Chapter 3
A Whole New World
The two cloaked men were waiting at the bottom of the stairs as I walked down. My dad had Buddy’s leader on ready and some of his toys.
“Angel,” The one with brown hair began. “I know this must be hard for you, I’m sorry. We thought you already knew that you were prepared for us to leave.”
“I understand,” I mumbled. “It’s not every day you find out your a vampire,”
They both smiled at me as if it was a joke.
“I am Shane.” The brown haired one continued. “This is Carlos.”
“Hello,” I muttered. “Mum said you are my protectors.”
“Yes, James sent us to watch over you.” Carlos smiled.
“Your father has waited so long to meet you.” Shane said.
“How am I getting there?” I grumbled, putting on my coat. I felt physically and emotionally shattered.
“We will start on foot and them we fly.” He replied as if it was the most naturalist thing in the world.
“Fly?” My eyes grew wide.
“I’m sorry. I forgot you’re not used to things in our world.” He corrected himself. “It’s easier if you see it to believe it. Trust me.”
I liked Shane. He made this a little easier for me to deal with. “I do.”
“Are you ready to leave?” Carlos asked. “We could wait a little longer if we must?”
“No, I’m ready. Will Buddy be safe?” I suddenly asked as Buddy's rough tongue licked my hand. I had to get away before my will power crumbled and I begged on my knee's to stay.
“Yes.” They both said together.
“Aren’t you cold?” I asked as I felt the coldness breeze from their bodies.
“No, we can’t feel the temperature of the air. Our body heat changes by our emotions. If were happy we feel warm to others. If we are angry or sad, we go all cold.” He shrugged.
“Really,” I asked, bewildered.
“Here,” He gently pressed the back of his hand to my sore cheek. “You feel warm to me but the coldness outside is nothing.”
“Will my heart stop beating?” I wondered. His hand wasn't warm but it wasn't cold either.
“Yes, your heart will eventually stop beating,” He smiled warmly.
“Where is this place were going to? What’s it called?”
“Magicana,” Shane smiled. “Magicana is a place where vampires like us live. We are able to go out into the sunlight there but it weakens us. Other magical creatures live there too. It‘s just like this world really, but we have pixies and everything flying around.”
“How can I go into the sunlight in this world?” I said curiously.
“It’s because you’re not a full vampire yet. You don’t need blood to survive.” He answered.
“Will I hunt humans,” I was suddenly scared. Caitlin and Sean were sleeping peacefully behind me.
“Yes, if you come into contact with them when you first become a vampire. We usually have witches conjure blood for us. We can buy blood as well. You’ll be taught how to control your thirst at school.” He grinned as I stared at him. “But most of us prefer to hunt the animals of Magicana. It's more fun.”
I looked horrified at my mum who had the same expression.
“We’ll wait at the bottom of the gate. Give you some privacy.” Carlos murmured softly, catching our glances.
He picked up my case and they walked out of the front door. I turned and my mum pulled me into a hug. She held me tight and kissed my cheek. She pulled my face to look at her and stroked my cheeks. She wiped away a tear that fell down my cheek.
“Kathy, she’ll be fine.” My dad assured her.
“I love you, Angel.” She whispered.
“I love you too, mum.” My lip trembled again. How many times would I cry tonight?! “I’ll write and tell you everything. I’m a phone call away. Ask Caitlin to teach you how to use the computer and I'll email you.”
I looked over at my dad. He opened his arms for me and I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“I love you, daddy.” My bottom lip trembled faster and the words were cut off by a sob.
“I love you too, princess.” He grumbled and held me tighter.
I tried to pull away but he held onto me. I held him tight and his chest let out a sob. I suddenly realised he was crying too.
“I’m sorry. I feel so useless.” He stuttered. “I don’t want to lose you,”
“You’ll always be my dad.” I assured him. “You’re my hero. You made all of the monsters disappear when I had nightmares. Your the best dad.”
I hugged him tight and he let me go. I could see the pain in his eyes. It was like he was losing me all together. Handing me over or signing me away to the stranger.
“Look after her, Buddy.” He dad mumbled to the dog.
