Screams shattered the silent night. The moon tip-toed over the dark clouds drifting across the sky. Blood stained the flowing grass in the wind. Demons were about chasing their prey, but so were their saviors.
She panted hard and rough. She looked back. Were they still chasing her? Why were they doing this? Who were they? She ran as fast as she could, dodging trees and thorny bushes best she could. Was anyone going to save her? Who, she thought. They had killed most of the village, including her family. She had tried to stop them, so had her father, but they just tossed them both to the side like rag-dolls. How could they be that strong?
She ran faster. She couldnt breath, but she didnt care. Shed rather her chest hurt then be killed by one of those... those... things.
She looked behind her again. Where was Daddy? He told her to run, to run and never look back. But, she couldnt! Where was he? She screamed as she tripped on one of the roots of the trees and fell face first into a couple of cement rubble rocks. She groaned and pulled herself up.
She snapped her head to the left, and then to the right. Did they hear that? Her heart pounded loud, and that was all she could hear. Tears were tracing down her dirty and bloody face, but she couldnt even feel the warmth.
Her breath was hot and misty in the cold air. She leaned against one of the trees and looked all around her. She didnt know where she could go now. She had been running for a while, and she wasnt even sure where she was! Maybe there was another village, or city, or something! She closed her eyes. Why did this have to happen? To her small little village? To her family? To her?
She pushed away from the tree and started running again.
"Where do you think youre going?" A voice crackled around her and wrapped its slimy impression on her. She stopped in her tracks and looked around frantically.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed.
The voice just laughed, and others joined in. The echo of laughter grew closer and closer in all directions. Where was she going to go now? They were going to kill her!
A silhouette appeared in front of her, as a line of red eyes brightened around her. She swallowed hard. "What do you want from us? Just leave me alone!" She screamed.
"Come on, dear. Im not going to hurt you..." Her body froze as the silhouette stepped out into the moonlight. The tall man had a grin on his bloody face. His long shaggy hair dripped down into his red eyes and scruffy face.
"F-" She couldnt breath. She couldnt speak. She couldnt believe it. "...Fa-father?" Her eyes widened as he took a step closer.
She instinctively took a step back. "Wheres mum?" She whimpered. "What happened to you and--"
He leaned his head back and let out a sickening laugh. "We're all here." He told her. "Dont you want to join us, darling?" He took another step closer to her and offered his bloody hand.
Every part of her screamed at her to say yes, but there was another part of her that ripped her back. "But father, I-I-"
His face quickly grew angry. "Dont make me make you." Her heart jumped into her throat. She took a step back.
"Please, Daddy? I cant, I dont want to--"
"SHUT UP!" He raced for her and pinned her against the wall. He laughed. "Daddy, Daddy! Oh, Daddy!"
Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets as the person in front of her changed back to the demon that destroyed this city. He was trying to trick her, to get her to join him willingly. Fuck that, she thought.
"GET OFF OF ME!" She struggled against him.
The stranger vampire laughed and reached his hands up to her breasts. "...Mmm... a virgin, eh? Too bad you're mother wasnt." He laughed and lunged to bite at her but she kicked him away and slipped from his grip.
"HELP ME!" She screamed out, hoping someone would hear her. Anyone! Please, God?
The vampire went to grab her again, but paused. A shine of light flickered on her eyes as the vampire burst into ash. She gasped as a blade was all that was left. Her eyes widened and she looked over, hearing some slow footsteps.
"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost..." The vampires started running. "...Amen."
Her breath was lost to her as hundreds of blades seemed to float through the air and tear through the vampires. She pulled herself to her knees and slowly crawled out. Who was it? Were they saving her? Or was this just a figment of her imagination?
A silhouette, holding two blades bright to the light of moon. The glasses over his eyes brightened as the last of the vampires were killed in the area. Her savior let his arms drop to his sides and smiled up to the moon. "...Amen." He said again.
He looked down to her, the shivering girl. "Ah, dont worry.." His accent was thick. "Come now," she whimpered and pulled back again. "I'm not going to hurt you." He reassured her.
She swallowed hard. "H-how do, did you--?"
He gave a smile and grabbed her, pulling her up into her arms. She was light, and cold. "Its okay." He told her again. "..Dont worry about none of that. The Great Lord has sent me to destroy these demons of the night, and save you." He said as he started walking. "Dont worry about none of this. Are you hurt?"
She looked up to him and raised her hand to touch his face. He was real. This wasnt a dream. Her eyes welled up with tears as she smothered her head into his shoulder.
"I'll take you somewhere safe." He said.
She didnt answer, she just closed her eyes. Thank the Lord.
