Vamps

Author: Swannie

"Throughout all of the years I have experienced, I have never heard of this so called ‘Vampire’ species," said Mama, "and if they are real, why would they be living here and looking for me?"

After all of the pushing and pressure from her boss, Mama decided to travel up the mountain to the nearest fortune teller, Amika Clantoon. Since we lived in Ako off the southern tip of Romania, Mt. Vlasko was the place we all had to live, except one family. Mama’s boss, Vercol Slavika, lived at the bottom of the mount: on the flat land. There he and his companion lived in a mansion that was not white and cheery, but black and scattered with the reddest rubies my eyes have ever laid themselves onto. Of all the mansions I have seen in my life, not one has been even the tiniest bit similar to this one. Why? I wondered.

All of you are wondering Who is this guy speaking to us?, aren’t you? Well, my name is Drake Solster, and my mother’s name is Karina Solster. My papa, well he’s not a big part of my story, but his name is Alexander. We all live in a nice little cottage just the right size for the three of us. My family and I have lived in Ako for about three years, now, because of my mom’s job transfer. I like it here, because there are more kids running about, unlike in my old town, Clanser. Mama started her job back up during late September of 1994 in an old building that looked to me like an old, torn up haunted castle. Unlike Mama, I have never seen beyond its skin, and she says that inside it is a nice, normal place.

All of the employees there have been regular people, so far, and my mom had started long-lasting friendships with many of them. The person who wasn’t Mama’s favorite was Mr. Slavika. He sought the most structured and healthy people in all of Europe to come and serve as his workers, or should I call them slaves? Mama, of course, was a healthy, fit, and an enjoyable person in everyone’s eyes. About one week after we moved into the cottage, Mom was receiving compliments, and people were asking her "how she does it." I knew one person would show up in Ako and turn out to be Mama’s best friend ever, and, sure enough, someone did. Her name was Ileana Lacusta, and she was our closest neighbor. The first day we moved in, she brought us over a humongous jar of natural honey. We were so grateful for that.

Now, back to the story. Mama walked up the mountain, because we cannot afford a car, and when she arrived at the top, nothing was there. "What? I’m at the highest point on the mountain. Where is Amika’s house?" Apparently, we had misunderstood Mr. Slavika’s directions. The top of the mountain was actually the entrance to Amika’s chamber of thought. Mama had to walk down hundreds of steps to find Amika. It was like walking down the St. Augustine Lighthouse in America. My pen-pal, George, had told me about that feature of Florida, in the United States. Mama was not happy when she found out that the Clantoons actually lived at the base of the mountain, underground. Although she was angry, Mama let out good feelings while conversing with Ms. Clantoon.

People usually think of fortune tellers as people dressed and bundled up in dozens of robes and fabrics, with many jewels and a crystal ball. Well, Mama thought that too, until she set her eyes on Amika. Amika Clantoon was a very energetic person that was most certainly not stressed. At first when Mama met with her, thoughts were racing through her mind like, Is this a joke? . Amika was an elderly lady of eighty-three years, but she had a very strange way about herself. Everything in her living area was pink, and everything in her kitchen was aqua blue. She also had a doll set, and a play house, that she apparently played with. It was almost as if a little kid was controlling her mind; underneath all of that hair and all of those wrinkles there was a child playing on her brain like it was a video game. You could even smell the youth in her dwelling.

After Mama noticed all of the detail and energy compiled into the home, the questions and speaking began to arise. Mom said, "Hello. My name is–"

"Karina Solster. I knew it was going to be you," said Ms. Clantoon.

Mama responded, "Yes, my name is Karina Solster, and my boss, for some odd reason, advised me to pay a visit to you. I suppose you can tell people’s futures, eh?"

"Yeah, I can tell your future. Just come and sit down right over here. Come on, sweetie, I won’t bite."

"Oh, no, I don’t need you to tell my future for me. Please, I have got to be on my way now," said Mama, struggling.

"Oh, nonsense, my good friend. Just come and sit right here. Let’s go!" Although Mama insisted on leaving, and not having Amika tell her future, she was forced to place herself on the bean bag chair over in the corner of Amika’s livingroom. Now, the process was beginning. Amika proposed that Mama just sit comfortably, and slowly start to rest. Just like that, with a simple snap of the finger, Mama had fallen into an intense sleep. Now that she was resting, Amika had the privilege to seek Mama’s greatest potential in the near future, and also find her greatest fears and losses.

