"Okaa-chan! Kochi!"

The little black-haired boy ran down the cobblestone path, arms out as his sides as if they were wings. Giggling, smiling, and shading his eyes from the high September sun with a pair of dark glasses, he continues to run in circles around the gravestones. After the tenth time around the tall cross-shaped granite, the boy stops, puts his hands back down at his side, and looks around.

"Okaa-chan?"

"She won't be able to play right now."

An older man enters the graveyard and kneels down in front of the little boy. He places a big hand on the boy's head and ruffles his ash-colored hair. The boy laughs.

"Otou, would you play with me?"

The man smiles. "Of course."

The father and child play catch with a small, rubber ball, staying in the graveyard until sundown. They sit down on the ground, sharing a box of Botan Rice Candy the man had taken out of his coat pocket.

"I want to be a Pokemon trainer and master, just like you, Otou," the boy grins.

"You'll have to work hard, my boy," the father says. "Need a strong Pokemon, too."

"I'll work hard, I promise!" the boy replies.

His father smiles. "In three years, you'll be able to register legally. But, I don't think having one early will hurt."

He takes a poke' ball out of his pocket and drops it into the boy's outstretched hands. The boy's expression was bright, sparkling with awe and speechlessness. His glasses began to slip and his father replaced them on his nose bridge.

"It's name is Gousu, one of my babies, you could say. Train it good and take care of it," the father says.

"Otou, Arigatou!" the boy squeals.

"Make me proud."

A loud crack issued and the shrine door fell from its frame. A woman stood in its place, shadowed by the quick fall of night. Her pure white kimono rustled at her feet as if she had just stopped running from a distance. She bends over, coughs loudly and gagged afterwards, as if she wished to relieve herself of her innards.

The man instantly got to his feet.

"Stay here," he says and places a hand on the boy's head. He advances on the woman. "Uchinoyatsu?"

The woman continued to hack, but finally managed to speak. "Everything is so loud!…so loud."

"Don't worry, we'll get you something," the man comforts, placing both hands on the woman's shoulders. "Let's find you a cat or something. Just hang on."

The man leads the woman down the steps of the shrine and toward the gate. Her legs were stumbling over each other and the man had to support most of her weight by putting her arm around his shoulders. She wheezes and groans, hand visibly shaking from under the long sleeve of her kimono. The other hand, over the man's shoulder, starts to stroke the side of his face and moves to his rough black hair. Her coughs slowly turned to hick-ups, and then to hideous fits of laughter.

The man stops walking and forces the woman to face him.

"What's wrong? Tell me, Uchinoyatsu."

"Chi ga," The woman mutters through her giggles.

"I know, I know," the man nods his head.

The boy stands there, mouth neither frowning nor smiling. Due to the increasing darkness, the outline of his eyes were no longer distinguishable behind his sunglasses. He said nothing.

"This place," the woman rambled on. "Almost too familiar…I'm sick of it."

"Hang on!" the man takes her hand and begins to lead her once more to the entrance.

The woman goes up behind the man and sinks her teeth into his neck. The man gasps, voice getting muffled from the mixture of saliva and blood gurgling in his throat. He falls to his knees, but the woman stays latched to him with her mouth like a leech. Slurping, gagging, slopping, screaming. There was a loud tear followed by more yelling.

"Okaa-chan?…"

Bubbling and twitching.

"Okaa-chan?… Naze?"

The man tries to breath, but the air only passes through the gaping hole in his throat.

"Okaa-chan?… Yameru!"

All noise stops, the woman lets the man fall face-down to the ground. She turns to the boy, revealing a thick rim of blood around her mouth and few splatters on her kimono. Her hand shakes terribly as it goes up to her mouth and wipes away the blood, only to lick it off. Her eyes were black, unrecognizable. Color finally starts to flow into her face, warm brown eyes return. They look down at the man lying on the stone path.

"Anata?"

She places a hand on his back and shakes him a bit, but he refuses to rouse.

"Anata…?"

She removes her hand and looks down at it, all stained in blood.

"Anata!" she screams and throws herself onto his dead body.

The boy's lip starts to quiver and he turns his back to the scene. It was all too unreal. Unbelievable.

"Sotsu…" The woman calls and the boy turns around. "Have I frightened you?"

"Otou," was all the little boy could say.

"Do I frighten you now?" she asks again. "Sotsu, you must awaken. You must understand!"

