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It was starting to get dark now as I made my way up the long drive of old Mrs Martin’s house. I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea.

I shrugged; let’s face it, I had done this many times before and was really looking forward to the private ‘me’ time that would start in just a few minutes.

It was a bit chilly; well it would be at this time of year with summer just a memory. As I walked up the gravel drive, my feet crunching on the stones, I remembered the first time I came here, seven– no eight months before.

Mrs Martin had died five years ago and the place had been empty since then. The property was owned by a nephew now who lived abroad and didn’t come back to England much. He was stinking rich and apparently had not decided what to do with the place and had just left it to gather dust.

The property was large, almost mansion sized, I would have thought, and judging by the wallpaper and paint, it hadn’t been decorated for many years. All the furniture was old, late eighteenth to early nineteenth century, I would say, but what did I know? I was fifteen, coming on sixteen so I was hardly an expert.

My name is Jack Harkworth. I live with my parents in the local village and am a bit of a loner. We had moved here about three years ago from Birmingham. It was a lot different from Birmingham, very quiet, but the neighbours were nice and the one or two kids about were okay.

In build, I was slight, thin boned my mum used to call me. My dad, bless him kept on telling me that he was the same at my age but look at him now, big, muscular and a receding hair line and a bald patch at the back that made him a shoo-in for a monk.

My personality was of the strong silent type.

Well, maybe not strong, but definitely silent.

Mind you, I have always been the shy, wallflower type and never really got to know the other kids at school or in my neighbourhood. They left me alone and I was okay with that. They probably didn’t like my long hair or the fact that I washed more than once a week.

I reached the imposing front doors but didn’t try to open them. I knew that they would be locked. I went around to the back of the property, through the kitchen garden, overgrown with weeds and neglect and over to the kitchen door.

Looking up at the sky, I could already see some stars appearing in the ever increasing gloom. Over to my left, the moon, a full one, was rising as the sun had set. Due to atmospherics I thought, it was a huge moon and blood red in colour. I shivered slightly. I was feeling a bit cold now and only had a thin t-shirt and loose sweatshirt on, together with jeans and trainers.

I put my bag down and then reaching up and feeling with my fingers, I found the key above the door frame where I had left it, out of sight. When I had first come here, I found the key under the mat; the old girl probably left it there in case she ever got locked out. Why I originally went there was on a whim, because I was curious as to what the place looked like from close up and as I passed it every day in the bus on the way to school, my curiosity got the better of me. In the back of my mind, I was trying to find somewhere private so that I could do things out of sight of prying eyes.

Not illegal things–well I hoped not, anyway.

I opened the door using the key and then after looking swiftly around, I picked up my bag and went in, closing the door and locking it behind me.

I took my torch out of my bag and switched it on. It was gloomy inside; well it would be at that time of the evening. Nothing had changed since I had last been there and I noticed the glass tumbler on the drainer where I had left it a few weeks before.

I had wanted to come here more often, but real life, school, homework and my paper round all conspired to keep me away from this place.

I didn’t hang about. I had until one in the morning to do my stuff and then I would have to catch the taxi that had already been ordered by my parents to arrive at my ‘friends’ house about a quarter of a mile away–they were having a party, Halloween and I had put myself on the guest list. I needed to be outside his house then, so that there would be no suspicion of me not being where I should have been. Needless to say, my ‘friend’ didn’t know anything about it and he was only an acquaintance that lived conveniently close to the bolt hole that I was now in.

Picking up my bag and using the torch to light my way, I made my way further into the big old house. I knew the layout like the back of my hand and I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

Making my way up the wide, sweeping marble staircase with pictures of long dead relatives lining the walls, I reached the top, turned right and went down to the end of the corridor. Opening the door I paused for a moment as it creaked slightly and held my breath. No one about, mind you I knew that, so I wasn’t sure why I was so spooked. Soon I was inside and I closed the door behind me.

I was in a bedroom that hadn’t been used for many years. Like the rest of the house, it had very old furniture and the bed was a four poster with drapes.

Although the wallpaper was dark, as was the paintwork, I could tell instinctively that this was a girl’s bedroom. Not a modern girl, with computers, play stations and all the trappings of a modern girls life, but older, more genteel and very feminine in taste.

That was alright by me. This was where I could be me and not the someone else that I pretended to be almost all my life.

