Vapid Paradise Book 1: Emma

The feeling of flesh breaking beneath my teeth is my favourite way to start the day. When it breaks and fresh blood; tangy coppery and sweet tumbles into my mouth. It's better than the proverbial first cup of coffee. I love it. In this world and time vampires walk the day and humans hunt the night. Humans...the one word that ruins my appetite. I push Florence away and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “What's wrong luv?” she asked with a smirk. The sting of my rejection shining bright in her eyes “Nothing, loss of appetite is all.” “Whatever, it's my turn anyway,” she reached for my wrist and I freely gave it to her. Florence with her beautifully tanned skin and waves of blond hair is my Sharer. You don't get to pick your sharer. It's picked for you when you come of legal age. At age seventeen, it's required by law for all vampires to submit a sample of their blood to the B.P.O The Blood Placement Organisation. Up until that age it was common for families to share blood. It is a necessity, the only way for vampire babes to survive. We need a regular consumption of blood. That's where The B.P.O steps in. Your blood is unique unlike any other. It has its own blend of nutrients that another vampire is lacking. THe B.P.O takes your blood and matches it to another, your “Sharer”. Age, s*x, race is all irrelevient when your trying to survive. Something that is becoming increasingly hard. Forget everything you’ve heard about vampires. We are nothing like you've been taught. The sun rules us not the moon. We are not beauty, mystery or anything of the like. We are sunlight and wild wind. Where as blood gives the physical body's nutrients the sun feeds our souls. Just like the feared humans we were once a great and proud race. Constant fighting and political upheaval has divided us and made it easier for the humans to destroy us. Our cities, once great and gleaming in the sun, are now twisted shadows. Why do the humans hunt us?? That is one loaded question. Our elders enjoy telling the story of the Great Splitting to the young ones. The story goes that once a full moons of eons ago that the Sun and Moon were one being. A million life times of keeping her soul in balance finally became too much for her. She took swords made of the purest stars and split herself into two. Her blood spilled to the earth and out of the drops sprang two children. The Moon son and the Sun daughter. At first the two children loved and cherished each other but as they grew so did their jealousy. Why were they jealous of each other? No one can say. One day the Moon Son, Now a man, stole that which he had no right to. Devastated the Sun child, now a Woman, turned her full wrath upon him. Using her full gifts and power she burned him to his core. He went into hiding, ashamed by his actions to ever face her again. According to the elders this is why the Humans hate us so much. They are born with the seed of evil in them. They are the Moon's children. Whatever. I hate them with all the passion in my soul. Florence was done feeding with a careless nod I left her. I have a job to do. The feeling of the sun heating my face was enough to lessen my bad mood. Florence was a good Sharer. I had no reason to treat her like I do. I really did not know why I treated her like that. I walked through a garden surrounded by willows and lavender and up a beautifully carved wooden porch that surrounds an old house. This was home and work. Sitting on the porch was a group of wildly dressed children with curls and sunkissed skin sunning themselves on the porch. “What are y'all doing?” I asked with my own smirk. “ Yall should be in school.” “Why?'' asked Collin the youngest. His wheat color mop of curls were sticking out at all angles. His eyes the color of a violet sunset were staring at me in defiance. “Because how are you going to learn to rule the world unless you can do basic math?” I gently pulled his hair as I walked by knowing that teasing him would drive him crazy. “Wait, what about me?” another little head perked right up. “You, little girl, need no lessons on how to take over the world. You need to learn basic manners.” Colin gaewft as I went into the house. My house, my salvation. Currently a house full of obnoxious, needy but utterly adorable vampire children. I am very proud of my work. I like to think of myself as a protector of the sacred and innocent children who were the unnecessary items of a war they had no right to inherit. I stepped into my office aka my bedroom only to discover my room in deseary. The covers from my neatly made bed were now stroven over chairs that were strategically placed around the room. A fort….someone was in my room and built a fort out of my blankets. I could see feet poking out from under my bed. I would know those little toes anywhere. I stealthy snuck up to the feet and in one swift move I pulled Aime out from under the bed. As she slid past me she let out a little shriek of delight. “Emmy,” she giggled “what are you doing home so early?” “What am I doing home so early? What are you doing in my room?” I asked the little girl. “Well …..I learned in class about the great battle and…” her voice became muffled as I closed my bathroom door in her face. I need a shower and privacy. I am not sure in what order. “EMMY, EMMY, EEMMYY!!” “What do you want!!” I yelled as I slid my pants over my hips “Collin and Lily are playing human hunters again.” “f**k, f**k, f**k!” I pulled my pants back up and raced outside to the back of the house where Collin had tied Lilly to a tree and was trying to figure out how to use the lighter in his hand. More importantly to him, how to use it on the branches under Lillys feet. I grabbed the lighter and crushed it in my palm at the same time I sent Collin a glare that should have burst him into flames. He smiled at me. By the gods, yes, I am a protector of the sacred and innocent….