"I am home!" My mom shouts from the doorway.
"Yeah?" I place the laundry basket, I was holding, on the wooden table besides me. It stops at nothing to make that irritating, creaking sound. We need to get new furniture in here.
She looks at me, the basket, then back at me.
"Last one of grandma's" I respond, knowingly.
She nods but stays quiet. Her face falls into a sad realization.
"Mom…it's okay if you don't want these given out. We can keep them". I speak, softly, although not meaning even an ounce of those words. I want these gone, maybe then, I wouldn't feel much more creeped out staying here.
Today marks the second week since we moved here. My mother has already started working at the hospital, and I'm Only stuck with cleaning the house. Well, that is because my transfer form hasn't been processed yet.
"No. It's for the greater good right" she walks past me and place the brown paper bag on the table, it is when I notice she had been carrying it.
"Veggies?" I ask, peeking into the bag.
"Yes. We should get more groceries as we settle…" she starts unpacking, carefully putting everything where it's supposed to be. I lean against the table and watch eagerly how she swiftly puts everything in place. I'd be procrastinating if it were me.
She doesn't show it much, but I know she is hurting inside. Her Mom was the definition of 'everything' to her, and her death was still roaming around us. She passed on a few months ago, the Cause of her death remains idiopathic.
I wasn't even sure she would want to stay here, but she was confident enough. I remember she mentioned how much this house would remind her of her mom and she'd want to feel that way every day of her life. Creepy, I know, but what can I do about it?
"Mom-"
"Oh! Honey, look what I got" she interrupts me, raising her right hand. She is holding a brown envelope. I shrug, uninterested, I wait for her to either tell me what that is or to give it to me. Could be bills, but she wouldn't get this excited over it. Did she get a promotion?
She extends her hand and gives it to me. "Your transfer form finally came in" She says, and I feel my gut tighten. I hesitate for a moment before I finally open it.
I scan through the detailed paper before my eyes land on the only thing written in bold black words, "Vamps Academy?" I cry out, dramatically.
She looks at me and gives me a wide grin, "It's the only excellent school here" she informs me.
"Oh mom. Even the name is creepy" I throw the letter on the table, placing a hand to my forehead.
I'm supposed to be happy, after some solid two weeks of being stuck in the house just cleaning, watching Netflix and sleeping ; I am finally going to go out, meet new people and have fun, but none of that excites me. I hate this. What if the entire school has vampire weirdo's, who will suck out the blood off my neck and wrist?
Yeah, I watch too many movies.
"You will be fine, honey. Moreover, there are no vampires anywhere in the world" she says, like she has read my mind.
I give her a weak smile, "So when do I start?" My stomach turns at my question.
"Whenever you're ready, But Monday will be great"
I click the home button on my phone, to look at the day; Wednesday. I have at least four days to myself before I start school.
Suddenly losing interest in everything, I grab the basket and add it to another pile, which contained grandmother's belongings. I called the charity people earlier, and they said they'd pick them up on Saturday.
"I will freshen up and make us dinner" She offers.
"Mom, let me. I mean look at you, you must be exhausted" I make a face, but still want her to cook. God knows, I hate cooking.
Back home, we'd mostly order or eat out. Sometimes just a sandwich for lunch, besides it wasn't really hard because it was just mom and I.
"Want to help?" she sees right through my charade to help and rolls her beautiful eyes at me.
"Actually, No" I chuckle with a mock to it and run up the stairs before she changes her mind.
It is remarkable how I have changed that scary little, dark room to my bedroom. I have posters of Rihanna on the walls and ceiling, God knows I love her. If she needed to adopt someone, I'd give myself up for adoption, right away.
As soon as I close the door behind me, I strip out of my dirty clothes and grab a towel. I make my way to the small bathroom along the passage way, it's a pity how I don't have a bathroom in my room. I turn the water on and the moment it hits my skin, I jump out.
