The Vampire Joy by Alisa Freund (fox in socks read aloud .txt) 📕

what she looked like yet. She took one of her new poi balls out and look at her reflection. Her makeup was pale and she had dark circles around her eyes. There was a stream of dried blood coming from the corner of her mouth but then she realized that it was from alex biting her.
“are any good?” Sabrina said. For a moment joy didn’t know what she was
“are you any good?” Sabrina said. For a moment joy didn’t know what she was talking about then she looked down at the poi balls.
“oh, yeah I guess I am.” She said being modest.
“can you show me?” Sabrina asked but joy knew that nothing was a request when it came from Sabrina.
Joy nodded and started twirling them around getting more and more complex with the moves. She was glad the foyer was so large otherwise she would have broken something. She finished with her back flip then stopped and took a bow.
“my dear you are too modest.” She said clapping her hands, “but how are you at dancing.” Joy looked up at her in confusion and she continued, “David had told me that he had taught you but I take what he says with a grain of salt.”
“no, he has taught me.” She said.
“show me.” Joy walked over to Sabrina, “not with me. We cannot have two followers. Adrian!” before she could even blink a cold hand took hers. She looked up and saw the same vampire who had attacked her the first night she was there.
He took up the waltz stance and joy followed their movements were fluid and natural then they stopped abruptly. “is that enough ma’am?” Adrian asked Sabrina.
“no that will be the main dance of the evening but I would like to see how she does with the other dances, on to the foxtrot.” She said.
“ma’am I mean no disrespect but I’m afraid I am not strong enough to continue. I think it would be a better task for one of the older vampires like Emilio.” He said almost pleading.
“my dear boy you misunderstand my intentions. This is not only a challenge towards joy but you as well. I want to make sure you are disciplined enough to attend the ball. Besides after the debacle that unfolded here the other day I have my doubts about you. Don’t you want to prove me wrong?” she asked sternly.
Adrian bowed and said, “yes ma’am.” They continued to dance the foxtrot as joy watched the color from his eyes draining and the grip on her tightening. She could tell he was in pain and using every bit of his self-control not to bite into her.
“so, what’s your story?” she asked. His eyes widened with shock. She figured if she talked him down it would take his mind away from his hunger.
Adrian gave her a weak smile realizing what she was trying to do, “well, my name is Adrian. I grew up in Venice and met a girl named Celeste. She was a vampire and I was intrigued by her. I didn’t have much of a family or friends so I asked her to change me. She petitioned it and well here I am.”
“but if you were living in Venice how did you end up here and under Sa-headmaster Collins?” joy asked
“well Celeste didn’t mean that much to me and vice-versa, she was only a means to get to be a vamp. As for Sabrina, I didn’t know much about vampire society so she took me in as sort of an apprentice. So the ball isn’t only your defining moment.” He said smiling.
“about that, what is my defining moment.” Joy asked already assuming what he was going to say.
He looked over at Sabrina and said, “it’s a secret.”
Joy rolled her eyes and said, “I was afraid you would say that. It isn’t much of a secret if everybody but me knows it.”
“ah but that’s where your wrong. It is still a secret for you and besides isn’t it always better to have a surprise?” he said still smiling.
“from my experience vampire surprises are never good.” She said smiling and he smiled back at her. He looked down at her and she could see the color of his eyes returning, “you aren’t hungry anymore?”
Adrian shrugged his shoulders and said, “now that I know you, I wouldn’t imagine biting you. You are my friend.” He said it so nonchalantly that joy was wondering if she had heard him right.
“you are finished Adrian. You may go back to your studies.” Adrian stopped dancing and bowed to joy then turn on his heel to Sabrina and bowed. “very good Adrian, I believe you may be ready.”
Before he left the room he whispered, “take care of yourself, I know you’ll make the right decision.” With that he left down the hall way. Joy turn to Sabrina expectantly.
“do you have something to ask my dear?” she asked looking into joy’s eyes.
Joy thought about asking what was going to happen at the ball but knew she would just say it was a secret as well so she changed her mind and asked, “who is Mikhail?”
There was a look of surprise on Sabrina’s face for a moment then it quickly returned to a mask, “you forget yourself. That isn’t an appropriate question to ask of a high council member.” She said almost in disgust.
“is it an appropriate question to ask someone you love?... ma’am.” She said back to her almost immediately regretting how forward she was.
But to her surprise Sabrina smiled warmly and said, “yes I suppose it is.” Then sighed., “how did you hear of him?”
