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The night passed slowly for Adrian, constantly being talked to by the child whose room she was using. Eventually around 3 in the morning, Anna drifted off to sleep. Adrian stayed alert, sitting by the window and watching the thick blanket of clouds block all light of the moon and stars until the sun burst over the horizon and forced the clouds back giving way to a blue sky. Daylight was beautiful, but there wasn't nearly enough time to enjoy in, for at the first sound of maids shuffling around, Adrian had given way to her heavy eyelids and drifted off to dream, curled up beside the window.
Adrian rose comfortably after a good day's sleep and let out a happy yawn. She glanced up out the window and caught sight of the orange-red sky. The soft patting of feet on the wood floor caused her to turn slowly and smile at little Anna who was watching her.
"Do you always sleep like that?"
Adrian sat up and rested her chin on her knees facing the girl, "Like what?"
"You slept all day on the floor curled in a ball like the family cat. I've never seen anyone sleep that way."
"I was exhausted from last night. I would have slept on the bed but I was sitting here watching the sky when I fell asleep."
Anna helped Adrian to her feet and looked up at her concerned, "You still don't remember what happened?"
Adrian smile fades and she speaks softly. "No, I don't," She lied.
Anna once again pulls Adrian's arm forcing her to follow her to a set of clothes laid out on a chair. "The maid brought these up for you since your clothes look more like rags." She let out a small laugh.
Adrian joined in the laughter and dressed into the clothes, which she discovered, were a tad to big, but she wasn't picky. "Thank you Anna, I'll be sure to return them as soon as I get home."
Anna sighs and looks down at her feet, "My father is downstairs, he is ready to take you home. You will need to walk because most of the horses are off being ridden by soldiers and the rest are very tired from last night's and today's journey."
"Its ok Anna, I don't mind walking. Actually I prefer it." Anna continues to frown and Adrian kneels down. "Anna, I promise I will come and visit you. I'll come by the town as often as I can."
Anna looks up, eyes teary and sad, "Promise?"
That look reminded Adrian of little Kathryn at the orphanage. "Promise."
Anna once again grabs Adrian's arm and pulls her out of the room and out to the front door, stopping in front of a large, strong looking man, "Papa! Adrian's ready to go home now."
"Nice to meet you, Adrian is it?" the man asks extending him hand to her.
Adrian shakes his hand smiling "Yes sir. Thank you for allowing me to stay at your house last night."
"Well, my children appear to be fond of you, so it was ok with me." He releases her hand then opens the door for her.
"Adrian! Wait!" The call and loud, rushing footsteps made her turn in a flash to see Velkan running down the hall towards them. He stops and breathes heavily, "Adrian, I want you to take this." He hands out a silver cross on a horsehair necklace. "The cross will keep away vampires and the silver will keep away werewolves."
Adrian's eyes stay on the slightly swaying piece of silver in unseen horror, and she reaches a cautious hand out lightly taking the horsehair string closest to the charm, not wanting anyone to be able to tell she was avoiding the metal. Ignoring the tingling in her hand she forces a smile, "Thank you Velkan, this is very thoughtful."
Mr. Valerious reaches out and plucks the necklace from her grasp, "Here, allow me." He pulls the string over her head and lets the charm fall and hit the shirt, holding close to her chest. The pain shot threw her like a stab from a hot knife; she bites her bottom lip and tenses up but refuses the sounds of pain. "Perfect. Shall we go?"
"Ok, I live with..."
"The Rhans, I know. They have been everywhere looking for you." They walk out the door and into the dark, Velkan and Anna yelling their good byes.
They walked in silence following an old road through a foggy field for several minuets, Mr. Valerious leading the way. Adrian had managed to slip the necklace off before it had a chance to set her flesh on fire, but not before burning a cross shape in her borrowed shirt, and wrapped it in layers of cloth before slipping it in her pocket. Adrian daydreamed as they walked, keeping her eyes to the ground and thinking of her lost past and her past that is still chasing her on its big bat wings. Mr. Valerious had stopped walking causing Adrian to run into him.
Mr. Valerious gave a half laugh, "Forgive me, I should have told you I stopped."
Adrian brushed herself off, "Why did we stop?"
He suddenly became very serious and motioned for her to be quiet. Adrian got quiet and listened. Far off at the border between the forest and the valley, something was watching them. With her keen, wolf-brought hearing Adrian could hear the thing step on leaves yards away as it followed them from afar.
