My last suicide attempt

51

"She's not on the menu, Edward." Xian muttered darkly. He turned around, pulling me around with him to see ten figures stood before us, all wearing blood-red cloaks that were pulled tightly around their bodies. The tall male at the front had a smirk on his face, whereas the others had blank expressions, so I guessed he was Edward.

His hair was grey, blowing in the breeze that whipped around us, falling in front of his crimson red eyes. They shined bright, standing out, sending shivers up my spine. His smile turned sinister, and he revealed his sharp fangs against his deathly pale skin that was so flawless, not a scar or battle wound of any sort in sight. His facial features were insanely young despite his grey hair. In fact, he was almost as beautiful as Xian.

"What a pity," Edward murmured, true disappointment in his voice.

"Yes, a real pity," Xian mocked spitefully. I glanced sideways at him, and it was only then that I realised he was wearing a suit again; a white button-up shirt with a black tie done up around his collar. His sleeves weren't rolled up this time, and his shirt was tucked in to a pair of black suit trousers, done up with a black belt that I didn't linger on for too long.

Truth be told, Xian was hotter than Hell in a suit.

But that wasn't my main focus. No, for my main focus was to find out where the heck we were and why I was here. At a leech's convention. In one of the shortest dresses I own. A question had recently, subtly, secretly been popping into my head. A question I did not have the answer to, and I'm sure it will never be answered.

Why me?

"Hello? Earth to Avni," Xian was shaking my shoulder, not exactly gently. "I said hurry up."

"Mhm," I mumbled, jogging after him as he strode briskly away. My eyes were peeling along the scenery around me, searching for some clue as to where we were. I couldn't see very far - I was lucky I didn't lose Xian in the fog. Only the sound of his footsteps and his calls for me to hurry up kept me from stumbling into the thick atmosphere surrounding us. When I saw the stones, I raised my eyebrows despite the fact nobody was looking at me.

"Why are we at Stonehenge?" I asked. "What if somebody drives down the highway and sees us? Or what about the people in the shops?"

"Princess, its three thirty in the morning," I heard Xian's voice call to me. I could only just manage to see the back of him. "Nobody's going to be around. Besides, what do you think this fog is for? It's too Michealgerous for anybody to enter this place within a five mile radius."

"Of course." I muttered sarcastically. "Of bloody course."

I slammed into something cold and hard, and I tumbled backwards and onto the floor, Harmonying on my butt. It hurt, that was for sure. It was a cold ground, that was also for sure. The second the damp grass touched my skin, I let out a slight whimper, a strong shiver going up my spine. I looked up at my reason for falling, to see Xian crouching down in front of me, his face expressionless.

"Just shut up and listen," he murmured. "We're about to be within the boundaries of the stones, and you need to be very, very damn quiet. You will follow me, staying within my reach at all times unless I say otherwise. Do not talk to anybody that you are about to meet, unless I say otherwise. Put your immature pride aside, and listen to every word spoken. Is that clear?"

"You made me hurt my butt." I mumbled carelessly.

"I said, is that clear?" he pushed, his tone angry.

"Crystal," I muttered harshly as he held out his hand, which I took. He pulled me up, and brushed grass off of my back, before wrapping his arm around my waist again and pulling me close while he walked. I swallowed hard, my heart feeling as if it was in my throat.

We came into the boundaries of the stones, having to weave through many to get into the centre, where several groups of people awaited. There were a group of people of about fifteen huddling together on the farther side of the stones, all looking on with beady, greedy eyes; as if hungry for the day's events.

There were another three groups of people, all separated. There was a group to the right-hand side of the stones, and one group in the middle. I recognised the group on the right as the people... creatures with the red cloaks that had "greeted" us when we arrived. The other group was made out of two males, and two females, all of which were casting nervous glances our way.

It was the people in the middle that struck me most; they were nothing but mere shadows under their pitch black cloaks. Despite the fact it was still dark, and despite the fact their hoods would have cast shadows across their faces anyway, I could see nothing more than a never ending black hole where each of their faces should have been. I swallowed hard, my heart beating faster again.

"Mr. Harryson, I see you have brought the girl." A voice chimed lowly from one of the three shadowy figures in the middle. I couldn't tell you which one, though.

