Vampire Gifts

School

    I sat Clara at the kitchen table, her eyes still closed. I thought of some way to get her to open her eyes, like she inevitably does, and walked open to the cabinet. I pulled out her favorite cereal, Cheerios.

    "If only Clara were awake," I said dramatically. One of her eyes opened slowly but she quickly shut it again. "Clara loves Cheerios, but I guess I'll have to eat them all by myself until there's none left."

    She snapped her eyes opened and shouted desperately: "No! No! I'm up! I'm up!"

    I laughed. "Well then get out your bowl so we can get you to school." She hopped off the chair and ran over to the cabinet. She opened the wooden doors and picked out her favorite bowl, a heart-shaped Cheerios bowl. Then she ran back, put the bowl on the counter, and climbed back on the chair. Her little legs were nowhere close to the ground and she swung her feet back and forth. I filled the bowl half-way with cereal and got the milk out of the fridge. I set the milk on the table and watched as she filled her bowl. She always liked to pour the milk all by herself. I smiled when she filled it all the way to the top.

    "Woah!" I said. "Want some cereal with that milk?" She just smiled in response. By the time I put away the milk, all the cereal was gone from her bowl. She spent the next four minutes sipping the milk from her tilted bowl. I just smiled and looked at her. Her hair, though knotty and unbrushed, was shining as it spilled over her little shoulders. She was still young enough to have baby fat, and her face was childlike and innocent. I sighed. I never wanted to send her to pre-k. It was all her father's idea. I guess I was just, you know, scared that she was growing up too fast. I just couldn't shake the feeling that she would go to school a happy little girl and come back an annoying teenager.

    "I'm done!", she announced. Then she grabbed my hand and ran down the hall and up the stairs to her room, pulling me along with her. Now it was my favorite time of the day: when I got to dress her up like a little doll.

    I dressed her in a light blue short sleeve shirt with a green flower on the front; a green ruffly skirt with a matching flower design; and navy blue mary-janes with little white socks. She looked so cute that I just wanted to look at her all day. I glanced at the purple clock hanging on the wall. It was 7:39. Clara had to be at school at 8. My little impromptu pillow-fight had put us behind schedule.  I quickly ran a brush through her hair and gave her a blue headband to put on. She ran into her bathroom and started to brush her teeth while I pulled on some clean clothes and fixed my hair. Then I checked to make sure her book bag was ready. While standing in the hall, putting her lunchbox  in her bag, my husband brushed by me.

    "Bye, honey." He said as he headed down the stairs for work. He gave me a peck on the cheek and left. I yelled out a good-bye as he walked and a second later I heard the front door close. I wouldn't see him again until tonight. Then Clara came running out of the bathroom and we ran out the front door and to my car. I sat in the front seat and looked behind me to see Clara sitting in her car seat. We arrived at exactly 7:57, perfect. Hand-in-hand, we ran to the doors of the school and she went inside and walked up the usual flight of stairs. Without warning, Clara dropped her book bag, ran down the stairs, and burst through the door. She jumped in my arms and, with her arms wrapped around my neck in a hug, gave me a kiss on the check.

    "Bye, mommy. Love you!" She said into my ear. Then she was out of my arms and up the stairs before I could say a response. I walked slowly back to my car alone and drove back home.

    The time flew by. I cleaned Clara's room, did the laundry, and cleaned the rest of the house, and I was done before I needed to pick Clara up from school. I took my time driving to the school and walked to pick Clara up from her class. As we walked back to my car, Clara told me about her day. Back home, Clara went straight to her room to do her homework like a good little girl and when she was done she played not-so-quietly in her room while I read a book. Once the time came, I made Clara a dinner of chicken nuggets and pizza-bites: her favorite meal. Then she was back in her room playing again.

    Then the sun set.

    My husband came through the door looking tired and collapsed on the couch. Seizing the opportunity, I spoke up:

    "I need you to watch Clara for a little while, I'm going to go for a walk."

    "Alright." He responded. "Did she eat yet?"

    "Yep. You just need to put her to bed." I said as I started for the door. Then, thinking of something, I added "And don't let her sneak dessert." As I headed out the door, I heard him mumble something like "Fine, she won't have to sneak it." but I forgot about it as I stepped out the door.

    The night was warm as I stepped outside. Looking both ways, I crossed the street to the forest. Didn't I mentain we lived across from Forest Park? Once in the forest, I regretted not putting on bug spray but it was too nice of a night for some mosquitoes to ruin it.

    As I walked from the dirt path to the paved, bike path, I thought I saw a figure standing in the shadows, but I shook the idea from my head.

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THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE IN LESTAT'S POV. SOME THINGS WILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE BOOKS IN THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YOU MIGHT NOT GET SOME STUFF.