Tragedy.

It's only fitting that I learn true tragedy. I just wish it wasn't like this. I'd known very little about tragedy before the death of my Granny but I am sure I know so much now.

Grandmother was the kindest, warmest woman I've ever met. She didn't deserve to die like she did.

No one does.

I don't remember much after finding her. The EMTs and my parents told me that I had already been screaming and sobbing when they got there. They told me that I didn't want anyone to touch her. My parents tell me that I still scream in my sleep.

I know I wake up in cold sweat often, unable to get her face out of my head.

A week has passed and life has once again crept forward, bringing me into this exact predicament. The guidance counselor came to my parents and they all decided I should see her for a while. Nora Laureen, our new guidance counselor, had gone above and beyond for me.

I often wonder why she's a guidance counselor and not some kind of model, or at least a trophy wife. Half the guys in school share the same sentiment. Nora is particularly pale with dark, cascading auburn hair. She occasionally wears a pair of grey stylized spectacles and always wears a very sultry red lipstick. Of course, she is thin. Isn't everyone these days? She also has surprisingly bright turquoise eyes.

I hate to be that guy but she always wears something on the verge of being too sexual for school. It's always just tasteful enough that no one can say much about it.

"Perry" Her voice is soft but commanding. I always feel like there's something just below the surface of her veneer. As if her sultry lipstick didn't stop at her lips. She seems to always stare at me with curiosity. She quickly says, "You said that you are coping. I said that it was a tragedy and it's understandable for you to feel any way you feel. You immediately went quiet."

I shift in my seat.

"It's been a week since you returned to your and found your Grandmother. How, exactly, are you coping?"

"Witchcraft, of course." I joke with a smirk. Her eyebrow raises at the joke and I chuckle, "I am, of course, kidding.

"Of course you are. There is no such thing as witches." She says scribbling something down in her notes, "How is your home life? You said before that your Father returned home. You've stated that your Brother is also at home, correct?"

"Of course you are. There is no such thing as witches." She said scribbling something down in her notes, "How is your home life? I hear that your father and brother returned home."

"You've met my Father, do you think it affects me?" I ask.

She nods.

"Fine. It's nothing special, I guess?" I shake my head at her, "My Brother thinks he's my Father and my Father thinks he's the world greatest Dad. I don't have the heart to tell either of them that..." I stop and look up at her. She's watching me and I shake my head again, "Life goes on, right? I'm not harming myself or others, just dealing."

"I wanted to ask you before you go to class. I'll want to see you again, just to make sure you settle, alright?" Her voice always seems so concerned. I waver on my belief on it. She gives me a soft smile, "My door is always open. No matter what happens."

I hate that expression. It's not the first time I've heard that in two weeks. It's beginning to wear me down in the worst way.

I feel something scary from her. I feel the same danger I feel with Lucas. No, that's a lie, it's worse.

I smile and stand, "Thank you." I say as I all but run out of the office.

                                                                                   ----------------------------------------------

Seeing Nora made me long for class. I am already the new topic of discussion in Thebas, a feeling that I do not miss. Walking in during a lecture would feel almost like a public execution. I find myself walking through the halls, trying to find some kind of escape.

My mind moves too fast for my own good. I feel myself spinning out of control suddenly. It happens every once in a while, more so in the past couple of weeks. It feels like the world closes in on me and it usually is accompanied by some kind of panic attack. Panic attacks are rare for me but it's becoming more and more normal every hour.

I felt something strange pulling at me, like an invisible string. Without warning, a wooden bench against the wall begins to pull towards me. I say nothing, do nothing, just stare at it in surprise.

"It'll only get stronger."

The voice speaks. It is calm, serene even. I turn to see Finn standing a few feet away from me. He is staring at me not with surprise, but concern. I'm sick of concerned expressions. I'm more shocked by my telekinetic display than he is. I look back at the bench and to him again.

"I'm sorry about your Grandmother." His voice is so soft that I can't bear it.

"Are you?" I ask with more venom than I think possible, "Some psychopath breaks into my house and kills my—my Grandmother. Why would you possibly be sorry about that?"

