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I grew up a street urchin; not guided by anyone... then again, that also meant that I did not have to obey anyone’s rules but my own. I knew no other way to live, but when I saw children with their parents, so elegantly dressed-at least, elegant compared to my tattered rags-I felt a feeling of longing.
Most people thought the sight of those as I was repulsive, but there existed the few that took pity on me and tossed me some change or gave me some food. Like a stray cat, the butcher would toss me meat every so often; sometimes it was cooked, sometimes not, and when it was raw, I would start a fire and cook it myself. If I even went near other hobos when I had food, they would be upon me in an instant and take all I had. It was desperate in our world; if one of us had food, the others would attack and take the food from them. Only the strong and sly survived.
One day, when I was doing my rounds, I noticed a man following me.
I must say, this shocked me. No one ever took care to notice us more than a few moments, much less, follow us. I ignored him awhile and went to the butcher who tossed me a raw steak. I smiled sweetly at him and hurried to the cardboard box that I slept in. I started a fire near it and put the steak on a stick and proceeded to cook it over the fire. I heard a clatter in some trash behind me in the alley. I tensened, but did not turn to look. I was too afraid that it was some other bums that would take my nourishment. It had been nearly a week since I had eaten, and I was damn hungry. I did not want to give up the food I had finally gotten. I had even thought of eating the steak raw. I just shut my eyes and prayed that no one was behind me that would take my food. My prayers were not to be answered.
"Well, lookee here!" A deep voice that caused me to jump rumbled. "Girl’s got a nice thick cut of meat that she didn’t even think to share!"
"It appears so! Say, kid, that looks too big for you!" another frightening voice growled. I did not say a word. I knew that if I said something in reply they would get even angrier. I swallowed hard, but the lump in my throat refused to go.
"How about you give us the food, girl?" the first voice commanded.
"How about you leave the child alone?" a new, unfamiliar voice retorted. I could not help but turn to see who it was that had spoken and was surprised that I was not startled by the fact that it was my stalker that had spoken.
"Why should we listen to you?" The men trying to steal my food were huge; maybe a few inches taller than six feet, with muscles that bulged out of their arms, and while this man that was defending me had the height advantage-he was probably around seven feet tall-he looked incredibly shrimpy; a lanky build as opposed to the body builder status bums.
“Leave her alone,” he repeated.
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll have to hurt you.”
The two muscle heads looked at one another and laughed. “Ooh! We’re sorry! We won’t dare think of taking this dirty kid’s food ever again! We’re shakin’ in our boots, really, we are!”
“Well... you should be,” he replied, and there was a whirl of confusion and when it was over, the two bums were in the trash dumpster. I just stared in disbelief for a moment, then turned back to my steak, which had burned during the argument. I sighed and started to eat it anyway. Hell, it was food.
“You’re eating that?” the protagonist murmured thoughtfully.
“Better’n nothin’.” I muttered.
“Why don’t you come with me and I’ll feed you well and get you washed up and dressed up in some decent clothing?” I glanced up at him suspiciously. What he was offering was a one-in-a- million chance, but for all I knew, he could be lying.
But, frankly, I did not give a damn. I eagerly stood, nodded and followed him out of the alley and to the street. I tossed the steak to a small, pale, starving boy we passed and the man waved a taxi down.
He did not interrogate me, almost like he knew I did not want to talk.. or maybe he did not care to know more about me. When we pulled up to his house my jaw dropped. It was enormous. Not only that, but it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen. He helped me out of the taxi, paid the driver, and we went into the house at once. A servant glanced at me in surprise, and took the generous man’s coat.
“Why don’t you wash up first? Tina!” he called, and a female servant hurried over. “Take her up to... the spare bedroom. Get her washed up and set some nice clothes out for her to dress in. Then bring her to the dining room to eat.” Tina curtsied and I followed her up the big, circular staircase.
“What is you name, child?” she cooed. I only shrugged. “No name? Well, I suppose such should be expected. You are lucky Master Tai found you. If it will please you, he will let you stay here, get a proper education and live a proper life. Now...” She entered a room, and then another room inside of that room. I continued to follow her and found myself in a large bathroom. She began to fill the marble tub with steamy water. “Here, you stay here, and I’ll get some clothes...” She left the room and moments later returned, her arms filled with clothes and a towel. The tub was filled, so she turned off the water. “Now, I’ll leave you to undress and bathe. If you need anything, just holler.” I nodded and she left the room.
