Embarrassment 10: Stroll through the Park

Morning came as quite a relief for the entire Usui family. Kenta Usui was the first to awake and felt like he had just gotten out of a bad nightmare. The sun was shining outside his window and he felt like today was going to be a much better day. It would be just the boost he needed to go into work in a happy mood.

Karin awoke for the first time since she could remember without a nightmare. Perhaps it was the thought that she would be spending the day with just her daughter. By the time Kanon woke up she could already smell her mother's delicious cooking from inside her room. She was determined to get whatever she needed off her mind while with her mother. Most importantly, she wanted to try and find out more about Karin's past life as a vampire and why she had no memory of ever being one.

Kanon and Karin had a fun morning, and Kanon couldn't remember the last time she had seen her mother smile so much. Kanon was a good judge of character and could tell when a person was straining to be happy. But for the first time in a long while, she could tell that her mother was genuinely happy. This made Kanon happy as well.

After an extra delicious breakfast made by Karin, the two packed a quick lunch for later and set off for a nice stroll through the park. It wasn't like the two of them hadn't been to this park thousands of times before, but it was the best place for Kanon and Karin to be alone to talk. They talked about nearly everything except for the things that Kanon wanted to talk about. She just couldn't bring herself to ask her mother about her memories. She was getting nowhere fast and wanted so badly to ask soon. So she finally did when they stopped at a table to eat. She decided to try and tell her mother what she really was.

"Mama," Kanon said, starring down at her food, "I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you this before, but I think that you should know what's been happening to me."

"What is it Kanon?" Karin asked. Kanon just stared at her food, unable to answer. "Kanon, you know you can tell me anything."

"Papa told me what you are. He said that you can't remember anymore and I think somebody has taken away your memories. I know it sounds crazy, but after the stuff that I've been through I honestly believe Papa."

"What did Kenta say you were?" Karin asked in wonderment.

"I think………….I'm a........."

Just then, Kanon's heart started to pound. This couldn't be happening again. Not now and not in front of her mother. But sure enough, like a predator that had picked up the scent of its next meal, Kanon's senses spiked off the chart. She could immediately spot out her prey. There was a middle aged girl at the top of a staircase, yelling into her phone at her ex-boyfriend.

I hate my body for making me want this human so bad, Kanon thought to herself. I don't want to bite her but the nosebleed that I had last time hurt so much worse.

"Kanon, you okay?" Karin asked. "Your face has gone red and you look like you are burning up."

Kanon tried to hold back the urge and took a bite of her own lunch, immediately choking it back up. The food tasted like sand in her mouth. It was no use. She had to choose between sinking her teeth into that woman or passing out from a nosebleed. But then it hit her. This would be the perfect chance to show her mother exactly what she was. Before she realized what she was doing, she was already lunging at the woman, knocking her onto her back. How the hell did she manage to get to the top of the stairs so quickly? She really didn't care anymore. She was quick and sunk her aching fangs deep into the neck of the girl.

Her blood, Kanon thought to herself as she drained the girl of blood while injecting her own. Her blood is so delicious.

But what Kanon didn't expect was that her mother was in a state of shock at the bottom of the staircase. Was her daughter actually doing what she thinks she was doing? Her daughter was a………..a monster. This couldn't be her daughter, could it? Without thinking it through she ran away from the scene. Kanon just happened to finish her meal when she saw her mother run off with a terrified look on her face.

"Mama?" Kanon asked. "Oh my god. What have I done? I truly am a freak of nature. I didn't think things through. All I thought about was getting my next meal. Mama, please let me explain."

But it was no use. Karin was already down the path and away from Kanon's sight. What she had just seen her daughter do may have been the scariest thing she had ever seen anybody ever do. The only logical thing she could think of doing at a time like that would be running away. Was this what she had been trying to tell her? That her daughter was some sort of cannibal feeding on other people. She didn't quite understand and was too scared to want to know. What if it had been her that her daughter had attacked?

Back at the staircase, Kanon was crying once again. If she would have just thought things through a little bit more, she would have realized the disturbing sight that her mother had to see. She had hoped that it would spark something inside Karin's mind, but now she doubted that Karin had ever been a vampire. Perhaps Kenta had lied to her. That horrified look that her mother had given her. How could Kanon ever approach her again?

"I belong in hell for what I do to people," Kanon sobbed, running out of the park. "I just wish that I could die. This was a bad idea and now even Mama thinks that I'm a freak."

She looked up at the sky where a bat was following her overhead. She hated that bat more than ever. It was there because of her and she knew it. She would never go home again. She just couldn't face her family now…………….now that they knew what she was.

At the same time, Karin was suddenly stopped by a young girl in the densest part of the park. There was an odd mist on the ground and it was almost like night by all the trees that surrounded. But Karin didn't seem to mind that. She was wondering how this young girl had just appeared out of nowhere. She could have sworn that there was nobody around before. This girl looked strangely familiar, like something out of a dream. She was wearing a black lace dress and held a matching black umbrella in her hand. The girl looked no older than thirteen but stood tall like a proper woman. For some odd reason, Karin felt like she should know this girl.

"Big Sister," the young girl said without a smile on her face. Karin could swear she knew that voice. "Big Sister, what have you done to your daughter?"

"Uhhh." Karin was dumbfounded. "How……..how did you…………who are you?"

"Kanon needs you more than ever, Big Sister," she continued, still not changing expression, "and you left her like that."

"I'm….sorry. I was just startled. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Do you know who I am, Big Sister?"

Karin thought hard, but it seemed like the harder she thought, the less she could remember. "I'm sorry, but no. I feel like I should know you from somewhere, but……….."

The girl seemed to be hurt by the fact that she couldn't remember who she was. "I just want you to know that I have always been watching you, Karin. Your family still loves you."

"My…….who? Who are you? What do you know about my family?"

"I think it is time that you start to remember who you are."

Before Karin could say anything else, Ren dropped out a tree behind her and placed his hand upon her hand. He had never given a person back their memories, but he kind of had an idea of what to do. It was time for Ren to finally get rid of the memories that had been haunting him for the past fifteen years.

Just like that, the hand that was on Karin's head started to glow with a faint yellow light. Karin didn't know what was going on at first until the memories started flooding back into her brain and spreading like wildfire. Every last memory of the vampire world spread in her mind. It was like someone was writing a book in the empty gaps. Ren let go of his sister and looked at her sister. She had her eyes closed at first as her brain tried to process all the information. After about a minute, she finally said one word.

"Anju."

This is the end of the first episode of the six part series of Chibi Vampire: New Blood. I bet you are thinking, how could he end a chapter like that? The answer is simple. Because it keeps you interested. There is still a lot that has to happen to the story and I would like to hear a little input of what you would like to see happen next in the story. I will be post the next chapters very very soon so I hope you enjoy.