Vampires 1. Shes Gone

CHAPTER 1 (Gone.)

I had been planning to go to the beach with my friends from school for months and the day had finally arrived, we were really psyched about going to the beach, a day in the sun was long overdue. Rising early I started packing my bikini and spare clothes, I knew I had ages yet before Sasha picked me up in her car, she had insisted that we take her car among the group of friends as it was new and she hadn't had the chance to drive it anywhere yet, but I had nothing better to do.

But when I saw Joseph my dad walking down the hall, well ok it was more like a miserable shuffle, almost lifeless but I recognized that lifeless shuffling at once, knowing immediately upon seeing his expression what he was thinking of. How could I have forgotten the day? This was dads usual behavior on this day, though I felt extremely sorry for him and could sympathise, I also thought he went overboard with the whole theatrics of it, it had after all been three years. But I guess I never really understood the pain it caused him when my irrational hair-brained mother had walked out on us on this day three years earlier.

All she had left was a little note saying that she couldn't take it anymore she had to get away and that she was sorry, and also that she loved us dearly but I highly doubted that, she had left her own daughter without a mother.

I always wished mum would come home; I liked to think that when I woke up on this day I would hear the familiar noise of mum singing in the kitchen as she made breakfast for us every morning. I had always secretly hoped that the clock would turn back to the day that mum had left, change something in the past so mum had never left, everything would be like it always had been, but life never worked that way. I think dad wished the same thing, which would explain the reason behind dad's lifeless, depressed demeanour on this day.

I liked to think that the clock had turned back to this date three years ago the exact date I had been told that mum had left, but instead of waking up to a missing mother, I would hear mums singing drifting down the hall, she had such a bright outlook on life.

Who needs mothers when they do something like that to you, leave you feeling like half of you is missing, the one person who should know you better then anyone else.

It had been three years since my mother had left, with out even a good bye or an explanation as to why she was leaving my father and I, deserted and alone.

Every thought I had of her was now tainted with the anger that I felt for her running away on me.

Even though I had hated that she had left me and I wanted to blame her, I had always thought in the back of my mind that it was my fault that she had left us. I couldn't't explain it but I was convinced that it was something that I had done that had caused my mother to leave; I felt like half of me had been ripped away.

My father and I had stayed in same house, a three bedroom typical house in the heart of Wainuiomata, I used to love this house, every room every cubby hole was like an adventure, and I would go on endless journeys in this house. But now that I was older, and many things had happened, since then, this place now held so many memories of my mother that I couldn't cope with, though I stayed in the house never letting the bad memories getting to me, dad could never stay in the house long we were always out and about, always onto the next adventure.

Dad had tried so had to be a good parent and act like nothing had changed, in truth he was more than I could have wished for, in a parent, he was so caring, and loving always there if I ever needed him, Always trying to be the father and the mother in the family. But there were those times when I just wished that my mother was here, someone who actually understood the workings of a female mind, a person to comfort you, a person who could always say the right thing, when you needed the shoulder to cry on. When ever I tried to talk to dad about stuff of a sensitive nature, he would always jump to the conclusions that it was about boys and start ranting on about if they ever hurt me, it was never to do with boy problems because in truth I had never really dated any one because I was always scared that I would turn out like mum, someone so different from what I thought she really was, a different person from the one you had fallen in love with, not that any guys asked me out I was the girl, they had all seen grow up and never taken any interest in me. But I guess that's why I loved dad so much, because I knew that if I was ever in trouble, I always had someone there to take my side, help me through the ups and downs.

I had decided to bottle up my concerns from then on because I could still see the pain in dads eyes, when ever the subject of our conversation ended up about boys, mum had left him broken, and frightened of what I would become, or maybe he just couldn't bare the thought of me growing up.

I dearly wanted to ask him why she had left in such a hurry but I couldn't pluck up the courage to ask either knowing that if I did ask dad probably wouldn't answer anyway or if he did tell me I was almost certain that I wouldn't really want to hear what he had to say, so I settled for asking questions about what she was like.

