Diary of a Vampeen (24 page)

The grand finale to the night was a
gift from my mother, aunt, and Gran. “What is it?” I asked as I
tore open the pristine white wrapping paper. All paper and ribbon
removed, I saw it was a scrapbook.

I flipped it open to find page by page
pictures chronicling my years as a human. Comments and stories
clearly written by my mom and aunt filled the space between the
photos. My heart stopped on the final page. I choked up, gasping
for air. I looked at my mother who held the same fountain of tears
in her eyes. Never before tonight had I seen my mother cry; never
had I bore witness to such a tender moment as now.

I ran my fingers across the picture of
me and Gran and moved down to the letter below it. I could feel the
imprints of the pen where she had pressed down to write.

My Dearest Ally,
(only she called me this)

You are about to take the same right
of passage as all the women in our family before you. Without
seeing you, I know whole-heartedly that you will surpass us all in
performance and acceptance of your new identity. You possess the
inner strength I long to replicate and the unweathering heart I
know we already share.

You have the wisdom of an owl, the
morals of a Saint, the diligence of a scientist, the passion of
Picasso, and the perfect beauty of a rose which is pretty despite
its shape or size. I’ve heard your potential in every conversation
we’ve had. There are forces you need to survive in our world. While
others must develop them, you already hold them deep
within.

As you cross over, you will be tested.
Your heart will fight your mind and your body will test your
spirit. You should practice living daily; while procrastination is
easy when you have forever, so is forgetting.

Stay strong in yourself Ally. Stay
true to the powerful female vampeen I know is inside. Regardless of
the distance between us, I have always and will always know your
soul and proclaim with pride that you heir from me. I know you will
never fail yourself or your family.

I love you my dearest Ally.

Gran

I sat frozen, the tears quickly
falling like rain.

“It’s almost time Lexi,” my mother
advised softly.

Swallowing hard, trying to rid the
lump in my throat, I looked around at everyone. “Thank you. For
everything.”

I couldn’t believe the time had
arrived already. It took so long yet happened so quick. Listen to
me; I was so nervous I was contradicting myself!

“It’s nothing honey,” Al
said.

“We love you Lexi. I know you’ll be
fine,” my dad said with a tearful smile. I leaned over and hugged
him. I then turned to my mother and did the same.

“I love you sweetie,” she whispered in
my ear.

“Love you too,” I choked. “What time
is it?”

“It’s 11:47,” Beth smiled at me. “You
should probably go get settled in bed.”

“Umm. I know it’s a little late, but
how does this work?” Ok, late was an understatement. I’d literally
procrastinated to the last minute.

“At midnight, your body will feel
heavy. Slowly you will drift out. Within thirty seconds you will be
unconscious and asleep until midnight tomorrow,” Beth
explained.

“And the whole coffin thing?” I asked
feeling my stomach flutter as my nerves took over.

“It’s used traditionally, but isn’t
necessary. Kellan installed electronic blackout window seals this
morning. You’ll be in your bed the entire time,” Aunt Claire
advised. So that explained why he was peering through my window
last night; he was probably checking measurements or
something.

“Kellan and I will be in there the
full duration to protect you. You have nothing to worry about,” Al
stated confidently.

I gave my parents and everyone else
one last hug before turning to go upstairs. My parents and Aunt had
tears flowing down their cheeks as they watched me go. “Thanks
again. I love you all,” I choked out between short breathes as the
tears still slid down my face. It felt like I was saying good-bye
forever.

“Kellan, go get her tucked in,” Beth
directed.

Kellan grabbed my hand and gave me a
light squeeze. Hand in hand, side by side, we took the walk to my
room.

“I feel like a death row inmate taking
her final walk,” I chuckled nervously trying to control my
emotions.

“You’ll be fine Lexi. I won’t let
anything happen to you,” he reassured me.

I simply nodded my head. My throat had
closed temporarily at the notion of what was coming.

