I rose from my bed and drew my curtains open. I opened the window and let the sunlight shine in. It burnt. When you’re a vampire, sunlight does intend to burn your skin like a poisonous acid has just been poured onto you; but I didn’t care. I was enjoying the golden, blinding light so much that I forgot to wince at the pain; and notice that my mother had walked in. “Arielle Rosender! What in Bloodroot name are you doing? Close that window and once! Draw those curtains; the light must not get in! ” My mum shouted. “Yes, mother. I just… I… I just wanted to feel the sun! We are supposed to be immortal! That’s what you said! Why can’t I just be like other kids? Why can’t you just be like other parents?” “I, Arialice Rosender, shall not be like ‘other parents’! You do not tell me, your mother, what to do! I think you’ll find that it’s the opposite!” My mother then asked why I wanted to feel the sun. I simply said that I just wanted to feel what it’s like when you’re outside and the sun is shining on you! Let me just give you a run-down on my shadowy life: I am a vampire who’s not allowed to go outside. It sucks! 10 minutes in the sun and I’m done. Apparently staying in the sun long certifies a slow and incredibly painful death. But mother said that vampires live forever. It’s complicated. “Arielle? Can we talk?” she asked. “Well… we already are, so we might as well continue.” “Look, honey, I understand that you are angry, annoyed and frustrated that you can’t go outside and play with all your friends but it’s not actually that bad in here!” her voice was surprisingly soft.
Regardless of her soft and sweet approach, I had already made a plan. Just for 8 minutes, I would sneak out, into the light, just to enjoy it. Then I would be back in time.
Quietly closing the door behind me, I snuck out to the forest clearing, where the sun’s brightest rays shone. I let my ebony hair loose from its plaits and I just twirled; letting the wind take me. “Hey! What’re you doing in my domain?” an unfamiliar and threatening voice called. “Who are you?” I called back into the dense forest. “Petunia, Petunia Floralis” “Petunia? What a soppy name!” I said aloud, before realizing just what I’d said. “A very soppy name indeed, Arielle Rosender.” “How’d you know my name?” “You’re the girl who always stays at home and has no friends. You’ve been the topic at school since you moved into Mystic City.” “Wha...What!” Just then my watch timer for 8 minutes was up. “I need to go…” I said. “Off to cry?” Petunia replied. My pale skin turned red with rage, “Come out and face me! Get out of the shadows!” “The Shadows? You mean where you’ve been hiding your whole life?” “Arielle! Honey! Where are you?” my mother called. I quickly ran back inside through the back door whilst she walked round to see Petunia. “Have you seen my daughter, young werewolf?” Petunia shook her head and ran off into the forest. Many, many minutes passed as she searched for me, whilst I watched from my bedroom window. My brain just emptied.
Beep! Beep! Beep! The ten-minute timer was done. My mother fell to the ground as grey, flaky spots appeared on her skin slowly. My heart pounded uncontrollably and I quickly started to sweat abnormally. What just happened? What had I done?
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