• I opened my biology book and took another sip of my hot chocolate. Days like these, I love. The days where you get to relax, yet get work done. And with upcoming exams, I really needed to get some work done. Never did I realize that being a senior in highschool would be this busy, but luckily, my mother wrote to me encouraging letters and helped me pay for the rent. I lived in an apartment with my older brother, Zech. My mother, Caroline, was a doctor back in North Carolina, and my father had run off before I even knew him. We lived in Dallas, Texas where the sunrises are priceless, but heat unbearable. I have always loved the heat though; I hate winter. This is my life, and I pray it never changes.

    But then my phone rings and brings me out of my state and tranquility.

    "Lea, there's a rogue running around tonight. I need you to do your job." the voice of the man I hate hearing from says.
    "Good God, Simon. Get someone else. You don't have a team without hunters without there being a team ." I snap.
    "But you're the best. I need this done, now. Before someone gets hurt or killed. I know you hate this, but it's in your blood."

    I bit my lip and rolled my eyes. "Fine," I finally sneer out, "where?"
    "There's a car outside waiting for you."
    "Oh, of course."

    I put my hair up in a bun and cram my phone down my pocket. The sticky notes lay on the counter; I quickly jot down a note to tell Zech I was out doing my "job."

    "Beautiful as ever, Miss Lea." William says as I approach the car. I laugh and hop in the front seat.
    "Don't try to butter me up. You know I don't want to do this." I said.
    "We all have to do things we don't want to...it's life."

    I press my head against the window and the see the reflection my brown boring eyes staring back at me. Shutting my eyes was the only way i could escape their stare. Who knows the amount of time passed before I felt the car stop. I didn't ask questions; I just grabbed the bag from the back seat and slung a gun holster on my hip.

    "Be careful, dear." William whispers as I open the door.
    "Always am. I've got my cell." I snap.

    The wind blows the few strands of hair out of my face, and leaves crunch as I walk. The sky was in twilight and only enough light remained. The city was only a few miles away, and I needed to act fast. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. His presence is here. He's staring at me with fangs barred. He's going to jump from the left tree behind me. Before I can even sense more, I react. I turn and hold out my gun to find myself staring into gleaming red eyes and fangs enlarged.

    "They sent out a child to come get me?" he hisses. "I should be insulted. Shouldn't the hunters know better?"
    "I suggest you run, leech." I hiss back.

    He only smiles; a smile that makes my skin crawl. He's going to run; I can just feel it. Soon he blurs all around me trying to confuse me. The spot I stand in is where I intend to stay. My eyes stay focused on the goal. That goal is to do what I was told to do: kill the rogue vampire. Finally, he stops for the light has practically died out. He thinks he has me cornered. His icy cold fingers graze my neck.

    "You don't even flinch, girl." he whispers as his hand runs down my arm going for my right hand that holds the gun.

    I can play his game too.

    "At least put up a fight before I kill you. Is this is your first mission? Have you ever even killed a vampire?" he whispers harshly.

    Now.

    I take the gun in my left hand and whip it around in one swift movement and pull the trigger. His body turns into a pill of dust, and I begin to slightly smile.

    "Yes, yes I have killed a vampire before." I said while turning back to where William was waiting and placed both guns back.

    This is my job. It chose me from birth. Like Buffy the Vampire Hunter, I am Lea the Vampire Hunter Who Hates It. In every generation, a handful of vampire hunters are chosen; it's something in our blood, so we're told. Zech and Mom both know, and they only want me to happy. But I don't think I ever will if I continue to live a life like this. Let me explain though, vampire hunters aren't all brutes who have a strong hate for vampires. We are here to protect and be the gateway between the human world and vampiric. We don't kill every vampire in sight; only the ones that the elder vampires themselves tell us to or ones that don't seem to want to comply with the rules that exist. That is my job. I am basically a hall monitor.

    I stumbled into the apartment; it was 2 AM and lights were still on.
    "Zech...?" I call out.

    My 20 year old brother is asleep on the couch with the Fresh Prince on T.V. I wearily give him a smile and place a blanket on him and turn off the T.V. and the rest of the lights. Once I find my way to my room, I fall onto my bed exhausted and don't even remember falling asleep, just resting my eyes.


    The smell of vanilla woke me from my deep sleep. I had no idea what time it was, but it was Saturday so it didn't exactly matter. I laid my head down thinking I could roll over back to sleep, but my stomach had different intentions has it began to growl uncontrollably. I let out a groan and dragged myself into the kitchen to find Zech making waffles.

    "Hey, Starshine! Here you go." he handed me a cup of coffee.
    "You know me all too well." I smiled.
    "So how was last night---"

    My phone rings.
    "No, no, no!" I scream and throw it. Zech goes and answers it for me.
    "Hello? Oh, hey, Simon. Uh, she's a little preoccupied eating waffles and trying to wake up. Oh...an emergency?"
    "LAST NIGHT WAS AN EMERGENCY! GET SOMEONE ELSE!" I yell from the table.
    "Huh-uh. Oh, I see...I'll tell her."
    "Zech, please...don't make me."
    "Last one for the week, he promised. William's outside waiting. Look, it's some elite vampire who has been classified as highly dangerous and is in the old church outside the city. Just go and get back."
    "...like I have a choice."

    I find myself with my head against the window just like last night. William sits in silence for he knows I have no intention os talking; he stops the car and I grab the gear.

    I waltz into the church and feel no danger, no fear...nothing."Can we just make this easy! Please!" I yell.
    "Shouldn't I be the one begging?" a voice sings out from the shadows as the boy steps into the light that shines in various colors through the stained class.
    "You don't look like a rogue."
    "You're an observant one."
    "Look, I'm going to kill you either way so let's not play cat and mouse."
    "Who says I'm here to play?"
    "Spunk. I like it."
    "Heh, well, I try." his arrogance shines through and he runs his hands through his deep brown hair. "You and I are the same, Buffy. I know who you are, Lea Thorn. You hate this life. You want to be free, yet you still find yourself listening to the hunter society. They say jump, you jump. They say go, you go. They say shoot, you pull the trigger."
    "I know where the lines are. I follow my rules unlike you."
    "Who says I broke rules? You don't even know why I'm on the list."

    I pulled out my gun.

    "I don't need to know." I hiss.
    "But what if I told you, you'd be shedding innocent blood. You'd be killing a kindred spirit."
    "Don't sweet talk me."
    "I could kill you."
    "And I you."
    "But you won't shoot. I can see it in your eyes. You don't sense any danger, just a vampire."
    "I won't shoot?"
    "You won't shoot."
    "What's your name?"
    "Matthew."
    "I won't shoot, Matthew?"
    "You won't, Lea."

    I pull the trigger.