C8 Striking Difference Part 1

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

Now seven years old, Cliff watches the three children playing not far from where he lives. He looked through a tightly closed window so sunlight couldn't enter.

Occasionally, Cliff 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.

He had been confined within that small hut since he was born. 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 preventing sunlight. Only candlelight provides light. His mother always watched him and ensured 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 it was not unusual for his mother to leave him alone in the morning like now. Every morning, he was alone in the hut, waiting for his mother to bring him food.

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

"Mother!" he shouted, running 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? It would help if you were hungry, right?" she asked with a 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 but also 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 brightly this morning, which 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 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."

"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 children 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 stunned to see the anger in her son's eyes. Seeing her mother's residence, Cliff desperately ran towards the door, intending to get out because he knew the door was now unlocked. Clara was amazed 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 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 Clara and Cliff turn toward the owner of the voice, Celin. Clara lowered the hand 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 could 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 play here. Grandma will accompany you to play." Celin showed several toys in small cars, making Cliff smile 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 fulfil. Selin, 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 from a cow slaughtered on a farm owned by the Huston family. Every morning, Clara or Celin went to the farm to collect blood set aside by one of the employees there—something they had been doing regularly for seven years. The first time he gave Cliff animal blood when he was a baby, he refused. But slowly, he was finally willing to drink it, and until now, animal blood is his only food.

Celin transferred the cow blood in the bag into a reasonably 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 empty.

"Are you full?" Cliff nodded vigorously in response to his grandmother's question. So far, only two people 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 her son wasn't human, but 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 grew up.