Dad had never been angry that I wanted to know about mum, asking numerous questions, I never understood the look on dads face whenever I asked about mum I was too young to understand the pain in his eyes.

As I got older and wiser to the fact that the mum subject was the last thing dad wanted me to talk about, I decided to make myself a promise to never mention her again, put her out of my mind. Because she was no mother to me after what she had done.

But at nights I would dream of mum before she left and all the extraordinary things she used to do, she was the most amazing person to me so care free and wild. So much fun was to be had while she was around, adventure after adventure, so free spirited, but it turns out she was just a little to free spirited, she couldn't even be held down by her own child.

But at nights I would dream of mum, and all the fun things we used to do together as a family, like go to the beach, on a really sunny day mum used to pack a big picnic basket full of food and we would make our way to the beach at Petone for a soak in the sun, making sand castles and swimming in the ocean, not a care in the world, I remember being so happy.

This memory was so vivid; I could picture perfectly what mum would wear at the beach.

She would always wear bright lipstick red; cotton drawstring three quarter pants, with this white V-neck with a red flower painted on the front it was a tulip. This memory was always tainted by my subconscious picturing my mother running with all her clothes in her hands, sprinting at full speed down the hallway towards the unknown. No matter how many times I dreamt this it always scared me to see my mother running away from her family. It always maddened me that I could even picture this.

Like every other night I woke up with sweet dewing up on my forehead from the dream, I knew that if I went back to sleep the dream would come back, so I decided to get up, walking silently down the hall towards the lounge I decided to watch the rest of the movie that I had taped on channel two last week, I immediately fell asleep to the soothing music in the background of the movie, I was running after this dark figure in a large expanse of trees, I couldn't figure out why I was running after this dark and mysterious person, but I was intent upon finding out what he was doing here, when suddenly the picture changed to blackness, steering into complete nothingness, disappointment rising to my mind and through my body. Seeming like only seconds since I had fallen asleep, I was jerked awake. Peering through my blurred vision I noticed dad leaning over me.

"I just wanted to make sure your alright, what are you doing on the couch?" Worry clearly visible in his voice.

"I'm fine I just couldn't sleep bad dream." My voice was barely audible with my weakly devised excuse.

"Okay Hun if you're sure, well I better go I have to get to work, ill see you later, ill bring dinner home." Giving me he a speculative look he let my answer slid.

"Okay I'll see you tonight"

Since I was awake, I decided to get up; I was in desperate need of a shower.


	2. Realisation

The rest of the day past in a blur all of it just kind of just rolled all together. It was Five o'clock and I was standing in the kitchen looking out the window when I notice the red mail van stop in front of our letterbox as I made my way to the front door and past the garage, I saw dad crouches over a large box in the garage with a pile of diaries scattered around him on the floor. Knowing dad to well I went investigate the new the extent of the mess he had made, something was totally off about his facial expression, I thought he was in pain the look on his face was like he had seen a ghost. Crouching down to see what had made dad react in such an odd way, I recognized the diaries at once, they were the old diaries that mum would write in everyday. Dad spun around to face me.

Dad was never a man of many words, but the look on his face told me that dad uncharacteristically had a large amount he wanted to say.

Knowing that he would tell me what he was thinking when he was up to it I started to reorganize the garage stacking all the boxes up again.

"I can't take living in this house any longer" he snapped

I had no idea how to reply to him, I knew exactly how he felt, the pain of every memory driven through you like you were being stabbed in the heart. It must have been the diaries that had driven him to this.

"I've been thinking about it and I think we should move, get away from this house. I'll get a new job somewhere we could move to the South Island or something. You can pick were we go if you would like, but I can't stay in this house one more day."

Maybe this could be my chance, a fresh start just like dad had said.

I could forget all this anger towards mum; all the blame that I put on her would go away.

Moving away could finally mean that I could forget her absence for good.

No reminders. No memories.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" I still had doubts about moving but leaving could be what we need. Torn.

"I think it's exactly what we need Hun."

Over the next few hours were discussed all the things we would have to do all the changes we would have to make.

