Curiosity Killed the Cat

College.

The word seemed so distant.It was the last year of my high school life.I wasn't ready to leave my friends, and family whom I had confided in for the past eighteen years of my life, and move to an unknown region.Yet, I had to move on.

The last year of my high school passed like a blur.It was the most memorable, precious, and enjoyable year of my life. I had filed applications to several colleges, and was hoping to get accepted into one.

As the year was coming to an end, I started getting worried, for I hadn't chosen a college, or received a response from the one's I had contacted.On graduation day, as I came home, I checked my mailbox, and was relieved to see three letters from three colleges.

The first one was from Chicago University, the second from Florida's Atlantic College, and the third one was from New York University in New York.I was aware that these colleges were some of the best.I chose Chicago University since it was the best by far.

As I left my hometown, which I had lived in my entire life, I felt jittery, and uncomfortable.My intimates, and family members were there to bid me farewell.

A couple of days later, I had bought all my supplies that were needed, learned my schedule, and met my room mate.

Her name was Kelly.She was an amicable, courteous and confident acquaintance.She had dark black wavy hair, that went well with he dark tan.She had green eyes that reflected her intelligence.She seemed pretty nice.Or so I thought.

We got along perfectly fine.College was great, and I had gotten a part-time job in a nearby library, since I enjoyed reading.I kept in touch with high school friends, and my family members.I had the oppurtunity to get to know my classmates, co-workers, and acquaintances, and I was looking forward to moving into my own apartment two months later with my best friend, Casey.

Kelly seemed disappointed and unhappy at first about my sudden plan of moving out, but as time passed she grew used to it.

There was something strange about Kelly.It seemed peculiar that Kelly left at sunrise on the 11th of every month, and didn't come back 'till the next sunrise.When she did show up, she seemed very happy, or tired and angry.I had never questioned her about this, because I always respected a person's privacy.Little did I know that my respect or my disrespect for one's privacy might get me killed.

One stormy night, the door to Kelly and my abode suddenly flew open.Right that I heard the distant rumble of thunder as lightning fell nearby, sending a ray of light across the intruder's face.

Her usually wavy hair was straight and wet.Her clothes were soaked, and she seemed furious.I couldn't help but gape at her.It was Kelly.She silently took off her soaked boots, and black raincoat, and threw them across the tiled floor.

Hurriedly, she started throwing her belongings in a suitcase.After she had packed her belongings she came and sat by the sofa next to the one I was seated, and elucidated that someone had killed her father, and she was going to fly to her hometown.Her family was waiting for her arrival, so she could be at her father's funeral.She informed that she would be back a week later.

Kelly sighed, "Of all the things I have ever gotten, this is my most precious possession," she held up a tattered ancient brown book, it had a large bat with red eyes on the cover, the bat's mouth was open revealing sharp fangs, and red drops were falling from the creature's mouth.Blood.I glanced at the book, for some reason it sent a chill down my spine.I remembered seeing that symbol, but couldn't put my finger on exactly where.Kelly gently ran her finger across the bat, and asked, "Will you do me a favor? Keep the book in a safe place, until I come back. Not that you would, but please don't read it. It's very personal."

I commiserated about the sorrowful incident, and was happy to keep her book in a safe place.She smiled gratefully, and eventually left.

A thought was itching in the back of mind, and I only had time to think about it, when I had laid down to sleep that night.Kelly was definitely angry about her father's murder, that was apparent.Yet ...she showed no sympathy about the sudden death.She wasn't a bit dolorous about this formidable occurrence.

By this time I had began to suspect something strange about Kelly.Her usual disappearance, the way she seemed such a private person now, the way she sometimes came into my room in the middle of the night, thinking I was asleep, and looked through my belongings.I had never confronted her about this.I was a light sleeper, and even the faintest sound could bring me back to reality from my dreams.I always waited to see if she found what she was looking for.She never took anything, though.It seemed so unusual for a person like her to disrespect someone's privacy.Yet, she had trusted me to keep her most prized possession in a safe place.That astounded me.

It had been six days since Kelly left.She hadn't returned. Since she was so prompt I was certain she would come back the next day.Without Kelly, our abode seemed secluded from the rest of the surrounding.So empty, and alone.

For the past days, since Kelly left I had put her book in a safe spot, along with my most prized possessions. I had been so curious about what was in the book.Kelly loathed reading.What would be in it? Why was it her prized possession? Where did she go on the 11th day of every month? What was she looking for in my room? So my questions were itching in the back of mind, I had a feeling that her book would give away the answer to all those questions, but I never even opened that book.I was obviously very curious. I was itching to know about Kelly's secret life, but I respected her privacy.

That night it was difficult for me to concentrate on my college assignments.After awhile I gave up even trying to do my homework.My mind was set upon the book.Why should I respect her privacy, when she goes turning my room upside down in the middle of the night? I questioned myself.

I finally gave up, and got her book.My hands lingered on the cover, as I gently retraced the outline of the hideous creature.A sudden chill ran down my spine.

