Over the years it had become apparent how easy it is for Vampires to turn humans and other species within Elocia. There has always been some form of restrictions placed on Vampires to limit how many people they turn, however it wasn’t until 1818 that the Bureau for Vampiric Adoption (BVA) was founded which set in motion the need for specific paperwork to be filled out and approved before a vampire could “adopt” or turn another creature into a vampire. 

***

River held the stack of papers close to her chest. A manila folder that held the key to her and her brother Braden’s future. He walked in step with her, a smile on his face and three helium balloons in his hand as they traversed the nearly empty streets. They had snuck out in the early hours of morning, shortly after the sun had risen and their father, Reuben, had gone to bed. Sleep tugged at their eyes, it was later than they normally stayed up but it had been worth it. 

They had managed to reach the Bureau of Vampiric Adoptions right before they closed for the day to secure the proper documentation. The documentation they had been trying to get since Braden turned eighteen. It was no longer as easy to convert to vampirism as it once was, and the species was highly regulated in order to prevent an overpopulation issue. Over the past ten years the siblings had begun to pick up more and more on the sideways glances their father would send them as they aged. The hardest day had been when River had turned twenty nine a few years back, equaling the age their father was turned. They knew he tried to hide it, but it was no use. The siblings were just another set of lives that he would have to let into his life and let go in the blink of an eye. 

The documents in the manila folder would change all that. Both were prepared. Braden looked to the sky. The sun had risen past the tops of the buildings and somewhere off in the distance the clock tower began to toll. River absentmindedly counted the number of rings.

Arriving back at the apartment they shrugged off their jackets and hung them on the coat rack. Reuben had bought a first story apartment with a basement space that he had completely redone. Elves, afterall needed sunlight like any other creature of the day. The light streamed in through the open windows, a dangerous place for any vampire. 

River placed the manila folder on the coffee table and began to close the blinds. She paused at the last one, looking out at the brightly lit street as cars sped through and a few of the day creatures began their trip to whatever their destination was. Her and her brother had always existed in the world of the night, seeing daylight only when it had become apparent that they had been cooped up too long.

“Do you think you’ll miss it? The sun?” She asked distractedly.

“I don’t know… dad always talks about how he misses its warmth. What about you?”

“Yeah. I don’t think so… it hurts to look at it.”

“That’s because you’re not supposed to look at it.”

“I know I know. It’s just… weird to think I won’t be able to look at it again.”

“Again, you’re not supposed to look at it in the first place.” 

River made a face at her brother before closing the blinds. The room was plunged into darkness that took her eyes a second to get used to. 

“Come on, we need to make sure we get up before him tonight. I’ll go get the gift box we bought while you make a copy of the first page and then we can go to bed. Braden went downstairs and pulled out  the large cardboard box they had bought earlier that week. Pulling off the lid he grabbed the envelope from inside and closed it up again before going back upstairs, careful not to make too much noise. 

River was in the living room, a copy of the first page in her hand and the family’s wax seal in the other. A candle was lit on the table with some melting wax. She turned as she saw Braden enter. 

“Always one for dramatic flair,” he said, sitting down on the sofa. It creaked under his weight, the century old springs looking to give out any day now. 

“I thought it would be a nice touch.” She shrugged, handing him the paper. He folded it and placed it in the envelope, licking it shut before handing it back to River. She poured the wax onto the point of the flap and pressed the seal into the wax. She let it sit there for a while, they stared at it, their eyes heavy and thoughts wandering towards the sweet nothingness of sleep before they snapped out of it. 

River pulled the seal out of the hardened wax and handed the letter to Braden who tied the strings to the three helium balloons to the letter and shoved everything inside the box. They crept into the kitchen and placed the box on the table. Then without another word they went to bed.

***

Night fell and River stirred in her bed. The faint ringing of her alarm pulling her further and further from the realm of sleep. Rolling over she stretched, feeling her knuckles brush up against the hard wood of her headboard. There was a soft knocking on her door before she mumbled an enter. Braden walked in, an excited smile on his face masking the bags under his eyes. 

“Are you ready?” He asked. River nodded her head and rolled out of bed. Turning on the lights to the kitchen she saw the box still sat where they had left it. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the table, Braden joining her. There was a wall of the kitchen lined with photographs. All included a smiling Reuben standing beside an equally happy group of people ranging from one to five. He had a story for each one. All were told at the pinnacle of the kids lives though most didn’t look like kids in the photographs. There were a couple of portraits included as well. River and Braden weren’t up there yet. 

It wasn’t long until Reuben came out, his hair tousled but looking the same as he had since they were kids. He smiled at them as he noticed the box sitting on the table.

“Oh, is this why we all had to take work off today?” He asked, pulling out a chair and turning the box to the left and right as he inspected it.

“I suppose you could say so,” Braden said. He was trying to act nonchalant but a smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

“Nothing to be afraid of? You’re not trying to mask some horrible truth behind colorfully wrapped paper?”

“How did you know?! Better open it quick before it distracts you too much,” River joked. Reuben let out a small laugh and tore the lid off the box. He had done it so fast that the helium balloons inside took a second to rise up and out of the box. It was almost slow. Reuben watched the balloons go with a perplexed look on his face until he saw the letter tangled in the strings.

Pulling it out he flipped it back and forth. He was one of the slowest present openers that River and Braden had ever seen. He liked to tease them by carefully inspecting the wrapping before zapping it open in a blink. 

“Now what do we have here?” he said, noticing the seal. “And where did you find this?”

“You really need a better security system for you desk. It was child’s play to get in.” River shrugged. He laughed some more and then tore open the top of the envelope, not even bothering with the wax seal. He slowly pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it. The siblings both leaned in as his eyes locked on to the first word. The room was silent as they held their breath and Reuben didn’t breath as usual. 

The longer Reuben sat there reading the letter the more his hand began to shake, his free hand lifting up to hover just in front of his mouth before he looked between the two of them. Braden was quick to jump in.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to! We just both realized that we are already accustomed to the lifestyle and would love the opportunity to keep you company.”

“There’s so much we could do if we had more time, so much more time we could spend with you. Everything is in place, all you have to do is say yes.” River added. She took Braden’s hand in hers as they awaited their father’s response. Reuben put the letter down and reached across the table to take both of their hands, the biggest smile stretching across his face.

***

The next month, Braden and River’s picture made it up on the wall, the full color photo of three smiling faces standing next to one another occupied a corner next to a framed picture of the letter stating their proposal to be adopted into vampiricy was accepted. In the coming years, Reuben would welcome a new child into his life who was visited often by their unaging aunt and uncle.