The water was scaldingly hot. I sucked in a breath as I got in, but I soon got used to the temperature. I scrubbed myself until I was completely clean and the water was colored brown. I then got out, drained the tub, dried myself off and then dressed. I walked out of the bathroom and Tina was waiting for me.
“Aren’t you a beautiful child! Look quite like-... Now, let me comb your hair for you...” Tina combed my hair and tied it up in a hair ribbon. “There! Now, follow me.”
Tina had laid a plain red wine colored dress out for me to put on. It was far too beautiful for a street urchin as I to be wearing, but I was wearing it, nonetheless.
I followed Tina down the stairs and to the dining room. Master Tai, as Tina called him, or the man that had saved me, was sitting at the head of the table.
“Come, sit here,” he said, gesturing to a seat beside him. I obeyed. “Do you have a name by which to call you?”
“No sir.”
“What of your parents?” I shrugged. “What would you like to be called?” Again, I shrugged. “Well, I suppose you’re hungry-ah. Here comes the food.” A servant walked in with steaming plates of food. The moment he set the food in front of me, I began shoveling it into my mouth. Master Tai smiled as he watched me eat. I could not help but notice he was not eating. I glanced at him as I ate.
“Why aren’t you eating?” I inquired.
“I’m not hungry,” he replied simply. I shrugged and continued eating. When I had eaten all I could, I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Master Tai motioned to the servants to take the plates away. “Come with me.” I followed his quick pace to a room that had several comfortable-looking leather chairs. A fire was roaring in the fireplace and there were many bookcases along the walls, filled with books. “Have a seat; make yourself comfortable.”
I sat in a leather chair next to a bookcase full of thick volumes. I glanced at them and read the titles. They seemed quite boring to me at the time.
“Do you remember anything about your parents?” he persisted.
“No,” I insisted. He nodded.
“I know them,” he said easily. I frowned at him.
“Are they alive?” I asked, uninterested, but wanting to hear him talk more.
“Yes... your father, anyway. I am unsure of your mother. I can’t imagine why she would abandon you unless she was forced to do so.” I glared at the fire as he said that. I was almost certain that my mother had purposely abandoned me, but I did not want to offend him, so I did not say a word. “You do not know your given name?” I shook my head. “You were constantly referred to as Mysiri.”
“Misery?”
“Mysiri.”
I frowned at this and muttered under my breath, “Mysiri because I was the cause of my mother’s misery.”
“Rather, you eased her misery,” Master Tai replied, and how he heard me, I did not know because I had hardly heard myself say it. “Do you dislike the name?”
“Not particularly-in fact, it kinda has a nice, gothic ring to it. Were they goth?”
“Not intentionally,” he smiled. “So you will be called Mysiri then?”
“Why not.” I looked blankly at the fire. I suddenly started wondering about my father. “Wait, my father-he’s alive? He abandoned us?” Why I referred to my mother and I as “us” was beyond me.
Master Tai sighed. “Not really. Your mother ran when she discovered that she was pregnant.” He shrugged. “He searched for you two but could not find you.”
“Did he give up?”
“No.” Master Tai paused. “Maybe one day you can meet him-I mean, if you want.”
I only shrugged and got disinterested again. I was intrigued, as always, by the dancing flames of the fire, and eventually fell asleep in the chair.
When I awoke, I found myself in the fluffy bed in the room that the servant Tina had brought me to the previous night. I laid in the bed a few moments then stretched and yawned. I got out of the bed and my feet made a thud as they hit the cold, wooden floor. I looked around the room and saw myself in the full-sized mirror for the first time. I slowly paced toward it.
Someone-I assume TIna-had put me into a black nightgown. I frowned at my reflection a moment.
“I wonder whose clothes these were?” I murmured thoughtfully aloud. I looked around the room. It was quite spacious, and there was a desk against one of the walls, between two windows whose curtains were billowing in the breeze that came in through the opened windows. There was a huge closet, and when I opened it, I found so much beautiful clothing. I looked through it all, and it just seemed to get more and more gorgeous.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I answered, and Tina appeared.
