Chapter 2
“Are wewe sure no one's gonna catch us?” Winter asked uneasily. I rolled my eyes.
“Look, I've told wewe about a hundred times: sure I'm sure, now pass me the knife.” I said, Winter tossed a small steel kisu perfect for picking locks and I caught it easily. Under the black wrapped-up bedsheet around my face, my Tat wanted to burn its mark through. And I felt uncomfortable in my ragged black bridesmaids dress and what looked like a ninja mask.
“Alright, it's just getting a few things and if anyone catches us, I'll persuade them to just leave us alone and turn off any damn alarms that may au may not go off. Okay, so stop worrying.” I said. Winter nodded. But I was being a bit of a hypocrite, 'cause I was worrying a bit myself.
I put the small penknife into the keyhole of the door, and fiddled around with the lock, twisting the kisu this way and that, and bingo! The door opened, and me and Winter hurried in, though Winter was still slightly unsteady on her injury but being a vampire it was healing nicely.
I looked around it the dark, searching for pens and permanent markers and maybe a hairbrush and some zaidi clothes and make-up. Winter kept holding us up, so I carried her up the stairs of the large duka called Debenams. There didn't seem to be any markers, but for everything else it was great. We grabbed some casual clothes and accessories and make-up ran out, only bumping into two security guards. I simply knocked them clean out with a mental blow.
We had to find the permanent markers somewhere else, somewhere called WHSmith. We also ran into juu duka and Claire's Accessories and many other shops, getting a whole new wardrobe. But as for blood, there was no blood bank nearby and it was getting late - au early, for the humans - so we ran back into the warehouse with our goods.
It felt so good to wash! No matter if it was with bottles of water and some soaps from a duka called Lush - which smelled great, kwa the way - it was good to wash.
I sprayed some deodorant on and pulled on a black juu with silver sequins and pattern forming silver tiger stripes. The juu was long and was like a tank top, but it went half-way down my thighs.
It felt so weird getting into human clothes from our long, elegant dresses, what being bloody vampire princesses, that was out casual clothing. Then I pulled on some black jeans and black pumps.
Man, even with a sunshine Tat, I'll look like a vampire. I just like black. And I had black hair, which was just coincidental. And I was pale as hell. White white white. But I could easily pass for human. I dabbed on some concealer over my Tat, and I suddenly felt lonely without it. And looked strange without a Tat in the mirror, 'cause someone without a Tat was a rogue. An Outsider.
Then I did up the sun, the scarlet, living sun, doing the rays perfectly, with one bigger au small than the one inayofuata to it.
“There. We are officially vermin.” Winter alisema once we were done. She was wearing the same as me, and we definitely looked like twins. We smiled at each other bleakly.
“Don't call them vermin, Winter.” I said, frowning. Winter rolled her eyes.
“At least I could change my underwear, I was starting to get uncomfortable.” Winter said, making a face. I laughed.
“Well, we've got to test this out, now let's pack up our new stuff, take the labels off and we can go to social services. Then we can rest. We'll go in the night, with pyjamas and shoes on and tell them our parents are gone, alright?” I said, Winter nodded, and dug into the bags of stolen goods and packed them into a few suitcases we found further into the warehouse. I helped her and in about a few hours au so, we were done. We rested back against the pillows, not bothering to change and fell asleep instantly.
It felt good to do stuff.
Stuff kept me thinking about our family.
If I did nothing, I would think about Mum and Dad and the rest of them.
When I slept I dreamt that real life was all a long dream, and that humans thought Wanyonya damu were a myth, and we had no Tats. I was walking hand in hand with Winter, and we were smiling, but we were about five, wearing the same clothes like always. People would stop and say “Aw, aren't they cute! Are they easy to handle?” as if we weren't there. Then suddenly there was a searing pain on my left cheekbone and everyone was clutching in the same place, all confused.
“Mummy, Daddy, what's going on?” me and Winter asked at the same time.
“Girls, we've got to run.” was all Daddy said, and he scooped us in his arms and ran to the house. I looked at my Mummy, and there was a black nyota forming faintly on her left cheekbone. But most other people had faint pinky-red suns, all rays bigger au smaller than the one inayofuata to it.
