She leaned her head against the wall of the truck, the paved road having ended miles ago, but the bumping did not bother her. Kira did not know where they were going, Eona refused to tell her and she did not care. After the ball, the two women departed the Palace at first light, taking a backpack full of clothes and little else. They hoped on the first public plane out of the closet international airport and were gone. After over twelve hours halfway across the world they landed back in Germany. As German was not one of the languages Kira spoke or read she could not read any of the signs that said where they were and she did not care to Google Translate.
"We'll go into town later and pick up groceries, is there anything in particular you want to eat?" Eona asked turning the truck onto a bridge that stretched over a small creek.
Kira watched trees increase in number, the ground blanketed in decaying green, gold and browns. It was beautiful to see the transition of the seasons, if disheartening to see beauty in death. It was quiet, the noises of a busy industrial city did not travel up the valley walls and climb to a Palace high in the mountain.
"Hey." Eona's gentle squeeze of Kira's hand. brought her back from staring off into the woods and have her look at the driver.
"You haven't eaten since yesterday." Said Eona with concern, "And you're not fun when your hangery."
Kira cracked a small smile and a giggle. It made Eona smile too, knowing she was still able to make Kira do the same. Sure the vampire's jokes and puns maybe lame, but even if it could distract Kira even for a moment it was worth it. No doubt their sudden departure would spark problems, Kira had turned her phone off while Eona left hers on and it had blown up relentlessly. Eona put out the fires as Kira slept on the plane, but eventually she would have to deal with certain ones herself.
They would only be here a week, but it was a week away from everything. Friends, family, societal expectations; Kira was not a human and Eona was not a vampire, just two friends on vacation. Where they were going was special, no one, but Eona and her father knew, a home away from home when they needed to disconnect and get away.
The truck rolled up a hill, coming to a stop in the driveway beside a log cabin on a ridge that overlooked the rolling hill and woods below. On the back of the mountain, it was secluded, but only a half hour away from town by truck. Kira looked at the cabin then to Eona in question.
"Go ahead and put your stuff inside, key's under the third rock on the left." Eona instructed, getting out of the truck and heading to to back of the cabin.
Kira grabbed her back pack at her feet and Eona's in the back seat, leaving the truck and walking to the front door. She retrieved the key and unlocked the door, entering the naturally-lite house. It was a cozy size, around seven-hundred square feet, the living room, kitchen and dining room were all together, two small bedrooms were to the right, a shared bathroom between the two connected with John and Jill doors. Looking back to the living room she saw what she expected: a wood fireplace. Kira thought about her childhood, about her family living, hiding in the woods, living in a cabin similar to this.
"This is my dad's cabin. We used to come here when I was a kid, when my mom needed a break." Eona said, her arms full of wood, when walking to the fireplace and setting down the duel "Him and I used to come every other weekend during breaks. He took me hiking, fishing. I was hoping to bring you out here under better circumstances..."
Kira walked up to Eona and hugged her from behind.
"Thank you." She said quietly into the taller woman's back.
Eona dropped her head some, cupping her hands over Kira's. She turned, kissing the top of the other woman's head. After setting their bags on their beds, they jumped back into the truck, made a quick run into town and returned with their arms full of groceries.
"Mind starting the fire? I've never been good at it." Eona asked while putting produce in the fridge.
Taking a box of matches, Kira threw a pile of tinder first, then formed a tent around with smaller kindling. Satisfied with the beginning of the fire, she kept smaller sticks to her side, an actual log would not be added till there was a decent fire and ember pile going. With a little patience and air in the right place, a stable and warming fire burned, illuminating the room and warming the cabin. Eona was in the kitchen cutting vegetables, the stove was on behind her boiling water for whatever she intended for them to have for dinner.
Kira grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and threw it over her shoulders, "Want some help?" She asked coming toward the bar.
"Nope." The vampire smirked shooing her away, "Go sit down, before you fall down."
Doing as told Kira found a comfortable place on the corner of the couch, propping her head on her hand as she stared into the fire. Twenty minutes passed and Eona brought two plates of dinner: Schäufele. Pig shoulder, with gravy and potato dumplings. Savory and warming. Eona disappeared for a moment, then returned with two German brews between her fingers. Taking one, Kira curled her legs up to make room for Eona and began eating.