The most unusual happening occurred, then. Ms. Clantoon did not meditate or do anything of that nature to tell Mama’s future, but she just sat there staring at her, reciting a short poem that went like this: In my near future, I will find, the Vampire’s wrath, without much time. The futuristic thoughts that Amika Clantoon obtained somehow turned themselves into a poem that she was forced to recite over and over again. That was the only composition that she was speaking, and then it was all over. She was out of her trance, and Mama had suddenly woken up. "Oh, my," Amika said. Mother was anxious to learn what Amika Clantoon had learned from her privilege.

"What, what is it, Amika? Is there something wrong?" said Mama.

But, Amika just kept saying, "Oh, my."

This concerned Mama even more, and when she finally began to become irritated with Amika’s lack of words, she got up, and started to head back up the steps, until Amika decided to say, "Wait, you need to know." And at that moment, the stairs turned from pretty pink to a terrible red that made them look like they were badly bloodshot.

In reaction to this, Mama turned back as quick as possible, and ran over to Amika Clantoon speaking frantically, "What, Amika. What is wrong with my future?? Tell me, please, what is my future like?" Amika looked at her with the most heartfelt expression on her face Mama had ever undergone.

A minute later, Amika said again, "In my near future, I will find, the Vampire’s wrath, without much time."

"What does that mean, Amika? Does that even have anything to do with what we are focusing on here? Please do not change the subject," stated Mama.

To that, Ms. Clantoon soon said confused about it all, "Was there a fault in my procedure? What did I do wrong? Mrs. Solster, what I acquired on the journey through your times, is that you will be a victim of the Vampires. The Vampires are going to come for you."

"Throughout all of the years I have experienced, I have never heard of this so called ‘Vampire’ species," said Mama, "and if they are real, why would they be living here and looking for me?"

Then, Amika said, "I really have no idea, Karina. The Vampires are a separate species in the circle of life. They are, actually, not even a part of the circle of life."

"What does that mean, then?" asked Mama.

"Vampires are people that are seen every day, but with time comes development. Those everyday people have teeth that actually evolve into fangs, and once that person dies, the fangs will be fully developed, and the evolution process will be complete. In other words, when they die, they turn into a Vampire. And you will ask, ‘What do they do?’ Vampires live off of pure, red, blood. That is what the fangs are used for: to bite into a human being and suck blood out of him or her." That was too much for Mom to handle, and then a big bat that came out of nowhere flew up and out the stairway. Being sickened always makes Mama faint, and that is exactly what she did. But as she fell to the ground, this thought was constantly bouncing off of the sides of her brain, Why did I come down here? Why did Mr. Slavika send me word to visit Ms. Amika Clantoon? What is the matter?

Mama eventually woke up; however, those same thoughts were still running through her mind. Mama did not wake up in Amika’s home, but in our cottage. She was obviously all shaken up by this incident, but she did something extremely strange: Mama said that she wanted to travel back up the mountain and speak more with Amika about her future. But it was time for her to proceed to her job.

At work, her plan was not to work, but to research the Vampires. That was her original plan, but in the long end, it didn’t work out, because she knew if she was going to do this, that Mr. Slavika couldn’t be around. He was the one that told her to travel to Amika Clantoon’s house, so she figured that he must be involved in her future. What ruined her plan was that Mr. Slavika was working with his employees to reorganize a spot near Mama. Mom didn’t notice it, but he was keeping a very close eye on her. Acknowledging that he was around, Mama did not do what she had devised.

There was an upcoming Halloween party for Mr. Slavika’s business employees and families. Mama asked us, "Do you guys want to go to my company’s Halloween party with me? It is on Monday the thirty-first." Papa and I did not really want to go, but Mama said that it was fine. She had many friends that would be there, and she’d have much to talk about.

Finally, October thirty-first arrived, and it was time for Mama to go to the Halloween party. She kissed Papa and me goodbye, and then she was off. Everyone she knew at work was there at the party. She started conversations with many groups of her acquaintances, but then the dancing started. When Mama was a child, she had learned how to ballroom dance. Her favorite dance was the Tango. In that dance, the woman acts as if she is angry with the man. My mother danced with Mr. Slavika, because he insisted on dancing with her. In the dance, Mama did become mad at Mr. Slavika, but she was not acting. It was for real. The Vampires were real too, and now my Mama believed it. Mr. Slavika went down as if to kiss Mama, but instead, he bit her in the neck.

 Mama’s life was put to an end, on that very night, goodbye sweet song of the wren.