I'm participating on this website called www.nanowrimo.org Go on it and you'll realize why there is no way I'll be able to have any free time in November. Basically, I'm supposed to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. To finish, I'll have to write an average of 1,667 words a day. Today is the first day of November so this is my first day's work.

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October 31, 2005

The letter had finally come.

She knew what it said even before she opened it. How could she not? There were too many coincidences. She opened it anyway.

It read:

To Miss Riley Zika,

Results for the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) examination have arrived from the (confidential) laboratories and you have confirmed positive of the “vampire” infection. Therefore, you are requested to submit to the Headquarters on the first of December for a possible decade testing period. It is hopeful that we will find a cure for your disease if you comply.

It was signed by the Science Department at the Pentagon.

Hah, as if she would even consider going back. All the ‘scientists’ poking and prodding, conducting possibly dangerous experiments, and, worst of all, staring at you like you have five heads and purple polka dotted arms. Besides, who said Riley wanted to be cured? Sure, it was hell at first, but she learned to live with it. And who said they would find a cure? She would go through all the freakish experiments, and for what? An apology. Or maybe they would not admit defeat. They would test on her for the rest of her life.

It was not like Riley was dangerous to anyone anyway. She had learned to go out only for animals only at night. In her two years of being a vampire, she had never bitten a human. At least, not that she knew of.

How ironic that the letter confirming her abnormality would arrive on Halloween. Not only was it a day of ghoulish glee, but it was also Riley’s two year anniversary. Two fateful years of fear and worry had eaten at her soul. Two years of being a vampire had haunted her through the countless hours. Two years exactly…at least, she was pretty sure it was. It had all started out innocently enough. Riley could remember the whole downward spiral from that day. It was a movie in her mind, a tragedy film yet real. Romeo and Juliet had nothing on Riley Zika.

October 31, 2003

Riley sat at her desk and pulled out her math book from her backpack. The thing felt as heavy as a millstone. Just as she started to flip the pages, her telephone shrilled. ‘Probably Pillan’ she mused. ‘How come she doesn’t like her name? I think it’s great.’ Pillan, nicknamed Lanni, was not into culture, no matter how strong it was. She was far more interested in shoes, gossip, parties and boys. The shrieking of the telephone brought Riley out of her thoughts and into the real world. ‘Probably going to hassle me about tonight…’

Riley was right on the money. Right after Riley picked up the phone and clear before any formal greetings, Lanni practically screamed, “Come on Riley! You HAVE to go! It seriously wouldn’t be fun without you.”
“Lanni, you know how my parents are. They would seriously kill me.”
“But you said your dad was out of town.” Riley could practically see the wink on Lanni’s face.
‘Uh oh, Lanni’s voice is suggesting something devilish…’
“Your point being…?” Riley managed. She hated it when her friends broke the rules. Doing so only cause confusion and conflicts.
“Isn’t it obvious? Sneak out, silly! It’s not like your mom will ever notice!” Lanni was clearly smug at her plan.

Riley sighed loudly. This planning and plotting thing was not her idea of fun. Besides, she was not going to risk her relationship with her mother for a lame party that consisted of an overcrowded room and kinky boys. She would much rather read that novel she checked out from the library. Or, if she felt an urge for Halloween spirit, she would watch “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock. That was a classic. After that she would watch the Twilight Zone marathon on the Science Fiction Channel. Spooky, yet sophisticated.

Then again, who knows what may happen at that party. It was trivial, of course, but the thought of loud music coursing through her body did sound somewhat appealing. And maybe gazing at beautiful guys was not that bad. ‘Parties such as these are a primal instinct, I suppose. Well, Halloween in general is a primal holiday, so why not? What could really go wrong? Nothing, as long as Lanni and I stay together…’

“Uh, Riley? Are you still there or what??” Lanni was clearly annoyed.
“OH! Heh, yah…”
“So…are you going to stay there or do you want me to pick you up?”
‘God, it’s so maddening when she speaks slowly to me!’
“Yeah, I’ll go. When are you going to pick me up?”
“Around 8:30, so get ready ok?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
Lanni was clearly glad she had gotten her way. “See ya tonight then!” She squealed and hung up.

‘I guess a better question would have been how you’re going to pick me up…’ At the young age of thirteen, one had to guess how they would get to their destination.

