Under The Blood Moon

Hello everyone. I just wanted to let you know that the prologue will be split into two parts. Part two will be in the next chapter. They will both be published on the same day. Dreame only allows 5000 words, and the first chapter is way longer than that. So after reading this chapter, head to the next page to get to the conclusion. Thank you. Elle My name is Elle White I am 17 years old, and I will be 18 this Saturday. My parents are Desmond and Iris White. They are the most respected and wealthiest couple in California. They are the joint owners of white industries. Though my parents are wealthy, they are not snobs. They weren't always rich, and they always reminded me of this. They always told me to be nice to others and treat them how I wanted to be treated. I love my parents. I was blessed with the best life and am thankful for it. Today is Sunday, so I will spend the morning with my parents having breakfast. This is our family tradition. No matter how busy life gets, we always make time for each other. So I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to prepare for the day. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I must say I was glowing; my usual hazel eyes looked brighter, and my long curly jet black hair was shiny! Is it the new conditioner that I have been using? My caramel skin is flawless. I guess my skincare routine is finally paying off. I'm "5'9", so I am taller than most girls. I was always told I should be a model, but I'm not into fashion like that! I am more of a tomboy. I love sports, and I am great at it. Don't get me wrong, I still have my girly moments, but fashion doesn't interest me. I quickly got in the shower, brushed my teeth, and dressed. I added some leave-in conditioner to my curls and let them air dry. Then, I put on a floral mini romper with matching floral heels and headed downstairs to meet my parents. On the way down the stairs, I heard my parents whispering. Mom sounded upset. When I was younger, I realized that I had enhanced hearing. I could hear things that others couldn't. It used to freak me out at first, but now I am thankful for it. Without it, I couldn't hear the conversation my parents were having. Desmond Iris, we have to tell her we've put it off long enough! She is going to be 18 in less than a week. So it is only right that we tell her the truth she deserves to know. Iris I know Des, but it is just so hard; she means everything to us; what if we lose her over this? She is our miracle; we prayed for her. I cannot lose her. Can we at least wait until after her birthday on Saturday? Desmond “Fine, Iris, next Sunday at breakfast, and no more putting it off. Like you, I am scared, but we have to do this. She deserves the truth”. Elle I decided that I had heard enough; I cleared my throat and walked down the stairs, making my presence known. My parents tried to plaster smiles on their faces. My mom was drying her now red puffy eyes. Mom, are you okay? Why are you crying? Iris Oh, honey, I just realized that you are turning 18 on Saturday; my baby isn't a baby anymore! Elle I sat down in between my parents, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. I gave my mom a long hug. I hated seeing her cry. I was her only child, their miracle baby as they like to call me. My parents tried everything to get pregnant before they had me. IVF was unsuccessful until they finally decided to give up a year later after thinking that they would not be able to have anyone carry on their bloodline; my mom found out she was pregnant with me. My mom is gorgeous; she was a whopping "5'2" with straight light blond hair and blue eyes. She is the epitome of elegance and class, but don't get on her bad side. She was also a force to be reckoned with. My dad is "6'1'' tall, dark, and handsome. I am multiracial; my dad is from South America, Guyana, to be specific, so he is part East Indian, Afro-Guyanese, and Amerindian. I got my height from my father, and I was the perfect mixture of my parents. The cooks brought out breakfast we ate and caught up on current events in our lives. I was still on edge about my parent's conversation, but I didn't want to ask questions to upset mom. Whatever it was, I would find out in a few days anyway. I just hoped that it wasn't something that would change my life forever. After eating breakfast, my phone rang; it was my boyfriend, Liam. I've known Liam my whole life; we grew up together, and our parents are good friends. Our parents always hoped we would end up together, but I didn't see him as anything more than a friend until last year. I didn't want to date Liam at first because he was a womanizer. The boy lost his virginity at 13 to Stacy at summer camp. I was afraid he would use me like he did all the other girls and throw me to the side when he got what he wanted. He's asked me out countless times, and I always turn him down because of this. Then one day, he explained how he would change for me. All the other girls were just quick and easy f***s, and he would never treat me this way. It took him some time to convince