On the bed was an old china doll, with a pretty face and wearing a long white miniature gown in silk and satin. Her glazed face was tarnished somewhat and the dress a bit distressed looking, but I could tell that when she was new, she had been an exceptionally beautiful doll. I wished that I had a doll like that when I was small. I would have loved it.

I put my bag down and then using matches I had brought from home, I lit the several candles that I had also brought with me to light up the room and make it more cosy.

It wasn’t particularly cold in that room. The walls were thick and what heat there had been in the autumn day had lingered a bit. Mind you, I would have loved to have lit the fire, but that would have been a bit silly.

After lighting the candles, I took my things out of the bag and put them on the bed. Then I got undressed. I left on my panties, training bra and sheer tights I always wore them under my boy clothes if I could get away with it.

I had brought a pretty dress for me to wear. I had bought it from eBay and it fitted me just right. It was a calf length, soft maroon velour dress with long sleeves made with diaphanous chiffon. It was a bit old for me, but I liked it, as the colour was nice and it felt really glamorous to wear, just right for my one person party on Halloween night. I didn’t put the dress on just yet though. My hair always long, I had in a long pony tail and this kept the hair off my face as I put on my makeup, using the glass mirror on the dressing table.

I was fairly good at makeup now and it didn’t take too long to apply it. I was distracted slightly as I thought I saw something flit by in the mirror which was angled to face the window. Looking around I could see nothing.

I shrugged; a bird perhaps outside or even a bat?

I smiled at that. Bats and Halloween go together like Big Mac and french fries.

I turned back to the tricky task of applying makeup in poor light.

As I transformed my face, I wondered what my parents would say if they saw their son looking like this. Only to me, I wasn’t their son; I was their daughter, only I hadn’t the guts to tell them.

I felt a slight draft on my neck and turned around. The door was closed–it must have been coming from the chimney, I thought. That was the trouble with old houses, creaks and groans and lots of drafts!

I continued with my makeup, taking a great deal of care with my mascara. I loved the way my long lashes were plumped up and so much thicker when I had mascara on.

My lips, I decided, would look nice if they were of a similar colour to my dress and I think that I had the perfect match. I normally wore bright pink lipstick, but as this was Halloween, I thought that it would be nice and somehow more appropriate to go a darker colour. I thanked the powers up there for the fact that you could by almost anything on line and makeup and clothes were all bought from there. I wasn’t brave enough to actually go into shops and pretend that I was buying for my ‘sister’ so the internet was a wonderful playground for a shy little thing like me.

I finally finished and nodded at my reflection. Not bad for me. I got up, went over to the bed and picked up the dress. In moments, I had put it on and then, after zipping it up and putting on my low heels–I wasn’t very good in high heels and the last thing I wanted was get a broken or sprained ankle, so it was low ones for little me–I was nearly ready.

Then I removed the band and I brushed my long blond hair until it shone in the candlelight. My long straight hair was the one thing that I could have without raising too many comments, although Dad despaired of me, Mum shook her head and the headmaster, bless him, threatened to suspend me if I didn’t have a haircut. Well he would if he could find something in the rules that said that hair had to be short. What was good enough for the girls...

There was a full length mirror in the corner and I walked over to it. Looking at my reflection, I could see that I was quite pretty. I could feel tears prick my eyes. Why was I born in a boy’s body and why did God or whoever was in charge play this cruel joke on me?

I dreaded the day when my voice would break and I would start sprouting yucky hair all over my body. I shook my head at those negative thoughts. I would live for today and enjoy myself.

Once again, I was brought out of my reverie by something strange. I felt a gentle sigh of a breeze ruffle the hairs on the back of my neck and I shivered slightly. Looking over at the fireplace, I wondered if that was where the slight, spasmodic breeze was coming from and whether I could take a chance and light it. There were some logs that I hadn’t noticed before by the side of the grate. Maybe I could use them and light a fire? It was dark now and the smoke wouldn’t be seen and I had to admit, it was getting a bit cold. The problem might be that the chimney was blocked, but somehow, I didn’t think so, as there was a definite draft coming from up the chimney.

I nodded to myself, deciding that I would take a chance. I knew that there was a pile of old newspapers in the kitchen and I grabbed my torch and went downstairs to get them. As I walked down the stairs, I heard a soft banging noise coming from quite a long way off. It sounded a bit like a door being closed, but could have been a firework as they were often set off on Halloween night. Shrugging I continued on. It was nice feeling my nylon encased legs against the soft fabric of my dress. It made me feel very girlie and happy that I had decided to come tonight.