“Master Tai wanted me to make sure you knew this is all yours, if you like it, and breakfast will be done shortly.” Tina turned to go.
“Wait, Tina. Why is Master Tai doing this?”
Tina only shrugged. “I don’t know. Wow, you’re starting to look more and more like Eur-...” she cut herself off and left. I picked out a pair of pants and a tanktop to wear and went into the bathroom. I showered and dressed, then looked at myself in the full length mirror as I combed my hair. I then went to the dining room to find Master Tai deep in conversation with several others.
“... my granddaughter, Taimo! I demand to-...”
“Hush,” a female scolded the apparently headstrong man that was just yelling at Tai, as she glanced at me.
“Ah, Mysiri,” Tai smiled warmly. “Let me introduce you to these people. This is Quiro,” he gestured to the furious man who nodded at me. “This is Syti,” the woman that had shushed Quiro beamed at me, “and this is Antonio,” a man that had been silent thusfar nodded to me in acknowledgment.
“Hello,” I said softly, hesitantly.
“Here, sit down, Mysiri,” Tai offered, gesturing to the same seat I had sat in last night. Antonio was beside me, Quiro across from him, and Syti across from me. Once again, Taimo was at the head of the table, and I realized for the first time how dominant Tai looked; a definite leader.
Food soon came, and I paced myself; ate slowly, politely. I could not help but notice everyone’s eyes were on me, except Antonio more politely so; at least he somewhat concealed it.
When we were all done eating, Antonio turned to me. I did not see his lips move, but I heard him say, “come with me to the library.” I nodded and excused myself from the table and went to the library. Antonio soon followed. He shut the door behind him.
“Mysiri, is there anything you wanted to know about your parents that Tai did not clear up?”
“Who were they?”
“Good, decent people-if what they are can be called people.”
“What-...?”
“Tai did not tell you, I see. Well, I will respect that. He will tell you when he feels you are ready. Tai, Syti, Quiro and I are all like your mother.”
“You said ‘mother’. Was my father-is my father-human?” Antonio did not answer. “Oh yeah, you sure are clearing this up,” I muttered sarcastically. Antonio chuckled.
“You’d be surprised.” He sat on the leather couch and stared at me a moment. “Goddamn, you look like your mother.”
Eventually, the others joined us. One by one, each came and spoke with me about random things. Whenever Quiro’s words turned towards my parents, Tai glared at him and he immediately changed the subject-that is, after glowering right back at Tai.
Over the next few days, I got more used to my “new” lifestyle. I was permitted to go wherever I could in the house, and I spent many of my hours exploring every inch of it that I could get to.
One room continually drew me to it. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get into it. I would sit by the door for hours on end, trying to think of how I could open it, but nothing ever came to me. I could swear I heard voices inside, but I did not care to ask Tai. He had said, “you are free to roam wherever you can get to,” not, “you are free to roam wherever it is you please,” and I would not even think of asking Tai if I could go into that room.
One day, Tai informed me that we were to have a party that night. This gave me great anxiety and I bid Tina to please help me choose something suiting to wear and to inform me about all of Tai’s friends that were to come. She bathed and dressed me and did my hair, all the while telling me all about the people that were to come.
“Why are we having this party, anyway?” I asked suddenly.
“Hmm,” was all Tina answered. I followed her downstairs as the doorbell rang. Tai saw me with Tina and came over and pulled me aside.
“Mysiri, you needn’t greet the guests. Come; wait in the sitting room with me.” I obeyed and followed Tai to the sitting room. Within moments, it was filled with people of all ages, talking and laughing. I just sat in a chair, keeping to myself, very anti-social-like. I heard the name “Euraefy” pop up in several conversations, followed by people staring at me. Tai glanced at me and grinned every so often, trying to encourage me to have conversations of my own. I did not feel that such was necessary.
A boy around my age approached me. “Mysiri?”
“Hmm,” I mumbled in reply.
“Damn, what a stuck up bitch. I thought you were a bum on the streets.”
“Mm hm. I was.”
