Home Is in Her Arms

“Come on Gerard, we’re already late as it is,” Mikey yelled from the car. I sighed as I tugged my shirt on and headed towards the door. I walked out, slamming it shut and headed towards the car.

“Get in,” I snapped at Mikey and his wife Zanira. Yes, my younger brother was married before me, the future king of the vampires. She was a lovely girl and she was everything Mikey needed, but I envied what they had. I always wanted a girl to be smiling at the front door every time I walked through it. I wanted a girl who would be cooking in the kitchen and that would tend to my children. I slide into the front seat and I knew that was just a dream now. This girl I was going to marry probably was nothing like the dream girl I always wanted.

“You know where we are going?” Mikey questioned me as he slide into the passenger seat and Zanira behind him, applying lip gloss.

“Yes,” I snapped and started up the car. I knew I shouldn’t take my anger out on Mikey, but this situation just made my moods crazy. I used to be this happy and careful guy, but now I was this angry man who could careless about anything. I turned onto the main road and the car was still silent.

“Have you ever seen what she looks like Gee?” I heard Zanira from the backseat asking me. I sighed and stared out the window in front of me.

“No nor do I ever want to see her in person,” I said harshly and I heard Mikey groan.

“You’re already making judgment on a girl you’ve never met Gee. At least give her a chance!” Mikey practically yelled causing me to grip the steering wheel tighter.

“Well you are not the one forced into a marriage that you never wanted in the first place. So until you are put in that situation, I think you should stay quiet and just enjoy the ride,” I told him harshly as I leaned over and turned on the radio, blasting it. I no longer wanted to talk to them; I just wanted to be left with my own thoughts. I didn’t want their opinions on the situation, like I said; they weren’t put in this type of problem.

I watched the road in front of me and thought of my life without this girl. I would have searched and searched for the right girl, but a part of me knew I would never find her. She would just be this dream that would be out of reach for me. I thought I would be my destiny to just live alone and wonder the earth a heartless vampire, praying on the evil of the world. I had nothing to look forwarded and never thought I would live up to something. Then finding out a few years ago I had to married on my 21st birthday, which was in a month, and it was my destiny to rule the vampires.

Before I knew it, I had driven to the small town of Vineland, where my future bride was about to graduate. Which was unbelievable to me, my father had arranged a marriage to a child. She didn’t know one thing about life yet and she was supposed to settle down with me. Sure I didn’t experience life at the fullest yet, but I had more experience with stuff then she did. Once I saw the school, I turned down the music and pulled into a practically full parking lot. Finally, after finding an empty spot, I parked the car and all of us got out of the car. I sighed as the sun beat down on us. But we weren’t the type of vampire that burned once the sunlight beat down on us; we were a newer race of vampires. Ever since my great grandmother had sucked the blood from the oldest and most powerful vampire, Alexander Corvinus, she was able to walk into the sun and was able to carry children.

It was said that along with this new found power, that we were suppose to use it wisely. She set up different rules, and the biggest one was that we were not allowed to prey on innocent humans, only the evil ones. She also set up our own type of government where a vampire will rule for a hundred years after his 21st birthday and within those hundred years he is to produce an heir to take the throne. This meant that I had to be intimate with this girl that I did not know. How was I suppose to do that?

I sighed as I looked over the sea of cars and then to the field where many people was standing around. I knew it was going to take everything I had not to act on my animal instincts and want to bite someone. I groan as I slide my big sunglasses on and followed as Zanira practically skipped towards the crowd with Mikey jogging behind her. We entered the gates of the field and walked along a black top path that led to bleachers set up on either sides of the field. I saw my father instantly in the lower level of the bleachers and a woman I did not know but I could only assume with the age that she was, that it was this girl’s mother. It was sad that I didn’t even know her name yet and I kept calling her ’this girl.’

We headed over towards where they sat and I slide next to my father who was staring out on the field looking threw very expansive sunglasses. I sighed as Mikey sat next to me and Zanira next to him. I scanned over the soon to be graduates and couldn’t pin point the one I was suppose to marry in one months time.

