• CHAPTER 1


    I never knew where my parents had applied me to. It had only been a month since we moved from Transylvania, and they had already got a school application filled out for me. The letter had come this morning, and it brought my hopes down. The letter looked formal, it was the type of letter that you could just tell came from a private school. I hated private schools. Private schools were just full of stuck up, rich smarty pants, who can’t learn with their own community. I didn’t want that type of a reputation. I didn’t want to be found walking down the street with the most formal and most richest friends. I’d rather walk through an alley with torn-up, informal, middle-class, buddies. Not friends, buddies. People who I could actually talk to, not someone who I just hang around with for the looks and popularity.

    My parents read the letter with wide eyes. My mother’s long black hair was in a tight ponytail and she had it over her shoulder, in her hand, rubbing it anxiously. My father held the letter tightly and scanned over it quickly. He kept reading it over and over again, each time his hands balling into fists and then releasing again. My brother stood over them both and his face wore an impressed expression with a mix of hope and happiness. He smiled at me and said, “We’re in again! It’s gonna be great!” I rolled my eyes. My brother happy about school had to be a joke. He never liked school, especially not high school.

    “What’s the catch?” I asked walking over to them all. They were all standing around the dining table leaned in towards my father.

    “What catch? There’s no catch sweetie. It’s a nice school, full of people like us.” My mother said happily. The minute she said it she gasped, she knew that she said something wrong. She closed her mouth shut tightly. My father quickly glanced her way and then looked at me.

    “What? Like us? What do mean like us?” I exclaimed. Whenever anyone said ‘like us’ that either meant two things. Either they were also not human, like us. Or that they had the same level of IQ as us. Both of those answers usually got me tense till I got time to think it through. What I mean by not human, well…we‘re a different species. My father is a vampire. He has not drank human blood for 17 years, right after my brother and me were born. My mother was a dark angel, though the angel she was a slave for had let her go free.

    Now a normal person would be thinking, what me and my brother would be with a vampire and dark angel couple. We are actually half vampire and half dark angel. We both drink blood, but it doesn’t attract us as much as normal vampires. Unlike some other vampires, we can eat human food, it appeals to us as much as human blood. When my brother was born, he was given mostly human blood. It was my parents’ first child, so they were a bit confused on what to feed him. That’s why my brother finds blood more appealing than I do. I find blood as appealing as a sandwich, it doesn’t really affect me if I have blood or not. Though, for my health I am recommended to drink a healthy dose of blood each week.

    My father broke my thoughts by explaining, “Violet, darling, that’s not a bad thing. Everyone there is going to be of another species. It will be much easier for your brother too, he won’t crave as much blood if he is around others like him. Just give it a chance, sweet.” He tried to convince me.

    I put my hands up in surrender. “Calm down dad! I was just getting everything clear. I’m happy if we get to be around others like us, it’ll be a change.” My father easily got tense especially when it came to things like me and my brother’s education. His creased forehead went back to normal and his posture shifted to more of a casual position. My mother smiled and whispered something to my brother. I looked at them in suspicion.

    “Violet,” Said my brother Vincent. Vincent barely ever called me Violet. He’d either call my Viv, if he’s in a good mood, or Vile, to tease me. The only time he called me Violet, was when he was in a serious mood. I looked towards him quickly and nodded. “We’re going to be leaving soon,” He said quietly. There was some secret meaning hidden behind those words. He hadn’t told me how soon, so I had to ask.

    “Soon as in, how soon?” I emphasized the how and glared at him. He took a deep breath in as if he was waiting for this moment.

    He looked into my eyes and said, “Tonight.”

    ~ • • • ~


    As I put a bottle of blood in my suitcase I looked out the window into the pitch black night. Why is it always in night time that we depart? Our flight from Transylvania was also in the night. By night I mean, 1:00 a.m. I was falling asleep by the time our plane came. My brother had to slap me awake, of course I got him back.

    The stars shone bright and I was happy for some source of light. I wasn’t a fan of dark places. My father and mother were used to it, and so was brother, but I hated it. In the dark, you can never know what’s going to happen. You might die and you could still think you’re living, that’s why I never got enough sleep. I’d always sleep at the break of dawn, when there would be a bit of light for me to see around myself. My parents always yelled at me, I couldn’t do anything about it, it was the way I am.

    The miniature grandfather clock on my bedside table rang. There were twelve bells and my father swept into my room. He was quiet fast, yet gentle. Me and my brother weren’t as fast as he was. We hadn’t inherited much of his speed, or strength. However, compared to an average human we were superheroes. If any of us entered cross country, we could literally cross the country before anyone could say no.

    “Violet,” My father cleared his throat to get my attention. “Are you ready dear? We have to go soon.” I nodded my head as I packed a book. I had to entertain myself somehow and my father hadn’t got me an MP3 yet. I closed my suit case and started dragging it behind me. My father had put me and my brother’s main suitcases in the trunk of the car.

    My mother walked out of Vincent’s room with him following behind her. He had his duffel bag swung across his shoulder and he looked really sick. He was hunched over and his eyes looked sunk in. His usual hat was in his hands and he walked with less grace than usual. I had to find out what was wrong.

    I walked up beside him casually and glance up at him for a second. He saw my glance and looked at me in confusion. I mumbled quietly, “What’s wrong?” I knew that with his sensitive hearing, he would hear me.

    He looked at me and smiled weakly. “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll explain later.” He put his hand on my shoulder to reassure me, but all that did was increase my tension.

    We all walked silently to the car. My brother and I knew that this was the last time we would see our parents, before Christmas break. I held my dad’s hand tightly as I climbed into the car. My mother gently sat in the front passenger seat beside my father. My brother clambered in beside me and leaned on the seat. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. I put my hand over his and he smirked a bit. “Don’t worry…” he whispered loud enough for me to hear. I removed my hand from on top of his and relaxed a bit.

    I watched as the car rolled by. The trees went by fast, but I could remember every detail. I can still remember the small butterfly that was chased off by a squirrel from a small oak tree. I can also remember the blue bird sitting on her three eggs while her mate fed her worms. I sighed, I knew that I was about to loose all this.

    I looked in front to see where we were headed. The airport was coming into view and I grabbed my suitcase ready to get off. I was about to push my brother awake, but then my dad drove past the airport!

    “Dad…the airport!” I managed to stutter. My mother chuckled and put one hand up showing me to stop worrying. I dug my nails into my palm but laid back again, not taking my eyes of the front road. As I watch my father drive down the dimly lit road, he turned a corner into an alley. There was a metal fence at the end of the alley, but my father didn’t stop. Behind the metal fence was a large polluted river. I was about to yell again, but before I could my father drove into the fence.