Random Vampire/Werewolf Story

Chapter 1: My Whole Family is Composed of Vampires and Werewolves

I breathe in the chilly fall air and look out at the crowds of people, moving like waves on an ocean current. Children yelling "Trick or treat!" outside their neighbors' doors. Leaves crunching under people's feet. Endless chatter between parents supervising their kids. It's enough to set me on edge. I wish I were doing this on another night.

I look over at my twin sister, Sapphire, and her expression tells me she's thinking the same thing.

"Couldn't the start of Angie's transformation have waited just one more day? So many people are out here. We have to navigate around them and find her. And subtlety is going to be so hard. And the streets are just so crowded. I'd be more focused if we were alone," I say. Angie is our younger sister. Sapphire is a werewolf. I am a vampire. But not a stereotypical vampire. I guess the biggest difference between me and a stereotypical vampire would be I'm alive, as in I actually need to breathe in order to survive. I am significantly faster and stronger than humans. However, I don't have to drink blood, and I don't really crave it, in case you thought that was the reason I don't like being in crowded environments. Both vampires and werewolves have finely tuned senses, so me and Sapphire are more aware of everything happening around us, and it is somewhat overwhelming.

"Transformations start when they want to. I just felt it start." Vampires and werewolves have a link with siblings of the same species. It opens when a sibling's transformation starts, which is why Sapphire can sense Angie's transformation. Our older brother, Josh--who is a werewolf--was at work (he works nights, since he's a werewolf and doesn't need to sleep. His boss is a vampire and had no problem with it.) when it started and Angie had been out with friends for about ten minutes. It is usually felt before anything obvious happens, but only shortly before, so we have to hurry and find Angie. There is just one problem. She doesn't actually know she is a werewolf. She doesn't know anything about any of this.

I have one other brother, Nick, who is Angie's twin. His transformation should start any day now. No one will know if he's a vampire or werewolf until someone's link opens. Why is my entire family not just one species, you may ask? My mom is a vampire, and my dad is a werewolf, so there is no way to tell whether one of my siblings will be a vampire or werewolf.

"Why didn't we just call Angie to find out where she is?" I ask.

"You couldn't have thought of that earlier? Crystal, you always have the good ideas at the worst time." Sapphire replies and pulls out her phone. It rings. It rings again. It goes to voice mail after that.

"It's off?" I ask.

"Yep--oh no."

"What?"

"Her heart is beating faster. You know what that means."

"Unfortunately, I do. We have to find her. Now."

With any transformation, rising blood pressure means the transformation is about to break out, like an explosion. The person will either fall unconscious or start their one-week transformation right there, neither of which would be easy to explain to her group.

We start running as fast as we can without being suspicious. We look at every house on our way (something that enhanced senses makes a lot easier).

We run, and run, and run without seeing her. Soon a car pulls up to us that I quickly recognize as Josh's. We stop on the sidewalk. He pulls up to us and rolls down his window.

"No use looking for her. I've already got her," he says. I look in the passenger seat. Angie is asleep. Her thin, straight, blonde hair contrasts mine and Josh's curly, brown, thick hair. Sapphire has thick, short, red hair. Nick's is straight and brown.

"What did you tell her group?" I ask.

"Fortunately, I found her just before anything happened and told her group that Dad needed her at home. I got her in the car, and she fell asleep right away."

Both my parents are on a business trip currently, so I'm going to have to call them and tell them about Angie. Josh has a birthday right on the school year's border, so he is a senior in high school, although he is eighteen. Sapphire and I are sixteen and are sophomores. Angie and Nick are twelve and in the seventh grade.

I look at my watch, grateful again that I've learned how to choose which nights I transform. It's nearly ten o'clock. If I didn't know how, I'd have to transform every night, and although I technically don't have to sleep, I still enjoy doing so when it's possible.

"Angie's going to wake up around midnight, probably. Sapphire, I'll need you to explain things to Angie. I have to go back to work and train a new night shift employee. The boss told me she's a vampire, and that she's pretty cute," he laughs. Evan, Josh's boss, is always trying to set him up with other employees to the point where it's almost funny.

"Well, I guess I'd better explain things and let you go back, in case this one actually does spark your interest," Sapphire says.

We hop in the car and drive to the house. Sapphire picks up Angie and starts to take her in. As Josh drives away, something jolts inside me. Something almost like--this is bad. Nick.

"Nick!" I yell.

"What?" Sapphire asks, still holding Angie.

"The link is open. Nick is a vampire."

"You've only got so long to explain things to him."

"Thank goodness he stayed at home! I've had enough searching for one night."

"Go!"

Sapphire and I run inside. She runs downstairs into Angie's room. I stay upstairs and see Nick in the living room watching a movie.

"Hey, Crystal."

"Hi, Nick."

I should explain things to him right now. I really should. I don't know how much time I have, and I want him to be prepared for what's about to happen. My heart is racing. I can't find words. Go for it now, or not at all, I think to myself.

"Nick, I have something important to tell you."