Raven's Dark Past

It was a normal fall day. I could see the leaves blowing around in tiny circles. One circle of leaves managed to climb through my window. I could hear outside the neighbors and their children’s laughter playing with the leaves. I could smell my mom’s pumpkin or maybe it could possibly be apple pie. Nah it is apple. I can smell the cinnamon and sugar, which was making my taste buds water. I could smell the crisp fall air blow through my window, which forcefully opened for the second time. I slammed it shut and continue to read a book I am into. I am what most people consider a bookworm. It is not that I am not social. I am. I’m just more comfortable on my own reading a good book with a nice cup of tea near my side. On the plus side, I am wearing fuzzy slippers. No one can beat that. After I gaze at the sunset realization hit me.
Tomorrow would make it the first day of school. I do not know if I am ready for this. I mean sure everyone gets nervous but no one has famous people as parents. My mom is the Emissary. She is seen all over town on the big screens. Then my father is the head CEO. He is the head of an electronic company. I never really follow on it. If I ask him, he would talk about it for hours. I could not put myself through that torture. I get up and go across the hall to look at myself in the bathroom mirror. My face looks different this year. I do not see the baby features I am accustomed to seeing. I see a grown woman looking back at me. I see hazel green eyes, brown hair with blonde highlights, tanned skin, which would eventually fade, and some freckles that formed. I do not even see a single zit. I am 14 years old. I look older than my age. Then I looked at my mouth. I look at my teeth and I see fangs. I remember getting these like it was yesterday. This is one of the reasons I was going to a new school.
I was about to go to Ludus High. It is a school for special children like me. I know it sounds crazy but I do not know if I will fit in. I am used to going to public schools. Now I am going to have to wear uniforms and not express my individuality? This sucks balls. I am next going to have to get along with creatures like myself. I am not a people person. I hate making new friends. I do not enjoy the task. I am friendly when I have to be. I am going to feel so out of place.
“Raven, darling, it is almost time for dinner.” My mother called in her sweet voice but I knew she was agitated. Someone downstairs must of made her mood gone sour.
“Coming mother!” I called and turned on the faucet and cleaned up my face. As I go downstairs, I do not see my dad at the table. Typical. He is probably working overtime again. Not like we need the money. We are rich for a reason. Sometimes I think he just wants to avoid my mom and awkward family talk. I shrug off the feeling and dig into mac and cheese, steak and green beans. As I sit down at the big table, I see my older brother Tommy. He seemed moody. He was playing with his food and stabbing at the steak angrily. I dared not ask him what was wrong. The last time I did, I got a punch straight to my mouth. Some of my teeth were almost knocked out. He even said, “Do not put your nose into where it does not belong.” I even had to go to the dentist to get some teeth repaired. Mother was not happy when the bill came. Tommy was not the one to mess around with, especially with his anger not under control most of the time. I sit there quietly and chew on my food. The table was big enough for six people. We only had four people in the family. My mom just likes to show off what she can afford.
As Tommy finishes his steak, he gets up and leaves. He slams the chair roughly to the table and my mom jolts. She gets up from her seat and scolds at him, ‘Thomas Synamore get back here. This is no way to react. Sit here and eat with the rest of us like a normal family would.” She pointed her finger to the seat he left. My mom was the disciplinarian. She controlled what we could do and could not do. Tommy looked at her like she had two heads. I could relate. Since when did we have a normal family? He shook his head and did not obey her and walked away. I would not have the courage to do that. I stood there wide-eyed and went back to cutting my steak. My mom ran after him using a few swear words and shut the door behind her when she reached his room. I could hear yelling, stomping and pounding. This could only mean one thing. He broke up with his girlfriend or the other way around. He was known as the pimp in school. He would flirt with girls and try to get into their pants. Then once he was done with them, he would just never talk to them again. But he was serious with this girl now. I do not know what she did to make Tommy this mad. Tommy was in fact cute. He had short brown eyes. He had silver eyes just like mother had. His frame was stocky and muscular. I can see why girls would always want to be around him. Then again he had a way with flirting. I do not know where he learned it from but it was not I. I was awkward when it came to talking to guys. I go red in the face trying to form sentences.
As I heard the door closing, I saw my mom walking back to the table. She looked pissed off. She started to eat while stabbing her fork. “I. Do. Not. Understand. Your. Brother. Sometimes.” she said each time stabbing the fork into the meat. Then she looked at me and asked, “Did you get your uniform out for tomorrow?” I nodded and told her, “Yes I did. To be honest I am quite nervous to go to a new school.” I was moving my Mac and Cheese around and loosing my appetite in the process talking about Ludus High. My mom did not say anything. She was never the one to show emotion most of the time. “Well I am sure you can find people like your kind there.” She said to keep the conversation going. Then the room got silent and quiet. My kind? So I am a mutant now. Apparently, since I am being sent off to a special school.
As my mom was eating and I was not saying a word. I looked around the room. It was so vast and empty; it felt like no one lived here. I could see the high-rise ceilings. I would see the white pillars going up 3 stories high. The white wallpaper made it look dull. As for me I like to have color in my room. The clear glass surrounding the ceiling made it perfect to see the starry night sky. The portrait of mother was over the fireplace. The painting looked kind of creepy. She was standing on her podium making a big speech. I do not think I was born then or else I would have remembered it. One of my talents is my memory.
