Chapter Two

Relief

During the Eighteenth century, supernatural suspicion ran high among the streets of London. People scorned suspecting families shunning them from society. Mortals practiced many "Safety precautions" a common one was stringing garlic up by doors and windows, offering protection from the demons of the night. Effective but incredibly annoying for Gregory who enjoyed venturing out during the night. As the Sackville-Bagg family refused to drain the blood of humans, the family had to resist the innate desire for human blood.

Struggling to survive, Rudolph had the idea to feed from the blood of livestock. So they did. But, taking only enough blood to keep existing, but never fully satisfying their immortal souls... Before long, People started to get suspicious of the family who was only seen at night. The family always strolling casually around the dark country side without the aid of a lantern. When the farmer's cows went missing one by one...people began to talk behind closed doors.

Gregory's eyes closed, savoring the quiet of the night.. but the taunting whirl pool appeared once again.

One anguished summer's night, an attack set upon the Sackville-Bag family. Near families advised to draw their curtains tightly, lock their doors, and ignore the sounds they may hear. Sustaining screams pierced the air, innocent blood spilled over the earth. Furious fires, and suffocating smoke burnt the Sackville-Bagg's two hundred year old home to the ground.

Excruciatingly weak, and blinded by the thick black smoke Gregory became separated from his family during the flee.

He fell from the sky, into the quiet of the country side - luckily for him, straight into a dairy farm. For the next two months he roamed the streets of London, rebelling against his father and drinking the blood of humans. Thoroughly enjoying night-life he spent his evenings prowling energetic areas and charming those who were foolish with innocence. Luring them in..deceiving them..satisfying his burning desires for human flesh and blood. He'd run their blood cold. His charming and friendly façade masked a monster..During the day his guilt crept up on him, stinging him from the inside. The emotion soothed by Gregory's high of killing again..and again..and again.

Opening up his eyes and back to reality, the moody teenager cracked his knuckles sharply.

A twig snapped. Just then from behind the cemetery fence Anna's voice came, relaxing he leaned against a grave-stone resting his weight on his hands. Moon light flickered over his darkened face, red irises that reflected back death smoldered. Beneath his vampiric eyes lay deep half-moons of darkness. The moon light sharpened the contours of his face, his sunken cheeks defining high prominent cheek bones. He pursed his pale lips, which had been well pigmentation and full when he was alive. With the limited time before Anna would run over to him, Gregory desperately trying to tried to remove the pained expression left by his three hundred year old remorse.

"Gregory!" his sister called, she skipped over to him long blonde hair bouncing at her shoulders a rose in her hand "Look what I've for you!"

As she loped over to him with a huge smile upon her china face, she handed Gregory the brilliant red rose. Hardly anybody came to mourn their two hundred year old ancestors, and leave roses in remembrance. Anna most likely plucked the flower from the rose-bush on the other side of the ancient iron fence. Most of the tomb-stones were cracking, stone angels were crumbling sadly and the engraved names eroded away with time. It was very much dead at first glance, but if you looked closely, you could see nature thriving and overruling the area. With a smile Gregory twirled the rose between his slender fingers, unsure of what to say.

"Anna that's.." he started, he looked into her innocent face, at loss for words "lovely.."

"You really think so?" Anna asked her eyes wide seeking brotherly approval, "I can get you another!" proceeding to run Gregory stopped her and he placed the rose beside him.

"No, it's okay Anna!" he caught her around the shoulders and twirled her playfully to him trying to lighten the dread of what he had to tell her next.

Anna laughed, "Oh, remember when we danced together at the spring ball?"

"I remember" Gregory replied, fond memories came flooding back to him briefly. The bright candle lights, the long waltzes, his sweet heart looking as beautiful as ever with rosy cheeks and her black hair in ringlets. He would give anything to go back in time.

With a long exhale, he gestured for Anna to sit in front of him. Gregory placed his palms together with his finger tips pointing to the sky, this was the body language his father adopted when in thought. He inhaled deeply and looked up at his younger sister, bracing himself for her explosive tears. Can vampire's cry..? This confrontation was going to break his sister's all ready non-beating heart, and crush his own into dust. He has to tell her... she had to know what had happened to them.

"Listen Anna, I-I" he stuttered, her eyes wide with everlasting childhood innocence, he faltered. He couldn't get the words out, but it could no longer be belated. Their lives - their existence was at stake.

I don't know how to tell you this

Silence.

Come on Gregory, what are you playing at?

Owl hoots in the distance.

You'll just make it worse for the pair of us - just say it!

"Anna" he began.

..Hours later..

Gregory climbed into the dusty catacombs, he sees Anna huddled in a corner her dress pooling around her. The stoic vampire had very few points in being sympathetic, he knew Anna needed a parent's hug. With extreme awkwardness Gregory sat next to Anna, unsure of what to do.

"It'll be- okay- Anna" he managed to string out, Anna's shoulders jumped with sobs and she sniffles.

Sighing Gregory reached out a pale hand and patted his sister's head, he knew his attempts at comforting his sister were pathetic. He decided physical affection wasn't the way to go about comforting the weeping girl in fact it he knew it would just make it worse. With his conversational skills he decided to distract Anna from thinking of their parents.

A hush fell over the catacombs. What was he going to say to her? Briefly Gregory scanned the catacombs for inspiration, and he saw entwined in stony beige dust and words engraved upon the walls. That there was a tiny flower carved delicately in the wall, Gregory remembered the rose Anna gave him.

"You like flowers?" Gregory suddenly pointed out, caught mid sob Anna looked up and nodded.

"and you also know a fair amount about different flowers don't you?"

It was true, when they were children Anna loved to bombard the local gardeners with questions about plants.

"y-yes" she choked "I-I do, why?"

Yes Gregory.. the voice in his head hissed, why?

Quick think quickly.. the stony walls echoed the quiet.

"Well." started Gregory, "I lack, er, knowledge in the floral department so I, uh need your help"

"Help?"

He nodded and forced a half-smile. Anna had perked up now, and was sitting up straight.

"Where are we escaping to Gregory?"

"To the country" he replied happily "We're going home"

Anna's wide eyes became dish plates, "Truly?"

He nodded again, Gregory is a character of few words.

"Do you know" he inquired slowly and looked towards the floral carving, "how we know when we are safe?"

Anna sniffled once more and look up at her older brother, "When?"

"When you" Gregory dropped his voice to a gentle whisper, "See the first rustic rose"

"that is when we are safe and in the country-"

"I know what a country rose looks like!" the girl interjected excitedly, in a cloud of dust she twirled once and skipped around a corner.

"I'm going to play Gregory!" Anna's voice called

Sinking against the wall, Gregory smirked in relief.

Thank God.

with his eyes closed he declared "Our rustic flower escape..begins"

Author's Note:

What did you think...? When I had the ideas in my head a few weeks ago, it sounded like a good story. But now reading it, it's just like -_- "heh just kidding" Reviews are appreciated :)