VAMPIRE - Castle of Blood

Chapter 21

Jasmin

Jasmin missed her sister. And she did all the more when two letters from Poppy arrived. One of them was just for her. Therefore, during breakfast, before Jasmin went to work, she opened the envelope.

"And? What does she write?", her grandmother asked.

Jasmin sighed. "Let me read the letter first."

"She wrote us one too, Mother", her father Jasmin quickly rushed to help her, as her grandmother pouted and snorted annoyed. "One moment." He quickly skimmed what his daughter had written. "She's fine. She feels comfortable in the castle and was greeted very welcomingly."

Nima nodded contentedly. "Good. I hope she does a good job."

"I'm sure she's doing her best", Jasmin's mother assured her. "Our Poppy is a well-behaved, good child." She smiled at Jasmin and stroked her curly hair. Jasmin nodded and turned to her letter.

Yawning, Alfie sat down at the breakfast table and filled his cup with pig's blood. He didn't have anything else for breakfast. "You've received a letter?", he asked Jasmin curiously. "What's it about?"

"It's Jasmin's letter. Let her read in peace!" Willow immediately told him. "And please, eat some vegetables. We have scrambled eggs with onions. You used to like it."

Alfie shook his head. "Blood is enough for me." He looked tired and nervous. Had something happened?

His father nodded. He was especially silent that morning. Jasmin wondered why. By now, she had read half of the letter. Poppy was fine. She wrote that life in the castle held unexpected adventures in store for her. And for the first time, she really felt free and grown-up. What exactly she meant by 'adventure', she did not write.

After breakfast, Jasmin took the letter to her room, read the rest, and put it in the drawer of her small bedside table. Poppy said she felt free. Free as a bird. She was able to make her decisions without having to fear the family's judgment. This statement made Jasmin a little nervous. Judgment? What had Poppy done?

Shaking her head, she combed her hair and tied it into a braid. But she didn't like it. Snorting, she opened her hair again, letting the wild curls fall over her shoulders. After that, she was about to leave for work when she suddenly heard a loud argument between her uncle and her parents downstairs in the house. Frightened, she remained in her room.

"You're a bully!", her father roared. "Archie! You've gotten worse than your father ever was!"

"What?", she heard her uncle scream. "Do you have to say something against my choices for the family? I allowed your useless daughter to look for a job! I've given you a new job! You live on the money I earn and pay you! I'm the master of the house! Just as our Father wanted! Not you! So don't tell me how to deal with my son! It's me who lets you and your family live here! I could have kicked you out. I could take everything away from you. Where would you live then? Without a job? Without a home?"

"Archie!", her father yelled.

Frightened, Jasmin left her room and crept down the stairs. She stopped at the kitchen door for a moment and listened anxiously.

"Archie! You're exaggerating! Alfie has dreams of his own! Just like our children.", Jasmin's mother also intervened in the quarrel. "What's so bad about Alfie wanting to collect art? And maybe sell it one day? It would be an additional mainstay. Or a hobby. He didn't say he wanted to give up his inheritance for it."

"Is that what he said?", her uncle hissed. "Art! Art is useless! These ugly pictures only let him come up with stupid ideas! I'm not as stupid as the two of you, and let my son be a failure! A failure like your Jasmin! With a bit of luck, you'll be able to marry her off well! That's all she will bring to the family!"