I smiled brightly to hide my fear. I was scared of leaving my parents and my friends. I was scared of going into an unknown world and my fear of meeting my real father. Most of all I was scared of what I was to become. Mum said that my father said I would eventually become a vampire. I took Buddy’s lead and took a deep breath. I turned and opened the doors. My mum suddenly grabbed my hand and I heard her dad mutter ‘let her go’. I turned as my mum dropped her hand from mine.
“I love you.”I mouthed and walked down the two steps.
Buddy was just as wary as me as we walked down the path. I gripped his lead tight. It was freezing cold and I shivered as a strong gust of wind whipped violently in my face and hair. Carlos and Shane smiled encouragingly at me as I walked down the path. They should be freezing in the cloaks they wore but they looked unconcerned. I shivered as I neared them.
“Here,” Carlos said, taking off his cloak.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
“It will be okay,” Carlos said, watching my face. “Who’s this?” He pointed at Buddy.
“This is my dog, Buddy.” I gushed as I talked about him. I pretended this was a dream. I'd wake up and I'd be lying with Caitlin again, snug in my warm bed. “I love him to pieces.”
“He is very protective of you,” He noted. “You must have a true bond with him.”
“He’d kill for me,” I mumbled. “Tell me more about Magicana. Distract me,” I whispered.
“You’re father has enrolled you at Magicana High School of Magical Creatures. It’s a great school. There’s a few others, but that’s the best. They teach you to develop your powers and more importantly to control your thirst, like I said. They teach everything and everyone.” Shane continued.
“By everyone, you mean witches, giants, fairies, ogres and werewolves?” I laughed sarcastically. I had no idea how I managed to laugh.
“Yes, you’ll have different lessons to them though, lessons specially designed for the kind of species you are.” Carlos chuckled, lightly. “I think you’ll fit in nicely at school. I’m sure you’ll make people laugh.”
“Teasing me already,” I groaned.
They both laughed. I suddenly noticed they didn’t have fangs. Weren’t vampires supposed to have them?
“Why haven’t you got fangs?”
“They only come through when we hunt.” Carlos answered. “It makes us safer to be around.”
“Is there anything I need to be warned about?”
“Like what?” Carlos raised his eyebrows.
“Like getting stabbed with a stake.” I half laughed. I felt very vulnerable.
“We have excellent hearing, we can jump and run great distances and we don’t sleep in coffins. We only sleep when we want to. We can go months without sleep. Sunlight drains our powers. We can die by stakes, holy water has no effect on us, and we do need inviting into houses - only if they aren’t vampires, though.” He explained.
“Will I be immortal?” I gulped.
“Yes, you’ll stop growing when you’re twenty but over time you’ll start picking up on your senses.” He smiled.
“And her gifts, if she has any,” Shane piped up. “But that’s a normal vampire. She’s half human.”
“What’s my dad like?”
“He’s a great guy. You look a lot like him with your blonde hair and your blue eyes. We’re best friends with him. We met in school and we became inseparable. He only trusted us to bring you here.” Carlos said.
Their faces lit up as they spoke about all the mischief they got up to in school. We were now slowly walking down the street. I heard my mum sobbing as someone closed the door. I suddenly heard a little banging on a window. I spun around and saw Caitlin screaming at my window. Tears streaked down her face as she called my name. I saw my dad pull her away from the window as I blew her a kiss. Tears burned in my eyes as my heart ached to run back. I turned and walked away from my house quickly. Buddy walked silently next to me, occasionally nudging into my leg. I tried to distract myself. I wondered if my dad moved on and settled down. Was I a love child? Was I imposing on a happy family? As we walked I thought of ways to ask Carols and Shane. I had enough of surprises for one night.
“Did my dad ever meet anyone?” I closed my eyes and breathed as we reached the end of my street.
“One or two, but he’s alone right now. He just wants to concentrate on you and him. Get that father-daughter bond you guys never had.” Shane sighed. “He’s very proud of you. He carries a picture of you as a baby and a recent photo of you in his wallet.”
“Really,” I exclaimed.
“Yes,”
“Angel!” A little voice called.
I turned at the sound of my name, and the voice. “Caitlin!” I exclaimed.
My mum and dad were running down the street after her. She was in her little pyjamas. I dropped Buddy's lead and ran towards her. She reached her arms out to me and I scooped her up in my arms. She held my neck tightly.
