The Awakening by Dakota Edgell (nonfiction book recommendations .TXT) 📖

and crawled into the bed next to her to cuddle and talk. When I finally got hungry, I picked up the pizza and Ashley slapped it out of my hand and kissed me, loving and tender. I smiled and lied down next to her, laughing and sleepy.
As I prepared supper, knowing mother was working late, Ashley called her father to tell him that she was staying the night at a friend's house. With his okay, she helped me finish the supper. We laughed for an hour, cooking and tasting and joking. She would kiss me over and over if there was a break. It was perfect, and we received news that mother was with her friend all night, so we got to have fun together without problems or distractions. She made me parade around shirtless, but I didn't really mind. It was okay with me.
We cooked Italiano and devoured the fruits of our combined efforts. By the time we got sleepy, it was midnight. The clock chimed with an ominous sound, almost as if it was warning her. But neither of us noticed. She instead snuggled herself into my chest and whispered, "Happy Brithday, Jeremy." Ashley leaned up to me and kissed me until she couldn't breathe. I knew this would be the best, and last, night of my life.
We crept up the stairs and hopped into the bed,laughing and smiling all the way. I realized I should probably put on my pajama pants, and ran out of the room. She followed, unknown to me. I stripped down to my black boxers, and began to put on the pants, when I felt her hand drag me back to the room. "You don't need those!" she told me. She took me to the room and lied me down on the bed, laughing in her innocent way. I smiled and pulled her to me. She crawled on top of me and lied there, sleeping to the sound of my heartbeat.
Chapter 3- Transformation

I awoke to Ashley's loving touch and her angelic voice. She said, "Wake up, my love. Time for breakfast." She winked at me and ran down the stairs. I heard every soft thump. I got up and stretched. I felt…different. Like everything had changed in that one night. I could smell better, hear better, and feel everything. I didn't even need my contacts! I felt stronger and faster than ever before.
Running down the stairs, I felt light as a feather. However, when I hit the tile of the kitchen floor, the whole room shook with the ferocity of an earthquake. Ashley turned around in surprise. "Good morning, sleepy. How was your night." As if she didn't know.
"It was wonderful. I met the most beautiful woman on Earth."
"And who would that be?" she inquired with a smirk.
I looked into her eyes with a whole new sight. "You." I said this while trying to understand the reason towards my new senses. I could tell something had changed drastically. I just didn't know what.
"Jeremy? Jeremy?" I heard her frightened voice. Apparently I hadn't answered her question. "I said 'Ya sure?'."
I responded as not to frighten her again, whispering lovingly. "As sure as I am sure of my existence." It was true, but I wasn't so sure of my new existence. As sure as I was of my previous existence? No, with this new life, I wasn't sure of the first one either. I was just sure. That's all I could be.