“Humans, creatures, listen!” a woman's voice sounded through the crowd, and something told me that the whole world was hearing this same voice, maybe in their native language and such, but I would probably never know.
“The marks on your left cheeks are called Tats. They will tell what species wewe are. We witches thought about it.” There was uproar everywhere as the voice mentioned witches.
“Listen!” the voice barked. Silence. “There are vampires, witches, angels, werewolves, sprites and zaidi living right alongside you. Us witches will have a green eye; Wanyonya damu will have a black star, au pentagram; mtu-bweha will have blue crescent moons; sprites will have blue wind; angels will have white wings; shape shifters will have silver daggers and...” the words didn't matter. All I knew is that the witches had ratted out the so-called mythical creatures.
Havoc started and people ran around screaming - all humans - trying to kill anyone without a sun Tat. Me and my family ran to our house and locked the doors and boarded up the windows.
“Daddy, what's going on?” Winter asked, still gripping onto my hand.
“Those damn witches, we told them it would affect the community. Now look, the humans are trying to kill us all off. Especially the vampires. I had a vision of it.” he was grumbling to Mummy.
“We have to stay in hiding, honeys. Otherwise bad humans will come and kill us.” Mummy said. We nodded. I looked at Mummy's new nyota on her pretty white face sitting under her startling blue eyes. As she bent down her rippling black hair fell around her face like a sort of halo. Her high cheekbones looked ever zaidi dramatic with the nyota perchedon the left. Me and Winter had Mummy's looks. Some people alisema we look just like Mummy, but cuter, and with our Daddy's topaz eyes. Daddy had blonde hair and a long nose and was very well-built.
“Everything's going to be alright, sugarpops.” Daddy said. We nodded.
But something tugged at our insides, and we knew nothing was going to be alright now. Not now. Not now the humans knew about us and all creatures.
Things were going to get difficult.
I gasped and was awake along with Winter. And we knew at once that we had the same dream. We looked at each other. The thing is that me and Winter had a bond. Like a link between us. Some people call it twin telepathy but we know it's zaidi than that. We can hear each other's thoughts sometimes, and have the same dreams and same thoughts and did things at exactly the same time, and we knew what the other was feeling.
“Winter. What was that about?” I asked her. Winter shook her head.
“I have no idea.” she said, looking taken aback, and blinked.
“Uh, what time is it?” I asked, realising as I asked the stupid swali that we didn't know anything about time. Winter raised an eyebrow.
“Never mind.” I said, blinking myself awake.
Winter rolled her eyes.
“Uh, so is it night au day?” I reasoned my question. Winter shrugged. I rolled my eyes.
“I'll check.” I said, and stood up. I walked over to the heavy metal door and peeped out. I saw everything there, and the mitaani, mtaa lights almost blinded me. Night.
I walked back and threw Winter a pair of pj's and slippers and a night gown. She didn't need any zaidi than that. We threw on our stuff and packed the clothes we had slept in and took off into the night.
I glanced at Winter in her black pyjamas with silver stars and an owl, and black and silver bottoms. She glanced back and we nodded grimly.
It wouldn't be hard to fake cry, just think about what would happen to our family and waterworks come on like a tap. We walked in silence, not noticing the people walking at night giving us a weird look. We glanced at the clock: almost midnight. Weird that every time something thrilling is happening, the time is midnight.
I could feel the elation and fear welling up inside Winter, and we looked straight ahead, hand in hand, hopefully looking human.
We then ran into the police station, sobbing.
“What in the world?” the policeman alisema behind the counter, looking alarmed.
“We - we went downstairs and there was va - Wanyonya damu eating our Mum and Dad. We - we barely made it out there alive. It was so scary.” I said, shaking.
“Okay, calm down, it's okay, you're safe. I'm going to have to ask wewe where wewe live, what wewe names are and your age please.” the policeman held a pen and paper at the ready.
“Our names are Winter and Iana west, we're fifteen and we just moved, we can't remember the address.” Winter said, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. The policeman nodded, uandishi the information down.