I soon found the newspapers and then made my way upstairs again. As I walked along the corridor, I thought that I felt something soft brush against my stockinged legs and I had goose bumps. I moved my torch up and down the passageway, but nothing was there. I hoped that there were no mice or worse still, rats about. I hated rodents, and I was not too keen on spiders either! And no I wasn’t wimpy. Lots of girls hated furry things and long legged ones too!

I soon found myself back in the bedroom and the welcoming light of the various candles dotted about and I breathed a sigh of relief. Not that I was in any way scared, of course.

After scrunching up the newspapers and then piling on the logs, I lit the fire and soon there was a merry, warming blaze going. It was a bit smoky at first, but then it cleared and the room was full of light, warmth and the merry crackling of logs burning.

I went over to the window and looked out. The moon had risen somewhat but still looked large and red in colour. The starts were out in their thousands and there wasn’t a cloud to hide them from view. Over to the north, I could see the lights of the village, twinkling. The trees in the grounds could be seen quite clearly in the moonlight and were swaying in the breeze. Something caught my eye and I saw what I thought was an owl fly across the moon. I wondered if it was looking for its tea.

Thinking about tea made me realise that I was a bit hungry. I had brought a few cakes and a can of Coke with me, so I sat at the dressing table and had a bite to eat and something to drink. I stopped mid swallow as I heard a fluttering sound coming from above.

I listened for a moment, but it didn’t occur again. I hadn’t looked in every room, but it was possible that a few of the upstairs windows might be open and birds may have come in. Shrugging, I continued with my cake nibbling and coke guzzling.

When I finished, I realised that I hadn’t put my jewellery on. I had a nice silver heart necklace and bracelet set and some clip on earrings. I had wanted to get my ears pierced, but with my parents and other considerations, that wasn’t possible.

I put my earrings on and frowned. I knew that in a relatively short space of time, my earlobes would start aching where they were being pinched, but it was something that I would have to put up with. I had no trouble putting on the bracelet, but did find the clasp of the necklace a bit fiddly. Eventually I managed to fasten it and I was finished.

Returning to the long mirror I looked at myself and smiled. The jewellery finished things off and I was happy with the results of my efforts. Mind you, my lippy had worn off slightly, so I carefully reapplied my lipstick and then, stepping back I could see that I was not a bad looking girl, even though I say so myself.

In the distance I could hear the church bell. I hadn’t got my watch on and I just counted the chimes–eleven o’clock, nearly midnight. Smiling, I realised that I had at least another hour before I had to change and return to drab old Jack.

But I didn’t want to be Jack. I wanted to be Sarah, my girl's name and the one I would have had if I had been born a girl, according to Mum. I sniffed again, my moods changing from happy to sad in a matter of seconds.

I shook my head angrily; this wasn’t good. I did not have many chances to fully dress and I didn’t want to spend theses precious hours moaning about how hard done by I was.

Pulling myself together, I went and sat on the sofa in the corner of the room, by the window. It was a comfortable sofa and after making sure that it wasn’t dusty–it had been covered by a sheet before I removed it–I sat down and just enjoyed being dressed as a girl and being very relaxed about it. The glow of the crackling fire was nice and soothing and somehow, I felt quite tired. I heard yet more soft banging and creaking coming from far off, but I was too relaxed to worry much about it.

I awoke with a start and then gasped as in front of me stood a girl, about my age I would say. She was wearing a long white rather old fashioned cotton and lace dress and her hair was done up in ribbons. She looked pale and her skin almost translucent in the light of the fire and candles and she had dark circles under her eyes, like she had been ill.

‘Hello,’ she said, ‘who are you?’

‘Erm Jack, I mean Sarah.’

‘Hello Jack, I mean Sarah,’ she said with a giggle in her voice.

She had long black hair, but it went further down her back than mine, almost down to her waist. She was very pretty. I wondered what she was doing there, mind you, what was I doing there, for that matter!

I wondered at her dress and then realised.

‘Oh, you are dressed for Halloween, nice dress.’

‘Thanks, and you look pretty too.’

I thought about that comment and it made me feel all warm inside.

‘Thank you,’ I said smiling.

