Bonus Ch 198: Natural instincts Whisper

[A side story you can read or skip.]

*Two months back, the day after the Blood Moon.*

It's not every day you wake up feeling like you've been floating in the clouds. However, that was far from how Ian felt when his droopy tired eyes blink open. His whole body aches like a boulder flattened him into a harder surface. His body stirred more lively awake but then his eyes gaped.

"Uh... what the..." Ian nearly shrieked when he found his cheek and front body smashed into his ceiling.

On shaky palms, he pushed off the ceiling and discovered his bed below. "Aaah!" Again he shrieked because he plummets down without control! Ian descended so forcefully that the bed spring bounced him flat onto the carpet. He groaned in pain and rubbed the sore bump on the top of his head.

At the worst possible time, a knock came at the door. "Ian, honey, are you awake?"

Again Ian groaned when he lifted his head but was surely confused. "Ya, mom," he said, trying to hide the pang in his chest.

"Oh, good," she said, merrily. "Breakfast is ready."

"I-I I-I'll be down," he replied, trying to hold back a stammering tone.

"Ok!" Once he heard her feet saunter away from the door. Ian got up on his feet, very gently.

"I'm just losing my marbles," he whispered to himself and entered his bathroom. He washed his face in cold water to wake up from this delusion. Then he pats his face dry with a fluffy white towel. As the towel slid to his chin, his gaze met his reflection in the mirror.

"Aaah!" He jumped back and dropped the towel to the floor. "This can't be real!"

Staring back at him in the mirror were his eyes, blazing redder than the sunset.

"Ah!" Ian held his ears and gritted his teeth in pain from the sting piecing into his eardrums. "What's happening to me!" He said aloud to himself and then heard this call.

"Go to him," this voice, addressed in a whisper.

This whisper was so strange yet it was soothing to him. Shortly, he felt his body relax and he released his ears. But when he looked in the mirror his eyes remained red and he noticed odors were stronger and yet his throat felt dry. He pulled the skin on his throat to ease that strange dryness and thought a cold shower will help him feel better.

"I must be getting a sore throat," he rationalized to make sense of this odd coincidence.

He didn't play around and got in and got out just as quickly. Yet after getting dressed, he stared into the mirror and found his eyes had not changed from being bloodred.

Of course, he was beyond confused and flustered. The best solution he has right now was to wear a pair of sunglasses, he rationalized once more. So he did that and figured maybe a good breakfast will help him feel better.

'It's likely just a bad case of pink eye,' he told himself.

Downstairs in the dining room, it didn't get any better for Ian. Already sitting at the table were his ten-year-old twin sisters and his stepdad who was doing his usual by reading the morning paper.

Coming from the kitchen, his mother set a stack of freshly made fluffy pancakes on the table. The entire table was fully covered with plates, cups, utensils, whip cream, fruits, syrup, milk, and sparkles for his twin sisters.

Humid sweat glistened on his brow when he smelled this peculiar delicious aroma. He couldn't quite place it. Surely it was mom's amazing cooking, he made himself believe. What else could it be?

"Good morning, honey," greeted his mother when she placed a kiss on top of his head.

"Really, mom!" He griped to keep his pride but he couldn't deny it in his heart that was a mama's boy.

"Oh, Deanna, he's eighteen and freshly graduated. You're just embarrassing him," said his stepdad while his eyes remained on the morning paper.

"Eighteen or not, he will always be my baby," Deanna said as tears threatened to pour.

After she had sat in her chair to eat, Ian leaned over to his mother and gave her a side hug. After all, he wasn't able to watch his mother sob joyful yet sad tears because he graduated and was moving out soon for college.

"Always mom but I still gotta grow up and do my own thing." He hugged her, saying.

"Oh, you've been such a blessing," Deanna said and hugged her son tight. Without any control, suddenly Ian could hear the blood pumping through his mother's veins. So tempting it was to smell it. In the worst way, it taunts him.

"Bite! Feed!" A tiny voice whispered again.

He pulled away and collected himself by taking a breath. Then he put three pancakes on his plate. While his mother dried her tears away with a napkin.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses at the table?" Across the table just next to their dad, his sister Deidre asked.

"Leave him be, Deidre," their father said. "Must be the new thing you new graduates are doing these days."

"Yeah, differently," replied Ian.

Although his tone was a little off. Thankfully, his parents didn't catch it.

"Why are you acting so weird today?" However, sitting by Ian's left, his other little sister Laura did and asked him.

"I-I I'm just doing something new," Ian exclaimed to Laura yet she gave him a strange look but didn't nag any further.

Lightly, Ian sighed that she dropped it and then he took his first bite. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes gaped at the nasty flavor resting on his tongue. He coughed and spit his food out on his plate.

"Are you alright, Ian?" his stepfather asked, gawking at him strangely.

"Uhm, ya! I'm good," he cleaned his throat. "I realized I'm late to meet my friends."

Without getting a chance to ask him about his plans. Ian got up and cleaned his plate inside the kitchen. Then he ran past them saying a quick goodbye and rushed out the door.

"He's really being weird today," again his sister Laura commented and thought her brother was being so unusual. Normally, he never acts like this with them.

"Oh, leave him be," said father when he flipped the newspaper to the next page.

"I must say, the Collins are getting very blessed these days. People are still talking about his son's marriage. Word has gotten out that Ava Hart is now expecting their first baby with her husband from their recent marriage as well."

"Isn't that lovely," Deanna said happily while they ate breakfast.

[Next Chapter is back on the main story. Take note, this short story will be posted randomly. It's your choice to read it or not, but it will connect to our main storyline.]