The Last of the Old Ones

Amber

Chapter Two

After what felt like an instant and an eternity simultaneously, my eyes fluttered back open. Judging by the ache in my knees, I could tell I had been out for at least a few minutes and came down hard when I fell to the black cherry hardwood floor. I became painfully aware of the bodies that flanked me to hold me. Colin's familiar scent filling my nose. I blinked several times to try to bring the sharpness back to my vision. I felt the haze that enveloped me start to lift.

"Welcome back." Colin commented, his arm firmly under my right arm while his father's arm was firmly under my left. "That happens a lot believe it or not." He added, trying to reassure me. His voice flowed across my skin like honey, and I couldn't help but think about its smoothness even as I tried to regain my senses. If I could just get back far enough away from Colin, I could clear my thoughts.

"I just know how to make an entrance." My voice came out much meeker and squeakier than I was hoping for it to. I know how to embarrass myself is what I should have said...

Colin gave me a few minutes to find my bearings then helped me back up to my feet as his father stepped back. He held onto my forearm while I made sure I could stand on my own. Sparks danced along my skin where he touched, I wiggled my fingers, the sparks weren't pain... just electric. Elizabeth walked back toward me to make sure I was okay and when Colin was satisfied at my stance he let go of my arm. He lingered for a second then slowly stepped back. I was painfully aware of his gaze on me, like he expected me to faint again at any second. I had never felt so fragile in my entire life, I wasn't exactly popular with the guys who knew me so having him look at me that way made me want to crawl into myself and hide.

"Perhaps you should rest a bit before dinner, let's get you to your room. Colin, do you mind following behind to make sure she doesn't faint again?" His mother told me, then turned to him. She gave him a stern look, for what I didn't know.

As weird as the situation was, I did need a second after fainting to recompose myself, alone, and something within me told me to trust her. I followed behind cautiously, even with the blush filling my face, not wanting to let my guard down too much. Colin gave me an encouraging smile, showing his stark white teeth as he followed but gave me space.

The house had a Victorian feel with curved trim and crown molding, it was gorgeous and very spacious, from where we walked in there was a main entryway that I was guessing led into the dining room and living area, on either side of the doorway there was a grand staircase made from rustic dark wood and they both met in the middle at the top leading to a floor where I assumed all the rooms were.

"Your room is the second to last door on the right." Elizabeth said, unlocking the door and guiding me in the room. "We will have the help collect your belongings shortly so we can get you settled in." She added softly, it was like she thought I would just accept my fate. But I could not very well leave with my skin and veins looking like this. I had never felt so out of place, but right where I belonged all at once.

"But what about my parents? Won't they worry about me?" I asked an uneasiness settling in, remembering I had left the house without so much as a note.

"Dear, those are not your birth parents, and they knew this day was coming. You have nothing to worry about, arrangements have been made we were just waiting on timing." Nothing Elizabeth was saying to me made any sense, I felt like I was going insane and that none of this could possibly be happening in real life. Had I fallen asleep outside under the tree in my front yard? Was I just dreaming this all up in an exhaustion induced lucid dream? "We will talk after dinner; I don't want to spoil your appetite. For now, you'll find some clothes in that wardrobe, hopefully they are to your liking." She pointed toward the grand wooden wardrobe on the left wall of the room. It was in that moment that I realized the room was painted my favorite color, a deep shade of teal blue. On the far wall was a queen-sized bed with black sheets and the whitest comforter I had ever seen, fairy lights wrapped around the rubbed oil bronze headboard. Above the bed was my name in metal lights that had been painted black: "Amber". There was also a large vanity that matched the wardrobe on the right side of the room. It was beautiful and all I could have ever dreamed for in a room, but how could they have known all this?

"Wow, how did you guys know how to make this room so perfect?" I asked curiously. Maybe I was more of the average girl than I thought, and they just used what was popular. At school I had been bullied until people began to just pretend that I didn't even exist. Would anyone notice if I was not at school tomorrow, or would life carry on without me?

"I told you; arrangements were made a while ago; I hope everything is to your liking and the right sizing. I'll leave you to yourself now to take it all in, the intercom will let you know when dinner is ready, if you need anything before then, the call button is right next to your bed." Elizabeth turned and left me to get accustomed to my new surroundings. Could my parents, or at least the people I had called parents as far as I could remember, really be in communication with these people? The immediate threat of those white masked people now out of the way, my brain had the ability to now yell a slew of thoughts at me. Was I safe here? Why had no one told me anything about this? Was the fear just a trick to get me to comply? Was Colin's family really here to protect these people or was it all an act to lull me into a sense of security? I decided I needed to survey my surroundings and try to talk to my parents.

I patted my pockets; my phone was still securely in my pocket. Okay, I took a deep breath, time to get some real answers... And I knew just where to start.

I dialed the number that I had dialed so many times it was burned into my memory. One ring, two rings, three rings...

"Hey Sweetie." My mom's familiar voice echoed down the line.

"Mom... Do you know an Elizabeth and Joseph?" I asked, not really being able to form sentences for all the questions that rushed into my head. The question I blurted out was the thought that won. I heard her breath hitched in her throat.

"I'm so sorry we never told you." I could hear the emotion behind her words, as if she was beginning to cry. "If you are asking, I can only assume you are safely in their hands, they promised they wouldn't interfere until they had to... I was hoping we had more time together... What happened Amber?" Her words tumbled out. I could picture her sliding off her glasses at her desk to wipe away the tears as they tumbled down her freckled face. Her auburn hair tugged out of the bun she always wore as she did.

"Those people with white masks... they chased us, who were those people? Joseph and Elizabeth brought me to this house... Mom, am I safe here?" Everything was a meshed-up blur. Her words sinking in. "How come you never told me you weren't my mom?" I added, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice.

"You can trust Elizabeth and Joseph; they want to protect you. Them stepping in means you were no longer safe with us. And I never told you because it was safer for you not to know, the longer we could hide the truth the better. I'm so sorry Amber. There's so much to tell you but there's so much even I don't know. I'm sorry. Trust them. And Amber, I love you. I will always love you." My mom added.

The rest of our conversation was a blur, my mom continuing to apologize. She ended the conversation by adding that she will come see me when it's safe again. I sighed and wiped my tears. So everything Elizabeth had said had been true... I wasn't normal, I was something to be protected, whatever that meant. It took another 20 minutes of sitting on that bed, ringing my hands, to compose myself.

I stood and turned a whole360 degrees to get a better look at everything. Everything looked newly cleaned and placed, I closed the gap between me and the wardrobe and pulled it open by its handle. Opening it, I was pleasantly surprised at the selection and the fact that they were all in my size. I fingered through the clothes, taking in the variety of fabrics and styles. What was appropriate dinner attire here? Nice but not too fancy, I supposed and began looking for a more casual dress to wear down for dinner. Settling on a black skater style dress with a layer of lace over top, I dropped my clothes on the ground. I slipped into my new dress and placed my clothes into the chest that was marked "Dirty Laundry" sitting next to the wardrobe. I stepped over to the vanity and looked at myself in the mirror, I could hardly recognize myself anymore. How could I become so pale so quickly? And how could I be one of them and have blue blood instead of red? My hair looked darker than ever combined with this new complexion. So many questions buzzed through my mind and no answers. And Elizabeth said the IVs were keeping these people.... Or things? alive so how was I alive without one?