Vampire Born

Surprise

Growing up I always knew what I am and that at the age of twenty-one I will stop aging.

My name is Dahlia and I was born a vampire.  I know you’ve always read or heard stories about people being bitten by a vampire and then becoming a vampire from that bite.  Well, I’m not them.  Both of my biological parents are vampires.  When my mother became pregnant, no one in the vampire community could believe it, but here I am.

A little background information:

1)    My mother has been a slave to another vampire since before I was born because she was caught drinking blood from one of his cows.

2)   My father was staked by a hunter when I was three days old.  My mother was able to remarry even in captivity to her best friend from her early days of vampirism.

3)    My step father and mother have not seen each other since my eighteenth birthday.

4)    I am one week away from my twenty-first birthday.

5)    There is another female my age living with us.  She, too, was born a vampire.

6)    The house we live in is huge.  It has eight floors.  Five of them have nine bedrooms each with their own bathroom.  The entry level consists of a living room, dining room, a kitchen the size of half a tennis court, a private study, and a library the size of a full tennis court.  The two lower floors consist of a gym, a ten lane bowling alley, full size tennis court, a billiard room, a mini movie theater, and an indoor pool complete with waterslides, connecting hot tub, and sauna.

7)    Those living in the house only feed on animal blood.

8)    I have never seen nor smelled a human.

~

“Dear Logan,

        I hope all is well with you.  As you know, in a week I turn twenty-one.  I have enclosed a ticket for you so you can fly here to help celebrate and surprise my mother.  I also enclosed a plane ticket for each of you to the Bahamas.  Yes, I said each of you.  My plan is to take my mother’s place on my birthday.  Please do not say anything.  Can’t wait to see you.

        Love,

        Dahlia”

I finish writing the letter, enclose the tickets, seal it, and put it in the mail.  I go find Rose, the other girl my age who lives here, and tell her my plan.  My plan is to take my mother’s place as servant on my birthday.  That’s why I wrote the letter to Logan.  Logan is my stepfather.  I plan to surprise my mother by having him come and then having him whisk her away while I take her place.  I’m doing this for her sake and for mine.  I want my mother to have time with Logan.  Plus, since I was sixteen, I’ve had my mom tell me stories of Master and I’ve grown to care for him.  So, I’m doing this for me too to see if those feelings are real or will grow.  Rose is right on board with me.

Rose was left on Master’s step when she was a baby.  She has no family but she is like my sister now.  I tell her everything.  She, too, was born a vampire.

After I talk to her for a bit, I go find my mom.  She’s in the kitchen making a fresh pot of blood for everyone.  I know how she does it so that when I take her place I’ll be able to make the blood just right.

“Good afternoon, sweetheart.”  Mom says looking up from the pot.

“Afternoon, Mom.”  I reply.  “May I take the blood to Master today?”  I ask.

“Sure, but remember not to stare.”  Mom reminds me.

“I know, Mom.”  I say.  See Master has this look about him.  It’s not necessarily gruesome, but it’s not good looking either.  It’s almost a worse off Phantom of the Opera look.  His voice isn’t silky smooth though.  It’s more gravelly like he’s smoked too many cigarettes in his life.  We don’t know for sure how old he is just that he’s lived a while.

He no longer has cows.  He has horses, but he doesn’t eat them—he rides them.  Maybe with my mother gone, he’ll teach me to ride.

I take the blood from my mother and go to Master’s study.  I knock once and wait.

“Come in.”  The gravelly voice on the other side says.  I enter and immediately cast my eyes downward.  “I was expecting your mother.”  He says.  I keep my head bent but look up with my eyes.  Master sits at his desk reading a file of some sort.

“My mother seemed busy so I offered to bring you your blood, sir.”  I reply only lying a little.

“Well that was very kind of you.”  He says.  I place his heated mug on his desk and back away.  “Let your mother know that I will be busy with a conference call for about two hours this afternoon starting at two and not to disturb me until she hears from me.”

“Yes, sir.”  I say and leave.  Once out the door, I sigh against the door.  I take the tray back to the kitchen.  My mother is there cleaning the pot.

“Your mug is on the stove.”  She says.

“Thanks.  Master says that at two he’ll be busy on a conference call for about two hours and not to be disturbed until you hear from him.”  I report.

“That gives me time to clean without being disturbed myself.”  She smiles to the water.  I roll my eyes thinking that Master doesn’t really disturb her anyway.

“I’m going to the library to read.”  I say grabbing my mug.  I head to the library and grab my favorite book, Sweet Reckoning.  I keep hoping that one of these days they will make this and the first two books in the series into movies.  I sip my blood and get lost in my book on the wonderful leather sofa.