"As you asked." Xian replied, striding over to the second group made up of the two males and two females with his arm still tightly around me. He came to a halt when we reached the group, and he turned to face every other creature in within the stone's remains.

"And as you see, we have brought witnesses with us today," one of the shadow-figures gestured to the group huddled together, the group that had looked on at me with greedy eyes. They were now staring straight ahead, as if forbidden to look anywhere else. "The council have also decided to attend, to watch over the vamperic safety of today's events." The same figure gestured to the group of vampires in the red cloaks directly opposite us. "And so, let today commence. I believe Edward wishes to introduce and perform today's plans."

I glanced at Edward, picking him out from the group. His eyes were wide for a split second, before he composed his face to a blank expression as he shoved his way through into the very centre of the stones. He slowly paced the tiny circle that was the centre of the stones, his eyes grazing over every creature in every group. His voice sounded, his eyes still transfixed on us all.

"Archaeologists believe that Stonehenge first erected as early as 2500BC, though nobody is certain, as many records and changes have been made. However, before the monument, the area was used as burial grounds. The dating of these cremated remains indicate that the area was used as a burial sight from as early as 3000BC, when the initial ditch and bank that developed into the first stage of Stonehenge was dug. Even after the monument had had its first phase of development, the grounds were continued to be used as a burial sight for at least another 500 years, until the mid third millennium BC. People say that the, folklore, the stories - they say that Stonehenge is in possession of the dead. That it belongs to the dead lying beneath the hills, to the people buried beneath our feet." Edward had stopped now.

He crouched down, and retrieved a fistful of grass.

"This grass belongs to them. To the dead lying underneath this very earth," His tone was sinister, and I felt Xian's fist clench against my ribcage. "This is very much still the domain of the dead. Every piece of it belongs to them - the grass, the stones and every single person that sets foot on this Harmony."

He dropped the lump of grass, and I watched as every single little blade slowly crashed to the floor. To think I was standing on top of a burial sight, it truly made me sick. But what could I say? A member of the living dead was stood cold, breathing and somewhat bipolar with his mood changes all the time at my side.

"In fact," Edward went on. "Many people have twisted folklore itself as the stories get passed down through generations. They say sacrifices happened here on these very blood-stained stones, over beliefs and religions. But they had it wrong."

I felt Xian stiffen even more next to me, if that was even possible. One of the male vampires stood with us came and took a place by my side, standing uncomfortably close. I recognised him as the same vampire who had come with Xian that day they saved me from the druggie that tried to stab me. His blonde hair blew in the morning breeze, and his sea blue eyes were ablaze with rage. I didn't have to know him to know he was angry. His pale skin was practically translucent, and I could feel the coldness radiating from his hand onto mine, he was that close.

Along the line, I could hear a low growling noise rumbling slyly. I glanced across us all, to see the other male, his glare so deathly that it sent shivers down my spine. His hair was a coppery shade of brown, and it stood perfectly still, despite the breeze. I couldn't see his eyes, and frankly, I didn't think I wanted to. But his skin was paler than pale, and he wore the same suit as Xian and the other male vampire. I could see two girls stood just behind us, but before I could have time to analyse them, I was being brought back into reality - into Edward's tale.

"The sacrifices were not over their beliefs. The vampires, they possessed such awesome power. They still do. They were a top predator on this earth, and no possible human could rank a higher status than that. But... the dead had topped our powers. The sacrifices made here were to open the communication portal between here and the other side. The domains of the dead are more powerful than anyone ever would have guessed," Edward started slowly pacing again as we all digested his words.

What, so they used to do some spooky paranormal séance like those people fake to do on Most Haunted? No, that wasn't right.

I cast a look around at everybody, my eyes lingering on their facial expressions. All of the witnesses were watching Edward now, their faces deadly serious. In some of their eyes, I could see the glint of domination - as if they were remembering what it was like to have once held such power before they acknowledged the dead.

I had to admit, I preferred the idea that there was something more powerful, more stronger than vampires and the creatures gathered here today - the true dead.

