Amelie's Daughter

Awaken

Chapter 14 (Amelie)

Melanie lay on the bed in Myrnin's lab. She doesn't look dead, her cheeks are rosy and I'm sure I can hear her heart softly beating. "Myrnin?", he turns around, "Her heart's beating, she's alive."

"You're right! Oh my!", he jumps up and down on the spot. Alayna is stood next to me, she's not crying, clutching my hand. We are leaning against the walk next to the bookshelf waiting for her to awaken. It takes an hour for her to gasp and wake up, she looks confused. I go to move forwards but strangely my daughter holds me back. "Mum, can't you smell it?" I stand back and smell the air, Alayna's right there is a putrid smell in the air; almost dog like. "If she's not a vampire and she's not a human, then what is she?" I think.

I hear Alayna mutter, "She's a werewolf." Melanie growls deep in her throat and lunges for us, Myrnin grabs her and injects her with a sedative.

"Myrnin, she cannot stay here. It isn't safe, for the humans or vampires. There's a werewolf town in California, arrange for her to go there and learn to control herself. Alayna, you will not be able to visit but I will allow you to phone her on a regular basis. Come let us go home, I need to arrange your university application", I say but before we go out of the door I turn back, "Myrnin, if you have time I need you and Dr Theo to come to my castle tomorrow night, can you do that?" Myrnin nods and manages a feeble, 'yes', and we turn to go home.

Diego is in the limo waiting for us, either he did not wish to come with us or Alayna told him not to come with us to see Melanie. He smiles at my daughter as we climb into the vast car and leans in close to her as if to kiss her, she pushes him away and says, "Not now!" While glancing at me, she sits next to me (opposite Diego.) My daughter coughs and I look at her worried for vampires never cough unless ill. She holds her hand up at me to say that she's fine but a moment later she coughs hard, blood covers her hand when she takes it away from her face. "Mum...", she gasps sounding scared. I tell the driver to stop the car and tell Diego to go back to the house as Alayna does not wish for him to see her like this. The car stops and Diego gets out. My daughter looks tired, all of her strength drained away in an instance. "Mum!", she chokes again through a cough.

" Shh, daughter. Save your strength, I'll get Theo to come over to have a look at you do not fear you will be ok", my voice strains 'but what if'- NO! I will not think such things!' I tell the driver to get home fast and I cradle my daughter close to me while she coughs up more blood.

I carry her up to her chambers and lay her on the bed. Dr Theo arrives within minutes and confirms what I fear, "Amelie, your daughter has Vampire Influenza. She has caught it from some old refrigerated blood and will need to drink vampire blood, and have plenty of rest, in order to get better." I opt for my daughter to drink my blood and tell Theo to inform Diego that he is not to see Alayna until she is well again.

Chapter 15 (Alayna)

1224- My grandfather comes back from the tavern, intoxicated as usual, and stumbles through the living room. He moves close to me, his breath stinks but not of alcohol its putrid; rotten blood. He leans closer to me, his teeth sharp and terrifying, my mother says, "No! This is my job, not yours! You already stole my humanity, you will not steal my daughters as well!" And with that she snaps his neck leaving him to crumple to the ground, within minutes she bites me and snaps my neck...everything fades to darkness.

It turns out that she had been feeding me her blood through whatever drink I had and so she only needed to kill me for me to transition into a vampire. That night I fed, "Alayna you are a very efficient feeder." My mother complimented...

Everything hurts; my lungs, my chest, my back, arms...neck, head. My mother is curled up behind me holding me close to her chest, I have now fed from her at least ten times and although everything hurts I haven't coughed up blood since that night. Does that mean I'm recovering?

1225- "You are coming with me now!" The man growls. I scream for my mother and she too screams back but its no use, the man takes me away and pushes me into the carriage...1253- "Alayna", he whispers my name, "Come here, I want you..." I clench the knife in my hand, he sneaks up behind me. "Alayna." I jump and, screaming, turn around implanting the knife into his neck in the process. Blood gushes out of the wound and I hold myself back, I don't want to drink from this monster laid out at my feet. He draws his last breath and I flee.
1254- Paris is a beautiful city, the street lamps glow through the misty haze of the night, carriages move slowly through the streets...

My mother pushes her arm into my mouth and I bite, taking only a little blood this time. I find I have enough strength to sit up and with my mother's help I am able to lean against the headboard. I am no longer in clothes coated with blood, I have been changed into a nightgown, but my hair has become greasy and in desperate need of a wash. I look over to my mother, she looks tired but somehow she is managing to stay awake.

The next few days consists of mostly sleeping, I regain more strength as each day passes and I manage to get up to have a hot bath. Theo visits me today and brings fresh human blood with him, I can sense that its A positive; not my favourite but blood is blood. My mother and I share the blood and soon we are both fully revived, and feel refreshed.

My mother never leaves my side for very long; the most she leaves me for is half an hour, and most of the calls she receives she hangs up on anyway.

I allow Diego to visit me as I feel well and it won't be long before I will be able to go about my business again (my mother insists that she will accompany me for the next month, that includes going to University with me). He comes into my room and kisses my forehead. "Alayna, I've been waiting for the right time to tell you but there never seems to be the right time to ask anything anymore...I've cleared it with Amelie and...I was wondering..-", Diego splutters. I move to sit on the edge of the bed so that I can face him. He produces a box from his top pocket. "I said all those years ago in 1842 that...well it is to say... Alayna, would you do me the honour of becoming my...wife?" Taken aback I gasp at his proposal, he wants me to be his wife!

"Diego, I don't know what to say.."

"Please, say yes", he replies.

" Diego, I would love to become your wife."

"Is that a yes?" He inquires

"Yes! Its a yes", I say and throw my arms around his neck. He slides a gold ring around my finger and says, " Always."

"Always", I repeat and he kisses me deeply. My mother coughs in the corner to let us know that she is still there and we spring apart like we have had an electric shock. I glance across the room at her expecting to see her look of disapproval but she's smiling. Walking over she sits next to me on the bed and says, " Alayna, Diego I am so happy for you."