The Vampire's little Mate (Sequel)

CHAPTER: 1

The rough pitter-patter of rain against the tin roof caused Tanya Peter 17 yrs to stir in her sleep, but she struggled to fight it. She yearned to remain under the warmth of her thick red quilt, wandering aimlessly through the dream world. But, alas, She knew reality would ease its way in her sleep and pull her out of the slumber. As hard as she tried to ignore it, her eyes flew open and all memory of dreams faded away. She sighed heavily and pressed her pillow hard against her eyes, blocking out the sunlight that penetrated through the creases in the blinds. Slowly she pushed away, her brief shelter from the light, and let her eyes adjust. She then stumbled to the bathroom, rinsed her face, and brushed her teeth before swiftly walking downstairs to the kitchen.

She was surprised to find it empty, void of any evidence that her mother had even been there fifteen minutes prior. Most mornings she would find her mother sitting at the quaint glass table, pressed up against the far wall, sipping a quick cup of coffee before she rushed off to work. Her mother didn't hold the greatest job in the world, but the money was sufficient enough to pay the bills and to feed them. She worked as an accountant at the local supermarket in Vancouver-Canada. Her mother had been in that same position for as far back as she could remember. Her father wasn't even worth mentioning. After she turned seven, he became absent in her life, beyond the occasional postcards that she received from him, from wherever he happened to be at the time. During a mid-life crisis, he decided that 'living his life to the fullest' was more important than his ten-year marriage, not to mention his seven-year-old daughter. He was presently spending his time traveling the world with his very young and wealthy girlfriend, Diana. Tanya hated to even think about her, though she had never met her.

As Tanya thought over her mother's unexpected absence, she picked up a glass bowl from the kitchen cabinet and poured a generous amount of cereal, and added milk to it, before sitting at the vacant table. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the white, perfectly folded note that lay against the transparent surface. Sprawled across the paper in her mom's unmistakable handwriting was her name 'Tanya' written on it.

She wasn't sure why, but she had a premonition, deep down, that this was not something good. Something was terribly wrong, and this letter was the only way she would be able to find out just what it was. She swallowed hard as she lifted the crisp paper and unfolded it, to read. Panic welled up inside her, as she read the first sentence.

Dear Tanya,                                                                                                                                                                             This is not easy for me to say, as I write this letter. Also, it will not be easier for you to accept either.      

Part of her didn't want to continue reading any further, but her eyes betrayed her as they went reading down along the paper.

The house has been transferred to your name, and I have left an envelope on the counter beside the coffee pot where you will find enough money to support yourself for at least the next four months. I will send you more as needed. Do you remember Daniel? The man who offered me the job in North Surrey, 21 km from Vancouver? I know it was very hard on you when you had heard that we might have to move there, and I decided that this might be easier. I will be making twice as much there as I was here, and I won't have any trouble paying for you to stay home. Daniel and I are moving in together.  

Tanya's forehead creased as the last words sunk in. Her Mom had a boyfriend, and she didn't even know about it.

You are not alone, Tanya. You have your friends and your uncle James is still in town if you need someone. I didn't want you to sacrifice your school life and your friends, just for my sake, so that I could live a better life, with a better job, and a better man than your father ever was. I am not that far away if you ever need me. 

Forgive me if you can,                                                                                                                                                    Lots of love,                                                                                                                                                                              Mom.  

Tanya's head was spinning as she set the letter down. She accidentally knocked over her cereal bowl as she scrambled to run back upstairs. It didn't matter anymore. Her appetite had totally vanished. She pushed open her mother's bedroom door, and her jaw dropped in shock. While her bed remained intact, covered with frilly pillows and bright colored blankets, her dresser was empty of most of her belongings. The jewelry box that held all the beautiful necklaces, earrings, and charms, that her mother was very possessive of was no longer there. She went through her drawers. Each one was empty. How had her mother left so quietly without Tanya knowing about it?

She sat on the edge of her plush mattress, her head in her hands as she tried to understand what was happening. She and her Mom were never incredibly close as her mother spent so much time at work, and probably hanging out with her boyfriend Daniel. But Tanya thought that her mother should at least have had the decency to sit down with her and discussed the situation before abandoning her. Abandoning her...just as her Dad did.

Through the creases of her fingers, she could see the few remaining items in her room. On top of the dresser sat her alarm clock, and she could distinctly see the time, 9:45 a.m. She immediately jumped up from the bed and ran to her room. She was late for school! Tanya grabbed her bag containing the books, pulled on her shoes, snatched her car keys from the kitchen counter, and rushed through the front door. 

She grimaced when she noticed the windows on her red Hyundai Elantra were rolled down, and the rain had undoubtedly found its way into the car. Remorsefully, she eyed the empty spot where her mother's van usually used to be parked. Tanya then opened the driver-side door to her car. She was hopeful that school would be a big enough distraction to keep her mind off the haunting thought of being abandoned by her mother. She had an overwhelming urge to stay home, retreat back to her bed, and spend the day crying the hours away. It was almost too tempting. The school wasn't of great importance to her, but she hoped that seeing her friends might help her pull through.

Shaking away the unwelcome thoughts, she discovered that her suspicions were unfortunately right, the seats of the car were drenched. She pulled off her woolen sweater, and dabbed the moisture off the steering wheel, then dabbed the sweater across the seat. Once settled, she closed the door and quickly rolled up the windows, and started the ignition. Some classical music came streaming through the speakers, and she smiled. She found it relaxing, but she wouldn't admit that to any of her friends at school.