Origins (A Black Novel, #1) (3 page)

“Well, I already showed you that I heal and I
can
read minds, at least the gist of what you’re thinking. There’s not really any discernible difference between us and mortals- we’re pretty much the same, we just have some heightened senses and a few extra attributes. I know this doesn’t make any sense and you think I’m just some crazy person but I need you to at least try to believe me. Please.” At least she was starting to make a bit of sense now and not acting so off her rocker. I decide to appease her. “So….you’re serious?

You’re a vampire?” I ask, attempting to sound believable.

“Yes,” she replies with a smile.

“Do you drink blood?” My nose wrinkles up in disgust at the thought.

“Yes…and no. Relax,” she says with a laugh. “I’m not going to attack you- or drink your blood. Yours, or your dad’s.” Was he one of them? “No, your dad is mortal,” she replies reading my thoughts as she slowly, cautiously, walks back across the room to sit in the chair Dad had occupied. “Look Adelin, I know this is a lot to process, especially this late at night, but you need to believe me.”

“My mom,” I start uncertainly, “she’s like you….a vampire?”

“We prefer ‘Immortal’ but yes, for the most part, your mother is one of us. Although, she was made into what she is and I was born this way.”

Is my mom crazy too? Does she think she’s a vampire as well and is now locked up in some insane asylum? “Then why did she have to leave if she’s alive?”

“It was necessary. She didn’t want to put you in danger- from herself or others. Imagine growing up with a mother who had so-called ‘super powers’ and never aged. Kids like to talk, what if you’d told someone your mom was a vampire as you call it? Do you think it’d be easy to pack up and move, start over, every few years as people realized there was truth in what you said? She did it for you, to make sure you grew up with as normal a life as she could ensure.

And what if she had hurt you? Made Immortals suffer from horrible bouts of blood-lust…especially right after the change. What if she had attacked you, or killed you? Or your dad? She’d never have been able to live with herself. She did it to protect you. She loves you- still, even though you’ve never met.”

Dad appears in the doorway, holding three coffee mugs in his hands. He hesitantly surveys the scene before him, Dr. Thorne relaxed into the armchair, me rigid on the couch, before he tentatively walks over and places the cups on the table to sit down beside me. “Are you all right?” he asks me as he eyes Dr. Thorne carefully.

“I’m…..”I falter, glancing at my hands sitting numbly in my lap.

“What about the disease? You said I have it, does that mean— Am I going to become….like you?” My eyes flash to Dr. Thorne, horrified at the thought. I didn’t want to go crazy! What if this disease was real and I start thinking I’m a vampire as well and I attack someone and they lock me up forever?

“That depends entirely on you.”

“Huh? I don’t understand.”

“You have a choice, Adelin, one your mother did not. She was attacked by one of us and was close to death when she arrived at the hospital. I only turned her because of how distraught your father was. I knew what had happened to your mother, that her attacker was an Immortal, and I wasn’t about to let her suffer and die when there was something I could do to prevent it. She was made into what she is, you were
born
.”

“What difference does that make?”

“For your mother it was either die or become Immortal, you can choose to remain as you are now, human, or you can become like us….” Dr. Thorne trails off dramatically as she glances at me. “You are what we call a hybrid. Your mother was mortal when you were conceived but Immortal at the time of your birth. In effect, you have both types of blood in your system and either one can win out over the other but the choice is yours alone to make. The two types of blood should have been at war with each other a long time ago, which is why we thought you were safe. Apparently, we were wrong, but that only goes to show that the human blood in you is very strong.”

“What Marissa is trying to say is that you can choose to remain human,” Dad says, startling me. I had been so caught up in what Dr.

Thorne had been saying that I had forgotten he was sitting right beside me.

“What does that mean though?” I ask uncertainly.

Dr. Thorne speaks up softly from the chair, a stoic expression on her face. “It means that you don’t have to complete the change. You can stay as you are now but you should know that if you choose that route, then you can
never
see, or try to contact, your mother.” 

Present Day

‘
W
hy did you tell me about her then?!” I accuse, more angry than I had been all night.

