Chapter 4 - A Family Reunion... Sorta
Submitted October 4, 2007 Updated October 7, 2007 Status Incomplete | A semi-normal teen named Crysta Aile finds out she is not so normal after all...
Category:
Fantasy » Characters |
Chapter 4 - A Family Reunion... Sorta
Chapter 4 - A Family Reunion... Sorta
Chapter 4
“Crysta, are you ready?” Her father’s voice roared from outside her sister’s door.
Crysta’s mother yelled back, “No! It’ll be probably another 10 minutes.” She then went back to what she had been doing- straightening out the oversized gown Crysta was wearing.
“Fine, but hurry up! The sun’ll be up in less than three hours!” Nathaniel replied. Crysta could hear his heavy footsteps as he left.
“Ma, why do I have to wear this thing?” She whined, tired of standing up straight and holding still.
“You’ll see.” Kayla said. She was trying to style Crysta’s hair, but her hair wasn’t too cooperative. “You can sit over here now, if you wish.”
“You’re not Ma,” Crysta growled. “Oh, I almost forgot… I think this is the first time I’ve ever been in Kayla’s room…” She realized, looking around.
Kayla had a fairly large room. Crysta was sitting at Kayla’s vanity mirror, made of dark, almost black, wood. There was a single bed in the corner opposite the door, covered in dark purple blankets. A desk was in the other corner, made of a dark, antique-looking wood. The wallpaper was a bit lighter purple, and the carpet was dark black, like in the rest of the house.
From this description so far, you might just think she had a thing for dark colors, but her room was a little stranger than that… There were portraits on the walls of things such as a vampire biting a young woman, and of strange creatures that looked human, except had claws, strangely colored cat-like eyes, medium-sized bat wings, fangs, and a thin tail with an arrowhead tip. Little figurines were positioned all over her desk, many of them frighteningly similar in appearance to some of Kayla’s past boyfriends. One of them had a string tied around its neck. Another had a needle poked through its head.
“One is currently suffering from Strep Throat, the other has occasional migraines.” Kayla said, following Crysta’s gaze.
“Oh… eheheh…” Crysta mumbled, at a loss for words. “What the heck IS my family supposed to be?!” She screamed silently, now fully aware she was in the house of a family of non-humans.
“There, that should be about it…” Crysta’s mother said suddenly, stepping back from adjusting Crysta’s hair, after Kayla had given up.
“So what do I have to do now, and will you PLEASE tell me what the heck’s going on?!” Crysta cried, putting her hands on her hips.
“We’ll tell you…” Her mother began.
“…But first, you have to meet the rest of the family. They’ve been waiting since almost 12 O’clock AM!” Kayla finished.
Crysta jumped up. “The family?! You mean Grandma and Grandpa?! I haven’t seen Grandma and Grandpa since I was almost five years old!!”
Laurena nodded. “And Aunt Allinia, Aunt Katlyn, Uncle Christopher, and some of your cousins, not to mention your father’s side of the family.”
Crysta exclaimed, “I’ve never even met them before!”
Kayla laughed in her cool, refined way. “Mother and Father had reasons for that.”
“So you’ve met them, then?” Crysta asked as she gathered her shed nightgown and socks.
“Yes, when I was a little younger than you. You were at that human’s house at a sleepover- what was her name…? Sherra…?” She replied, cocking her head to the side in thought.
“…Do you mean Sarah?” Crysta asked as her mother and sister led her into back into the hallway.
“Oh, great… now they’re referring to my best friend as ‘that human...’ Now I REALLY want to know what’s going on!” Crysta quickly ran back to her room and tossed her socks and nightgown into it, then darted back between Laurena and Kayla.
They slowly walked- for you can’t walk too quickly in floor-length gowns- to the staircase, when Crysta’s mother and sister stopped.
Below them, a whole mess of people were grouped together, all chatting among themselves as if they were waiting for something. An older woman of about 35 years old at the most glanced up at the three women at the top of the staircase, then exclaimed, “There’s my little granddaughter!!”
Crysta stared at the tawny-haired woman for a moment. “She’s not even old enough to look like MY mother, let alone Ma’s!”
As if reading her thoughts, Laurena murmured, “Go hug your grandmother, darling…” with a little push to Crysta’s back, causing her to lunge forward down the stairs, and into the arms of the woman.
“Awwww, my granddaughter’s gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw her!” Twilah Mahogany cried as she hugged Crysta.
“Eh heh…” Crysta laughed nervously, not exactly hugging her grandmother back.
“Now give your Grandpa a hug, too!” A gruff voice exclaimed as Crysta was embraced by a brown-haired man about as old as her own father.
After Alton Mahogany released his granddaughter, Crysta staggered back.
Just then, Crysta’s father entered from the kitchen, followed by several other people.
