Romeo & Juliet & Vampires by William Shakespeare

arms around her middle, trying to prevent herself from coming apart at the seams. She turned her back to the sun clock and ambled over to a small fountain that was at the base of a marble statue of Vlad the Impaler. Juliet picked up the bottom of her pale pink dress and knelt down near thefountain, leaning over a bit so that she could see her reflection rippling in the water.
    What she saw made her gasp in horror—her eyes had already lost their blue hue in favor of a deep shade of cherry red. Suddenly ten knots formed in Juliet’s stomach, and she covered her mouth with both her hands to prevent herself from throwing up. But that only intensified her sickness. Juliet stared at her hands and watched in terror as her fingernails grew long and thick, just like her mother’s and father’s.
    Juliet bowed her head and cried. While Romeo had said that he did not care that she was turning into a vampire, she worried that when he saw her like this, he would run away and never look back. She could not blame him—not after all of the pain and suffering vampires had caused the Montagues. But she couldn’t help but think that death might be preferable to living forever, knowing that her greatest love had rejected her.
    The sound of a squeaking fence hinge shook Juliet from her brooding.
    â€œWho goes there?” she asked.
    Out from behind a patch of small plum trees came her nurse. Juliet leaped up from the ground and sprinted over to her as fast as she could.
    â€œI am so happy you are back!” she shouted, throwing her arms around the nurse and hugging her.
    â€œShh, child. You’ll wake the undead.” The nursekissed Juliet on the forehead and released her from their embrace.
    â€œWhat can you tell me about my sweet Romeo?” Juliet said, her heart leaping inside her chest.
    The nurse’s eyes glazed over with tears as she looked at Juliet’s red irises.
    â€œIt is all happening so fast,” she muttered.
    â€œWhich is why you must help bring Romeo and me together.” Juliet grabbed hold of the nurse’s hand, careful that she didn’t scratch it and draw blood. Lord knows how tempted she might be to taste it, now that her physical changes had begun.
    The nurse squeezed Juliet’s hand affectionately. “That will not stop the transition, my lady.”
    â€œThat is exactly the reason I sent you to see him,” Juliet said, her tone impatient. “Did he say again that he would love me now as a human, and later as a vampire? If he has changed his mind and heart, you can start digging my grave.”
    The nurse sighed heavily. “My lady, his loyalty and love for you expands with each breath he takes. He reassured me that nothing could ever keep him from you, not even your transformation, and he wants you to meet him at the friar’s cell so that you two can be married.”
    Juliet clasped her hands together and glanced up to the sky. “Oh, how wonderful it is to hear those words!”
    â€œYes, they are wonderful words,” the nurse replied.“But he does not know the whole truth about you.”
    Juliet’s smile began to fade away at this remark. “Indeed he does. I have told him everything.”
    â€œEverything except for your initiation rite,” the nurse countered. “Don’t you think your future husband should know that you will die on your sixteenth birthday unless you murder someone and drain them of all their blood?”
    Juliet bowed her head and said nothing.
    â€œAnd what about the fact that you are already engaged to be married?” the nurse added.
    â€œAren’t there enough gruesome facts about me for him to accept? I cannot possibly—”
    â€œThen why don’t you just marry Count Paris?” the nurse interrupted, hugging Juliet and rocking her back and forth. “You have nothing to hide from him. You are one and the same, and your family will approve of your union. Why put