Days seem to blur together as I read and drink and watch my mom clean in preparation for me to take her place.  Logan will be coming to surprise my mother.

It’s the day before my birthday and my mother is frantic.  She’s cleaning the house twice over and wishing we could truly celebrate.  I go to bed that night knowing what tomorrow brings.

~

This morning I wake up to my mother singing me ‘Happy Birthday.’  Today is my twenty-first birthday.  As of today I will no longer age.  I will always look the way I look today.

Today I have big plans.  I have arranged for my stepfather to be here and surprise my mother.  We will have a small celebration then I will go to Master’s study and take my mother’s place.  I am doing this for her and for myself.  I want her to be free and to be able to spend time with my stepfather.  However, I’m doing this for me because I want to get to know him for myself.  I believe that there is more to him than meets the eye.

My mother leaves my room after I give her a hug and drink my blood.  I go into my bathroom and turn on the shower.  After washing up, I get dressed in a floor length denim skirt with a maroon v-neck shirt that crisscrosses in the back.  I braid my hair then wrap it into a bun on my head.  I do my makeup in a subtle gray with silver accents.  I give myself a once over in the mirror.  I stand there in the mirror.  I’m no goddess standing at five foot five inches weighing in at a hundred thirty pounds.  I have long black hair that goes to the middle of my back.  Well not right now it doesn’t, but normally it does.  I have lavender eyes that are my natural eye color.  Vampires don’t have red eyes unless they are starved of blood.  I nod in the mirror deciding this look is good then head downstairs.  Just as I get down there, there is a knock on the front door.  I go and answer it.

“Hi, Logan.”  I say to the man on the other side.

“Hello, Dahlia.”  My stepfather says.  “Where’s your mom?”

“Probably in the kitchen.”  Logan walks off towards the kitchen.  I hear a squeal come from the kitchen.  My mother comes running into the living room with Logan following.

“Did you arrange this?”  She asks with the biggest grin on her face.

“I did.”  I smile back.

“Thank you.”  She gives me a big hug.

“You’re welcome.”  I reply.  Rose comes into the room wondering what all the commotion is.  She sees Logan and smiles knowingly.  We all go down to the bowling alley with a fresh pot of blood and bowl three games as our way of celebrating my birthday.  Then it’s time for part two of my plan.  I announce that I’ll be right back and head up to Master’s study.  I knock on the door and a reply comes saying that I can come in.  I enter keeping my eyes low.

“Once again I was expecting your mother.  What can I do for you, Dahlia?”  The gruff voice says.

“I want to take my mother’s place as your servant so she can go free.”  I reply keeping my head down.

“I see.  Well, first let me say Happy Birthday.  Then allow me to accept your offer.  I will set your mother free.”  He says.  I smile to the floor.

“Thank you, sir.”  I say and go to leave.

“You may tell your mother that I wish to see her.”  He says before I reach the door.

“Yes, sir.”  I leave and go find my family.  They are where I left them in the bowling alley.

“You okay, sweetheart?”  Mother asks.

“Yes.  Master wishes to see you.”  I say.  Mother simply nods and leaves.  Ten minutes later, Mother comes back down with a shocked look on her face.

“He says I’m free.”  She says.  I smile.

“That’s great, Vivian.”  Rose says.

“Yes, but now Dahlia is his servant.  She’s taking my place so that I can go free.  Why, Dahlia?”

“It’s time, Mom.”  I say.

“Thank you.”  She says and gives me a big hug.  “I better go pack before he changes his mind.”  She and Logan leave to go pack her things.

“Well that went well.”  I say with a chuckle.

“According to plan.”  Rose smiles.

“Exactly.”  I smile back.  “How about another game?”

“Sure.”  She says and we play another game.  We finish just as Mom and Logan come down to say goodbye.  We say our goodbyes and they leave.  Rose and I decide to go shoot some pool.  After a couple rounds, I decide to go make a fresh pot of blood.  I check with Master to see if he’d like some.  I make enough for the three of us.  I deliver Master his then give Rose hers.  I take mine into the library with me and pull down a book.  I get comfortable on the couch and read while drinking my blood.  I get so lost in my book that when I look at the clock it tells me that it’s close to eight in the evening.  How did I let time slip away from me so easily?  I check in with Master and he says he’s fine.  I find Rose in the pool and decide to join her.  We swim for a couple hours.  After we’ve swam for a while, we get out and go to our rooms.  I take a shower to get the chlorine off me.  I put my hair in a wet braid and get ready for bed.  I drift off into a happy sleep.

