Sharp

“I promise I will tell you, but I keep hearing your stomach growling. Lets head downstairs and get you some food.” He stood and to no surprise his hand was ready for me to clinge to.

Our feet paced steadily and mimicing one another as we headed for the kitchen. The stairs was the only moment we didn’t lock our hands together. I felt like one of those couples at school who awkwardly clinged to one another, almost in an unhealthy manner. Yet, I felt at peace holding his hand. It felt like my hand had been made for his.

When we arrived to the kitchen. Food was already placed on the table for me to eat. Sitting was spaghetti and meatballs. Next to a bottle of water that was accompanied by a glass cup of ice.

“Did Anxillion make this?” I ask.

“He must of made dinner for himself and offered you a plate as well.” We settled at the kitchen table and he sat right next to me. Similar seating as the last time I was here.

“Do you really think he made it for me?” I ask, since it was only one plate.

“Yes, he knows I don’t like spaghetti.” Tony told me.

I couldn’t wait any longer, since I was getting really hungry. Yet the quiet felt uneasy and I still wanted to know more about him and his family.

“When did Anxillion’s wife die? Or your grandmother?” I really wanted to understand his family deeper. So many questions left unanswered. At least I could ask the more similar ones.

“She died before I was born. There isn’t much about her that I know of honestly.” Tony’s arms were crossed and resting on the table. Watching me eat.

“Are you going to tell me what happened to Misty?” I quietly asked.

“I can’t tell you here. My grandfather can’t know of it.” Tony’s head shook quickly.

“Okay. Why is it that your ancestors or relatives names all start with, ‘A’?” One things that really didn’t make sense, but seemed facinating that all the names so far started with the similar letter. As if it held meaning of some sort.

“I haven’t read what the meaning behind it is, yet. I haven’t read all the books and journals, since I’ve been here for a short amount of time. Yet it only carries on into the male descendants. My sister’s name is Tiffany, which obviously doesn’t start with an ‘A’. But as far as I know, all male share the letter preference. It goes; Adam, Artois, Atticus, Alexander, Anxillion, Andrew, than I. Anthony. I prefer Tony, for short.”

“If you have children, will you carry that tradition onward?” I ask with a meat ball half chewed in my mouth.

“I don’t see why not. Unless I have only girls, then I don’t have a choice in the matter.” He shrugged his shoulders.

Anxillion came inside through the back door to the garden. Wearing a short brimmed basket hat, baggy light denim jeans, brown rain boots boots, and a beige long sleeve shirt. It might be possible that Anxillion knows why his family and him start the same letter for all of their names. For he is older and more knowledgeful, or can hope.

“Hello grandfather, I have a question about our ancestors. Any chance you can sit with us?”

“Most certainly.” He guided his cane for the table and slowly scooted his feet across the floor. Age wasn’t holding him up so well. “What question would that be?” He slowly settled in the chair beside him.

“Why do our names begin with, ‘A’? All the way back to the 1670’s?” We both face his grandfather.

“That is a very great question. Unfortunately, I don’t the answer to that myself.” His eyes waved to me. “I’m sure it’s just a tradition. The only reason I furthered the lettering was because it felt wrong to go outside the boarder. Same as what your father did. It’s been many relatives that it just makes sense to further it.”

“So, there isn’t any meaning behind it?” Tony sat against the head of the chair, almost disappointed.

“Sorry my boy, unfortunately there isn’t. I’ve read the same books as you. Nothing is written in explaining so.” Anxillion shuffled with his fragile hands, “There is something I do need to tell you though. Nothing in relation to that.” His eyes looked at the same hands I had just looked at.

“What is it?”

“This may be alarming. Might set you off a smidge.” His eyes darted to Tony. “You’re sister.”

“What about her?” Quickly questioning.

“She will be here for awhile.” Tony’s eyes look like they could pop right out of its socket. The light lite them beautifully, though this wasn’t a moment for such.

“What?”

“Let me finish.” Anxillion paused, “She will be here for awhile. Since I’m becoming quite brittle, it’s much harder for me to look after you. Tiffany went to your parents and didn’t seem to like being back. Your father suggested she came here instead, while they still try to figure out things at Tennessee. Which she will be greatly needed, since I can tell you’re already getting yourself into trouble.”

I harshly gulped the saliva left in my mouth. Anxillion looked like he was trying his best not to look at me. Trying not to bring any light to me with his last statement.

“I don’t know, grandfather..”

“You have no choice, my boy. She’s actually been here for a few days. Got herself a job. Trying to settle in. You’ve been so distracted in the basement that you didn’t know of her arrival. Which worked out best.”

“Is she here now?”

“Yes.”