"If you want, I'm thinking we can catch dinner while we're here. There's some good fishing up the stream, maybe later this week we can try the spas? I've never been, but they're suppose..." Eona noticed Kira was staring at her with a small smile, "What?"
Shaking her head, "I was just thinking about when I was a kid. Before I met you...I used to live in a cabin like this." Kira gave a pained smile.
Eona looked softly to Kira, "You never talk about what was before." She pointed out.
For a moment Kira thought about what was said to her. It was true, she never mentioned her family, but it was not without reason.
Looking down at her half-eaten plate, Kira's mouth dried, "Do you know why I've never told anyone my real name?"
Tilting her head in curiosity Eona shook it in not knowing. She had always wondered what Kira's name had been before, but she attributed the lack of knowledge to have been memory loss, not a refusal to reveal it. After all these years, after all the years they had known one another, Eona had thought she would have told her if she had known it. Understanding that, Eona began to realize just how little she actually knew about Kira. Her real name, her real birthday, her parents; it's like the person Eona knew the human as has been a mask to the person she was. At the same time, if that were true, the person she is now would be considered more true than who she was.
"For humans, our names are sacred to us. The first thing we are given when we're brought into the world." She looked to the fire place, "You really don't know how bad it was, after the Red Night."
"The first launch of the conquest..." Eona muttered, knowing the name as a different, official historical event.
Having not learned it that way, Kira continued, "My people were hunted animals, they trapped us, threw us into cages; killing and draining us in front of our families. Our freedom was taken; our pride, our loved ones; our names were the only thing that couldn't be taken. They connect us to our parents, the history and memory of our ancestors."
Eona frowned shamefully.
"I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid that I would lose the last thing that connected me to my family." Kira said, her words seeped with sadness, "I'm starting to forget them...the longer I live among you, the more I feel like I'm becoming someone my family wouldn't recognize, that I couldn't recognize and that terrifies me."
"Do you regret it..." Eona whispered quizzically, "Coming to the Palace...you and me...?"
A small smile cracked the side of her mouth, "My time with you all...as scared as I've been to lose who I was...I won't ever regret the time we've spent." She looked to Eona, "I don't know if we can go back to how things were, but...I don't think I could be happy without you in my life."
Though she said that, Kira doubted there was a happy ending for them, not while she was the property of the Empress, not as a human in the vampires' world. Even if she were to be released from serving Carmilla she would never be free. This mark, the Stigma on her neck binds her eternally to whomever-whether Carmilla or Eona. It did not matter, it took her choice away, it made it impossible to know whether her feelings were genuine or a Sire.
She would be lying if she said she did not love Eona at one point, but whether or not those feelings are real now does not change the fact she, a human, cannot love a vampire. Kira would destroy herself fighting her haunting past with the life she has lived until now. In order to avoid heartache, to preserve her own life, Kira shut her heart to everyone because she knew she needed to survive before earning the privilege of living. Such was the cruelty of this world. Even if Carmilla were to somehow let her go, that she was able to get past the horrors she witnessed at the hands of the vampire, it does not change the rules of the Game. Eona may not care to play, but Kira has paid attention: Eona would be ostracized for choosing livestock as a lover, especially as a Pureblood of the Tepes Family. If something were to happen and she be named Empress, she would have no support from the Council and civil war would erupt, engulfing humanity once again into a bloody conflict.
Something she never thought she would ever reveal, would ever talk about until the day she died surfaced. Kira swore she would take this knowledge, this truth to her grave, that she would never give the vampire the satisfaction of knowing just how deep her pain was. But Eona was not just any vampire, she was not cruel or murderous, she was gentle and kind. This woman cared for Kira, not because she was human, she saw Kira for who she became. Eona was the beginning of her new life, she was the foundation of who the human is now. She helped give her stability, helped make her feel welcomed, feel safe, feel like the world was not full of only horrors.
"You know..." Kira set her plate on the coffee table behind her and opened her beer, "Emily is the only one I've talked about when my family and I were on the run, but there were things I never told her...I've already betrayed my people, but I didn't want to betray my family."