me, but I decided to give him a chance. We decided to give in to our parent's wishes and try dating. Under one condition, no s*x until I was ready. I needed to make sure that he wouldn't break my heart and toss me aside. I thought the no-s*x rule would be a deal-breaker for Liam, but I am happy to say that my boyfriend has changed his man-w***e ways. Liam is not only my best friend, but he has been the best boyfriend so far. He is "5'11" with red hair and green eyes, and he has the body of a Greek God. Girls throw themselves at him left and right, but I'm proud to say that he only has eyes for me. I quickly texted Liam, telling him that I would swing by later and that I was with my parents having breakfast. Just then, my mom asked who it had texted. I told her Liam, and she told me to invite him over for dinner. My mom adores Liam; she and her best friend Linda, Liam's mom, want us to get married one day. I guess we will have to see what the future holds. For now, I plan on taking it one day at a time. Iris Elle, don't forget we have the stylist coming in this afternoon for the fitting of your dress, so make sure that you are available. Also, make sure you have Talia and Arie come over because I also had the stylist make their dresses. Elle Okay, mom, thank you so much; you are the best! I'm going to call them right now. I ran upstairs to call my best friends Talia and Arie. I told them to meet me at my house at 12 for when the stylist would arrive. Saturday is not only my birthday, but also prom night. It is also going to be my one-year anniversary with Liam, and I have a special surprise for him. After getting off the phone with them both, I sent Liam a text inviting him over for dinner. He sounded a little upset because he wanted me to come over to his house so we could spend "alone time," but I decided to spend the day with my family and friends. I spent the rest of the day catching up on homework and spending time with my parents. When my friends arrived, we headed up to my room. I needed girl chat with my besties. Talia and Arie both jumped on my bed. Arie Okay, spill, have you decided what you are going to do on Saturday? Elle I think I have made up my mind. I was finally going to have s*x with Liam after prom. He has been patient enough for the past year and proved that he isn't in this just for s*x. Talia Good, I'm glad you said that! I brought some savage Fenty lingerie! You can thank me later; you will look, so fuking hot Liam isn't going to know what hit him! Arie And I bought a trench coat with some red heels to match the lingerie we want your first time to be memorable and not in the woods at summer camp like someone else we know! Elle We all busted out laughing, but I couldn't help but think that my boyfriend was one of those people in the woods at summer camp. Talia and Arie were more experienced than I; they both dated off and on and had s*x with their then boyfriends. I, on the other hand, haven't dated anyone except Liam. Though we never went all the way, I still did other things for Liam. I gave him a hand job a few times but never went anywhere past that. Every time I tried to take it further, something didn’t feel right, and I just ended up chickening out. Liam usually gets frustrated when I tell him that I don't want to go further, but he never forces me into anything. However, I just couldn’t shake the feeling something didn't feel quite right. Saturday night will be an important night for many reasons. I hope that I am making the right decision and I’m able to go all the way Liam has been waiting so long that I don’t want to disappoint him. Talia and Arie talked about their boy problems. Talia is a free spirit; she likes to be free, so she does not stay in relationships for long. If a guy gets too smitten, she calls it quits right away. Arie is a hopeless romantic; she falls fast. She was in a long-term relationship with Derrick for two years until she had s*x with him, and he dumped her. His reasoning was that she was a tease, and never loved her; he only wanted her virginity. He stated that she deserved it since she made him wait so long. He literally broke up with her right after they had finished getting dressed. She was heartbroken and decided that she was not dating anymore until she found the right person. Arie was so heartbroken she didn't go to school for a month. I hated seeing my friend like that, so I pulled some strings and got him kicked off the football team and expelled. Please don't ask me how I did it. I will never tell a girl has got to keep her many secrets. That will teach him and anyone else not to mess with the people I love. The stylist finally arrived. We met him in the fitting room. He did the finishing touches on the dress that I chose. It is literally perfect! I had him custom make me a one-shoulder champagne color lacy sequined dress with a slit that goes up the side. I loved it. After our fittings, we decided to go out to the pool; we were only out there for about an hour when Liam showed up with a few of his friends. I ran over to him and hugged him. He then proceeded