"Ouch!" I scream at the feel of that hot water on my back. Stepping aside for a while, I let the cold water blend with the hot drops of monsters. A few minutes later, I step back into the shower and let myself drift into my imagination.
This is nothing new, I always do this - imagine stuff when I'm showering or during my idle moments. This particular time, I visualize a drowning scenario, and for some unknown reason I hold my breath under the shower.
I give it a few minutes to settle in, I can feel the warm water run down my face, but I refuse to breathe. I can feel oxygen slowly leaving my lungs and not returning, but I refuse to breathe. Furthermore, I wait another second and everything goes quiet, I can't hear a thing and my legs feel feeble, but I pay them no attention. What snugs my attention is the beautiful face that I see here with me, under this water. Their eyes are so black but beautiful, she's saying something—I can't hear what, but I can see her lips moving.
"Vera" she calls out. I smile because I can hear her, but who is Vera?
"Ivy!" Someone else calls, their voice is distant.
"Dawny?" My mother's voice is closer now. I suddenly panic, my heart picks up pace and the beautiful face vanishes from my view. I open my eyes and blink, finally catching a breath and choking.
Likewise, I gasp. What the hell is wrong with me. Am I looking for a thousand ways to die?
"Dawny are you in there?" She asks, knocking on the bathroom door.
I cough out. "Yes, be out in a second"
I step out of the shower a few minutes later. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom table, which is stacked with well folded fresh towels. I wrap my hair in one towel and one around my chest as I walk over to my room.
"Mom, I need a Jacuzzi in my room!" I shout, a way of letting her know I'm done.
"Go get your own house!" She shouts back.
"Yeah whatever"
After settling for a pair of gray pants and a blue hoodie, I go downstairs and grab myself a chair at the small dining table. I wait impatiently for my mother to present her well steamed spaghetti and gravy.
This woman is a cooking goddess.
"Mm mom" I cry out as I fill my mouth with the delicious dish before me.
"I know". She settles across from me on the table and dig into her plate.
"Can we have this every day?" I blurt out, not stopping a second to breathe.
She nods and passes me a napkin. My mouth must be a mess,but I don't care about that now.
"You hear that?" she asks, placing her folk beside her plate.
I perk up. "What?"
"Knock?"
"No."
We both stay still for a moment to listen, and indeed there is a knock on the door.
She looks at me. "Are you expecting someone?"
I give a weird look, hoping it explains how ridiculous her question is.
"I don't even know anyone" I shrug.
She pushes back her chair and places the napkin on the table. My Eyes follow her to the door, it is dark outside—we need brighter lights for the porch. Who knows what would come? A vampire?
Stop. Please, I beg myself.
"Hey…sorry it's probably late but-"
"No, please. Come in" my mother invites, and I quickly sit up straight, knowing they are coming into this room.
"We were just having dinner, would you care to join?" She speaks, as they enter the small dining room. I want to go down. To sink. To hide under the table, maybe.
Too late. "Oh, hi" The man greets me.
I smile sweetly, "Hi"
He pulls a chair for the woman and himself then, there is a weird silence.
"I'm sorry. We are …we stay in the house across the street, we heard you just moved in…and we wanted …. To welcome you?" The man speaks, almost doubting himself.
"Wow. Thank you. I'm Barbara, this is my daughter Ivy"
"Bill, this is my wife, Sandy" The man gestures to the blonde seated next to him.
"I'm glad you came. I hope we'd have some dinner together, someday" Barbara offers, of course Barb—very sweet of you until they suck our blood out.
"Yes please… We'd like that too" Sandy nods. Her eyes are small and sweet, but that doesn't let me get her off my vampire's list.
"We should get going" Bill says.
My Mother ushers them out the door and lock it before turning back to me.
"Aren't they nice" She almost whispers as she sits.
I roll my eyes and shrug, "You don't know that"
"Trust issues? honey, they are sweet neighbors"
"Just because they are nice doesn't mean they are your friends, Mom" I almost scream at her.