Psychosis

My dad didn't come home that night after my therapy session. Which wasn't totally unusual. He's a business man. And a very busy man.

But rest assured, he was there in the morning when I woke up. It was Saturday...a typical rainy and dark day here in Leeds. The rain had temporarily stopped when I got up from bed but sure enough, just a few minutes later, I heard a roll of thunder and the lights flickered for a moment. We lived in a very old boarding house so the electricity wasn't always up to par.

I could smell eggs and pancakes coming from the kitchen, so mom must be there. Dad was in his office, talking on the phone, I thought until I heard another voice speak. Didn't sound like anything coming from a phone, rather someone in person. But I didn't dare listen any longer or even look at his office door. He hated being interrupted under any circumstances when he was in his office, especially when he was having a meeting whether it be telephone or person to person contact.

I instead, went downstairs, zipping up my jacket as I did. It was cold in here, at least to me. I wasn't as...used to the cold as my mom and dad were. Cons of being half human. I didn't mind it all that much, I liked wearing hoodies and jackets as much as I could. I felt more comfortable and secure being encased in the warm cloth.

Mom was watching the tv that was hanging from the wall above the island bar, there was an episode of Family Guy playing. An odd but funny American tv show. She looked at me once she noticed I had entered and offered me a smile.

"Breakfast is on the stove dear" Sure enough, sitting on a long cookie sheet was pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs and fried potatoes. My stomach growled immediately as I grabbed a plate from the cupboard and began to fill my plate with a little bit of everything. I sat across from her and began to salt my eggs. She was holding a glass of red liquid. My nose scrunch up as the smell hit my nostrils. I knew what it was almost immediately. I didn't like the smell of it.

Blood.

I know...what kind of vampire, even half vampire, doesn't like the smell of blood? Well...me. It's been like this since the beginning of time for me, as far as I can remember.

The first time I remember tasting it. I was about six years old. My mom packed me a lunch that had a ham and cheese sandwich, some crisps, applesauce and a chocolate hostess cake with creme filling. I spent all day at school thinking about eating it. Finally during lunch, my stomach was screaming for the delicious sugary treat. I skipped over the actual food I had and took a huge bite of the little cake. I expected a symphony of flavors to erupt in my mouth but it didn't happen the way.

I could taste the chocolate, I could taste the vanilla filling. But there was another taste in there that made me want to throw up immediately. It was thick..warm..and tasted like rusted salt.

I could remember spitting it out and everyone looking at me. A teacher rushed over to me, worried because she saw red on my mouth.

The story was, I accidentally bit my lip and froze up from the sight of the blood, that's why I didn't cry or scream from the pain. Although there was no pain. No one even thought to look at the cake that was given to me. My mother and father were astounded by my reaction when I got home. Immediately they took me to a doctor, not a human one. A doctor who specializes in supernatural beings. He checked me out, every inch of my being, ran many test. But nothing was wrong with me he had said. I was a perfectly healthy half vampire half human child. A half being who didn't like the taste of blood. There was simply no answer.

Nowadays, my mother and father are over it and have accepted it. Of course it still baffles them.

She saw my scrunched up nose and smiled apologetically at me.

"Sorry love...I'm feeling a bit weak this morning. My feeding habits are all over the place" She said but I brushed it off and took a bite of my eggs.

"It's okay..I understand completely" She nodded softly to me before turning back to the tv. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to the stupid jokes being told on the tv from the talking baby and talking dog. I was almost done with my plate when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Two very different sets of footsteps. I kept my head facing the tv but my eyes side-viewed the steps. My dad was standing at the bottom of the steps, talking to a much shorter man with white spiked hair. His back was to me but from the view, he looked very young. I could tell he was dressed in a black suit, his hands covered with black leather gloves. They exchanged hands before walking to the front door, talking very lowly.

The front door opened for a few seconds longer, and then closed. I quickly looked back down at my plate, not daring to look at my dad because he would know that I was listening and looking. He was a very disciplined man and expected the same in return.

"Who was that dear?" Mother asked to my relief. She was the only one who wasn't afraid of him. Everyone that came into contact with him were intimidated almost immediately from first glance. Teachers, neighbors, my friends, mom's friends...hell even his own friends. Mother was the bravest of us all. He leaned down and briefly kissed her cheek, making her blush.

"Potential business partner" He settled on. And I lost my interest because I wasn't allowed in the business of my father's business.

After breakfast, I lounged around in my room for awhile, just browsing on my computer. On Facebook, I had noticed that Erin uploaded the video of a powdered Mrs. Thatcher and the whole lunch room assemble laughing at her. I of course was seen flipping the camera off with made me chuckle. The video had over one million views already. Erin was going to flip out at his viral fame. The comments were mostly praising the prank whilst some were condemning his behavior. I was on the fence about it. It was wrong to do but at the same time, she did deserve for the way she treated us. I am always respectful towards my higher ups but she can be a real pain.

And speaking of Erin, my phone buzzed and the screen came to life. It was from Erin, telling me to meet them at Stonehenge.