to grab my ass and whisper in my ear all the things he wanted to do to me. My cheeks get bright red. I could already tell what mood he was in, but I still felt a little embarrassed about PDA, so I tried to change the subject. Elle Liam, I didn't know you were bringing friends over. Liam I figured you would have the two c**k blockers with you, so I decided to distract them. That's the only way I get to spend any time alone with you; they are always around. Elle Liam, I swear sometimes all you think about is your d**k! They are my best friends, and I literally have a few more months left before we all go our separate ways. Let's have some dinner, and after everyone leaves, we can spend some "alone" time, okay? Sometimes Liam is too pushy about this whole thing. I know that he's a man with needs, but I wish we could go back to the earlier stages of our relationship where all he wanted to do was impress me. Are all men like this? Elle The week went by in a blur. I couldn’t believe it was almost my birthday. Today is Friday, the day before prom, and I am super nervous. I’ve been having nightmares all week about how after prom will go. I keep trying to tell myself that I want this, but is it what I really want? Or am I doing this to make Liam happy? I keep thinking about all the things that could go wrong. What if he's just using me? What if I end up like Arie? I keep reassuring myself that Liam isn’t like that anymore; he changed for me. I got up that morning and got ready for school. I took a shower and brushed my teeth. I put my hair in a messy bun and got dressed in our school uniform. Yes, our school is a private school that requires uniforms. I wanted to go to a regular school, but my parents insisted that this school was safer and also better suited for me. I’m not sure what that means, but I never argue with my parents. I love them so much. When I headed downstairs, my parents had already left for work this morning. I sat down for breakfast, and the head kitchen staff, Mrs. Rose, brought out my breakfast. Good morning Mrs. Rose, I greeted. I love her so much. She is like a grandmother to me. She has been working for my parents ever since I could remember. Come to think of it, all of the staff in our house have been working for my parents for years. I love all of them. They are like family. They all live in houses very close to our house. We are all very close-knit. Some people think it is weird, but it's what I grew up with, so it's normal for me. Mrs. Rose placed the food on the table, and I stood up to give her a hug. Mrs. Rose Oh, my sweet Elle, I can’t believe that you will be 18 tomorrow. Like your mother, you have grown into such a wonderful and strong woman. It seems as though it was just yesterday that you were born. Now look at you; she wipes a stray tear that ran down her cheek. Elle Please don’t cry, Mrs. Rose; I love you so much; thank you for always being there for me and helping to raise me into the woman that I am becoming. She reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out a box and handed it to me. Mrs. Rose, you shouldn’t have; you didn’t have to get me anything. Mrs.Rose Hush child and open it. I’ve always had this present for you since the day you were born. You were too young to receive it until today. Elle I opened the box and saw the most beautiful necklace. It was the shape of a crescent moon with a smaller crescent moon hanging on the inside with a pretty woman with wings sitting on the moon. It was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. I couldn’t look away. When I touched it, it glowed blue, and I couldn't believe it. I immediately pulled my fingers back and looked up at Mrs. Rose, who had a big smile on her face. Did…. Did it just glow, I asked? She smiled and said yes, sweetheart, it is connected to you and your emotions. Most importantly, it will always keep you safe and grant you guidance. You must always wear it and never let anyone take this away from you. It must stay with you at all times. When I looked up at her, she looked worried and scared. I'd never seen her look like this before. I looked back at the necklace and quickly nodded my approval with a smile. Thank you, Mrs. Rose. I love it so much. I promise to wear it always and never take it off. I turned around and asked her to do the honor of placing the necklace on my neck. She did it without hesitation. When I turned around, she finally placed a genuine smile on her face while mumbling, "You look just like her" before I could ask who, she changed the subject, telling me to go have breakfast before it got cold. She rushed off into the living area, and I was left alone with my thoughts again. I sat at the table with my mind racing, something seemed weird as to why she was worried about me losing the necklace. I ran my fingers over the crescent moon, and it glowed again. It will take me some time to get used to this. Why does it glow? It must be like something similar to a mood ring or something. Maybe it changes colors based on my mood. I wonder what other colors it will change into? I received a