Unnatural Selection | Joshler

Part II

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Josh hated vampires.
They were the beasts who tortured his parents, the devils who captured his brother, the savages who killed his sisters. They took his self-control, his life. They forced him to live with a foster family, in a home that wasn't his, with a family that wasn't his, and in a city that wasn't familiar. He was only six years old when his life got taken away from him, in the bitter snow of Indiana, the only warmth coming from his house that was burning to the ground.

Josh was born into a family of vampire hunters, a direct connection to the Council. They were the humans who went and killed off the vampires who couldn't control themselves any longer, the level E's. Humans that had become vampires would eventually fall to a Level E. Josh's family was in control of killing those, and as long as none of them became a vampire, they were allowed to keep in business with the Council.

The Council was made up of the most powerful pure bloods, they were referred to as Lords and Ladies, and they were in control of everything, even other vampires. Pure bloods were the only ones capable of turning a human into a vampire.

There was only one thing a vampire could do to stop themselves from falling to a level E: drink the blood of their master, the pure blood that turned them into a vampire.

Josh couldn't remember who turned him into a vampire that winter night in Indiana. But he remembered everything else. After all, it was all his fault.

As soon as Josh was bit the Council was alerted. He tried to get back to his family, to warn them of his mistake, to warn them of their fate. He ran and he ran, the tears tracked down his face, and his blood traveled down his neck, dropping down into the snow. His small legs couldn't carry him fast enough. The snow was up to his knees, trees never seemed like they would end, and dammit Joshua if you would've just listened, really understood that when father says 'don't go into the forest at night' he really means it. Josh wouldn't have been late, Josh's house wouldn't have been on fire, and Josh wouldn't have lost his family. None of it wouldn't have ever happened if he just listened.

Samuel picked Josh up that eventful night and brought him to his "new" family. Samuel was Josh's instructor and taught Josh how to hunt vampires from the time he began walking. Josh was the most promising out of his siblings, learning the skills quicker than any of them. His siblings envied him and he was always choice of topic at the dinner table.

Samuel told Josh all about his new father, Gregor. He was an ex-vampire hunter, the best of his time, who settled to be a high school principle (and josh could see the disappointment is Samuel's coarse brows as he talked about the ex-legend). Samuel told him nearly everything about Greg in their drive from Bloomington to Columbus, Ohio, but he never once mentioned anything about him having a daughter (although, to be fair, Josh wasn't really listening).

A girl, right around Josh's age with mocha eyes and matching hair with dark plump lips and skinny frame, was the first person he saw in Columbus. Her clothing must have been three sizes too big and Josh blamed the harsh weather. He could remember her eyes searching all over his body, judging his heavy jacket that nearly went to his ankles.

"Are you the boy staying with us?" She asked. Josh didn't speak. "Greg said we would have someone staying with us," She spoke with a soft voice, one that wasn't much higher than Josh's. "Where's your bag?" she asked. Josh just stood on the steps looking to the ground, watching the snow melt from his boots. Josh didn't speak.
The girl brought Josh inside once Gregor had called from the kitchen "Octavia, is someone at the door?" And she had replied with "Yes! It's the boy!" too optimistic for Josh's taste. Greg had run down the corridor with a dirty apron on calling "Josh! You are finally here!" a grin plastered on his face. It was in that moment Josh realized there was no way Octavia could be Gregor's daughter. Gregor was a tall, well-built, black man. His smile was perfect, in Josh's opinion and could light up whatever room he walked into. 

Gregor welcomed Josh with open arms. He promised he would keep Josh safe that night, and although Josh never replied, he was quite thankful.

Josh was the choice of topic at dinner that night, even though he didn't eat nor speak, Octavia and Gregor continued to tell him how much he would grow to love that place. And they were right.

As years passed he grew used to the idea of calling that place his home. Gregor cried a few times when Octavia and Josh wouldn't call him father but they all eventually laughed at Gregor's sensitivity (however, they did call him father whenever they wanted something. It always worked).

Josh was sixteen when Octavia (who had long since cut her hair) called Gregor her father on a serious note. She asked both Josh and Greg to sit in the living room and then, she thanked them. She thanked them both for being her family, when she couldn't remember her own. She told them she was terrified and they asked 'why?' She told them she wasn't sure how they would react and they asked 'why?' She told them she was a boy, eyes clenched shut, fists shaking and they asked 'why didn't you tell us sooner?' Josh stood and hugged the crying boy, telling him how proud he was.

"Call me Tyler,' he spoke, with the biggest grin Josh had ever seen on his face. So yeah, they had become quite a family, but Josh still hated vampires. And he hated one vampire more than the rest.
She was referred to as Lady Black, but of course Josh never thought that highly of her (he always called her by her first name, just to get under her pale, dead skin).

At the time, Jenna was the only vampire Tyler knew, she was Tyler's best friend. Jenna had saved Tyler's life from a level E just a year before Josh moved in. And as much as he wanted to claw Jenna's eyeballs out (because he may or may not have had a small crush on Tyler) he couldn't because Jenna was a pure blood and had complete control over him. And as long as Josh could remember, she used that to her advantage.