‘So’, she said sitting down beside me, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘Oh, I know that I shouldn’t be here. It’s just that I wanted a quiet private place where I can dress nicely and not be disturbed and you?’

‘Me?’

‘Mmm, why are you here?’

‘I was passing outside and I saw a glimmer of light. I’m always nosy so I came in and followed the smell of smoke and the glow of the fire.’

I thought that the smoke had gone and the glow wasn’t visible outside the room, but I let it go as I was obviously wrong.

‘What’s your name?’ I asked.

‘Amy.’

‘That’s a nice name.’

‘Yes, I like it.’

‘Erm shouldn’t you be at a party or something?’

‘Party?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why do you ask?’

‘Well, dressed like that...’

‘What’s wrong with my dress?’ she asked with a frown, looking down.

‘Oh nothing, it’s lovely.’

Just then the church bell struck the hour again and I counted twelve as Amy listened with a cocked head too.

Twelve midnight.

Just then, for some reason my necklace came away from my neck and Amy looked up.

‘Oh, your necklace,’ she said, ‘stand up and turn around. I’ll help you.’

Knowing how fiddly the tiny clasp was, I smiled and handed her the thin necklace. Then I turned around.

Amy was slightly taller than me and she moved my hair to one side, placed the necklace around my neck and then did up the clasp. I jumped slightly as her hands felt rather cold.

She then touched my neck with her finger and I shivered slightly. Then I felt a bit strange as I felt her breathe on my neck. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like moving and just stood there, very aware that she had started to stroke my neck gently and was breathing into my ear. I was feeling rather lethargic and very relaxed.

‘There, that’s better. Well Sarah, you are very pretty and I know that you are a boy outside, but a girl inside. That isn’t very fair is it?’

‘No,’ I whispered in a voice that didn’t seem to come from inside my head.

‘Life is so unfair for those who cannot be what their heart desires. Would you like to be a girl?’

‘I am a girl,’ I said in that same voice that seemed to be so strange. It was as if I was listening to a recording of me talking to her. I had no idea if I could move and I didn’t particularly care if I could. I just waited for that sweet voice to talk to me again.

‘I know that you are a girl inside and that is Sarah, wouldn’t you like to be a girl outside too and not be Jack?’

‘Oh yes, very much.’

‘How much?’

‘I would do anything to be a real girl.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, I've always wanted to be complete–as a girl.’

‘You can be a girl.’

‘I can?’

‘Yes.’

‘How?’

‘Would you like me to help you?’

‘Can you?’

‘Do you really want to be a girl? Things will change for you–forever.’

I felt her breath again, it was a cool breath and smelt of something... earthy, but it wasn’t unpleasant and she just carried on stroking my neck. I felt so relaxed. It all seemed clear to me now. I had lived for fifteen years in the wrong body. Maybe she knew someone who might help me change.

‘Please help me.’

She turned me around and looked into my face.

‘Are you sure? There is no going back once you are changed.’

I had seen a lot on the internet and knew how final it was once you had reassignment surgery.

‘Yes, I’m sure.’ Although my voice felt strange, as if I had no real control over what I was saying, I believed it. I was sure, surer than I had been for anything in my life.

Her lips were red and full and she licked them with her tongue. Her eyes flashed and then turned red. They seemed grow bigger and bigger and somehow I found myself lying on the bed and she was over me, looking down. I could not tear my eyes away from hers and I realised that I didn’t want to.

I felt relaxed; my heart was beating strongly but slowly and I could hear it quite clearly. In the distance my ears could also catch the sounds of the night. The owl hooting, a fox calling, a fluttering sound that could be a small bird...

She came closer and closer. My eyes strayed to her mouth, her full red lips parted and then I saw her teeth. Two razor sharp teeth started to grow from below her top lip and she smiled. The teeth were so sharp that one caught her bottom lip and drew a bead of blood .Her smile was not the nice gentle one that she had had before, but it was almost an animalistic snarl. Her eyes were now flames of red and the mist that had shrouded my mind in an instant cleared as I realised what was happening...

‘NO!’ I screamed in my head, but the sound never reached my lips.

I couldn’t move my body. I was like a puppet or mannequin. She moved my long hair away from my neck, turned my head slightly and then her lips were on me.