Finn swallows a lump in his throat, his eyes never leaving me. Somehow my eyes never leave him either. I can feel anger rise in every single part of my body.

"I don't have the energy to fight with you or anyone else. I have no idea what all of this is but one thing I do know is what you are." I say with annoyance.

"You know what I am? What am I then?" He asks.

"Don't—"

"Say it so neither one of us has to lie about it anymore."

"Vampire...and cliché." I say simply.

His face softens and his eyes survey our surroundings before landing on me again, "What else are you aware of?"

"What else?! That's pretty substantial. You and your Brother are vampires! Don't you think that's enough?" I ask.

"I know this is...jarring..."

"Jarring? Really? Jarring." I chuckle with annoyance as I turn away from him, "I just buried my Grandmother, whose death is far beyond natural. No person can do that sort of thing! Did you or your Brother do it?"

"I did not."

My eyes flicker for a second as his words marinate in my mind. He doesn't sound sure but the fact that he believes his own Brother sets off alarms in my head. I take a few steps forward before stopping. I turn to him, my mind coming to a logical conclusion. The deaths all started when the Brothers showed up in town. They continue to this day.

When I look up at him again, he is still staring at me.

"If I were you, I'd get out of here before I learn to set things on fire." I say as I turn to him once again and walk away.

                                                                                     ----------------------------------------------  

When I arrive home, I slam the door to signal my arrival. My Mother and Father round the corner from the kitchen and stare at me as my Brother descends the stairs.

"Family Meeting." I command.

My Father and Mother sit on the couch while my Brother, Porter, stands behind them. I pace in front of them, trying to gather my thoughts. I ignore their protests and questioning.

When I finally stop, I look to them. I feel the anger in my own eyes. It's below the surface, threatening to explode.

"Perry? What's going on?" My Mother's worry is evident, "Has something happened? Are you alright?"

"Where is it? Grandmother's Grimoire?" I ask.

They exchange puzzled looks before their eyes return to me. The casual observers would find their dumbfounded expressions as a reaction to what I said. A different type of reaction.

I'm not so naïve.

"Grimoire?" Dad asks.

"Yes, as in magical book with spells." I say loudly, "Granny told all of us about it and please spare me the 'what are you talking about' routine. It's an affront to my intelligence. I know we're witches."

"Say we are," Porter says behind our parents, "Why would we give you, in this state of mind, our most prized possession?"

"Because I'm going to solve my Granny's murder. I'm also going to save the rest of us from whoever's doing it." I look between them before eventually running to the end of my patience, "We're witches. I know we're not the only supernatural beings that exist. I know we're not the only supernatural beings in this town. I also know that the way Granny...the way she died wasn't natural."

My Mother and Father exchange annoyed expressions before my Father stands. He towers over me and I would normally find him intimidating. He's always been the authorial type. He looks as if he's about to beat the crap out of me, or try. My Mother begins trying to calm the situation down but he shushes her before looking back to me.

"Listen to me, dammit! You have the balls to demand we give you something? And a magical book on top of that? Not only are we not giving you Patricia's Grimoire, you're going to forget all of this idiocy. If you don't, I swear to God I'll have your Mother wipe your mind."

I tilt my head. He'll have my Mother wipe my mind. My mind has to actually process the words before it comes to a logical conclusion.

"You're not a witch?" I ask.

"What? Why would that matter?"

"Because I am." I say angrily, "You don't even live here anymore. You left, remember?"

His face grows pale, or as pale as it can. His eyes are definitely dangerous now, "Never speak to me like that ever again.

"Both of you calm down. We need to be calm and discuss this like a normal family. We've been through too much and this isn't the time." Mother says as she stands.

I look to my Father and then my Brother, "That's why you both left, isn't it? It has to be. It's why you two are always arguing. Dad's not a witch. Port, are you even a witch? I don't really care." I hiss as I pass them entirely. I head for the stairs.

The three of them follow me but stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going? We're not done." My Father asks.

I turn and stare at him, "To find the Grimoire and save our asses."

"Perry, you've never even done magic! It's dangerous." Mother shouts, "Just come back down here and we'll discuss it."

"There's no discussion. There'll be no magic!" My Father interjects.

