MATED TO A VAMPIRE

My voice sounds raspy as I turn the doorknob, slam the door shut and descend the stairs. No one is present in the living room but I can smell a sweet aroma from the kitchen, “Where’s Dad?”This is the first question I ask mum when I sight her in the kitchen, making some cookies for us. Mum turns to face me, “Sophia? What you doing?” I gesticulate instead of responding with my lips. She chuckles, beckoning to me to have a taste of her cookies. She is indeed occupied with her work here – she has to make good food for Dad and his fellow wolves. “I need to talk to Dad.” I start to feel uneasy, desperate to see my father. “Oh, my poor kid.” She pulls me in for a hug. “Dad was called by the pack leader. He has some works to do there.” “I guessed right.” I muffle under my breath. “But after all, he’s not the pack leader. He shouldn’t be too occupied that he will ignore his family.”“Mum?” I call, not so sure of what the situation is all about. “I’m good.” She replies instantly, and walks towards me. She holds my hands, almost pulling me in for a hug when her whole body resists control. She kicks me to the ground, looking wild and deadly. Her teeth grow sharper and readier to s*ck my blood. I accept my fate – if mum is a vampire and I don’t have any other place to go, then she can s*ck my blood. But she hits my belly wickedly, destroying almost every thing here. Glass shatters on the ground and the scabs hurt me, spilling blood. I quickly cover it because I know vampires love blood.My voice is cool nonetheless. I have always dreamt about this and I’m glad I saw her turn – she’s always hid it from me that she is a vampire. I guess she doesn’t want me to be interested in vampire friends so she hid her identity. She moves unevenly, her back still turned to me. She silently grunts, maintaining a balance. Just like that, she turns to face me with blood splattered across her lips as she speeds out of this place. I gasp at how sudden that happened. My instinct tells me to forget about her as a vampire but my emotions lead me outside to look for her. I hurry to the separate, secure apartment but before I get there, a creature that looks more like a bat rushes past me. I rub my eyes, it’s night time already. It could be fantasy. I see someone struggling towards my side but with a fiery presence. I take to my heels and head back into the kitchen maybe I can arrange what mum scattered. Just as I get in, someone calls my name.I see a weak figure, hear a weak voice, “Sophia.” I rush to get the door open as I lead her to the living room. “You alright?” “Yes. I wanted to tell you I’m fine – I could have remained outside.” She asserts.“There’s no sunlight radiating outside – so, I’ll believe you.” I comment, looking into her eyes for an answer.“What do you know about sunlight?” She furiously asks. “Mmm…”“Sophia, I need to amend some things in the kitchen. You can wait for your dad in the living room or give him a ring.” She tells me and heads to the kitchen. I follow her stealthily, help her with a few things and leave after earning a smile on her face. Before I take my leave, I notice how best she wants to maintain her balance but can't. I decide to leave her for a while as I hurry up to grab a cup of popcorn and sit on the cosy sofa. I ruminate over my parents’ deeds. How good they are at concealing secrets from me. I had to leave Crescent Wood Academy because of the paranormal beings that did harass and assault me.Not more than three minutes after, I wobble back to the kitchen only for me to notice that every work needed to be done have been completed. “How possible?” I ask myself. “Tell me.” Now, asking her.“Get back to the living room. Your blood isn’t compatible for this place.” Though this statement is unclear to me, I heed but stay at a stone’s throw to the kitchen. I shake my head and walk back to the living room.As I sit on the sofa, she sits as well.“Gosh!” I exclaim, not being able to understand her speed. “Are you a vampire?”“No.” She lies. “And… don’t ask me that question again.”“Come on.” I sit up. “I’m seventeen years, OK? A six year old girl ain’t even as daft as you think I am.”“You have most of the features vampires have.” I state again. “You saw enough in Crescent Academy. Your memory has to be wiped.” She wickedly tells me.“Small correction: Crescent Wood Academy. And no Werewolf or Vampire can wipe another wolf’s memory, from my correct study.”“Sophia, you’re not a wolf. OK? I didn’t want your friends to turn you, so we had to withdraw you. You’re human.” She tries to convince me.I shrug my shoulders, “When will Dad be back?" "He will be here soon. Don't worry about him." She says as our bellies rumble at same time. “You haven’t eaten?” I ask her.“I’m hungry.” She replies, smiling weirdly. She quickly finds her way back to the kitchen but I follow her. I see her grab a cup full of red liquor as she gulps it down her throat. I slip out my phone from my pocket and take a snapshot as an evidence when next she wants to deny being a vampire. She gulps more blood from the cup as I bite my lip, hoping to study more vampire friends to be able to tackle mom’s tactics better and maybe, who knows, I’d be closer to them someday.Someone rings the doorbell. I skedaddle to open it, knowing it is dad, happy and scared to reveal my findings about mum to him.

“Most responsible werewolf for a pack.” I salute him as he walks inside the room, smiling and with a bag of goodies in his hands.

His baritone voice says, “Good morning, young wolf.” He stoops low, rubs my chin and pats me before he rises to his feet again. I grab the bag from him to check what is in there. He furiously retrieves it from me but I unzipped the smallest aperture already, I didn’t see anything but I smell blood.

“You can have this.” Glaring at me, he handles a lighter bag to me. It seems he brought that out of the bigger bag. I hurry out of his presence and take it to his room. He doesn’t follow me, he rather moves to the kitchen to see mum. Maybe he wants to give her blood or am I the only one perceiving that foul odor?

Once I drop the bag in his room and head downstairs, I pause for a moment. I can see them discussing something while dad keeps pointing at an artificial object. I try to listen to them from a place far from them but I can only hear t