When I wake up the next morning, I feel rejuvenated.  Yesterday was my twenty-first birthday.  I surprised my mother twice over by bringing my step-father home and by taking her place as servant to Master.  She and Logan should now be in the Bahamas.

I get dressed and go downstairs to the kitchen.  I get out the pan my mother always used for blood and set it on the stove.  I get out three packets of blood and pour the contents into the pan.  I turn on the stove then get out three heated mugs and set them to the right temperature.  I get out a tray for taking Master his.  I pour the blood evenly into the three mugs, set Rose’s on the stove, and go to Master’s study.  I knock on the door.

“Come in.”  The gruff voice says from the other side.  I cast my eyes down and enter.

“Good morning, sir.”  I say.

“Good morning, Dahlia.”  He says.  I set his mug on his desk and back up ever so slightly.  From where I’m standing, I can smell him.  He smells of citrus and pine needles.  It’s heavenly.  “I’ll be on a conference call this afternoon for no longer than two hours starting at one o’clock.”  He informs me.

“Yes, sir.  I shall bring your blood before that then.”

“Thank you, Dahlia.”  He says.

“Will there be anything else?”  I ask.

“Nope.  I think I’m good.”  He says casually.  I leave his study then and go to the kitchen to find Rose has already washed the pan for me.  I grab my blood off the stove and head downstairs to the bowling alley.  I bowl a game then go upstairs and wash my mug.  I go into the library and pull a book down.  I get settled on the wonderful leather couch and set an alarm on my phone because I know how lost I get in books or how I sometimes get drowsy by books.  I start reading and next thing I know I’m waking up to my alarm.  I run a hand over my face, shut off my alarm, put the book back, and go to the kitchen.  I make another pot of blood.  This time as I finish, Rose walks in.

“I have to take Master his, but then I’m going to the hot tub if you want to join.”  I tell her.

“Meet you down there.”  She says.  I take Master his blood and get the pan soaking in hot water and soap.  I grab my mug and head for the hot tub.  I change in the locker room and then slide into the hot tub with my mug.  Rose has her head resting on the back and she looks like she’s asleep.  The only reason I know she’s not asleep is because every so often she’ll take a sip of her blood.  We both relax in the hot tub for about an hour.  I take a shower in the locker room and get back in the clothes I had on.  I go upstairs and wash min and Rose’s mugs.  Rose dries them for me.  The she goes upstairs to take a shower to get the chlorine off.  I take my sketchbook to the library to finish my sketch of the Paris skyline using books within the library.  After I’ve finished that, I go over to my secret nook and pull out my colored pencils.  I carefully color in the skyline to make it look like it’s sunrise.  By the time I’m done, it’s time for another round of blood.  I find Rose but she says she doesn’t want any.  I check in with Master who says he’s fine and doesn’t need any more blood today.  So, I go upstairs with a book and lay in bed.

The next morning, I wake up to my alarm.  I get changed and go downstairs to make the blood.  I take Master his and then Rose and I go into the library and shoot some pool while sipping our blood.  Master interrupts at one point to inform that the pool maintenance men will be coming at two today.  After Rose and I finish our blood and the current game of pool, I go to fetch Master’s mug.  I get his mug then Rose dries while I wash.  While washing the last mug, Master comes in.  I cast my eyes down.

“I have two visitors coming tomorrow morning bright and early.  Therefore, Dahlia, I will need you to make two extra mugs.  However, you will not deliver them to my study.  Instead, please deliver them to the pool.”  Master says.

“Of course, sir.”  I say.

“Thank you.”  He says and leaves just like that.  I finish washing the mug in my hand for the third time and hand it off to Rose.

“You okay?”  Rose asks.

“I’m fine.”  I say.  “I just wish we could talk as equals.”  I say honestly.

“I know you do.”  Rose pats me on the arm reassuringly.  I wash the pan and while Rose dries it, I clean off the off the stove and wipe down the counter.  The rest of the day moves on smoothly.  The pool guys come and clean and maintain our pool.  They instruct us not to swim in it for the rest of the day.  After the last round of blood is served, I go out onto the patio to bask in the twilight of the day.  As the sun goes down over the hill to my left, I think about my fantasy that Master and I will fall in love and he’ll show me the world.  Off to the right the horses in the barn make some noise breaking me from my reverie.  I take my mug and walk over to the barn.  I open the door and the horses greet me with whines and neighs.  I go over to my favorite which is a midnight black stallion named Raven.

“Hey, Raven.”  I say petting the muzzle of the horse.  “One day I’m going to learn to ride and you and I will fly through the countryside.”  I say.  Raven neighs happily in response.

“So, you talk to horses?”  A gruff voice says behind me.