I look between them, "No. The longer we sit and argue about this, the more unprepared we are." I say as I continue my trek up the stairs.

                                                                                       ----------------------------------------------    

I rummage through boxes of my Grandmother's belongings, occasionally stopping to admit pictures of her or letters to and from her. It's weird how nostalgic I am. I'm not one for nostalgia. I realize that I'm sifting through my Grandmother's entire life. I find pictures of her with so many people and in so many places. Her life is splayed out in front of me, in black and white.

It's soothing.

"She was a hell of a woman. Incredible." Porter says as he enters the room, "She was a one-of-a-kind type of person."

"Why didn't we ever know about this?" I ask. I can hear Porter behind me, even if he doesn't speak. I picture up a handful of pictures, "She told us about this stuff when we were little and we just wrote it off as senility. Just stories."

"And?"

"Those hypocrites downstairs don't want us to know the truth."

"He's trying to protect us," Porter says calmly, "He didn't know about any of this for a long time. Mom didn't exactly divulge the info—"

"What about after he found out? We live in Salem for fuck's sake."

"That's a question for them, don't you think? Listen, say you married a supernatural being and you had no clue, what would you do?" Porter asks, "What if you married that person and somehow had kids? A whole life? Would you do absolutely anything in your power to protect them?"

"That was a success." I mutter, "All that denial and it didn't do a lick of good."

"Not going to debate the morality of our childhood. I'm just going to warn you that the world is a dangerous place. Magic is dangerous. You don't just say a spell and it happens. There are consequences and repercussions. Everything in this world has a price."

I stop digging through her things and turn to him. My eyes narrow on him as I realize he's not speaking figuratively.

He knows firsthand.

"You're a witch and you knew about it, didn't you?"

Porter says nothing as he nods to me.

"And you know where the Grimoire is?" I ask.

"Yes."

"And you're seriously not going to tell me?" I ask.

"No, I'm not." He says with a frown, "I love you too much to do that to you. Be a normal kid. Don't let this into your life."

"I'm not a normal kid. I was never a 'normal' kid and we both know it." I say angrily, "Fine, I'll find who did this without magic and I'll kill them with my bare hands."

I stuff my Grandmother's belongings back into the box before standing.

"You're such a smart kid but you don't understand, do you? You'll die." Porter's voice is dripping with anger, "You're not listening, which isn't a surprise. You're more like Dad than you know."

That's a low blow.

"Whatever or whomever killed our Grandmother...let it go."

I'm disgusted by his comment. Let it go?

"No." I say angrily. I breeze past him and turn to him when I reach the door, "The fact that you can 'let it go' is disturbing. This was our Granny. She deserves more than to die alone, bleeding on the floor."

Without another word, I march out of the room. I leave Porter there.

                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------- 

I have to say that I am more than ready to be away from my family. I am so glad when I remember that the Festival I helped create was being held tonight at the fairgrounds. Finally, after all the planning, I am here. Despite more than a few deaths, everyone seems to be having a great time. It is a full-fledged festival. There are parents, kids and teenagers all having a good time for the sake of having a good time.

It won't last.

After doing search after search, I finally come across what could only be described as wooden bullets. I take them and a pistol from my parents' room and head to the festival. I have knots in my stomach upon reaching the festival.

Porter is right about one thing. I am going up against a vampire with supernatural powers whatsoever. I would either fight and die or fight and lose. Neither seemed ideal but at this point I really don't care.

I spot the twins early on, speaking in private about something. Eva and Charlotte seem to be chatting Parker and David up. The conversation seems quite pleasant as far as I can see. Hopefully it's them making up.

I wait for the twins to take their conversation elsewhere before I even think about attacking them. If anyone got injured, especially kids, I'd never be able to forgive myself.

The Brothers duck off into the woods as I follow. They seem to have gone deeper into the forest than I originally think. As I walk deeper and deeper, I begin to think about my plan, or lack thereof, as well as the past couple of weeks.

Lucas has known from the moment he got here that I am a witch. He probably guessed that I knew about vampires when he got here but he had to have guessed that his assumption was dead wrong. When he realized, this became a game to him.

He'd die for that alone.

