I went to bed shortly after Ash left. I woke early the next morning. I enjoyed using my vampire abilities. I was completely ready for school in five minutes.
When Mom got up, I told her I was going to go to Maggie’s. She said that was fine.
I knocked on the door and when I saw a half ready Maggie. I smiled at her with fangs. That woke her up. She said, “Don’t do that! You almost made me scream. Mom and Dad don’t need woke up. They’ve been working double shift these last few days.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been in my best mood since you know what.”
“Did he freak out?”
“Nope, unlike you... I’m joking. He took it very well. Are you going to let me in or are we just going to stand here and talk about mythical creatures?”
She let me in and I sat on the couch while I waited on her to finish getting ready. Ten minutes later, she came running down the stairs.
She said, “I guess I’m going to have to wake them up anyway. I’m going to be late for school if I don’t get a ride.”
“I can give you a ride. Get on my back.”
“Jade, you know I weigh too much for you.”
“Maggie, you would weigh as much as a feather to me now.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
She got on my back and we made the ten mile distance in about a minute. She got off my back with a look of shock on her face.
I asked, “What did you think?”
She said, “I don’t know. I guess this is going to take longer to get used to than I thought.”
“Isn’t it awesome though? Do you want to watch me feed?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Come on. I don’t bite.”
“Really funny Jade. I just can’t stop laughing.”
“Do you think I would ever hurt you?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Why not?”
“It’s just so weird. You know, watching your best friend drink blood from someone.”
“Not someone unless someone says I can. I drink horse blood. I don’t know what human blood taste like. I bet it’s the best tasting thing in the entire universe.”
“Are you trying to guilt me into letting you drink my blood? I know we’re friends and all, but don’t you think that’s taking it a little too far?”
“No! I would never ask you that. I do think Ash’s blood would taste better than yours.”
“Should I be offended?”
“No, I just prefer the tangier, distinct taste that males have. Or at least it’s that way with horses. I’ve only fed once since becoming a vampire three days ago and that was only on Midnight and Ginger.”
“Now you’re just plain creeping me out. Look, there’s Ash. Maybe he’ll let you drink his tangy blood.”
“Hey! That’s not funny.”
“What’s not funny,” Ash asked.
Maggie said, “I said, ‘Look, there’s Ash. Maybe he’ll let you drink his tangy blood.’”
“Tangy blood?”
"She said male blood had a tangy, distinct taste females had… What taste?”
“Females have sweet blood. That’s how it was with Midnight and Ginger. I’ve only fed once.”
“Maggie made a joke out of what?”
“I prefer tangy blood over sweet blood. Do you want to watch me feed this evening?”
“Sure, as long as you don’t turn on me.”
Maggie said, “She won’t. She said she’d only drink a human’s if they said she could. She also said human blood was probably the best tasting thing in the entire universe.”
“Jade, every time you talk to us, the more of a vampire you sound.”
I said, “I don’t know if that was a compliment, but I’m taking it as one. Maggie, are coming over or not?”
“Not. I’m just not ready to see that.”
“Okay, it’s just you and me, Ash. Mom has to work double shift tonight.”
“I don’t want to hear of you two making out.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to feed and then I don’t know what we’ll do. I promise we won’t make out. You know us better than that. Actually, we’ve never made out and we’ve been together for a year and a half.”
That’s when the bell rang. We went to class, back to the regular routine of school. When I got home I fixed supper for when Mom got home. I even fixed some for Ash.
Ash arrived about twenty minutes later since I ran. We walked out to the barn. I didn’t know who to choose from. I could smell all the different aromas that a human would find impossible to smell.
I said, “I want you to pick one. They all smell so good. I don’t know who to pick.”
He said, “Me.”
“What?”
“Me. You said for me to pick and I pick me. You said you liked tangy blood of stallions, and, unless I got this whole biology thing messed up, I’m a guy, too.”
“Ash, I don’t know if I can control myself enough to stop. It is only my second time feeding.”
“I know you can. I trust your judgment and I think you don’t put enough faith into yourself. Let’s do this, you feed on a horse and then me, then you won’t be as thirsty. I pick Rosaline.”
I walked up to the strawberry roan. I bit into the thick, muscular neck of a Clydesdale. The sweet blood drained down my throat. It was like rain pouring down on the Sahara. I was able to stop before I could do any damage.
I said, “It’s your turn, Ash.” I turned around to face him. I saw shock and worry written on his face. I asked, “What’s wrong?”
He said, “I just didn’t know that you would look like something from a horror movie with blood on your fangs like that.”
“Are you backing out? Are you disgusted by me?”
“No I still want you to have my blood.”
“I love you, Ash. I didn’t expect you to accept me when I told you, let alone you willingly wanting me to drink your blood when I’m only days old.”
“I love you, too. Now, just drink my blood before I decide to change my mind.”