---
She groaned. She could feel something fuzzy and warm on her feet, but she didnt want to wake up. She paused, what had happened? Where was she? Her eyes shot open as she jumped up and looked around. Where was she? This wasnt her room? She bit her lip. Was all of that just a dream? She could have just fainted, or gotten sick. Maybe this was the hospital or, doctors or something, right?
She looked up as someone came in. Her eyes narrowed. It was... a nun? WTF? She blinked.
"Oh, I see that you are up." The older Nun smiled brightly. "How are you feeling?"
She didnt answer.
"Would you like some breakfast? Anything to drink?"
Again, she didnt answer. The Nun smiled to her and took a few steps forward, placing some clothes at the bottom of the bed she had slept on. "Go ahead and get dressed, and maybe then well talk about what you want to do, alright?"
She looked down to the clothes, and to the woman and nodded. She swallowed hard. She hoped all her thoughts were correct, but doubted it. She stood slowly as the Nun left the room and reached up to feel her head. Ugh, dizzy. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the bed. She could feel a huge bump on the back of her head, and she figured it was probably from the night before. She shivered just thinking about it.
She saw that she had been dressed in some sort of night gown and looked back up. How dare they? Dress her without her permission? She paused, telling herself how ignorantly retarded she had just sounded. They were only trying to help. She sat and pulled on the clothes. They were a bit tight, but they would do. For now. She wondered if she could go home. She didnt know if she wanted to.
She sat on the bed, thoughts rummaging through her mind. This place was a church, she guessed. She let out a shaky breath as the Nun came back in with a tray of food. The sight of food just made her stomach lurch with nausea. She looked at the food and back to the Nun.
"I-..." She sighed. "I-I'm not very hungry." Her voice was weak. "I'm sorry." Her eyes fell downcast.
"Oh, its quite alright. But, can I ask your name?" The Nun sat in a chair across from her.
She looked back up to her with tears in her eyes. "Joelyn." She answered.
The woman smiled. "Well now," she stood. "Joelyn. Isnt that a pretty name? Would you like me to show you around? I could probably answer a few questions that you have." She moved the tray of food.
Joelyn looked up to her and tried to give a smile, but failed horribly. She sighed.
The woman smiled and offered a polite hand. "Come on, then. I'll show you around. You might be staying here for a little while."
Joelyn grabbed the womans hand firmly and stood without any disobedience. She thought it funny. When she was home, she wouldnt do anything her parents told her. Sometimes on purpose, but her father always laughed, and they had fun together. Unless she did something really bad, which wasnt very often. She missed them already.
The woman had pulled her around the huge campus of the Church/Orphanage. It was a big place, and beautiful too. Though it was some place she didnt know shed like very much to live, of course, now, she didnt have a choice. She had seen some other children, and her mind wandered off to wondering why they were here too. Did they same thing happen to them? She closed her eyes as the Nun dragged her along. Please God, she hoped not. She hoped nothing like what happened to her, happened to anyone else.
"Alright, now." The woman turned to her. "Here is our Sanctuary." She turned and Joelyns eyes fell on the huge crucifix in the front of the Sanctuary. She looked away. "You shall report here at 7 o' clock, on the dot, every morning. This is Gods house, and we shall honor him, and let him know, how much we love him."
Love him, she repeated in her head. How much does he love me?
They were turning to leave, but Joelyn stopped. "C-could I stay in here for... a little bit?" She asked quietly.
The woman looked down and smiled. "Of course, my child. I shall be in the kitchen if you need anything. Dont be too long now. Lunch will be cooked very soon." Again, Joelyns stomach nauseated as the Nun turned and walked out, leaving the Sanctuary door half-way open.
She turned back towards the Crucifix and slowly walked towards a pew to sit. She clasped her hands and laid them on her lap and closed her eyes. She wanted to pray, but pray to what? To who? What kind of God allows this to happen? To anyone? Her fingers were clasped so hard they were beginning to shake andB.
"Are you alright?" The masculine voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned to look over to see a man standing there. He was tall, and the jacket he was wearing danced around his shins. She let out a breath. His hair was blonde, and short, though some of it looked longer than the other strands. His eyes were bright and green, seen through the thin glasses that were laying on the bridge of his nose. Her eyes traced down to the cross that was hung around his neck.
It was him. The man that had saved her. "It's you." She said.
The man gave a smile. "Yes, its me. Who else do you think it would be?" He walked over and sat beside her. "Are you alright? Last night you seemed shaken up. I would be too, I guess..." He looked up to the crucifix, and then back down to her.
She stared at him for a moment. "Thank you." She said. "...for saving me." Though she was a bit disappointed he hadnt gotten there earlier. Maybe her family, and her village, would have still been alive.
"You're welcome, Joelyn." He answered. He turned towards her and offered his rough calloused hand. "...I am Father Alexander Anderson." He smiled to her. She slowly and gently shook his hand. He laughed. "Welcome."