"How could you, Mom? Why would you do this to me?" I cried, my emotions spilling over. I was furious that my mother had kept this secret from me for 16 years. A sharp pain shot through my jaw as I glanced at her, smiling. "Mom!" I yelled, but her laughter only infuriated me more. The pain intensified rather than subsiding. "Please help me! It hurts, Mom!" I screamed, but the anguish of my physical pain was overshadowed by the sight of her smiling face. "Don't worry, darling. This is all perfectly normal," she said soothingly. How could any of this be normal? I wondered internally.
Earlier that day
I was sitting in class, eagerly counting down the minutes until the final bell rang. Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable sound of the bell, and I sprang to my feet, hastily packing my belongings. Grabbing my bag, I dashed out of the classroom. In my rush, I collided with a girl who had short brown hair and was wearing sunglasses. My eyes were drawn to the intricate serpent tattoo on her neck. "I'm... so sorry," I stammered, trying to catch my breath. "It's fine," she replied, her voice a bit raspy. My heart raced—was it from running or something about her? As she walked past, her hand brushed against mine, and time seemed to stand still. I snapped back to reality and hurried out of the school.
When I got home, I noticed a crowd gathered outside my house and squeezed past them. Inside, more people filled the rooms, so I quickly darted upstairs to my room. At 10 PM, a knock on my door broke the silence. "Come in," I said, slightly annoyed. My older sister, Audrey, stepped inside, a smile on her face. "What happened to my baby sis on her special day?" she teased. Although it was my birthday, it hardly felt special. She handed me a stunning purple gown adorned with sequins. "Put this on and come downstairs," she urged, still beaming. After changing, I descended to find my parents among the guests. My mom handed me a glass filled with red liquid, which I quickly gulped down, only to find it tasted terrible.
As the night wore on, it struck midnight. "Kimi, please come here," my mom called from the center of the room. I approached her, and she presented me with a gold necklace, fastening a greenish serpent around my neck. Suddenly, it bit me, and she merely smiled. "Today, Kimi will become one of us—a Vampire!" she declared excitedly. My heart sank, and I felt dizzy. I turned to flee up the stairs but stumbled, feeling myself about to fall when someone caught me. It was the girl with the serpent tattoo. Just then, my world faded to black.
I found myself in bed beside my mom, and that's what led to the argument.