“I'm sorry, Angel.” She sobbed. “Please don't go! I promise I'll be good, forever!”
“Caitlin, you're not the reason I have to leave,” I sobbed back and cuddled her tightly. I pulled away from her and held her face in my hands. “Now, you listen to me. I want you to promise me something,”
“What?” She mumbled reluctantly through her sobs.
“I have to go away for a while,” I began.
“No!” She half shouted.
“Listen, I need you to look after mum, dad and Sean till I get back.” I ignored her. “I'll be back before you know it,”
“Please, stay,” She begged me. My mum and dad were behind her now. I could see Carlos and Shane standing behind me.
“I can't, I wish I could.” I sobbed again. “I've left you a letter to remember you of how much I love you all, okay.”
She nodded. “I need you.”
With those words my whole will to leave crumbled. If Caitlin still needed me, I would stay!
“Oh, I can't leave.” I stuttered through my sobs. “I can't leave her, Carlos.”
“Angel, you must!” He exclaimed. “You will die and you will become a danger to her. It won't help at all if you stay. Do you really want to risk hurting her?”
“I can't leave her.” I growled.
I was suddenly being pulled away from her. I heard Caitlin screaming my name. She was begging me to stay. I heard Buddy barking as someone threw me over their shoulders. I looked as my dad picked Caitlin up. She was fighting in his arms and crying hysterically. Anger washed over me as I heard her piercing cry.
“GET OFF ME!” I screeched and lashed out.
“Shane, take Buddy and her things to Rubella. We'll meet you there,” I heard Carlos's voice command.
“How will you get there?” I heard Shane reply.
“I'll fly,” Carlos muttered.
A blur streaked past me and I suddenly realised I was no longer in my street. I was in the middle of a massive field that was two times the size of a football pitch. I noticed two dark bay horses with elegant wings standing in the open area. My eyes grew wide. They were easily twenty two Hans. I hadn’t seen anything so magical and breathtakingly beautiful in my entire life.
“They will not hurt you.” Carlos smiled warmly. “There softies,”
“Put me down!” I growled.
“No,” He replied curtly.
I lashed out at him again. A powerful gust of wind blew through my hair. I shut my eyes tight as trees blurred my vision. I opened my eyes just as we flew higher and higher until the clouds fogged and the lights of the city disappeared.
“We’re going to go through the portal in about thirty seconds. You’ll feel a dizzy sensation.” He commanded.
“Put me down!” I screeched.
Suddenly I was falling from the sky. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Something caught me. Carols was standing in the middle of thin air as though he was standing on a road. His hands held my waist at arms length.
“You asked for it,” He laughed and threw me over his shoulder again.
I suddenly felt my stomach lurch. I felt dizzy and faint. I kept my eyes tight shut and tried to focus on other things. I held tightly to his cloak. I suddenly thought of Buddy. Was he okay? I knew we must have landed because I felt a thump and Carlos slow down. I slowly opened my eyes.
It was dark but building’s lit up the streets. We were in a field again. I could see Shane still flying above me. My suitcase was strapped onto the horse. Shane had a hold of the reins of the horse or whatever it was and had Buddy under his other arm. Carlos suddenly raced out of the field and ran through a street. Or at least I thought it was a street. My vision was blurry again so I couldn't see anything. Rubella slowed down to a stop outside of two black gates that towered over her with the letter ‘M’ in fancy gold writing. Beyond the gate was a long driveway. The black gates opened immediately and Rubella walked up the path gracefully. There was a little roundabout with a fountain in the middle. The garden was really beautiful. The grass was mowed to perfection. The rose bushes were blooming and the trees were all trimmed, Ivy crept up the immaculate white the walls. There wasn’t a leaf out of place. The building was at least four stories high and there were two balconies that had a patio. There was a step that led up to the big black door with a fancy gold knocker. It was absolutely stunning. She could hear the quiet flow of a river nearby. Shane jumped down from the horse and put Buddy on the floor.
I suddenly realised I was shaking. Shane walked behind me. He gave me an apologetic look.
“Put me down!” I yelled.
“You are just as stubborn as your father.” Carlos muttered.