I would have to enrol in another school, and as it was the school holidays it wouldn't't be too hard to make a fresh start at a new school and I wouldn't't miss anything. The excitement of getting the fresh start that dad and I so longed for was almost overwhelming…

Dad came home early the next day after our decision to move was made.

"Letticia can you come to the kitchen please I need to talk to you."

Slightly confused as to why he was home so early and extremely ecstatic from the tone of his voice, I slowly shuffled down the hall, sliding my hand along the wall, it was when I did this that I truly realized how much this house had belonged to mum every touch, every smell, every item in this house seemed to possess a little bit of her beauty and nature, her zest for life, even the empty spaces were significant.

I forced the frightening insight out of my mind, as I saw dad waiting anxiously in the kitchen.

With a confused expression "Hi dad what's up?" I greeted.

"I went to talk to Mr. Pilling today, about a transfer to one of the other companies, he agreed with me and said I start next week, where moving to Hamilton."

This was happening all so fast I hadn't had time to do anything.

"That's great." was that really what I thought I didn't know I hadn't had time to get my head around it, just an impulsive reaction, blurting something slightly civilized out.

Once dad had calmed down enough he gave me a full detailed account of how his boss had agreed to transfer him to the Hamilton branch, dad said something about Mr. Pilling having great respect for his work ethics and thinks he will play a vital lead roll in his new office, with a pay rise too go with the new job. Dad was so overwhelmed he was in a daze for the rest of the night. Things had finally started to work out.

Maybe our luck was finally turning for the best.

Dad and I spent the next two days searching for a rental house to live in until our house in Wellington sold. Although we had been planning to live in Hamilton, I could find nothing that to suit our lifestyle on such short notice, so I ventured out into neighbouring towns, in the end I ended up looking in Ngaruawahia, a little township ten minutes drive north of Hamilton. I found a gorgeous little three-bedroom house with two and a half acres of pine trees. It was situated in the middle of a dairy farm; the owners had said that this house had once been the farm hands cottage, and as they didn't't need it any more they thought that it was appropriate to subdivide the house, and rent it out, to people who wanted to see the country side but not have to own an incredible expanse of land to appreciate the true beauty of the country.

Dad wasn't as enthusiastic about this place, he said it was to do with the location; one of his colleagues had said something about some gang being in the area. The landlord had ensured that the gang was not a problem they were more like peacekeepers than anything else. After hours of persuasion dad finally came around and was starting to feel the excitement of moving to a little farm, moving to the countryside would be a change for us city people.

Now that I knew that we had a house to live in I felt like this could actually work the prospect of moving away from Wellington was actually starting to dwell on me.

Dad had decided that he would take the responsibility of looking for a new high school off my hand, he had said something about as a parent it was his duty. But for all the good he was doing at finding a new school for me, he would never find one and I would end up home schooled. I found myself looking for the school in the end. I found a small school in the backs of Hamilton, it was well known to the students who had difficulty with the zoning in Hamilton because it was one of the very few that didn't't have zoning restrictions. It was called Fairfield College, I was now all set to meet the deputy principal of Fairfield College on Monday the day after we arrived, Mrs. Bennett was going to show me around and organize what classes I wanted to do for the year. I was very careful to make dad feel like he done all the work giving him little hints here and there.

It was my last day in Wellington, I had been planning to have a quiet day, making sure everything was packed before we had to leave, but my friends had other ideas, insisting that I should go to Sasha's house just a small group of friends or so I thought. But Sasha staying true to form had gone overhaul, planning a goodbye party at her house as a surprise.

Finally we were all set and ready to go, our stuff was in shipping containers on its train on is way to Hamilton and our flight was scheduled to leave at eleven thirty this morning.

Dad and I woke up early too wound up to sleep.

Time passed in a trance like state as I worked fitting the last of our gear in suitcases.

"We'll get some breaky at the airport, before our flight." Dad suggested half-heartedly.

"Sure why not'' as I knew that there was no food on the flight, I'd learnt that from my last experience, travelling to see my grandma in Auckland for the week.