Then something was nagging me to ask mom. I coughed a little bit to let her know I wanted to say something. “Mom why do I have to go to this special school? I mean I am normal. I can fit in. I do not want people to judge me because I am the new kid.” My mom smiled and took my hand and held it, “It is for your own good. Trust me.” She smiled and I saw the twinkle in her eye. Somehow I had the feeling to trust even though I did not want to. My mom then added sternly, “We do not want to repeat what happened last year.” I blushed, I do admit my action last year made her reputation hard to maintain.
The problem all began when I was going to my math class and I happened to run into the school bully. I just got my new powers back then. I was around 13 years old. I was trying to control smelling the “human scent”. I could hear other student’s hearts pounding and blood pulsing through their bodies. Then I heard a really annoying voice, saying comments that made me want to punch a hole in the wall. The school bully, Elise, was picking on my best friend Abby. I admitt it, Abby was not the most popular girl in school and neither was I. Abby was the epitome of a nerd. She wore round black glasses, she had long blonde hair and she was 5 foot. Abby was tiny but she had a wonderful personality. It made my blood boil to think why this girl would pick on her. I felt the white-hot anger pulsing through my veins. “What are you gonna do Raven?” she taunted me knowing I could not fight back. Her father worked for my mother. She wore all the latest fashion labels to prove she was rich. I was the exact opposite. She looked like a stuck up bitch. In fact she was one. “Come on Raven show me what you got.” She snickered.
That’s it. I could not hold it in anymore. I do not want what happened next, all I knew was I was pouncing on her and baring my fangs. I scratched her and I could hear her screaming. I did not care. All I wanted was to hit her so hard and then taste her blood. I never realized how hungry I was. I spot her neck. My taste buds were tingling. I am almost there. My instincts tell me not to do it but I could not control it. No one taught me how to prepare for it. I smile and bite into her. I could feel her warm blood caressing over my tongue. I enjoyed it so much that I bled her dry. It felt amazing. More than I have ever felt in years. Everyone screamed and ran. Even Elise’s goonies ran. Abby stood there horror struck. I get up from Elise and take in the situation. Shit… I was in trouble. I bolt to the bathroom. I wash off the blood from my hands and face but my clothes were still stained with her blood. Thankfully the bathroom was empty.
As I got my thoughts together, I hear the speaker come on. Then the principal talked. “Raven Synamore please come to the office now.” She said sternly. I panic. I do not want the principle to see me like this. I was a star pupil. I got all the good grades. I was on honor roll. The only choice I wanted to do was to run away. I went through the back doors of the school. I could see the police cars and ambulance in the parking lot. The blood I drank gave me power. I could run fast and jump into the trees. I take off my shoes that were covered in Elise’s blood and head toward a tree and jump into it. I knew I could never go back to the school. I knew Abby hated me and probably hated the monster I have become.
As I come back to reality, my mom asks, “Hunny you okay?” she looked at me concerned. “Oh yeah I am fine.” I assured her weakly. She nodded and said, “Well you are going to Ludus to control your powers and learn how to use them. It will not be easy but the principal suggested this for you.” I rolled my eyes. Of course she would. They were best friends now and kept a close eye on me.
“Alright I will try this for you.” I sighed. Even though I would try to find a loophole in every way possible. Then I heard the front door open and my father came through. His eyes had bags underneath them. He looked exhausted and then I see scratches on his jacket. My mother and I gasp and step back. I could see blood seeping through his cuts. I smell the human flesh. I get a huge headache. My stomach jumps and my metabolism kick-starts. I realized how hungry I was for human blood. I have to get out of here. I bolt to the bathroom. I put my head in between my legs. I cannot let him know my secret. It would devastate him. Not only is he human but also I do not want to harm him. Someone knocks on the door. I get up and open it. It is my brother Tommy. “Hey what’s up?” I croak. I am so weak. I had not had real human blood in a month. My body just realized it. I was always busy in the summer that thinking about human blood was never an option. “Thought you might need this.” He says and holds up a blood bag. I take it and ravenously open it. I suck it all up. I feel much better now. My headache is gone. “How did you know?” I gaped at him. He shrugs and then walks back to his room. Oh this conversation is so not over.
“Hey you I am talking to you!” I say and I shut his door. Tommy sighs and laughs. “You think you are the only vampire in this household.” He raises his brow waiting for me to answer. I stand there like a deer in headlights. “I take that as a no.” he nods and then walks over to a dark wooden bookcase. He holds out a photo album. I jump onto his king sized bed and he plops down ready to show me. “You have to know about our family history before you go to Ludus high.” He warns me. I give him a quizzical look.
As he turns the first page, I notice two married people that do not look like mom and dad now. I stare at it bewildered. “Wait…what? Who are they?” I ask pointing to the picture. He smiles and points, “Those are our real parents. See she has brown highlights like you do and green hazel eyes.” I stare but cannot believe. She also had the same slim figure as I do. I always had a model type body. I could never help it. My friends, well my only and previous friend Abby, was always jealous of that.
I ask, “So you are trying to tell me I am adopted?”
Tommy nods and is glad I am getting the concept. “But what happened to mom and dad?” I ask him. Tommy shakes his head. “That information I can not give you until you go to Ludus High.” He finishes with a final tone. He closes the book and puts it away in the bookcase hidden. “I suggest you get to bed.” He says pointing to the clock. Shit. It was 11pm. I yawn and stretch my legs. I follow suit and he closes the door behind me. All I know is that I am going to find out what happened to my parents to make my brother and I an orphan.