The Awakening Series: Split

Chapter 3: The Witch

I can smell my favorite, cranachan. Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert. It is usually made from whipped cream, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal soaked overnight in a little bit of whisky. Yummy. Mama said when she was little cranachan was her favorite dessert. Also, Papa's entire family will be here soon. Nobody told me, I just know.

"Mama, I smell cranachan. Is it for me? Please say it's for me. And when will Daddy's familie be here? I have never met them and I really want to "

"You can smell- Oh shit! Your eye! It's silver!" Oma shouted.

"Mother! Don't say stuff like that. We both know it's not possible for someone to have just one silver eye. And watch your damn mouth." Then Mommy looked at me.

"Shit! Amelia! What happened to your eye? How is this possible? No human can have silver eyes. Amelia, it's time to go home and go to sleep."

"But Mommy..."

"No buts. It's almost midnight which means your birthday is almost over. Emil, Amelia, lets go."

***

"Emil, what are we gonna do? What is she? First she can see my true eye color, then she managed to get in the room, and then her smell, her eye, and she knew your family would be coming to the house soon. All those signs point to her being a vampire. But then again, she could smell the cranachan and she still wanted it. She smells human. I can smell her blood... It smells so... delicious. Although she wasn't able to tell that Kai was one too." Is it possible that I gave birth to a half vampire? I don't see how. It's never been done before.

"I don't know, schatz. But I think it's time we tell her the truth. You've done a good job at keeping her hidden for the past eight years. I am confidant you can do it for another ten more."

"Oh sweetie, I'm scared. What if the royals find her before the ten years ends?"

"We'll deal with it then."

***

In Amelia's dream that night...

Where am I? It's really dark in here. Is this a dream?

"H-hello? Is anyone here?" Did someone just laugh?

"Why hello, young Amelia, how are you today?"

"W-w-who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Why, my dear Amelia, there is no need to be afraid of me. I am your friend. My name is Helga. I was one of the first accused and hung in the Salem witch trials. Thanks to your mother, Arabella Lìosach."

"What? My mother's last name is Gordon. Not Lìosach. I've never even heard of that name before. And how could she be the reason you got hung? There's no way she was alive 200 years ago. And this is a dream. You're not real! I made you up!"

"You see, your mother wants you to believe that. Amelia, tell me, how is it that your whole life you have always seen your family with either blue or brown eyes and then today, they all have silver eyes? Except for your father of course. Your mother, and everyone from her side of the family, are vampires. And you are a half vampire. Your powers are finally awakening. Or else you wouldn't have been able to see their real eye color, or smell hat cranacha. Or open that door. You have a family full of vampires. Your "precious Mama" is well over 600 years old. Your grandparents are well over 2,000 years old.

"Your Mama told you how you are descendants of the Gaelics, right? You're not a descendant, you are a Gaelic. Well, half. You are half Aryan, half Gaelic. Your Mama and every before her grew up in the Gaels of Scotland. Her first language is Celtic, which is the language you spoke today. Each vampire family has its own language they speak to each other, and your families is Celtic. The language is in your blood."

"How, how do you know all this, uh, Ms. Helga?"

"Oh please, none of that 'Ms. Helga' crap. I know all this because i grew up with your mother. Yes sirree I did. We were best friends. Up until we were about 25. By then your mother was no longer a fledgling. And I had meddled with witchcraft for a few by that time. Your mother didn't like that at all. So, she tried to kill me. She failed, of course. After that we agreed never to see each other and if we did happen to find each other we would try to kill each other again, Well, as you know, she found me 300 years later. She had learned that Salem had hung a few people for being "witches". None of them were real witches and she knew it. But she knew I lived in Salem and took that as an opportunity to turn me in as a witch. And her plan worked. I was tried and found guilty. She was there at my hanging with that book you found today. As soon as she knew I was dead she trapped my soul in that damn book and bound it so i couldn't get out and find a way to revive myself. My soul would be released by whoever opened that book."

"I don't believe you Helga. My Mama would never hurt or kill anyone. And why would i believe she's a vampire? Vampires aren't real! Neither are witches!"

"When the time comes, you will crave blood. You can't run and hide forever. There are no other ones out there like you, the royals will find you, and they will kill you just because you do not fall anywhere in their ranks. Now, if you don't believe what I've said, then wake up and ask your "precious Mama und Papa."

And that's when I woke up. I immediately ran downstairs to confront my parents about my heritage.

"Mother, I know you're a vampire and I know you killed the witch Helga out of cold blood."

"Amelia! How dare you say such monstrous things! I am not a vampire and I most definitely have never killed anyone! Where did you hear these things?"

"Before you answer that, I want you to know that there will be horrible consequences if you are ever rude to your mother ever again! She has risked everything for you, you selfish little bitch!" And then my father slapped me across the face.

"Amelia! I am so sorry! I don't know what came over me. You're not selfish. I'm sorry. What did this witch say?"

So I repeated everything Helga had said to me in my dream.

"Helga is right, precious, I am a vampire. And I am over 600 years old. You are not. We don't know what you are, exactly. I have been hiding you from the royals your whole life because if they find you, then they will most likely kill you. It's possible you are a vampire and that it is just showing up earlier than any other vampire ever born."