A branch cracks behind me as I come to a clearing. I turn quickly, aiming the loaded gun at the person behind me. David jumps as his hands go into the air in surrender. I scoff and tuck the gun into my waistband.

"What the Hell! I thought we were in a good place."

"Why are you following me?" I ask looking around, "And you didn't bring anyone else, did you?"

"No. Not that I know of." David pointed to my waist, "Why do you have a gun."

"I asked you first."

"I wanted to talk to you. I texted you more than a couple of times after your...She was a nice lady. She was always nice to me." He spoke with a sincerity that would have made me feel tingly in any other situation. He sighs, "Eva and Charlotte are worried, too. Eva told me that you're in some kind of fight and she hasn't hear from you in two weeks."

"I—I'll explain everything to you, I promise, but you right now you have to go back to the festival."

"And leave you here, with a gun?"

"I'm fine."

"I know you're not out here to shoot Bambi," His eyes stare at me in an accusatory fashion, "And since when did you like guns at all?"

"They're—nice and stuff."

"Right. I'll go back but...you should come with me. Please."

"I'll be right behind you."

David opens his mouth to speak but I glare at him. He nods to me before turning and walking back towards the festival. I waited until I heard leaves cracking further out towards the carnival. I ventured forward. I begin to think out loud that I may have missed my opportunity.

They're gone.

"Sucks," I look up to see Finn and Lucas standing in front of me. Lucas wears a smirk on his face while Finn looks positively inquisitive. Lucas laughs, "What was your big plan? To shoot us to death? Bee done and I ate them afterward."

"You have to listen to us—" Finn begins.

I pull the gun and aim it at Lucas, "I really don't." I say clicking the bullet into the chamber, "I knew you were dangerous but I did not know just how dangerous."

"Very, as it turns out, but I didn't happen to twist your Grandmother's neck." He says nonchalantly.

"This is all a big game to you, isn't it?" I ask.

"What can I say? You're entertaining." Lucas is very dramatic, "But it's not always my game."

"Lucas did not kill your Grandmother, Perry." Finn's voice is frantic, "He's killed a lot of people but she's not one of them."

"You're making me want to up the count." Lucas adds.

"If he didn't kill her, who did?" I ask.

A hand reaches from beside me and grabs my arm. I look over to see that the hand is attached to Nora, who seems pretty thrilled with herself. She grins even more when she realizes I see her, "My Brother couldn't have done something so perfect." She says as she twist my arm so hard it throw me off my feet.

I roll on the ground and stop at the twins' feet.

Finn bends down to help me while Lucas stares at Nora, who seems pretty pleased with herself. I feel as if she's taunting me on purpose, even just standing there. She gained my trust in her little time with me, killed my Grandmother and pretended to help to get close to me.

Bitch has got to go.

"Elnora. Love the frowns lines. Makes you a big frigid." Lucas' eyes bore a hole into his sister, "Aging is the new thing, right? To what do we owe this complete and utter displeasure?"

"My dear Brothers, it's been ages. I've got to say that I have missed your wit, though I am regretting not setting you two on fire at when you were born."

"You were always so doting." Finn says with complete revulsion.

"Are you all insane?" I held my arm close to me. Nora's throw as well as my rolling across the ground on it has injured it, I'm sure. I frown at her, "Son of a whore, exactly how many of you are there?"

"Just us three...well, four if you count..."

"We don't." Lucas and Finn echo.

"So, you're the one killing all those people?" I finally see how depraved these people are.

"Not entirely, witchboy. I've only been here for a couple of weeks." Nora ssays as she smiles toward Lucas, "My bet is on my little Brother. You see, he's always had this rage that, quite frankly, endears him to me."

I hear the brush move beside us and pray to God that it's an animal.

Eva emerges from the brush with Charlotte, Parker, David and some girl that I've only see in passing. The five of them stop as they reach us. Nora's attention turns to them as the girl begins to scream. Nora disappears and appears in front of the girl, snapping her neck with no hesitation. I make to move to her but Lucas stops me. Nora goes to strike Parker but is suddenly thrown off her feet as Porter moves through the brush with his hand out in front of him.