“I overheard you yesterday on the phone to David.” She said feeling a little embarrassed for eavesdropping.
“talking to….. ah yes you heard that?” she said with a sly smile.
“yes ma’am I apologize for eavesdropping.” Joy said looking at the hymn of her tattered black dress.
“black really isn’t your color, well come along we will discuss this in the parlor.” Sabrina said getting up and walking down the hallway with joy following.
They sat on opposite chairs, “I must warn you it isn’t a story with happy ending.”
“with all due respect ma’am I’m not used to happy endings so I wouldn’t know what to do if it was ma’am.” Joy said looking her in the eye.
“very well. As you are aware I am the first day walker. Mikhail was the vampire who turned me. Before I was turned I was his scientific apprentice, some said he was mad but I saw him as a genius. He gave me his blood to see how a person would react without the venom. To both of our understanding we assumed I would turn into a night stalker much like himself but when my heart didn’t stop beating and my skin kept its rosy complexion we thought it was a failed experiment but later that evening my fangs grew out then we knew I had changed. He preformed experiments with blood and it was evident that I not only need it but craved it as well. A month went by of this until that one day,” her eyes got watery at that point and joy could tell she was in genuine pain recalling that day, “it was almost time for sunrise and Mikhail had already resided to his coffin for the night. I went to mine to find that it was nailed shut. I tried to pry it open but to no avail. I was panicked there was nothing around that I could even cover myself with I watched as the sun slowly rise over the horizon thinking that it was going to be the last thing I ever saw. To my surprise though nothing happened the day went by and I waited for night to fall so I could confront Mikhail. Once night fell I heard his coffin open. I didn’t actually know what I was going to say to him but I knew a lot of profanity would be involved. He walked over to me and as if not detecting my anger said, “I see the experiment was a success. I am glad.” Just like that and in that moment I had an epiphany the man I loved didn’t see me as anything more than a lab rat. An experiment that he could toy with until I was dead and then dispose of as if I never mattered. I knew I had to do something before he started his experiments with stakes and things that would actually kill me. So that morning I went his coffin and opened it in broad day light… you can assume what happened from that point.” She said almost dismissively.
“You…killed him?” joy asked with a horrified look on her face.
“dear, I did what I had to do to survive.” She said almost reassuringly. “the vampire were both upset and curious by me so they took me under their wing and since I had survived so long it was only natural I would be on the council.”
Without knowing why joy was crying she lunged out of her chair to embrace Sabrina and to her amazement Sabrina didn’t block it instead she started crying herself. “I am so sorry you had to go through that alone, it just isn’t right and you had nobody.”
Sabrina tightened up at her word and grabbed joys shoulders and put them at arms length, “no my dear, I’m just as horrid as him. You were my experiment and I don’t feel right putting you through this anymore. I have something to show you.” Joy had no idea what she was talking about but followed her into the theater. They sat down in the front row and Sabrina said, “what’s your story my dear and start from the beginning.”
“well, I met David when I was-“ she started but Sabrina cut her off.
“no, from the beginning.” She said
“well, my first memory was when I was five-“ joy started but was cut off again
“no, the beginning.” Sabrina getting slightly agitated.
Joy threw her hands in the air and said, “I was born December thirteenth 1991 at St. Jude’s Hospital.”
“precisely!” Sabrina said with a smile across her face
On the screen an image of a hospital room flashed into view. Joy’s father was sitting next to a bed and laying in the bed was… “my mother?” joy said looking over at Sabrina.
“shh watch the movie.” She said without even looking down from the screen. Joy continued watching.
“don’t worry honey its fine.” Her mother said weakly from the bed. “soon you, me and little joy will be going home.”
It looked like her father wanted to protest but before he had a chance the doctor came in holding a clip board. He looked up and joy realized who it was immediately “Alex!” joy said jumping up.
“shhhhhhhh” Sabrina said pulling her back down to her seat.
“sally,” Alex said to joys mother, “so how are we feeling today?”
“the baby’s coming but I’m afraid my vitals are dropping.” Her mother said still weakly.
“we’ll put you on oxygen and see if your vitals improve.” He said walking over to the bed and delicately placing the mask over her mother’s mouth.
Tears were running down joy’s face, “she’s dying.” She whispered to the screen. She watched as her father held her mother’s hand. A half an hour went by until Alex returned to the room. He peaked under the curtain and said “she’s ready, are you?” joys mother nodded.
She watched as her mother pushed then Alex looked at the monitor and yelled “stop!” he raced over to the button on the wall and pushed it but her mother continued to push. “what are you doing