Master of Vampirism (Part #2) ✔️

Chapter 17: Small town vamp

Coming back home was both nostalgic and traumatizing. Every corner, every building and every café reminded me of my previous life. Nothing's changed. It took a moment to realise not a lot of time has passed since I've been here.

My house came into view soon enough. A mid-century two-story home with a touch of negligence instead of flower pots decorating the porch. When my mom left, dad dropped the pretence of a functioning family and it reflected on the house. The wooden fence looked worn down, the lawn was unmown and facade unfixed.

Yet, it was my home and warmth spread through my body as I approached the front door. I dragged my suitcase, which was mostly full of blood, to the porch and took out my key. To my surprise, the door opened on their own and my mother awaited.

She was here. Her blonde hair, resembling mine, was tied in a neat ponytail. Wrinkles decorated the corners of her eyes, a couple more added on since the last time I've seen her. A small, defeated smile danced on her lips. Her deep, brown eyes glowed warmly, but aging dimmed their light slightly.

The dumbest question left my mouth, "You're here?"

My mother chuckled, but it lacked real humour, "Yes, I'm here. Your dad is still in the hospital, I'll pick him up tomorrow. I'm just trying to clean up a little around here."

"That's not your job anymore." I did not intend to sound so bitter and I regretted the slight shock in her expression.

"No, it isn't." She let out a sigh. "But sometimes we do things we don't have to for people we love."

It was my turn to be surprised. My mom smiled at my widened eyes and gestured to come in. I grabbed my suitcase tightly, trying to figure out how to store blood.

She walked ahead, "Do you want some tea?"

"Uh, sure." I stared at the narrow hallway of my own home.

All the pictures were still there, hanging from the walls, sprinkled with a little dust. The closet for shoes and coats was filled with my dad's fishing equipment. The tapestry kept its beige colour. I continued upstairs to my room. When I opened the door, everything was the same as I left it.

My pink sheets were cleaned, which was probably done by my mom once she learned I would come. The wardrobe lacked clothes; I took most of it with me to campus and threw a lot of things out when I left. My study desk still had some papers on, which surprised me. My dad probably didn't want to touch anything in case I left it there on purpose. The papers were my final notes before I left, such as the stuff I had to buy or shouldn't forget. My pens were still there, as well as some pictures on the board above the desk. Pictures of me with the girls during prom, the schedule of my high school classes, and the picture of Caiden and me, back when we were still friends.

I sighed, wondering why I kept that picture back then.

I dropped my suitcase next to the wardrobe and made a mental note to ask my mom for a mini fridge. I'd tell her I had some science project samples that needed to stay cold.

The staircase creaked as I made my way downstairs, already smelling camomile from the living room. The house was the same. A lot of plants were gone, their space filled with gadgets, a stereo, a small laptop and a big-ass TV set. All the things my dad needed.

I plopped on the brown leather sofa in front of the small, glass coffee table. There were so many things that needed to be said, but my emotional capacity has been around zero for the last couple of days.

Being back home made me want to pretend everything was just the way it had been when I had lived here. When normal Chloe dealt with normal problems. Back when I was human.