He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth so he wouldn’t scream. I slunk down into a crouch. I leaped and knocked him down onto a pile of hay. I sunk my teeth into his neck. The blood was better than anything I could’ve ever imagined. I was hooked on it like a first time drug user. I stopped before he passed out. As soon as I stopped I kissed him. I’d moved so fast that he had no time to react. All he could do was kiss me back. I pulled away and said, “That’s enough. I promised Maggie we wouldn’t make out.”
“Okay, what do you want to do?”
“Get on my back. You’re going on a ride.”
“I’m way too heavy for you.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Whatever you say, Miss Dracula.”
“No vampire jokes, Mister. Don’t make me bite you.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. I couldn’t help from laughing, either. He said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, you know I love you.”
“And you know I love you.”
“Yes. Now quit stalling and get on.”
He got on and I flew through the barn doors and into the woods. We made a mile in seconds. We ran like that for a few minutes. When we got back we went inside the barn.
I said, “If I feed more often, I bet I could go even faster.”
“Let’s not go any faster with me on board.”
“Did you know that’s how Maggie got to school this morning?”
“Poor Maggie.”
“I think she liked it.”
“I have to go. Dad’s leaving on a business trip to Europe and he’s leaving soon.”
“Tell him I said good luck.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Mom got home around seven thirty. I warmed her supper up. She sat down to eat. I could tell she was both physically and mentally exhausted. I sat down with her. I asked, “What kind of powers do vampires have?”
“Well, there’s speed, strength and telepathy. Most vampires prefer humans so they sort of hypnotize them. Some go into a trance.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but it’s not like they make them do things. All it does is make them stay still long enough for the vampire to feed instead of running and struggling.”
“What about the telepathy?”
“You can use it to sense other minds around you, communicate with other vampires, and talk to other minds, but if it’s not another vampire they can’t answer back.”
“Wow, I wonder if there are other vampires that live near here. How far away can you communicate?”
“It depends on how strong you are. You also have extremely good smell, hearing, and sight. You can see really well in the dark. If someone would shine a light in your eyes, they would glow like a cat’s or a deer’s.
“Why don’t I have some of them?”
“You’re not a fully developed vampire, yet. It takes about a week to fully mature. When you’re mature, your heart stops beating. You’ll never get sick again.”
“So, in about four days, I’ll be a fully mature vampire. Does my human gene affect any of it?”
“No, if your vampire gene takes affect, it has full control so you are like any other vampire. You still age but you can stop aging any time you want. Do you have homework?”
“Yes.”
“Get to it.”
“Fine,” I groaned.
I ran up to my room, did my homework in five minutes, and ran back down stairs, where my mom was reading the paper. She looked up and asked, “Done already?”
“I had a lot of homework.”
“And you’re done?”
“Yes, speed remember?”
She sighed, “I know. I don’t remember all the time that my baby girl is a vampire. I mean you’re so normal acting for a vampire. Even your father wasn’t this good.”
“Mom, I’m not acting. I’m just being myself. I’m going to the barn.”
“Okay dear. Don’t drink anything from Felix. He needs all of his strength to recover from his illness.”
“I know.”
I walked out to the barn. I walked to Felix. I’d accidentally startled him. I said, “Shhh! Its okay boy. I won’t hurt you. Shhh! Quiet Felix, quiet.”
I patted his shoulder once he calmed down, but I just made it worse. My touch seemed to startle him more than my sudden appearance.
“Felix! Shhh. It’s okay. Quiet Felix, quiet. What’s wrong boy. Calm down”
He quieted down and I gave him some oats. I thought, What is wrong with me?
I sat down on a bale of hale watching the other horses eat their evening meal. I spent twenty minutes just watching them. By the time I came back in the house, it was near eight o’ clock.
I said, “Mom, I fed today while you were gone.”
“On who?”
“Promise me you won’t get mad?”
“I promise.”
“Rosaline.”
“Were you worried I’d get mad over my prize work horse?”
“No, I was worried you’d get mad about Ash.”
“What?”
“I fed on Ash today.”
“Who?”
“My boyfriend Ash.”
“”Why?”
“He offered. I told him it was dangerous, but he insisted. His smell was too tempting to ignore when he was insisting I do it.”
“I’m not mad as long as he’s alright. How was it?"
“He’s fine and it was better than anything I could’ve imagined.”
I went to bed not long after. My dreams that night were nightmares. I dreamt about Ash’s blood. In my dream, my body craved for more and more. I couldn’t stop the cravings.
I tried to stop myself, but it was too late. I lunged and sucked his body dry of his delicious blood. I killed my boyfriend.
I awoke screaming. Mom came running in. “Jade, what’s wrong?”
“I just had a bad dream. That’s all.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Okay, try to go back to sleep.”
“I’ll try. Good night.”
“’Night.”
The rest of the night, I slept dreamlessly
-----------------------------------------------------------------Read Me--------------------------------------------------------
The Pic is of Ash.