“Okay, I'll call the social services.” he said, and picked up the phone and dialled a number. The phone rang and we stood there, looking fearful and grieved, which we were.
Hello, social services, how can I be of your service?
“Hello, it's the police, I have two young girls, parents Lost to vampires, and they're in need of a nyumbani - temporarily so that wewe could sort things out.” the policeman said.
And their name and ages?
“Iana and Winter West, they're both fifteen - twins - and if you're about to ask he address, they don't know. They just moved.”
Iana and Winter West. Pah! Iana and Winter Air zaidi like, but the Airs are the most wanted vampire family in the human race. So, that would cause a commotion.
Okay, if wewe could just come to the care nyumbani Child's Dream, they will take care of the girls. I will inform them. The address is...
The woman gave an address to the policeman and he wrote it down as he kept nodding. “Okay, I'll take them there.” he said.
Tell the girls good luck from me. Bye, now!
“Bye.” and he hung up. He stood up from his chair and walked around the counter.
“Okay, come on, girls, I'll drive wewe to your new temporary home.” he said, then picked up the phone again.
“Greg, can wewe take over, thank you.” he said, and it echoed in the intercom. He grabbed the car keys from his dawati and shepherded me and Winter outside to a sleek, black Mercedes.
“Where's the police car?” Winter asked our question. The policeman looked up.
“Oh, I thought you'd be zaidi comfortable in the Mercedes, but if wewe want to go in the police car, then -”
“No, don't worry, we were just curious.” I said. The policeman blinked, but opened the car door without a word.
Me and Winter shuffled into our seats and did up our kiti, kiti cha belts.
Then we drove off into the night. We sat in silence the whole way there apart from when the policeman told us his name.
“Uh, to make it easier for you, I'm Henry.” we nodded.
“Iana.” I said.
“Winter.” she said. The policeman nodded and went back to driving.
We arrived not long after and we slid out the back.
“Let's get those suitcases out the boot then.” Henry said. Then he tried to carry all four of them. Me and Winter took one each from him and walked up the pathway to the care home. It was a tall building with bright colours painted on the walls outside.
It didn't seem welcoming though.
Winter rang the doorbell and a greying, plump woman appeared at the door in her nightgown and curlers in her hair. She yawned.
“Oh, yes, I was told to expect you. Winter and... Yina au something?” she said. I blinked.
“Iana.” I corrected.
“Oh, sorry, just woke up. Not functioning properly. Uh, come in, thank you, officer.” she herded me and Winter into the hallway.
“Anytime, oh and if wewe need me, girls, here's my card.” Henry handed a business card to Winter and we both peered over it.
“Okay.” we said, smiling at Henry, and walked into our new home.
“Are wewe sure no one's gonna catch us?” Winter asked uneasily. I rolled my eyes.
“Look, I've told wewe about a hundred times: sure I'm sure, now pass me the knife.” I said, Winter tossed a small steel kisu perfect for picking locks and I caught it easily. Under the black wrapped-up bedsheet around my face, my Tat wanted to burn its mark through. And I felt uncomfortable in my ragged black bridesmaids dress and what looked like a ninja mask.
“Alright, it's just getting a few things and if anyone catches us, I'll persuade them to just leave us alone and turn off any damn alarms that may au may not go off. Okay, so stop worrying.” I said. Winter nodded. But I was being a bit of a hypocrite, 'cause I was worrying a bit myself.
I put the small penknife into the keyhole of the door, and fiddled around with the lock, twisting the kisu this way and that, and bingo! The door opened, and me and Winter hurried in, though Winter was still slightly unsteady on her injury but being a vampire it was healing nicely.
I looked around it the dark, searching for pens and permanent markers and maybe a hairbrush and some zaidi clothes and make-up. Winter kept holding us up, so I carried her up the stairs of the large duka called Debenams. There didn't seem to be any markers, but for everything else it was great. We grabbed some casual clothes and accessories and make-up ran out, only bumping into two security guards. I simply knocked them clean out with a mental blow.