text message from my mom telling me that she was sorry that they had to head out so early this morning and that we would have dinner tonight together as a family. We always ate together. It was only on rare occasions when my parents left without eating breakfast with me and everyone working here. I quickly ate, then took my dishes to the kitchen sink. I rinsed my dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. I got into my car and headed off to school. When I arrived, Arie and Talia were already out in the parking lot waiting for me. We met up, and we started walking to our lockers. Something seemed off, everyone was staring at us. I am used to this, but something felt different. When we arrived at our lockers, I realized that I hadn’t seen Liam, nor had he texted me for the morning. That was strange. I asked Arie and Talia if they had seen Liam, and they both said no, that they hadn’t seen him for the morning and but his car was there. Mhmm, strange, I began to say. I looked down at my phone and sent him a text. I was about to go look for him, but the bell rang, so I decided to head to class. The day went by really quickly, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. Liam texted me back right before lunch, apologizing for not meeting me this morning. Apparently, they had an early morning football meeting. At lunchtime, we sat at our usual table, and Liam and his friends headed over and sat down in their usual spots. Liam I'm so sorry, babe, we had a last-minute meeting. I lost track of time. I promise to make it up to you tomorrow for your birthday and prom. Please forgive me. Elle Liam made this cute pouty face that could never say no to, and he knew it; he had made this face ever since we were kids growing up. Whenever I got mad at him, all he had to do was make this face, and I would forgive him. I crossed my arms and tried to look as angry as possible, but it didn’t last long. Soon I was smiling like a fool. I told him that he better have the best present tomorrow or that pouty face wouldn’t save him. Lunch went smoothly after that, and the rest of the day flew by. After school, Arie and Talia both followed me home because they were spending the night at my house so that we could spend tomorrow together for my birthday and get ready for prom. It was a tradition every year. We would all stay up until midnight until the person's birthday, then we would celebrate by eating cake and ice cream. Childish, I know, but we started doing this as kids, and it just happened every year after that, and you know what they say. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When we arrived at my house, the cooks were all making a special dinner for my birthday, since tomorrow I would be going to prom and won’t have time to celebrate. I ran in to give Mrs. Rose a hug and thanked all of the other staff, then we headed upstairs to change and get some homework done. Elle After a few hours of homework, Talia finally broke the silence. I can't wait until we graduate next week. I can't believe we still have homework. Mr. Saunders is a psychopath who gives homework to seniors in their last week. Arie Just get it done, Talia whining isn’t going to help you graduate next week. Elle I just sat back, looking at them both. I am so thankful to have them in my life. These girls have been with me through everything. I think about how my life is right now, and at this exact moment, my life is perfect. I have the best parents, friends, and boyfriend. Life couldn’t get any better than this. Later on, we had the most amazing dinner with my parents, friends, and the staff. They made all my favorite foods and an ice cream cake since I hated regular cake. After dinner, Talia and Arie headed upstairs to get a shower and change into PJs for our “slumber party.” I stayed down with my parents a little longer to thank them for everything and to tell them how much I loved them. My mom was already tearing up. She has just been so emotional lately. I guess it's because I was an only child, and I am about to turn eighteen. They handed me a letter and made me promise not to open it until tomorrow night after prom. Mom was crying even harder now. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was strange. I promised not to open it until tomorrow night when I get home. I gave both of my parents a hug. Desmond I’m so proud of you, Elle. You are everything we could have wanted in our child. You have exceeded our expectations. Please always remember how strong you are and that you can get through any obstacle in life. Just remember who your parents are and who your ancestors are. Your bloodline is filled with strength, courage, and endurance. I know what I’m saying doesn’t make sense now, but when the time comes, just remember what I told you. Just remember to always listen to your head and your heart. Iris We wish we had more time with you, sweetie. I just can’t believe that the years went by so fast. It was just yesterday that you were my angel, and now you are a woman. Oh, my sweet girl, I love you so much. Elle She burst into tears again, and