I fall to my back, grasping my chest. He has kicked the wind clean out of me. I decided in my head in that moment that I would not fight him, not in front of her. I cared for her too much.

I leaned up on my elbows, staring at him raise the stake above his head. I open my mouth to speak, but my composure isn’t back yet, so it comes out silent.

Woodward screams, loud and primal. There is madness in his eyes, and he is faster than I ever gave him credit for as the stake comes down fast towards me. I try to move, but my leg is pinned and I can not!

This is sure to be the end of me! I look to my side at Bree but she isn’t there….

“Colin!” I hear from Woodward’s direction. My mouth opens in horror. No, darling! She lunges forward, landing on my chest at the moment that Woodward’s stake bears down. She gasps as it pierces clean through her ribcage, cutting superficially through into my own chest.

“Colin,” she whispers, blood appearing at her lips.

“Oh God... No, my darling,” I sob. She looks down a little, realizing what was happening.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she whispers in a scared voice. She is shaking terribly.

“Bree,” I cry, taking her face in my hands. Her breath comes so short and quickly. I hold her tightly against me and she calms a little. "Stay still, love," I tell her, but she pulls back... and I see a smile on her face.

“It’s okay now, though,” she says softly. “Don’t you see it?”

“It’s all my fault,” I sob. “I shouldn’t have dreamed so much. I shouldn’t have ever fallen in love with you.”

“No... not that...the light... it’s beautiful...” she murmurs. Her eyes shine. “And look, at you, Colin. You ... You have my heart...” My eyes widen as a shadow falls across her face, and her body falls limp against me.

It happened just that fast, and she is gone.

“Bree,” I sob, gathering her up. I place a kiss against hard against her lifeless lips, sobbing. I hold them there a long moment, trying to breath life into her in vain, as I, as a vampire, have no real breath or soul to give.

I hear Woodward above us, speaking in panic. “Is she...? Did I...?” I furrow my gaze, hatred consuming me as I climb with difficulty to my feet.

“I am the killer?” I scream at him. “I am the threat to her life?” He stands still, crying. “Look at what you did!” He turns away and I lunge forward at him, holding his face towards the floor. “LOOK AT HER!” I am crazed, and I know that there is no going back now.

“Not only did you kill the woman you love, Woody, “ I says slowly and deliberately, “but you killed the woman I love.... And for that, you will surely die.”