Chapter 1.

“Kari!” I groaned upon hearing my name being called from downstairs. It continued before I could answer. “Get down here!” With another groan I pushed up off my stomach, closing my book as I did so, before getting off my bed and heading downstairs.

Why did he only have to call me? What did I do wrong? For most of my life, I have done everything I can to keep him happy, which was the complete opposite of what Michael was doing. Not matter what my older brother does, makes our father happy. Though anything I did, he never seemed pleased about.

I made my way down the stairs and found both my brother and father at the table in the dinning room. That was never a good thing. My eyes came to rest on Michael, who was staring at me coldly, his gaze flitted away. I swallowed hard before going to sit across from him.

I sat there, staring at the shiny gloss surface of the mahogany wood table. We all sat there quietly for a time before Dad spoke. “I’ve got an announcement to make.” Yep, what’d I tell you?

Michael and I both looked up to him simultaneously. “Dad?” He asked.

“Now, Michael. You’ve know that this would happen,” he sounded stern.

“Yeah, but, Dad—“

“No ‘but’s, Michael!” My brother fell silent obediently.

I decided to speak up then. “What’s this announcement, Dad?”

He looked pleased to see me interested in what he had to say. Wait, my father pleased with me? This had to be a joke. “We’re going to move to Canada,” he announced excitedly.

My mouth fell open. “What?!”

“You and Michael have some special training to do.”

“’Special training’? What kind of ‘special training’?!”

Dad began to stroke his beard. “Think of is a special training to become a ‘special assassin’.” My mouth had just about fell to the floor by this point. “We’re leaving first thing in the morning. Now both of you go pack the necessitates,” he ordered.

I don’t even remember going back up the stairs. But I do recall mechanically gathering up my clothing and stuffing them into a tote that I had found in the top of my closet. After putting the lid on, I grabbed my knap-sack. I threw in a couple changes of clothes, my PSP and its charger, the book  I had left on my bed, my iPod, wallet, cellphone, and MacBook. After all was said done, I flopped onto my bed, hugging a pillow to myself, finally releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Opening my eyes, I gazed up at the speckled ceiling that was painted like a cloudy night sky. I had painted it myself when we moved here. It had taken a week to accomplish.

This was my world. An obnoxiously small one, but mine all the same. One that I had created, and now I was being forced to leave it all behind me. My eyes go moist and I began to cry.

The next morning I was woken up by Dad banging on my door. “Get up!” He shouted through the wood paneling. After my room, I heard him make his way to Michael’s shouting out the same thing.

Groaning, I opened my eyes and glared at the glowing green numbers on my nightstand alarm clock. Only four-forty-five. You would think that after the bomb he dropped last night he would be considerate enough to let us sleep in, but no.

I rolled out of bed and got dressed. When I was done I grabbed my knap-sack and tote, and headed downstairs.

Michael was already down there waiting by the door, his things sitting on the floor by his feet. “Don’t waste your time looking for breakfast,” he held out a granola bar. “Dad’s just gone to get something.”

Hesitantly, I took the cereal treat. “Thanks?” I mumbled. Michael being even remotely nice to me? Yup, it was definitely the apocalypse beginning.

I was about to unwrap my breakfast when Dad walked around the corner. With a sigh, I put it into my pocket. Breakfast would just have to wait.

We didn’t get to our new home until late that night. Dad had already purchased the house and property a few months back. Dad has always been like that, make sure that things were taken care of a head of time.

We pulled in the front of our new house, located right downtown. That was new, ack home we lived in the country my whole life.

We all piled out of the taxi. The driver cane to the back to help unload our luggage. When he passed me my tote he gave me a wink before turning way. I shivered, and not from the cold let me add.

“Hurry up, Kari!” I turned and saw that the other two were already up at the front door, unlocking it. I ran, all too eager to catch up to them, anything to get further away from the creepy guy.

“You okay?” Michael asked.

I nodded just as Dad unlocked the door. He walked in and flicked on the lights.

“Now, the both of you get upstairs, choose a room and get some sleep. Training starts early tomorrow, you can look around at your new house after that.”

My brother and I eyed each other. He moved first and went up the stairs before me. I followed a little behind. He chose the second on the left and disappeared behind a closed door.

I stood there in the hallway, feeling awkward. Finally I summoned up the courage to continue.

I quickly came to the last room in the hall. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and walked in.

At first it was very dark, but then my eyes adjusted. I could just make out the shape of a bed, and beside that a gas lamp. Inching toward it I was cautious not to bump into anything. I had my hand outstretched finally, my fingers brushed cool metal.

When I turned on the lamp a yellow-orangeish glow erupted from it, filling the room. My eyes drifted over empty space. It wasn’t really that bad—yawn.

Upon realizing how tired I really was, I got dressed into my pajamas then went to bed.

I was woken up to the sound of soft knocking, not Dad’s ferocious banging. Groaning I got up and answered the door.

“Michael?”

“You forgot we had training didn’t you?” I groaned again. “Get dressed then meet us in the basement,” he said before drifting down the hall.

After getting dressed I went down to the basement. Which is where I now stood beside my brother, Dad pacing in front of us. I did my best to imitate my brother, I wasn’t sure which exactly was expected. He was standing ram-rod straight, like a private in the military, kind of intimidating.

“Now the tw—“ A knock came from the wall. Dad sighed in exasperation as he walked over, he returned the knock.

A panel in the cement wall began to quake and shift. After a moment the section of wall was moved to the side revealing two boys.

“Sorry we’re late, Sir,” they both spoke at the same time, realizing that they had done this, they looked in different directions, blushing.

“Oh! Get over there, you two!” Dad ordered. They immediately did as bid, coming to stand at attention on my other side. The wilder one, beside me, winked at me, the other more sensible one just rolled his eyes. I giggled.

“Now, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted,” a glare at the two boys. “You four will be undergoing some special training. It will take some time, but soon you’ll be going out on missions—“ I raised my hand. “Yes, Kari?”

“’Special training’? ‘Missions’?” I asked.

“She doesn’t know?” Asked the calm one.

“Sir, we’ve actually already been trained by Mom and Dad,” the wild one spoke.

“I’ve been training secretly, Father,” Michael sounded bored.

“Great job, Michael!” Dad praised.

“Umm, excuse me!” I had to shout to be heard. Everyone went silent and gawked at me. “’Special training’? For what?!”

“You shall learn the art of vampire hunting,” Dad answered matter-of-factly. Like this was something that I should already have figured out.

“Pfft! You can’t be serious! Who believes in vampires?!” I spluttered. Everyone remained silent and still staring. “You are mental!”

“Kari—“

“Don’t, Michael,” I backed up to the door, grabbing my knap-sack and slinging it over my shoulder before running upstairs and out to the sidewalk.

“Kari!!” I could hear my brother shout after me. I didn’t stop or slow down, instead I sped up.

I ran down Dundas, past the hospital and medical clinics. I turned down another street before the bridge and ran into a crowd. I made it about halfway out of downtown before turning into an alley.

It was dark, but I retreated to the back behind a dumpster. I was tired, my breath coming out in gasps. I fell against the wall and sank down. What were they thinking?!

A gust of wind blew. An old rusted can rolled up, the top slicing into my shin. “Ow! What the—“ I saw a shadow pass over me, and looked up to see a boy with red eyes. And that’s all I remember…