Nora stands and hisses at us, her face becoming pale and less human. It distorted with teeth elongated into serrated fangs. I can physically see the veins creeping across her face. She fires a shot out of the gun but Lucas steps in front of the shot, which burrows itself into his stomach.

Nora quickly disappears from our sight, leaving Charlotte screaming out. Porter passes all of them and makes it to me. I throw my arms around him, thinking to myself that we're all safe.

For now.

                                                                                           ----------------------------------------------   

I watch as the ambulance take the girl's, Sarah, corpse away. I can see what looks like her Brother crying out as he follows her stretcher. He stops and stares daggers in me. I think to myself that he may never know what really happened to his sister.

I'm not sure it's fair.

I'm not sure what I believe anymore.

We've been questioned about what happened in the clearing. Porter leaves me with the EMTs to call home. After they are done with me, I watch as Finn comforts Eva.

They seem really happy.

She sees I am alone and walks over to sit beside me on the back of the ambulance. For a second, we sit in silence and watch as everyone rushes around us. After a minute or so, I feel her hand on mine. I pull away from her and look forward

"I didn't tell you because it wasn't safe." Eva says softly.

"That's getting really old."

Eva stares at me before shaking her head, "I'm not sure what that means but I am sorry. Would you have even believed me?"

"Yes. I believe in the supernatural. I told you about my dreams, about what I saw..."

"And it was a dream! How as I supposed to—" She stops her sentence to calm herself before speaking again, "I was terrified. Lucas isn't the only one with that tattoo. Fin has it too, with different lettering."

We both go quiet again.

"I wanted to tell you. I just didn't want this to happen."

I chuckle at her, "You're every single girl in every vampire movie." I say quietly.

"You're right." She nods.

"Even after my Granny died, you said absolutely nothing."

"You didn't give me much of a chance." Eva argues, "I know things are going to be different now, but I have to warn you. You need to stay away from Lucas. He'd dangerous."

"In the interest of fairness, so is Finn." I say as I push myself off the ambulance. I stand on the concrete and walk away from her. I end up with the Brother, who both regard me with surprise, "Finn, can I speak to Lucas?"

"You have a gun? Want to try to shoot me again?"

Finn nods and says, "Sure." before heads past me, presumably to Eva.

"Look, I know what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"You're a vampire. You're dangerous. You're bad. You—"

I propel myself forward, grabbing the back of his head. I pull him in for a kiss that seems to catch him by surprise. When he's sufficiently pleased, he leans back into me but I pull away.

"Talk to much." I smile, "And thank you."

Lucas stares at me with utter confusion as I turn and leave him standing there. The last thing I need is a vampire boyfriend. Especially one that seems more dangerous than most. But here he is. I'm usually not attracted to dead guys for obvious reasons, but he did protect me.

Whatever his reasons.

I walk to Porter who immediately voices his disapproval. I ignore him as I climb in the car. He quickly moves to the other side and throws himself in, starting the car and pulling out of the fairgrounds.

                                                                                           ---------------------------------------------- 

Nora paces back and forth in front of the desk. The man in the chair, the principal of Thebas High School, sits in his chair. He leans on the desk with a look of utter horror on his face as Nora stops pacing and finally looks at him.

"He is going to be pissed." The Principal says with a calm smile.

"Pissed? If he has to come here, he's going to be more than pissed! I didn't survive all these years to die at the hands of a teenager or my idiot Brothers. And most definitely at his hands." Nora rages.

"Perry's a good kid."

"Perry is a moron!" Nora shouts, "I don't know how they can be so—I don't understand why he's special and why Phoenix—"

Nora notices the Principal's cool demeanor.

"He'll be pissed that I blew my cover...which is why I told him that it was all your fault."

"You did what?!"

Nora disappears and appears on the edge of the Principal's desk as she takes the letter opener on the side of the desk in her hands and begins to file her nails, "And he feels that your failure deserves more than a smack on the wrists."

"You deceitful bit-"

Nora quickly jabs him in the neck with letter opener and takes a few steps back as blood sprays everywhere on the desk and floor. She flips her dark hair and tucks the letter opener in her sleeve.

"I'm told the severance is to die for." She smirks as she prances out of the office.