Once in my room, I walked towards my
bed slowly. With each step my stomach knotted tighter. Kellan
checked around the room; I guess to make sure we were alone before
grabbing a remote. Seconds later black coverings dropped down over
my windows sealing them. He then closed the blinds and curtains
over that.

“Thorough,” I noted aloud. I lay down
in my bed and pulled the covers up over me. The only light was my
clock on my nightstand reading 11:56pm. Seeing the time for myself
made the nerves kick into overdrive. Frantic waves rushed through
me as a pulsating stir of anticipation surfaced.

“Kellan?” I called in a little
panic.

He grabbed my hand and shifted next to
me on the bed. “I’m here,” he said, though I couldn’t see him given
the pitch-black darkness. I’d never seen my room so
cave-like.

“You promise it doesn’t
hurt?”

“I promise. You feel like someone
injected you with anesthesia medicine. You’ll be okay Lexi. You can
stop shaking.”

My palms were sweating as my nerves
intensified with every passing second. “Actually I can’t. I’m
really nervous. How much longer?”

“It’s 11:58.”

“Kellan. Thanks for being here. I know
I’ve been crazy sometimes and I haven’t known you that long but I
appreciate you. I love you for all of that you’ve done for me,” I
spoke swiftly, jitters strewn within my voice.

“One minute,” he announced. I squeezed
his hand. “Lexi?” he called.

“Yea?” I gulped.

“Better late than never
right?”

“Umm… I guess?”

“You’re the one; you’re my girl for
eternity.”

And with that he was on top of me. It
was the kiss of death in passion. We held nothing back. He grabbed
my face and pulled me tighter to him. I put my hands behind his
head and did the same.

Closer and closer, we
couldn’t be any tighter physically as our lips caressed each other
with force yet sensual romance concurrently. I pushed towards him
emotionally, mentally and spiritually, all my walls silenced. I
reached into him like a telepath zoning in on the mind of a person.
Pressing forward, I felt no barriers as I had earlier. I struggled
to focus as…
wait!

I was feeling a bit groggy; it must
have been after midnight. I continued moving in stride with him,
our mouths opening and closing in unison, our lips singing
perfectly. We were still connected, but I felt my arms fall. A
weight was beginning to press down on me. Five pounds… ten
pounds…

Focus Lexi! Search for his
soul, feel for his inner core, …remain diligent in your
quest.
I was losing control, going under.
Pushing mentally and emotionally through an invisible layer,
scraping to be entwined with him in every format; I was trying to
do the undoable.

Giving all of me over to him,
sacrificing my conscience to salvage our final seconds together, I
finally hit it. I knew I’d hit it because sparks flew within me. I
felt a moment so concentrated, so deep in an overwhelming power
that I couldn’t control myself. It’s as if our destinies collided
head on; the stars and moon reversed orbit. This was the feeling
every person on this earth hopes and searches aimlessly for. It’s
beyond words as an immensely awe-inspiring thrust projects through
every part of you into that of the person you are with, proving sex
is not necessary in the world of spirituality.

“Kellan.” I tried to call, but nothing
came out. “I felt it, I touched it. Our souls became one,” I wanted
to yell at the top of my lungs. All guards down in the heat of a
dying moment it happened.

I could feel the internal sedation
kick into overdrive. My body was winding down as if I was in a
coma. They say you can hear but can’t respond, which was my current
state.

“Tell me you felt it.” I wanted to
scream, but the pounds pressing down on me had since multiplied
making it impossible to project any noise let alone pure air. My
body was numb, completely paralyzed physically; I realized I was
only there mentally, but I couldn’t help but scream inside, “Tell
me you felt it Kellan!”

My last seconds were drawing close. I
saw the black hole clouding my mind slowly. I couldn’t fight sleep
much longer. As I drew my last breath of mental awareness, I
finally heard it. “I felt it, my love.”

Chapter 16

Voices – whispers, noises, music and a
fish tank.

