Queen of the Vampires

Chapter 2: The Letter

ELLIE

I blinked at the clock on the wall and grinned. I'd finished my first job by eleven this morning and now at four I was finished with my second.

I had three part-time jobs in total that added up to well over the hours I'd put in if I could land a regular full-time job, but it was what it was.

Medical bills waited for no one.

I clocked out and left the bakery, and headed to my car. I hummed as I started her up and headed for the hospital.

I had just enough time for a short visit with my sister before I had to go home and get ready for my third shift of the day.

I pulled up and parked outside the hospital before heading inside. The smell of cleaners and disinfectants swamped me, and I hated it. I was used to them, but they were a stark reminder that the people in this place were sick.

The smile slid off my lips like it always did, and I made my way up to the third floor where the long-term patients were. Then on to room 304.

When I entered, my twin sister Kate looked away from the TV. She shot me a mischievous smile and turned off the television with the remote.

“I wasn't sure I'd see you today," she said with her husky voice.

We looked a lot alike, but where I was curvy, she was thin and unhealthy. Her hair was cut to her chin in a wavy bob and her eyes were a dark brown. Her olive skin was pale and had a tinge of yellow to it.

“How are you today?" I sat in a chair beside her bed.

Kate shrugged. “Okay. The food was decent today, but then I threw it up."

I nodded.

Kate looked away from me and turned the TV back on.

That was it. That was the extent of most of our conversations.

I didn't know what to say to my sister anymore. She was dying and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I'd worked my butt off to keep her in the hospital and receiving treatment, including dropping out of high school. I'd likely be paying off our debts for the rest of my life at this rate.

But I didn't regret it. I'd wanted to give her a chance. She was twenty-one and had never really lived. In the beginning, our parent's life insurance had paid for her medical bills, but they hadn't been well off either, so that money had quickly dried up.

An hour later, I kissed my sleeping sister on the cheek and left the hospital.

I was a happy person, but nothing got me down like visiting Kate. She was such a vibrant person and to see that drain out of her killed me. I'd give anything to trade places with her.

In high school, she'd been the popular one with bright lights in her future. I'd been the one in the background, happy to stay out of the limelight.

Everyone had expected so much out of her, but they hadn't known that she'd been sick since she was twelve. Shortly before we turned eighteen, she could no longer hide it and dropped out.

I hurried home, changed into my fast-food uniform, then headed off to my third job.

By the time I got there, I was humming again and had cleanly shoved all negative thoughts into the background.

There was no point in dwelling on them. Stressing wouldn't solve anything. Work wouldn't either, but it couldn't hurt.

Plus, I was really hoping that if my customer service was topnotch, they'd promote me to a manager position with full-time hours and benefits.

I may not have graduated high school, but I was no dummy. My sister may have been the fun one, but I'd been the smart one.

I would totally rock at being a manager.

And then when Kate died...

Nope. That wasn't going to happen. She would be fine. I knew it deep down in my soul. My sister would recover. She still had a three percent chance at survival. She could make it.

“Ellie, can you go make more fries?" Mike, my manager, asked.

“Sure thing," I said with a smile before turning away from the counter and heading back to the fryer.

I hated making fries. The smell of the grease hadn't been too bad at first, but now it was just as bad as the hospital.

But all managers started out at the fryer.

And I made the best fries. Not too crunchy, but not soft either. Perfectly golden.

I had to be proud of something.

“Ellie, when you're done with that, can you take out the trash?" Mike called from the front.

“Will do!" I yelled back.

Sarah, Tawnie, and Jason stood off to the side of the burger grill whispering and laughing with each other while Tim flipped the burgers and chimed in occasionally.

I sighed. I was Mike's go-to employee. The rest were mostly useless while I busted my a*s to be the best.

I couldn't blame them, really. They were all in high school and didn't take this job seriously. I was twenty-one and this job meant I got to eat. Heck, they even gave me a free meal with every shift, so it saved me money.

I couldn't afford to slack off.

I finished up with the fries and left them to drain, then gathered up the trash and exited through the back door.

The night was cool and there was a gentle breeze blowing across the parking lot.

I tossed the bag in the trash and tipped my head back to stare at the full moon. A smile tugged at my lips. It was beautiful.

Shaking my head, I headed back to work.

***

When I finally got off that night, I headed home in a rush. I was dead tired and ready to crash, but first I had to shower the cooking grease off me.

I parked outside of my apartment and trudged up the stairs to my floor.

I was a few feet away from my door when I saw something on it that made me frown.

A golden envelope was taped to my door, right under the peephole.

I stepped up to my door and pulled it free. It was thick and sturdy. Expensive.

Who on earth would leave me something like that?

I'd think it was a mistake, but 'ELLIE' was scrawled on the front with big swirling letters.

Envelope in hand, I unlocked my door and entered my run-down apartment. I locked up then sat at the bar to open the letter.

I had no idea what it was, but I just knew that it was going to change things.