The Blossom Series: Book One: The Closed Blossom

Chapter 7: Handbook to Your New Self

I woke up with a lamp light shining in my eyes. I looked over to the side hoping to block out the light. But I soon regretted it. As I turned my head, I saw my mother's body next to me. I let out a loud scream of terror as I scooted far way from her lifeless body. River was instantly there by my side. I quickly lunged my head to his neck and closed my eyes. He swooped me into his arms and carried me to the living room. I stayed buried into his neck hoping that I could hide from the world in his embrace. River sat on the couch and I sat on top of him crying.

"Maie, It's okay. It's okay." All I could think is no! It's not okay at all! My mother is dead. Nothing will be okay ever again. Then the worst part hit me.

'I'm an orphan. I have no parents. How am I going to live? There is no reason to anymore. My mom and dad are dead. I will never see any of them ever again. So why should I live? I have nothing to live for anymore.'

'Maie! Stop it. You might be an orphan, but there are plenty of things to live for. Your friends, your siblings, you still have a reason to live. Don't just give up. I don't think I will survive without you.' My eyes quickly shot up to River. I looked at him with confusion.

"What?" River looked a little nervous but he quickly covered it up with a smile.

"You're my friend. I couldn't stand not having to be alone with no one to tease." He laughed. I let out a half-hearted laugh but it quickly died down. I sat up on River. His hands were still resting on my hips. And my legs were wrapped around his waist. His legs were spread out a little bit, and my hands were on his chest. Then I realized how weird that would look if someone decided to walk in.

"Oh," I said as I got off of his lap. I quickly felt my cheeks flush. "Sorry for sitting on you." I smiled a little bit but It fell within a second or two. River cleared his throat.

"Um, yeah, well no big, whatever." He said nervously. We sat there in silence for a moment. I could feel the tension begin to suffocate me. Then a question popped into my mind.

"Hey, if my mom was a vampire, wouldn't that mean I would have been one?"

"Yup."

"Well I have heard that vampires change naturally at sixteen. Well, I'm a vampire because you changed me... so what does that mean?" I looked at River. I could tell that he was debating whether to tell me or not what was happening. I could tell that he was going to tell me because his body stiffened.

"The reason why you haven't changed yet is because sometimes there are late bloomers. And you are not a full vampire, you're a vampeen. Which is technically the same thing, but you have a few things less than full vampires." I looked at him with confusion. He sighed.

"They're two types of vampires. Vampeen and vampires, do you get it?"

"Yes, but why are there different types of Vampires? Why do they have different names?"

"Well, vampire's can do things vampeen's can't do. Most vampires want to kill vampeen's because they're lesser than vampires."

"Oh, well that's nice to know..." River looked at me. He smiled.

"So what type of vampire are you?" I asked.

"Well, I'm 100% Vampire." I saw his cheeks flush.

"Oh, so, are you going to try to kill me, again?"

"I didn't try to kill you the first time! And no, I am not." I saw the amusement in his eyes. But a hint of guilt was drilled into them.

"River, there is something wrong with me. Do you need to tell me something?" He looked at me blankly for a moment before responding.