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It?s an unholy place, the school bathroom. There are sounds and smells best described as unnatural. The fluorescent light shines moon bright and casts my skin porcelain white. I seem to blend in with the wall tiles, hand basins and cubicle doors.
The water from the tap is warm and I splash my face to try and freshen up. It's been a strange few weeks. My classmates seem to be laughing at me more than usual and I can?t get a handle on why.
The sound of tissue paper being pulled from a dispenser emanates from a cubicle behind me followed by the waterfall of a flush. Jack emerges and stands beside me. He?s a friend, of sorts, I do his science homework, so he tolerates me more than others.
?What's up, Vamps,? he says. He squirts soap from the soap dispenser into his palm.
?Why does everyone keep calling me that?? I say.
He lathers his hands with the soap and rinses them under the tap. ?There?s a rumour going round that you?re a vampire.?
?That?s crazy.?
?Why does your skin blister in the sun then?? Jack grabs a hand tissue and carefully dries his hands and fingers.
?It?s called solar urticaria. Obviously.?
?Whatever,? he says and throws the wet, crumpled up tissue at my face. ?See you later, Vamps.? Then he?s gone.
I shake my head and sigh. Vamps. There are worse nicknames I suppose. I can embrace that one.
The bell goes for History class. Damn. I?m going to be late. And everyone is going to see me being scolded by the teacher.
***
I walk home after school. It's not far Just ten minutes up and down a hill and over an intersection with a pedestrian crossing.
The sun is shining and different things are enjoying its warmth. Vivacious green leaves with chlorophyll transforming light into life-sustaining energy. Cats stretching and sleeping on porches in their favourite sunny spots. A child?s train bed sheet drying on a clothesline.
I?m at odds with the natural world. For me, the sun?s rays cause nothing but painful welts. Even for such a short walk home, I have to cover my entire skin with clothing. Trousers are tucked into socks, and long-sleeved shirts are tucked into long feminine gloves A balaclava covers the head and neck and dark sunglasses protect the skin around my eyes. I sweat profusely. In colder weather, mist steams from my back. No wonder my schoolmates think I?m a freak.
And it's not just my school mates. The lady at number 62 does too. She makes the sign of the cross whenever she sees me. And quickly shuts her door. Maybe she thinks I?m a vampire as well. Like what Jack said today. The rumour that I?m a vampire. It?s crazy talk.
Could it be true? Like, for real? I?d know, wouldn?t I? I?d remember being bitten and the transformation. No way you?d forget that.
Perhaps there are things about me that fit the rumour. Enjoying blue steak. A strong dislike of garlic. My pointy canine teeth. But these are mere coincidences, for sure. I laugh out loud to myself given these ridiculous musings and realise my laugh sounds quite evil.
I?m home now. The sweating has made me thirsty. I open a carton of blood orange juice from the fridge and drain its contents dry. I run upstairs, strip off to my underwear, and lie on the bed to cool down.
***
It?s not much later that my parents get home and, unusually for them, they aren?t arguing.
?Edward,? my Dad calls up the stairs, ?can you come to the living room? We need to talk.?
What?s got into them? They never want to talk with me like this. Usually, they?re just telling me what I can and can?t do. I throw on a shirt and some shorts and lurch downstairs.
The living room has three huge windows, each coated with a photoprotective film that blocks the UV light that scorches my skin. Mum and Dad sit on the white couch and I take a chair by the windows. They?re holding hands. Their faces are solemn.
?Ed,? Mum says, ?we know you?ve been having a tough time at school.? She stops, mid-sentence. Her face reddens and she grips Dad?s hand a little harder.
Dad takes the cue. ?We?ve been putting off telling you this because we?ve been worried how you?ll take it.?
?Take what??
?First, just know that your mother and I love you very, very much and nothing will ever change that.?
?What is it??
Dad leans towards me. ?Son, we adopted you when you were just a few months old.?
?What??
?We were holidaying in Romania at the time and saw you at an orphanage and arranged an emergency visa and were able to get you home with us.?
?Romania??
?Yes, Romania, in the Transylvania region at the time, isn?t that right dear??
My Mum, or the person I thought was my Mum, nods mutely and stares at the ground.
?So, who are my real parents??
?Your biological mother died after giving birth, exsanguinated.?
?And my father??
?He died in a tragic wooden steak accident.?
I am silent for a moment. My Dad starts to clean his glasses. My Mum just stares at the floor some more. ?That?s great guys.? I stand and walk out and say over my shoulder, ?Call me when dinner?s ready.?
I walk as normally as I can to my room, but once there, sink my head into the pillow and, I?m not sure why, start to cry.
***
Later that evening, after a muted dinner where no one spoke much, which wasn?t that different to usual, I sit on my bed and ruminate. My parents watch TV downstairs.
Opposite my bed is a small television where I play video games. In the opposite corner is Pikachu, a hamster whose whole life involves eating, sleeping and running on a wheel and never getting anywhere. Kind of reminds me of my father. A door to door salesman who can spend all day outside and never get burnt. He usually comes into my room and jokes that it's been turned upside down by a robber looking for cash Of course, it's just that I use the floor as my wardrobe.