The boy shakes his head in confusion. The woman opens her mouth and runs her pointer finger along the horrendously sharp canine. Rich blood begins to flow and she holds it out for him. He shakes his head again. The woman's eyes were pleading, still he shakes his head. She inches toward him on her knees.

"This night will never leave your lips," she says as she forces her finger into her son's mouth. His face winces but was obviously sucking on the fingertip.

"Saa," the woman says breathlessly. "You'll never be alone again…you have me…Sotsu."

The empty box of Botan Rice Candy scuttles away in the sudden burst of cold wind on that unusually cloudy September night.

*****

I wake up breathing as if I had just ran two, or possibly three, miles. Cold sweat was beading on my forehead, and my throat was dry. I sit up in bed and look at my digital clock. Two-thirty-six. What a dream! Was it just coincidence, or was it telling me something? I may be mistaken, but I believe I just saw what happened on the night Satoshi's father died.

I get out of bed and head to the bathroom for a small glass of water and to wash my face quick. The headache still lingered, but vaguely, with random attacks of pain. I never had to resort to one of those pills yet. I hope that I won't have to.

Sleep came again after I went back to bed, but it was very light. I woke completely four hours later, only to remember it was Sunday. No school.

Laying back down and staring at the ceiling, I couldn't help but think about that dream. It all made sense, really. Satoshi told me himself that it was his mother who killed his father. Her being a vampire, it made even more sense. In the article I found in Satoshi's room, it said that the body was drained of blood. More sense than you could ask for. The only thing that didn't make sense to me is why Satoshi didn't do anything to stop it.

I guess it was just a mass amount of confusion. He was only seven at the time. If I were that young and I was watching my mother murder my father, I wouldn't know what to do. I might scream and cry a little, but being smaller and weaker, there would be no way for me to stop her. Was it the same with him, I wonder?

Kowai…

Though, that is what I'll eventually become, isn't it? Mugoi Kyuuketsuki…

It was time that I told Sae-chan…and then Naoko-chan.

I clamber out of bed and put on a pair of khakis and a sweater. It was getting colder outside, so I'd need a winter coat as well. I quickly put a brush through my hair and I was ready. I leave my house quickly and turn left to head to Sae-chan's house. The wind was bitter and ate away at my exposed face and ears. A cold front was definitely trying to blow its way in.

I pass Yousei cemetery and gaze through the gate by habit. The grass was starting to yellow and wither away. It made the whole landscape look forlorn and monotonous. My brain automatically replayed my dream so I saw it before me, all the bodies seemed vapor-like and sepia colored. Like an old photograph. Torn at the edges and crinkled from countless albums.

The dream disappears when Satoshi comes out of the shrine with his washbasin. He notices me standing at the gate after dumping the soiled water out on the ground. He just stares.

I clear my throat. "Oide."

He doesn't do anything.

"Kudasai," I add.

Satoshi sets down his basin and walks down the shrine steps to the gate. I put my hands through the small metal openings and lean against the rest.

"What brings you this way?" He asks.

"I wanted to ask you something," I say. "Because, last night I had this dream."

"A dream. Okay," Satoshi shrugs and turns to go back to the shrine.

"Wait!" I lift up my hand, trying to get a grip of his shirt. "You were in it."

Satoshi faces me again. "Me?"

"Yes," I nod. "You were younger. Seven years old, I believe. It took place here, in this cemetery. And I saw your father. Your mother, too. What happened that night."

Satoshi just stood there, no expression. "Issui no yume…"

"Satoshi-kun, weren't you scared?" I ask, feeling a thick knot form in the back of my throat. "You were just standing there, watching."

"Ookinaosewa!" Satoshi almost shouts and starts to walk back to the shrine at a fast pace.

"Is that what I'll become?" I ask, not expecting an answer.

To my surprise, Satoshi turns around, but doesn't approach me again. "Do you think I'll tell you how to stop it?"

"I can only hope," I reply.

"Baka,"

Satoshi goes back into his home, and I continue to stand at that gate, lost in some imaginary world. I knew it was no good, trying to truly be his friend. It was beyond my power. However, something deep down inside me kept on telling me to see Satoshi. I wanted to be near him, but he didn't want me near at all. If becoming a vampire was the only way it was possible, then so be it.

I eventually leave my spot at the gate and continue on my way to Sae-chan's house. I get there after a few minutes, seeing that her place wasn't far from the cemetery. I knock on her front door and wait. It was still early, so maybe she was still sleeping. I should have called first.

