I, Keller Sanders, aged 16 of Sacramento California, believe totally and whole-heartedly in the existence of Revamps. I am not mad, nor in any other way am I mentally unstable, I just believe what I see and I've seen them.
Tall- Freakishly tall for that matter, all of them have red hair, green eyes and unusually pale skin. Revamps, or vampires as most know them, are people with the extraordinary ability to regenerate their lives in fire, as a starfish can regenerate cut-off limbs. It comes from the stem Vamp, or continue, and possibly Re, as in again.
Most think they change into bats and fly around at night, but that's wrong. They turn into Owls, and they walk through walls.
If you didn't think I was mad earlier, you'll surely doubt my sanity when you have finished reading this story. Listen well, for I am only telling this tale once.
**********
It's Valentines Day. The cultish holiday celebrated by people with a reason to celebrate. I don't have such a reason. In altruism, I have even less of a reason to celebrate Valentines Day this year than I have in the past. This year I'm turning 16, you know, huge party, lots of people and presents, that kind of thing.
My dad also lost his life to cancer bout six and one half hours ago.
He'd been struggling since before I was born, and finally he got tired of war, surgery, Chemo, he got tired of it all and threw in the towel.
My mom is still too much in shock to know what happened and be upset. I was there when he went away. When his once joyful and stubbly mouth stopped smiling, his sparkly green eyes closed. I was there when the monotonous yet comforting "beep-beep" on the heart rate monitor that matched the steady, slow "ba-bump" in his chest, slowed to an agonizing, "bleeeet" to cover up the nothing inside him.
No words describe the feeling that kind of thing gives you, the empty hollow feeling right where my heart should be. Nothing hurts worse that the sour, acidic lump in my throat. No feeling is as strong as the pain and grief I feel. My dad was my life, my love, my everything.
Now, as I walk down the hall, grimacing at the pink balloons, the candy, the hugging and kissing. I remember last night, and more tears form in my eyes. They sting and blur my vision so I can't see the guy that I run smack into, lurching to the floor with me and my heavy physics dictionary right on top of him.
"Sorry Keller, I didn't see you." Joshua Turnblood, and short pudgy guy fumbles, and keeps right on walking. I just lye on my back, too tired to move or even to think.
Someone starts picking up my backpack for me. Not just anybody though. This is Chase Green, the hunkiest, cutest, most adorable red-head at school. He reaches his arm out to help me up, and hoists my stuff onto his back.
"You alright?" he asks, voice soft as melted butter and sweet as cotton candy.
"Yah, Josh is a jerk." I hasten, my words choked with a sob.
Chase offers to carry my stuff to our next class, law, and I oblige.
"He didn't hurt you did he?" Chase asks, bringing me back from La-la land.
"Huh, no, it's just..." I hesitate, not sure if I can handle sympathy right now.
"What?" Chase asks, stopping in front of me and turning to face me.
"My dad died last night." I choke, barely managing to keep from crying.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Chase looks like he's going to cry too.
"No, I mean, it already doesn't hurt as much," but it does, it hurts just to talk about it.
"What did he die of?"
"Cancer, he's had it since a year before I was born. I knew he was going though." I add.
"But..." Chase begins or me.
"I was there when it happened." I stammer. The tears won't wait any longer, they just won't and they fall like rain onto my cheeks, hot against my cold skin. This is where Chase does a totally non-guy thing to, he starts crying too, and hugs me. He's all warm and cuddly, and his shoulders heave with the effort, and we just stay that way for a long time.
********
Chase drove me home, and now I sit on my bed, staring at a sheet of lined paper that just showed up on my desk out of no where. On the top, in neat typed font it reads;
"Daughter, my only, do not trust Chase Green, his intentions are dishonorable, he intends to seduce you, and then kill you. Do not go to the movies with him tonight. That is where he will strike."
I shred the note, wondering who had the gaul to send such a thing. I grab some clean clothes and hop in the shower before my first date.
When I get out of the shower, a note sits on the bathroom counter;
"I implore you, don't go to the movie, Chase will kill you"
Again I shred the note and scurry around trying to get dressed.
********
A corny love story, appropriate for Valentines Day. Chase's arm is around my waist, and his head is on my shoulder.
A note appears on my lap, I read it.
"Do not let him near your neck."
I don't shred it, instead I fold it and conceal it in my pocket. I look around for anyone close enough to have sent the note.
We're the only ones in the theatre.
"Oh yes, I already made sure of that." Chase sneers, evil lacing his words like poison in coffee, sour, murderous.
"We couldn't have anything spoiling my plans."
"What plans?" I gulp, wondering if the notes were true.
"I'm going to kill you now Keller." he says, as if Murder is an everyday thing.
"What, why?" I ask, feeling desperate.
"Your father was a vampire, and he killed my father, I swore to avenge him." he growls.
You must understand, when your life is in danger you will believe anything anyone tells you.
Slowly, slowly he moves toward my neck.
"You won't get away with this." I snarl pathetically.
"Oh yeah." he says.
He strikes.
His teeth bite into my neck and he begins to suck, hard. I shove against him, to no avail. I should have heeded the notes, but I was stupid and ignored them.
Every muscle is frozen now, and my eyes start to close.
The last thing I see is the kiss at the end of the love story on the screen.
*****
So now I'm staring at my own funeral from heaven. Women wearing black sob, men hold their hearts, and in the back of the room, Chase Green receives a note.
"Revamps come back to life Chase, you should have known that when you killed me. I'll be back, and I won't rest until you're dead."
I sent that, and I sent the one you are reading now, I'm back, I just can't be seen yet, it would be too much of a shock for the world to see the dead walking.