I was terrified now. I was about to meet my father. Thoughts of Caitlin sobbing rang through my head, making me lash out again.
“Take me back, now!” I growled. “I want to go home.”
“No,” Carlos laughed.
“Stop laughing at me!” I yelled, ferociously and screamed at the top of my lungs.
Carlos slung me down and I punched his chest as hard as I could. Carlos made no emotion that I hurt him. He just stood there with a grin on his face. I turned around and my heart skipped a beat as I noticed a man standing by the front door. He was watching me. As I met his gaze he smiled. His eyes were the exact same colour as mine and his hair was the same shade. His hair was short and styled. I smiled back. I forgot I was mad. Right now all I could think about was this man. My dad. He looked no older than twenty three. This was my dad. I thought I would eventually grow to love him but my heart was teaming with love. I knew who I was. I could feel tears well up in my eyes. They weren't tears like earlier. They were tears of love. Before I had a second to blink the man ran down the path like a blur and swept me up in his arms. He spun me around and put me down on the floor again. He pulled me into a hug and I held him tight.
“My angel,” His voice whispered softly in my ear as he stroked and kissed my head.
His voice was so soft and musical. He smelt of peppermints.
“Daddy,” I whispered back into his collarbone.
“I’ve waited sixteen and a half years to hear you say that to me.” He said, softly. “Let me look at you,”
He lifted my jaw up to look at him. His hands were cold but not freezing. He stared into my eyes as though he’d just won the lottery. He gently stroked his thumb across my jaw line.
“So beautiful,” I heard him murmur.
I felt a sob and threw myself into his chest. He held her tightly and I held him back.
“Why are you crying?” He half smiled, half looked concerned.
He pulled me away from him and wiped away my tears. He kissed my forehead.
“I’m just so happy.” I tried to smile but felt ashamed. Caitlin would be crying for me. “I thought you wouldn’t like me.”
“What’s not to like?” His eyes were shocked. “You’re beautiful.”
“Dad, I have to go home,” I said, weakly.
“Why?” He was shocked.
“Caitlin needs me – and Sean.” I tried to explain but he put his finger over my lips to stop me.
“Angel, if you want to go home, you can.” He whispered. “But please, remember that if you go home now then you will be a danger to your mum and the ones you love. Thirst for their blood will take over and without the knowledge to control yourself with humans, you could kill them. The love you feel for them disappears and is replaced by hunger. Its like a lion. It is the hunter and the antelope or whatever is the prey. You are they hunter and they are your prey. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“Time goes by differently here, anyway.” He murmured, weakening my will to leave him.
“What do you mean?” I whispered, inhaling deeply.
“It is weird. Nobody has figured it out. I had to try time your birth exactly but you were born two days earlier than your due date.”
“Then why did you leave me?” My bottom lip quivered. “You could have came at night to visit me,”
“I'll explain later. I'll answer every question you have.” He murmured.
“Promise?” I asked.
“Promise.” He pinkie swore.
“Okay,” I whispered, satisfied.
“Thanks for bringing her,” My dad called to Carlos and Shane. “But was that really necessary?” I felt a smile in his tone.
He cuddled me with one arm and smiled down at me as I rested me head against his chest. He put his hand on Shane’s shoulder and looked sternly at Carlos.
“She's just as stubborn as you,” Carlos laughed. “like father like daughter and all that.”
My dad shook Carlos’s hand and thanked him for bringing me safely here.
“Is that it?” I said, stubbornly. “He dropped me from the sky and forced me here against my will. This could be kidnap!”
All three men started laughing.
“If I recall, you told me to put you down.” Carlos laughed.
“On the ground!” I growled. Carlos just chuckled.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, James. Give you guys some privacy.” He smiled.
“It was really nice meeting you, anyway,” I muttered.
“I'm sorry.” Carlos smiled, playfully. “It was a little funny, though”
“Maybe a little,” I mumbled and smiled at him. “Just don't do it again.”
“Promise.” He laughed.
“I think this is yours,” Shane said, handing Buddy's leash to me.
I forgot about him. Buddy's tail was wagging wildly as what looked to be a little fairy no bigger than my pinkie finger fluttered around him. It looked like a normal human only with wings and pointed ears. Her hair was a sapphire blue colour and green light was glowing around it.