Subtle sounds were awakening me
mentally. My hearing was not the megaphone I assumed it would be,
but it’s at least five times more than I had. It’s as if I was
wearing a hearing aid turned to max. The whispers were muffled at
first, like a crowd buzzing, but it started to clear up, to
distinguish and separate in voice distinction as they inhaled to
breathe in rhythm.

“Shh! She’s waking up!” my aunt
declared.

I inhaled deeply to the lingering
scent of roses, carnations and another flower I was unfamiliar
with. Those must be my birthday flowers. Breathing again, I caught
Kellan’s cologne, strong and poignant yet appealing as if he was
standing beside me.

I ran my fingers along my comforter. I
felt every fiber, each string of thread woven to create the
intricate cotton blend. Remembering the promise of a figure I could
appreciate, I began to pull my hands to my stomach carefully
hesitating momentarily, acknowledging I would be devastated if I
was the only fat vampeen. Before I could feel for my waist, a warm
smooth hand entwined with mine.

“Lexi, sweetie, can you hear me?” my
mother asked softly.

“Y…Yes,” I replied. I was shocked to
hear I sounded the same. No melodic, angelic voice, as I dreamed of
hearing, escaped my chords; merely a slightly hoarse version of my
own.

“Open your eyes sweetie. It’s 12:02.
It’s all done and you’re… you’re… beautiful!” she gushed. I heard
the hushed single tear slide down her cheek and splatter lightly on
my comforter.

It was relatively quiet yet far from
silent. I heard the sound of a few stray birds outside, the fish
tank in my dad’s office humming, and the steady breathing of the
six people I sensed the energy of around me matching the six
pitter-patter beats I assumed were their hearts.

My eyelids flittered as I
opened them to the dark room. I was still able to see every detail
within but in a muted color pattern.
I
have night vision!

I looked to my right to see my mother
still holding my hand, smiling with pure elation and relief
extending from her. Next to her was my dad. I knew he couldn’t see
me, I remembered how I was just twenty-four hours ago. Seeing the
fear still stretched across the wrinkles in his forehead, hearing
his heart accelerate with each passing second of silence, I knew he
felt left out in this moment. He’s the blind man at a silent motion
picture movie.

“Dad,” I called.

He took a deep breath; I saw him choke
back a few tears filling the basins of his eyes. “How do you feel?”
he asked, nerves shaking him.

“Ok, I think,” my voice was beginning
to clear. I reached out, much faster than I meant to, and embraced
him. He squeezed me with all his might, which would have crushed me
before, but felt like a gentle brush from a willow’s branches. “I’m
ok Dad,” I reiterated.

As I was leaning over my bed on my
knees pulling him into me, I noticed the most awkward thing: the
waist of my capris is almost at my knees. I released my dad and
tugged up my pants immediately. “Sorry about that,” I chuckled
feeling embarrassed by my free show. I felt the rosy red of heat
lift into my cheeks.

“Here,” my aunt handed me a white box.
“This is my gift to you,” she smiled.

“Can we turn on the light? I want dad
to see too.”

“Thanks sweetie. Glad to know you
still think about your old man.” Even in the darkness his joy was
visible.

The light flickered on from the
chandelier over my bed. My eyes adjusted quickly and the colors
that warmed my room turned vivid, brilliantly reflecting every ray
of light.

I heard my dad begin to gasp. Before
he exhaled entirely my body was maneuvered, situated in front of
him observing his vital signs.

“What’s wrong?!” I yelled in fear
still scrutinizing his color, the pumping of blood pulsed within
the vital vein in his neck. But he didn’t say anything, his mouth
hung ajar as his eyes stared in astonishment at me. “Mom, what’s
wrong?!”

“Nothing sweetie. You’re dad, as all
of us are, is surprised by your appearance. You’re still Lexi,
beautiful before, but, well, gorgeous doesn’t even begin to
describe you now. You’re far better than we imagined,
breathtaking,” she answered with the same glossy-eyed look as my
father.