Part of Them

Part 5

I think I'm going to throw up any second now. I had completely forgotten how terrible it was to be in somebody's arms when they were running. The surroundings were all blurry and it felt like I was time traveling. I read in a book that if you ever feel sick while riding in a car, just look out the windshield and focus on the road. So that's exactly what I was trying to do.

Well I couldn't exactly just focus on a certain path or look through a window but I just tried to look in the direction we were going. Since everything was so blurry, focusing on something would be too hard. That means I just have to bear the sick feeling I guess.

The forest we were running through smelled like flowers. Sometimes it's hard to notice the little things in life when you are too busy focusing on the most important ones. The sky had been clear all day and the moon's cold rays of light added to the already magical atmosphere.

It was midsummer here meaning that the temperatures climbed up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit at their peak. While I didn't mind the heat and would like to bathe in the warm sunlight at times, I couldn't. It was way too dangerous outside at day time because all the strong creatures like wolves and bears were most active in those hours. 

While most humans believe that vampires will immediately turn to ash if they ever so much as dare to come close to a ray of sunlight, vampires can actually withstand the light. But because of our pale complexion we get sunburnt very easily and therefore we just prefer to stay inside. 

Hunting in the daytime isn't possible either because humans are the most active at times like that, which means they like to hang out in groups and if one of them spots us and starts a commotion so that more and more people become aware of us, we won't be able to feast on them in peace.

Most vampires don't look exactly human. First off, they tend to be quite pale, not all of them but most, then they usually radiate an aura, whether its a scary one for adults or an innocent and helpless one for small children. And on top of that, they tend to have some strange eye color or weird glow to their hair. Not to mention adults are freakishly tall. Vampires also tend to carry some type of elegance with them, especially when they walk.

I started to notice that our surroundings seemed to become clearer. Does that mean that we're nearing our destination? Are we slowing down? As much as I wanted them to stop running so I could regain my composure and perhaps even empty my stomach of the bad ramen noodles I had earlier, I was kind of anxious about the speeches they would give me once they got me "home" safely. How would they treat me? Have they changed their minds for the better or not at all? Or for the worse even?

I think we really started to slow down because my ride was getting bumpier by the second. Ugh, how I hate being carried.

As we slowed down to a jog, I could make out my surroundings more clearly. The forest had changed colors from being fairly passageable to being more dense and the green colored plants seemed deeper and darker here. There were wild berries growing on the ground and if it weren't for the small path we were currently jogging on, the boy's ankles would become all scratched up from the bushes.

Did they really live that far off? How could there be a mansion in the middle of such a forest?

This is so confusing.

Finally, I was able to make out some structures in the distance. It seemed like a building complex, but I could only see the roofs of the large castle-like buildings.

Oh no, scratch that. It's not a building complex, it's one entire mansion. No, it's a fucking castle.

How in the mother ducking world did they find this? Did our family own it at some point in history? Gosh, I really don't know anything about my ancestors, or even my brothers.

Even though the castle seemed to appear dark and mysterious, the garden around it was incredibly beautiful. I couldn't make out what plants grew there, but the colors were surely nice. There were red flowers, probably roses, and vines growing up the building's walls in every corner. There seemed to be a green maze before the majestic castle at the right side and on the left, there was a huge pond with ducks swimming in them.

Squinting my eyes, I was able to spot a dark spacious shack behind the waters. It seemed like a stable due to the open windows. Wait, does that mean they still have those horses?

My suspicions were confirmed as I took a sniff of the air and immediately caught the typical horse poop smell.

Our family has always owned horses, it was some kind of tradition that seems to have survived to this very day. I used to go on rides through the forest with father when he was still alive. He taught me how to find my way through the forest by looking at the moon so I would never get lost. But sadly I wasn't allowed to ride out alone until I reached 5'0 and since I never did, I always had to take at least one guard or one of my brothers with me.

But I managed to sneak out some nights and enjoy the night sky on my own. Afterall, silence and peace could only be found without another person nearby in my opinion.

Alonetime has always been my first priority. I didn't care that all hell would break loose at home when they couldn't find me. The peaceful nights had all been worth it, even though they would always be cut short since they always managed to find me and bring me back home.

Now that we almost arrived at the castle, I finally took notice of the fence around the property. Oh, right. I should've known that there would be something like that.

It was a black fancy metal fence with a big gate at the entrance of the property. The sand path that led from the gate, around a fountain and to the castle doors was wide and well taken care of. Around the path were all sorts of colorful flowers.

There's no way that those guys live here alone. Hell, they couldn't even keep the cactuses alive in their rooms. I was the only green thumb in the family.

So there must be servants here.

Now that we got closer to the gates, I could also make out two guards dressed in black clothes standing on each side of the gate. Huh, I thought we got rid of all the guards after one of them betrayed us and killed father and mother. 

Rei switched from a bumpy jog to a calm walking pace and the others followed suit.

Rayi walked in ahead of us now and raised his hand to the guards. The gates started to open immediately. I cringed at the high pitched creaking noise they made. I hate it when anything screeches like that, it always hurts my ears.

Walking through the gate, the guards gave me a sympathetic smile, as if knowing exactly what was going on. Ugh, this is making me feel so uncomfortable.

The already humongous castle grew bigger each step we took.

I don't like this, not at all.

The castle was built in a Victorian style. The roof had sharp edges and peaks and there were multiple towers. It really looked like the castle from Harry Potter, what was it called again? Hogwarts? I never understood the hype about the movies but I don't mind the scenery in the movie. It was magical and majestic.

When I heard the gate close behind us, Rei finally let me down. As he turned to look down at me with a serious face, he spoke.

"You're underweight, you need to eat more."

At those words my eyes grew big. When he took my hand and walked me to the castle door I started to comprehend what just happened.

Did he just speak like that to me? Since when was he the one to care about my health? That was Alerus' job and not his.

I grew frustrated when I realized they hadn't changed at all, well not for the better at least. Rei was always a caring brother who only ever talked about good news and nice topics. Even though he was in charge of us when our parents left, he still maintained his role as the sunshine of the family. Everybody used to have their own role in this household, but I guess the roles had changed.