I shivered as the cold December wind rushed past my body while walking down the streets of 6th Avenue. The street is busy and rambunctious although I honestly wish it was serene and calm. Around me are people that don’t see me but I know can feel my presence. I am invisible. I know am not suppose to be doing this but yet I am. The streets are covered with snow, while window shops are filled with colors of green, red and silver all part of the tinsel wrapped around fake pine trees known as “Christmas trees”. While little kids walk around looking for the store with the big guy in a red suite, what was his name again? Was it “Fred Claus”, “Manta Claws”, Panama Maws? I wasn’t sure; all of this was foreign to me. I walked around the concrete paved sidewalk while glaring at a little boy who was now entering a Santa Christmas toy shop. And then it hit me Santa, that’s what he was called, the big guy in the red funny looking costume, with green costumed short pointy-eared assistants (elves) and flying reindeers. To me this was strange how could there be some guy with elves and reindeers willing to give presents to people, how could he even fit into the chimneys he we was rumored to come in through? I guess it was all magic, like Daddy Ronald said. I turn around and make myself visible to yell for a cab in order for me to make it to Saks at 5th in time. I wasn’t sure where I was but I knew where I had to be, the only problem is I didn’t exactly know how to get there. I’ve only been living in New York for 10 months and yet I still don’t know my way around the city. As I stood on the smoky grey rock I couldn’t help but notice something, a human, not just any other human but Jake, my boyfriend of nearly 6 months. He was the first person that ever spoke to me when I moved here from Bucharest, Romania. I turn around swishing my red golden fiery hair while smiling with my eyes at Jake who was now heading to my cab. I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and god like he looked. His eyes were icy blue, so sharp and bright that when you stared into them hard enough you felt them peering through your soul. His lips were rose colored and when he smiled they curved into a peach slice, which made it even hard to resist. His arms were muscular and tan as they shifted from side to side nonchalantly, his hair in golden blond locks.
“Ave!” Jake exclaimed while pulling me into the biggest bear hug I had ever seen.
“Jake, it’s so good to see you,” I reply returning his hug while kissing him on the cheek and not getting any closer. In his eyes I could make out the flecks of sapphire as they twinkled. I couldn’t let myself go there at least not yet. Jake didn’t know me well at least not the real me. Underneath the girl behind the pale skin, auburn hair, light green eyes and average frame was a vampire, a carnivorous monster ready to lash out at anytime. Jake thought he knew me, he acted like he knew who I was but he didn‘t know...the one thing that made me different from others I am a vampire with a very unique family; my mom, Josephine a witch, my dad Ronald a wizard and my brother Michael who so happens to be a vegetarian vampire with the power to move things with his mind. Ronald and Josephine took us in after our parents were defeated by the dark lord Aphrodite. They fought in the battle our parents, Athena and Demetrius and lost badly after Lord Aphrodite killed my parents. Josephine had to run away. So she moved us to Romania but that changed about a year ago when Aphrodite started his hunt for the last vampires left on the face of the earth.
“Where are you going?” Jake asked inquiringly. In his eyes I noticed curiosity something that was always there lately. These days I sensed there was something missing between me and Jake, he had become possessive and prying. I believed this was all connected to Aphrodite since it was hunting season. Michael and I go hunting every December, he searches for the freshest animal blood he can find and I pursuit for the immaculate human blood possible. Indeed I am a monster. When I wake up every morning I ask myself how I do it, balancing a life with humans and not quenching for their blood. The truth is the only blood I find suitable and desire is Jake’s which is why I can’t get any closer to him.
“To Saks at 5th, I’m meeting Myra, Lisa, Mina and Indigo to do last Christmas gift shopping,” I explained. Myra, Lisa, Mina and Indigo were my best friends here. They were my adventure “amigos” or “fab five”. For the whole year I have been pretty good at keeping my secret life from my friends. But I feel like this was all about to change; for one I was completely in love with Jake and had yet to tell him & I feel trapped in a world filled with lies and secrets.
“Mmm, Sak’s sounds tempting but I think I’ll pass. But Ave there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Jake said seriously. “Would you want to join my family and me for dinner tomorrow night?” he continued, “it would mean a lot to me.” I stood there thinking about what Jake had just asked me. Dinner with his family, sure that sounded good. Only one problem, I don’t eat. And how was I going to sit there and act again like a person I’m not?
“Sure, that sounds great but I don’t think I can stay for long though I have to have dinner with my family,” I replied. Another lie, I could already feel the lies building up inside of me and one of these days I swear everything would just burst out forming a big volcano. At that moment I wish I could turn invisible.
“Great well I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night then,” Jake said happily that beautiful smile curving again on his lips. He walked away leaving me dreaming and hoping for more of him. I couldn’t wait till tomorrow, Christmas and the dinner.
I get up from the bed in my room to the sound of laughter and bells of joy. ??????
Outside the sky is bright with stars, snow was now pouring down almost like a blizzard. The city filled with lights and decorations for the season. I am dressed in hunting gear, all black clothing over that I have on a midnight blue dress for the dinner tonight. There’s a honk and I knew that was my cue to leave. In an instant I flew out the window hopping on an orange-yellow magically enhanced carpet made by Josephine. Jake spots me. “You look beautiful,” he gushed while taking in every piece of me.
“Thank you”, I replied. We drove around town to Jake’s Upper East Side Manhattan house. After meeting the family it was finally time for dinner. Then it happened, first there was a crash, then screaming. As goblins, vampires, centaurs, & warlords came through Jake’s house all in front of a chimera with green skin and masked eyes, Aphrodite.
“Avery! Help Me!” Jake cried. He was being held tight by the goblins while buried in a sack. I had to save him. If anyone could have his blood it would be me, not some goblin. In a flash I became invisible, ripped off my dress and started doing what I was born to do: bite. After what seemed like hours of biting and fighting, I finally found Jake on the floor, lying helplessly. I carried him on the carpet and escaped which flew us to my home. I had to save him…couldn’t let him die. When we arrived, our house had been shattered in pieces. Where were my parents and Michael, what had happened?
“Michael!!” “Michael!” “Baby brother where are you?!” I screamed. After what seemed like eternity I finally found him.
“Avery! Ave, boy am I glad I found you! Aphrodite he was here he came; he took them, our parents. He said he’s looking for you, said if you had Jake, we would get them back if not…” Michael responded. I could feel his pain the anger in his voice said it all. He was scared and very worried. “Ave you think we could give him…”He couldn’t complete the sentence because he knew what I was thinking. We couldn’t. I loved Jake too much and couldn’t give his blood to some chimera. I turned to see Jake sleeping on the ground his breathing almost rhythmic. I had two options give Jake to Aphrodite and gain my family back, or keep Jake and loose the closest thing I have to parents and my only chance of having a real family. I was running out of time and with that I did the one thing I had been dying to do. I slowly maneuvered to where Jake’s body was and in one motion I took his face, lifted his neck up and bore into it as I sucked in the fresh blood. If anyone could have his blood..it would be me.