“Adelin, calm down,” Dad gently urges. “We have decided that in order for you to make a choice you will need to know all the facts, everything about what you could become, and in order to do that, you need to see your mother. In person. We have arranged for you to meet her and to stay with her for a while.”

“What?” I question in disbelief.

“Sera has been living on a small island off the coast of Maine, near my sister,” Dr. Thorne explains. “And yes, my sister is an Immortal like me. At my request she took your mother under her wings after the change so she could look after her. As far as I can tell, your transformation is now in the late stages and is progressing like that of a pure-blood, which means you only have until your birthday in a month to make your decision or you’ll remain human. Over the next few weeks though, you will experience more advanced stages of the change as your body tries to adjust to what it may become.

Symptoms like heightened eyesight, smell, hearing, speed and strength, vivid dreams and, most importantly, a desire for blood.

There are two things you will need to know. One, don’t panic. The symptoms will either fade away or your body will adjust to them depending on what you decide. Two, you cannot, under any circumstances, consume mortal blood. If you do, the choice will be made for you.”

“Are you saying if I choose to become Immortal I have to drink blood?” I ask, my lips curling in disgust.

“Not on a daily basis, but yes, we do require human blood to live.

And no, you don’t have to drink it. Blood can either be injected into your bloodstream or ingested the old-fashioned way.” Dad stands up as Dr. Thorne is done speaking, a yawn escaping his lips. “I think we should call it a night,” he says between yawns.

“Adelin, this is a lot to take in. We should all get some rest and we can talk more tomorrow.”

A thought crosses my mind- if they are going to let me see my mother then I’ll have the proof I need. Maybe I will find out Dr.

Thorne iss telling the truth, and she is really an Immortal, like my mom. Or they’re all nuts and I’ll soon be joining them…. “When can I leave?” I ask excitedly as I look up at him.

“What?” he asks with a confused expression.

“You said I can see Mom,” I say defiantly. “When do I get to leave?”

“I can drive you up tomorrow,” Dr. Thorne offers with a look at my dad. “Paul, I’m sorry. I know this is difficult but the sooner the better. With the transformation taking place it might not be safe for her here.”

I look from her to Dad and back again expectantly, waiting- hoping he’ll agree. His eyes close briefly before responding, “Tomorrow is fine, but first we all need to get some sleep. Go on,” he says glancing at me, his eyes filled with sadness. “Get to bed. You can pack in the morning when you wake up. Good night, Adelin.”

“Night, Dad. Dr. Thorne,” I reply before racing upstairs to try to get some sleep.

The bright green glow of the alarm clock on my bedside table shows me it is three thirty-five in the morning as I climb into bed. I lay down on top of the pale purple comforter, too exhausted to cover myself up, and pray for sleep to overcome me. My mind is filled with a jumble of thoughts, too jam-packed for the darkness to be able to soothe me into peace.
What if my mom doesn’t like me? Or
doesn’t want me? How am I supposed to choose between my dad,
who I’ve known my entire life, and a mom I’ve never even me?

Especially a mom I’m not even sure I like ….let alone what she might
think of me. What if she really is locked up in some mental institute?

Am I going to be joining her in there sometime soon?
The sky is just beginning to lighten with the promise of another day when my mind finally surrenders itself to the blissful silence of sleep…..

I wake up more exhausted than I had been last night, if that’s even possible. My red-filled nightmare had returned to haunt me, only this time I had known I was hunting the girl from the beginning- and I had liked it. A soft, warm breeze wafts into the room, gently fluttering the curtains as it tickles across the skin of my bare arms.

At some point when I had been asleep Dad must have come in to check on me because I am blanketed in the mismatched quilt from the spare bedroom. I sit up groggily, my eyes heavy with sleep, and check the time.

Crap. I’m going to be late for work! I jump up out of bed, knocking the quilt to the floor in the process, and race to the shower. Not bothering to wait for the water to warm up, I immediately strip down and jump in, yelping when the cold spray hits me. Not more than ten minutes later, I am fully dressed and bounding down the stairs on my way out the door when Dad’s voice stops me short.