“And yet, you’re as stuck up as someone that has always been rich and ‘superior’ to everyone else."
“So I am.” I smiled slightly. “Well! I hope you’re having a fine time ripping me apart before you even know me. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to retreat into my room and cry my eyes out because the only guest that has spoken to me yet dislikes me,” I replied sarcastically and returned my attention to a book I was reading. The boy did not leave. He stood there, studying me a few moments.
“What are you reading?” he asked suddenly.
“Some book that’s just about boring me to tears,” I answered, tossing it aside. I grinned at him, “I thought I was too stuck up for you.”
He grimaced. “Fine. It was wrong of me to judge you before even really knowing you.” I chuckled and stood, leaving the room and retreating up the staircase. The boy continued to follow me. I found myself standing in front of the room I could not get into.
“I’d get away from this room if I were you, Mysiri,” the boy said softly.
“Why?”
“I just would.”
“I can’t even get into it.”
“You’d better be glad about that.”
I glared at him a moment, then turned my attention back to the door. “It’s not even locked; it just won’t open. I don’t get it.”
“It won’t open until you harness your true power and-...” he cut himself off. “... you can open it once you know exactly what you are.”
“I’m a human.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Then what-..?” I frowned thoughtfully. “What Tai and all of his friends are-...?” The boy refused to answer. “What’s your name, anyway?” I inquired.
“Spike,” he replied simply.
“What’s in this room?” Spike refused to talk. “I heard voices in there. I’m going to open this door.” Spike’s face turned eerily pale.
“Wait till the party’s over, at least,” he begged.
“I can’t,” I replied, and focused my energy on the door. “Open... open... open,” I growled furiously.
“Don’t try so hard. Don’t think about it. It’s nothing. It’ll be easy to open,” a familiar, masculine voice urged. I turned and saw Antonio standing there. “It’ll be easy. Go ahead. I’m going to go. Don’t get hurt.”
“Antonio-...” Spike whined. Antonio winked at him and walked away. I took Antonio’s suggestion seriously. Within moments, the door creaked open. Spike let an uneasy groan escape his throat. I cautiously entered the room.
“Annari!” A female voice called from within the room. “Someone has opened the door-but not Taimo, this one’s considerably weaker, and-...”
“Annami, that’s what you said about EURAEFY, but look at what she ended up doing?”
“This one’s too YOUNG to have Euraefy’s strength. I sense its youth and unease-fear, even.”
“Mysiri, hurry and get out!” Spike pleaded. “Come on, Mysiri!” I shook my head and stepped further into the room.
“I know that name-Euraefy. Why?” I murmured aloud. Spike sighed and grabbed my arm, attempting to pull me out. I shook him off easily. “Hello?” I called into the room. “Excuse me?”
“Who is it?” A voice snapped. I shrunk back, but soon regained my bravery.
“M... my name is Mysiri. Why couldn’t I get into this room as easily as the other rooms?”
“Mysiri! Annari, did you hear that?” an eager voice hissed. “Did the past come to swallow us up?"
“No. It’s not Euraefy’s soul-much less her past form Mysiri’s soul. Mysiri. Come closer, child, let us see you.” I stepped towards their voices. Spike’s pleas no longer reached my ears.
“What a lovely child! Sure is the spittin’ image of Euraefy... except-those eyes!” one of the women sucked in a breath. “Annari, like Ta-...”
“Hush, Annami! Thank you, Mysiri, for opening this door. It was very brave and very kind of you. You can leave now.” I turned and began to leave the room. When I was close enough for him to reach, Spike grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room. The door slammed shut as soon as I was no longer in the room.
“Mysiri, are you okay?!”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You have a knife in your back,” he retorted coolly.
Spike’s simple statement shocked me. “I do? Why don’t I feel it?” Spike shook his head and ripped the knife out of my back. I felt an itchy spot on my back for a second, but then it was no longer itchy. “Is it bleeding? Why’d you take it out? The wound-...”
“It’s fine. It healed.”
“How did it heal so quickly?”
“Think about it. Why would it?”
“I...”
“You’re not human. I’m not gonna tell you anything else. Ask Taimo. He’ll tell you. Hell, maybe even Antonio will-but I’M not risking it.” Spike went down the steps, taking them two at a time. I followed him.
