Timeline/World: Atheria 1st Generation
Characters: Xenith Maxima
Race: Halfling – Elf (snow) / Vampire
Age: 170, physically about 22
Final Word Count: 541 words
Growing up was an interesting experience. I wasn’t ever really on my own, despite my strange bloodline. I was born as I am; a mix of snowbound elf and vampire. Not quite the first of its kind but the only one who did display clearly distinguishable marks of both halves of the very bloodline. People often kept their distances from me, uncertain as to how to act around such a ‘freak of nature’ as I’d often hear them murmur behind my back, thinking I wouldn’t hear them.
The Elven part of my bloodline made feeding me somewhat complicated. While I could digest blood the way most of the others did, I had a somewhat hard time of it if that was my diet for more than a certain amount of time and I preferred real, proper food. That in itself was a problem in a small colony of vampires who had their blood donors and who weren’t used to anything else food-wise.
While ‘freak of nature’ was a common enough term, the other kids my age were crueller, calling me stupid to my face, calling me slow, calling me… well a lot of things. It hurt at first but it forced me to mature up quicker and find ways to not feel the ache the whole deal made me feel.
Often, mostly to make these other kids feel like idiots themselves, I would let them believe that they had my attention, that I was enraptured but whatever they were telling me, I was letting them lead me around, thinking I believed every little word they said but I knew better.
When I was old enough to leave, I did. I think it’s the only good thing that ever happened to me. Sure, I wasn’t quite ready to survive out there in the wild on my own, I had a few seriously close calls but I made it out, I’m alive now, I have a mate, children, grandchildren. I love each and every single one of them, no matter their bloodline and I will never turn my back on any single one of them.
I know I haven’t always been a great example of what to be and not to be but I believe that every parent goes through this, the one part where they’re learning along with their children about what they should and should not do. I was not meant to be a mother, I don’t think, but I’ve cherished every second of that particular adventure.
I would give the world up for my mate if I had to. We haven’t always seen eye to eye but I believe that there is not a single soul out there who do agree on everything all of the time, it wouldn’t make any sense.
Looking back on my life and what it was, I do have a few regrets but nothing that eats away at me, I would not really change any of the decisions I’ve made over time, even if there is some regret attached to it because that’s how anyone learns, that’s how we grow and how we become who we are meant to be in the long run. I’m no fool. I’m done letting others lead me around.
Works of JD Beckett 