I need to edit this chapter the most (in my opinion) but I'd like your thoughts. I wrote this when I was 10 and rewrote it when I was 12 but I'm going to do it again because there are parts I want to fix
The First Meet
Ava Goodwin was the best vampire hunter Embercrest had ever seen. At least, that’s what people whispered. Most of the town had no idea vampires even lurked among them — and maybe that was for the best. After all, who would willingly live in a place crawling with monsters? But where there are vampires, there are hunters. And where there are hunters, there is danger. That’s where Liam Webster comes in. On paper, he was seventeen, just like Ava. In truth, he had been seventeen for nearly four centuries. He wore the age well — too well. To the untrained eye, Liam was just another boy at school. To Ava, he was something else entirely. The streets were quiet, the overcast sky casting an eerie gloom over Embercrest. Ava scanned the dark alley as she ran, half-expecting to see red, crimson eyes watching her every movement from the shadows. She was always on edge in this small town—anyone could be a vampire trying to harm someone, and no one would know until it was too late. Her pulse spiked when a figure stepped from the shadows — too sudden, too close. Her hand went instinctively to her pocket, fingers brushing the stake… but it was only a passerby. She scanned every face — hunting for pale skin, for a flash of red in someone’s eyes. Nothing. Relief should have come, but instead a colder fear coiled in her chest: unseen danger was the worst kind. That means the danger was lurking around, waiting for the right minute to pounce. When she’s distracted. When she’s happy. And, that was the scariest thing about danger. It knows when to show up. Ava sprinted down the alley, the stake in her pocket a terrible reminder of her secret life. The life she was forced into. Slight resentment towards her hunter parents seeps in before she can stop it. Her parents had handed her a stake instead of a nametag, a hunter’s life instead of a waitress’s shift. She resented them for it — more than she dared admit. Normal, she laughed at the word. Ava was far from normal. She hunted vampires for a living. How would she be anywhere close to normal? She could practically smell the damp wood of last night’s ambush, the one that had nearly cost her everything. But today, there were no monsters to slay — only the monster of tardiness, waiting for her at Embercrest High. Ava stumbled, the impact jolting her out of her thoughts. Her school papers flew everywhere, but what had really caught her attention was the way the guy she’d hit caught himself mid-fall, his hand bracing against the ground with abnormal speed. His pale skin felt cold when their hands touched—too cold. “I’m so, so sorry! Wow! I’m such a klutz,” Ava apologized as she gathered back up her books and papers. Ava gave the guy her hand. Ava looked at him in a trance. His brown hair fell in loose waves over his forehead, and his hazel eyes caught the light in a way that made Ava freeze—just for a second, but long enough to make her wonder. He looked normal—almost too normal. His brown hair fell perfectly, his hazel eyes bright and inviting. But something was off. His smile had seemed practiced, as if he’d worn it for decades longer than someone his age should have. “No worries, I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings,” the boy explained as he got up, brushing himself off. He looked at her. Her amber hair caught the light like fire, her bluebell eyes too bright to look away from. The white top and navy skirt only made her seem more striking, more impossible to miss. He was smirking as if he was happy to see her. As if she was a sight to behold. Was he checking her out? She wasn’t entirely sure, but the thought sent an unwelcome flutter through her, one she tried to smother. Hunters weren’t supposed to notice smirks — they were supposed to notice fangs “Sorry about that. Though I suppose there are worse accidents than running into someone like you.” His smirk grew, growing even more flirtatious. Ava blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “ So… what’s your name?” “Ava. Ava Goodwin. Yours?” “Liam Webster.” Liam’s smile faltered for the barest second, the copper-sweet scent of her blood clawing at instincts he thought he’d buried centuries ago. It took everything in him to push it down, to keep his expression casual. She was familiar. Too familiar. But he couldn’t place why. “Well, have a good day, Liam Webster,” she said, her voice light, but her mind still racing. She turned to walk away but couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. “Where are you headed?” Liam asked, right before she began to leave. “To my school, Embercrest High.” Ava replied, faster than she should have. She’s supposed to be more responsible than this. She scolded herself mentally before skeptically asking “Why?” “No way! That’s my school too. Mind if I walk with you?" chimed Liam. “Sure, why not?” Ava agreed, trying to keep her voice light. But her pulse hadn’t stopped racing. “I seriously can’t believe I never noticed you before. You’re kind of hard to miss.” “I don’t know how I didn’t see you either,” Ava smiled. She couldn’t deny that he made her heart race. Nevertheless, she also couldn’t deny that there was something off about him. “You know,” Liam started with a smirk, eyes gleaming. “I don’t usually make a habit of knocking people over before class. But I think I’ll make an exception for you.” Ava’s pulse quickened. Cold skin. Too fast reflexes. Every vampire trait she’d memorized screamed at her. But in daylight? On the way to school? No… she had to be imagining things. Maybe he was just athletic. Maybe she was imagining the cold. Did she even want to turn him in if he was what she feared? He was charming, arrogant, and as good-looking and perfect as reality goes. So, she forced herself to breathe, loosening her grip on the stake in her pocket. It couldn’t be. Could it? As they walked side by side, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that Liam was watching her just a little too closely. She glanced at him, his eyes still bright and inviting—but beneath the surface, something cold and calculating lingered. She smiled, but her fingers lingered on the stake. Because charm or no charm… if Liam Webster was what she feared, then Embercrest High wasn’t just a school anymore — it was a hunting ground.