"The dead lay untouched for millenniums, centuries. Somehow, though the vamperic race are still highly unaware of how, they acquired such powers that it was ranked higher than The Others." Edward gestured with his arm very briefly to the shadowy figures stood next to the witnesses. "For a time, it was unbelievable. But their power... the sacrifices made were to connect with the dead, to communicate with them. The dead hold the prophecy that many people have died for, yet nobody has retrieved. Not one single living creature or mortal from any dimension has ever heard the dead whisper the prophecy. No one."

Prophecy.

Why was I suddenly getting a large swing of déjà vu? My head was spinning, and my stomach felt as if it was about to drop out of my butt. The ground beneath me was turning under my feet.

No.

What lay underneath the ground beneath me was turning...

The air around us suddenly became crisp, and somewhat more harsh. I remembered the Others in the... "vision" or thought that was still linked from Xian's head to mine. When they came, their presence was counted as a warning - something must have happened, otherwise why else would they have showed up if they held as much power as Edward said they did? Why waste your time on a (at the time) measly new born vampire, such as Xian?

At that moment, I looked up at Xian, who cast an expressionless look around at everybody, but his eyes never met mine in the way they had done earlier, back at my house. What I wouldn't give to be stood in my bathroom again in silence, the horrible gut-wrenching awkward pause between Xian and I the only thing on my mind. But I couldn't turn back time...

I was stood in the middle of Stonehenge, in the domain of the dead, listening to the fact that only those whom rest in peace held the prophecy. The prophecy that was obviously needed, otherwise why would so many people have died for it?

"It is impossible to get your hands on the prophecy," Edward said. I looked up at him, and he was staring at me, his crimson red eyes greedy, and his smirk was so evil, so sinister, that I felt Xian pull me slightly closer. As if he saw the same thing as I did - a member of the vamperic council, staring at a half-mortal with the hungriest expression I'd ever seen. And "hanging out" with Xian all the time, I can tell you I've seen my fair share of hungry looks.

"Today, my beautiful dimension-jumpers, my pretty little vampires, my lovely little witnesses," He flitted a tad bit closer to me, and c****d his head to the side. My instinct reaction, was that he looked like he was going crazy. "My fatal little friend, today, we are going to be trying the impossible."

The thick fog was beginning to overlap between Edward and I as my mind drifted to the name he'd called me - his fatal little friend. What the heck was that meant to mean?!

Xian was as stiff as a board, and the male vampire's growling was worse than ever. A very sly, ever so slight commotion began to slowly, so, so slowly erupt. The witnesses turned their heads to look at the shadowy figures - the Others, while the vampires surrounding me slowly began to move towards me in a protective way. When a low growl began to erupt from the three shadowy figures known as the Others, Xian hissed at his friends, and they all backed away. The witnesses smirked for a little while, before turning their heads back to the centre of the stones, where Edward was still stood.

"Creatures and vampires, I give to you-" Edward held out his arms in my direction, gesturing to my form. My heart skipped a beat, and cold fear made my heart jump once more. "Our sacrifice!"

I wanted to say something. I wanted to open my mouth and scream, like I should have done the night Xian bit me. I wanted to object.

But my voice was stuck in my throat, and my brain was turned off, as if in protective mode.

Edward's arms locked around me, ripping me away from Xian's side and into the middle of the stones. I looked back at Xian, but he was looking down at the ground with a scowl on his face. So much for being nice...

I should have known better than to rely on him, to trust him.

But yet, there were so many things I should have done and could have done, and I still found myself pleading that Xian was about to snap Edward's neck or something. I was still not screaming, and I was letting Edward pry me like a rag doll away from the place I wished I could call safe - Xian's side. A wish that would never come true no matter how many shooting stars I saw.

Edward whirled me around to face him, his crimson red eyes intensely wide and somewhat greedy-looking, overlapping into mine. I swallowed hard, and I felt my heart knot up. The question was coming back again.

The question...

"Why me?" I blurted out.

Edward raised his eyebrows. "You have a split soul. A choice is to be made; light or dark. Death or vampire. You can't interfere with this choice, and you have no control over it, either. Your blood is also the same - you have human blood and vampire's blood in your system. Your type - a Mortal Vampire - is rare. In fact, there are only three others in this whole dimension like you. All three of which, are out of reach for... ah, certain reasons. We believe there's a reason for this - to make the blood-type that opens the portal much harder to find."