Eona shook her head, leaning forward she grabbed Kira's hands with her own, "You don't have to."
Biting her lip, Kira inhaled while nodding her head, "I do...because I don't know how much longer I have until I forget them, until I can't recognize her anymore."
"Her?" Eona asked in confusion.
Kira breathed in deeply, "I'm the only one left in my family: my dad left and never came back, a year later our cabin was found...my mom...and my sister."
"Anna!" He shouted from the truck, laying the horn repeatedly.
Kira and her sister were in the back seat of the 2011 Ford F-150, the bed of the truck was rapid filled by their parents. Usually they would be in their car seats, but they had been taken out to make room for supplies. Having been woken up in the middle of the night, Kira and her sister were taken by their parents and put into the truck in a haze.
"Daddy I want my teddy bear-" Kira muttered in a sleepy haze, coughing.
Their father twisted around in his seat, reaching out the bear to his daughter, "Here sweaty, now try to get some sleep." He slammed on the horn again, "Anna we need to go NOW!"
Running with three large books in her hands, Anna shoved them in a backpack: photo albums. With no time to argue, Marcus quickly put the truck in gear just as his wife closed the passenger door. Turning from their street on the base, they entered the main road that would have them out the front gate onto interstate 185 heading north. They had to get away from the cities, had to go as far north as possible, into the mountains, or forests, far from anywhere human or otherwise could access easily.
"Glove box." Marcus said, Anna did as instructed, grabbing the holstered Glock and putting it on her hip, "You still remember how to use that?" He asked, turning again.
"Grew up country remember-now what's going on? Why are we leaving? Did something happen on your mission, you've been-"
"Daddy, where are we going?" Asked the older sister rubbing her coughing sister's back.
Marcus and Anna exchanged a look.
"We thought the mission succeeded, but...something went wrong, very wrong." He began to explain, "War is coming and the world we know is gonna end."
Kira was tired, her frail body drained her energy and she fell asleep. She remembered waking up much later, car horns and alarms blaring, her mother's voice panicking. Her sister had woken her up. Though nearing five, Kira's other half was very mature for her age, taking care of Kira with her being in and out of the hospital much of their lives. Since she was born she had a weak body, her immune system was not as strong, she was slightly smaller than her other half. The elder sister had learned from an early age to be a support system, to help her other self because in a way she too felt what Kira was going through.
Suddenly someone hit the side of the truck, scaring the daughters. Blood smeared on the side, as the person slid against the door and dropped on the ground. They had a massive gash on their neck...like an animal had torn it out.
"Shit!" Marcus cursed, turning the wheel the tires going over the street curb and into the sidewalk.
The experienced soldier had tried to avoid the cities, but the rural areas were all out of gas and there was hope they had left and gotten ahead enough of it, but that was wrong. They were here and they had already begun their attack. Marcus sped the truck up, not caring if anyone got hurt or injured, his priority was his family and no matter what...a lot of people were going to die. Getting around the traffic block, the off-raps to the city were bumper to bumper. It had already started and the people were in panic.
Despite their failure to avoid everything, they were able to get through numerous states before the rest of the country caught on to what was happening. They had to take numerous detours to avoid the interstates and the cities, all the way from Georgia to Virginia, though they intended a straight shot to Canada, Marcus was re-thinking his original plan. A few days trip was turning into many and his family was tired, they were not trained like him. He thought connecting with one of his former Commanding Officers in Washington DC would be his family's best change at survival. It was within an earshot of Norfolk and likely if the ships were not destroyed they would load persons of interest onto the carriers and make for the waters.
His friend had already made contact with him, telling him to rendezvous at the predetermined location where a chopper would meet them to take them the rest of the way. That was yesterday and his friend had not answered him today. Now he had to make a call, a choice that would protect his family. Richmond had no sideroads to exit the city and now that they had launched their attack at last mass panic would fill the streets as people abandoned their vehicles to flee.
A dump truck ran through the streets, side-swiping the Ford, it spun, Kira slammed her head into the window, the tire of the truck hit the curb, it flipped once, then twice, hitting a traffic pole and stopping it on its side. Everything went black, she awoke to her mother shouting for her her daughters. Her sister helped her to her feet, they crawled through the center console to their mother who lifted each girl into her arms and to their father out the front window, kicked out by him. Grabbing a couple quick bags, Marcus snatched his pistol and rifle, slinging the larger and sweeping one of his daughters into his arms while Anna grabbed the other.