“Hi, son,” I smiled softly as he jumped up at me.
I fell down to my knees and snuggled into his neck. He kissed me cheek and ran around me, rubbing against me and crying softly. I let him off his leash. He ran over to Shane and ran around his legs. I had never seen him this bubbly before as he ran back to me.
“Calm down, you big slobbery mutt,” I laughed. He ran over and chased the fairy around the massive garden, barking wildly. “It was nice meeting you, too.”
“And you. James you had an amazing daughter,” Shane smiled and nudged my jaw with his fist playfully.
“I know,” My dad smiled at me proudly. “In every way.”
Carlos opened his arms and hugged me. He said goodnight to my dad as I hugged Shane. My dad thanked them again. We watched them as they climbed on the two horses and took off into the air. I had totally forgotten about Buddy again. He ran to my side as a red light glowed. I noticed the fairy's light had changed colour. I shivered.
“What the... I could have sworn that fairy was green.” I said, wide eyed.
“Fairies change to the colour of their mood.” My dad explained. “They sleep in the flowers. There sort of like the bee's in your world. They spread the pollen from flower to flower.”
“They're so beautiful,” As I said that, the fairy turned from a red glow to a pink glow. It's cheeks were rosy red. I laughed. It was blushing.
It darted off into the flowers and returned with a single white rose. It looked like a rose at first but when I looked closer, it had a streak of pink running down each of its delicate petals, to its centre. The fairy kept rising and falling as the flower weighed her down. I opened my hand and took the flower.
“Thank you,” I smiled and smelt the flower. It didn't smell like a rose. It smelt like candy floss. The fairy then disappeared into the flowers and settled on a big red flower and combed her fingers through her hair. “It smells like candy floss.”
“Each flower had it's own distinct smell. This flower is a special flower. It can never die. It is called an entity rose. It represents eternal beauty and eternal life. It represents you. Your beautiful and you have an eternal life. It doesn't even need water but people like to water them anyway. It makes them more beautiful.” My dad smiled at me.
“I'll keep it forever.” I promised the fairy. I shivered again and my skin was covered in goose bumps even though I was wearing a coat.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” My dad said.
He must have noticed me shiver. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him, kissing my hair. Buddy followed.
“Who’s this?” He asked, stroking Buddy’s head.
“This is Buddy. Mum got me him last year for my fifteenth birthday.” I smiled at the dog.
“How is your mum?” He asked, softly.
“She's good. She's married to my dad... I mean Mark.” I corrected myself.
“Angel, you can still call him your dad.” My dad said as we walked into the house.
“It just doesn't seem right anymore. I still love him like my dad.” I tried to explain. “But it would only confuse me to call him dad. You're my dad.”
As I walked inside I saw two big marble staircases that were on either side of the room. They met at the top of the stair case. The walls were cream and had fancy gold panelling around the top, middle and bottom. The floors were a creamy marble and a gorgeous crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling. In the middle of the two stairs was a arch and a white door with a gold handle on. On my left was another door and on my right was another two doors. There was a flowery centrepiece in the middle of a round glass table in the middle of the room.
“Wow,” I emphasised each word. My dad laughed.
I could smell a mixture of fruits as we walked into the first door to my right. The sitting room walls were a shade of red. The floor was the creamy marble from the hall. I could see three white sofa's, a white rug, red and white curtains, two red and white flower arrangements, a massive plasma TV, a silver stereo and a computer in the massive room. This looked more like a show home. I noticed loads of pictures. They were of me. Ones of when I was a baby. The went all the way up to my sixteenth birthday. There was one of me holding Buddy as a puppy.
“I kept every photo,” My dad smiled. He walked over to a painting on the wall and I noticed it was a safe. He punched in the code and pulled out a silver box with diamonds encrusted everywhere. He shut the painting again and walked over to where I was sitting. He handed the box to me and sat down next to me, cuddling me. Buddy lay at my feet and rested his head on my shoes.
“What's this?” I asked.