Mr. Valerious began walking again, "Don't worry, whatever it is we would see it before it could reach us."
"Oh..."
"So." He trailed off thinking of what to talk about, "Where do you come from?"
"What?"
"Well, you are not from here."
She smiles, "how could you tell?"
"You do not have the accent."
"I tried. I've been a lot of places."
"But where are you from originally?"
Adrian was silent. Would she lie? "I was born in Italy if that is what you mean but didn't stay long, at least not long enough to remember anything." It was the truth but the subject was troubling to her.
There was another noise in the forest and Mr. Valerious drew his crossbow. "Damn vampires."
Adrian jumped and hid herself behind Mr. Valerious. "How do you know it's a vampire?"
They begin walking again, "It can not be a werewolf, there are clouds blocking the full moon tonight."
Adrian gazed up at the cloudy sky. She had forgotten about the moon and the fact that the clouds were thinning. Lights were visible coming up over the horizon, she might just make it home. There was another noise it the forest and Mr. Valerious turns and aims the crossbow. An unbearable pain and hunger hit Adrian in the chest making her double over in pain. Every muscle in her body spasumed and grew. Her skin was getting tighter and tighter, she reached up and pulled at her shirt tearing it off but the suffocating didn't stop. She fell to the ground, tearing at her flesh until it split open showing thick fur. There was food nearby, she could smell it. The warm blood and flesh was close, the scent filled her nose. She could just taste it. Blood pouring into her mouth, bone cracking and breaking in her jaws, the tender muscle and organs popping and ripping as her razor teeth dig into the carcass. There was so much meat, it was too much, too much energy. The wind was suddenly whipping through her fur. Sounds she would have never paid attention to sounded in her ears like fireworks. The feeling was less now and her arms and legs ached as the muscles shrunk and her skin sagged. The feeling was so uncomfortable. She tore at her fur, pulling and clawing until it gave way and she ripped it off in sheets. Even her human form could smell the death on her. Adrian gazed at her surroundings. She was still in the field but now the houses were to the far left of her. She pulled what clothing she still had on around her and made her way toward the homes.
The night passed slowly for Adrian, constantly being talked to by the child whose room she was using. Eventually around 3 in the morning, Anna drifted off to sleep. Adrian stayed alert, sitting by the window and watching the thick blanket of clouds block all light of the moon and stars until the sun burst over the horizon and forced the clouds back giving way to a blue sky. Daylight was beautiful, but there wasn't nearly enough time to enjoy in, for at the first sound of maids shuffling around, Adrian had given way to her heavy eyelids and drifted off to dream, curled up beside the window.
Adrian rose comfortably after a good day's sleep and let out a happy yawn. She glanced up out the window and caught sight of the orange-red sky. The soft patting of feet on the wood floor caused her to turn slowly and smile at little Anna who was watching her.
"Do you always sleep like that?"
Adrian sat up and rested her chin on her knees facing the girl, "Like what?"
"You slept all day on the floor curled in a ball like the family cat. I've never seen anyone sleep that way."
"I was exhausted from last night. I would have slept on the bed but I was sitting here watching the sky when I fell asleep."
Anna helped Adrian to her feet and looked up at her concerned, "You still don't remember what happened?"
Adrian smile fades and she speaks softly. "No, I don't," She lied.
Anna once again pulls Adrian's arm forcing her to follow her to a set of clothes laid out on a chair. "The maid brought these up for you since your clothes look more like rags." She let out a small laugh.
Adrian joined in the laughter and dressed into the clothes, which she discovered, were a tad to big, but she wasn't picky. "Thank you Anna, I'll be sure to return them as soon as I get home."
Anna sighs and looks down at her feet, "My father is downstairs, he is ready to take you home. You will need to walk because most of the horses are off being ridden by soldiers and the rest are very tired from last night's and today's journey."
"Its ok Anna, I don't mind walking. Actually I prefer it." Anna continues to frown and Adrian kneels down. "Anna, I promise I will come and visit you. I'll come by the town as often as I can."
Anna looks up, eyes teary and sad, "Promise?"
That look reminded Adrian of little Kathryn at the orphanage. "Promise."
Anna once again grabs Adrian's arm and pulls her out of the room and out to the front door, stopping in front of a large, strong looking man, "Papa! Adrian's ready to go home now."
