Under the Moonlight

Chapter 8: Melancholy

:::::::::::: Dipper's POV ::::::::::::

Two months had passed. I settled myself much better than I ever could have hoped for. I'd always been shy and I'd always had trouble making friends, but the other vampires welcomed me right away and I felt happy. They told me about their experiences and they made me feel at home.

I helped Oswald to cook, I met Pyronica and she immediately self-proclaimed herself "my big sister". I played pool with 8 Ball and Bill (8 Ball won), Paci-Fire loaned me books on the occult, Hectorgon taken my measures to make me new clothes (apparently he was a tailor some centuries ago) and I spent some time playing with Kryptos (vampirized shortly after he was 14 but he still behave like a child).

Once I even had to go down ALONE in the prisons to warn Christal that Pyronica was going out on patrol so she didn't need humans. Needless to say, it was really hard to calm my thirst because as soon as they saw me they all trembled with fear, making me immediately hungry.

I've improved a lot at this.

When I ate, I still ate more than the others, but I didn't feel the need to eat something every time I saw a drop of blood. They all told me that it was because my body was getting used to that condition and that soon enough would have calmed down enough (even if that time at the prisons really put a strain on my self-control).

I'd also noticed that as soon as the sunrise approached I was suddenly drowsy. Bill explained to me that the day weakens the vampires so much that they need to sleep, but that he was so powerful that he could fall asleep only when he wanted and that he could even walk under the sun's rays without burning, since for the other vampires the sun's rays cause burns that can even reduce us to ash. Unlike those caused by vampire-slayer weapons, we can regenerate easily just like any other kind of wounds, which explains why during dinner or lunch some of us kept loose arms or head dirtying all the food after stupid and funny arguments. The first times it scared me, then it became even funny to watch and I've even participated one time, losing my hand without feeling too much pain, more a ticklish or pleasant sensation (Bill said that he thought he was the only one to feel that because other vampires don't feel anything at all).

I felt at home. I felt accepted. I could never believe it before. Had I really had to be turned into one of the "monsters" from which Ford warned me to finally feel that feeling?

The only person with who I'd always felt in this way was Mabel, even though we sometimes quarreled... a lot of times lately. But she was still my twin, my other half.

And I really missed her.

Of course I missed all my other friends as well, but... her more than them. I missed the annoying way she used to wake me up, I missed her trying to pair me with every boy and girl in which she thought we would form a cute couple... I missed her.

I sighed looking at the full moon as the light wind ruffled my hair. From the balcony of my room, I could observe the forest from which I could hear every creak, every step of every animal or creature, the sounds of predators on the hunt, the sound of their dying prey, the sound of the wind in the trees.

I took a deep breath, trying to savor that wonderful night as much as possible.

B: Thoughtful today, Pinetree?

Bill appeared behind me. I was so used to this that I didn't get scared anymore but the first times I almost had some heart attacks.

D: Yes.

B: And what were you thinking about?

Bill leaned on the wooden railing of the balcony next to me while I looked down.