Fan Fiction ❯ Touch the Moon ❯ Seal it in the Blood ( Chapter 1 )

I really should stop starting all these stories, but I can't help it. I own this entire story, plot and characters by the way so don't steal. I do not however own Microsoft Windows by the way, which is mentioned like once in this story.

Warnings: Dark, involves drugs and vampirism and contains slight yaoi. So if you are homophobic or if any of the mentioned things are against your morality, don't read. I ignore flames and don't say I didn't warn you. There is a reason I rated this story R.

Touch the Moon

They say vampires are imagined and don't exist -- not true. They also say becoming a vampire involves the forceful draining of one's blood, also not true, I should know. I am one. Yeah, yeah some might say eighteen-year-old boys can't become vampires; well look at me.

Actually becoming a vampire is all about the genetics believe it or not. Yeah, to become a vampire you do need to get bitten, but it's only a tiny bite. It all depends whether your blood reacts to vampire saliva or not. If it doesn't then you don't become a vampire.

Of course it has its difficulties, like trying to persuade the non-vampire to keep vampirism a secret, usually it doesn't work. That's where you get the 'mysterious' disappearances. It may be cruel, but every species needs to survive. Humans don't want to become extinct, well neither do vampires. We do have our own honour, you know? That's how I became a vampire in the first place.

I got into some car accident; a vampire came to me and offered to change me. No ties, no debts. He just felt sorry for the pain I was suffering as a mortal - I was dying anyway, I could tell. The sad thing is, after changing you have to cut all ties from your mortal life. You see, from the moment you change, you don't age a day. It would be unnatural to stay forever young whilst any mortal ties you have grow withered and die.

I suppose it's a good thing I'm an orphan then and that I didn't socialise much when I was human. My adopted parents never did like me much; apparently I was a bad influence on their blood daughter, Helen. They had her two years after they adopted me and the only reason I wasn't thrown back into care was because Helen liked me so much. She's thirteen now. I miss her. I used to call her Hele-cat.

My name is Aki by the way. Just Aki. I don't know my surname and I don't feel right taking Helen's. I'm Chinese, but my family clearly couldn't tell the difference from Japanese and Chinese, hence the name, Aki. People always look at me oddly, even back then. I was Asian, my family was all English. And now? I still look Asian, apart from the fact I have red eyes. Something to do with the intake of blood we have I suppose. And yes, I do have fangs. They're pretty subtle though and look like normal canines, apart from the fact they're unnaturally sharp at the ends. It's for the victim's advantage actually; less pain than if you bite with blunt teeth.

Anyway, that's pretty much my life story. This brings me to the reason as to why I'm lounging around Helen's school. It's my obsession, she's my sister, and I keep an eye on her, even though we're worlds apart. I watch out for her if I'm ever in the area. She cried the day I left and said nothing. I think she hates me. But I still watch her. I won't be around when she grows old though; I have no intention of seeing her grow old and die while I stay forever eighteen.

Anyway, I know I'm getting a lot of stares. I'm dressed in all-black; it's not really a vampire thing but I just prefer dark colours and besides, I feel morbid today. I probably look like I'm ready for a funeral apart from the fact that it's not a suit and I'm leaning against a motorbike.

Vampires are highly sensitised. We can walk in daylight but we like to hunt at night when security is more lax, hence the stories that vampires only walk at night. I can hear the school bell ring from here and I watch unobtrusively as Helen emerges from school with her friends. She looks better. Good.

With my watch done I hop on my bike and drive off. There's a reason why I'm London today and it involves Helen partially. We all have bloodlines depending on who changed us. I'm Chinese so it was an Asian vampire that pitied me and changed me. We're pretty biased when it comes to race; something to do with a vampire war a few years back. The humans called it a riot, but it wasn't; it was a blood slaughter. I hadn't turned then, but I watched it on the news.

Pulling up in front of a pretty impressive looking business building I get off my bike and walk into the lobby. Ignoring the odd stares from well-off business men I head up the lifts immediately. Stopping on the fifteenth floor I head into a dark office and sit patiently while smoking. It's a habit I retained from when I was human; drugs too occasionally. The good thing is that I don't stand a chance of lung cancer now; all the pleasures and highs of drugs with no side-effects.

We don't die unless purposely killed, as in run over several times by a speeding lorry and then thrown off a cliff. We heal quickly too. There's only about a million and a half vampires in the entire world. Compare that to the human population and we're pretty much insignificant. That's why we're so close to immortality; we evolve quickly. We used to be pretty much human except the fact we drank blood. The fangs and everything else all are adaptations. Like I said, we have no intention of going extinct.

'Really Aki,' my thoughts are interrupted, 'you shouldn't smoke so much.'

It's Hoi-Qhui, she's another vampire. She looks thirteen - that's how old she was when she changed - but she's older than I am. Way older.

Her best friend Yen steps up behind her; they're inseparable I swear. They were even best friends whilst they were human; they were even changed together. Yen was changed because she was suffering from heart cancer. Hoi-Qhui was there and followed her friend into vampirism even though she had a contract for computer-animation when she got out of school.

