[Rewritten] The Family Secret - Voices of Beasts (Book 1)

Chapter 8

*I woke up in an un mowed field in the middle of a forest. Everything was foggy and cassette tape looking all over again. I sat up and looked around to try and get a feel for where I was, but nothing was defining. All tree. I got myself to my feet and was about to start wandering around when I heard something charging at me from my right. The feeling of impact was unlike id ever felt before, and as we hit the ground I saw the person's face...*

I woke up with a start and the recliner snapped me back up into a sitting position. I patted myself down and realized that the pain was just from the dream. Who the hell had attacked me?Before I could contemplate much more the door was knocked on briefly then Fate came blasting through the door excitedly. She had her hair up in a messy bun, a hoodie on, and a pair of jeans. She had me in a hug before I could completely come out of my own thoughts and she was pulling me off the recliner with a surprising ease.

"C'mon! Helaza made waffles and home fries!" She exclaimed excitedly. We were in the kitchen and at the table before I realized I was in nothing but my jeans. I must have kicked off my shoes in my sleep but I had no idea where my shirt had gone. I had the crocheted blanket in my free arm and i draped it over my shoulders as Helaza put a piled high plate of waffles in front of Fate, then blushed as she handed me a warm fresh drink in the mug from last night. Today it tasted like waffles with fruit and whipped cream, with sausage on the side. I happily gulped it down and snuggled into the blanket.

This reminded me so much of days at home, Mom would be making pancakes and the kids and I would race downstairs just to be the first to pick out our plates. Francis and I would usually fight over who got the taller stack, and I'd usually let him win. Dianne would always have a small pad of butter and extra sausage, and Izaak usually had a mickey mouse pancake on the very top. When Elise and I were in college, we'd make the kids and our parents waffles every Sunday, and every once in a blue moon Grandma would come over after church and join us. Thinking about them started making me sad, and I felt a tear slip out. I quickly tried to wipe it away, but when Helaza turned and saw me she dropped my second glass of drink and backed up to the counter top. Azaran was cleaning the ceramic and grabbing a mop before Helaza could get a word in edgewise. Fate turned with a napkin and started wiping something off my face.

"Good to know that you cry blood, but I think Hel should sit down before she hurts herself gripping that counter so tight." Azaran said passively. She nodded and, shivering, sat down on the other side of Fate. Azaran disappeared and came back with a mop and started cleaning up. I leaned over to see what they were giving me but Fate pulled me to her and turned my face back towards her.

"You have blood all over from wiping away that tear." She said, licking the napkin and firmly wiping it away. Then she looked at my mustache and sighed.

"What's wrong with my nose?" I asked curiously.

"You have blood all in your mustache too, you're more of a messy feeder than Azaran." She giggled, dabbing at my face.

"Wait both the drinks you've given me have been blood?" I asked. Fate nodded.

"Well, yeah. You're a vampire now, you have to feed to live." Azaran said matter of factually. He handed me another warmed mugful and took over what Helaza had been doing.

"Okay but why do they all taste like food?" I asked curiously, looking into the cup again.

"It all tastes differently depending on who donated it and what they last ate." Helaza replied, sipping from her coffee cup.

"Wait were you two drinking with me last night?" I asked Fate and Azaran.

"I was having cocoa cause I wanted to drive Helaza home." Fate replied, smiling to her sister.