‘Alright, now for this putrid scheme…’

Riley’s mother usually stayed in bed the whole day, watching soap operas. Since Riley’s dad was out of state for his work, Arva Zika was forced to cook and do such chores. One thing was certain: she did not enjoy it. As soon as dinner was cooked, she had rushed into her room and closed the door, forcing Riley to eat her meal in silence. That had been a few hours ago. Still, the door of the master bedroom had not moved a sliver.

Although Arva’s oversight was physically lacking, she always knew when Riley was going to bed because Riley would come in the room and give her a usual good night hug. Thus, Riley planned to hug her mother in her pajamas, go to her room and change, creep through the house to the front door, lock it from the outside and come back later that night. It all made perfect sense, and sadly, her mother would never know. Riley almost wanted her mom to find out so she would not have to attempt social skills.

‘Ack, it’s eight. Better hurry up…’


Riley closed her math book and set it on the floor. Then she practically jumped from her seat to examine her drawers. ‘Ah, there are my pajamas.’ She quickly stripped off her shirt and bra, and pulled the cotton t-shirt over her head. She attempted to take off her jeans just as quickly, but only succeeded in tripping onto her bed. As soon as she peeled them off, she slid into the cotton pajama bottoms. ‘Oh, so comfortable…I wish I didn’t have to change back…’ She feigned slow and sleepy movements for a few minutes, just to get the feel of it, and set off into her grand stage: the master bedroom.

Riley opened the door to see her mother staring intently at the television screen that lay a few feet from the foot of the king sized bed. Arva’s curly dish water blonde hair stood out from the striped bed sheets. Her hazel eyes darted back and forth, from the jealous accuser to the mournful accused. A gasp and a shriek came from the television and the program came to a commercial break. As a Kodak commercial came on, Riley moved toward the left side of the bed where her mother lay.

“Hey hon. Look, their showing the scariest episodes from last session for Halloween. Isn’t that clever?” Arva reached over for their traditional hug. Riley hoped her mom wouldn’t notice how much she was shaking. She did.

“Honey, are you cold? You’re trembling. Is something wrong? Do you need me to turn on the heater?” Arva’s face filled with concern.

Riley smiled weakly. “No mom, it’s cool. In fact, it’s really cool, cold in fact.”
Her mom laughed at the horrible pun. “Be glad you have your comforter. Winter’s right around the corner. But don’t worry sweetie, ‘cause spring will be here in a blink of an eye.” The program came back on. Arva muttered a quick goodnight and the conversation was over. Riley moved slowly to the door and sleepily closed it behind her. ‘She’s so down to earth so why does she watch those stupid shows all the time?’

As soon as the door was closed, Riley hurriedly and silently walked down the hall to her own room and shut the door. She knew exactly what she was going to dress up as: a hippie. Her friends always joked that she was the biggest hippie in their generation. She had to agree. Some of her clothes were pretty ‘far out’. She looked for the ones she would not really wear on a regular basis. She settled on a neon tie dye shirt and a long bright orange peasant skirt. She adjusted a headband to her forehead and put on huge sunglasses. She took her long black hair out of the bun it was previously in and watched it roll out to its full length. ‘It’s grown longer.’ Indeed, it had, for now it reached all the way to her hips. Her hair was another reason why people called her a hippie, as if hippies were the only ones with large masses of hair. Let them think what they want; tonight she was a hippie. She was the hippie.

She turned off the light in her room and pressed herself against the door as she slowly twisted the door handle. It was fully unlocked. She stepped back without moving her arm and slowly, oh so slowly, pulled the door towards herself. The door moved, yet protested by exerting a large moan and whine. ‘Shut up.’ She stood as still as a statue, not even breathing until all was quiet, except for the television. After a minute of no movement, she pressed on, this time opening the door quickly and soundlessly. She carefully untwisted the doorknob and released her slightly sweaty hand.

Riley thanked her lucky stars that they lived in a one story house and she did not have to walk down any stairs in the dark. If she had, she was almost certain she would slip and crash down all of them. Not only would it alert her mother of her actions, but it would hurt like bloody hell.

She was finally there: the front door. Never had it taken so long for her to go from her room to the front door. ‘This whole thing would be amusing if it wasn’t so incredibly pathetic.’ She unlocked it and stepped outside the way she would on any other day. It was almost like the doors had souls, if they knew you were frightened for some reason, they would try to alert someone by making a ruckus. If you acted normal, the doors did not even notice you were there.