"Hey dad, I think we should get going or were going to be late." Though we still had 20 minutes to go before we had to leave, I didn't like leaving at the last minute.

"Ok in a minute Hun I just want to have a last look."

Stepping through the front entrance, made me see reality the truth that I was never going to come back to this place or see my friends in Wellington, the feeling was indescribable. Stepping on that plane, my new beginning.


	3. Hamilton

Circling the city of Hamilton, felt uplifting I had finally accomplished a goal, in my life. Keeping this promise to my father was most gratifying, an opportunity that was exactly what he needed.

Determination was on my side, I had to tell myself that this was the right decision and I was going to see it through.

Because no matter how I felt about leaving this place I was going somewhere better somewhere that I could truly call home, something that I hadn't been able to do at our house since mum left it was just a place to rest my head at night and nothing more.

So I couldn't let myself regret the decision to leave Wellington. I would not regret the decision to leave, it was after all something that I wanted but not for myself, it was something that I knew dad needed, it was never in his nature to tell me how much something hurt him, always kept things close to the chest.

But I picked up on these things pretty well now, just like me, every feeling he had could be seen on his face he never needed to say anything, like judging the book by its cover.

Dad had been quiet on the flight to Hamilton, I hadn't expected him to say anything, so it surprised me when he struck up a conversation about our new house while we were travelling in the taxi.

Dad was never a man of many words so the expressions that were orchestrated on his face told me that he had an uncharacteristic amount of words on his mind.

Knowing that dad would tell me what was on his mind in his own time I headed in the direction of the taxi stand.

But when dad never said anything I decided that he needed a bit of persuasion to put his mind at rest once he had discussed what ever it was that was bothering him.

"I can't believe were here, it feels so weird to think that were going to be living here."

"Huh, oh yeah, actually that's what I wonted to talk about."

"What is it dad? Anything I can do?"

" No its nothing like that I just want to make sure, you ok with us moving here, it happened all so fast I never really got a chance to discuss with you about it."

"I think its great dad; it's just the change we've been waiting for. Another great adventure for us." A big grin spread across my face I hoped looked convincing enough.

"Ok Hun, but.. I don't want you to feel like you have to be here just because of Me." uncertainty crossed his face as if he wasn't at all convinced.

"Stop worrying dad, I'm happy to be here, I wanted to come here, its not like I was made to come here."

"That's good but if you ever want to go home just let me know."

"Oh here's the taxi, come on lets go." attempting to change the subject

"I wonder when the containers will get home." Dads attempts at distracting were really quite pitiful sometimes.

"I don't know dad but the guys did say that it should be here by tomorrow morning at the latest, they have to ring when it gets there anyway s they know where to put them."

"Oh ok that's good."

"Do you want to get lunch now or should we order something."

"We should get something now I'm starved and besides I don't think we can order anything were to far out for anyone to deliver, well at least that's what the landlord said."

"Okay, well that complicates things, we should get something for dinner as well then, so we don't have to get another taxi." He said as he glared at the sky high meter.

We had finally reached our destination, as the taxi pulled away I saw a large truck with a red container turn off onto our driveway. There was supposed to

The rest of the day past in a flash before we knew it was 9pm, we had spent the whole time unpacking and sorting everything into its rightful place. We even played paper, scissors, rock to see which person got the biggest room, which of course dad won, his uncanny knack of knowing what object I was going to play.

I had to remind myself never to play dad at paper scissors rock because I really never had a chance.

So here we were in our new house, it really was a beautiful little house, with a great view on the south side, with three acres of pine trees surrounding the house giving our place a new feeling of rural living.

Here we were in our new house, it was exactly as I pictured it, really beautiful, the views of the hillsides at the back of our house, and the pine trees that surrounded every inch of our house and drive way. It felt like we had landed in the middle of a forest no other houses in sight and the so quiet and peaceful, a truly relaxing atmosphere in our new house.

"I thought I might go looking for a car, on Monday after your meeting at the school. Do you want to have a look at anything?"

"Sure dad, I need to get a new tooth brush and books for school I guess." in truth I had lots to get but I hadn't had the opportunity to think of everything that I would need to get yet, but there was bound to be something that pops up.

