Enlightenment

Part 30

              The first thing that I registered when I woke up was that I felt strangely warm, the second was that I could feel something gently wrapped around my waist.

              For a second I panicked until I inhaled Jamie’s warm scent and remembered where I was. I could tell he was still asleep by his slow even breathing.

              I felt slightly awkward, how could I have just fallen asleep on him like that? At least he seemed to be ok with it, judging by the fact that he was still there in my bed…

              Carefully I eased myself out from under his arm and climbed out of the bed. Glancing back I noted his happy peaceful expression as he slept. I didn’t have the heart to wake him, so I left him there. I had to remind myself that as a human, he would need a lot more sleep than me. It had only been a couple of hours; the sun had just risen over the horizon.

              Quickly I showered and dressed before heading down to the kitchen to get some blood. With him that close to me I didn’t want to expose myself to any more temptation than necessary.

              When I got downstairs I found Julia dragging a half conscious David through the front door. It only took a moment for me to realize what was going on; as a newly turned vampire he would be much more susceptible to the sun. This meant that for a while he would feel exhausted when the sun rose every morning… it would also be extremely painful for him to go out in it.

              I greeted them before continuing to the kitchen. She didn’t need any help getting him to his room.

              I frowned to myself, I’d been trying to fit in with the humans for too long; my schedule was all messed up.

              Opening the fridge I realized we were starting to run low on blood again, the last time I’d gone to pick some up I hadn’t factored David into the equation. I would have to mention it to Julia, it was her turn to go and collect some.

              Leaning against the kitchen counter I sighed, by now I was the only one awake in the house; everyone else slept peacefully, even the humans who seemed to have given up on their regular schedule.

              Glancing out of the window at the rising sun I was abruptly struck with nostalgia, the memories of my human life were still crystal clear in my mind, despite the amount of time that had passed.

              I used to get up as soon as the sun rose, along with my sister and father. It made sense in those days; without electricity our lives were largely governed by the sun. When it rose we got up, when it sank it usually wasn’t long before we went to bed.

              It had been ages since I had last allowed myself to think of my sister. Only a year younger than me her features had been very similar to mine. Our eyes had been identical shades of icy blue. The only major difference was our hair. Hers was as light as mine was dark. I inherited my father’s coloring, whilst I was told she had the same white blond hair as our mother.

            I had no memory of her; she died only weeks after giving birth to my sister who she named Beatrice, after a grandmother I never knew.

            After I was turned I never saw her again. I did see my father once… I thought being his daughter he would accept me, disregard the stories of the monsters that lurked in the darkness. But he didn’t.

              I blinked, shaking myself back to the present. It would not help me to dwell on the long buried past.

              Turning towards the door I frowned as Jamie walked in,