"So you're telling me I'm a vampire?" Kalika asked, leaning back against a tree. She sat down at the base of it,
eyebrows furrowed in thought. Christian nodded. "Then why aren't I dead from being in the sun?"

"But not like the ones in the folktales. You can go out during the day, as you've observed. You don't have to kill somebody to drink fro them. NOr does a stake kill you. It just hurts, and can paralyze you. You have a reflection in the mirror, your skin stays nice and warm, and garlic does not repell you any more than it would when you were still mortal."

"Wait a second....what do you mean `when you were mortal'?"

"I mean you are immortal. You can not be killed. At least not easily," Christian stated. "You'll get used to it. As a matter of fact, I'm going to take you out and teach you tonight. You'll learn quickly. You're a very smart girl and a quick learner." Kalika stood up slowly.

"But why Chrissy? Why?"

"Understand little one. I had to. If I didn't, you would have died." She stood up slowly, backing away from him.

"I don't believe you. You're lying! Stop lying to me!"

"I'm not ly.." he tried to say before she cut him off.

"Stop it! Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" she screamed, running away from him. He followed her, but she was too fast. She ran and ran, and didn't stop until the sun was going down behind the trees. She looked around, noticing she was in town. She stumbled around blindly, trying to find a landmark she knew. Nothing looked the same to her. The usual green and blue lights of the city were now a strange crimson color. She ran around aimlessly. She bumped into people, who regarded her as a drunk. She blinked, and all the colors swirled before her eyes. She remembered hitting the ground, the pavement feeling remarkably real for this dream world she was in. The alley way was dirty, and she remembered looking over at the flow of blood coming from the corner of her mouth, and the chunk of glass in her hand stung all to much to be fake. Before the lights went out on her, she saw his blue eyes looking down at her with disapproval.

***

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Josh yelled at Christian.

"What are you talking about?"

"Couldn't you have said it any easier? I could have told her better than you did! Hell, even Gabby could have fucking explained it more sympathetically than you!"

"Don't you remember you little prick? You were the same exact way when we told you. You ran away. She was just moer unfortunate than you," Christian said.

"Don't give me that unfortunate crap. She's the only family I fucking have, and you're trying to take her away from me. You almost got her killed!"

"She ran away from me!"

"BUt you didn't stop her. You didn't support her. You just made up excuses."

"I did not. She's just like you are, thick headed and stubborn."

"Fuck you Christian." Josh walked out slamming the door behind him. "Bastard," Josh muttered under his breath, kicking things down the hall until he got out to the garage.