DARK HEART

CHAPTER 1

"Mum!" It pretty strange not hearing her footsteps all over the place like every other morning, especially today of all days.

My parents, siblings and I are to travel to Fairhope, AL today for mine and Liam's 18th birthday. That is, about 161 miles and approximately a 3-hour drive from French Quarters. We have been planning this trip for months and mom being the perfectionist she is, should be up to make sure everything is in order. That woman puts the control in control freak.

"Daddy! Liam?!" Where the fuck are they? I check every room in this big ass house. The perks of owning a chain of hotels across the country.

I go outside to check, maybe they went over to the neighbors, even though that is highly unlikely. Our neighbors have to be the most snobbish people on this planet. Imagine ignoring me because I wasn't wearing designers. Okay, maybe a teeny bit too exaggerated.

You think? my inner pain in the ass, sorry, my inner voice says.

Knocking on their unnecessarily large double doors, I wait shuffling between my feet to pass the time. We lived in an estate so I guess there was really no need for gates between houses.

Knock! no response.

Hmmph! I'm about to start a knock song, you know, when you continuously knock just to piss off the house owner?
Mrs. Van Helsing kills the fun by opening the doors and I immediately plaster a smile, feeling my cheeks burn from just how much I am forcing them to go against my mind's true reaction.

The strawberry blonde middle aged woman opens the door. Cat-like eyes scan through m-my outfit and her upturn lips downs in a grimace. Beats me how she looks so toned and without wrinkles considering a smile from her comes every blood moon. From the slight opening of her mouth, I assume she wants to say something but decides against it and probably let the fact that I'm in just my Pjs slide.

"Hi, Mrs. Van Helsing, sorry to disturb but have you seen my mom or dad today?" Making sure my voice sounded as polite as possible but I'm sure it just sound so sickeningly sweet that I can bet my family fortune, pretty much anyone can tell the sweetness is fake.

Everyone knows she only tolerates my family because we are rich as well, even though it's not Helsing-rich but rich enough that my parents refuse to let me get a job till I am 21 and choose to give me a $1000 weekly allowance instead.

I was too focused on processing the reasons why I disliked her that I didn't notice her expression morphed into one of pure shock, "Oh dear! Leo," I cringe at her use of my nickname, Only my family gets to use that name. "What are you still doing here?! your parents left five hours ago!"

Wait, what?! how?! I am the celebrant for Pete's sake!

How come Liam didn't bother to wake me and why did little Christiana's cries not wake me? I am about to head back home but a thought crosses my mind.

"What time is it?" I ask looking in her direction.

She checks her watch that probably costs thousands of dollars,"Why, its 1:30 pm." she says and my eyeballs almost leave their sockets.

Fuck! this is not good, why would they leave me? I get I'm a deep sleeper but mom always has a way to get me to wake up.
I thank her and go back home to try getting in touch with mom.