We had to find the permanent markers somewhere else, somewhere called WHSmith. We also ran into juu duka and Claire's Accessories and many other shops, getting a whole new wardrobe. But as for blood, there was no blood bank nearby and it was getting late - au early, for the humans - so we ran back into the warehouse with our goods.
It felt so good to wash! No matter if it was with bottles of water and some soaps from a duka called Lush - which smelled great, kwa the way - it was good to wash.
I sprayed some deodorant on and pulled on a black juu with silver sequins and pattern forming silver tiger stripes. The juu was long and was like a tank top, but it went half-way down my thighs.
It felt so weird getting into human clothes from our long, elegant dresses, what being bloody vampire princesses, that was out casual clothing. Then I pulled on some black jeans and black pumps.
Man, even with a sunshine Tat, I'll look like a vampire. I just like black. And I had black hair, which was just coincidental. And I was pale as hell. White white white. But I could easily pass for human. I dabbed on some concealer over my Tat, and I suddenly felt lonely without it. And looked strange without a Tat in the mirror, 'cause someone without a Tat was a rogue. An Outsider.
Then I did up the sun, the scarlet, living sun, doing the rays perfectly, with one bigger au small than the one inayofuata to it.
“There. We are officially vermin.” Winter alisema once we were done. She was wearing the same as me, and we definitely looked like twins. We smiled at each other bleakly.
“Don't call them vermin, Winter.” I said, frowning. Winter rolled her eyes.
“At least I could change my underwear, I was starting to get uncomfortable.” Winter said, making a face. I laughed.
“Well, we've got to test this out, now let's pack up our new stuff, take the labels off and we can go to social services. Then we can rest. We'll go in the night, with pyjamas and shoes on and tell them our parents are gone, alright?” I said, Winter nodded, and dug into the bags of stolen goods and packed them into a few suitcases we found further into the warehouse. I helped her and in about a few hours au so, we were done. We rested back against the pillows, not bothering to change and fell asleep instantly.
It felt good to do stuff.
Stuff kept me thinking about our family.
If I did nothing, I would think about Mum and Dad and the rest of them.
When I slept I dreamt that real life was all a long dream, and that humans thought Wanyonya damu were a myth, and we had no Tats. I was walking hand in hand with Winter, and we were smiling, but we were about five, wearing the same clothes like always. People would stop and say “Aw, aren't they cute! Are they easy to handle?” as if we weren't there. Then suddenly there was a searing pain on my left cheekbone and everyone was clutching in the same place, all confused.
“Mummy, Daddy, what's going on?” me and Winter asked at the same time.
“Girls, we've got to run.” was all Daddy said, and he scooped us in his arms and ran to the house. I looked at my Mummy, and there was a black nyota forming faintly on her left cheekbone. But most other people had faint pinky-red suns, all rays bigger au smaller than the one inayofuata to it.
“Humans, creatures, listen!” a woman's voice sounded through the crowd, and something told me that the whole world was hearing this same voice, maybe in their native language and such, but I would probably never know.
“The marks on your left cheeks are called Tats. They will tell what species wewe are. We witches thought about it.” There was uproar everywhere as the voice mentioned witches.
“Listen!” the voice barked. Silence. “There are vampires, witches, angels, werewolves, sprites and zaidi living right alongside you. Us witches will have a green eye; Wanyonya damu will have a black star, au pentagram; mtu-bweha will have blue crescent moons; sprites will have blue wind; angels will have white wings; shape shifters will have silver daggers and...” the words didn't matter. All I knew is that the witches had ratted out the so-called mythical creatures.
Havoc started and people ran around screaming - all humans - trying to kill anyone without a sun Tat. Me and my family ran to our house and locked the doors and boarded up the windows.
“Daddy, what's going on?” Winter asked, still gripping onto my hand.
“Those damn witches, we told them it would affect the community. Now look, the humans are trying to kill us all off. Especially the vampires. I had a vision of it.” he was grumbling to Mummy.