“Yes, sir.”  I say keeping my back to him.  “One day…”

“Yes, I heard.  One day you’d like to ride them as well.  And so you shall.  Tonight though you need rest.  You look exhausted.”  Master observes even though my back is to him.

“Of course, sir.  I just need to wash the dishes.”

“I can manage that.  Go rest.”

“Yes, sir.”  I say.  I leave the barn with my eyes down cast.  I put my mug in the soapy water and head straight upstairs.  I crawl into bed after changing my clothes and drift off to sleep.

~

The next morning I wake up bright and early after a restless sleep.  I warily get up out of bed and get dressed.  I head downstairs and begin making blood.  I remember that Master had said yesterday to make two extra mugs.  So, I do as told and make two extra bags and get out two extra mugs.  I pour all the blood evenly into the five mugs.  I get out my tray and deliver three of the mugs to the pool.  I knock on the door down there first.

“Come in.”  The gruff voice of Master comes through the door.  I enter with my eyes down cast.  “Just set them on a table for now please, Dahlia.”

“Yes, sir.”  I say.  I set them on the table closest to me and back up to the door.  “Will there be anything else?”  I ask.

“No.  Thank you.”  He says.  I nod and back out of the door.  Once out the door, I sigh.  I head back upstairs and clean the pan then go to the library with my mug.  I grab a book from the shelf and get lost in the writing.  I can’t help but wonder what life is like outside these walls.  I would give anything to see the world.  “Would you?”  A gruff voice says behind me.  I turn around and there stands Master with a towel around his waist.

“I’m sorry.”  I say.

“Give anything to see the world.”  He clarifies.  “You said you’d give anything to see the world.”

“Oh.  Did I say that out loud?”  I question.  He looks away for a moment.

“Yes, you did.”  He smiles.

“Oh.  Well, yes, I would.  But it’s not important to me right now.”  I say honestly.

“I see.  My company is getting ready to leave.  Would you be so kind as to come meet them?”

“If you wish.”  I set my book down and follow Master to the living room.  In the living room stands two of the most beautiful ladies I have ever seen.  One is a fair-haired blonde who is about six inches taller than me and has gorgeous blue eyes.  The other is a chestnut brunette who is about two inches taller than me and has silk honey eyes.  “Dahlia, I’d like you to meet Hanna and Vi.  They work with me.  Hanna, Vi, this is Dahlia.”

“A pleasure, my dear.”  The blonde says.  “I’m Hanna, Mr. Hemingway’s personal assistant.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”  I smile shyly.

“And I’m Vi, Mr. Hemingway’s vice president.”  The brunette says.  “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”  I say.  “What is it you do, sir?”  I ask.

“You haven’t told her?”  Vi asks.

“No.”  Master says.  “I don’t think she’s ready for that yet.”  He says.

“Mr. Hemingway, if I may say so.  I think you better tell her sooner rather than later.”  Hanna says.

“When the time is right, I will tell her.”  Master assures the two lovely ladies.

“Very well.”  Hanna seems satisfied.

“As you wish.”  Vi says.

“Now, I will bid you ladies good day.  I will see you again soon.  We’ll set up another time to meet soon.”  Master leads the ladies to the door and says goodbye.  I watch the two ladies leave in a very nice car and then Master turns to me.  “Dahlia, I…”  Just then Rose comes walking in and Master rushes off.

“Great timing.”  I say to Rose sarcastically.

“Sorry.”  She says.

“It’s okay.”  I shrug.  I go into the kitchen and wash all the mugs.  Rose comes in and dries for me.  “He had me meet his personal assistant and vice president.”  I say to her and we do the dishes.

“Whoa.  Really?”  She says surprised.

“Yeah.  He won’t tell me what it is he does yet, but he said one day he will.”  I smile down at the water.

“That’s huge.”

“Right?”  We finish with the dishes and then I decide to go for a walk.  As I am walking, I can’t help but feel rejuvenated by the fresh air.  I walk for a good half hour.  I walk back to the house and decide to go for an exercising swim.  I swim two laps above water, two laps below water, two laps back stroke, and then do some water exercises.  After I’m done, I go upstairs and take a shower.  I shower with some music on and get lost in the music and the warmth of the shower.  When the shower starts to get cold, I turn it off and dry off.  I shut the music off and go into my room wrapped in my towel.  I go over to my dresser and start to open one of my drawers when I feel a presence in my room.  I turn around to see Master standing in my doorway with his eyes looking at the floor.

“I’m sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if you’d help me with something.  When you are dressed again, of course.”

“Yes, sir.  I’ll be right down.”  I reply.

