NOW
Heidi opens the doors to the castle, and allows everyone to walk inside. She closeses the doors, which I find strange. A small, minuscule dose of fear spreads over my body, tensing my muscles and making my sleepiness slip away. Why would close the doors of a castle with everyone inside? Are you trying to save air conditioning? I guess so, since it is pretty cold in here, and it's hot in Volterra. I know my parents use the air conditioner like it's water, no matter what.
"Okay, everyone, let's move, please! This castle is huge and we don't have much time," Heidi announces. Some people stop watching armed mannequins and admiring the stoned architecture of the place. If I wasn't so jumpy right now, I'd think it's beautiful.
"You think anyone else is here?" Tessa nudges me. It takes me a minute to realize she's referring to Sebastian's story, and I shrug in reply. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about Seb's story and this castle. I have an odd feeling about this whole tour, with Heidi, with the story in general, though. With Heidi rushing us by and closing doors as we pass, something fishy is up around here.
"Could be," I answer.
"How much you wanna bet I'm right, as always?" Arrogant Sebastian puts his arms around Brady's and my's shoulders.
"I'll bet fifty bucks," Brady bets. They spit-shake, and Heidi introduces us to the throne room.
"Now, this is the main event. This is the Throne Room. the three leaders of Volterra used to sit here all day and punish those who didn't obey their laws or ways of life. Rumor has it that while they ruled, they sat on their thrones and hardly got up to do anything!" Heidi explained, showing us the three thrones. One in the middle was slightly more pushed up, indictaing it's importance.
"How old is this place?" Some overweight tourist questions.
"According to archaeologists, they estimate this was originally built around 1200 B.C.," Heidi answers. She discreetly walks to the back of the group, closing the throne room's door. I gulp, my fear increasing more, my heartbeat taking over a dull roar in my ears. I know this isn't normal. Tour guides don't just shut doors.
Heidi talks more, and after explaining some facts, about 30 or so people join our group in the throne room. Immediately I notice they all wear dark outfits, ranging from light gray to black. I realize that only three actually wear black, and four wear such a dark gray that I nearly mistook it as black. Others wear variations of gray. Maybe it symbolizes importance.... Also, they all share the same red eyes, snow-white pale skin, and all of them are beautiful.
They surround us, and one with a black cape to match his long, black hair, nods. Maybe he is like a leader.
In the blink of an eye, I find a bloodbath in front of me. All the tourists are on their backs, screaming from the dark people on top of them, clinging to the tourists' necks. I watch as one with long, bleached blonde hair takes down Brady. Once the blonde retracts a minute or two later, Brady's green eyes are glassy, loking up at the stone ceiling.
Dead.
I panic, my heartbeat taking over my ears and brain. I run to the throne room door, trying to force it open. It won't, no matter how much I try to pry the huge, wooden doors open, it doesn't budge. How could Heidi open them, though? It was like I was an ant and she was a bear, both going for the same tree to knock down.
Soon enough, I whisper, "Help," like someone outisde the castle could hear me and get me out. I lean my head against the door. I feel my heart rate slow, and I muster enough strength to turn around and meet Death. Instead of finding an old guy in a black cape and with that thing that reapers have, I find a boy, no older than me, staring me down. His bright red eyes bore into my hazel ones, and I see someone's blood dripping down his chin. He looked kinda attractive.
Okay, very attractive.
"Don't kill her," Mr. Attractive orders, and I notice everyone else has left the tourists limp on the floor.
"Okay, everyone, back to your posts. Heidi, Chelsea, Renata, and Santiago, dispose of the bodies, then return to your posts," the one who initailized the attack earlier demands. He walks over and sits in the center throne, while the bleached blonde who killed Brady sits on his left, and an older, bored one with darkish hair sits on his right.
Four people, one being Heidi, start dragging bodies out the door, and I find Tessa, Seb, and Brady dragged out.
Dead.
Crap.
I don't know what to do. Cry for my friends' deaths, break down the door to get help, or talk to these...people. But, are they even people? I mean, they all are deathly pale, red-eyed, bloodsucking beings...did I think BLOODSUCKING?! Well that gave it away, now didn't it?
"Vampires," I whimper, looking at the seven in the same room as me.
"Now you're getting it," The head throne guy says. "I'm Aro, and this is Caius and Marcus." He guestures to the vampires sitting next to him. Aro holds out his hand, and I feel odd about the situation.
Hesitantly, I walk over, and Aro takes my hand, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. What is he doing? He holds my hand for a minute, then opens his eyes. He sends me a smile.
"I do think you'd be a great addition to our Guard, Miss Gray. You past proves potential for a power that could be very useful for the Volturi. You'll be staying here, and we'll set a date for you to be changed into a vampire," Aro concludes. "I'll trust that Alec, Jane, Demetri, and Felix can watch over you until you're to be changed."
I sigh. "I don't have any say in this, do I?" I look at the three of them, and Caius shakes his head.
"Jane can show you your room," Aro concludes, and a girl with blonde hair and the same red eyes and pale skin as everyone else appears in front of me, walking out the place. I follow her as she leaves through the door where all the vampires entered.
"Here's the kitchen. Even though we don't really use it, you'll find some humans around. I hope Alec helps me watch you. For a vampire, he's a great cook." Jane sounds irritated and bored as she speaks. Maybe I can become friends with her.
"Off to the rest of the castle," Jane mumbles. She walks away, gracefully, but slowly, and I follow. Compared to her, I feel ugly and clumsy. I wonder what her power is, sicne everyone here seems to have some sort of ability. Somehow, Aro can see all of my memories and thoughts by holding my hand.
"Here is your room. There's a bathroom and closet in there. Down the hall is Alec and my room. Mine's on the left and his is on the right. Don't try to escape, cause Demetri will just bring you back and Aro might lock you in the dungeons," Jane threatens, looking me dead in the eye. I nod, and she walks off to her room.
Once I open the door, I'm awestruck. The room is HUGE! In the middle is a dresser with a mirror on top, giving the illusion of a bigger than room than necessary. To the left is two doors and a bookcase; the two doors, I presume, is the closet and bathroom. On the right is a king-sized bed with a black comforter and sky blue sheets. I see the walls are painted a welcoming green with hardwood floors, and a rug rests in the middle, below a huge fan.
I open the first door to reach my bathroom. There's a glass shower in the corner, a pedestal sink with marble tiles, a jacuzzi, and even a closet inside the bathroom for linens!
Quickly, I strip and hop into the shower. I wash off all the fear and anxiety from this morning. My mind wanders as I rinse myself off. Will I ever leave here? Will anyone look for me? What will Tessa, Brady, and Seb's parents think will they find their kid dead?
My mind recalls the memories of my three best friends. The one time Tessa and I went paintballing. The time Brady made a shoutout to me during his football game and embarrassed the hell out of me. The time Sebastian called me his girlfriend to get away from some tourists. The time the four of us started a food fight in school. The detention later was so worth it, though.
My eyes tear up, and I turn off the water, and will myself to forget the three of them. I can't start crying every three seconds in front of powerful vampires just cause they killed my friends. I just watched Caius kill Brady, and I didn't even try to shove Caius away. In the distance, I could see Tessa be attacked by Felix, and I saw her watch me, pleading to help her. I saw Seb once Demetri got off him, dead. I can't blame the vampires, they have to kill ot live. I can't blame my friends, it's not their fault they got killed.
In the end, I find only one person to blame for all of this.
Me.