The room was quiet. I was looking at Tony, who was looking at Anxillion, as he stared at his hands again. Doing his best to avoid all eye contact.

“Did someone say Tiffany?” I gasp at lady who had just presented herself through the main hall way.

“What?” I said aloud.

It was the nurse that had helped me earlier today. How was this at all possible? How could it be that she was his sister? Her face didn’t even look similar to Tony’s. At least not at first glance. The only thing that stood out of resemblance were her brown eyes. Both of their brown hair wasn’t close in tone. Tony’s was much darker. Yet, I didn’t look like any of my brothers. Since I got the black hair from my dad. My brothers and sister got ashy blonde hair from our mother.

Tiffany walked closer in the same clothes she had worn when I first met her, assuming she had just gotten off work.

“Oh my, we’ve met already.” Her brown eyes were looking at mine, “The girl who paper cut her hand so badly. I can still smell the blood lingering on your skin.” Her charismatic smile started to look less nice, and more snarky.

And what did she mean she could smell?

Tony was paralyzed. I was expecting some sort of movement. Words. Yet nothing happened.

“Oh.” She covered her mouth playfully, “Have I said too much?” Moving her eyebrows with everyother word she said.

“Tiffany, why?” He finally spoke while closing his eyes.

“Awh.” She stood right behind him and sat her hands on his broad shoulders. “I can’t be here to see my little brother’s new girlfriend. This one is pretty too. More your type. Bet she’s tasty too.” The way she smacked her lips made my heart panic. Things weren’t adding up right. Was she a lesbian? How could she smell my blood? How did she get a job so quickly as a nurse?

I had forgot I had a fork in my right hand until I began squeezing my hand firmly. I knew what was going on now. Things now were adding up and I was beginning to fear this place now. These people. It couldn’t be. It’s not real. It can’t be. I wanted to vomit.

I could feel my face starting to go green. At that moment, Tony was looking at me. I could tell he was able to see that I was catching on. The comments she made weren’t silenced. I knew now.

“Rebecca.” I got up to him saying my name and I began running towards the hallway. I couldn’t be here anymore. This was starting to make me feel nauseous and all I could think about was Tiffany and what she had said. Thinking about what could possibly be downstairs. My inner thoughts could only think that there had to have been bodies down there. Dead bodies.

Was his whole family all the same? His ancestors, were they? How was it that Anxillion was dying? How old was he really? How old were all of these people on the painting? How old is Tony?

Running through the front room was hard. The questions were really starting to make my stomach ill. The food I had just ate, started to not sit well and could feel it coming back up. I kept swallowing my own saliva to keep it down.

My slow mind finally started adding things together as I ran out the door. How was I so oblivious to that? The simple signs where there.

His clammy hands, his pale porcelain skin, he never ate in front of me, he was impeccably strong, and Misty. It couldn’t be. The first person that liked me and I had returned feelings for, he was.

In lightning speed, as I almost started running down the driveway that surrounded itself with trees. Tony ran in front of me. Almost as if he had appeared in thin air.

“Don’t hurt me.” I began crying and let my body fall to the ground. The vomit almost escaped my mouth but luckily it didn’t. Looking at his, he wouldn’t move. His motionless body scared me more than him not saying a word. If he did move, I would flinch uncontrollably. Thinking he would pounce on me like a predator.

“I’m sorry, Rebecca. I was going to tell you in my own time. I promise.” He gently lowered himself to the ground next to me. “Victoria’s journal was going to explain it. I promise. I’m not here to hurt you. I’ve promised to protect you.”

I closed my eyes and imagined being dead. The darkness, it was inevitable. He was going to kill me. These stories never play out well. My stomach didn’t ache anymore or felt anything coming back up. My body did begin to shiver. As if I was standing in cold temperatures. The panic was starting to shake my body and there was nothing I could do.

“Rebecca, please. I beg you. Let me explain. I need you to listen me. I need you to not be fearful of me.” His hand laid on my shoulder for a mere moment until I sunk deeper into the ground and scooted away from him with my hands and knees. Scared of getting hurt. “Please! I’m not going to hurt you!”

The sound of a stuffed up noise didn’t come from me, instead it came from him. The smell of my own tears and running nose made me understand his own sadness. Yet, I still couldn’t let my eyes gaze up to him. I can’t remove the intense thoughts of him hurting me. I tried so hard to give him one last chance, to look back at him. I tried so hard to regulate my unsteady breathing. I couldn’t though. I was instinctually becoming the prey.

“I’m scared. I’m scared. Tony, I’m so scared.” I wanted to be embraced by his comforting smell. Yet, everything he is made me not want him.