“Very good.  Thank you.”  He leaves and I finish getting redressed.  I keep it simple by getting dressed in simple black jeans and a light blue blouse.  I braid my hair and hang up my towel.  I go back downstairs and head for Master’s study.  I knock on the door and wait for a reply.  “Come in please, Dahlia.”  Master’s gruff voice says after a beat.  I enter the study and there sits Master on his couch.  “Dahlia, thank you for meeting me.  I need your help with something.”

“What can I help you with, sir?”

“I need to get a gift for two of my friends who are celebrating their one hundredth wedding anniversary.”  Master says.

“Okay.  No problem.  Do you know what kinds of things they like?”  I ask.

“For the most part.”

“Okay.  Do you have a pen and paper so we can write things down and then come up with some sort of idea?”  I say.

“Sure.”  He gets up and goes to his desk.  He grabs me pen and paper and comes back to the couch.  He hands me the pen and paper.

“Okay.  Let’s start.”  I smile.  Master starts listing things and I write them down.  I begin to get an idea of what we should do by the time we are done.  “Okay.  So, I’m thinking that since they like storms and the Paris skyline, I was thinking that we could do a poster sized picture of the Paris skyline during a lightning storm.”

“That sounds amazing!  I love that idea!”  He exclaims.  “Let’s do it!”

“Great.  I’ll get it all arranged and then you can send it.”

“Thank you, Dahlia.  I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.  I have to go make more blood.”  I say.  I get up to leave, but Master stops me.

“Dahlia, I…”  There is a knock on the door.  “Come in.”  Master says.  Rose enters.

“Sir, there is someone here to see you.”  She says.

“Thank you, Rose.  Please send them in here.”  Master says.

“Yes, sir.”  Rose leaves and the person soon comes walking in.  He smells of Fae.

“I’ll leave you be.”  I say and leave before I can be stopped.  I go to the kitchen and clean the stove.  I don’t know how long the Fae man will be here so I decide not to make blood.  I will wait until he leaves.  So, while I wait, I clean.  I clean the sink, the counters, the fireplace, the floors in the kitchen and the dining room, and the dining room table.  By the time I’m done, Master has emerged from his study with the Fae man.  I quietly go back into the kitchen and start the blood.  While that’s heating, I get out the mugs and get them set to the right temperature.  I pour the blood evenly into the three mugs and set Rose’s on the warm stove.  I then go in search of Master.  He is at the front door saying goodbye to our visitor.  I make sure he sees me with his blood and he says his goodbye then closes the door.  I hand him his blood and he disappears into his study.  I go into the kitchen just as Rose is grabbing her mug.  I grab my mug and Rose and I go out onto the patio.

“So, why did Master have you in his study?”  Rose asks.

“He needed my help with finding a gift for his friends who are celebrating their hundredth wedding anniversary.”  I reply.

“Well that’s nice that he asked you for help.”  I nod in agreement.  We sip our blood and enjoy the afternoon air.  The sky starts to darken with rain clouds so Rose and I move indoors.  I wash the pan and mine and Rose’s mugs.  Rose dries for me.  “I’m going to go sit in the hot tub.”  Rose says.

“Okay.  Well, I may join you here in a bit.”  I say.

“Okay.”  Rose leaves to go down to the hot tub.  I go over to the fridge and count the blood packets.  We have enough for two more days.  I must tell Master.  I go to his study and knock.

“Come in.”  The gruff voice says from the other side.  I enter casting my eyes down as I do.  “What can I do for you, Dahlia?”

“I wanted to let you know that we only have enough blood for two more days.”  I reply.

“Thank you, Dahlia.  I will see to it that more is brought to us.”  He says.  I nod and leave.  I go down to the pool and get into my bathing suit.  I do a few laps in the pool and then join Rose in the hot tub.

“So, what’s the next step in your plan?”  Rose asks.

“I don’t know yet.  I’ve been trying to think of ways to get closer to him, but they all seem ridiculous to me.”  I reply.

“Like what?”

“Like bringing him his blood and staring into his eyes for five seconds.”

“You mean like the way they end that retelling of Beauty and the Beast?”

“Yeah.  See.  I told you they are ridiculous ideas.”

“If they are like that then yes.”  She chuckles.  I can’t help but laugh with her.

“Yeah.  They pretty much are.”

“Oh my.”  She says teasingly.

“I know right.”  I smile.  We sit in the warm water for about an hour before I decide to get out.  I go upstairs to my room and take a shower.  I put my hair into a braid and then crawl into bed.  I spray my pillow with my lavender oil then settle in for the night.  I am soon drifting off to sleep.  One night turns into five and before I know it, it’s been a month since my birthday.