Why did they not tell me when I was younger that I was adopted? If they mentioned it when I was like two, then it would have just been a fact of life and no big deal. But to wait until I was fifteen to tell me? My entire life has been a lie.
I throw an empty cup from the bedside table against the wall opposite and, instead of smashing, it just bounces off the wall and falls to the floor. If I were a vampire that wouldn?t happen. It would have smashed into a thousand pieces and taken out half the wall If I were a vampire I wouldn?t care about being adopted. If I were a vampire I wouldn?t care about whether I had friends. I would just take what I wanted, did what I wanted. I wish I was a vampire. I want to be a vampire.
My eyes turn to Pikachu, our pet hamster. He?s scratching around in his cage and doesn?t know the bloodlust that is building. There?s arteries just inside his neck. If I bite hard and taste his blood, I?ll know once and for all that I?m a vampire.
I grab him and ease him out of the cage. I hold his head in one hand and body in the other. I bite.
Several things happen at the same time The first is that Pikachu bites me back, hard, on my hand, and it hurts like hell. The second is, I get a mouth full of fur, which tastes disgusting, and a bit of blood, which tastes even worse. I fling the door open and run to the bathroom. Pikachu scurries downstairs. I?m at the sink flushing my mouth out with water. My hand stings.
There?s a shriek from downstairs. My mum shouts, ?It?s bleeding on the couch!?
I grab a plaster from the cupboard for my hand and run back to my room. I?m panting hard and sit with my back against the door and catch my breath.
I don?t know how I?ll explain to my parents why I bit the hamster. I?ll try and put it down to the shock of what they told me. The bite was just my way of processing it. Hopefully, Pikachu is okay. It was nothing personal.
At least I now know that I?m not a vampire. Even if I was, I certainly don?t have the stomach for it. Perhaps I?ll just adopt the goth look for now.
I glance out the window and can?t help but see a bat, which seems to shake its head disapprovingly, drop from a tree and fly away.
Kate stood quickly as the bell rang and slung her back pack over her shoulder. It was Friday and she couldn?t wait to get out of this hell hole people called high school and into her brand new Mustang convertible with her best friend, Marie. They were heading to Seattle to see their favorite band play - a trip they had been planning for almost a year.
Kate was in her Senior year at Riverside High School, located in a small Historic Oregon town. The school year was almost over and Kate couldn?t wait for what was going the be the most epic summer ever! One, three month long party before she headed off to college! Kate and Marie had planned for college together since they were in middle school and finally, their plans were coming to fruition. They were getting out of this old town and heading to Sacramento State in California in the fall!
Kate and Marie had been best friends since Kindergarten. The two of them together had always made quite the impression on the people around them. It wasn?t just because of their looks ? Kate being tall and lean with flowing curly blonde hair and Marie with her perfect complexion and glossy dark hair ? but, it was also their personalities. They balanced each other out perfectly. Kate?s bold confidence leant itself naturally to Marie?s intense wit and sense of humor. Wherever they went, they drew attention to themselves. And, they liked it that way.
Kate slammed her locker shut just as Marie approached.
?You ready to get outta here, girlfriend?? Marie said, bouncing on the balls of her feet with impatience.
?I could not be MORE ready!? Kate enthused. They linked arms, backpacks on one shoulder and headed toward the exit. They pushed open the doors into the bright afternoon sunlight. Both girls breathed in the fresh air and smiled with delight.
?Does your mom know we?re leaving right after school?? Kate asked as she opened the driver side door of her cherry red convertible.
?She does. She just wants me to call her once we?re on the road to let her know we?re okay.?
?My parent?s said the same. Soooo protective. Don?t they realize we?re practically adults? I mean I?m going to be 18 in a week.?
?I?ve tried explaining to my mom that we can handle ourselves, but you know how it is, ?You?ll always be my little girl, Marie.?? Marie said, imitating her mother. Kate laughed, tossing her head back and letting the sun warm her face.
?Ready, bitch?? She asked turning to Marie and positively beaming.
?Let?s do this!?
******
?We need to stop for gas.? Kate said eyeing the gauge on the dashboard. ?We?re practically on ?E?.? They had been on the road for almost 5 hours and the sun was beginning to set They had closed the hood of the convertible about an hour into the drive ? the wind in their hair losing its thrill and becoming quite irksome after a while. They?d gone through most of their music playlists and podcasts and were anxious to get to the hotel.
?It looks like there?s a gas station at the next exit.? Marie said, pointing at a highway sign depicting the nearest pumps. ?We?re about 1 mile away.?
?Good.? Kate sighed. ?I?m ready for a break. How much longer does it say we have until we?re at the hotel?? She glanced at Marie?s phone alight with Google Maps navigation. How did people ever get around before modern technology?
?About an hour.? Marie responded with a yawn.
A mile later, they saw the exit looming ahead. The sun had gone down completely, leaving them with only the faint glow of the moon and their headlights to light their path. It was a typical cloudy night in Washington, no stars to be seen. A light drizzle had started and the girls were happy they thought to put the hood up a while back. Kate slowed down as she took the exit toward the gas station. Approaching a fork in the road, she looked around realizing she?s wasn?t sure which way to turn. There were no signs to point her in the right direction. Hell, there weren?t even street lights to help guide them.
