Chapter 9 Striking Difference Part 1

On a sunny morning with the sun shining brightly and illuminating the earth, three boys were seen playing. They played war and heard the sound of their screams and laughter. It was obvious they enjoyed each other's company and their games. Little did they know that someone was watching them from a distance.

Cliff, who is now 7 years old, watches the three children playing not far from where he lives. He looked through a window that was tightly closed so that sunlight couldn't get in. Occasionally he smiled when the three children laughed loudly. He wanted to join them, to play and laugh with them. But Cliff knew he couldn't do that because his mother wouldn't allow it.

Ever since he was born, he had always been confined within that small hut. The cottage only consists of one bedroom and a bathroom in it. The hut was always dark because the windows were always covered with curtains which prevented sunlight from coming in. Only candlelight provides light. His mother always kept an eye on him and made sure he couldn't leave the hut. The door to the hut was always locked, as it is now.

Indeed, he had never felt lonely because his mother was always with him, but in the morning like now, it was not unusual for his mother to leave him alone. Every morning he was always alone in the hut, waiting for his mother to come to bring food for him.

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There was the sound of the door opening which suddenly made Cliff look towards the door. He smiled happily when he saw the figure of his mother entering the hut.

"Mother!!" he shouted as he ran into his mother's arms. Clara who saw him immediately squatted down to match her son's height. she spread both arms and hugged her son tightly.

"Why Cliff? You must be hungry, right?" she asked with a gentle smile. But the 7-year-old boy just shook his head. He grabbed Clara's right hand and led her towards the window. Clara frowned in surprise, but when she saw the scenery outside, she realized why her son had brought her to the window.

"Mother, I want to play with them," he said with a look full of hope. Clara was touched to see him and at the same time, she felt sad and sorry for her son. She crouched down again and hugged Cliff tightly.

"Just play with Mom here," she said, stroking his son's back affectionately.

"Don't want to. I'm tired of staying here all the time, mom. I want to go out and play with them." Clara wanted to shed tears hearing her son's request. But she couldn't grant his wish. The sun was shining very brightly this morning, something that was very dangerous for Cliff as it would burn his skin.

"Do not love. You'd better eat it." Clara let go of her hug and showed him the bag of animal blood she was carrying in her hand. Meanwhile, Cliff just looked annoyed at his mother because his request was not obeyed.

"I don't want to. I don't want to eat, I want to play outside," he whined spoiled.

"Cliff, Mother said no, yes meant no!! Don't be stubborn!!" Clara snapped which instantly made Cliff silently bow down. For the first time since Cliff was born, Clara snapped at him like this making Clara feel very sorry for scaring her son. Cliff kept his head down and brushed Clara's hand away when he tried to touch it.

"Honey, it's for your good. Trust Mother." Clara spoke softly, trying to persuade her son.

"Why am I different? They can play freely outside even though they are also children just like me. Why can't I play with them? Why am I always locked up here?" Cliff stared at his mother sharply, making Clara flinch because, for the first time, she was stared at with anger by her son. Cliff's red irises made his anger visible on his face.

"Cliff, Mother said not to be stubborn. You have to do what Mother says!!" Again ... for the second time, Clara snaps at him.

"Bad mother. I hate Mom!!" Cliff shouted this time, which made Clara's heart pinch. It hurt so much when her son said he was evil and her son hated her so much.

Clara was only stunned to see the look full of anger that was visible in her son's eyes. Seeing her mother's residence, Cliff desperately ran towards the door intending to get out because he knew that the door was now unlocked. Clara was very surprised to see him, she rushed to run and caught Cliff's hand.

"CLIFF!!" she shouted, raising her right hand in preparation to hit her son. Cliff looked down and closed his eyes in shock to see his mother who wanted to hit him just because he wanted to go out to play with kids his age. Luckily Clara realized what she was doing before her palm landed on her son's face.

"What is this? Why are you screaming, Clara?" A voice that had just entered the hut immediately made both Clara and Cliff turn towards the owner of the voice, who was none other than Celin. Clara lowered the hand that had been raised earlier, while Cliff shook off his mother's hand that was still holding his hand and ran towards his grandmother.

"Grandma!!" he shouted accompanied by sobs.

"Why is Grandma's handsome grandson crying?" Celin returned his grandson's hug and stroked his head affectionately.

"Bad mother, she wants to hit me," he complained to his grandmother, who instantly made Celin stare at Clara. Her gaze implied she was waiting for an explanation from Clara.

"He went against my orders, mom. He insisted on playing outside." With Clara's short answer, Celin was able to guess Clara's current feelings. It's normal for her daughter to be angry with Cliff.

"Come on, honey. Don't go against your mother's orders. Granny always taught Cliff to be obedient, right?"

"I want to play with the kids outside of it, Grandma. I'm bored here," Cliff whined still accompanied by sobs. Celin looked sadly at her grandson, implied by sadness and pity for her grandson's unfortunate fate.

"Look, Grandma bought a new toy for Cliff. Let's just play here, Grandma will accompany you to play." Celin showed several toys in the form of small cars which made Cliff smile with joy when he saw them. His sobs disappeared and were replaced by the innocent smile of a 7-year-old boy. Cliff without hesitation took the toy and started playing with it.

A tear rolled down Clara's face when she saw her son's innocent smile. In fact of course she was very sorry for her son, a simple request that she could not fulfill it. Celin who saw it came over to her daughter. She hugged her daughter tightly, letting her cry in her arms.

"Mother," Clara muttered softly but still could be heard clearly by Celin.

"You have to be patient and strong. He's still a kid. You have to be patient with it. We have to do this for his good." Clara lifted her head and nodded at her mother. A second later she wiped away her tears.

"He has eaten?" Clara answered her with a shake of her head. Celin took a bag of blood that came from a cow slaughtered on a farm owned by the Huston family. Every morning Clara or Celin did go to the farm to collect blood that had been set aside by one of the employees there. Something they have been doing regularly for seven years. The first time he gave Cliff animal blood when he was a baby, he refused. But slowly finally he was willing to drink it and until now it is animal blood that is the only food for him.

Celin transferred the cow blood in the bag into a fairly large glass. She walked over to Cliff who was busy playing on the floor, with her hand holding a glass full of blood.

"Come on, handsome grandson, eat first." The rancid smell of blood immediately made Cliff turn his head and without hesitation took the glass filled with blood. He gulped down the blood greedily, and in just seconds... the glass full of blood was now empty.

"Are you full?" Cliff nodded vigorously in response to his grandmother's question. So far there are only two people that are known by Cliff, namely his mother, and grandmother. Only the two of them always accompanied him at the hut, no one else he knew besides the two women who always gave him affection.

Clara smiled as she saw her son's excited face. She knew full well her son wasn't human, but so far she felt she had succeeded in raising him as if he were just as human as she was. But a terrible thought crossed her mind, can she raise her son until he grows up? What will happen to her son when he grows up? It seemed impossible for her to hide his true identity from her son when he grew up. She could only hope that she could live with her son forever and that her son could live like a human and not a dangerous vampire when he grows up.