I felt twin stabs on my neck and I soundlessly screamed again. I could hear her sucking at my neck. I began to feel weak. My brain ceased to function at that point and my whole being was concentrated on my neck and the sounds of her drinking my life blood. I twitched uncontrollably and my legs felt almost as if they were doing some sort of macabre dance as she continued on and on...

I must have passed out.

I awoke and it was dark.

I was lying on the bed and I felt very weak. Trying to sit up, I moaned as my head ached like never before. The moon’s rays were coming through the window and I could now make out the room. I was still in the same room, but the fire had gone out and so had the candles. I tried to stand up, but felt very unsteady and a little bit sick.

Eventually, I stood up. Looking down, I saw that I was no longer wearing my pretty dress but had one on similar to that which Amy had been wearing, white and long. My hair felt strangely heavy and feeling it, I could tell that it appeared to have grown down my back. I felt my neck but there was no wound; that was strange.

Then I realised with a shock that I had real breasts. They were not big, they were small but definitely breasts–female ones. I sat on the bed and slowly felt between my legs. I knew almost before I touched the area that I no longer had a penis and scrotum. My wish had come true. I was a girl.

Making my way over to the mantle piece, I felt for the matches and then with a shaking hand, I lit first one and then the rest of the candles. I then put another log on the fire which soon caught light. I now had enough light to see by.

Amy was nowhere to be seen.

The church clock struck the hour. It was one o’clock. I should have been outside my friend’s house now, waiting for the taxi.

I felt a panic then. I should change and go, but my bag and clothes had gone.

I went past the mirror, glancing at it and then stopped dead.

Turning I saw my reflection, gasping with shock.

I could see Amy.

I was Amy.

I was confused. What was happening? Was I mad? Was this a nightmare? Would I wake up in bed and just laugh it all off?

I went over to the dressing table and sat down. There was something written on the mirror it was written in lipstick, my lipstick...

Jack/Sarah,

I am now you, and you are me. You are a vampire now and you have your wish, you are a girl.

There is a book in the dressing table and that will tell you all you need to know.

Be warned though. Stay out of sunlight and feed off whatever you can. Very soon you will have no reflection for a while and you will be a creature of the night.

There are others like you around and you will get to know them very soon.

After two hundred years you can do as I did and transfer yourself to another body–if you can find someone ready, willing and able.

Amy

I got up and then threw myself on the bed and cried my heart out. I would never see my parents again. I had been replaced by Amy and I would not be the girl of my dreams, but some sort of freakish nightmare of a vampire.

Vampires were fiction weren’t they?

I laughed bitterly. This wasn’t fiction, this was fact.

Eventually I got up and once again I looked at myself in the mirror then I gasped as I realised that I could see that I was not as solid as before. The flickering flame of a candle was clearly visible behind my back. It was happening!

I tore my eyes away. I couldn’t look at myself any more.

I remembered Amy mention a book and I went over to the dresser and opened the drawer. Inside was a thick old book covered in dark brown, somewhat stained leather.

I opened it up and read the heading.

Vampyre

The Human Form ~ The Vapour Form ~ The Bat Form

A Guide for the Chosen Neophyte.

I put the book down, feeling sick. Was this what I would become? I could not face reading about all this now. I still wondered if all this was a nightmare. It didn’t feel like I was sleeping, but dreams always feel real when you are having them.

I lay down on the bed and shut my eyes but could not sleep. I heard the clock sound two, three and then four o’clock.

I could not sleep and I was feeling hungry.

I got up and then went over to the window and threw it open, looking down at the overgrown lawns and grounds. Somehow, I could now see quite well although it was still dark.

It seem to me as if it was very cold outside, although I could see the glistening frost on the ground.

I felt an urge to go outside and I went downstairs and let myself out. I was wearing sandals on my feet and just a thin white dress, but I was not cold or uncomfortable.

On a whim, I walked down the drive and out into the road. Somehow after a bit, I found myself in front of my house. I had no idea how I had gotten there, but had arrived in what seemed to be no time at all. My house was quiet, but my bedroom light was on.

A few seconds later, I found myself crouching up on the tree branch outside my bedroom window, a good fifteen feet from the ground. I looked in and there she was, but now in my body, I couldn’t call him anything else but Jack. He was laughing quietly to himself and looking at his naked body in the wardrobe mirror. He had my iPod in one hand and the earphones on. He was dancing some sort of grotesque dance and had cut what was my long hair off and was waving it about with his other hand, he didn’t seem aware of anything else.