“This is everything I have of you.” He smiled proudly. “Open it,”
I did as he asked and opened the box. Inside was hundreds of letters in my mum's writing. I found a lock of my hair, baby scans, my tooth, a cuddly bear, a baby bangle, a white baby grow, mittens, a tiny pink hat with my name on it. I found my little bracelet that I had from when I was in hospital. I found a pink piece of paper. It was my real birth certificate. It had my dad's name on the bit where it said who my father was. My mum never shown me my birth certificate before. That was probably the reason why. I found pictures of paintings I'd drawn in nursery. I found pictures of my hand prints and my foot print. I saw pictures of me dressed up as a vampire for Halloween. There was a picture of me holing Caitlin as a baby and a more recent one of me holding Sean. There was a stack of disks in protective covers. Each one had a fancy writing that said things such as; Angel's first Christmas, Angel's first birthday, Angel's first day at school, Angel's christening, Halloween concert, Christmas concert, I flipped through each disk.
“Are these all of me?” I asked, astonished.
“Yes,” He said proudly. “I've watched them all hundreds of times.”
Me and my dad sat talking for another hour. I told him about my hobbies and my friends. He laughed about when I told him about when I went camping and the tent fell down on me. I told him all about Caitlin and Sean. I showed him the small scar I had on my arm off where I fell off my bike. He kissed the scar tenderly and promised nothing would ever hurt me again, whether it was living or not. He noticed me yawn and showed me my bedroom. I was so tired I couldn't take in any of the house. My dad ended up carrying me to bed as I swayed. He apologised saying he forgot I had to sleep. I heard Buddy's paws as he walked beside my dad. The room was dark. The only thing that shone was a dim purple lampshade. The carpet was soft and my feet sunk into it. My suitcase was on the bed. My dad left me to change into my pyjamas. Buddy climbed up onto the silk purple blanket. The bed was twice the size of a king size bed.
My dad came back and put my entity rose in a vase and stuck it on the bedside table and kissed my hair. I climbed into the middle of the bed as my dad stroked Buddy and then switched the lamp off.
The next day I called my mum saying I arrived safely and what my plans for today was. We chattered for a while and I told her all about the fairy that gave me the entity rose and promised to pick one for her because she loved flowers.
My dad and I spent the day together. The weather was dull so he could go out in the daylight. He took the day off work and he showed me places of Magicana. He took me into town and everyone was really friendly as James showed me off proudly. Everything was so different. Witches and wizards were flying on broomsticks and people were flying on the horse type creatures. An ogre was selling eyes of newts, tongues of lambs, venom from snakes and spiders and many more bizarre things. There was all kinds of different species. I saw a normal man stand next to me as we waited at a zebra crossing. He stuck his tongue out and caught a fly.
My dad took me to the beach and showed me his gift. He could make fire burst out of his hands. It didn't hurt him. It just licked his untouched skin. He picked up a massive rock that was twenty times the size of him and a hundred times his body mass. He balanced it on the end of his finger and threw it into the sea. I waited for his facial expression to go all strained but he just laughed unconcerned. It was as though the rock weight the size of a feather. He laughed as I tried to push one but it didn’t even budge half a millimetre.
He bought ice-cream and we walked through the town. I had proper ice-cream whereas my dad had iced-blood. When the man asked if I wanted monkey's blood on I passed in case he meant it. I remembered a conversation I had with my dad as we walked through the town. We were walking down a street. He had his arms wrapped around my shoulder because it was a little cold. Some people awed as we walked past.
“Did you know that I chose your name?” He wondered.
“No,” I said bewildered.
“Yes, I went to your mum's house the day you were suppose to be born. There was a note addressed to me saying she was already in labour. Within a second I was at the hospital. I walked into the maternity ward. I could hear your little heartbeat as I walked down the corridor. My heart felt like it was going to start beating again. I already loved you and I hadn’t even seen you yet. I walked into your mum’s room and there you were. You were lying there sleeping in your little cot. Your mum smiled encouragingly for me to go over and see you. I saw your little face yawn. I was so afraid to blink. You were too beautiful, you couldn’t possibly be real. I gently reached out and stoked my finger against your little fist. Your skin was so soft and warm. Your little eyelids fluttered and two beautiful blue eyes stared up at me. I was like I was looking into my own eyes. You wrapped your little fingers around mine. I gently picked you up and cuddled into you. You smelled so sweet, like strawberries. I couldn’t believe you were mine. You were my little angel. That’s when I thought of it. I asked your mum if you could take on my last name. She said that she would agree if I promised I would stay away from you till you were sixteen and a half. She wanted you to have a normal life before you spent the rest of eternity in Magicana. Then I would bring you to Magicana and teach you everything you needed to know.