I carefully opened the book.An invisible ray of bright silver light emerged from the book, and escaped from the ceiling, reaching the sky, and enveloping our abode.I, however, didn't see the light, since it wasn't visible to the human eye.

An unknown tension broke hundreds of miles away.It was unknown to me that this book wasn't opened by a human in a thousand years.

I coughed since the dust from the book had escaped and had enveloped my mouth.I brushed the dross, and peered curiously, running my finger along the tattered page.The same bat symbol was drawn upon the first page.

I flipped through the book, and realized it was a diary.Kelly's diary.I felt confused, something was wrong.I laid the tattered book flat open.One side it was Kelly's handwriting.Small, neat and perfect.On the other side it was someone's else handwriting.It was big, and the letters were rounded and joined together.It wasn't neat but it was readable.

I skimmed through the book.On one side was Kelly's handwriting, on the other was someone else's.It didn't make sense.Why would Kelly share a diary with someone? That was absurd.Pointless.

Two page's stood out, from the rest.I read Kelly's part, first:

Dear Diary,
It's was the 11th yesterday.I dread that day.Always.It makes me feel guilty.I wonder how Casey (my roommate) would react if she found out she lives with a murderer.My mother has told me, not to blame myself.It's not me, who's deliberately doing the killing or the blood sucking.

I remember when I had turned 13.That's when my mother elucidated the entire story, I remember those exact words:

'Kelly, I'd like to talk to you.Ofcourse, you have never met your father.He left you when you were only a year old, but I'd like to tell you something, even it if seems impossible, trust me, it's true.

Your father was a vampire.Vampire blood runs through your very own veins.You see, since half your blood is vampirish, and the rest is human, it makes you: Humirish.

You see when you turn 13 at midnight, you'll officially be Humirish.Meaning, you're a vampire starting from midnight, and when the sun rises you'll be human.On the 11th of every month, you'll ...you'll go search for food.Vampires feed on human blood, however, --they also kill, but that's what vampire do.You cannot control that.At midnight your mind will go blank, you won't know what you did, when you turn human in the morning, but if you killed or ...sucked blood you'll know.

You don't kill, vampire's do.Don't blame it on yourself.'

That's all she had told me.I remember how many innocent lives I took, how many people I murdered.I killed: 215 people. Ofcourse, I know this because "my vampire" also writes in here.

I want to be normal."

A sudden chill ran down my spine, I suddenly understood everything.At night, Kelly was a vampire, in the morning she was a human.Her disappearances, looking through my room.Everything.I slammed the book shut, I didn't want to know more.I knew too much.

I looked up, and the dairy slipped from my hands and plummeted to the floor, as I screamed in horror.Kelly, was standing there.It was night, she was a vampire.

Kelly came closer to me, as I slowly backed off.She was wearing a tight black, and tight black pants.Her hair was hanging down.She glared at me accusingly, her eyes showed disgust and hatred.She smiled.A smile that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

"Humans," she muttered, in a hoarse voice that didn't suit her."Filth."

"Kell- Kelly, um --" I stammered.

"Never trust a human, how true.I wanted to kill you, my main goal since I came here." She slowly walked up to me, and as I backed off.

"But I couldn't because of her.Her protection for you was strong, her friendship.It disgusted me, but I couldn't kill you.Now, I can.She trusted you, she forced me to give the dairy to you, to prove me your trust.You, however, took advantage of the book." She smiled nastily, "I can kill you."

She came forward, as I backed off.My back was pressed to the wall, and she was inches away.Her smile grew.Suddenly, Kelly took out a knife from her back pocket.

A large blood stained knife.She raised it high into the air, before it came down, I pushed her.She fell to the floor.

Without looking back, I ran.Hoping, praying she wasn't following me.I came to the door, and flung it open.Kelly was standing right in front of me, the knife in her hand."You can run, but you can't hide."

I backed off, my foot caught something causing to trip.I lay on the ground, as Kelly came over me."I told you not to read the dairy."

She raised the knife in the air, "Curiosity killed the cat.Now, I'm going to kill you." Her smile widened.I lay there helpless.

I stood up, a mixture of guilt and fear ran through my body.Just as Kelly was bringing the knife down, without thinking I hugged her.Hugged her so tight that she couldn't bring it down into my body."Kelly, come back to yourself."I whispered softly.

Suddenly, the room became a blur of colors.My mind was spinning, and my body seemed to tear apart into countless pieces.I felt sharp pain throughout my body.The pain was unbearable.If this is dying, it's not so bad, I thought.

I felt someone shaking me, I opened my eyes.There were two police officers standing over me.

"Are you okay?" one asked.

"Kelly, where's Kelly?" I asked them.The both looked at me, perplexed.

"I don't know who you're talking about. You fainted last night, by a lot of studying, I suppose.You're fine.We came to check on you, since the neighbors informed they heard you screaming."

They gave me some medication, and the doctors checked to see if I was fine.Then they all left.It was a dream I thought.Kelly was a dream, going to college was a dream, too.I thought.

I looked about.It wasn't a dream.I was in the living room of Kelly and my abode.On the floor, I found Kelly's diary.As I watched it suddenly burst into flames and vanished.