Clan of Blood

Summer days are always my favorite, and it’s not because of the intense heat I can tell you that now. It’s mainly because I can take a step back from the world and relax. I don’t have to try to cram knowledge into my head for a math test, or watch my dramatic friend cry because someone gave them a dirty look. For less than 3 months I’m free, besides my family of course, who aren’t always the greatest people to be around either. Sleeping in late in the mornings and playing video games all day while sipping on an ice tea in the pool.

My life is not like summer, it’s like a circus and I’m the cadged panther that must obey or die.

I flung my body on the couch in Elyssia’s room as I waited for her to return from reporting to Gabriel about the meeting. My eyes were heavy and sleep was calling my name. Oddly I didn’t think vampires slept, but also I am not one, so that does not apply to me. That what they keep telling me anyway, even Achilles. With his perfectly quaffed golden locks of hair and his dark steady eyes…what I’m I doing? I can’t like him. I snorted at myself. What would my mother think if brought a wolf man home?

I lay staring up at the rainbow ceiling tin the heat of the summer day as I began to drift off. The couch was much more comfortable than it looked. The old cloth was worn and scared in some places but I sunk into it like it was a bed of feathers.

Elyssia come through the door and closed it quietly, like she was trying to sneak around. I was looking at her curiously as she turned to me with a mischievous look planted on her face. “What are you up to?” I asked rubbing my eyes as she plopped down by me sighing deeply. “I can get you to the wolves for your training.” She spoke her voice calm. I shot up and looked down at her astonished. “How?” I asked with a slight excitement gleaming in my eyes.

She threw a wad of paper at my face and my hand went up and instinctively caught it. “What’s this?” I asked poling up the paper ball in my hand. She smiled and sat down in front of the vanity brushing her thick locks of dark hair. “Open it.” Her voice was a command and I did so.

“The bane’s party for all the creatures that come out at night” I read “that’s cheesy, how did you even get this?” “This place is like a prison how did you get out?” I questioned. I have been trapped in here all day while she was parading around the streets freely? Some friend.

“A guy on the streets was passing them out, so I thought it might give me something to do later. It’s tonight by the way. So if we’re going to act it has to be now.” She said and walked over to the mini fridge that I didn’t even know was there until she moved all the clothes off of it. She pulled out an apple and threw it at me and got one for herself as well.

I turned it in my hand consideringly, looking for dents or imperfections but found none. She sank her teeth into hers as she stared down at me with those lifeless black eyes, the same ones that I know bore. I shivered slightly as I saw her fangs dig into the red apple and tear out chunks of it.

“Do you not like apples?” she gave me a strange look as if I wasn’t normal. “Uh…no there ok. I just thought you know… you can’t… eat regular food.” I said trying to pick my words carefully. This is one girl I didn’t want to offend.

“We can eat anything, as long as we feed. The blood that’s in us right now is dead blood. We need fresh blood to live. Once every few days or so, blood of the living.” She explained and threw her apple core at the trash bin across the room.
“Why do you want to help me?” I questioned. She turned around at stared at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. “Why not?” she said in a cheery voice and disappeared into the closet.

“This is yours. Put it on.” She said and threw what looked like a blue rag at me. I held it up admiring its quality. I wasn’t one for having 100$ dresses lying around. “It’s…nice?” I said, looking over at her while she pulled out a bright red one for herself. “Why do I need to wear this again?” I asked, feeling already like her little Barbie that she can dress up and take out to be her new buddy.

“If you don’t like it I have other things, but that was the longest one I could find so…” she trailed of. I jumped off the couch and nearly out of my skin. “Oh no! Really it look’s great. It’s great.” I said immediately earning a snicker from her.

Before I knew it I was wearing so much glitter that my eyes shined like a disco ball every time I blink and the 7 inch heels on my feet were already earning a murderous look from me.

“Let’s go the party starts a midnight. Some of us art lucky enough to come out in the day light without getting our eyebrows fried off. I smiled at this and for the first time felt a jolt of happiness in me, but as quickly as it came it went.

The plan was simple. Go to the party and meet up with the wolves there. The only difficulty came when we arrived at the party. No one would have guessed it because no one saw it coming. Not Elyssia, not the bodies dancing to the strange music and most definitely not me.

I wonder now looking back if it was because if the mass amount of glitter that Elyssia insisted on putting on my face, maybe it was the fact that the little blue dress I wore was much too tight. She said that it occurred because she made me look very ‘noticeable’ witch was not something I fancied in the least.