sun and the clouds

Chapter

Sun and the clouds.                                   

               The sun flooded my room with warm golden light.  I heard the floorboards of my mom’s room and heard the door shut in the bathroom. “Mom you going to be long?” I asked knocking on the door. I heard a mumble, and the flush of the toilet. She opened the door and looked dead, her eyes puffed and red, her hair was a mess. “What’s wrong?” I asked hugging her. Her voice was raw, but said, “Nothing just Kyle.” I just looked at her. “Okay. Want me to kick his a*s now or later?” I asked and she laughed. “No, he just is going through a tough time since his grandmother died a few days ago.” She said going back to her bedroom. I walked to the kitchen; my brother was making breakfast for me already. “Eggs and toast again, mom hasn’t gone to the store yet.” He said as I sat down at the table. “It’s okay. I’ll go after school.” I said as he passed a plate in front of me. He sat down with his plate and started eating. “Hey Drew what would you say if I told you I had powers?” I asked and looked at him. He gave me a look and answered, “Like Superman? Or the Green Lantern?” he asked. I thought for a second, “No, like I can run faster than before and I can smell stronger, I can see farther and sometimes I can hear people’s thoughts and command things with my mind.” I said and he laughed. “Yeah right. Okay read my mind.” He demanded. I concentrated on him. “You think I’m crazy and you’re not thinking of a number it’s a letter, D, to be correct...” I said answering his question. He just looked at me with his mouth open. “How’d you know, I was going to ask you, what Number I was thinking, how did you know I was going to trick you?” he asked confused. “I told you I can read your thoughts…” he cut me off, “Turn the stove on and the microwave.” He demanded I concentrated on the microwave. ‘Turn on you stupid thing!’  It started to ding, and it started. “No way! That’s sweet! I have to tell my friends.” He said starting out the door but I caught him “tell no one! Okay.” He looked at me “Pinkie promise! Come on Drew!” he looked at me again. “Fine pinkie promise.” He said and grabbed my pinkie with his. The timer on the microwave went off and we jumped, “See ya after school Superwoman!” he yelled running out the door. I smiled and I knew I should’ve told him what I could do. I walked down the street to Liz’s house and saw her running my way. “Jenna!! You’ll never guess what…!” she yelled come to a stop in front of me. “what?” I asked as she caught her breath. “I was on the internet and found this.” She said handing me two pieces of paper.

Vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature who overcomes death by sucking the blood from living humans. The most common variation of the myth portrays the vampire as a dead person who rises from the grave at night to seek his victim from the realm of the sleeping. The vampire is a popular theme of film makers who have started with Bram Stokers's novel (Dracula) and added a number of variations to the theme, e.g., the ability to fly (like the vampire bat); a lust for beautiful women as victims who then become vampires upon being bitten; fear of the symbol of the Christian cross; the repelling power of garlic or garlic flowers; and death by sunlight or by a special stake driven through the heart, a fitting death for a character commonly believed to be based on the 15th century warrior, Vlad the Impaler. However, according to Elizabeth Miller, author of Dracula: Sense & Nonsense (Desert Island Books, 2000), Bram Stoker did not base his vampire Count on Vlad the Impaler. He borrowed Vlad's nickname (Dracula) for a vampire character he had already conceived (and tentatively named Count Wampyr).
Legends of bloodsucking creatures are found in many cultures throughout history. One of the more popular bloodsuckers of our age is the chupacabra. The vampire is also a popular literary subject. Hence, there are numerous descriptions of the origin, nature, powers, etc. of vampires. What seems to be universal about vampire myths is their connection with the fear of death and the desire for immortality. The ritual drinking of blood to overcome death has been practiced by many peoples. The Aztecs and other Native Americans, for example, ate the hearts and drank the blood of captives in ritual ceremonies, most likely to satisfy the appetite of their gods and gain for themselves fertility and immortality. Also typical were the rites of Dionysus and Mithras, where the drinking of animal blood was required in the quest for immortality. Even today, some Christians believe that their priests perform a magical transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ to be eaten and drunk in the quest to join God in eternal life.
We might say we've made progress in our ritualistic quest to overcome death. First, we sacrificed humans and drank their blood to keep the gods alive and happy, or to join them in overcoming death. We later came to substitute bulls or other animals for humans to achieve our goal. Finally, we progressed to a vegetarian menu of bread and wine. Even so, the basic truth is depressing: for anything to live, something or someone else must die. Whether this truth sets you free or not depends, I suppose, on your place at or on the dinner table. Since we are deep into metaphors, we may as well note here that the vampire has become a metaphor for those who define and create themselves by destroying others. People whose lives center on destroying other people's lives by disempowering them, who reduce their victims to dependent subjects to be lorded over, have been called spiritual vampires. Some of the therapists, ministers and gurus I've written about elsewhere in the Dictionary could be called spiritual vampires, very aptly.
This cultural link between vampirism and the quest for immortality seems to have been subordinated in literature and film, where other themes, such as blood for blood's sake, fear for fear's sake, or entrance into the realm of the occult, seem to dominate. One sign of the cultural deterioration of our ancestor's noble quest for immortality can be seen in the modern secondary meaning of 'vampire': a woman who exploits and ruins her lover. Another example of deterioration can be seen in the numerous WWW sites on vampires which appeal to occult or New Age interests such as entering the so-called dark side of reality, gaining power, establishing a unique identity as a special person or selling commercial products and games.
Apparently, role playing and masquerading as vampires is not enough to satisfy the bloodlust of some people, and covens or cults of "vampires" have emerged among some occultists. They seek blood to give them power, a sexual rush, or to establish a unique and special fictional persona based on creating fear and mystery in others. Unlike our ancient ancestors, their power is not sought because of fear based on ignorance and misunderstanding of nature, but on ignorance and misunderstanding of themselves. Like other occult cults these vampire covens are attractive to the young and the weak.* Just a few years ago, such "vampyres" would have been considered ill or evil. Today, they are said to have an "alternative lifestyle."
“Liz I don’t think I’m that kinda Vampire.” I said after a few seconds. She looked at me with a weird look. “What? What’s wrong? Do I have something on me?” I asked, she pointed to a note sticking out of my notebook. I pulled it out and it had my name on it in black letters. I opened it and read the neat handwriting on it.
“Jenna,
Meet me at the park after school.
     Eric”
I read it out loud to Liz. She looked confused, “Wait Eric from the alley?” she asked. “Yeah, He was in my room last night.” I said walking away from here to the bus stop.  “Wait, Jenna…” she yelled but I kept walking. “Jenna why does he want to meet you at the park?” she asked catching up with me. “I don’t know… he said he would explain my powers later.” I explained. She eyed me up and down like I had the plague. “What? That’s all he said.” I said back and walked on. We talked about how I being a vampire would affect our relationship. “So wait can you still go out in the sunlight?’ she asked. “Um, yeah I’m out now aren’t I?”I replied she shrugged her shoulders. The bus came down the road and stopped for us. We put the bus fee in the machine and walked to the back. “What are you going to do with Eric? I mean what does he want  from you?” she asked sitting down across from me, I shrugged. We didn’t talk till we got to school and meet up with Chris and Ryan. “So what are you guys up to today?” I asked them as I walked pass Chris and held he’s hand. “So are you going to meet him?” she asked and I made a ‘no telling’ movement around my neck. “What is she talking about, Jenna?”  I hesitated.” Nothing, my mom’s boyfriend is coming over but I’m supposed to meet him.” I said, but he didn’t take it. “Okay so what does she really mean?” he asked again. I looked down but he pulled my wrist up over his head so I looked up. “Okay, Eric was in my room last night and this morning there was a note in my notebook saying to meet him in the park.” I answered. He let go of my hand and started walking down the hall. “I knew he would do this.  I knew he would take you away to be one of those freaks.” He yelled and started running. “Well that’s to late I already  am one of those freaks!” I yelled back. He stopped and looked back and then started running again. I stood there and then ran down the hall to the nearest girl’s bathroom. I found a stall and just sat there. I heard other girls whisper and giggle, the door opened and all the girls scurried out. “Jenna? Where are you?” I heard Liz walking toward the stall. I unlocked the stall and walked out.  “You know he didn’t mean it.” She said hugging me. “I doubt it. He asked me to change him and I said no. he wanted me to so bad just to do it but I can’t. I’m only half and today at the park Eric was going to tell me all about it.” I said gathering myself. I walked to the sink and noticed my refection was still there. ‘That’s another question to ask him.’  I washed my face and looked around. I saw the window and opened it. “What are you doing? You’re not really going to jump out are you?” Liz asked. She was right I can’t just skip out and let him ruin my day. I closed the window and walked out of the girls’ bathroom and there he was. He was tall with dark red hair with the most beautiful green eyes. The Principle was walking along side him and telling him where to go. “Hey, who’s that Mr.DuPount?” I asked walking up to them. “This is Jacob Maru. He just started here. Say what do you have 1st?” he said. “I have English, sir.” I said and eyed the new kid. “Good you can show Jacob to his class.” He said and started walking away before I could protest. Liz laughed at me. “Okay, Jacob follow me.”  He chuckled, “Call me Jake.”  I nodded. I left Liz at the bathroom. I walked down the hall and walked in the first door on the left. I walk to my seat. He followed me and sat next to me. He was writing something. He put it under his arm and it peeked out, I looked up at him. He nodded to the note. So I took it.
In curvy hand writing it said:
I know who you are.

I stopped and looked at him