Secret (Stan x Kyle | South Park)

I | Mirror

Kyle's POV:

Dad never let me look in a mirror.

We have no mirrors in the bathroom, none in the bedrooms, none in the school. No mirrors.

I'm smart enough to understand how mirrors work. Light bounces off of them and reflects the surroundings. Each tiny photon making up a part of what we see. It seems so elaborate. Just think if one of those tiny photons strayed away from the group, our vision would change immensely. I know this can't possibly happen, but it's so interesting. What would everything look like if light didn't travel in straight lines? Would everything be curvy and wobbly or blurry and fractured? I don't know. These kind of things always get me lost in a train of thought.

I desperately want to see my reflection, but dad says it's pointless. All the other kids don't find mirrors weird and useless. All I know is that I have the same nose as my mother, and I look a lot like my dad. I also have ugly scars and... very sharp incisors. Fangs, even.

I found out when I was Eleven.

I didn't have a mirror to look in, but at that time I had started to notice the growth of my canines. They were almost twice the length of all my other teeth by the time I found out. That very night I measured them. 2cm long. Both of them.

I asked my dad that evening. I remember it clearly. I remember exactly what I was thinking.

I walk into the living room, and see dad. I want to talk about this to mom, but dad was okay too. I sat down beside him.

"Hey dad..."

"What's up, son? You look worried."

"Dad, why are some of my teeth bigger than the others?" I asked, looking up at him and opening my mouth, so my dad could see the canines in all their messed up glory.

Dad looks down at me and peers in my mouth. He looks worried too, but tries to calm himself. "Son. I need you to try and understand what I'm about to say, because it might sound a bit unbelievable." He says, quietly. I look up at him with curiosity, and he braces himself. He swallows, then starts talking again.

"Son, There's a reason why I've kept you away from mirrors."

"Because they're useless to us." I say, confidently. "Why are we different?"

"Because, I'm a vampire, Kyle. And you're a half vampire. That's why we don't let you near mirrors. And that's why your teeth are growing. Those are your fangs."

I look up at him in awe, taking this information in.

"Sweet!" I yell, smiling with my tiny fangs showing. I throw my arms up in the air, pretending to fly around the room like a bat.

"It's not that sweet, kiddo. You can't tell anyone. If you do... No. I'm not gonna think about that. It's safer if you don't tell anyone." I can tell that he's being serious, and I sit back down next to him. "I need you to promise not to tell anyone this." Dad says, holding out his pinky finger. I lock hands with him in a pinky promise.

"I won't tell a soul."

"Now, just because you're half vampire doesn't mean you have an excuse to harm people. If you ever... y'know... have a thirst for blood or something... like a real vampire, you come to me. Got it?"

"Got it." I say, as our hands break apart. My dad's stern expression relaxes slightly. I know he trusts me with this, but I'm not sure if I trust myself to keep our family's secret. I look at my dad in the eyes, and he smiles at me.