Fire ~Ember

Fire

      My name is Sirisha Wolfe, and I am not human. I thought I was until my fourteenth birthday, when I began to thirst for blood. I don't know how my birthday turned so nightmarish. It started so normal.

    It's finally today!, I exclaimed excitedly to myself as I walked through the busy school hallways. I was unsurprised to find my best friend, Paul Chase, standing next to my locker. It seems like I've known him forever. He is my one and only friend.

   "Hey Siri!" said his rough voice. I could hear him perfectly through the middle school end-of-the-school day clamor, even though I was still eleven feet away, and he hadn't raised his voice above a tone that would suggest that we were in a crowded hallway. I felt my face pull into a frown. "Are you upset about something? It's your birthday! You should be happy! How old are you now anyway? 30? 40? 90?"

   "I'm 3 weeks younger than you." I pointed out, worries forgotten.

   He laughed, "So how are you? How's your Mom?"

   "More of the same, really." My Mom had been in a car accident and I had been staying with my Aunt Kalin. Aunt Kalin was super strange. She had a basement with a refrigerator that was off limits. Any time I went near it I felt weird as if my throat might jump off my body, then it hurt really bad after words until Aunt Kalin would give me a cup of some clear bubbly liquid that didn't smell like anything.

   "Is she still going on about Dragons and Pixies and Vampires?"

   "Unfortunately...no. It was very interesting to listen to. On the bright side though the doctor said that her hallucination fever was gone."

   "That's always good. Well, How long do you have to stay with Aunt Crazy?"

   "Aunt Kalin. The doctor said at least another month. Maybe more."

   Paul nodded sympathetically, "Hey-", he started to say but was interrupted as Aunt Kalin barged into the school.

   "Aunt Kalin?" I squealed, my voice heavy with surprise.

   "Ahhh, Sirina. There you are." I hated that stupid name, she had given it to me a few years ago when I had met her. I knew she was crazy even then.

   "Is there something you needed Aunt Kalin? I was going to be home in a few minutes."

   "I was going to give you a ride home!" She exclaimed proudly, as if no one in the world had ever done anything as nice.

   Of course I had to be the one who found the flaw, "Aunt Kalin...you don't have a car. Did you walk all the way here?"

   "Why yes.... Don't you everyday?"

   "No. I walk across the street to Paul's house and then his Mother gives me a ride home."

   "...Well your walking today then!" She said happily.

   "Aunt Kalin...do you know how far we live from the school?"


   "Ohh, only a couple blocks I expect." she sang.

   "We live 8 miles away."




   So that was how we ended up in the back of Paul's mom's car. It was strange I had been fine all day but as soon as his mom was in the car and the doors were shut, my throat seemed to think it was in my Aunts basement. I looked over at Aunt Kalin, who was looking at me sympathetically. Then she patted my hand and mimed breathing out of my mouth. I tried it and the pain lessened considerably, though it was no where near gone.

   By the time we were home, I was hyperventilating. We were still in the process of parking when I threw myself from the car. Paul looked at me like I was crazy, and that infuriated me! I smelled something I hadn't in the car when Paul rolled down his window. It was the pure undiluted stench of wolf.

   He looked at me shocked and I realized a low snarl had slipped between my teeth. Then Aunt Kalin was at my ear and whispering very fast, "You are a vampire. These sort of things seem to mature around your age. Paul has been a Werewolf his entire live he doesn't know what you are yet. You will kill us all if you attack him now, child. You only know he is a Werewolf because of your hightened senses. Do. Not. Reveal. Us." She added snarling.

   As soon as I realized that our discovery was more of a danger to me than Paul was at the moment I straightened out of my crouch- that I hadn't known I was holding- and I thanked Paul's mom for the ride and quickly walked inside the house. Aunt Kalin quickly followed suit.

   As soon as I was in the living room I collapsed on the couch and realized that the burn in my throat had gone from a mild ache to a burning inferno. Aunt Kalin came back with a cup. I expected that it would be the clear, bubbling, no smell liquid but when I looked down I saw a dark liquid and I remembered what monster I had become.

   As if she knew what I was thinking, her hand patted my head and she said, "Oh Hun, don't you worry about anything. It will be all right."

   I glared at her,"What do you know?'' I snarled.



   She smiled back at me, "Oh, yes I forgot. You're the only one who's ever been through this. You are all alone in  the world. How will you ever go on?" She ended this by theatrically throwing her arm over her eyes and falling backwards on the couch.

   Even in my bad mood I found this hysterical. We both started laughing and once we started we found it hard to stop.

   Eventually we did regain control and I slowly drank the blood. Then she took my hand and said, ''Honey...I know this is impossible...but...I know what your going through. Honestly I do." and she smiled her small sweet smile, and I connected the dots.

   "You? A Vampire?" I managed to choke out, she just nodded so I continued, "What...is...is my Mom a...a Vampire as well?"

   "No," My confusion must have shown on my face for she continued, "See, it's not...genetic."

   "Well then why am I a Vamp?"

   "Well, a Vampire can only become human again by passing on the...Virus." She shot an apologetic glance, but I only nodded and she continued, "Your Mom and I were bitten at the same time and when you were born... there was so much blood.... She couldn't help herself.  She...she...bit you...and she...she...she felt so bad about it later. She hated herself. If not for you...well, she would have given up. Then your father died when you were nine...and she moved back here because she knew she would need help with you." She was crying now and I wound my arms around her. We sat there for  while like that.

   We probably would have sat like that for a longer time then we did but, a knock on the door brought us both back to reality. Aunt Kalin got up to answer it. While she was gone I got up to put my stuff away. When I got back I smelled the 'basement fridge' smell. Only so different. It was Paul. Of this she was sure. She was about to sneak back upstairs to her room when Aunt Kalin went around the corner and pointed to the basement. 



~Ember