"Nice to meet you, Adrian is it?" the man asks extending him hand to her.
Adrian shakes his hand smiling "Yes sir. Thank you for allowing me to stay at your house last night."
"Well, my children appear to be fond of you, so it was ok with me." He releases her hand then opens the door for her.
"Adrian! Wait!" The call and loud, rushing footsteps made her turn in a flash to see Velkan running down the hall towards them. He stops and breathes heavily, "Adrian, I want you to take this." He hands out a silver cross on a horsehair necklace. "The cross will keep away vampires and the silver will keep away werewolves."
Adrian's eyes stay on the slightly swaying piece of silver in unseen horror, and she reaches a cautious hand out lightly taking the horsehair string closest to the charm, not wanting anyone to be able to tell she was avoiding the metal. Ignoring the tingling in her hand she forces a smile, "Thank you Velkan, this is very thoughtful."
Mr. Valerious reaches out and plucks the necklace from her grasp, "Here, allow me." He pulls the string over her head and lets the charm fall and hit the shirt, holding close to her chest. The pain shot threw her like a stab from a hot knife; she bites her bottom lip and tenses up but refuses the sounds of pain. "Perfect. Shall we go?"
"Ok, I live with..."
"The Rhans, I know. They have been everywhere looking for you." They walk out the door and into the dark, Velkan and Anna yelling their good byes.
They walked in silence following an old road through a foggy field for several minuets, Mr. Valerious leading the way. Adrian had managed to slip the necklace off before it had a chance to set her flesh on fire, but not before burning a cross shape in her borrowed shirt, and wrapped it in layers of cloth before slipping it in her pocket. Adrian daydreamed as they walked, keeping her eyes to the ground and thinking of her lost past and her past that is still chasing her on its big bat wings. Mr. Valerious had stopped walking causing Adrian to run into him.
Mr. Valerious gave a half laugh, "Forgive me, I should have told you I stopped."
Adrian brushed herself off, "Why did we stop?"
He suddenly became very serious and motioned for her to be quiet. Adrian got quiet and listened. Far off at the border between the forest and the valley, something was watching them. With her keen, wolf-brought hearing Adrian could hear the thing step on leaves yards away as it followed them from afar.
Mr. Valerious began walking again, "Don't worry, whatever it is we would see it before it could reach us."
"Oh..."
"So." He trailed off thinking of what to talk about, "Where do you come from?"
"What?"
"Well, you are not from here."
She smiles, "how could you tell?"
"You do not have the accent."
"I tried. I've been a lot of places."
"But where are you from originally?"
Adrian was silent. Would she lie? "I was born in Italy if that is what you mean but didn't stay long, at least not long enough to remember anything." It was the truth but the subject was troubling to her.
There was another noise in the forest and Mr. Valerious drew his crossbow. "Damn vampires."
Adrian jumped and hid herself behind Mr. Valerious. "How do you know it's a vampire?"
They begin walking again, "It can not be a werewolf, there are clouds blocking the full moon tonight."
Adrian gazed up at the cloudy sky. She had forgotten about the moon and the fact that the clouds were thinning. Lights were visible coming up over the horizon, she might just make it home. There was another noise it the forest and Mr. Valerious turns and aims the crossbow. An unbearable pain and hunger hit Adrian in the chest making her double over in pain. Every muscle in her body spasumed and grew. Her skin was getting tighter and tighter, she reached up and pulled at her shirt tearing it off but the suffocating didn't stop. She fell to the ground, tearing at her flesh until it split open showing thick fur. There was food nearby, she could smell it. The warm blood and flesh was close, the scent filled her nose. She could just taste it. Blood pouring into her mouth, bone cracking and breaking in her jaws, the tender muscle and organs popping and ripping as her razor teeth dig into the carcass. There was so much meat, it was too much, too much energy. The wind was suddenly whipping through her fur. Sounds she would have never paid attention to sounded in her ears like fireworks. The feeling was less now and her arms and legs ached as the muscles shrunk and her skin sagged. The feeling was so uncomfortable. She tore at her fur, pulling and clawing until it gave way and she ripped it off in sheets. Even her human form could smell the death on her. Adrian gazed at her surroundings. She was still in the field but now the houses were to the far left of her. She pulled what clothing she still had on around her and made her way toward the homes.