“Once you could control yourself around humans you could go back and live with her, if that was what you wanted. She wanted you to have the chance of a normal life. You had the rest of eternity to be a vampire and be with me in Magicana. So I made the most heartbreaking decision of my eternal life. I decided to let my little angel go. One day you would come back to me. I knew the dangers of the real world. It made me want to smuggle you away and take you with me. I knew I'd never do that in a million years. I knew that if you came into your powers early you wouldn’t be able to survive in the sunlight. I worried every day for the last thirty three years. Your mum sent pictures and wrote letters about how you were and what your first word was. But all I had was a memory of your soft skin against mine and your beautiful blue eyes. She started sending more things as your grew. Every minute of every day I wondered what you were doing. I wanted to hold you when you cried. I wanted to protect you from the scary monsters hiding in your closet.” He explained, kissing my forehead.
“Is that why you sent Carlos and Shane to watch over me?” I wondered. Everything was finally making sense.
“Precisely, they would know the symptoms. They would be able to take you early if that became the problem. I promised your mum that I would stay away. I never promised that I wouldn’t have protectors looking out for you.” He breathed.
“You can protect me now... I feel safe when I’m with you. I feel like nothing and nobody can hurt me.” I murmured, cuddling into him.
“I’d like to see them try.” I could feel a smile in his voice. “Nobody will ever hurt my baby girl,”
“How did you know?” I played with my sentence. “How did you know when the time was right?”
“I knew because Carlos and Shane told me you were having regular nightmares. You tossed and turned in your dreams. You woke panting as though you'd been running. Those are the signs that are suppose to let you know that the vampire in you are coming through.” He explained this slowly to me so I could understand each word carefully.
“I wasn't running,” I said when he finished.
“What?” He asked, confused. “Weren't you hunting?”
“No, I was being chased. I was running through the forest and kept falling over. I felt as though I was being hunted. Something attacked me and brought me to the floor. That's when I always wake up...,” I retold my dream to him. He looked concerned but said it was probably just a reoccurring dream.
He introduced me to my grandma and granddad. My grandma had my blue eyes while my granddad had blonde hair that matched my dad and mine. Their names were Harriet and John. I found it a bit weird to call them grandma and granddad because they looked so young. My grandma broke down crying as soon as she saw me step out of the car and hugged me tightly. My granddad rolled his eyes and kissed my forehead. My granddad kissed my cheek and cuddled me. He was a plump man with a moustache and had my dad‘s facial features. He smelt of cigars. I laughed because his moustache tickled my skin. My grandma had her light brown hair cut into a bob. She was very old fashioned.
The four of us went for a fancy meal and I told them all about myself and my friends. I really liked them. Even though my grandma was very stuck up-and bossy, I loved her anyway. She bossed my granddad around and they started bickering. My dad and I just laughed as we watched them. They were bickering like an old, married couple only without the wrinkles. My grandma preferred me to call her Harriet because grandma made her sound too old. Well she was from the Tudor times.
My grandfather said that he was bitten by a vampire when he was thirty two years old. He met my grandma who was thirty five a hundred years later. My grandma had fell pregnant with my dad almost two hundred years after they married. They only ever wanted one child because my grandma loved dogs. She took a sudden interest when my dad told her I brought a St. Bernard with me. She'd never seen one before. I pulled out my phone and showed her pictures of him. She gushed at every one of them. She made my granddad promise to go into the real world and get her one. My dad explained that my grandma had eight dogs. A Poodle, A Japanese Akita, a German Shepherd, A pug, A Chihuahua, A Dalmatian and a Labrador.
