Gothic Melody: End of Dreams

Chapter 2:

Bryce sat at the kitchen table poking his eggs until the yok spilled onto his biscuits and into his gravy and sausage. Graceona sat on the other end of the table her food untouched, in her hands was a hardback book going into details of parenting. Bryce sighed leaning back in the bamboo cushioned chair, “Grace, do you know what day today is?”

Graceona looked from her book into Bryce’s ruby eyes, “Yes, today is the twenty-first of December.”

Bryce smiled looking at the large Christmas tree in the center of the large sitting room, “Please Grace just one gift, I won’t ask for anymore until Christmas Day. Please, please Grace. I’ve been good this week, I cleaned my room and made my bed like you asked me to.”

Graceona closed the book placing it on the table, then staring at the child’s pleading eyes. “You have been good this week with your chores, I don’t see what one present won’t hurt. Since all the presents under the tree are for you, you are allowed one gift. If I may put an input in your choice, I think you may enjoy the one, right hand corner, wrapped in the solid gold wrapping paper with the silver bow on it. It is perhaps the most expensive present under the tree as we-” Graceona was interrupted by Bryce jumping to his feet running to the large green Christmas tree decorated in various ornaments of silver, candy canes rested on various places on the limbs, that the garland and large bows didn’t occupy. Graceona decorated the tree making the things on it, Bryce made the string of popcorn that lie above everything else.

Bryce got to the tree picking up every gift that he could get his hands on shaking them trying to guess what the parcel held within. Graceona rested her hands in her lap watching the seven year old boy who would be turning eight on the twenty-fifth of the month, she couldn’t help but smile as the child tried desperately to chose which gift to open. He picked up the parcel that Grace had told him about sitting it aside placing all the presents in a messy pile under the tree, getting the golden wrapped present he stood up looking at it. “What is it? What is it! Grace!” Bryce squealed in excitement.

Graceona stood up walking to Bryce who watched her every move until she was knelt down beside him, “Why don’t you see for yourself, I think it will get you excited enough to wait for the others.”

Bryce ripped at the paper until he was looking at a large cardboard box. Graceona got her blade from her belt cutting the tape opening the flaps, putting her knife into her belt she easily removed the frame of a bed, it’s frame was that of a red sports car. Bryce looked at his new bed with glee when Graceona lay it onto the marble floor Bryce got in the middle of it jumping up and down, “Woo hoo! This is awesome!” Bryce got from the bed clinging onto Graceona’s leg, she picked him up as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Grace stroked his hair laying her head on his, “Thank you Gracie how did you know?”

Graceona thought of the year, this brought a smile to her face, “How could I not know, every time I would take you to town you saw that bed in the department window and lectured me about how cool it would be to have that bed to sleep in and in ways I don’t understand that a race car bed would let you have dreams of driving a race car, in my thousand years of living I have never really thought that a bed would effect how one dreams.”

Bryce looked at her, “Don’t you dream of driving, Gracie?”

“No, I don’t dream much.” Graceona stated looking at him.


Bryce smiled “That’s because you don’t have a racecar bed, I’ve seen your room all it has is a large fire place and black leather couch you need more things in your room. It’s mega boring the way it is now.”

Graceona smiled, “I’ll have to bring it to life then.”

“Where do you sleep, you haven’t got a bed in your room?” Bryce still looked at her.

Graceona sat him in the floor smiling, “I sleep on the sofa, it’s more comfortable than it looks.”

“Uh-huh, I wanna put my bed together and take a nap.” Bryce looked up at her before running to his room.

Graceona watched getting the bed frame and followed him to his room down the long hallway.

As Graceona put the bed together Bryce rocked on his wooden horse, “Come on Grace, work faster I wanna sleep in my bed.”

“Patience, Bryce. It will be done soon.” Graceona continued to put the bed together.

Bryce sighed, “How soon? I want my bed.”

Graceona lay her hammer and tools on the nightstand, “It’s been done for a few minutes now, I just wanted to keep you waiting.”

Bryce got from his horse running to the bed laying on it burying his head into the new racecar pillow cases, Graceona covered him with the large comforter stroking his head kissing his forehead. Bryce turned to his side as Graceona closed the curtains, turning on his nightlight walking from the room closing the door leaving it cracked to allow the halls light to shine through.

Graceona walked to her room sitting on the couch getting her cover looking out her window she turned her C.D. Player on to soft melodies laying down she closed her eyes tomorrow was Bryce’s birthday she smiled at the thought of the child getting excited to open his gifts, as long as Bryce was happy then she could handle his childish nature, come to think of it she didn’t wish for them to end. He was a child who summoned her that night late last year, he could feel his fear clawing to the surface due to the man that had brought him visions of his parent’s death’s to his mind. He summoned her through his fears and his airless lungs when he took that hard fall, he detested her at first for her rules she had given herself to follow when it came to dealing with his enemies. She just hoped that the part of her would get to lie in her consciousness never to resurface again; but, she will always be prepared to unleash the beast within her soul if the time ever came to protect, her mate, her ruler. No one would force him to experience the pain of loose like he had to endure when she first housed him.

She closed her eyes as she soon fell asleep.



-December 25-

Graceona sat on the sofa looking at the large Christmas tree, Bryce had not woke up yet. He was probably enjoying the privledges of dreaming of driving a race car, probably winning big name races. She lean’t back on the sofa taking a sip of water, she heard feet approach followed by a door shutting. She looked to see Bryce wrapped up in his comforter standing looking at her, “I was starting to think you would sleep past Christmas and through your birthday. We can’t have that, I want to see you grow every year on this day. You are looking a little taller, Bryce. Keep growing at this rate and you will be taller than me soon.” Graceona smiled looking at Bryce who walked over to her sitting on the couch laying his head in her lap, snuggling deep into the comforters.

“I don’t want to open presents Gracie, I want my mommy and daddy back.” Bryce felt as Graceona lay her hand on his unruly hair.

Graceona looked at Bryce, words failed her. For he was asking for something that she couldn’t give him for Christmas. “You won’t leave me like that will you Grace? I know your stronger than humans, vampires are stronger than humans and can’t die, right? Grace?” Bryce turned around to face her, awaiting her answer.

Graceona looked down at him stroking his hair, “I’ll be here for you until you want me gone, I won’t leave you until you wish for it. I know you miss your parents, on days like this I miss mine; but, I realized after many months that I couldn’t bring them back, no matter how powerful I got. It hit when I awoke from my slumber to this new Era and they were gone out of my reach.”

“So, you weren’t created by me then? Are you?” Bryce turned away from her.

Graceona looked at him looking at the couch, then her focus changed to him, “No.” She said pulling the cover over him a little more.

Bryce looked at her, “You’ve lied to me all this time Grace? Why? What would you have to get for keeping a live person with you all the time? You’ve never acted like a vampire.”

“I never really lied to you, it was a white lie. Those don’t really count as much. Why didn’t I tell you, that’s because I wanted to protect you. I knew if it were to come in the open that we would be separated, humans are very sorry secret keepers once it comes to my people, What I have to gain in keeping you alive is very many reason but the main one is. I never found a liking to human blood, and choose not to feed on mortal. Not all vampires have a lust for blood they can’t control, there are two types of vampires. But that is a lesson for another time, now why don’t you open your presents and enjoy your Christmas. I’m sure that is something your parents would wish for you to do instead of this vampire talk.” Graceona took the comforter from him, picking him up carrying him to the tree sitting him down in front of the presents. Handing him one, “Merry Christmas, sweety.” She kissed his head placing the gift in his lap.