Full Moon Rising: Chapters 3 and 4

Salina was dreaming deeply, still sitting in the now icy water. She was seeing the most gorgeous colors, colors she didn’t know existing. She was in the middle of smelling something that tasted a lot like red when she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw nothing, and when she turned back there was still nothing. Just as she was about to take another whiff of the color, she was shaken awake.

A gloved hand slid softly over her mouth as the young girl began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly at first and then all but bulged out of her head when she tried to scream, and found she couldn’t.

Her facial features were soft but the excess body hair tipped her off that something just wasn’t right. The smooth glove slowly slid from her face and tenderly brushed a piece of hair back from Salina’s smooth porcelain skin.

“Who…who are you?”

“Salina you silly girl. I’m your grandmother, don’t you recognize me?”

“Grand-Grandma? Why are you here? Why do you look like that? Where have you been for the past ten years?”

“All in good time my child, all in good time. Come now, get out of that tub and get dressed. I have to get you out of here before those wretched blood suckers poison your brain further.”

“Gram, what are you talking about? Karayan is really nice. Everyone here is.”

“My goodness child do you know what they are?”

Before she could answer a voice came from the doorway, “Yes she does Ester. But the question is, does she know what YOU are?” Karayan spoke with a cool edge to his voice.

“You stay away from my granddaughter, you, you bloodsucking fiend!”

“Ester, do you honestly think that you’re any better than me anymore? You need her flesh, I need her blood. And sadly the choice is hers to make.”

“What the fuck are you guys talking about? My flesh and blood. Seriously gross dude. Is anyone going to explain this shit to me?”

“First of all young lady, watch your mouth, and secondly he hasn’t told you yet?”
Before Salina could answer, Karayan cut in, “Up until this very moment things have not only been far to hectic, but Salina has been far to weak to discuss everything with her. Our intention was to have a discussion tonight.”

“Well then, you won’t mind if I stay so she gets both sides of the story do you?”

“Not at all, as long as you can keep your muzzle shut when other people are talking, especially since this was not a prearranged meeting so your safety is not guaranteed nor protected.”

“But of course.”
10 minutes later Salina, her grandmother, and Karayan were all seated in a large room. There was a roaring fire and plush blue velvet furniture. Salina sat next to her grandmother on a small sofa and Karayan sat adjacent to them in a rather boastful chair. They all had a glass of water sitting in front of them on the table that was seated directly in the center for all of them. Karayan took a deep breath and began.

“Salina, you have a part in a war older than time itself. It is a unwanted part, but never the less, you are needed. The war has two sides, the Vampires and the Werewolves. In order to win we need the nutrients found in you. You’re a Youngblood, and that last name means more than you would thing. Women from your side of the family carry the mutant gene that causes vampirism and a more complicated disease known as wolf bane. The wolf bane syndrome started off in the early days of the world, a branch off of vampirism that began when one vampire, Jhonas, couldn’t control his thirst. Gradually he began to need the flesh of victims more than their blood. That trait is far more rare, but alas your blood can go either way. Yet, on its own it will go neither. You will age slowly, but eventually will die. You are a carrier of the disease of the night.”

Karayan stopped to take a drink of water. So far Salina was taking it well. No shock showed on her face, but she had been informed of this earlier. She assumed he was only restating it for her Grandmother’s benefit. He smiled and winked when he saw the understanding form in her eyes.

“The war will never end, we cannot stop fighting, because both sides need your family lineage to survive. But, no matter how hard we fight the decision is yours. Ultimately, you have to choose. The longer you take to decide, the more pain you cause for yourself. The gene wants to be passed on, and the only way for that to happen is by letting a monster, or monsters, feed from you. Once that happens, you will have the lifespan of whichever side you choose. You will become one of them in time. But the choice is yours. You can help us or them. Neither side can make you chose or threaten you. Your blood and flesh is sacred and none would dare threaten you to gain it. Your grandmother, as you can tell, chose the werewolves.”

“How do I decide?”

“Well, tradition dictates that each side pick a ‘Champion’ as it were. You give us a quest and the one that completes it wins. Generally, you know who you want to join and make the quest more matched to them. Of course nothing says you can’t just pick, or take so long picking that the disease eventually kills you, in which case no one benefits and as you’re the last of the bloodline, we would all die out.”

“But I’m not the end of my bloodline. What about my mom?”

Karayan and Ester looked at each other, obviously uncomfortable with the turn of conversation. Neither wanted to tell her, but they knew one of them had to.”

Ester spoke, “Its my family I’ll tell her. Salina, sweetie, the woman you call your mother is not your true birth parent. When you’re mother had you, about 2 months later the wolves came for her. It wasn’t her time to pass on the gene, they hadn’t even come for me yet. The blood from you drew them to her, thinking the disease had matured. Really it was just the combination from both of you that sent out such a powerful smell. Eventually she chose the vampires. The disease wasn’t strong enough in her, and they drained her of all her blood before realizing they wouldn’t get anything from her, that she wasn’t ready. Your mom is dead, Salina.”

Without saying a word Salina ran out the door. She didn’t look back and had no idea where she was. As long as she kept walking though, it seemed like she had a purpose. The skies were black and showed severe signs of rain. She wished that she had grabbed a coat, or shoes for that matter. It was getting awfully cold. She turned a corner and ran smack into a person. Looking up she saw Karayan. Without saying a word she turned and walked in a completely different direction.

“Salina! Please stop! Just listen to me! You don’t have to like it but you do have to accept it! You WILL die if you don’t choose. If you come back with me, I can keep you comfortable, whether you make a decision or not.”

“What do you mean ‘keep me comfortable’,”shouted Salina without turning to face him.

“Do you feel the chill in your bones? The sensation that feels like acid coursing through your veins? That’s the disease. You’re taking too long to choose and these are the beginnings of your slow, and painful death. There are ways to slow them down, not stop them, but buy you some more time and keep the pain at bay for a little while. If you stay out here, you’ll have 3 days before the pain will knock you unconscious. 2 days after that, you die. Come back and I can guarantee you at least two months. Long enough to make a decision and change your mind twice,” Karayan chuckled at his joke.

“I’ll take my chances. At least this way I die with my blood still running through my veins and my flesh secured to my body.”

Salina ran off into the night, leaving Karayan standing in the now drizzling weather wondering if she would come back on her own.