“We have to stay in hiding, honeys. Otherwise bad humans will come and kill us.” Mummy said. We nodded. I looked at Mummy's new nyota on her pretty white face sitting under her startling blue eyes. As she bent down her rippling black hair fell around her face like a sort of halo. Her high cheekbones looked ever zaidi dramatic with the nyota perchedon the left. Me and Winter had Mummy's looks. Some people alisema we look just like Mummy, but cuter, and with our Daddy's topaz eyes. Daddy had blonde hair and a long nose and was very well-built.
“Everything's going to be alright, sugarpops.” Daddy said. We nodded.
But something tugged at our insides, and we knew nothing was going to be alright now. Not now. Not now the humans knew about us and all creatures.
Things were going to get difficult.
I gasped and was awake along with Winter. And we knew at once that we had the same dream. We looked at each other. The thing is that me and Winter had a bond. Like a link between us. Some people call it twin telepathy but we know it's zaidi than that. We can hear each other's thoughts sometimes, and have the same dreams and same thoughts and did things at exactly the same time, and we knew what the other was feeling.
“Winter. What was that about?” I asked her. Winter shook her head.
“I have no idea.” she said, looking taken aback, and blinked.
“Uh, what time is it?” I asked, realising as I asked the stupid swali that we didn't know anything about time. Winter raised an eyebrow.
“Never mind.” I said, blinking myself awake.
Winter rolled her eyes.
“Uh, so is it night au day?” I reasoned my question. Winter shrugged. I rolled my eyes.
“I'll check.” I said, and stood up. I walked over to the heavy metal door and peeped out. I saw everything there, and the mitaani, mtaa lights almost blinded me. Night.
I walked back and threw Winter a pair of pj's and slippers and a night gown. She didn't need any zaidi than that. We threw on our stuff and packed the clothes we had slept in and took off into the night.
I glanced at Winter in her black pyjamas with silver stars and an owl, and black and silver bottoms. She glanced back and we nodded grimly.
It wouldn't be hard to fake cry, just think about what would happen to our family and waterworks come on like a tap. We walked in silence, not noticing the people walking at night giving us a weird look. We glanced at the clock: almost midnight. Weird that every time something thrilling is happening, the time is midnight.
I could feel the elation and fear welling up inside Winter, and we looked straight ahead, hand in hand, hopefully looking human.
We then ran into the police station, sobbing.
“What in the world?” the policeman alisema behind the counter, looking alarmed.
“We - we went downstairs and there was va - Wanyonya damu eating our Mum and Dad. We - we barely made it out there alive. It was so scary.” I said, shaking.
“Okay, calm down, it's okay, you're safe. I'm going to have to ask wewe where wewe live, what wewe names are and your age please.” the policeman held a pen and paper at the ready.
“Our names are Winter and Iana west, we're fifteen and we just moved, we can't remember the address.” Winter said, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. The policeman nodded, uandishi the information down.
“Okay, I'll call the social services.” he said, and picked up the phone and dialled a number. The phone rang and we stood there, looking fearful and grieved, which we were.
Hello, social services, how can I be of your service?
“Hello, it's the police, I have two young girls, parents Lost to vampires, and they're in need of a nyumbani - temporarily so that wewe could sort things out.” the policeman said.
And their name and ages?
“Iana and Winter West, they're both fifteen - twins - and if you're about to ask he address, they don't know. They just moved.”
Iana and Winter West. Pah! Iana and Winter Air zaidi like, but the Airs are the most wanted vampire family in the human race. So, that would cause a commotion.
Okay, if wewe could just come to the care nyumbani Child's Dream, they will take care of the girls. I will inform them. The address is...
The woman gave an address to the policeman and he wrote it down as he kept nodding. “Okay, I'll take them there.” he said.
Tell the girls good luck from me. Bye, now!
“Bye.” and he hung up. He stood up from his chair and walked around the counter.
“Okay, come on, girls, I'll drive wewe to your new temporary home.” he said, then picked up the phone again.
“Greg, can wewe take over, thank you.” he said, and it echoed in the intercom. He grabbed the car keys from his dawati and shepherded me and Winter outside to a sleek, black Mercedes.
“Where's the police car?” Winter asked our question. The policeman looked up.
