Fifty…

Fifty: The Second Beginning

Now Aubrey knew that vampires existed, and she also knew how they came to be.

Life was the opposite of death… but now she knew there was something between life and death.

It wasn’t living, yet it wasn’t death either… and she lived in this odd state of existence for the next 12 years, fearing for her dhampiric children’s well-being. How would Reznik and Kat turn out living through such a morbid upbringing? Around figurative monsters where the key to survival was to kill… or be killed? And either hurt mortals or risk death from malnourishment?

Inevitably, Kat and Reznik blossomed with the passage of time.

For her fifteenth birthday, Vaclav gave his daughter a beautiful necklace. A shimmering crucifix dangled near its center.

He placed it around her neck and fastened the clasps.

“I love you, my princess.”

“Thank you, Daddy. I’ll never take it off.”

Katerina was getting good at playing the piano. Vaclav and Aubrey had hired a teacher, but it didn’t take long for her to ace Beethoven and other popular classics.

Soon the teacher was no longer needed.

Similarly, Vaclav had hired a mage named Tia to teach seventeen-year-old Reznik how to control his powers. Aubrey needed no more incidents with small explosions around the house. It was becoming too dangerous… and annoying.

“With naturally inherited magic like yours, sometimes it’s only a matter of controlling your emotions, which in turn can control whatever powers you exude.”

“Mm–hm,” he nodded smiling. “So in other words, I’m like that freak girl from the old Carrie movie.”

She paused; then pointed to her head. “Uh, yeah. It’s all up here. You can control it by not getting so pissed off.”

“Then what do I need you for? A shrink can teach me how to control my anger, not a witch.” He laughed.

She became obviously flustered.

“You still need a mage to teach you how to take your natural abilities and use them when and how you want to, as opposed to a random show of magic that’s tied to your moods.”

“Why is the son of an elder vampire born with powers like mine? I mean, it doesn’t make much sense considering my dad doesn’t have these same powers.”

“What the hell makes you think I know the answer to that question?”

“Because you’re the all-seeing, all-knowing mage! You know everything!” he ridiculed.

“Go to hell, you sniveling little piece of teenaged sh—”

“Careful what you say, you might piss me off.”

She huffed in exasperation and stormed over to her spell book.

“Fine. Let’s work on the various ways to conjure fire; aside from using anger.” She flipped through the book, her jaw clenched.

“I believe you already have some ability to control your powers, you just don’t try hard enough to do it,” she remarked.

“Really? You don’t think I try to control it?” he replied. She shook her head. Rage swelled up within him.

A line of fire erupted behind Tia.

“Are you sure I don’t try to control it?” he said.

“Okay, fine. Prove it! Make the fire go away!”

“You’re the mage. You make it go away.”

“Reznik, you little shit! Make it go away!”

He roared with laughter. “Does it burn yet?”

“Reznik! Stop it!” Flames licked at her dress.

“You’re the witch, not me.”

“FUCKING STOP IT OR I’LL TELL YOUR PARENTS!”

The inferno vanished.

“See,” she said in a trembling voice. “I had a feeling you could control it… if you wanted to.”

“You’ve just passed the first test, although I’m not sure if I can live through another one.”

“Oh don’t worry Miss Tia, I won’t actually let anything happen to you. Just because a few of my other instructors are lying in charred pieces in the cemetery, doesn’t mean I’d allow the same thing to happen to you,” he said. “I like you, Miss Tia.”

“How comforting, Reznik.”

Meanwhile, Katerina sat in her father’s chair upstairs and gazed outside the windows.

It was something she’d done since the age of 10: go into her father’s study, sit in his chair and let her mind wander.

In some ways she ‘d always felt out of place in the Haas household. The main reason was obvious, she didn’t share the physical characteristics with the rest of her family. She looked human. It was weird growing up in such an environment, as though she were a kitten raised in a family of wolves.

Also, each family member had special powers, whether telekenisis or otherwise.

Katerina had none; at least none that she’d yet discovered.

Sucks being different.

Later, Vaclav and Aubrey embraced in the foyer.

Their children stood only a few feet away and mocked them.

But then Kat doubled over, her stomach seized by a sharp pain. It wasn’t the first time it had occurred.

“Is it your stomach again?” Reznik asked. She nodded.

“You know, you should tell Mom and Dad about what’s been going on.”

“No. Really, I’m okay.”

She straightened, dusted off her shirt.

Reznik looked somewhat puzzled.

Not noticing their children’s potential dilemma, Vaclav stroked Aubrey’s face. It was as if they were cradled inside their own little world.

But perhaps outside that world, something waited.

With glowing eyes, the beast from a tumultuous past awaited the moment when he could return to their lives… and maybe turn it upside down once again.

But perhaps not in the way one might expect.

                                                                ****

hehe. Thanks for reading.  🙂  Sorry this one was on the short side, but it’s basically just an introductory thing… but don’t worry, I’ve thought up a whole new set of plot ideas (and sub-plots) to keep the next several chapters interesting and fresh, and it doesn’t involve ALL teenagers.    😀

Now here’s something comical that I noticed a little too late:  Near the beginning of this chapter, Vaclav gives Kat a necklace for her birthday, and she tells him she’ll ‘never take it off.’ Well in the very next picture when she’s sitting at the piano, she’s not wearing the necklace! XD   Poor Vaclav!  😆

Meh, sorry I was so late in saying this, but HAPPY EASTER everyone (even though it’s now passed). >_>