The Moon of Artemis

How I Came To Be 2/2

I sat by my father's bedside for almost the whole of two weeks as he lay there, taciturn in agonizing pain. The physician said that he only had a few more days left. That it was time I said my farewells to my beloved father. I could not bear myself to say goodbye to the only man that had raised me, cared for me, and taught me almost everything I knew. He was a good man at heart, that much I knew, and I could not fathom that I had to watch him disappear into the universe as if he were nothing to begin with.

I knew it was nearly the end of his time, but I was hoping that as I reached my 17th birthday, the universe would have consolidated my coming of age by granting me solace in my time of need. I awoke on that winter morning to the sounds of chirping birds echoing through the countryside. And if you paid close enough attention, you could almost hear the sun singing sweet nothings in your ear through the crisp winter atmosphere. It was almost as if it were telling me to follow in its lit path of bright beams as the shadows of night fell behind me. It was a beautiful day indeed, and my spirit was even more enlightened when I walked out to the courtyard. On the newy lit Saturday morning, I saw my father standing in the courtyard, seemingly as healthy as ever before.

"Father! How are you standing upright? Are you somehow feeling better?" I asked insistently.

"Why, it is indeed a miracle my dear. I have become stronger now than ever before."

"Father, inform me how this has come to be a reality. I must know how you have miraculously become healthy overnight!"

He was holding his morning tea, the steam wafting up and slowly disappearing into thin air. With his left hand grasping the cup, the fingers of his right hand wandered about the thin rim of the tea cup, aimlessly and thoughtlessly. He always did that when he was overthinking something. He then peered into his cup, silent for a moment. Although this time I could somehow tell that this "something" that he was overthinking was well worth the gears in his mind overturning each other. Seeing as how he had just been reborn once more into perfect health, I was utterly confused as to how, but I was to give him the time he needed to peruse his thoughts until he saw fit to enlighten me with an explanation.

"I have been saved, Artemis. I would never think this to be possible. But indeed, I have been cured from the disease. Although, it came as a cost. The man who saved me—I am now indebted to him for life. But I hardly think that would be a hefty price to pay, for I now have the privilege of living another day— And many more days at that!"

"I am afraid I do not entirely grasp your meaning Father. You are saying that someone saved you? Who might that be? And what is the cost that you have to pay for this miracle?" I had so many questions, but regardless, I was altogether pleased to see my father healthy another day.

"Oh now Artemis, nevermind all these queries. You shall receive the answers soon enough. May you think not of the impossible, but instead turn your inquiries towards the possible. Artemis dear, how would you like to live in a world where there was little to nothing to worry about, a life where you would be free from disease and death. But yet you would have the power to do anything as you please. How does that sound?"

"Well that's quite impossible father. There can never be balance in a world so seemingly perfect. Although, if possible, I imagine it would be quite wondrous I suppose."

"Yes, well what if I told you it would be balanced and it would be perfect. Would you like to try to live that life that I have described?"

"Why, I suppose so."

He then picked up another cup of piping hot tea that was sitting on one of the courtyard tables. He offered it to me. I accepted, grasping the cup of hot tea that warmed my freezing fingers. I found it quite odd that my father was somewhat dismissive of my questions and dancing around them as if they were rather just inconspicuous observations. Nonetheless, my father always did everything for a reason.

"Drink up while it's still hot, Artemis."

I did as he suggested. The aftertaste of the first sip tasted a bit rancid. I don't know where, but I felt like I had smelled that foulness somewhere before—maybe in one of my grandmother's old grimoires. But the overwhelming scent of jasmine distracted my senses from the offensive taste that I had just met. It was my favorite smell—jasmine flowers. It was so comfortable; like it would always bring me back to bliss. It reminded me of a warm spring day, late in the afternoon when I would go into the garden, wandering about as the sun greeted my skin with the slightest touch. Jasmine always felt like home to me.

My father slowly took a step closer towards me. He put his hands on my head but I was shocked to feel a surprising amount of force. With a questionable smile on his face, he whispered, "It's for your own good", then twisted my head, and snapped my neck. I fell to the ground in an instant. That was my last moment of a mortal life on this earth that I ever experienced.

I awoke on the pavement of the courtyard to find my mother and father peering over my newly conscious body. The light was just barely peeking into my pupils as I stumbled in my mind, trying to clear my thoughts of all the confusion. As I gathered what had just occurred—the atrocity that had just been committed upon myself, I met eyes with my father and I felt this immense and rising anger. It was nothing I had ever experienced before. It wasn't even comparable to any amount of anger I had ever felt. It was like my emotions were multiplied by tenfold. Not only that, but everything was heightened—from the blinding sunlight, to the ear-piercing sounds of the birds. All the wonderful senses I had enjoyed previously suddenly became unbearably intensified.

"What's happened to me." I muttered out loud.

"Dear, try not to be upset with us. The tea you consumed had a drop of your father's blood in it. Vampire blood." My mother said to try and relax me. "You're a vampire now."

There was never a moment in my life where I questioned my parents' decisions to the extent of complete and utter disagreement. It never went beyond my knowledge that they were doing what was best for me. But this—this was different. This was contrary to anything I had ever believed of myself, of them, and of this world.

My parents explained to me that the duke was the one who had so kindly saved my father's life. He had come to my father, in condolences that my father had not yet recovered from his sickness. The duke had then offered my father a way to be healthy as long as he lived, a way that he could spend more time with his family. And given the dire situation my father was in, he would've given anything for another moment with my mother and I. So he did.

The day that I was supposed to celebrate my 17th birthday took the most ill-conceived turn. This marked each December 30 as a reminder of the dreadful creature I had become. I would never age a day more in my life. It was the start of my new life as a vampire. I was now ravaged with the urge to consume fresh blood, and I would have this urge for the rest of my days as long as I remained Artemis DeLaurent.