"Daddy!" Kira cried, her face full of tears and blood, having hit her head and scraped her knees.
They ran through the streets, people screaming, cars blaring their horns, gunshots raining down upon the people. Marcus jumped back, avoiding a falling human, attacked by a red-eyed and fanged person. His warrior's instinct would have had him attack and kill the monster, but his knowledge and parental instinct taught him to stop and think before acting: protect his family.
"Marc!" Anna called, holding Kira's sister, wrapping a jacket over her head.
Marcus did not have the time to do that, he had nothing to shield his daughter from the horror she was to witness. He held his daughter's head to his shoulder, "Honey, daddy needs you to close yours eyes okay-no matter what you hear-!"
But Kira could not hear him, not over the explosions, not over the cries of people begging for someone to help them as red-eyed people ripped into their necks. She watched these people all wear the same uniform, as though they were like her father and apart of the military, but the military would not do something like this, they were good people, they protected them from bad people. Police and National Guardsmen organized, creating blockades, despite the madness, using their cruisers and trucks to stop larger vehicles from coming through. Armed with live ammunition they unloaded their M-19s and M-1s on the red-eyed attackers. It did little to slow them.
Turning onto a larger street Marcus shouted to Anna in the front that they needed to find a vehicle fast. He had seen a railroad system and active trains, if they could get on one they could quickly escape the city to wherever it went and go from there. He needed to find his bearings though. Anna screamed, pulling out her pistol she unloaded half her magazine into the gut of a red eyed, but it did little more than make them smirk.
"Come here sweetheart-"
Marcus set Kira down, charging the attacker, he pushed him to the ground, pinning him down as he drew his K-bar, stabbing numerous times into the heart. It did the trick. Kira turned around, seeing she was the only one in the fleeing crowd motionless; her family was not in sight, she moved out of the way, afraid she would be crushed by the people. Behind them, she turned to the sounds of marching boots.
She saw people cloaked in whites and blacks not a drop of red touching them. They were beautiful, like statues she saw in books at school, their crimson eyes mesmerizing; Kira remembered watching, listening to the vampire's words. No others seem to listen, but she spoke anyway, her eyes locking onto the human child as though she was looking at her and only her.
"Attention foolish humanity! We vampires have come to take back our world and save it from you! Resistance is futile." Kira watched her without understanding her words, without understanding why.
Marcus shouted for Kira, he sprinted, bolting for her, pulling her into his arms and turning in the same motion. They ran down the street, but the daughter could not take her eyes off the silver-haired woman who marched in front of the army. Captivated by the deep red she felt like she could get lost in a field of roses. The elegant, golden, pauldrons she wore and her long, silver, locks pulled up into a ponytail. Kira did not who that woman was, but she was prettier than even her mom. The woman tilted her head slightly, smiling, mouthing something, but she could not see from that distance.
They were beautifully dangerous, Kira did not know what they were, who they were, but she could not stay here. She cried for her parents, but could neither hear nor see them. Her father, a very large, muscular soldier broke through the crowd, grabbing his daughter, nearly throwing her over his shoulder when turning to run in the same motion.
"Marc, here!" Anna shouted, cutting through an alleyway, finding chain link fence that bordered the railroad yard.
Finding a break in the fence the family slipped through, hearing a train beginning its departure. Loading the girls first, Marcus helped Anna onto the slowly moving cargo car then joined them. Together the family watched the illuminated city grow smaller in the distance, but the fire the glowed in the night allowed for a second setting sun to be seen long after the city was out of sight. Kira's sister pulled from the back pack she brought, Kira's teddy bear, giving it to her to comfort when she began to cough again. She rubbed her sister's back, as their parents talked they too did when watching the ground burn the sky.
"What was wrong with them?" Kira whispered, "Why were they hurting people?"
Her sister leaned in, "Daddy called them 'vampires'." She answered, "They're very bad, they're monsters."
