Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 35: Turning Point

Amelia nervously looked around the living room, taking in the sight of all of her family gathered together, watching her expectantly. "So, I guess your'e all wondering... what it is that I need to tell you..." She looked down at the ground and took a deep breath before lifting her head again and trying a wide smile, displaying her fangs. "I've become a vampire."

The room was filled with shocked silence. It was so quiet she could hear her own heart racing, and most of the faces she saw contorted in confusion or anger. 

As Elaine crossed her arms, she finally spoke. "I expected this would happen. I can't believe you wanted to become one of them!" She snapped. "But I guess there's no stopping you now. You'll regret becoming a monster like him someday."

Amelia bit her tongue, knowing that arguing against her mother was futile. She had tried so many times, and it only made everything hurt worse. She then looked over at her father. "Dad?"

Garrett looked away and sighed. "You know I support you, dear. I don't have any problems with Onyx, or your decision to become a--"

"You're approving of this!?" Elaine interrupted. "That's absurd! You can't just--"

"I can do what I want!" Garrett retorted. "The only boss of me is myself, and I choose to support our daughter. If you don't, that's on you, but she's done nothing wrong. Onyx has been living here a few weeks now, and he's been nothing but kind and helpful. Not to mention he's already been through plenty without your complaining, with the recent death of his mother--"

Amelia felt her heart sink a little. Raven had met her unexpected demise only days after they got married, and Onyx was still just as broken as he was the day it happened. In front of everyone else, he tried to mask his pain, but at the end of the day, he would always fall asleep crying as he held her close to him...

"You mean his mother that attacked you? Have you forgotten?" Elaine rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You say and feel how you want, I suppose. But you're wrong. How can you be fine with her becoming something like that?"

Amelia diverted her attention from their conversation and looked over at her brother, who was still staring in disbelief. "...And..." She finally said, loud enough to speak over her parents' argument. "I wanted to ask all of you, now that I'm immortal... if you would like to become vampires, too. I don't want to lose all of my family. I--"

"What!?" Elaine shrieked. "Absolutely not! Have you lost your mind!? I will never become one of those... those... things!"

"Elaine!" Garrett exclaimed. "You're talking about our daughter here, too!"

Amelia felt tears come to her eyes as her parents' bickering continued.

Claire had been silent the entire time, not understanding much of this in her young age. "What's... a vampire?" she asked, looking at Amelia in confusion.

"I'll tell you what they are!" Elaine barked, a tone of disgust evident in her voice. "They are ruthless, sadistic, bloodthirsty monsters that bring nothing but evil and pain!"

Claire's eyes widened and she cowered a little. "B-But..."

"Enough, Elaine!" Garrett yelled. "You're scaring a child with things that aren't even true! If you don't shut up, I swear, I'll--"

"You'll what?" Elaine laughed. "You're old, frail, and sickly. You won't do anything. But you know what? I can do something! I'll kick you out of this house," she continued, "and put you out on the streets! Is that what you want? Because if you keep talking to me like this, that's what you'll get!"

"Elaine--"

She didn't let him finish. "Just shut up, Garrett! If you loved our daughter, you would want what's best for her, and this isn't best for her! You don't love her! You don't love me! And I don't love you!"

"I do love you..." Garrett's eyes watered. "But I love Amelia more than anything. And I would never, ever say the hurtful things that you have to her..." He looked over at Amelia with a sad smile. "She's the best daughter anyone could ask for."

The room once again fell to silence, and Amelia turned to Alexander once again, her eyes watering as she watched her dad struggle not to cry. "I love you too, dad," she mumbled, then took a deep breath.

"Alexander," she began quietly, "you're with me, right?"

Her heart sank when he looked away, a sad expression on his face.

"You know I love you," Alexander began, "but... I don't know if I want to... become a vampire and live forever, you know?"

Amelia was trembling, her tears threatening to fall despite how hard she fought them. "But... I don't want to lose you..."

"...I know..."

Amelia fell silent, the reality sinking in that her entire family was destined to die and there was nothing she could do about it, even if she tried. She already felt the grief of losing them all. As she looked at Alexander, she tried to imagine life without him and couldn't.

---

Tonight, just like every night the past few weeks, Onyx had cried himself to sleep, although Amelia found it harder than usual to both comfort him and hold back her own tears. As soon as he drifted to sleep, that's when she finally allowed herself to cry over today's events. Eventually, she fell into the peace of slumber, but that was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She stirred, hearing Alexander choking out her name between sobs outside of the room.

"Amelia, open up!"

The panic in his voice made her panic, too, and she scrambled out of bed and over to the door. "Alexander, what's wrong?" she asked as she opened the door.

He pulled her into a hug, and as he sobbed into her shoulder, tried to gather enough composure to explain. "Dad... it's dad... he's..."

"He's what?" Amelia's eyes widened and she returned the hug. "What happened...?"

"M-Mom woke up and he wasn't breathing. He's gone..."

Her eyes watered as she hugged her brother tighter. "No, I-I... I didn't... I didn't even get to say goodbye..."

Reluctantly, Amelia pulled away from the hug, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not ready to let you go, either. I don't want to say goodbye. Not ever..."

"Amelia--"

"Listen to me!" she sobbed. "I can't go through the rest of eternity losing everyone I love! I know it's selfish, I know it's too much to ask, but... we've always been inseparable, Alexander. From the time mom and dad brought me home from the adoption agency, we loved each other. We've been through so much together. We've grown up together, faced the world together... and I... I can't face it without you..."

"You're right... we're inseparable," he began softly, "And... I know now that I can't leave you alone. I can't let you go through the pain of losing me, like the pain we're going through now, losing dad..."

"Big brothers are supposed to stick with their little sisters... and protect them, and be there for them... no matter what." Alexander felt the tears coming back again. "I promised you I would, when we were little. And... I have to keep that promise..."

"Alexander..." 

Alexander looked up at her and, despite his sadness, managed to smile. 

"I want you to turn me."

Amelia returned the smile and nodded. "Alright," she began, and a dark mist surrounded her, transforming her into her dark form. She wasn't entirely sure what to do, but she let her vampire instinct show her the way. "Here goes nothing..."