Chasing the Moon

"You wouldn't understand," I muttered, walking over to my bed.

"You give me too little credit. Try me." He walked over and sat beside me.

"I'm in love with him. I know I haven't known him very long, but I felt like I've known him my whole life. When I'm with other people, I feel like a freak of nature, but with him, I don't know, I feel almost normal. I know it sounds silly, but it's how I feel." I sighed, throwing my face into my hands as I sobbed. "And if Marshall ruins this I just don't know what I'll do!"

"I won't let him ruin it, okay?" Nikki told me, rubbing my back softly. "I'll keep you happy no matter what it takes, I promise. Maybe you should get some sleep. It's been a trying day."

I nodded and he left, closing the door. I walked over to my window and opened it. I didn't expect him to come tonight, but maybe he's walk me to school in the morning. I fell into bed and stared at the ceiling before drifting into a deep sleep.

I looked up at my mom and dad, wailing in pain. It felt like I was on fire! Why weren't they helping me? Did they not see me crying?

"He planned on you picking her," my mother whispered to my dad.

"So I would lose you and her..." he told her, looking at his feet.

"What do we do?!" she asked yelled at him.

"I don't know," he said so softly I could hardly hear.

I watched as they bickered as I cried and cried. They just stared down at me with pity in their eyes. What were they thinking about? They eventually left me without even giving me my conventional good night kiss! I cried through out the night. What was going on?

The next morning my mom came in and I glared at her. How dare she leave me all alone?! She gasped, but picked me up. I tried to forgive her, but I couldn't. Her weird smell was suffocating me and she didn't even notice as I coughed quietly. Then she carried me to grandma and grandpa's house. They smiled, but then I watched as they slowly started glaring! What was going on?!

"What happened?" granddad demanded, staring at me through these disgusted eyes.

"Zach bit her," my mommy whispered softly. I wanted to hug her and tell her it was okay, but my arms were too nubby and she was holding me much too tight.

"What do we do?" dad asked. He didn't sound as shaken up as mom.

"Right...Isabel, honey, you can't keep her." What was grandpa saying?!

"What?!" mommy yelled at him. She clutched me even tighter. "She's mine! I'm not going to throw her out like a bad puppy!" Dad grabbed at her arm tightly and I wanted to bite him.

"It can't be helped, my love," he whispered, kissing her. He needed to go away so it could just be me and mommy!

"I can't give her up! What kind of cruel man could make me rid of my baby!"

"It's for the safety of our people," grandma told her, glaring at me even still. I wanted to rip her throat out! "She's a vampire: she'll eventually attack us."

"No! She'll be good!" mommy promised. "She'll be good!"

Grandma looked at dad and he nodded, pulling her to him as she cried. I gripped her finger tightly, wanting to comfort her. When we got outside, dad snatched me from mommy and she started crying even more. I did, too.

"Give her back!" she screamed, reaching out to catch me. I struggled to reach her. Mommy, don't go!

"I'm sorry. We'll have another."

"How can you do this to me?" Mom fell down and I stared at her through teary eyes, begging her to leave dad so we could leave this horrible place.

"Isabel, she can't stay! But I won't kill her, okay?" He wanted to kill me?!

"Then what are you going to do?" she asked, wiping away her tears. Don't fall for it, mommy!

"No doubt Zach knew we wouldn't keep raising her. He'll take her."

"I thought you killed him!" No! I didn't want to go with that horrible man!

"No, he got away. But he did laugh at me before he left and I guess I know why." Dad left her side and looked around. "You can come out now."

I started wailing when the man who had bit me came out of the clearing. I clung to dad, begging him not to give me away. I begged for mommy to save me! But she didn't! They both just watched as I struggled in the awful man's cold arms! I started bawling, but he looked down at me.

"You'll be a pretty girl when you grow up. Hmm... What do you think of the name Gabriella?"

I think it's a bad name, you mean person! Put me down! I want mommy back!

"They don't want you anymore," he whispered softly. I started crying. It was true!

We got to his house and all of these creepy bad men were staring at me. One stuck out. His name was Marshall. He took me out of Zach’s arms and cradled me softly. I fell asleep soon after.

My parents who had given me up haunted my dreams...