“It is way too dark in here!” Diana threw open the drapes in Taylor’s room.

“AH!” Taylor covered himself with his blankets. It wasn’t that light hurt him, that idea was a lie. Light wouldn’t turn a vampire to dust as the stories depicted, it was just sort of a annoyance. Something that made them cringe and want to turn away.

“Taylor, it is way too dark in here and you need to get up. There was supposed to be a practice session a half an hour ago but Ike said ‘No, let him sleep.’ Well I’m tired of it. You get off your ass and you get working.”

“What is your problem?” Taylor flew out of bed towards his mother.

“Taylor, don’t you raise your voice at me!”

“You need to stop telling me what to do.”

“I’m your mother, I tell you what I think is best for you.”

“Well, what you think is best for me isn’t best for me anymore.”

“I supported you to success, and I raised you. No matter what sort of God you think you are, if I decide this band thing is over all I have to do is sign a paper and it’ll be over.”

“But you wouldn’t do that.”

It scared her that he knew her so well. “Yes I would.”

“No, you need the money.” And with that he grabbed some clothes and walked out of the room.

He walked down the street with Jessica, she was skipping and he was singing. This is the way things are supposed to be. He smiled as he she joined him in song and he swirled her around like a little ballerina.

“Do you want to meet a friend of mine?”

“Who is it?”

“Her name is Venisa.”

“Is she your girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Good, because mommy and daddy would be very mad if you had a girlfriend.”

“I know. Venisa is just a friend.”

“Is she nice?”

“She’s very nice.”

“Why is she so nice?”

“She makes me happy.”

“The way Zackie makes Mackie happy? Or the way mommy makes daddy happy?”

“Something in-between.”

“Oh.”

“So are you going to come?”

“Maybe later. I’ve kind of tired. Can we go home?” She tugged on his hand and he nodded in consent.

“Why didn’t Felice come back?” Taylor looked at Venisa. He had gone to the morgue to retrieve the young girl. To save her. He had been with Venisa when he turned, but being a newborn on the night of her feast he had forgotten and left.

“Felice did not turn.”

“I know that. I want to know why.”

“Did you give her your blood after you had taken hers?”

“Yes.”

“And she was not dead when you did that?”

“No, she was moving her fingers.”

“How old was she?”

“She was 8.”

“Perhaps she was too young. When humans are very young they are too pure to turn. They need to experience sin to be susceptible to us.”

“I want to turn my little sister. I don’t want her to be human anymore, she is perfect and deserves the life.”

“How old is your sister?”

“She’s 9.”

“She may be too young. An attempt at such a turn would kill her, like it did Felice.”

“What if she experienced sin?”

“Then the process would be conceivable.”

“And you promise me this?”

“Taylor,” she slid her sharp nails down his cheek. “Darling, I have never lied to you before. I won’t now.”



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