They even look alike, they both have hair just past their shoulders and both have glasses; they're even the same height and weight.

The only differences are that Yen has a fringe and doesn't talk much. Hoi-Qhui does all the socializing for the both of them. Since vampires have to work to ensure their existence, we all have jobs. We also work in twos or threes. It's safer. Yen and Hoi-Qhui work together by the way, they're Keepers. They keep an eye on special humans. In this case they watch over my sister for me. They used to be Killers and go around killing any Slayers out there, but they gave the job to someone else to watch Helen for me; they even pose as humans in Helen's school to keep an eye on her.

I owe them. Big time. Maybe I should stop picking so many fights with them. Nah, it's too fun to stop.

I merely settle further back into my chair and take another smoke of my cigarette. 'Why not? It's not as if I can die from it.'

Yen doesn't see fit to reply to this so Hoi-Qhui does, 'It stinks. Put it out.'

I grumble but comply anyway, 'You two are picking up human views on everything.'

A cushion immediately comes flying my way courtesy of Yen. I open my mouth to start an all out insult war between us, but stop when the lights are flicked on and our Elder comes in.

He's the one that started this vampire family. So he's our elder, he still looks twenty-three though. He's old-old; about six-hundred years. That's an estimation; vampires live too long to count years like that so we only count millennia. His name is Lan by the way.

'Afternoon.'

We all bow respectfully. Damned Chinese tradition, I have to struggle out of my seat to do it.

'What are we here to discuss anyway?'

Lan isn't very serious and is pretty forgetful but Hoi-Qhui says he got us through the vampire war without any losses so he must be good. He's had to fake his death and change his identity many times because of his immortality. At one point he even ran a branch of Microsoft Windows. He currently runs some obscure importing business though. He supplies our funding; we're rich because of him. Sixty-billion in England alone, hoarded from human eyes for our disposal. This family has been running since just after the Third Emperor so we've had lots of saving time.

Hoi-Qhui replies him, 'We're discussing Aki's sister and his need to get a partner today.'

Oh yeah. A partner. I said all vampires work in partners right? Well I still haven't got one. It's my job to create all the 'mysterious' disappearances, I'm good too. But I still need a partner. I don't see why. I think Lan and the others are just being paranoid. I tell them so too.

Lan frowns at me growing serious for the moment and says, 'Maybe it is just paranoia but it's safer, Aki. We really don't want Slayers taking out any vampires, we were never a big population to start with and after the vampire war the population has plummeted. We don't want to die out. Besides, a partner could do you some good.'

'Fine, fine, I'll get a damn partner. But what about Helen?'

'Well--' Lan begins.

I suppose I should explain this. I asked Lan for permission to get Helen changed - if she will agree that is. Like I said, I don't want to watch her grown old and die. I interrupt, we've had this talk many, many times. Actually we've been arguing this for six months and I've been changed for about a year and a half already.

'I know she isn't Chinese and it's against tradition, but please Lan. Even Yen and Hoi-Qhui have agreed to have her join their partnership if Helen agrees to becoming a vampire.'

Lan still looks doubtful. He turns to Yen and Hoi-Qhui for confirmation. I look pleadingly to the pair, hoping they haven't changed their minds. Yen and Hoi-Qhui both nod and Yen decides to speak for the first time today. 'Helen is very capable, Lan. Neither Hoi-Qhui nor I mind her joining us whether she is Chinese or not. We've become good friends.'

Hoi-Qhui nods her assent. 'Yes, she is very open-minded and is good material for a vampire. She is very good at computers. If we no longer have to watch over her, we three could become Hackers.'

Did I mention that Yen and Hoi-Qhui are very old? They've had so many jobs, I don't even know them all. Hackers literally destroy anything that might hint the existence of Vampires. That ranges in anything from a hard disc to people.

Lan sighs, caving in. Yes! Success!

'If we do this, you will find a partner for yourself. Deal?'

I nod, 'Fine.'

Lan looks slightly guilty now. 'Very well, Helen may become a part of our family but Yen and Hoi-Qhui will be responsible for her until she is skilled enough to fend on her own. She will be a part of Yen and Hoi-Qhui's team. She will follow all our rules, no exceptions. But--' at this point Lan looks me right in the eye with his own crimson ones.'--if she disagrees to becoming a vampire, she will be disposed of, just like anyone else. I will not risk our exposure for one girl. Do you understand me Aki?'

I knew there would be a catch, I knew it! Damn! I chew on my lip worriedly. The truth is, I don't know if Helen will agree to becoming a vampire. I really don't want to watch her grow old and die, but if she refuses she dies anyway. I'm risking Helen's life without her consent. But I want her to be my sister again too. I feel selfish. I don't even know if she'd like to be a vampire with our immortality and illegal ways.

I look for my penknife and slash it across my palm. Lan does the same with his own knife. I hold out my hand and he grasps it firmly, giving it a shake.

'I understand.'

Vampire deals are sealed in blood.

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