They headed west on the train for as long as possible, until a city had not been seen for dozens of miles heading away from the cities. Once the train stopped, the family disembarked, keeping on their feet away from the main roads. At one point, her father told them to stay put, he disappeared for an hour, appearing again with three backpacks full of supplies; canned foods, weapons, survival. Their parents began to argue about how and where, but Marcus would not apologize. This was how they would have to live if they were to survive.
A year passed, going from house to house, never staying in a place for more than a night. In that first year Marcus taught his family how to survive, how to be unseen, how to scavanage and above all, who their enemy was. The Vampire. He taught them to read the signs of recent activity, how to hide their scents and how to slow their heartbeats. Many close calls came as the vampire began instigating hunting parties, weeding out any resistance to their rule, any renegade humans not tracked or registered. The first year after the Red Night was the most brutal. Millions of people died, drained of their blood, dying of starvation, exposure, fighting back if they were foolish enough. The military was the first to go, giving little hope for Marcus that any of his Army friends had survived, let alone anyone from his unit. If he had to guess: his unit was most likely the first to be hunted down and killed.
Though they were on the road, Kira's health improved, allowing for her to be less of a burden, a worry that had formed in her mind as a result of their father's training. He had four very specific rules that would keep his family alive.
1. Never confront a vampire for any reason
2. Do not try to help someone in danger, it's a trap
3. Always look out for each other, family are the ones you can trust
4. Never break any of the above rules or you will die
There came a time in their year that they could not travel as effectively, Anna refused to allow her daughters to live in a world where survival was the only thing they knew. She reasoned with Marcus, together they made their journey into the wooded and mountainous region of Monongahela National Forest. There was found a place hidden away from the public, full of ample resources and game. Here they were taught to hunt, to use a bow and arrow, silent and deadly. They learned to filter water, to create effective fires and use everything nature had to offer. There mother was a nurse, she knew the medicinal properties of many plants, teaching her children to avoid and to gather.
Building a log cabin together, they were within reasonable distance to a steady water source, but sheltered by a hanging cliff that would buffer the smoke from their fires and protect from heavy rains and snows. Further in there was a small cave system that opened to the other side of the cliff, their mother and father had taught them time and time again to use this emergency exist if they were ever found. In one of the final nights, Kira remembered waking to her father and mother arguing in the other room, she crept to the door, listening to them.
Her mother sat in a chair.
"I can't believe you-we barely made it out the first time, now you want to go back?"
Marcus paced, a radio Kira had often seen him turn on once a day, in his hand, "He's my friend, I can't leave him, if I can bring him we can gather others, we can fight back-"
"An-and what about if you bring them? Jesus Marc, you're not a Ranger anymore you're a father!" She said wiping her face, "How will you protect us if you bring the hunters here!"
"I won't, I know how to stay hidden. It will only be for a few weeks, the girls know how to survive and they have you. Even if something were to happen to me-"
Anna shot up, "S-so you're willing to let your daughters grow up without a father? You're willing to throw them away-"
"Don't put words in my mouth Anna you know that's not what this is."
"Then tell me what it is? They're hunting us, hunting humans, and they control the country, what makes you think you can make it all the way to North Carolina and back without being caught?" She clasped a hand over her mouth, "I can't-I can't do this without you, I'm not you, I'm not a Soldier, I'm a nurse, I don't know how to fight."
Marcus closed the distance hugging his wife, "Yes you do and so do the girls. You can survive and even if this place is discovered I will find you again, I promise."
Their father left the next morning, he hugged his daughters and kissed his wife.
"I'll come back." He said, looking to his daughters, holding the radio for the two of them to hold, "I'll turn mine on, every morning at dawn if I can. We can talk then okay?"
The girls cried into their father's arms hugging him tightly. Marcus left the cabin, Kira chased after him, "Daddy!" She cried out, "I'll get better! I'll practice everyday at the bow until you come back!"
They never saw him again.
A year went by, Anna accepted his death privately, but her daughters never did. Kira practiced her bow and arrow every single day, able to hunt medium sized game with precise accuracy. Her sister was one for a dagger and spear, her arm steady and focused when throwing and hitting a raccoon fifteen feet away. They never had to worry about going hungry; becoming predators themselves, learning the ways of the forest as though they had been born into it.