Dad and I spent Saturday and Sunday unpacking as much stuff as we could, mostly just the essentials until we found some more time to unpack the rest.

Sunday night lingered, feeling anxious about tomorrow I decided to go to bed early hoping that I was tired enough to sleep. But midnight came and went and I was still awake. I tried listening to some music, that sort of thing usually worked and I would drop of almost instantly, but here I was as alert as ever with no chance of sleep anytime soon. Instead of tossing and turning in bed I got up and headed for the kitchen to have a glass of milk, knowing that worked as well as anything to help me through the sleepless nights.

Suddenly a whisper of someone's voice escaped the darkness "Couldn't sleep either."

Holly crap I just about died from fright, what a stupid thing to do scare someone like that, but knowing he didn't mean any harm I didn't press the matter.

"No, I keep thinking about tomorrow." taking a glance at the clock. "Well today actually."

"Want a glass of milk? I was just about to get a glass."

"Thanks dad."

Sitting in silence while we drank our milk, I couldn't't help think about the new school, I didn't't really want to start a new school this was really the only part about moving I didn't't enjoy, I didn't't want to have to start again, not knowing anyone was something that I dreaded, being a shy person didn't't help when moving to a new place.

"Night dad ill see you in the morning." I felt tired enough that maybe I could sleep.

"Night Letticia see you bright an early tomorrow"

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I sleep free of dream, well nothing that I could get a handle on anyway.

I thought it was late enough to get up so I headed for the shower down opposite my room. Dad was still in bed but I knew he was awake because he wasn't snoring something that he constantly did whilst sleeping.

Taking note of the weather as I looked out the bathroom window I noticed that it was raining well more like torrential rain might have been a better description for the weather in the township of Ngaruawahia. It had rained in Wellington but nothing like this, now I knew why they called the Waikato-The Bog, just as I knew why they called Wellington the city of wind, the gale force winds that tunnelled through Wellington was immense.

Feeling strangely awake after the shower I thought it would be a good time to get some breakfast, I grabbed a couple of pieces of toast and sat on the deck under the shelter of the roof and watched the sun rise while a kingfisher playfully swoop through the summer rain.

I suddenly felt nervous and even a little scared about my meeting today, going to a new school what would people think of me the new girl in town, more attention great just what I wanted.

"Letticia we need to get going the taxis here. Are you ready?" Dads voice caught my attention.

"I'll be right there; I just need to grab a jacket."

I heard dad mumble something to himself like "Woman never ready on time."

We arrived on time with 5 minutes to spare and with the directions from the school website we made our way to the main office.

Someone who I assumed was Mrs. Banner was waiting just outside the entrance.

Dad immediately introduced himself, being a little more friendly than needed, I couldn't't help feeling slightly afraid that dad might say something embarrassing about me in his act of kindness, I kept close by listening to all the details about the school, Mrs. Banner, knew a great deal of information about me and my school records, making not of all my achievements and classes that I would want to take.

As dad said his thanks and good byes, I realized that it was all real, my classes were all scheduled and I would start next week, this was it I was finally a my last year of high school and I was starting a new school. GREAT!

'Think positive I told myself it wasn't going to be that bad'.

How strange the feeling was to realize that I was actually going to another school, somewhere new no expectations.

Fairfield College was a school of very few but even considering that fact I was still nervous about being the new girl in school.

Dad was in high spirits as we walked to the Taxi, we were now going to his new job and then dad had said that he wanted to look at some cars, as we had sold ours in Wellington before we had left.

"Can you take us to Victoria street please." dad called to the taxi driver.

Reaching incredible speeds, at what point we slowed down for any lights I couldn't tell, but we were at dads work.

"I wont be long I just want to nail a few things out, go for a walk and ill meet you in front of Sky city just down the road in 20 minutes" murmured dad under his breath.

"Ok then ill see you soon.'

Wondering the unfamiliar paths of this town I started to realise just how small everything seemed when you compare it with the capital of New Zealand.