my dad hugged her. I was starting to tear up too. I know that turning eighteen is a big deal, but my mother was so heartbroken I almost wished I had another sibling. Just so that I wouldn’t feel so guilty when I go off to college. Mom, dad, it's just college won’t be gone forever, and I promise to come home and visit as much as possible. I’ll even come home for the weekends if you want. My mom started to sob even louder now. Desmond Don’t worry, Elle; your mom is just sad that you are all grown up now and that you will be leaving for college soon. Don’t worry about it. Go with your friends and celebrate. I'm sure they are waiting for you; your mom and I are going to head to bed. Elle Goodnight, mom and dad. I love you guys so much. “I love you more.” My dad smiled at me before he turned around while holding my mom and walking toward their room. Something about the way he smiled did not sit right with me. Whenever he smiles, it reaches his eyes. This time, it didn’t. Could this all just be because I am turning eighteen tomorrow? I shrugged off the thought and headed up the stairs. We spent the rest of the night eating junk food and watching our favorite YouTube show, murder mystery, and makeup Monday! I know, weird, right, but we like true crime and all things paranormal. I guess that's what makes us click. We are weird together. Talia “I’ll be right back.” Where are you going, Talia? “Let’s just say I have a surprise!” Elle Talia ran downstairs with a giant smile on her face. I wonder what she's up to? At eleven fifty, she came back upstairs still with that mischievous smile on her face. Talia, what are you up to? We heard a knock on the door. Talia went to open it. Arie “Please tell me you didn’t get her strippers or something, Talia!” Arie yelled and rolled her eyes. Talia “Give me some more credit. I wouldn’t bring strippers to her parent's house; besides, that's for her twenty-first birthday!” She said with a wink. Elle I sat there giggling. These two are the reasons for my happiness. When Talia opened the door, two staff from the kitchen stood with trays in their hands, one with drinks and one with dessert. Talia, did you do all of this for me? “Of course I did, Elle; you deserve this and so much more. You're finally turning eighteen; of course, we have to go all out for the baby of the group!” Oh, hush, you guys are only older than me by two months! We all busted out laughing; the kitchen staff placed the trays on the tables and headed out. Talia ran over to the tray and grabbed the three glasses of the most delicious drinks I’d ever seen! It was a frozen creamy drink with hints of vibrant blue and white. I’ve never wanted to try a drink so badly. Talia “We have to do our annual countdown toast to the birthday girl!” Elle We all looked over at the time, and it was eleven fifty-nine; we counted down until it was exactly midnight, then we all took a sip of the drink. When it hit the back of my throat, I realized that it had alcohol in it. Talia, this has alcohol. How did you get the kitchen staff to bring these up without my parents finding out? “A girl never reveals her secrets; now hush and drink up.” She didn’t have to tell me twice; the drink was freaking delicious! Talia Talia laughed. “It's called a Mermaid Colada.” Elle I scarfed mine down and grabbed another glass. Arie grabbed the dessert tray, and on top of it was the small birthday cake, the perfect size just for the three of us. When I read what it said, I chuckled and read Holy s**t, You Are 18, classic Talia move. They both told me to make a wish, and I closed my eyes and blew out the candles. I honestly didn’t make a wish. I secretly sent a thank you to God for blessing me with such a wonderful life. I was so happy at this particular moment in life. I hoped that I would always stay this happy. When I cut the cake, I realized that it was a gooey butter cake. I got teary-eyed. They knew me better than anyone in this world. They always remember every detail about me. I don’t like cake unless it is ice cream, gooey butter cake, or cheesecake. Guys, you are the best friends a girl can ask for. I am really going to miss you when we go off to different colleges. We all pulled into a group hug, and Arie started to cry. Talia “Arie, are you crying?” Arie “Yes, I am okay, and don’t you make fun of me. I just realized that this is the last year we will all be together all the time. I will miss you two so much and promise we will visit each other often.” Elle I looked over at Talia, and she was wiping her face. Talia, are you crying? Talia “No, I have something caught in my eye, that's all.” Elle We all started to laugh, and then we decided to enjoy the rest of the night. Arie showed me the presents they got me. It was the most beautiful bracelet that formed a complete heart when all three pieces connected together. They also got me a custom-made picture of the three of us. It was the best present ever. It’s us against the world, I said, and then we enjoyed the rest of the night drinking this freaking addictive drink, dancing and laughing until we passed out.