I had been tricked and he had cut off my lovely hair that had taken years to grow.

I didn’t want to be Amy. I wanted to be a real, ordinary girl. She had asked if I wanted to be a girl, not a vampire. I wasn’t in my right mind anyway and she had manipulated me and had stolen my body away.

I felt a real hatred for the person who was now Jack. She, now he, had taken my life away from me. I could have had reassignment surgery. I could have functioned as a girl and now I was–something else. Something that I would never in my wildest dreams or nightmares ever wish to be.

A red mist seemed to come over me and an anger that I had never experienced took me over. The window was open and I jumped and landed on the edge. Then I climbed in the room and went up to him. I noticed in passing that I had no reflection now.

I touched his shoulder and he jumped almost out of his skin and turned around.

His face went white and he almost fainted.

Looking at him through a haze of red, I clearly saw the veins on his neck. I was hungry, very hungry and I knew what I wanted to do. He seemed to be paralysed as I stared at him. I realised that my eyes had certain powers that helped vampires overcome their prey.

‘You tricked me.’

No words came out of his mouth. He just looked terrified.

‘I would not wish what you did to me on my worst enemy. Now you will pay.’

I touched him on the neck and he went weak. I led him over to the bed and pushed him down. My sensitive hearing could hear the music from his earphones where they had fallen on the floor attached to his...my iPod. Next to the iPod was my once lovely hair...

He was lying there, naked and he was breathing hard. I noticed, in passing the scar from where I had my appendix taken out on my thirteenth birthday. His eyes were wide and his pupils were dilated. He was as immovable as I was when I was–changed.

My breath became shorter and I could feel my heart beating fast. A bead of perspiration went down my back. My lips seemed to fill and plump up, making them feel large and engorged with blood. I was gasping now and could sense two teeth growing out of my gums and going past my lips.

I moved his head to the side and could see an outline of his blood vessels pulsing close beneath the surface of his skin.

He could not move but his eyes showed the terror that I felt when, as Amy, she had come down and fed on me.

I took one final look at his terrified face and with a snarl; I went down on his neck to feed...

My sharp teeth touched his neck and I was ready to plunge in deep and suck out the lifeblood from his body.

I was ready to stab into his soft pale flesh, but then I stopped.

It was wrong. I couldn’t do it.

I could not be like that.

I was hungry and desperate for blood but I couldn’t kill a human being, however depraved they were.

I rose up and looked down at the person that I once was. I could never be like that–it wasn’t in me. I might die of hunger. Vampires live off the blood of humans and if I couldn’t do that, I would starve to death. Well so be it. If I couldn’t live the way I wanted to then I would end it all.

‘Jack, I’ll call you that, as no way are you anything like an Amy or even Sarah now. I won’t kill you. You will have to live with the guilt, and I hope that you have a long life.’

I looked at him one final time and then just for the hell of it I smacked him around the face. It wasn’t much but it made me feel a hell of a lot better.

My teeth shrank back into my gums and my breath was no longer rasping. My heart stopped pounding and I started to feel calmer.

He still seemed unable to move in my presence and that was okay by me.

I jumped up onto the window sill, nearly tripping up on the hem of my long robe like dress, smiled, blew him a kiss and just to make him feel a bit bad said, ‘I’ll be back,’ and then left the building.

Almost without knowing it I found myself back at the old house. I was hungry, very hungry, but I also felt weak. I needed to lie down for a bit. Over to the east I could see the faint light of the dawn sky and I knew that I would have to be under cover as I didn’t want to be turned to dust at the first sign of daylight.

Making my way back to the bedroom, I wondered if it was all worth it. I seriously thought about the possibility of ending it all. Opening the door, I stepped in and then stopped. Sitting on the sofa was a tall, dark haired woman in a long cloak.

‘There you are dear; I wondered when you would get back. I hope that you didn’t feed on Amy?’

She didn’t look old but then again she wasn’t young either. She was a sort of ageless.

‘Amy?’

‘What does she call herself now? I take it that she did a body swap on you?’

‘Jack; that was me.’

‘Jack?’ she looked confused for a moment, and then her mind cleared. ‘You must have exchanged blood.’

‘No...’ then I remembered, she had cut her lip and then she–she, drank from me. It must have been then. Her tiny amount of blood from her lip had entered my body as she sucked on me.