“Rebecca, I promise I won’t hurt you. I’ve only been her to protect you. Believe me.” I could feel his body hover over mine.

“Oh my god, you two are so dramatic!” A hand pulled me up to by feet with great strength. “I’m sorry I scared you, Becca. I thought he would have told you. Since Anxillion told me that you two have really hit it off.” Tiffany’s voice spoke close to my ear. It sounded genuine but it didn’t lessen my fear.

“Why did you even come back!” Tony yelled out.

My shivering body couldn’t handle this stress, almost couldn’t stay standing. The slow breathing was starting to create some peace in my mind, but my body wasn’t ready to dissipate the adrenaline coursing through my body.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to.” I then opened my eyes but only to look at all of our feet.

“What’s so important for you to be here?” He ask Tiffany.

“The family, that mom and dad had you run from, They’re fucking pissed. They were told that you would wed one of their daughters and all of a sudden you disappeared. For one, they’re insulted. Two, they want to see that you marry one of them. And three, they’re literally having people come after you. Which if you think you can do this on your own little brother. You’re fucking wrong, my friend. Mom and dad called me several times. I had to leave the life I had made myself just to save your sorry ass.”

“It’s not like I had a choice, they made me leave. Not only that, but they arranged the marriage before I even said anything. I didn’t want any of those girls. They’re rude and I wouldn’t do it for all the money in the world.”

I continually listen to their conversation as I look at our feet. My converse. His combat boat. And Tiffany’s black pumps.

“Trust me. Met the girls. They aren’t worth it. Not gonna lie, you’ve got a beautiful lady here. Don’t ruin it.”

My body was paralyzed at this point. Feeling like a fly on the wall.

“I don’t plan on it, but I think you ruined it though.” Tony feet turn towards me more.

“You two take your time, when you’re done. I’ll be inside waiting. We need to figure out a plan. Since I’m sure they’ll be after her as well.”

The panic sets in more. My airway constricts and I feel my body begin to shiver again. The black pumps were no longer inside.

“Rebecca. Can we talk please?”

“I’m, I’m scared. I. I’m not sure what to say.” A few tears stream down both of my cheeks.

Tony’s hand takes mine. I wanted to clentch it away but couldn’t react fast enough. He led my body to the pavement and made me sit with him.

“I would have explained this to you once you’ve read her journal. She explains about herself. About what she is. I needed you to read it for yourself instead of hearing it from me. I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t know how to. Now I have no choice but to. Since my sister didn’t know. Typical.” His voiced deepened as he was speaking quietly to me.

He holds tightly onto my limp hands. Trying to get me to look up, but I just couldn’t make it happen.

“I think you’ve caught on to what my family and I are. The only thing is, it’s from my mom’s side. Not my dad’s family. All those family members you learned about, seen portraits of. Completely human. They’ve been twisted in this crazy mess of mythicality. My mom’s side is the reason why we take after her name. Is because. Well, she comes from a line of vampires. Victoria, she was my grandmother. She had my mother. My mother had Tiffany and I.”

“How do vampires even have babies, you guys are dead.” I finally spoke but with a nonencouraging tone.

“Well, my mom was born with eggs in her ovaries. Normal to every woman. She went under the knife to have the eggs retrieved. Since my dad was still human at the time. He had no problems fertilizing the eggs. They had someone surrogate the pregnancy and birthing process for them. Since they were able to create an embryo with it with doctors, all they needed was a host. Reason why they were able to have a baby. Even if my dad had been turned into a vampire before hand, It would of still worked, but helped being human because that ability is more fluent. Besides that, Tiffany and I were made. We were technically born humans, yet my mother turned us against our will when we were at younger age. Tiffany is 25. While I’m 17. We’ve been this age for plenty of years. Almost 40 years. We’ve probably been around the same amount of time as your mom has or even longer. Yet we don’t change age. We didn’t have much choice in the matter. It’s also strange because now, neither of us would have chosen against it. My sister loves her youthful life, she loves being able to travel without worry. I wish my parents had waited until I was a bit older to carry an older age for an older feature. But my parents still wanted their little boy to be little. Yet old enough to defend for myself, if needed.”

I couldn’t get myself to look at him. We both sat facing eachother with our legs crossed. All I needed to do was lift up my head and look at him. Try to understand his face and let him soothe my emotions. At the same time, my mind was spinning.

“So. You’re mom is a vampire?”

“Yes.” I was still looking down.

“You’re sister?”

“Yes.”

“You’re dad?”

“Mhmm.”

“Is Anxillion?”

“No, his old age would have been completely avoided if he had been. My dad offered, though he declined happily. Life for him is living and dying. How it was created to be.”