“Thanks for finally joining us,” I heard my father’s voice inside my head. I didn’t bother looking up at him and I didn’t bother tearing my glaze from the field.

“Sorry, traffic,” I replied back in my head knowing full well he could hear me. He sighed angrily and watched as a fatting bald man walked up to the microphone and started taking. I didn’t mind any attention to this mortal; I could careless what he had to say.

“She is the one-“

“I could careless which one she is,” I cut my father off and stared past the mortals and into the parking lot.

“Just to let you know, we are spending the night in this town and you will get to know her,” I heard him and I sighed externally. Mikey looked over at me and I knew he knew that we were talking to each other. I continue to watch as someone stood up and started calling names. Name after name was called and I was beginning to get bored. A part of me did wonder which one of them was suppose to live the rest of their lives with me but the other part just didn’t care who she was. I saw the older woman shift forwarded and my father lifting his chin up and staring down at the mortal. I followed his glaze and saw the girl.

My breath stopped dead in my throat, she was not what I expected. She looked like a dark angel down on the field waiting for her high school career to finally end. I watched as she walked towards the balding man. From what I could see, she had shoulder length black hair and eyes that could look into any man’s soul and find all his secrets. As she walked, it looked as if she was flooding on a cloud and she looked so fragile that just with the blow of the wind could shatter her in pieces.

“Analisa Ledger,” he called out her name and she stepped up with a sad expression. I looked over at my father and he simply nodded. She was this girl, she was the one I was marrying and something in that moment went terribly wrong in my body. I felt my black heart start to race and my stomach doing cartwheels. What was this I was feeling? I had never in my life felt like this and I had no idea on how to describe it.

“Is that her?” I heard Zanira whisper.

“Yes,” I heard my father whisper as she walked back to her seat and sat down looking at the paper the man had handed her.

“Wow, she is really beautiful,” she commented but I could not agree. She more then just beautiful, she was a gorgeous angel.

“Are you serious? They actually did that to you?” Cay was just as shocked as I was. I nodded my head as we were in line at the graduation. I thought this day was going to be the most fulfilling day of my life, but it turned out to be the day from hell. I no longer could live a life of dependence and just having fun. No, I would have to plan for a wedding that I was not even ready for. It was still unbelievable for me and I just couldn’t grasp the idea that I was actually getting married.

“Yeah, they did,” I whispered as I followed the person in front of me onto the field. I just kept my eyes to the ground and did what I was supposed to do. I sat down and did not pay attention to the student advisor that was giving his speech. I didn’t care what he had to say or what his plans were for the future like so many speeches talk about. I just looked to the ground and fought back the tears; the tears of frustration and anger. I picked at my nail as they started calling my classmates names. Since I was in the middle of the alphabet, I did not have to get up and walk up to get my diploma yet.

“Analisa, is that him?” Cay asked as she nodded towards the crowd and I looked up. I found my mother sitting next to Alexander, but the next three people I did not know who they were, but I knew that they knew each other. My eyes started at the girl on the end who looked excited and eager while she was holding the hand of the guy in the middle. He had blonde hair and it was short. He wore black sunglasses and had a track jacket on. I sighed and knew he wasn’t the one. So I turned my attention to the last one out of the three. He had long black hair that fell in his eyes, but they were covered up by sunglasses. He wore an outdated t-shirt with a red jacket and a beat up blazer on top along with a nice pair of jeans. I watched his body language and he seemed annoyed and anxious. Suddenly our row stood up and I pushed the guy out of my head. I slowly walked down the aisle and I heard my name be called out. I tried to small as I grabbed my diploma and walked back to my seat. I had done it, I had worked twelve long years of my life to get to this point and I knew it didn’t matter anymore. I was to be married and I couldn’t go onto college and get an education to get a well paying job. I sat back down and sighed sadly, I never felt so sad in my life.

I pulled into my driveway and just stared at the house. I knew he was in there and I knew it was him in the stands at the graduation. As I watched him from the field, I knew that there was something different about him. I couldn’t really explain it, but I knew it was something big. I killed the engine and sighed deeply.