“Adelin? Where are you going?”

“Sorry, Dad. Can’t talk, I’m late for work.” I reply as I grab my car keys off the counter.

He looks at me with a frown, shaking his head. “I already called them and explained that we had a family emergency and you would need the next couple of weeks off. I told them you would call and let them know when you would be returning to work.” What he’s saying clicks into place and reality comes crashing back down on me, jarring me awake. I turn around to face Dad, noticing at once the large, slightly swollen dark skin hanging under his normally alert brown eyes. “Have you even slept, Dad?”

“I had to finish making the arrangements with Marissa. Don’t worry about me, I’ll sleep later. I was just about to come and wake you up-Marissa will be here at eleven to pick you up.” I turn to head back upstairs but his voice stops me in my tracks. “I’m sorry I never told you about your mom. I didn’t want you to think she had left you and, more importantly, I didn’t want to lose you. I was afraid if you knew about her you would have gone searching for her and I couldn’t lose both of you. I’m sorry.” His eyes shine with emotion as he looks at me with a pained expression. “Why don’t you go upstairs and start packing?”

Not knowing what to say, I simply nod and turn to lumber back up to my room. I pause once inside my bedroom, surveying my belongings. What do you take on a month long visit to see your dead mother? I pull out a few luggage bags and blindly begin shoving clothing inside, pausing only long enough to grab my toothbrush and other toiletries from the bathroom before resuming. Zipping up the last bag, I step back to survey the chaotic mess that used to be my room but now looks like a violent tornado had just passed through. Satisfied I had everything I would need, I grab my bags just as Dad hollers up the stairs, “Marissa’s here!” I jump, startled before righting myself and lumbering clumsily down the stairs, bags in tow. Dad’s face is scrunched up, as if in deep thought, as he takes my luggage from me and silently heads outside to load it in the back of the waiting SUV. Once he’s done he turns to me, eyes softening, and folds me into a hug. “I love you,” he says softly in my ear before pulling away.

“Love you too,” I reply as he steps back, a sad smile on his face. I walk around to the passenger side and open the door before turning back to face Dad. “Bye, Dad,” I say as I climb in.

“Good-bye, Adelin,” I hear him whisper sadly, barely audible, before he whirls around and disappears back into the house. The last thing I see before my heavy eyes close of their own volition is the sign proclaiming “You are now leaving Blakely, Pennsylvania. Hope to see you again soon.”

When I come to, the sky is just beginning to darken, casting shadows eerily around the interior of the SUV. I rub the remainder of sleep from my eyes and squint at the clock illuminated on the dashboard- ten past six. I must’ve been exhausted! I had slept for six hours. “Where are we?” My throat is dry and scratchy and my voice comes out in a croak.

Never once taking her eyes from the road, Dr. Thorne fishes around in the seat behind her and produces a bottle of water, which she hands to me, before replying. “We’re about two hours away from the coast.”

“Thanks,” I say as I gratefully accept the cold beverage from her and take a swig.

“You were restless. Nightmares?” she asks, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

“Not plural. The same one I always have.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” I reply with a shudder. “I don’t even like to think about it.”

“Don’t worry, if you choose to stay human the nightmares will fade away.”

“And what if I don’t?” I scowl. She takes a moment to respond, which automatically makes me imagine the worst scenario- they would not only get worse, but become a reality. “How often do you….feed?” I question, as unease begins to unfurl in the depths of my stomach.

“Something you will learn in the days to come is that I am not like the others of my kind. I choose to inject myself with blood, rather than consume it, and I only do it when needed, which is about twice a month, sometimes more. It differs for each of us. Some enjoy it more than others, the feeding, hunting….” She trails off, glancing at me as if trying to gauge my reaction before finishing. “….killing.”

“Why? Why kill if you don’t need to?” What type of person honestly enjoys killing others? Will I become one of them? A psycho vampire wannabe that runs around murdering innocents….

“It is in our nature. It is hard to resist the bloodlust. It’s much easier to let it consume you,” she states as she turns toward me, her usually bright eyes dark.

“Why do you do it then? Why do you fight it?” I ask, curious.