“Oh, I thought you'd be zaidi comfortable in the Mercedes, but if wewe want to go in the police car, then -”
“No, don't worry, we were just curious.” I said. The policeman blinked, but opened the car door without a word.
Me and Winter shuffled into our seats and did up our kiti, kiti cha belts.
Then we drove off into the night. We sat in silence the whole way there apart from when the policeman told us his name.
“Uh, to make it easier for you, I'm Henry.” we nodded.
“Iana.” I said.
“Winter.” she said. The policeman nodded and went back to driving.
We arrived not long after and we slid out the back.
“Let's get those suitcases out the boot then.” Henry said. Then he tried to carry all four of them. Me and Winter took one each from him and walked up the pathway to the care home. It was a tall building with bright colours painted on the walls outside.
It didn't seem welcoming though.
Winter rang the doorbell and a greying, plump woman appeared at the door in her nightgown and curlers in her hair. She yawned.
“Oh, yes, I was told to expect you. Winter and... Yina au something?” she said. I blinked.
“Iana.” I corrected.
“Oh, sorry, just woke up. Not functioning properly. Uh, come in, thank you, officer.” she herded me and Winter into the hallway.
“Anytime, oh and if wewe need me, girls, here's my card.” Henry handed a business card to Winter and we both peered over it.
“Okay.” we said, smiling at Henry, and walked into our new home.
Annabelle and Abby have maharage, maharagwe bff`s in 3 month`s now and they were wery happy abaut it,
-Do wewe wanna come nyumbani to me and eat chajio, chakula cha jioni with my family? Abby asked annabelle,
-Yeah, cool, what time?
-why can`t wewe just come over after school! Abby alisema
-I just gotta text my mom abaut that!
Annabelle said.
After school annabelle texted her mother!
mom!
I`m eating at Abby`s today!
I come nyumbani maybe eight ore something.
Don`t wait for me ok!
/ Belle!
After a while annabelle`s mom anwsered.
Belle ! Of course wewe can eat at abby!
-so.... Abby said,
-Yes, i mean she lett me eat at you!
-Do wewe wanna come nyumbani to me and eat chajio, chakula cha jioni with my family? Abby asked annabelle,
-Yeah, cool, what time?
-why can`t wewe just come over after school! Abby alisema
-I just gotta text my mom abaut that!
Annabelle said.
After school annabelle texted her mother!
mom!
I`m eating at Abby`s today!
I come nyumbani maybe eight ore something.
Don`t wait for me ok!
/ Belle!
After a while annabelle`s mom anwsered.
Belle ! Of course wewe can eat at abby!
-so.... Abby said,
-Yes, i mean she lett me eat at you!
Annabelle had alec on her mind the rest of the day, she couldn`t kubeba the delling to sitt with them on lunch, but when she saw them she got so nervous that she trough up.
A few days later Annabelle was wating for the buss again,
-ANNABELLE, abby shouted, she was so happy, your back!!!
-yes, but, where are the others? annabellee wondred,
-oh,I always walk faster then them, abby ecsplained,
Annabelle saw them coming ,
-Here they come, abby said,
- and so does the buss, annabelle said,
-HURRY UP !!! Abby schoted to her siblings.
At the buss abby talked abaut how weired everybody toght she was , all of the others were just sitting there, there eyes loked darker then before, and they had bags under there eyes, Annabelle saw that Alec where loking at her she loked back, he loked at her like she was something to eat, she got nervous and loked another way.
A few days later Annabelle was wating for the buss again,
-ANNABELLE, abby shouted, she was so happy, your back!!!
-yes, but, where are the others? annabellee wondred,
-oh,I always walk faster then them, abby ecsplained,
Annabelle saw them coming ,
-Here they come, abby said,
- and so does the buss, annabelle said,
-HURRY UP !!! Abby schoted to her siblings.
At the buss abby talked abaut how weired everybody toght she was , all of the others were just sitting there, there eyes loked darker then before, and they had bags under there eyes, Annabelle saw that Alec where loking at her she loked back, he loked at her like she was something to eat, she got nervous and loked another way.