Nothing could have prepared them for what happened when the next winter came.
Kira and her sister were trekking through the winterized white woods, having gathered a hide-bag full of bird game. It was not that they were short on storage for the winter, their mother had taught them how to preserve and smoke their food, but their father had taught them to never rely on storage. Accidents happen, things are burned, earthquakes break and shatter shelves; longer winters. Hunting the few animals active during the winter in regulated amounts helped keep fresh meat on the table and their storage lessened a risk of running out. It was dark now, but the moonlite was high and bright, the skies clear after last night's snowfall.
The younger sister had won their challenge, having gotten two birds while the elder only managed to down one. Of course that was because moving targets for a spear are harder to nail. They were laughing, but then both stopped at the same time. Something was wrong. The winters here are usually quiet, but there was something in the air, something fowl, something that smelled of blood and hunger.
They nodded to each other. That which hunted, came out from behind the three, camouflage, though they may look human, their crimson eyes gave away their true nature.
"What are you doing out here all alone little girl?"
The human held up her spear.
The vampire woman smirked, "Now now, no need to be scared, I won't hurt you-" She disappeared, appearing again behind the girl-a knife lodged into her chest, stabbing through her heart.
The vampire dropped turning to ash, another appeared moving toward the girl with a mouth full of fangs. An arrow went through one cheek and the other, staggering him, to turn toward the direction of the arrow. The next sank into his chest, then another and the vampire turned to ash before reaching the snow. Kira and her sister came together exchanging looks before words.
"The cabin!" They said in unison, dropping the game and sprinting for home.
Suddenly Kira snatched her sister's shirt and yanked her down beneath a bush just outside their cabin.
"What are you-"
"Shh!" Kira hushed pointing to the cabin. A vampire rounded the corner of the cabin
They heard their mother scream, the elder sister tried to move in, Kira wrapped her arm around her and kept her in place. If she moved now they were dead, the vampires did not know they were here they could escape now and survive. Their father taught them to never confront vampires, but also to always look after family. What were they to do? Two children could take on a vampire by surprise one at a time, but there were at least two and if one died, the other would be made aware. There mother screamed again.
"Come out come out wherever you are." Sung another vampire, coming out toward the front of the cabin, "We know you're here."
Kira squeezed her eyes shut, quietly signing: you, the cave. Me, distraction. Her sister shook her head. Bad idea. You Die. She signed in return. In return. Family. Together. Strong. The elder sister conceded, nodding her head as she quietly snuck out from the bush and went into hidden cave entrance. Waiting for her to enter, Kira then crawled out herself, climbing a nearby tree, modified in a way to be an outlook and a sniper's nest her father created and taught them to use. Usually they just climbed it for fun, but the tied down canopy cover was perfect and allowed an opening for an arrow, rifle, or spear to go through while concealing the marksmen and giving an open view of the front of the cabin.
She drew an arrow, aiming the first one at the furthest vampire where the cave entrance was. Once she made a sound of an owl, catching the attention of a vampire she shot the first arrow, turning him to ash. The others were alerted immediately and spread out. She counted at least six of them now. It was a large group of Human Hunters. The packs they had come across before were no more than three...why were there so many and how did they find them? Kira drew another arrow, aimed at one whose back was to her. Waiting, waiting, she let the arrow fly-a vampire caught it mid-air, grinning at her.
"Gotcha."
Kira loaded and quickly shot another, but the vampires swarmed the tree. She jumped out, landing in the snow-she pulled out a knife given to her by her father and swung wildly at the first vampire. She nicked his arm, spilling his blood. Next she made a run to the innermost woods, hoping to distract them and pull enough of them away for her sister to get their mother. They may catch her, but if she could give them a chance to survive then-a vampire fronted her, Kira drew her bow; they swung a sword, cutting the bow in half. She did not stop, she bolted into them, stabbing her dagger into their stomach, knocking them onto the ground.
The vampire shouted in pain, but she had missed his core, she lifted the blade aiming for his heart-the vampire kicked her sending her flying into a tree. Kira staggered in the snow, struggling to stand with a sharp pain in her chest.
"Fuckin'-" The vampire hissed, grabbing Kira by her hair and lifting her up, Kira thrusted the blade again, this time hitting his heart.