“Okay.” My blue eyes opened and stung from looking at his deathly attractive brown eyes. “And, you’re a vampire?”

He paused before answering.

“Yes.” I could tell he was looking back and forth to each of my eyes. “I am.”

He scooted his body forward towards me. I almost flinched.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I hope you know that.”

“I, do. But my body isn’t reacting well. I just don’t want this to be true. Reading all the vampire books in the world never made me ready for this. I’ve always been drawn to it, but I didn’t think I was this drawn to it.” My eyebrows shifted.

“Makes sense. I’ll answer any questions you have.”

“Misty. What did you do to Misty?” The answer had been long avoided and now the true needed to happen.

“Well.” He nostrils flared open as he inhaled and exhaled through them. “She’s in the basement. As, food.”

“She’s still alive? You’re torturing her?” I said in shock.

“Not exactly, she’s in a medically induced coma. Which she can’t move or anything. When I’m hungry, I feed on her. Human’s body regenerate blood so keeping her alive makes for a constant supply of food. Unlike roaming the streets or stealing hospital blood bags.”

“Do you plan on killing her?”

“From all that she’s done to you, yes. I very much plan on killing her. Bleeding her dry will be how it happens. Her organs will shut down and collapse. If she’s conscious or her brain is still active. She’ll feel the pain of me harvesting from her. Yet, if she dies from blood loss, she’ll faint and become dizzy and practically pass out before she’s officially dead. Probably one of the easiest ways to go. In my opinion.”

“Ehh. Why are those people really after you?” His eyes squinted.

“It’s because I left. Did you not just hear my sister? I left because I was suppose to wed one of their atrocious daughters. Running away from the problem obviously isn’t the best solution. But if I remain here, then there isn’t possible for them to hurt me.”

“What it I leave and they hurt me?”

“That’s why you are not leaving. It’s proven that your mom doesn’t care for you. I’m here to protect you. I always will be. Plus, there is no way your mom could protect you from them. They’re vampires as well. Ancient bloodline, just like my own. They want to connect our families. Partly because they know about the land that is here. If they creates access to the land by marriage, then they can let any of them in.”

“Wait, you said that it’s only the immediate bloodline carries the authority? Marriage would put them at the bottom of the list. If you personally decided that they were a threat or hated them, then them, their family and friends wouldn’t be able to come on board.” I pointed out.

“Exactly. My dad hates the family, so he would rule all of them out. Even if I married one of them. Though she would be apart of the family, she wouldn’t even be able to step foot on the land. The land would guide them elsewhere. No magic in the world can fight that. Running straight will end up turning you around. The land creates a puzzle and if you can beat the puzzle than your fine. But it isn’t easy and I have never seen anyone so it. If you follow someone who already has access, your fine but it’ll be a strange hallucination experience to you and would freak anyone out. The land can understand the fear of the enemy. It’s all an illusion. Honestly, I don’t understand it all. The land to me looks completely normal. To strangers, when they walk in, the dead trees look different to them. The land looks completely different. The landscape is different as well. The land, from what I know, can even make the mansion disappear from the intruders vision. The magic is so strong and as long as the bloodline continues, the magic of the land will continue as well.”

“But you guys are dead though? You don’t have blood within you. So how does that work?”

“Actually, it has to do nothing with blood. Bloodline is a term of how you link to your ancestors. How the family tree is formed. Your importance is depends on where you stand in the family tree. Similarly to the royal British family. Marriages don’t lead you to the crown. You must be an heir. If you end up having children, then they pose a higher rank then their mother in my case. Father in my sister’s case. If she had children before me, they would be ahead of my children. Age matters as well. Anxillion is older than my father, making him the king in the sense. Once he passes, the high rule will be for my father since he will then be the oldest. Then my sister, then me. “

“Okay, that makes sense. Do they know of all of that?”

He grinned villianly, “No, they don’t. If they did, they wouldn’t want to wed. Since if they have children with me, which they haven’t shown interest to that. The child or children would become of higher priority compared to their own mother. In the eyes of the land.”

“Makes sense.” I looked around. “Maybe we should go head inside. It’s starting to get dark out.”

“I agree.” He helped me up which was appreciated.

My mind couldn’t understand all of this. I didn’t care for the land to accept me, I cared about if Tony does. I’m hypnotized by him. Even in my moments of unsureness or fear. I still choose to fancy him and everything he is. The fear was slipping away slowly with any word he says. Him being a vampire is scary, no doubt. The energy he radiates makes me feel safe though. Even when I shouldn’t feel that way. Learning about him being a vampire, has drawn me in more. Even if the beginning is a little rocky. If I had to choose to leave for my own sake, I don’t think I would be able to.