“Who’re your parents? Where are they?” I asked.
“I dunno. Frankly, I don’t care. I was kind of adopted by Taimo and his friends, kinda like how you were-’cept I don’t stay with Taimo and they have no idea who I am or who my parents were. You, they know.”
“So I’m not the only one Tai’s adopted?” I sighed, disheartened.
“No, but I get the feeling there’s something exceptional about you. Something special. Tai’s never made such a fuss over any of us before.” Spike glanced at a clock. “Syti told me to meet her on the porch at this time so we can leave. I’ll see you around, Mysiri.” Spike waved and left. I retreated into the library.
Tai was in the library with a great deal of the other guests. My favorite seat right by the fireplace just so happened to still be vacant, so I went and sat in it. Some woman was flirting with Tai, but he kept his uninterest quite apparent. Antonio was standing in a corner, watching everyone else in their petty conversations. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled and came over.
“Did you get into the room?” he inquired.
“Why are they shut up in there?”
“”They are a potential danger to us.”
“’Us’?”
“Tai.. and the rest of us. Quiro, Syti... all of us.” Antonio looked at the fire, and I think I saw him wince. “If we were to let them out, then... well, it would not make a very pretty picture.” Antonio was crouching between my chair and the fire. “Destructive like fire-...” he clenched his fists, and his normally smooth face was covered in wrinkles of distress. “Mysiri, can you promise me something?”
“It depends on what that something is.”
“Never befriend Annari and Annami. Never help them. If you trust Tai, you will understand that they are there for a reason and must not be let out. Can you promise me that?”
I hesitated. I saw the look on Antonio’s face; the pain my hesitation seemed to cause him. Before then, he had always seemed young to me, but at that moment, he appeared ageless. “I don’t know them. I don’t even feel I know you or Tai or any of the people here. How can I choose when I don’t know? I don’t know who to trust more. For all I know, you all could be the ‘bad guys.’ I can’t make any such promise.”
Antonio nodded slowly, disappointed, but respectful. “That is fair of you.” He glared at the fire. “I wonder where your mother is.”
“She is alive then?”
“Yes. Tai knows. He just wants to think that she is dead and no longer suffering. But he constantly feels her anguish.”
“Why is she in such pain?”
“Because she’s alive.”
Antonio’s simple statement made my eyes glow with curiosity. “Living is agony?” I murmured thoughtfully. “It does not seem so-...”
“For you are young. Think of living for hundreds of years. Your loved ones constantly dying, their souls being born back into another human, then they die again, over and over. If they’re human. If they are the unfortunate creatures that we are, when they die, they are dead. Simple as that.”
“You said ‘we.’ Am I-...?”
“Think about it. I’m not going to tell you. Figure it out on your own-or ask Tai. Your choice.” Antonio stood from his crouching position. “I am going to go to bed now. I’m staying here over the night, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With Antonio’s leaving, strangely enough, the party started to die down. This seemed strange because it appeared to me that everyone kind of ignored him and he wasn’t important to the part at all.
Within an hour, only Tai and I remained in the library. He saw me looking at him, and gestured for me to come over. I stood and walked over to him.
“Well, Mysiri, did you meet any interesting people?”
“I met Spike.”
“Oh? And what did you think of him?”
“He was kind of quick to judge... but I showed him that it was wrong.”
“Anything else?” Tai asked. I hesitated. He sensed my hesitation, and looked at me carefully. “Mysiri-...”
“Why are they locked up like that! They’re living creatures! They don’t deserve it!” I shouted, and burst into tears. I have no idea why the two twins caused me such pain.
“Mysiri...” Tai sighed, and took me into his arms. “Calm down... do you want to learn more about what we are?”
“Answer my question. Why are they there?”
“They are evil.”
“Evil, good, protagonist, antagonist... what’s the difference? Not everyone has the same idea of what ‘good’ or ‘evil’ is.”
“That is true. Do you want to hear my point of view?”
“Not if I don’t hear theirs too.”
“Fine. Then let’s go up and see them.”
“If you’re not afraid of going to see them-...”