My lips parted, making my mouth ajar slightly. My neck was hot, and not with embarrassment - I could feel the disgusting fear slowly creeping up my spine. I swallowed again. Or at least, tried to; my throat felt swollen, my chest was numb and every fibre in my body was screaming at me to run. But how could I do so, when iron grips were keeping me firm on the spot?

Edward was... muscular. Not the type to be approached on the streets. He's more of the type that you'd see on the News, the anchor woman warning everybody in the public not to approach him because he's highly Michealgerous. The type that would give you one look, and you'd know that death was inevitably coming your way.

My eyes slid over Edward's shoulder, to Xian's clan. The male vampire who'd been on my other side was holding the other guy, the one who'd been growling, in place. The girls that had been stood behind us were now on either side of Xian, worry deep in their faces.

And Xian?

Our eyes met, his emerald eyes blank and expressionless, just like his facial features. It was the type of look that told me there wasn't anything he could do, so he was giving up, or the type of look that said there was something he could do, he just couldn't be bothered.

As if he was bored.

"Time is running out," Edward said lowly. "It's now or... well, now. I'm thinking I'm going to choose now. Let's go." He roughly grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to a large stone. I noticed that embedded into the stone were somewhat ancient carvings, but of things I couldn't make sense of. But in the cracks, where nobody could reach, I could vaguely see the dried blood from previous 'sacrifices'. I began to wonder in what way they'd sacrifice themselves, and how they could die, but I realised I was supposedly about to find out.

On the bright side, at least I looked nice if I was going to die.

"Ahem, reality check princess." My voice hissed.

I snapped my attentions back to Edward as he pulled a small carving knife. It might have been small, but the pointed tip at the end was glazing, even in the dim, hollow light of the morning, and I could see it was sharp. Still having a hold of my wrist, he tugged my hand out palm-up and slid the knife down the middle. I cringed, pain shooting up my arm as if the blade had touched my bone. Edward glared at me, a look that told me not to make a sound as he did the same to his own palm, not cringing or whimpering like I was as blood began to run down both of our palms.

I was cradling my right hand in my left, blowing on the wound as if that'd cool down the fiery experience. Edward pulled my bleeding hand out to him again, and pushed his wounded palm on mine. I could feel the icy bolt of his blood mingling with mine as it entered my cut, as if the venom was wrapping itself around my blood.

I began to hear low snarls from all around, and I turned my head to see the vampires suddenly ravenous, all staring straight at me. Including Xian, who was clenching his jaw stiffly as he stared intently back at me. Even then, with my blood probably filling all of their senses, his face was still expressionless.

Edward clenched his wounded hand into a fist above my out-stretched hand, making his blood drizzle off of his palm and onto mine. He withdrew his hand and almost instantly slammed my hand against the rock, my blood and palm colliding with the ancient markings. I slowly felt myself drifting, as if half here and half somewhere else. Until, I couldn't see Stonehenge anymore.

No, I could see... them.

Approaching in my mind, so Rabiful, so disoriented, so demonic. As a group, the army got nearer and nearer. Faces scolded as if from a fire, their eyes bright crimson red, their backs crooked as if their spines were deformed. Yet, all the while, they were still so Rabiful.

So much, that it terrified me.

Their faces growling, so, so angry at me. Screaming foreign languages, before the pain erupted. So great, that I cried out. I didn't know whether it really sounded, or whether I only screamed in my mind. But as the fiery pain as flames licked the side of my face occurred, I couldn't stop the shrieking. The ongoing shrieking and screaming that could deafen somebody.

Hell.

This was Hell.

The flames were glued to my skin, constantly burning me continuously. The pain was so great, that I almost didn't feel the tearing of my throat as their sharp teeth like razor blades collided with my skin. Five of them, tearing at my neck while the flames still licked every surface of my skin, and now my insides as the venom spread through my body.

Tongues lapping at the blood seeping as I curled up in pain in the fire, I could hear the words they had been screaming, echoing painfully in my head;

"DAMNATIO MEMORIAE!"