“May I introduce our star of the day, Crystalynn Aile!?” He exclaimed, holding Crysta’s shoulders. The people all cheered, clapping and laughing happily. Crysta noticed that all of them had teeth, ears, eyes, and nails similar to her own. Her eyes widened.
“Da, is this our whole family?!” She whispered nervously.
“Most of the family’s here, Crysta- all except your older cousins, who are in the kitchen, and a few who couldn’t come on such short notice.” He turned to the medium-sized crowd. “Now that you all know her, why don’t you introduce yourselves?”
A woman who looked about the same age as Crysta’s mother, with the same, dark colored hair stepped forward. “I’m Katlyn Mahogany, your mom’s sister- your Aunt. Nice to meetcha, Crystalynn!”
Crysta nervously replied, “Please, call me Crysta… Nice to meet you, too, Aunt Katlyn…”
Next, a man and woman who seemed a little older than Crysta’s parents came forward together. The woman had black hair and light grey eyes, and was wearing a Victorian-style dress, with a collar and long, lacy sleeves. The brown-haired man had on a 14th century-styled jacket, loafers, and pants, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail with dark bangs hanging over his dark eyes.
“We’re your great-grandparents on your father’s side, Ellen and Nathaniel Aile. Happy birthday and awakening day, by the way, Crysta.”
“Oh, thanks…” Crysta said, still as confused as ever.
When her great-grandparents stepped back, a black-haired woman about the same age came forward, along with a brown-haired man the same.
The woman spoke. “I’m Ashena Mahogany, and this is my husband, George Mahogany. We’re also your great-grandparents, but on your mom’s side.”
The next couple to introduce themselves was Margaret and Henry Aile, Crysta’s other grandparents.
Several other aunts and uncles and such introduced themselves, but by that point, Crysta’s head was already spinning.
“Okay, now that everyone knows everyone, let’s go outside and prepare.” Crysta’s father said to the crowd, who obeyed, along with Crysta’s mother and sister.
Crysta began to follow the rest of them, but her Nathaniel stopped her.
“You go into the kitchen and meet your cousins. They’ll explain to you what’s going on. One of us’ll come and lead you guys out here when we’re ready.”
“Whaaa?!! Do you expect me to remember all these names?!! PLUS my cousins’?!” Crysta cried, flailing her arms.
“No, I just expect you to do what we tell you to do. Now go- or else the family’ll get tired of waiting and you’ll never learn what we’re doing to you!” He replied impatiently.
“See you, then!” Crysta said, already halfway to the kitchen.
“Finally, I can learn what the heck’s going on!!”
“Crysta, are you ready?” Her father’s voice roared from outside her sister’s door.
Crysta’s mother yelled back, “No! It’ll be probably another 10 minutes.” She then went back to what she had been doing- straightening out the oversized gown Crysta was wearing.
“Fine, but hurry up! The sun’ll be up in less than three hours!” Nathaniel replied. Crysta could hear his heavy footsteps as he left.
“Ma, why do I have to wear this thing?” She whined, tired of standing up straight and holding still.
“You’ll see.” Kayla said. She was trying to style Crysta’s hair, but her hair wasn’t too cooperative. “You can sit over here now, if you wish.”
“You’re not Ma,” Crysta growled. “Oh, I almost forgot… I think this is the first time I’ve ever been in Kayla’s room…” She realized, looking around.
Kayla had a fairly large room. Crysta was sitting at Kayla’s vanity mirror, made of dark, almost black, wood. There was a single bed in the corner opposite the door, covered in dark purple blankets. A desk was in the other corner, made of a dark, antique-looking wood. The wallpaper was a bit lighter purple, and the carpet was dark black, like in the rest of the house.
From this description so far, you might just think she had a thing for dark colors, but her room was a little stranger than that… There were portraits on the walls of things such as a vampire biting a young woman, and of strange creatures that looked human, except had claws, strangely colored cat-like eyes, medium-sized bat wings, fangs, and a thin tail with an arrowhead tip. Little figurines were positioned all over her desk, many of them frighteningly similar in appearance to some of Kayla’s past boyfriends. One of them had a string tied around its neck. Another had a needle poked through its head.
“One is currently suffering from Strep Throat, the other has occasional migraines.” Kayla said, following Crysta’s gaze.
“Oh… eheheh…” Crysta mumbled, at a loss for words. “What the heck IS my family supposed to be?!” She screamed silently, now fully aware she was in the house of a family of non-humans.
“There, that should be about it…” Crysta’s mother said suddenly, stepping back from adjusting Crysta’s hair, after Kayla had given up.
“So what do I have to do now, and will you PLEASE tell me what the heck’s going on?!” Crysta cried, putting her hands on her hips.
“We’ll tell you…” Her mother began.