“Mysiri, do you want to learn more or no?”
“Yes.”
“Then trust that I will teach you the right things in the right order. Let’s go speak to the Twins, then. You are sure you want to know?” I nodded. Tai sighed. “Follow me, then.” He went upstairs to the door, and looked at me. “Open it, Mysiri.” I stared at him a moment, then concentrated nonchalantly on opening the door. It creaked open, and Tai hid his surprise. I stepped in, but Tai remained at the doorway.
“Hello?” I called into the room.
“Mysiri... you’ve brought Tai here? Why?” the faint voice of Annami asked.
“Why not?” I replied curiously. Annari snarled and came at me at once. I was so frightened; before I knew what I was doing, I froze her in place using my mind. She growled and snarled and tried to snatch at me. I backed away slowly. Annami kept her distance from me. Tai put his hand on my shoulder.
“You see why I have them locked up? They worked with an even more evil woman to try and take over the world; destroy all creatures that are not completely, one-hundred-percent what we are.”
“Which is?”
“Vampires.”
The term caused my stomach to leap. Vampires; those were those creatures that sucked the very life out of human beings-but why had I never needed to do so?
“Tai, why-...”
“Your mother never had to. I suppose that is why.”
“Do you-...”
“Not anymore. I used to have to, but I no longer need to. With age, a Vampire learns to resist the urge to drink blood. Your mother never had the blood lust. I suppose she was well ahead the rest of us...” Tai paused and gestured for me to leave the room. The door shut right when I left it. “Would you like to know more?” I nodded eagerly. “Let’s go see Antonio.”
“He said he was-...”
“He doesn’t need to sleep. We don’t need to sleep. He just went to have some alone time. He’ll give it up for your behalf.” I followed Tai to a room with a shut door. Tai reached for the doorknob, and the door flung open at once. Tai sat up in a bed, with a book at his side.
“Greetings,” he nodded to us. “Wants to learn more?” he directed at Tai. Tai only declined his head a fraction of an inch. “What d’you want to know, Mysiri?”
“Who were my parents? Someone named Euraefy was my mother, no doubt... I heard so many people say her name and glance at me... and...” I looked at Tai. He was trying to conceal his emotions. He failed miserably; I could see his anticipation in his eyes anyway. My jaw dropped and my eyes grew wide. “You...?” I shook my head. “That’s why-... and-...” I didn’t know what to do. I was so overwhelmed with emotion; I was angry he had not told me before; I was happy I finally knew who he was; I was sad because his eyes looked so incredibly dismal and I did not understand why. “Tai-...” I shook my head quickly, tears falling from my eyes. “No. Not Tai. Father.” I fell into Tai’s unexpectant but loving arms, and I cried into him. Antonio looked on, at first with a slight smile on his face, but it grew more and more apathetic. Tai put a hand gently on my head and smoothed my hair.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Mysiri... I wanted you to figure it out on your own.”
“I forgive you...” I said hesitantly, and pulled softly away. “Antonio, how do you fit into all of this?”
“That’s something not even Tai knows. Maybe I’ll tell you sometime when he’s not listening.” Antonio smirked at Tai playfully. “Syti knows too; but she wouldn’t tell you.”
“She fits in this how?”
“She’s my half sister,” Tai replied.
“Who were your parents?” I asked Tai.
“My mother was that woman that the Twins teamed up with... my father... well, I don’t know who he was.” I nodded slowly. Tai was silent a moment. “Anything else you wanted to know?” I slowly shook my head. Tai smiled. “Well then...” I nodded.
“I’m gonna go to bed...”
“Wait. Think a second. Are you tired?” Tai asked suddenly. I looked at him strangely. “Are you tired?” he repeated. After a moment of thought, I shook my head. “Have you ever been hungry? Thirsty? Needed any nourishment at all?” After thinking again, I shook my head. “You don’t have to... because of... what you are. And you will not be able to die of age.”
“All because of-...?” Tai nodded. “Wow. Powerful stuff.”
“Yeah. Sure is.”
“Well... I’m gonna go read up. I think maybe some of those books in the library might appeal to me a bit more now...” I left Antonio’s room and went to the library to read up on what I was. I knew that most of those books were about it.