* * * * * * *

I watched as Edward sliced the blade into her palm, her red blood rising to the surface instantly. The smell of it was sweet like honey, and I felt a sudden wave of lust run through me as the monster stirred inside of me. Her blonde hair flailed in the wind, whipping around her throat as her sea blue eyes scanned my clan. She watched Madame hold Vistoc down for a little while, and I could see something in her eyes that I don't think even she was aware of. Next, her eyes glided over to Tessa and Olly, who were both staring back at her.

I could almost taste their fear, as well as Avni's.

Avni probably never even noticed the amount of scars we all had etched into our faces; Tessa, Olly and Vistoc especially no thanks to Erica. Venomous nails had embedded scars into all three of their faces, and Madame must have felt bad that he didn't get to their car (which had apparently been abandoned on the side of the road) quick enough the day so many weeks ago when we were attacked. Rogues...

Her eyes met mine. I could see her pleading at me to help her, but there was nothing I could do to save her. Not without killing myself and my... friends. My clan. Nobody messed around while the Others were here. You're just asking to be slaughtered. I stared back at her, but when she realised I wasn't about to come and help, her eyes looked defeated and she turned her head back to Edward. Not a minute later, her hand was forced against the rock. I heard her let out an involuntary whimper, and her eyes closed tightly. Everybody in Stonehenge was watching. The witnesses - also known as Blanks, because they were neutral in everything - were staring intently at the girl crumpling on the floor. Her hand was still connected to the rock, having slid down with her, leaving a smudged, bloody hand print. For a moment, everything was silent; no cars, no birds, no breathing, no nothing.

Until she screamed.

It was horrible. It was high-pitched and unnatural for Avni. She would never be able to scream such a scream if she were awake. It echoed throughout the stones, and everybody clapped their hands over their ears, whereas I stood there still looking at her. Tears began to stream down her rosy cheeks despite her closed eyes, and her face was pained. But there was something about her that made me unable to look away.

Tessa was shaking my arm with her shoulder, not daring to uncover her ears. I knew, we all knew that scream - it was that of a banshee. The banshee's scream was the only scream ever known that could deafen a vampire. Even then, her scream as high and as loud as a banshee's, I couldn't cover my ears.

But then it stopped. She wasn't quiet though. Far from it.

"DAMNATIO MEMORIAE!" she screamed. She repeated it another three times, before she opened her eyes. They were milky white, and I knew she wasn't seeing us. She was somewhere else, though she was trying so hard to get back.

Her words echoed in my head. 'Damnatio memoriae' - Latin for damnation of memory. It was Avni's personal prophecy. Edward cast me an evil look when she screamed it one last time, and I tried my hardest not to rip his throat out. He was standing close enough, now. It could be so easy...

Blood began to slowly ooze out of Avni's nose and ears, and she kept crying and pleading helplessly as she tried to pry her wrist away from the rock. Her eyes were still milky white and wide as she gaped all around her one last time, tears covering her cheeks. Slowly, her eyes shut and her hand slipped from the rock as her body fell backwards until she lay in the grass. Her tear-stained, make up-stained cheeks were drying, her mouth lay ajar only slightly, and her skin became deathly pale. The bleeding didn't stop.

I clenched my jaw, praying, hoping...

She whimpered. It was the only sound that escaped her, but it was still a sound. A sign that it hadn't killed her. Her chest slowly, rarely rose and fell, telling us she was breathing but only just.

The first ever sacrifice to have survived the wrath of the dead and damned.

"Take the girl." Stefan said from under his blacked out cloak. I knew that a monster, a true monster was hiding beneath the darkness of that hood. I'd only ever seen Stefan once - it was a sight I wished never to look upon again.

But something shocked me suddenly as I realised his words. Edward, despite not being with the Others, walked over to Avni and scooped her carelessly up into his arms. He turned and gave me a sinister smile. His red eyes never leaving mine, his tongue trailed up the length of her throat to her jaw line.

"Yummy," he whispered. "I can't wait for dinner tonight."

Vistoc was hissing and growling. He threw Madame across the circle and into the rocks, and darted at Edward.

"Vistoc, NO!" I shouted. If he did what I think he was going to do, we'd all die.

He bared his nails and ran them down Edward's wrists deeply, making blood rise. He dropped Avni, but Vistoc caught her and lay her back by the rocks before turning back to Edward. Madame was protecting princess while Vistoc gripped Edward's hair, forcing Edward to look at him.