?Hey, will you enter the gas station into Google Maps so I know where I?m going?? Kate asked Marie. ?I feel like we?ve entered the Twilight Zone. I have no idea which way to go.?
?Yeah, lemme try.? Marie tapped the screen of her phone a few times. ? Um, it?s acting super weird. It looks like it keeps trying to re-route us or something. Like it can?t figure out where we are.? Marie is looking at her phone, confused. She gave it a couple hard hits on the side and shook it, as if that was going to have any effect.
?Well, I don?t see any road signs or anything, do you?? Kate said, a little anxious.
?No.? Marie looked around through the windows. ?Just make a left here and drive for a bit, I?m sure the gas station will pop up. If not, we can turn around and go the other way.?
Kate turned left at the fork in the road and drove for another mile or so.
?I?m getting a really weird feeling, Marie. Everything is dark. Where are all the street lights? There?s not even a traffic light in sight. It doesn?t look like there?s a gas station within miles of here and the car is running on fumes.?
?Pull over.? Marie said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Kate veered the car toward the right hand side of the dark road, putting the gear shift into ?park? and turning off the car. Once they had stopped, they look around, gathering their surroundings. The road is lined with trees for what looks like miles.
?I thought you said there was a gas station at this exit.? Kate said. She didn?t mean to sound accusatory, but the fear that?s brewing in her gut makes it come across that way.
?That?s what the sign said, Kate, I swear? Marie replied defensively.
?Well, all I see are a lot of damn trees.? Kate said, loudly.
?Okay, listen. Let?s just search for the nearest landmark and head in that direction.? Marie said, looking down at her phone. ?What the hell??
?What?? Kate urged. ?WHAT??
?I don?t have a signal. Um? Check your phone.? Marie is trying to keep her composure. Kate lunged for her phone, charging in the middle console.
?Nothing.? Kate said, sounding on the verge of tears. ?Should I just start driving? What if we get lost? We?re going to run out of gas! What if we can?t find our way back??
?I don?t know? let me think for a sec?? Her words were cut off as outside the windshield she saw a dark shadow cross in front of the car. ?Did you see that?? Marie is staring wide-eyed.
?What?? Kate asked, still looking at Marie. She follows Marie?s gaze but there is nothing there.
?Something? moved.? Marie whispered.
?What kind of something?? Kate said hysterically. ?Like an animal? What the hell are you talking about??
Marie didn?t answer, rather she pointed straight ahead at two dark figures now standing in the distance.
?Holy shit!? Kate screamed. ?We have to get out of here!? She turned the keys in the ignition but the car wouldn?t start. ?Come onnnn.? She said, her voice full of desperation.
?Kate, hurry! What?s taking so long??
?It won?t start!?
They heard a whooshing sound, and saw what looked like shadows swooping toward them. Within seconds, the figures were at the car - one on each side. Kate and Marie could see them clearly now and noticed that it was two men. Both tall - one with dark eyes and black hair with a strong, broad build. The other one blonde with piercing blue eyes and a slim physique. Both had pale, almost translucent skin and were the most gorgeous men Kate and Marie had ever laid eyes on. Not knowing why ? maybe because she thought these men could help or maybe because she wasn?t in her right mind ? Kate rolled down the windows.
?You look lost.? Said the dark haired one. He had a British accent and a voice as smooth as silk.
?Can we help?? Said the blonde, with the same silky accent.
?How? How did you get here so fast?? Marie stuttered. ?I saw you all the way over there, and then you just? appeared here by our car.?
?I don?t know what you?re talking about, little girl.? The blonde said, smiling without any trace of kindness. ?What you?re saying isn?t possible. We were just out? hunting when we smelled you. We just couldn?t resist coming to say ?hello.??
?What do you mean, you smelled us?? Kate said, her voice barely a whisper.
?You smell like nothing I?ve ever smelled before. Like innocence and joy. Like a summer night after a thunderstorm. Would you agree, Isaac?? The dark haired man said, leaning in toward Kate and closing his eyes.
?It?s like heaven, Saul.? The blonde, Isaac, said still smiling the same eerie smile.
?And, who hunts at night?? Marie demanded, poking holes in their story.?Oh, we only come out at night.? Saul smiled, his eyes boring into Marie.
?Are you gonna hurt us?? Kate whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached for Marie and gripped her hand tightly.
?Why, what makes you think that?? Said Saul, teasing.
?Well, you keep talking about how good we smell? like you want to? eat us or something.? Kate couldn?t believe her own words. The two men laugh. Kate had never heard a more sinister sound in all her life.
?Well, my darling girl. You couldn?t be more right.?
The beautiful features of both men seemed to radiate as they opened their mouths ? where two sharp, gleaming white fangs had appeared. Their eyes alight with glee and hunger as they leaned suddenly into the open car windows to feast.
Kate and Marie screamed ? the sounds piercing the once silent night.
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