Chapter One. Sacrificial lamb we all are

The day of the Sacrifice is under way

Today is the day we all fear the most. Today is the day we all have to celebrate the goodbye of the chosen Sacrifice.

        I slipped on my all black dress and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is in a bun as would all the teens' hair be on this day. We are all going to wear the same black veil that hung on my hair that I would soon put over my face. We all wear different variations of black dresses for their amusement. This is the day we hate the most. I try to force my eyes to stay strong, but they are weak. I can see a tear slipping onto my cheek. I wipe it away as a sign of weakness. Today we could not afford to be weak only strong. We all had to be strong for her.

        I have been born with tan skin, wavy brown hair and light green eyes. I am also lucky to have been born two years from now. I will not be eligible for the Sacrifice. A fact my mother and father are more than grateful for.

        I decided to wear a slightly form fitting black dress. I didn't do it on purpose. It is the only black dress I have. Mom bought it for me last year for a school dance. It only goes mid thigh and flares out at the end with ruffles. I wanted to be pretty for her.

        I never got many chances to be pretty before. I've also never been to any Sacrifice celebrations before. They only occur every ten years.

        "Lily," my mother shouted out to me.

        I rushed into my room and slipped on my black pumps. We could not be late to a Sacrifice celebration. No one can be late to one, being late is definitely considered illegal and an outright slap in the face.

        I ran out my simple room with my twin bed and single dresser and raced down our wood steps. I saw my mother and father at the foot of the steps. My mother wore a red suit as was designated for all the older woman. My father wore a suit; the men could wear whatever they liked.

        When I hit the bottom step my mother looked me over. She's a plump woman. My mother realized at a younger age that if you make yourself the least desirable you would never be a sacrifice. She had been right. I have her downward facing nose and small ears. The rest of my features are from my dad. I got his eyes and cheekbones and his personality people say. He's super tall about six feet two with grey hair. My parents are older because they struggled to conceive me.

        "Okay," my mother said slipping the veil over my face.

        Then we were out the door as fast as we could. I stepped through the door and noticed other cars speeding off in the direction of the celebration at the high school in the center of town. The sun had set, but it was not completely dark outside yet, not that it matters for the celebration it could happen anytime day or night.

        Once inside our brown rusted station wagon, dad gunned it down the road for the high school. Traffic was busy, but we were all headed in the same direction. I could see to my left another young girl around my age in all black.

        This is what our life has become. Mom tried to tell me of life before all of this. It's hard to believe that life existed before this.

        All I know is this world now. My grandparents told mom of the life before the Sacrifice. I think of it only as a farfetched dream of moms.

        We pull into a crowded parking lot. We rush out the car and meet the swarms of people squeezing into the high school gym, which I was told was built this big for this purpose. There are many girls here my age. I see so many black dresses and red ones for that matter.

        Inside, the ceiling is draped in black and chandeliers hang from the ceiling. I see a row of chairs for the sacrifice and once that's done the evening will continue for dancing. That is why it's called a celebration because death is only the beginning to them. I follow my parents over to our seats and we sit. We seem to be early as people are still filing in. Mom had no reason to rush us, but I do know the consequences of such a thing.

        Ten minutes later, the lights are turned off. The Sacrifices' celebration has begun. The lights begin at the end of the gym hall. I look as do everyone else and the whole place is packed full. There are late arrivals in the back that have to stand up and they are pushed against one another. Our town is not that huge anymore, but at least one thousand of us have made it into the gym.

        The light is on the door as it opens and in comes the Sacrifice. She's eighteen and a redhead with slight freckles on her cheekbones. She's wearing an all white elaborate gown. She keeps her brown eyes in front as she walks to the stage the light staying on her. I hear sorrow from behind us someone has begun sobbing. I fight the pain inside of me.

        I don't know her.

        I hate them for what they're doing to her. I don't understand why they require a Sacrifice every five years. I blame them for this. I blame our world for this. I mean, what were they thinking starting a war with the walking dead? People were foolish thinking they were zombies. These were walking talking vampires with more experience and they defeated us. For our audacity in provoking a war they required a Sacrifice every five years. They didn't just kill the Sacrifice they turned her. 

        They were cruel to our ancestors and to us. None of us here were alive when the war, but we have to deal with consequences. A Sacrifice is chosen every ten years. She has to be eighteen and a virgin. Some girls thought having sex would make them not desirable the vampires killed those girls without turning them.

        They dictated this celebration. They wanted people to suffer to see their loved one changed. The vampires are despicable. The only good part about vampires is that they built the wall around the city. They wanted to keep us separate from them. Any human caught over there would likely be killed. Vampires don't need our blood to survive ever since one of them found a way to create a sustaining liquid they don't need us, but we are still a delicacy to them.

        The Sacrifice they'd chosen is beautiful. She steps up the stage and faces all of us. I see the tears streaming down her porcelain face. She is silent as are we. Lights illuminate the stage and we know they are here. A blur of black and grey races to the stage in a blink of an eye. They love to show off their powers.

        One by one they come on stage. I recognize the first one immediately. He is Markus Grey; he's tall as my father with a head of grey. He faces the crowd with his red eyes ripping into our souls. We immediately drop to our knees as he looks. We remain on our knees as his brother Dom Grey comes on stage. He's completely short, barely five feet with blond hair, but he's vicious. He's killed so many humans for petty things. Vampires were not subject to our laws we are subject to theirs we are there slaves.

        The Sacrifice keeps her eyes on us. I see her fear; she doesn't dare look their way.

        The next person on stage is a woman. She is curvy in a tight red dress that hugs her perfectly. She has no imperfection. She's also a redhead with green eyes darker than mine. She's beautiful and the blood sister of the king, our king. Her name is Gelia Black.  She takes her place beside Dom and Markus. Then the last person stands on the stage. He is our king and this will be the first time I've ever seen him in person. I've seen the others in papers or they've been described to me before.

        I don't get a good look before we all fall to our faces. We are to remain here as a sign of respect until he releases us.

        "Rise," his voice is soft and hard, confident and relaxed.

        I slowly lift my eyes and I gaze at our king. King Mathias Black walks past the others in an all black suit. He fits well, I'm sure it's tailored. I noticed he's wearing a huge ring on his ring finger. There is an insignia on it, but I can't see what. I'm trying to see him, but I could only see the side of his face.

        Finally he faces us. My eyes go wide. He's not at all as I expected. He's good looking.  He doesn't seem that much older than me. Yet, he's the most powerful vampire in the world. He has short black hair and startling bright grey eyes that remind me of sparkling diamonds. From the front I notice he's definitely fit. The suit outlines his ripped physique. He has pink lips and I can't fight the feeling to lick my only lips. Wow, is the only word that comes to mind when I see him.

        I can't think that way. I shut my eyes and slightly shake my head. When I look up again I see him flick his left hand to the others, the sign of feeding. They speed up to her Markus on the right side of her neck, Dom on the left and Gelia at her left wrist. All at once their fangs come out and I feel my own blood clam up. Then they bite her, she screams slightly. And we can't help we can only watch. She falls to her knees and soon she is barely alive. I shut my eyes mid way through. I open them again to see King Matthias dripping his own blood wrist at the mouth of the Sacrifice.

        All the lights go bright. I shut my eyes to adjust them to the light. Music begins and someone begins moving the chairs out of people's way. I look up toward the stage to see the Sacrifice laid out perfectly in a glass coffin. Before the night is over she'd be rising.