‘It wasn’t much,’ I said and explained what happened.

‘It does not need to be much. Perhaps she realised that you needed to be a complete woman and she had a tiny amount of compassion left to at least turn your body into a female. Were you transgendered?’

I nodded.

‘And you felt that your mind did not match your body?’

‘Yes.’

‘In that case, perhaps there was a spark of decency left in her. She sent a brief somewhat cryptic message to us saying that she would no longer be a vampire. I guessed what she meant but dreaded seeing our worst fears confirmed.’

I sat on the bed and looked at her. I was so confused and full of questions but above that was a need, an almost desperate need. I was feeling so hungry, but the hunger was not for food in the normal sense like a hamburger, sandwich or fries, it was something else...

She looked at me knowingly.

‘You must have a strong character. What name do you call yourself by?’

‘I have the body of Amy, but I am really Sarah.’

‘Sarah–a good, strong name. Well Sarah, I think that we will need to help you as much as we can. That is the reason why I am here. We vampires have senses that are beyond human understanding and we know when one is Chosen and a neophyte is born. That is why we knew that Amy’s message was true. She intended to occupy another’s body, no matter what consequences and what I see before me is the result of her headstrong and selfish action.’

She took a deep breath, looked incredibly sad and then continued.

‘My name is Mara. I was sent to help you along, with one other, my niece Clarissa. She’s a nice girl and physically a similar age to you. She is elsewhere but will be here soon and I apologise in advance.’
,
‘For what?’ I asked.

‘You will see...’

Just then, I heard a noise from outside and the clatter of feet.

The door slammed open and there was a girl, almost a younger version of Mara. She was wearing a long black dress and looked a bit Goth like in appearance. She had a flask in her hands.

‘Got it Auntie. Don’t these clothes look cool? I love Halloween, don’t you? Mind you I do like wearing up to date fashion and all that and skirts that just hide my panties and all that bling and...’

‘Clarissa, where are your manners. Introduce yourself.’

She spun around and saw me on the bed.

‘Oh, hi, what’s your name?’

‘Erm, Sarah.’

‘Soppy name that. Not as good as Clarissa, now that’s cool. Anyway, you can’t help your name, can you? Like your hair, by the way; long and black like ours, well it would be, wouldn’t it? You should ditch the dress though, you look like one of those girls who swoon a lot in the eighteenth century, the consumption look is so old hat–gives us vamps a bad name that...’

‘Clarissa.’

‘Yes Auntie?’ she said doing another spin thing and facing her aunt.

‘You have the necessary?’

She looked down pointedly at the flask in Clarissa’s hand.

‘Oh yes, fresh as a daisy.’

She spun back and then opened the flask. All this spinning was making my head ache.

She unscrewed the top and then poured something red out.

‘There you go’, she said, ‘bottoms up!’

I took the cup from her and I felt strange–revolted on one level but oh so needy on another. Without realising it my breath became shorter and my cusped teeth extended out of my mouth. Without thinking, I drank deeply, the warm salty liquid and felt immediately better–more alive and perky and the fog that had been drifting around my brain cleared somewhat.

‘Wow, said Clarissa, ‘like the teeth. Longer and sharper than mine, but hey, short is beautiful, that’s what I say.’

‘Clarissa, do shut up, dear.’

‘Yes Auntie,’ she said.

‘Well Sarah, how do you feel?’

I felt my teeth retract back to normal size. What a weird experience!

‘Better, but–but, did I just drink human blood or was it an animals?’

The thought of drinking human blood repulsed me and also made me wonder who the hapless victim was.

She smiled.

‘No dear, you have just had some synthoblood, almost as good as the real things but not so many good nutrients. It will keep you going though until we have sorted
I looked at her.

‘Other arrangements?’

‘Yes Sarah; we need to look to your future.’

‘I couldn’t kill anyone for blood; I would rather die myself.’

Clarissa snorted.

‘Kill people, that’s so not real. Don’t be taken in by those TV prog’s and films. They haven’t got a clue. Yes, we do snack on the occasional passing neck, but the mark doesn’t know much about it and in fact, they benefit. Our saliva is really cool and it helps get rid of their aches and pains and helps them to live yonks longer. No one I have bitten has had even a cold.’

‘I don’t understand.’ I said looking from one to the other.

Mara smiled.

