiling. "But I already had my fun with you. What could I possibly do to you that I haven't already done?"

"Turn me." Nicole said. "Make me like you."

Brooke laughed again. "I don't think so. I kinda like the way you are right now." She looked at Nicole in the eye. "I'll leave your mother alone if you drink some of my blood, alright?"

Nicole wanted to vomit. Drink Brooke's blood? She looked over at the bed, then back at Brooke. "OK."

Brooke smiled. With the knife she made a small cut in the palm of her hand.

"Drink." She said, holding her hand in front of Nicole's face.

Swallowing all her revulsion Nicole drank. As the liquid started to flow into her she became faint. The world started spinning and soon turned black.

She looked around. She didn't recognise where she was. She stood up. In front of her was a blonde girl. She was smiling at her. She looked nice.

"Who am I?" The girl asked.

She had to think about that for a while. "Mistress." She answered.

"Correct." The girl said. "But call me Brooke."

"Brooke." She repeated.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

She didn't know that either. Her mouth soundlessly formed a word that might be her name. "Nicole?" She gambled.

"Very good." The girl said. "Who is that?" She pointed at a woman lying in bed.

She looked at her. Again she didn't know this person. But after a few minutes she said. "My mother?"

"Good girl." The girl said approvingly. Her breast almost swelled with pride. She was a good girl. The girl took out a knife and handed it to her. "Do you know what to do with this?"

She looked at the knife, then at the bed, then back at the knife.

Yeah, she knew what to do with it.

Rebecca

NOTE: OK, so these are more individual chapters than individual stories. Ah well, too late now.

God, how she hated the sun. She had half a mind of moving to someplace else. Somewhere where that damn sun does not shine brightly every single day. She could, of course, just have stayed indoors, but there was little fun in that. Sam had gone back to Kennedy High. After all, nobody, except maybe one or two, knew that she was dead. Nicole was still... recuperating from her own changes that were made a few days ago. And with cellar empty of people to toy with the only company Brooke would have had was Robin. Even though the blonde liked Robin she wasn't looking forward to spending a day with someone who could only think what you would allow her to think.

So now Brooke was walking the streets, silently cursing the sunlight and looking for someone to either eat or play with. After a while she spotted a human that looked rather promising. She was a couple of year younger than Brooke, fifteen, maybe fourteen years of age. She was a bit smaller as well. Her hair was black and red, it was painfully obvious that both colours were unnatural. There was black eyeshade, black lipstick, black clothes, lots of jewellery. No piercings, though. It was clear that the girl was going through her rebellious teenager period. And that her parents had enough money for her to do it. Brooke suspected that the girl felt misunderstood and lonely and that her parents thought they could buy her love and so on and so on. Still, there was something about the girl that had made Brooke notice her. Which in itself was quite odd since Brooke never really _noticed_ people any more. Not any more than that humans notice cows. Brooke's first instinct was to walk over to the girl, drag her into an alley, drain her and snap her neck so she would never wake up. But Brooke had got over that vampire instinct a long while ago. It had been replaced with an instinct to knock the girl unconscious, drag her home, lock her up and break her spirit through a hell of a lot of pain. Brooke was very fond of that idea, but decided against it all the same. A little bit of fun would probably not stand up against having a childe. And Brooke had no real childes. Of course, technically speaking Sam was her childe. Technically speaking.

"Hi there." Brooke said in what she hoped was a friendly voice.

The girl turned around and looked Brooke up and down, looking rather disgusted. It was clear that the girl had the impression that Brooke was some sort of sweet innocent little daddy's girl which totally clashed with her rebellious teenager attitude.

"What do you want?" The girl growled.

Brooke briefly raised her hand to hide a smile.

((Oh my, aren't we acting all tough. Too bad I can read your mind, huh?))

"Nothing." Said Brooke. "Didn't feel like going to school today, saw a fellow mind and thought, 'Aw, what the heck'. You know."

The girl nodded approvingly.

((God, humans are so easy.))

"I'm Brooke."

"Rebecca."

"Rebecca." Brooke repeated. "Know any good places to be?

"Well of course." Said Rebecca as a person who knew what she was talking about. Even when she wasn't.

Several hours later Brooke and Rebecca found themselves in a small bar. There was beer on the table in front of them. Brooke's glass was still full. Rebecca's had already been refilled several times. Getting beer had been pretty easy. Brooke simply had to put the thought into the barkeepers mind that they really were old enough and that they just looked really young for their age. What was a trifle harder was to steer the rather one-sided conversation in the desired direction. Brooke had decided to turn this ignorant human into a vampire. She didn't really know why, though. Rebecca was arrogant, vain and vastly overestimated her own intelligence. But still there was this unfocused feeling that told Brooke that this girl really had potential.