Chapter 4- Realization

I dressed myself properly in the bathroom after a hot shower. The water felt like fire on my skin. I wondered what it was. This had never happened before- the water was supposed to be the same temperature as every other time. I jumped in and gave myself a thorough wash, keeping the time short so I wouldn't burn myself in the blistering water.
When out of the shower, I gathered Ashley's stuff and took her home. Our parents would be angry if she was still at my house. We kissed on the doorstep, not wanting the other to leave. Although we knew we had to, we just couldn't separate from one another. We finally stopped ourselves, and I departed.
With Ashley gone, I could do some research on my own. With her there, she might question my studies. As I pulled out my laptop, my memory caught up to me--the brew. It was finished, and waiting. I ran to the pot, and, picking it up, dumped it into the sink, rinsing the basin and drain.
I turned back to my laptop, opening the internet. Going to google, I searched my different changes and symptoms. I was baffled when website about vampirism popped up, but I had considered things like magic and spells in previous times. Clicking on the link, the homepage greeted me, "Welcome Young Vampire!". I shivered as a chill ran down my spine.
I moved the cursor over the site navigation, and saw several topics that could clear the mist shrouding my change. I went to the most obvious: "Am I a vampire?" and "How do I know?" It told me three things:
1. They could not assure me of whether or not I was a vampire.
2. If I am, I await several persecutions.
3. Most myths were true in their own way.
I explored several other sites, all with symptoms and facts. However, no matter how hard I searched, I could get no guarantee of vampirism. Almost as if they wanted to leave it to chance; it was like they were saying, "You eat somebody and you're not, you're screwed! And if you are, you're still screwed!" I went back to the very first website and bookmarked it, saving it for later. I closed the computer. These were supposed to bring information to the people, not present what-ifs and why-nots.
I thought about the events taking place around me, causing chaos and bedlam. I had to know the truth at some point. So I decided to try something different. Some divination. I pulled out a bowl of water and threw a match into it. I had invented this technique---you are supposed to find images in the smoke. I asked the one question on my mind- "Am I a Vampire?" The smoke swirled in very fine, neat letters, very definite:
Yes
I shook and shivered, not able to accept this. I tried another thin- bibliomancy. I opened a book, with my eyes closed, and pointed. Reading the text, I shook again. It said, "You have to learn to accept what you are!" I tried one last thing---the lemon juice test. Said to reveal all secrets. I grabbed the supplies necessary. I set a bowl of water and set it in a place away from reflections of light and other objects. I then took a glass of water and mixed three drops of lemon juice and three tea spoons of salt. I waited until all I could see was my face, but not reflected. Saying, "Reveal your secrets," I dropped one drop of the mixture in the water, and waited until the image settled. I did this twice more, and saw my true self. It had some disgusting, blood drinking, fanged creature. I realized this was me. I had the same features as that weird man, the beast that was haunting my existence. I realized what he said became true- his statement of my transformation. Regardless of what I tried to do as prevention against becoming the beast, it happened. I was one of his kind. Never had I imagined that this would be me. Little had I known about creatures of the night, but my
suspicions of their existence had always seemed so…natural. As if I had subconsciously known what I was, but had not the
courage to reveal it or pursue the information. I intended on finding the truth once and for all, and I set to work.
I raced for the stairs, the exact spot where I had been attacked by the strange man that night. I brought my nose to the ground and breathed deeply, finding his scent. i smirked, knowing I could find him. I raced to my room and put my shoes back on. Slipping the size 10 white and red Nike REAX Rockets on my feet, I headed for the door.
Once outside, I breathed again, picking up the same subtle scent. I ran, following the trace. I moved, fast as lightning, through the city streets, everything a blur around me. I stopped where there scent was strongest--and old condemned building. I busted through the door, and saw about thirty or so vampires talking to each other. They stared at me, and the one farthest back chuckled. He stepped forward, smirking.
"Welcome, brother Jeremiah," he said welcomingly. "We've been expecting you."
I raced forward and, grabbing him by the collar, slammed him ion a wall, almost sending him through it.
I stared him in the eyes, growling at him. "What did you do to me?!"
He stared back, calm as can be; however, I sensed fear lying in there. "Nothing, young one. You are what you are. I did nothing to change you or even accelerate your changing. The time was coming, and I gave you fair warning."
Angry, I grabbed him by the throat and, with one hand, slammed him through a glass table. "LIAR!" Everyone in the room gasped and I could hear their whispers.
"No one can kill Malakei!"
"This young one…is he?"
"The chosen one?"
I turned to look at everyone's faces. They were in genuine shock at my being angry. I picked up a shard of glass and stared at my expression. My lips were pulled back, over my teeth, and my eyes were the darkest black. I was a monster, and they were right to fear me. Within me, I found this source of pride and power over these insignificant creatures. I felt like I was their king.
Malakei walked forward and looked into my eyes, placing his hand on my shoulder in a fatherly way. He turned to the others. "Yes. I have told you of what he can do, and here he is. He shall be my