Amelia, Run!

December 16, 1955

It was six o’clock, the house was warm and bright with flame lights from the fireplace, and it smelled sweet because beside the big Christmas tree with the big diamond star on top that sat just right with the golden lights and decorations making it look celestial was a little table with fresh baked cookies and warm milk. It’s just like the teenager remembered, just like every year. Nothing changed and that made him smile reviling his white and perfect teeth. He loved that cabin. Every vacation spent there was a blessing for him and his family—even the time that his big sister couldn’t attend six years ago. The boy laid, with his hands on his cheeks and elbows on the flow to support his head, was swinging his legs up and down as he looked at the dancing flames and the golden cracks from the firewood and hum a Christmas song. He couldn’t wait for next week because Santa Claus was coming to give him what he wanted. Right below the tree, right next to the train that surrounded the trunk with the glittering cotton to simulate snow and the red round carpet, was a list. The list had everything that he wanted. From the Bouncy Trampoline to the J.C. Higgins Bicycle he saw in the magazines. The boy gave out a little dreamy sigh and smiled.

He didn’t realize that he was all alone; no one was in the living room. The only thing that made a sound was the big boxed wooden old radio that was on the other side of the tree, on top of a wooden stool. It was on the Christmas Special station, something that became a tradition over the years. The song that was half done was The Christmas Song sang by Nat King Cole—he always liked how he sang it. It was like it reached his soul. His father’s chair was on the right of the fire place and it was empty, the same with his mother’s rocking chair. The wooden pipe that his father used was on top of the fireplace, right above the big red sock that spelled his name: Joel. He couldn’t even hear his big sister’s voice talking over the phone. The pipe was still lit and he could see the little smoke as it disappeared when it got further up to the ceiling.

The window that was at the other end of the room, blew open making a loud sound fallowed by a gust of wind making him jump startled. The snow was kicking in and he rushed to close it shut before the floor got ruined. Suddenly he was all alone in the middle of the room. Something was wrong and he could feel it. He didn’t know how but he was very much alert. Joel didn’t even remember how long they were gone. All that was in his memory was her mother patting his head and kissing him on the forehead.

Joel jumped again when he heard his named whispered. He snapped his head towards the kitchen. “Joel... come here, baby.” It was the voice of his mother. A relived smiled appeared on his face and he calmed down.

“Coming mother!” he walked toward the kitchen but there was no one there. “Mom?” there was no answer. “Mother?”

“Joel…” now the voice moved to the hall and he fallowed it. “Can you come here and help mother?” at the end of the hall, on the right wall there was a door that lead to the attic. He touched the wooden rail for support. As far as he could remember he always had a bad feeling about it—ever since his father told him not to go there. One night, a night that his big sister was on a slumber party for a week, something that was odd for him because normally it should last a night or a weekend but a week before Christmas? He would never dream of doing that. Well, Joel tried to open it out of curiosity; he was only ten when it happened. He also remembered the tight grip his father put on his shoulder to lead him away. Maybe it was his childish imagination but he felt static on his tiny body.

But this time he decided to be brave. His father didn’t raise no whimp! Besides, his mother was asking for help. Quickly, he took a big puff of air and stomped his way towards the door and opened it. The stairs led to a dark room. He couldn’t even see the last steps; it was as if the blackness consumed them. Joel gulped and took a step down. The wooden step creaked and that made his hart jump.

“Mother? Are you there?” there was silence for a second but then there was a light giggle.

“Yes, honey!” she sounded cheerful. “Come here and help me with some stuff!”

Joel’s fears vanished when he heard his mother’s voice and stepped down like normal. But it was still dark so he tried to find the switch to turn on the lights but he didn’t know where it was since he never went down. “Mom, it’s dark. Can you turn on the lights? I don’t know how you can see in this dark—” then there she was.

She had turned a crimson candle that illuminated her face. The way the light was placed, it made her eyes look hallow, it disfigured her face and it took him time to recognize her. The shadows danced and jump on her face like tiny monsters. It felt wrong. Joel’s mother was wearing a red rob with the hood over her head; he could almost see her blond locks that rested over her chest. Instinctively he took a step back and he noticed that made her mother smiled a wicked and unsettling smile. Then two more candles were lit and his big sister’s and father’s face appeared with the same monster over their faces. He could feel the cold sweat roiling down his neck.

“W-w-what’s going on?” he let out a nervous chuckle, maybe it was prank. But it still wouldn’t make sense. His family wasn’t the type to enjoy that type of activity. Usually they would frown upon it even if it was an innocent one, even if it came from a child.

“It’s time, Joel. You are already sixteen, in impeccable shape and mentally awake.” Slowly crimson candles started to get lit, on their own. “Our family, together with other families around this state, around our country even around the world has a little secret.” Joel felt his body tense and get trapped by an invisible force. He didn’t have control. No matter how he struggled or the amount of force he would try to move, he couldn’t. Joel was trapped.

When the room was finally completely lit, he saw a hospital gurney in the middle of the room and covered with a white sheet. The floor was covered by red marking that he didn’t recognized. They were organized in a way that would make two circles and in each circle it had six red candles. His father took him by the shoulders and lifted him onto it and strapped him. “Mom, wait!” His mother took a knife from one of the tables that had dripping red wax. Joel kept struggling but he was powerless. There was nothing he can do. He pleaded to his sister but she just looked at him like she knew what was going to happen to him… like she had experienced the same. Joel didn’t know how he knew this but he could feel it in the back of his head.

She smiled. “Everything will be over soon, J.” it was a sad smile.

His mother walked behind his head and raised the knife. “Tonight our fourth member of our family and the four hundredth member of the Cruentus clan will start a new life. Our name is growing and will keep growing to defend us from the enemy. The night will lead him towards his new future and we will be there to satisfy his thirst!” and as she said that she stabbed his son in the chest. Joel felt the pain of the sharp knife and let out a loud gasp that later turned into gurgles of blood. He saw how his mother, father and sister let out their fangs and let out a hiss. The next thing he knew everything turned black.

One week later Joel opened his black eyes and let out his first gasp and stood up with a jerk. Even though he had his eyes open, everything was dark. With a blink he could see his surroundings almost as if were lit with red light but he blinked again and it was dark. He lifted his hand and touched his chest. He remembered everything and he winced. It would have been normal if he screamed for help but he knew better. Then he heard the door open and the lights turned on. Joel’s eyes burned and he protected his sight with his forearm and let out a little hiss which made me a bit embarrassed.

“How are you feeling sweetheart?” said a familiar voice.

He groaned. “Gee, mom! I will never understand this ceremony. It’s a pain!” she let out a giggle. “It would have been better if you just told me upfront.” She walked and kissed his forehead.

“Where’s the fun in that? Now, come on up. Your father and sister are waiting for you. It’s Christmas!”

“You almost scared me to dea—” he stopped and looked at his mother and they burst into laughter, he still could feel the dried blood over his mouth.

Joel jumped and ran upstairs with a bloody smile on his face.
His father was sitting in his chair, like usual and was smoking his pipe while reading a book. It was light brown and in the front had golden letters that spelled the name and the author: The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. When he saw him, still in his bloody pajamas, he chuckled and clicked his tongue three times. He closed his book and placed it beside the marble table that was in the middle of his mother’s rocking chair. Joel could see that there was another light brown book, but this had black letter that spelled: The Republic by Plato.

With a grace, his father touched the boy’s shoulder and smiled. “Welcome to the family.” He ruffled his son’s hair. For some reason this made Joel very happy. He could see that his father was very proud.

“Thanks, dad.” He managed to say and ran to his room to change his dirty clothes.