"You know, nobody really likes me." Rebecca slurred. She hadn't drunk all that much and she was already well on her way to becoming completely drunk. Clearly she was not a regular drinker.

"Really?" Said Brooke, trying to sound just a little surprised. "I wonder why not."

"No, 's true." Rebecca said. "They all 'ate my gutss."

"Isn't that just terrible when that happens?" Brooke said.

"Well I'lll ssshow them."

((Bingo.)) Brooke thought.

The important thing about siring is that you have to make sure that the receiver wants it. If he or she doesn't want it, the newly born vampire would hate whoever had done it. Brooke knew all about that. She was one of those vampires.

Of course, it could always be worse.

"I take it you really want to make them pay?" Brooke stated.

"Course. Basstards, go 'round not noticcing me."

Brooke wasn't entirely sure if a drunken stupor counted as 'wanting it', but she was willing to give it a try.

"I can help you." Brooke said.

"Really?" Rebecca said, looking up from her glass and at Brooke. There was something pathetic about her look that made Brooke want to vomit.

"Really." Brooke said smiling. "Trust me."

Brooke stood. Rebecca downed her glass and stood up as well. A little unstable, but she was standing. Brooke briefly made the barkeep believe that she had paid and left the bar.

Brooke hastily led Rebecca to some alley and quickly looked around to see if anyone had seen her. She could of course lead Rebecca back to the house, but she wanted her to stay in the state she was now.

"What're we doin' 'ere?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, don't want to people to see us, do we? Can't let them find out, right?"

"Right." Said Rebecca. "Find out what?"

"That you're about to become a vampire."

Rebecca laughed. She quickly stopped laughing however.

"You're serious." She said, sobering up quickly.

Brooke nodded and stepped closer. "Very serious."

"Are you mental or something?"

Brooke shook her head. And stepped even closer.

"This isn't happening. Vampires aren't real."

"And the Earth was flat." Brooke said. "Until it was proven otherwise."

She was getting really close to Rebecca now.

"What are you going to do?" The girl was genuinely afraid now.

"You wanted to 'get back at them', remember? I just want to help you."

Rebecca swallowed. This was not really what she had in mind. But she found the image of becoming a vampire very appealing. She didn't know that this appeal was being mentally reinforced by Brooke. But, truth be told, Brooke didn't have to make a very big effort.

"Is it better?" Rebecca asked. "Being a vampire?"

"Much better. Trust me."

Rebecca swallowed once more. Then she nodded.

Brooke smiled, her fangs lengthened. She gently took Rebecca in her arms and sunk her fangs in her neck.

The door opened with a crash and Brooke entered with the lifeless body of Rebecca. She walked over to the living room and gently lay the body down. Robin immediately stood up from the couch and walked over to her. Nicole sat in a chair, looking at completely nothing. She probably hadn't moved or even blinked all day. Brooke felt kind of sorry for her now. Nicole was stuck between human and vampire and Brooke had brutally repressed any free will Nicole had. Which hadn't been much, since Brooke did have quite some fun with her a few weeks ago which had left Nicole completely broken. But still, now that Nicole was no longer human Brooke couldn't help but a feel a little sorry for her. Maybe she would give her a little independence back one day.

"And who is this?" Robin asked.

Robin was the same Nicole. Not quite human and not quite vampire. Created by drinking Brooke's blood. But the reins on Robin's mind had been loosened considerably since Sam had insisted on it when she was still human.

"Rebecca." Brooke answered. "She'll be waking up."

"Do you know when?" Robin asked.

"Of course not. There is no way of telling." Brooke said.

"Sorry. I had forgotten that."

"Doesn't matter." Brooke said. "Just bring her to one of the guest bedrooms and close the curtains."

"You got it."

Robin easily hauled the girl up onto her shoulders.

"You know, if this keeps going on we might need a bigger house."

"Maybe." Said Brooke. "But I already have something on my mind."

"Really? What?"

"Well, my 'parents' don’t know Sam has been turned. Catch my drift?"

Robin smiled. "Perfectly."

"Good. Now take her upstairs, will you?"

Robin nodded and left. Brooke sat down on the couch to think things through. There were still a lot of things to be done. Getting an extra house was one of the less difficult ones.

But she would work it out eventually.