The First Meet
Ava Goodwin was the best vampire hunter Embercrest had ever seen. At least, that’s what people whispered. Most of the town had no idea vampires even lurked among them — and maybe that was for the best. After all, who would willingly live in a place crawling with monsters?
But where there are vampires, there are hunters. And where there are hunters, there is danger.
That’s where Liam Webster comes in. On paper, he was seventeen, just like Ava. In truth, he had been seventeen for nearly four centuries. He wore the age well — too well. To the untrained eye, Liam was just another boy at school. To Ava, he was something else entirely.
The streets were quiet, the overcast sky casting an eerie gloom over Embercrest. Ava scanned the dark alley as she ran, half-expecting to see red, crimson eyes watching her every movement from the shadows.
She was always on edge in this small town—anyone could be a vampire trying to harm someone, and no one would know until it was too late.
Her pulse spiked when a figure stepped from the shadows — too sudden, too close. Her hand went instinctively to her pocket, fingers brushing the stake… but it was only a passerby.
She scanned every face — hunting for pale skin, for a flash of red in someone’s eyes. Nothing. Relief should have come, but instead a colder fear coiled in her chest: unseen danger was the worst kind. That means the danger was lurking around, waiting for the right minute to pounce. When she’s distracted. When she’s happy. And, that was the scariest thing about danger. It knows when to show up.
Ava sprinted down the alley, the stake in her pocket a terrible reminder of her secret life. The life she was forced into. Slight resentment towards her hunter parents seeps in before she can stop it. Her parents had handed her a stake instead of a nametag, a hunter’s life instead of a waitress’s shift. She resented them for it — more than she dared admit. Normal, she laughed at the word. Ava was far from normal. She hunted vampires for a living. How would she be anywhere close to normal? She could practically smell the damp wood of last night’s ambush, the one that had nearly cost her everything. But today, there were no monsters to slay — only the monster of tardiness, waiting for her at Embercrest High.
Ava stumbled, the impact jolting her out of her thoughts. Her school papers flew everywhere, but what had really caught her attention was the way the guy she’d hit caught himself mid-fall, his hand bracing against the ground with abnormal speed. His pale skin felt cold when their hands touched—too cold.
“I’m so, so sorry! Wow! I’m such a klutz,” Ava apologized as she gathered back up her books and papers. Ava gave the guy her hand. Ava looked at him in a trance. His brown hair fell in loose waves over his forehead, and his hazel eyes caught the light in a way that made Ava freeze—just for a second, but long enough to make her wonder.
He looked normal—almost too normal. His brown hair fell perfectly, his hazel eyes bright and inviting. But something was off. His smile had seemed practiced, as if he’d worn it for decades longer than someone his age should have.
“No worries, I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings,” the boy explained as he got up, brushing himself off. He looked at her.
Her amber hair caught the light like fire, her bluebell eyes too bright to look away from. The white top and navy skirt only made her seem more striking, more impossible to miss.
He was smirking as if he was happy to see her. As if she was a sight to behold. Was he checking her out? She wasn’t entirely sure, but the thought sent an unwelcome flutter through her, one she tried to smother. Hunters weren’t supposed to notice smirks — they were supposed to notice fangs
“Sorry about that. Though I suppose there are worse accidents than running into someone like you.” His smirk grew, growing even more flirtatious. Ava blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “ So… what’s your name?”
“Ava. Ava Goodwin. Yours?”
“Liam Webster.” Liam’s smile faltered for the barest second, the copper-sweet scent of her blood clawing at instincts he thought he’d buried centuries ago. It took everything in him to push it down, to keep his expression casual. She was familiar. Too familiar. But he couldn’t place why.
“Well, have a good day, Liam Webster,” she said, her voice light, but her mind still racing. She turned to walk away but couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
“Where are you headed?” Liam asked, right before she began to leave.
“To my school, Embercrest High.” Ava replied, faster than she should have. She’s supposed to be more responsible than this. She scolded herself mentally before skeptically asking “Why?”
“No way! That’s my school too. Mind if I walk with you?" chimed Liam.
“Sure, why not?” Ava agreed, trying to keep her voice light. But her pulse hadn’t stopped racing.
“I seriously can’t believe I never noticed you before. You’re kind of hard to miss.”
“I don’t know how I didn’t see you either,” Ava smiled. She couldn’t deny that he made her heart race. Nevertheless, she also couldn’t deny that there was something off about him.
“You know,” Liam started with a smirk, eyes gleaming. “I don’t usually make a habit of knocking people over before class. But I think I’ll make an exception for you.”
Ava’s pulse quickened. Cold skin. Too fast reflexes. Every vampire trait she’d memorized screamed at her. But in daylight? On the way to school? No… she had to be imagining things. Maybe he was just athletic. Maybe she was imagining the cold. Did she even want to turn him in if he was what she feared? He was charming, arrogant, and as good-looking and perfect as reality goes. So, she forced herself to breathe, loosening her grip on the stake in her pocket. It couldn’t be. Could it?
As they walked side by side, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that Liam was watching her just a little too closely.
She glanced at him, his eyes still bright and inviting—but beneath the surface, something cold and calculating lingered. She smiled, but her fingers lingered on the stake. Because charm or no charm… if Liam Webster was what she feared, then Embercrest High wasn’t just a school anymore — it was a hunting ground.