“…But first, you have to meet the rest of the family. They’ve been waiting since almost 12 O’clock AM!” Kayla finished.
Crysta jumped up. “The family?! You mean Grandma and Grandpa?! I haven’t seen Grandma and Grandpa since I was almost five years old!!”
Laurena nodded. “And Aunt Allinia, Aunt Katlyn, Uncle Christopher, and some of your cousins, not to mention your father’s side of the family.”
Crysta exclaimed, “I’ve never even met them before!”
Kayla laughed in her cool, refined way. “Mother and Father had reasons for that.”
“So you’ve met them, then?” Crysta asked as she gathered her shed nightgown and socks.
“Yes, when I was a little younger than you. You were at that human’s house at a sleepover- what was her name…? Sherra…?” She replied, cocking her head to the side in thought.
“…Do you mean Sarah?” Crysta asked as her mother and sister led her into back into the hallway.
“Oh, great… now they’re referring to my best friend as ‘that human...’ Now I REALLY want to know what’s going on!” Crysta quickly ran back to her room and tossed her socks and nightgown into it, then darted back between Laurena and Kayla.
They slowly walked- for you can’t walk too quickly in floor-length gowns- to the staircase, when Crysta’s mother and sister stopped.
Below them, a whole mess of people were grouped together, all chatting among themselves as if they were waiting for something. An older woman of about 35 years old at the most glanced up at the three women at the top of the staircase, then exclaimed, “There’s my little granddaughter!!”
Crysta stared at the tawny-haired woman for a moment. “She’s not even old enough to look like MY mother, let alone Ma’s!”
As if reading her thoughts, Laurena murmured, “Go hug your grandmother, darling…” with a little push to Crysta’s back, causing her to lunge forward down the stairs, and into the arms of the woman.
“Awwww, my granddaughter’s gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw her!” Twilah Mahogany cried as she hugged Crysta.
“Eh heh…” Crysta laughed nervously, not exactly hugging her grandmother back.
“Now give your Grandpa a hug, too!” A gruff voice exclaimed as Crysta was embraced by a brown-haired man about as old as her own father.
After Alton Mahogany released his granddaughter, Crysta staggered back.
Just then, Crysta’s father entered from the kitchen, followed by several other people.
“May I introduce our star of the day, Crystalynn Aile!?” He exclaimed, holding Crysta’s shoulders. The people all cheered, clapping and laughing happily. Crysta noticed that all of them had teeth, ears, eyes, and nails similar to her own. Her eyes widened.
“Da, is this our whole family?!” She whispered nervously.
“Most of the family’s here, Crysta- all except your older cousins, who are in the kitchen, and a few who couldn’t come on such short notice.” He turned to the medium-sized crowd. “Now that you all know her, why don’t you introduce yourselves?”
A woman who looked about the same age as Crysta’s mother, with the same, dark colored hair stepped forward. “I’m Katlyn Mahogany, your mom’s sister- your Aunt. Nice to meetcha, Crystalynn!”
Crysta nervously replied, “Please, call me Crysta… Nice to meet you, too, Aunt Katlyn…”
Next, a man and woman who seemed a little older than Crysta’s parents came forward together. The woman had black hair and light grey eyes, and was wearing a Victorian-style dress, with a collar and long, lacy sleeves. The brown-haired man had on a 14th century-styled jacket, loafers, and pants, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail with dark bangs hanging over his dark eyes.
“We’re your great-grandparents on your father’s side, Ellen and Nathaniel Aile. Happy birthday and awakening day, by the way, Crysta.”
“Oh, thanks…” Crysta said, still as confused as ever.
When her great-grandparents stepped back, a black-haired woman about the same age came forward, along with a brown-haired man the same.
The woman spoke. “I’m Ashena Mahogany, and this is my husband, George Mahogany. We’re also your great-grandparents, but on your mom’s side.”
The next couple to introduce themselves was Margaret and Henry Aile, Crysta’s other grandparents.
Several other aunts and uncles and such introduced themselves, but by that point, Crysta’s head was already spinning.
“Okay, now that everyone knows everyone, let’s go outside and prepare.” Crysta’s father said to the crowd, who obeyed, along with Crysta’s mother and sister.
Crysta began to follow the rest of them, but her Nathaniel stopped her.
“You go into the kitchen and meet your cousins. They’ll explain to you what’s going on. One of us’ll come and lead you guys out here when we’re ready.”
“Whaaa?!! Do you expect me to remember all these names?!! PLUS my cousins’?!” Crysta cried, flailing her arms.
“No, I just expect you to do what we tell you to do. Now go- or else the family’ll get tired of waiting and you’ll never learn what we’re doing to you!” He replied impatiently.
“See you, then!” Crysta said, already halfway to the kitchen.
“Finally, I can learn what the heck’s going on!!”
Comments
You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment