Under a Blood Red Moon
By: Lady DeathAngel
Disclaimer: don't own them, don't sue me
Warnings: language is getting worse. I may eventually lift the rating to a solid 'R'. Other than that, nothing really.
A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I haven't had much time, even if it is summer. Anyway, here's another chapter. As always, read, enjoy and review!
"Those stupid vampires aren't real you idiot. They're just made up. You didn't see any. Mom and dad and the doctors said so!"
"I did to see one! He left me this necklace! He gave it to me so I could remember him!"
"You're just being stupid. Or maybe you're going mad. I bet that's it. I bet you're insane. That's why you have to see those doctors."
"No! I'm not crazy, I'm not! He's real! He said he'd be my angel!"
"Even if he's real, why didn't he kill you? That's what vampires do you know. They *kill* people."
"Shut up! He wouldn't hurt me, not ever!"
"Maybe, if we're all lucky, he'll come back and suck all your blood out and leave you to die. I sure wish you were dead. And so does everybody else."
"He wouldn't kill me! He's good! I know it!"
Hilde woke up with a start and looked up to find herself gazing into a familiar pair of cobalt eyes. She knew instantly that it was Duo, and the more logical part of her mind began to wonder what he was doing there still, and why he hadn't left yet. But somewhere in the back of her mind she saw someone else. She'd seen it in him that first day she'd met him, but she'd convinced herself it was just her imagination.
But she wasn't imagining it anymore.
"You're my angel, aren't you?" She said softly. Incredulously.
He stared down at her with wide eyes.
"What?"
Hilde struggled to sit up.
"You're him. You're the vampire. You're the one who saved me. You're my angel."
Duo quickly shook his head.
"Listen, you must still be dreaming. I was just trying to wake you up from your nightmare. I'm not . . ."
"Don't lie." She interrupted, her eyes narrowed and brimming with tears. "Don't lie to me about this. I knew you were real. I sat through the tests I took the damn medicine . . . I didn't go through all that shit just so that when I finally figure out what's been right in front of me for years I'm told it's not real again."
"Hilde, please. You're just tired, that's all . . ."
"No! No you're him! I can prove it. You said you'd be back for it. You promised. And I kept it with me the whole time."
She yanked out the necklace she wore at all times from underneath her top, pulled it over her head, and put it in his outstretched palm. But he only stared at it. There was no spark of recognition, no smile or even a frown. Just a blank expression. She drew in a shuddering breath and grabbed it.
"I was so sure you were him . . ." She said, staring down at the necklace.
He didn't say anything and she was too scared to look up at him and risk seeing pity or disgust on his face. Finally, he spoke.
"Hilde, who do you think I am?"
"This man that saved my life once. He . . . he said he was a vampire but he let me call him an angel. My angel. I'm sorry I thought you were him." She said softly.
He stared at her bowed head for a moment. She could feel his gaze on her.
"It's all right." He said. "But . . . you should eat something and then rest some more. You've been through a lot."
She laughed. It was an almost maniacal laugh and it sent a chill down her own spine.
"That's quite the understatement." She said through her crazy chuckles.
He waited for her to quiet.
"I'll bring you up something." He said.
"Don't bother." She told him, still staring at the necklace laying her hand. "I'm not hungry."
"Then you should rest."
"I'm not tired."
He sighed.
"Don't be this way . . ."
"What way?" She asked, her head lifting so that he could stare right into her pain glazed blue eyes. "I've just lost the only person who has ever loved me and I still believe in creatures that my parents payed hundreds of dollars to erase from my fucking mind and you're telling me to stop being this way?"
She could feel tears well in her eyes and her hands were clenched so hard she felt blood trickle across her palms.
"Why?" She asked after a moment. "Why did he have to die? Why couldn't it have been someone else?" The tears threatened to overflow.
"I-I don't know." Duo answered.
His voice sounded odd. Pained maybe? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that she couldn't stop the tears now. They were coming so fast and they just wouldn't stop. She doubled over with the force of her sobs and gasped, trying to draw in a breath.