“You know you got to go in there,” I heard Cay say from the passenger seat. She was right, I had to go in there sooner or later, I was just praying for later. I nodded as I got out of the car and I heard the passenger door shut. I looked over at her with a fake smile and she walked over towards me. Together, we walked up the steps to my house and I took a deep breath as I walked in through the door. I looked over at Cay as we heard voices from the living room. I slowly walked in and saw Alexander and the couple who were holding hands in the bleachers.

“Ah, Analisa, I am glad you could finally join us,” Alexander said sarcastically and I just gave him a smile. I knew he wasn’t glad to see me; he was an arrogant fool who knew nothing about me. He didn’t care that he was ruining my live and probably ruining his own son’s life. I walked further into the room with Cay closely behind me.

“Analisa!” the girl practically yelled and ran over towards me. She was smiling happily and she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I was a little shocked that she knew my name and was hugging me, “I finally get to meet you, I have heard so much about you.”

“Really?” I said confused and she just nodded. I looked over at Cay who was just as shocked as I was.

“Yeah, by the way, I am Zanira,” she introduces herself with a warm smile.

“Hi,” I smiled back but I suddenly felt very uneasy with all of them here. It wasn’t that they were annoying or misbehavior; it was something completely different, almost like a fearful emotion.

“And this is my other son, Mikey,” I heard Alexander say from behind Zanira. I walked over and nodded towards the blonde hair boy. He smiled at me and I nodded towards him. I looked over at Cay who was smiling and nodded towards the kitchen.

“We’ll be back,” I told them as I left the room and walked towards the kitchen with Cay closely behind me.

“Can you say creepy?” I heard Cay whisper as I nodded. We walked threw the doorway and I saw my mother at the table cutting stuff up on the cutting board. She looked up as she noticed us standing there.

“Hey girls, you’re just in time, dinner is almost ready,” she said with a smile. I smiled back as I nodded and walked all the way into the kitchen. I have yet seen his boy and I was happy about it. I could careless if I ever see his face again.

“Ms. Ledger,” I heard an unfamiliar voice from the door to my right that lead down to the basement were we stored some of our can and box food, “I could only find one box of Mac and Cheese.” There he was, at the top of the stairs looking down at the one box. My breath got caught in my throat and it was hard to breath. I never thought this moment would ever come, I wished it never came. He looked up and then over at me. For a second our eyes met and all I saw was this hollow look in his eyes. I tore away from his gaze and stared at the floor. I could feel his eyes burning a hole through me as he continued to stare.

“Ah, I see you children have finally met,” I heard his father say from the doorway. I looked over at my mom who tried to smile at me but looked back to the floor. I could hear him shifting uncomfortable and playing with the box.

There she was, sitting right in front of me and I couldn’t say anything. Words were following threw my mind form sentences, but nothing would come out. I was shock and stunned by her beauty that nothing would come out. She was so much more beautiful in person. Her midnight black hair cast down over her shoulders in wide ringlets. Her eyes, that’s what I loved the most. They were dark and dramatic. But as we stood there, facing each other, I sensed a sadness and anger.

Her face was pale and it looked like fragile. It took everything I had not to reach out and just stroke her skin. I wanted to know how she felt under my hand and I wanted to taste the softness of her soft pink lips. I also, could smell the sweet iron of her blood and it coursing through her veins. I could instantly feel my teeth start to show and I did everything to hold them back.

“Gerard, I would like you to meet Analisa Ledger,” My father said as he pulled me over towards her. There she was sitting in front of me staring at the ground. She sighed and looked up at me. I saw this glassy look in her eyes and her biting her lower lip, “Analisa, I would like you to meet my Gerard.”

I stuck out my hand for her to shake but she just stared at it. I had no idea what was going threw her mind or what she was thinking about. I just stood there and awaited the soft shake of her hand. Suddenly, she quickly turned and stormed out of the kitchen. I heard her run up the stairs and slam the door shut, if felt the world stop. She didn’t want me like I wanted her.