He turned to ash, Kira held her ribs, scurrying up to her feet she tripped, looking back to the cabin for a moment, her attention distracted at seeing a vampire's teeth in their mother's throat.
"Mom!" A vampire grabbed her from behind, pushing her into the ground when pressing their weight on top of her to keep her still.
"This one's a fighter." He chuckled, "May be too much trouble keeping her around-" Reaching for her neck, he grabbed it keeping her still.
"Let me-"
Another walked over, motioning for him to release her neck, "The more you struggle, the more it hurts." He said crouching down, "If you make this easy, we'll make your mother's pain stop."
Kira glared, she clenched her fist...then released her hold on the blade. The vampire smiled taking it away-suddenly another shouted, a spear stabbed through their chest turning them into ash. The others appeared, grabbing the attacker, throwing her out into the snow. The first vampire stood, looking at the second child.
"Two?" He was surprised, "There are two daughters?" Looking to the elder sister then to Kira he smiled in realization, "What a lucky day."
Kira began to resist again, "Leave her alone you fucking-!" She shouted turning enough to punch him in the groin, loosening the hold on her, allowing the small gap to escape.
She crawled into a run, sprinting to her sister, another vampire snatched her by the arm, squeezing until the pain brought her to her knees.
"You're not helping anyone, little calf." Said their leader bringing out a short sword.
"The mother knew nothing, perhaps one of them will." He walked over to the Elder sister his blade gleaming in the light, his eyes burning hot. Stopping to her side, he hovered the sword's edge at her neck, looking to Kira.
"Alright!" He clapped his hands together, "Time for a little pop quiz girls: where's your daddy?"
Kira looked to her sister, while she cried, her elder half remained strong. She looked at her panicking other, scared, unknowing of what to do. All the years their father trained them and there was nothing they learned that could have prepared them for this. This was the largest Pack they had ever seen, they were deep in the woods, hidden, secluded; they had not seen another person in over a year. How were they found then?
"Come on, tell me where your daddy is."
"He's dead." The elder said calmly.
The vampire sighed, "Oh sweety, didn't your mommy and daddy tell you it's bad to tell lies?" He shook his head, "Humans have no morals, but we do, we'll teach you right-"
Their mother hurled herself onto the vampire, "RUN!" She screamed, her voice gargled when choking on her own blood.
The released daughter sprinted, charging at Kira's capture. The younger sister pulled a sharpened stone from her back pocket, swiping it across the vampire's arm, severing a tendon. She was released, spriting to her sister they reached out for another-a sword opened the elder's back, she fell, missing Kira's hand; Kira dropped to the ground, her hand on the gash to her motionless sister's back. The warmth rapidly left the body, her blood soaked into the snow, changing it into the deep red of life's currency. Her mother was dragged back into the cabin, her strength sapped away by the vampire when he threw her to the ground and sank his fangs back into her neck.
"Mom!" Kira shouted, pulling her other half into her arms.
Her sister was barely speaking, crying from the pain in her back, cooled by the snow pressed against it. She was rapidly losing blood and there was nothing Kira could do to stop it. The vampires pulled the two apart, dragging the elder sister's limp body across the snow, leaving a trail of blood into the cabin. She was tossed beside her mother, as Kira kicked, punched and screamed on top of her lungs. Screaming for her mother, for her sister, she clawed and scrapped, against the pain inflicted on her; she was thrown into the snow, kicked in her gut relentlessly. Still she tried to crawl, to pull herself across the yard, in order to get to her family. Kira watched them in the doorway, their bodies bloody and broken, without movement.
Tears dried, as Kira burned that image into her mind. Watching the vampires burn the cabin, as they lifted her. She fought every moment, ever second to escape, to fight, to kill them. Her sadness sharpened her teeth, her grief hardened her body and her hatred ignited her soul hotter than as the fires that scorched what was once her home. Kira vowed her vengeance, vowed she would survive, no matter the cost; grow strong, stronger than these monsters. She would survive by any means necessary and achieve her revenge. This she swore on the blood of her sister, her other half that died that night. That was who she was and that is who, deep down inside Kira Nightraven still is.