The door opens and Sae-chan's face appears. "Dare ga?"

"Ohayou," I put on a smile.

"Kasumi-chan!" Sae-chan exclaims, opening the door wide for me to come in. "What brings you here this early?"

"I'm sorry I didn't call in advance, but I needed to talk to you about something," I say.

"It's all fine, trust me," Sae-chan shakes her head. "I just wish I had time to make some tea for you."

"I'm fine, thanks," I say.

"Oh, I know!" Sae-chan claps her hands together and bounds into the kitchen. She comes out with her arms full of bags of Kasugai Ebi, Kaki no Tane, Jane Jane, and Meiji Pucca. "These all sound good?"

I nod my head.

We go into her living room where I was surprised to see a cradle. I look inside to see Sae-chan's Muchuuru sleeping soundly under a multitude of blankets. Sae-chan comes up next to me and smiles happily as if it were her own daughter.

"So adorable," Sae-chan coos.

I could only shake my head and try not to laugh.

"So," Sae-chan says as she plops down on the couch and rips open a bag of Jane Jane. "What did you want to talk about?"

"That one day a while back when Satoshi asked me to meet him," I begin.

"Okay," Sae-chan nods, mouth full.

"This may sound really weird, I warn you."

"Warned," Sae-chan says.

"He told me, since his saliva most likely got into my bloodstream when he bit me that time, I was to become a vampire," I say quickly in one breath.

Sae-chan just cocked her head at me. A piece of Jane Jane falling out of the side of her mouth. The fishy smell was starting to get to me, as well as that estranged look in her eyes. I doubt she was going to believe me. So, I grab the bag of Kaki no Tane and dig in.

Sae-chan finally comes to her senses. "U-Usou! That's just a big myth! There's not way!"

"I don't want to believe it either," I say. "And maybe he's just playing a trick on me."

"Hiretsukan," Sae-chan mutters. "If he really is pulling your leg, I won't stand for it. Muchuuru and I will kick his little vampire butt!"

At that moment, Muchuuru sat up in its cradle, looked around with half-open eyes, only to fall back down on its pillow to snore. It didn't look like it wanted vengeance. Sae-chan must have been thinking the same thing, for she sighed heavily with disappointment.

"You're too cute to send into battle!" She shakes her finger at the cradle.

"However, if becoming a vampire is the only way for me to get close to him, what do I have to lose?" I mostly ask myself.

"Everything!" Sae-chan moans. "Don't you want to stay a regular human being?"

"Yes," I reply honestly.

"Then fight it!" Sae-chan punches the air. "Be the first to resist mutation."

"I'll try," I mumble.

Sae-chan was lost in her own little world, punching her imaginary opponent with both fists. "Kore wo tabe! Kore mo! Kore mo!"

I sigh. Was Sae-chan taking me seriously, or not? If she couldn't face it, I highly doubt that Naoko-chan will.

There is no way to stop my transformation and Satoshi seems to think that hope is useless. I'm starting to think it is as well. I have to buck up! I'm not going to let this get to me! Satoshi lives in this world as a vampire and is almost perfectly normal. There's no reason why I can't do the same once I change.

Dakedo…

The vision of Hanako slurping her husband dry remained in my mind. I don't want to become some blood-hunting monster. But, when the time comes, will I really be able to resist? Until that day comes, I fear the only thing I can do is wait.

-----------------------

Japanese Romanji Translations

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Okaa-chan - Okaa = Mother, 'chan' makes it more like "mum" or "mommy"

Kochi - This way/Over here

Otou - Father

Arigatou - Thank you

Uchinoyatsu - (bluntly) My wire

Chi ga - The blood

Naze - Why?

Yameru - Stop

Anata - Dear (what a wife calls a husband)

Sotsu - My son

Saa - Come/There, there

Kowai - Scary

Mugoi Kyuuketsuki - Cruel/Merciless Vampire

Oide - Come here/Come out

Kudasai - Please/Please do for me (inf.)

Issui no yume - empty dream

Ookinaosewa - None of your business!

Baka - Idiot/Fool/Moron

Dare ga - Who is it?

Ohayou - Good Morning

Usou - Liar!

Hiretsukan - [bloody] bastard

Kore wo tabe! - Eat this!

Kore mo - And this!

Dakedo - however/but