	4. First Day

The day started like any other day, waking up to the sound of my randomly playing music, which just happened to be Monsoon by Tokio Hotel on my alarm clock

Feeling extremely nervous and a little self conscious about my first day at school, the thought of being the new person in school was almost to much to bare. So instead of facing the inevitable glare of all the people, I decided I would head straight for the office were I would wait until the start of school, I had also been told that someone would be waiting here to show me around. Mrs. Banner the deputy principal who I had previously talked to was standing in the entrance to the office.

"Morning" I greeted shyly

"Morning Letticia, your just in time I have your timetable and Candice here has agreed to show you around, help you get settled." gesturing towards the dark figure standing in the far corner.

"Well I must get going, I hope you enjoy your first day here, if you need anything feel free to ask." with her final conclusion she was off, striding through the door and out towards a car in the near distance.

I heard the girl the girl approaching me, so I turned in her direction to greet her

"Hi my name's Candice, you must be Letticia, I heard heaps about you already," she said with a huge smile.

"Oh... Hi, just call me Letty everyone else does" slightly stunned at the greeting, how much did she know about me already, I had to admit it was a little unnerving.

"What class do you have first" She asked with great enthusiasm.

"I have a free period I think?" I realised as I studied my new timetable that it was very similar to my old timetable in Welllington.

"Oh that's great so do I, I can show you around then." grabbing my hand she started pulling me towards the door. It seemed like we were going to be great friends already.

She seemed friendly, the attention was strange for me coming from a place where people tended to ignore anyone who was new, and I was a shy person never really socializing with many people. She seemed to be genuinely excited to get to know me and fill in as kind of like my personal guide.

Moving through the grounds of the school I noticed this school was tiny compared with Wellington schools, although this school had new classrooms you could see the history in this school, it had obviously been here for a while.

As the bell chimed Candice made her way through the entrance and towards the classrooms that made up Fairfield College.

As we walked through the school, Candice chattered away telling me all about the places to hang and were all our classes were.

There was no bitterness at all she seemed genuinely excited to get to know me.

It was comforting feeling to know that people at this school were really nice but also unnerving because this could be a problem, I had always been the type of girl who is ignored by most people, someone with not many friends to speak of. Of course this could just be Candice because to tell the truth she seemed abnormally nice.

But with little time to dwell on what the people were like in this town, the bell rang, and I had biology for my first class at Fairfield College.

Candice pointed me in the right direction, walking to biology was when it really hit me how small the school was compared to the schools in Wellington, students were spread far and wide, not like the cramped hall ways that we hard to breath in let along walk down in a hurry.

Entering Mr Hills class I handed in my sheet to the teacher.

"_Welcome Miss Chapman" Mr Hill announced loud enough to gain the attention of the entire class, as Mr Hill gave me the course books I noticed the eyes of the class all peering to get a better look at the new student in their class._

_Flushed with embarrassment I made my way down to the back of the classroom, sitting down in the only empty desk._

_Mr Hill started the lesson shortly after; I quickly discovered that I had already done the projects that Mr Hill had set for the class this term; he briefly went over the schedule for the class. it was a comfort to know that I had already covered this class, it meant that I didn't have to work so hard in class. _

_Time past slowly through biology and as a result I was sitting in class with my bag packed and utterly bored, ten minutes before the bell was due to ring, impatiently tapping my feet on the bars of the table._

_The bell finally rang and as I was getting up from my set, one of the guys from the table next to me, made his way to stand in front of me._

"_Hi I'm Emmett" he greeted me with a warm smile, that lit up his almost child like features._

"_Oh hi, I'm Letticia." There was something familiar about his features, but I was positive that I had never seen him in my life before._

"_I noticed you were talking to my sister Candice, do you know her from somewhere."_

_Sudden realisation hit me, no wonder he looked so familiar._

"_Nah she was just showing me around the school. She seems really nice."_

"_Yeah I believe she is and most people seem to think that I'm the evil twin ." Emmett replied with a smirk. _

Sounding more like a threat rather than a request with every minute that passed


End file.