"It should have been someone else!" She yelled, holding her head in her bloodied hands.. "It shouldn't have been Trant! It could have been anyone else! Anyone! Just not Trant. Why'd they have to take Trant?"
She felt strong hands on her shoulders.
"Hilde, you need to calm down."
She only sobbed harder.
Finally he wrapped his arms around her slight body. She only resisted for a few moments before she pressed her face into his neck, her arms going around his body. Her weeping was loud and heart-wrenching, even to her. She felt like she was feeling her pain from outside her own body. This wailing thing wasn't her. Hilde was too tough to cry. But it was her and now that the gates had opened, there was no stopping the flood.
"I'll take care of you." He said softly.
And in the maelstrom of her emotional storm, she gave herself up to the feeling of being protected and allowed herself to believe him.
~V~
The next few nights went by quietly. A week passed and then another, and no more attacks occurred. Many people, the more hopeful of the town anyway, thought that maybe it was all over. Others knew better and were waiting for the next attack. Some never stopped thinking about it and some tried hard to push it to the darkest recesses of their minds.
And through it all they didn't know that the creatures that were causing such problems and hurting and killing so many were only biding their time. They were growing hungry again, and very, very listless. And they were getting bored with killing for food. They wanted to start killing for fun. And there were those in the town who were willing to assist them.
Emerald Springs residents didn't know it yet, but life was about to become hell.
~*~
Meiran sat at her desk, tapping her pen against the book at her elbow absently and staring off into space. It had been two weeks since her strange encounter with Wufei and she still couldn't get it off her mind. It had been odd to see him look so . . . vulnerable. Of all things Wufei had ever appeared to be, vulnerable wasn't one of them.
She was still itching to know more about his past. After admitting that he hated her because of an old flame, he'd sent her away with the book in tow. She'd given it to Sally that night, but since then Sally had finished up doing whatever she'd had to do. Meiran still had the book in her possession and she was battling with herself. Look at it? Or not?
She stared down at it. She was so curious . . . Not that that was anything new. One of these days her curiosity would get her killed. But until then . . . she picked up the book and opened it to the first page, nearly scared out of her mind at the picture within.
"What the hell?" She muttered to herself, turning the page and starting to read.
What she saw made her eyes widen and her hands clench. What was this? She stared at the words and tried to figure it out. Finally, confused beyond belief, she grabbed the manilla envelope that Sally had given her. What she read there confused her even more, although it cleared up one thing.
Vampires didn't exist, but vampyres did. And Chang Wufei was one of them.
~*~
Over the past few weeks Hilde had gotten to know Duo's friends very well. It was funny because even though she'd seen them all around and had even spoken with one or two of them, she hadn't known a thing about them. Now she did and she was glad.
Her favorite was Quatre. He was such a sweetheart and he seemed to understand just what to say to help her forget what was going on in her crazy world. He was good friends with Duo too, so she saw him a lot. She didn't see his girlfriend, Catherine, as often though. The one time they ran into each other at the manor she looked sick. Her eyes wide in a pale face and rimmed with dark circles. Upon seeing Hilde she'd appeared scared out of her mind and had run away quickly. Quatre accredited this to a summer bug that a lot of people were catching.
She saw Heero a lot too, though not as much as Quatre. The reason was simple though. He had a new job. He was busy watching over the mayor's daughter, making sure that no one tried to kill her again. Trowa and Midii were like ghosts that she glimpsed every so often but never really spoke to, and Wufei was always busy in the library or at a lab somewhere.
Hilde didn't think anything was really out of place though. She'd heard the rumors about Lakeside Manor before and compared to wild stories told about its residents, the actuality of everything was pretty mild. Besides, she had lived a pretty screwed up life herself. She was used to the abnormal. It was the normal that frightened her sometimes.
At the moment, she was fixing dinner for her, Duo, Heero, Relena, and Quatre. Catherine was supposed to show up but Quatre had mentioned she hadn't been feeling well. He'd looked so concerned Hilde had tried to convince him to go to her, but he insisted that she'd be fine. It seemed to her that Quatre was just putting up a brave front and that something was really wrong. But she didn't know for sure, and she didn't want to pry.