‘You will dear. But you have your first decision to make as a vampire.’

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

‘What punishment you wish to inflict on Amy for what she has done to you.’

‘Punishment?’

‘Yes,’ said Clarissa, ‘she always was a stuck up cow, all ethereal, unworldly and above everyone else and she liked homework, what normal sane vamp likes homework, I ask you? She deserves the worst.’

‘That will do Clarissa! The decision is yours, Sarah. Exchanging bodies, although possible, are not what we are about. She has robbed you of your body and your family and has made you what you are now. She should be punished, but the decision is yours.’

I put off my decision for a moment and asked something else.

‘What will happen to me?’ I asked.

‘Well dear, you are technically an orphan and under the protection of the Vampire Council–they are the ones that look after all aspects of our ways, culture and interaction with humans...’

‘Auntie Mara is on the council, she’s ever so important.’

Mara looked at her niece and frowned.

‘Why did I ever agree to allow you to do work experience with me?’ she sighed and then continued her conversation with me.

‘As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, you are under the protection of the council. With your permission, you will attend St Vlad’s as a border.’

‘St Vlad’s?’

‘Yes. It is the school for Vampires. You will learn all you need to know there and be able to function as a member of our society.’

‘It’s a cool school apart from the teachers, of course. They’re a stuffy bunch,’ said Clarissa excitedly, ‘but most of the kids are alright, apart from Millicent, cos she is a bit weird. You get to learn how to do the vapour thing and of course fly.’

‘Fly?’

‘Yea, we have a bat mode. Oh there’s lots of things to find out. You’re a Neo, so you start in the lowest class and work your way up. I’m in the second year. I’ve been there for twenty years, but that’s okay...’

‘How old are you,’ I asked.

‘Erm, quite old, but we don’t talk about how old we are physically, I’m about your age–or the equivalent anyway.’

‘riiight.’ I replied not really sure about that answer.

‘Well my dear. What do you decide?’

I thought about things for a bit and then walked over to the window.

‘Will I burn up in the sun?’

‘No dear, but do use plenty of sun blocker.’

‘What about not having a reflection?’

‘Your reflection will come back once you have totally morphed, but you will always have a slight transparency about you when you look in a mirror. You will not age as humans do. You will stay the same as you are now.’

I looked down at my body with its budding breasts and strange absence of my male parts. I hadn’t thought much about that aspect of things. I was a girl now, admittedly a vampire girl, but still a girl, so it was all negative. I would miss my parents a lot but I didn’t have any real friends.

‘Can I see my parents again?’ I asked.

‘Yes, but they will not know you. Perhaps there is some way that we can integrate them into your life. It has been done before.’

‘What about Amy, I mean Jack?’

‘Once again, that is up to you.’

After a moment, I turned to Mara and Clarissa.

‘My punishment for Jack, I have to call him that now unless he is a tranny like I was, is that I will get to know my parents and he will see me regularly. You say that vampires live for a long time?’

‘Very long dear.’

I smiled.

‘I will see him grow old and then he will realise that the grass isn’t so green on the other side.’

‘Wicked,’ said Clarissa ‘and you can feed off your parents and they will stay young and that old creep will grow older and older and you and your parents will stay the same age as you are now. Well wicked and bad. I like your style girl.’

‘Feed off my parents?’

‘Do not worry dear,’ said Mara, ‘ They will not be harmed and will benefit greatly from it. But these things you will learn. I think that your punishment is fitting and I will recommend it to the council. But for now, time is getting on and dawn is almost upon us. I think that we should go to St Vlad’s without delay and you can see for yourself that you have a great and long future ahead of you.’

‘As a girl?’

‘As a girl, dear.’

‘Well cool,’ said Clarissa and I hoped that I would agree with that sentiment.

They both came over and we held hands. I had a strange feeling of nothingness and then, suddenly it was night again and I was standing with them in front of a huge imposing building like a gothic castle.

Above the huge oak doors was a sign. It said

St Vlad’s School For Girls.
Boarding and Day Girls
Pupils aged 5 to 1000 plus real age ~ 5 to 19 presented age.
Moto:
via, veritas, vita

As I walked into the school with Mara on one side of me and Clarrisa on the other, I wondered what I was getting myself into, and whether I would ever get used to the fact that I was a blood sucking, almost immortal girl who just happened to be a vampire.

Please leave comments...thanks! ~Sue