We went home and my dad said you could tell who the older vampires were because they had old fashioned names and big families. Some had over thirty generations and was still counting. Now, thing were different. You were no longer allowed to change a human, you had to have the permission of the royal families. Our royal family was made of vampires. All royal families would have a meeting and come to a decision before any changing happened. The witch and wizard royal families had conjured animals called white fangs. They were a type of lioness that tasted just like any human only they had longer tails and bigger claws, and had more blood. They could have litters of twenty cubs at a time. If they were scarce then the witches or wizards would conjure many more so we wouldn't be tempted to eat the people of Magicana. You were only allowed to feed if the person you were biting allowed it. But, many vampires preferred the white fangs because they tasted better. My father said that their blood was disgusting and weak because a guy he knew cut himself by accident. My dad had to pinch his nose because it smelt so bad. I met Matt and Ashley who I loved to bits. Matt and Ashley were my best friends in this world.
I called my mum and told her all about them. Matt was gay. I met them at one of my dad's friends parties and since then we were inseparable. Matt had peroxide blonde hair, thin lips and a long nose. I quickly learned that you couldn't tell him a secret without the whole world knowing two minutes later. He knew the boundary of what was an important secret, though. Matt was a vampire as well. He was stronger than me because he was a full vampire. Ashley was stunning. She had blonde elbow length hair, green eyes and a heart shaped face. Her lips were full and were like the kind celebrities paid hundreds for. Ashley wasn't like me and Matt. She was a pixie. She loved flowers and glittery things and was forever singing and dancing. She didn't have wings but she would be able to fly. Ashley had a boyfriend named Daniel. We were good friends. I only ever met him when he was with Ashley. I knew he had a friend named Blake who was suppose to be gorgeous but I never met him before. Matt and I were closer. We were forever messing around and my dad was keen to join in. He like a part of the family. Matt was always around my house because his parents did his head in. They always tried to set him up with girls; they had no idea their son was gay. I was the first person he confessed to. My dad knew, too.
I missed Candice and the girls so much. I wished they could meet Matt. They would have loved him. Every Friday night Matt and Ashley would sleep at my house and we'd watch a film with a bowl of popcorn (Matt had a blood flavour). I didn't want to feel like I was pushing Candice and the girls away, but the closer I got to Matt and Ashley, the further away they felt. Matt and Ashley were like a part of the family. An older brother who protected me and an older sister to confide in. Matt and Ashley could relate to what I was going through. I could never tell the girls I was a vampire. Ever. It was us against the world. I told them all about the girls and they saw a picture of us all together.
I was Matt's hero because I introduced him to the world of Dirty Dancing and Grease. They were now officially his favourite films of all time and demanded to watch one of them every Friday. As soon as ‘I've had the time of my life’ came on Matt would jump up and start dancing. Matt and Ashley were starting school on Monday with me. A part of me was so happy that me, Ashley and Matt would always be friends. One day when we could control ourselves properly, I will take him and Ashley to my world. I'll introduce them to my friends and I'll show them all my favourite places, just like they did with me.
Me and My dad had an amazing Christmas around my grandparents house. It was our first family Christmas together. Matt came around later in the day and we joked because his family were doing his head in. Ashley was spending the whole day with her family but we were constantly texting each other throughout the day. My dad allowed me and Matt a glass of champagne for a toast. My granddad was always making jokes about everything. He had us all in kinks. The only thing that was missing was my family on the outside world. I missed them terribly, especially now. My dad, Ashley and Matt tried to cheer me up all the time. We decorated the whole house with tinsel and fairy lights. My dad thought it was funny to pick me up and put me on top of the tree. Matt and Ashley danced about to Christmas songs. My dad went overboard on the gifts. He lavished me with jewellery, perfumes, top designer clothes, and he even bought me a unicorn. I adored him. He was five years old. He was all black with silver hooves and a beautiful silver horn. His eyes were a piercing blue. He was absolutely stunning and to top it off he was also immortal. I would be with him forever. All unicorns stop aging when they are five. My dad and I named him Champion. Unicorns were very rare in Magicana so when I enrolled him in the nearest stable, all the stable girls were gawking at him. I was getting lessons now because I had no idea what to do with horses (Or unicorns). My dad hired a stable girl to look after him whenever I couldn't make it. She taught me some of the ropes of looking after him. I was always at the stables because I loved him so much. Me and Rachel could spend all day watching him playing in the pasture. Every day when I go to the stables he will wait at the pasture gate to meet me. I'd give him an apple and he'd follow me everywhere. I loved him so much.