She poured the spaghetti sauce over the pasta absently. She was almost envious of Catherine. Quatre seemed so good to her. He obviously loved her and she wished she had that. Of course, she did in a way. She had Duo.
He was good to her. Very kind and patient and always ready to make her laugh when he sensed her getting too depressed. But he was no Quatre. He was like version 2.0 of the big brother she'd had and . . . well, she didn't want to think about that. And maybe it was a little different. He did look at her sometimes. His eyes holding some sort of emotion she'd never seen before.
Still, he hadn't done anything. He didn't touch her too much and he hadn't kissed her and she couldn't help being mad. Mad at him for being able to care without loving when she loved and cared too much already. Not that she loved him. She couldn't love him. She didn't want to love . . .
"Need any help?" Duo asked from behind her.
She jumped in surprise and then turned to glare at him.
"It's not polite to sneak up on people." She said.
He grinned.
"Well, it's good that I'm not exactly renowned for my manners then, isn't it?"
She made a face and then pointed at the salad bowl on the table.
"You can take that out. I'm making the plates of spaghetti now, so you can come back and help me take those out too."
He sighed.
"You know, when I asked you for help I thought you'd just smile and say, 'No, I've got it'. I didn't think I'd really be helping."
Hilde laughed, handed him the salad bowl, and shoved him playfully toward the door.
"Get out there."
When he was gone she sighed softly. Yes they were friends. Good friends probably. But he didn't love her and she didn't want to love him. How was she to know that they were both lying to themselves?
~*~
Catherine had really wanted to go to Hilde's dinner party with Quatre. She wished to the gods she had the energy to get up. She wished she had the energy to move any part of her body. But she didn't. Dorothy had completely sapped her strength and all she could do was lay on her bed and stare up at the ceiling.
"Well, if it isn't my bedridden friend." A sneering voice said.
Catherine blanched and tried to sit up. She couldn't and a moment later Dorothy was sitting on her chest, shaking her finger at her.
"Uh-uh-uh." She said with a wicked smile. "You can't get up until the doctor says so. And the doctor hasn't said so."
Catherine's breaths became shallow and fast. Dorothy laughed.
"Oh, having a hard time breathing?" She asked, sitting herself a little heavier right on Catherine's lungs.
"Get off." Catherine growled, her eyes narrowing.
Dorothy's own eyes narrowed and her lips turned down in a fierce frown.
"Watch your tone. You don't want to make me angry."
Catherine's glare didn't let up, but she did close her mouth on the retort that threatened to push past her lips. Dorothy smiled once again and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
"So, too sick to go eat the little bitch's cooking? Are you upset because you won't be going with Quatre, or because you won't be seeing Heero?"
Catherine's hands clenched at her sides.
"Shut up." She hissed.
"Why? A little sensitive about the fact that I know you and Heero are . . . together and my sweet little brother doesn't?" Dorothy asked, her tone deceptively light.
"Just shut the hell up."
Dorothy swivelled around until she was straddling Catherine's chest and closed her hand around the other woman's throat.
"Say that again." She said. "I dare you."
Catherine pressed her lips together, her periwinkle eyes clashing with ice blue orbs.
"Listen you little slut, I could kill you now if I wanted to. You're powerless against me and your little boyfriend isn't around to save you. So, you'd better show some respect for me and you'd better remember what I tell you. If you don't cooperate with me, Quatre will know all of your dirty secrets and so will the rest of them. And then they will all know you for what you really are. A worthless whore."
Catherine cringed at her words and tried to draw in breath. Dorothy tightened her grip for a moment before releasing her. Catherine rolled off the bed and to her knees coughing and holding her throat with one hand.
"Remember." Dorothy hissed before disappearing.
Catherine coughed even harder, trying to hold the tears that threatened to overflow at bay. But it didn't work. She fell to the ground, covered her head with her hands and wept.
A/N: Don't you just hate Dorothy sometimes? I know I do. ^.^ Anyway, please remember to leave a review! Thanks for reading! ^.~
