Chapter 1: The First Night of the Rest of His Life

Jasper's feet landed heavily on the soft ground outside his bedroom window. The grass was still wet from the afternoon rain and his footsteps squelched loudly as he ran. Reaching the end of his garden he dropped to his hands and knees, searching for the gap in the wooden fence that he had used so many times before. The only light came from the moon that was almost full overhead sending warped shadows across the ground. Finding the hole he squeezed his way through, pulling himself forward digging his hands into the soft earth. The top of his pyjamas soaked through until he could feet the moisture on his chest. He paid it no mind. Nothing would distract him tonight.

Like a boy possessed Jasper scrambled to his feet and raced along the street that ran along the side of his house towards the forest beyond. The hard, gritty tarmac bit into the souls of his feet as he ran. He gritted his teeth and disappeared into the dense shadow of trees.

Thick greenery blocked his way and made him stumble as he scrambled frantically thought the undergrowth. Shadows reached out long fingers in an attempt to blind him. Nothing could slow him though. Not the low harsh branches that scratched his face and tore at his sleeves, nor the long tangled roots that grasped around his ankles. Wet fallen leaves scattered by the autumn wind plastered themselves to the bottoms of his feet cooling after the harsh run along the road. Never had he run so fast in his life.

A single bead of sweat ran down his cheek as he broke out from the trees and into the clearing beyond. In front of him, rising magnificently from the ground was the makings of a once great mansion. It reminded Jasper of something he had seen in a movie. Tall and thin, covered with sharp spires and home to the occasional gargoyle perched on its slanted roof. Although once great it may have been that was clearly a long time ago if the advancing rot and army of vines and over growth threatening to take hold were any indication. And looking straight up he could have sworn that it was leaning ever so delicately to one side.

As defeated as the mansion was Jasper still felt it was the most remarkable sight he had ever laid eyes on and the sense of anticipation grew tighter in his stomach. Still, the location did come as a certain disappointment to him. So close as it was to his home and school it would be no troubling feat to follow him here if one so wanted.

Jasper took a quick glance back through the trees. Was it really so close?

It has not taken him long to get there but then he had never run so fast in his life so strong was the force that had been pulling him towards this place. The overpowering primal urge still boiled away inside Jasper filling him with an energy new to him. He had known something like this would one day happen. He had known it would happen in the late weeks of his school vacation as that was the time before the last full moon before his sixteenth birthday. If he had known it would be tonight then he would have dressed for it, as his once bright blue pyjamas were torn, wet and he felt half dressed.

Some first impression Jasper thought.

He hadn't been given any notice either. Suddenly he and awoken with the unrivalled urge to locate this place. He wished he had known tonight would be the night he would be leaving. If he had then he would have told his parents goodbye. As it was there may not be a chance to speak to them again. Before school let up he had said goodbye to his friends. They just thought he was going away on a holiday and were entirely weirded out with how nice he was being to them during his final days.

Jasper took a long unsteady breath before walking up the front steps. He barely registered the cold of the stone steps that sent chills through his bones. The forest seemed to quieten. He was oblivious to the world around him. A crow cawed in the distance as Jasper's hand clasped the ornate door handle on the large wooden front door. The handle felt loose in his hand as he turned it and pushed the door open with a low and expectant creak.

***

"Hello?" he called out to the empty house. He hadn't been expecting an answer. Air swirled around Jasper as he stepped inside as though the house was breathing. He wondered how long it had been since someone had entered here. Curious he tasted the air for the musky smell was always present in old building, there wasn't one and he felt a little disappointed. As it was the air was fresh and warm compared to the midnight chill outside.

The house didn't feel as old on the inside. There were no cobwebs and little dust. What looked like the main living room was on the left, there were other doors to his right but it somehow didn't feel right to open them.

"Hello?" Jasper called again stepping into the living room, running his hand along the back of the large red sofa that faced a dormant fire place. The room had an old rustic feel to it. The carpet was luxuriously thick and soft beneath his feet and suddenly Jasper felt at home. It was a feeling inside of him, an instinct that made him so at ease. The same instinct that had told him to come here tonight. It was this instinct that drove him now, deeper and deeper into the house.

A spiral staircase lead up to the second floor from the living room. Jasper ran his fingers lightly along the brass rail of the staircase as he climbed slowly into the darkness of the second floor.

Something stopped him at the top of the stairs. Stretching out in front of him was a long dark corridor. This wasn't like downstairs where the light of the moon was there to guide him, almost no light reached this part of the house. A faint light shone from the top of a second set of stairs at the end of the long hall but only enough to make out the shape of the steps in the shadows.

Jasper took a slow, deep breath. His heart was beating faster now. He could hear its beat so loud as the blood pounded in his ears he was amazed his own thoughts were still audible. He took a nervous step forward, then another, running his hand along the right wall of the corridor.

About halfway something ticked above him. There must have been a clock on the wall. He listened intently as it rang out in twelve slow beats.

Midnight!

He froze, hand on the soft plaster of the wall. Something in his gut pulled tight making it hard to breath. It was midnight but he was the only one there.

Hesitantly he stared into the darkness ahead of him. He felt as though at any moment a beautiful girl in a white dress would materialise before him and take him with her, like in the moves. But that sort of thing only happened in movies and no matter how much he liked that though Jasper knew it was just wishful thinking.

Or was it?

Jasper really had no clue what to expect, no one did as far as he knew. If he could go back over a century ago and ask one of those who came before him then perhaps he would not feel so afraid. He only knew what was written in his mind's eye. He only knew what his dreams told him and went where his instincts took him.

He knew that tonight he would meet his other half. He knew that without her by the time he turned sixteen he would die. He knew that this had happened before and that there was a hidden meaning behind it but he had no idea what. He just hoped that if he had to spend the rest of his life with someone that she cute.

No, he didn't care what she looked like really, he just hoped she was nice. If this really had been planned for their whole lives, if they really were meant for each other than she would have to be his perfect match. Right?

The clock stopped ringing. Jasper's mouth went dry. His feet began moving back downstairs. They were meant to meet at midnight. She was late.

His feet hit the soft carpet of the lounge. She couldn't be late. Was that even possible?

Jasper looked over to the empty fireplace. There was a clock over the mantle. 12:01 pm.

What if she wasn't coming? Then was that it? He'd go home and what? Die?

He started restlessly pacing the room, pausing when he passed a large full length mirror what was hung on one wall. Looking at himself in the mirror he grimaced at what he saw.

His pyjamas were torn, wet and grey with muddy water. His top was torn open and his pale chest was visible. He didn't go out in the sun much, and although he wasn't skinny there wasn't much in the way of muscle on him. His face was covered with dirt and his dark brown hair hung messily around his ears and across his face.

He looked like a hobo who didn't like the sun. A vampire hobo.

Oh, how that was not the first impression he wanted to give the cute girl that may or may not be walking through that door at any moment.

As he felt his heart drop Jasper sighed and tried to pull his shirt to stay closed but it was no use, the buttons were missing. Perhaps there was another set of clothes in the house, he thought staring hopelessly at his pale reflection.

His thoughts were interrupted by a low and familiar creak.

 

Author's Note

This is the first chapter I've ever published so any feedback is always welcome