It wasn't the actual Stonehenge. This place used to be a village hundreds of years ago. But it was burned down because of the whisper of witches living there. At first they burned them at the stake. But the village people went crazy and started some crazy occult called the "Purified". They started burning houses and people in their beds that were suspected. Women who were too beautiful were burned the most. It burned down to the foundation which was an assortment of giant boulders. It was reconstructed into a landmark called Infernus, fitting right? But the land was believed to be cursed by the "witches" who were burned there. I don't think it's true but then again, witches are real. So it could have some truth to it but the story is just...a story. There is no actual evidence backing it up. Anyway, it was a park but everyone was too afraid to step foot on it. Even maintenance was too scared to take care of the place. So it eventually just started crumbling and rotting without care. Now it just looked like a ghetto version of the actual Stonehenge.

I got dressed in warm clothing since it was chilly out, which was just a hoodie and a hat for me, and told my parents I was heading out with Nat and Raelynn. They did not really approve of Erin and didn't like me hanging around him, so I left him out to avoid a fight. They were relaxing in the family room, enjoying each other's company and didn't really paid much attention to me.

I made the fifteen minute walk to Infernus without incident and could see Erin's car parked at the entrance of the park. Police didn't bother coming here because they got tired of chasing kids out. We didn't vandalize anything or broke any laws, so they just stopped caring. We had gotten good at hiding from them so it was a fun game of hide n seek. But it wasn't needed anymore.

I could hear the music playing already and could smell the stench of weed as if it was right next to me. The burn of the alcohol was in my throat. I didn't drink any alcohol but I didn't take a hit every now and then. I had to be careful when I did. As much as I want to interact more, my parents would kill me if they find out I smoked. They aren't normal parents. They are hundreds of years old and had senses that stretched for miles. I had to be smart about it.

I walked through the treeline and saw Raelynn and Joel sitting on a boulder, drinking from glass bottles while Nat and Erin sat on another one. Nat smiled as she saw me and ran over. I took her in my arms and felt a sense of calm come over me. I didn't need any type of drug or drink. All I needed was her. She made me feel at home and safe. Which was rare for a rare person like me. But always welcomed.

Her black hair was flowing in the wind and her green eyes shined like diamonds as we looked at each other. I cupped her pink cheek with my chilled finger tips and felt her shiver. But her smile never left.

"Yeah yeah you're in love. Now get your ass over here Xander" Erin slurred at me. I rolled my eyes, looking away from Nat and at him. He was drunk already of course. Disappointed but not surprised. Nat and I went to go and join him. He offered me a drink but I passed on it with ease. My arm was around Nat's shoulder and we cuddled close.

"What did you guys do this weekend?" I asked.

"Worked" Raelynn said. She had a job at a local pet shop.

"Slept" Joel said after her, he was looking at his hands and didn't look up as he spoke.

"Well I was with one of the most amazing girls I have EVER met" Erin announced proudly but we all just laughed. Nat was giggling extra hard at my side. He looked at us with glassy eyes in confusion.

"You say that about every girl you meet" I said

"Every girl you meet, every week" Raelynn added and he brushed us off with a drunken swing of his hand.

"That's all in the past! This one is different..she's special" We just brushed him off and I held Nat closer to me. We sat in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the soft sounds of the beginning of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" written by Elton John. It was his duet with George Michael. I listen to heavier stuff but I do have a soft spot for those two. Just underneath the music, you could hear the water rushing in the near by spring. They couldn't but at least I could. I could hear just when the water hit an obstacle and changed direction. It was a very soft thud, not able to be heard by humans. It was barely heard by me. It was almost like my little secret.

"So..what's everyone's plan after school?" Joel asked and we all grew quiet. We had all grown up together here. But the age of eighteen was fast approaching us. Where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do as adults was fast approaching. We were terrified at the thought of being separated. But we weren't going to be children forever. Raelynn was going to Italy to study history. Joel wanted to attend university here. Me...I didn't think about it too much. I had other things I had to worry about, nonhuman things.

"I was thinking about attending school in the States" I mentioned quietly and Nat whipped her head towards me.

"And you're just now saying this????" She demanded but I stroked her hair to calm her.

"It's just a thought love. You know I've always wanted to visit there. School is just an option. Right now..it's not even on my mind that much. And you know I'd think about you before making any actual decisions" She narrowed her eyes at me briefly before snuggling back into me. But I could feel a sense of guilt over come me instantly. Something about the United States was pulling me in. It was actually something I really wanted. But my parents were very much against it, a little harder than a parent should be. And Nat won't like it either. I'll probably end up giving in and just staying here. Or going where ever Natalie was going. She wore the pants in this relationship, the was very clear.

I pushed all thoughts of school, vampires, dreams, my dad and anything that has been plaguing my mind out of it. The sun had fell and a giant fire was lit to illuminate that sky. I was leaning back on the palm of my hands, the tips of my long hair brushing against the stone beneath me. Nat was between my slightly parted legs, resting her back against my chest, a blanket covering her. They were laughing about something Raelynn said but I was barely listening. Erin had rolled up a joint and lit it, taking a hit and then passing it to me. I put it up to my lips and inhaled, blowing out the smoke immediately and watching it disappear into the night sky, not a cloud in sight. Just the moon shining on us. My mind was at ease.

Mrs. White always told me in times of stress, try to go to a happy place in my mind. Well my happy place was here. Surrounded by my friends, the love of my life and our comfortable little piece of history we called Stonehenge.