Roslyn

The five of us stand in a large circle around their kitchen, staring uncomfortably at Elise's shriveled up body on the table.

Well, maybe I'm the only one who is staring uncontrollably. Everyone else seems to be used to staring at newly dead vampires on their kitchen table. I guess this is a regular happening for this family. Seeing dead vampires is probably normal for them.

"Well, we have to kill her." Jackie says, saying what she thinks needs to be done next.

"What? No!" James objects loudly. "She's fine just like this."

"We won't be truly safe until she's dead James." His father adds simply, remorse filling his voice. He must know how James feels about Elise.

"Not to be rude sir, but isn't she already dead?" I wonder, pointing out the large chunk of wood protruding from the center of her chest and the flakiness of her skin.

She looks pretty dead to me...

James laughs quietly. The room is dark but the moon is shining enough light inside the widows for me to see that everyone else is laughing too. "Werewolf scratches are fatal to a vampire."

"Yeah. But this isn't a werewolf bite. This is a chunk of a tree in her chest." I point out.

James shakes his head. "It's a wooden stake."

"Yeah and for vampires, it means temporary death." Jackie chimes in. "So like, if I were to pull it out of her right now, she would sit up like nothing happened."

"Is that how you aren't dead? Even though you had that in your chest?" I ponder, curious as to how this is all possible. If I had a chunk of wood hanging out of my chest, I sure as hell wouldn't be temporarily dead.

I'd be permanently dead.

"My mom and dad found me and ripped the stake out. There was a little pain but I'm fine. The same would happen if we took it out of Elise right now or in hundreds of years."

"Which is why we need to kill her for good. She's a danger to us and everyone in this town James. Can't you see that?"

"Alright, everybody calm down. Why don't you guys start by explaining what happened and then we will figure out what to do with her body." James' mother suggests, stepping in front of Elise before anyone can make any dramatic decisions. "James deserves at least the chance to save her life."

James smiles at his mother's kindness.

"But let me be clear James, no matter how you may feel about her, if it is determined she's a danger-"

"Which she is!" Jackie interjects.

Their mother glares at Jackie, showing her that she should not have spoken at that moment. Jackie immediately backs down, her aggressive stance changing to a submissive one in the presence of her dominant mother.

"If it is determined that she is a danger to this town or anyone in it, your father and I will terminate her despite what you may have to say."

James nods.

"Begin." Their father's booming voice echoes throughout the otherwise quiet house.

"Let me start by saying this is all my fault sir. Jackie told me to stay away but I just couldn't. I could hear them struggling from my bedroom. I couldn't just sit there and pretend I didn't know Jackie was in trouble."

"For the record, I wasn't in trouble. I was doing just fine!" Jackie folds her arms over her chest.

"Oh, easy for you to say asshole! I had a stake in my chest!"

"I was jealous." I add, staring at the floor.

"Jealous?" James asks, his body turning towards me slightly. I nod.

"You were spending all of your time with Elise and I didn't like it because- well," I try to find appropriate words to express how I felt watching them through my bedroom window every night, dancing and being romantic with each other.

"This seems like a conversation that should be worked out between James and Roslyn." James' mother speaks quickly, before I am able to finish.

"This conversation needs to be finished right here and right now. There will be no discussion of a relationship." His father adds, putting his foot down both physically and metaphorically.

"John." Jame's mother stares at her husband, taking charge and demanding we be left alone.

"Very well then." He sighs. "Don't make me regret leaving you two alone to speak about this." He turns his attention to James. "You know what to do son. Don't disappoint me."

Author's note: what do you think will be done with Elise?