Enter The Cold one
Sara and Ana fled to Paris, France. John had revealed that Maxwell had purchased a small home in her name when Ana was born.
"He knew that...with your circumstances, this day would come eventually," He took a sleeping Anastasia from her arms, "It's all yours and there's money as well, of course. I'm also at your beck and call Sara," He smiled.
"Oh you're so sweet John," she smiled, "But, I can't do that to you. You deserve your own life."
"Madam, Maxwell was a good friend to me, the least I can do is extend that courtesy so that you don't have to raise a child alone and unprotected."
He walked into the house, winking at Sara as he opened the door and walked in with Ana. She took the time alone to marvel at its beauty. It was small, yes, but for her, it was home. perhaps here, she'd be free to express herself the way she wanted. Come now, you know doing that is a risk.
She walked in prepared to begin her new life with her daughter.
1 year later
Ana, Sara, and John had grown accustomed to life in France quite easily. They fell into a routine, Sara would cook and John would be the one to go out in public to buy ingredients. Ana helped her mother or played in the garden.
There were times when Ana went on walks on her own in town. Early on, Sara was terrified to let Ana out of her sight and refused. John had to help coax her away from her paranoia. It was hard at first, Sara flinched at every loud noise. She hid in layers of clothing trying to prevent the envious stares. Anastasia, on the other hand, refused to cover up. Sara let it go since she was still just a child.
One day months ago, Ana insisted Sara wear one of her old dresses and well, the golden-haired child was hard to say no to. Reluctantly, she did and she was surprised to find everyone was kind. Everyone in the town smiled and waved and commented on how beautiful she and her daughter were and how lucky John was to serve a beautiful mistress. As time went on, she became comfortable with her new life. Ana seemed happy and no one really seemed suspicious of her.
Ana was also showing that she had inherited the blood of her ancestors, just as her mother feared. It started with her little inklings becoming more prominent and specific. She'd stop her mother before something fell or pull her away from a person who turned out to have bad intentions. Then, John got hurt.
He had been helping Sara cook, slicing up some of the potatoes when he cut his finger.
"Oh, dear John!" Sara quickly grabbed a cloth and tried to wrap it around his finger when Ana rushed in from outside.
"John, what happened?"
"Oh, nuthin Miss Anna, just knicked myself is all," He held up his finger wrapped in a bloodstained cloth.
"I wanna see," Ana declared.
"Ana, why don't you help him bandage it up then," Sara suggested, Ana remained silent and led John to the table. He removed the cloth and the cut seemed to be pretty deep with blood dripping out of the world.
"I can wrap it myself hun," He said, "It really isn't that big of a deal hone–-"
Sara had been stirring up some stew so her eyes were away from the pair. But, she turned when she heard the gasp and when she did she dropped the spoon that was in her hand.
Ana's small hand was on John's finger which was no longer bleeding or split open. He lifted his hand to find that the wound was completely gone. Ana smiled and quickly turned to her mother who was shaking.
John and Sara had shared a look of horror because they knew that Ana's kindness might draw attention to her.
"You're angry?" The girl asked, puzzled.
"No sweetheart, it's just––"
"I appreciate this Ana but… you can do this in front of people," John finished.
"Why not?" She began to pout. The girl didn't understand why the adults were acting this way. "It's helpful!"
"Anastasia...have you... done this before?" Sara walked toward her daughter who took a step away from her and John.
"N-no," She said quietly, "Well...maybe a little," she looked at the ground.
"On people?!" John exclaimed causing Sara's heart to nearly leap out her chest at the thought.
"No! Only on animals…" She balled her hands at her sides, nervous.
"Did anyone see you do this?" Sara pressed.
"I did it when no one was around...when I was playing," Ana said softly. Tears began to sting her eyes, the poor child didn't understand but knew that she was in trouble for some reason. She didn't want the two most important people in her life to become angry with her.
"Anastasia Cullen," Sara began lifting her daughter's chin. "While this gift is very very special, you must promise me that you will not use it outside of this house."
"But what if people need it?"
"Ana, the world we live in is not kind to those who are different…" John explained, "Whether good or bad they will condemn it. Using this may put us all in danger."
"Darling, I know it's difficult to comprehend but, it's extremely important that you refrain from using this gift okay?"
The girl looked at both her caretakers, she saw the concern lining their faces, it was the same concern that was lined around her father's face the night the left. The night he died. She didn't want her mother or John to die because of her too so she nodded at them.
"I promise I won't do it anymore...unless it's in the house and no one but Mommy and John is here," she looked at both of them waiting for confirmation that she had done the right thing.
The smiled softly at her.
"Good girl," John said ruffling her hair. Sara kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly.
"We just want to keep you safe my love."
"I understand," Ana replied softly, although she didn't really. She thought being gifted was a good thing, that she could help her mother and John somehow but, her gift turned out to be something that would only hurt them.
Since then Ana never used her gift again, not in front of her mother or John or anyone. She knew that the reason her family moved away was that people called them witches. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant she just knew it was bad...and that it was what got her father killed.
Ana tried not to ask her mother a lot of questions, she knew they made her sad or anxious. Although she was just a child, she knew that she was living under very unusual circumstances. After all, her parents were unmarried yet, she still had her father's name. Her mother and father didn't seem to be in a relationship that told her that she was created by a loving union. All she really knew was that they both loved her.
Things started changing for Ana when she turned six a few months after their arrival. Not just because her lifestyle was different but because the cold of winter brought along more than just snow. It brought the very thing her mother was trying to keep her from.
Of course, destiny seemed to have alternative plans.
Sara was poking the fire while John was out chopping some more wood when she felt something and her head began to throb. Blood. Something whispered in her mind. She wasn't sure how she knew but she knew that the darkness that her ancestors had brought to this world was about to enter the town she was currently habituating. A cold wind blew in through a window she had left open and she immediately ran to slam it shut. She was panting, the anxiety of what was approaching––no what was there built up and she had to sit down. Her hands were shaking.
"Mother, are you cold?" Ana said staring at the woman. She looked up released from her trance, Ana. A horrible fear crept into her heart. What if it found them?
It's not concerned with this place. Her heart told her.
This was Sara's gift, unlike Ana, she had the ability to track these beings, to feel them and their intentions. It was faint. Like a breath of peppermint in the air. She had never felt it before. Though her father had predicted it, it still surprised her.
"Ana...don't go out in the dark okay? Don't go anywhere where there isn't any light." She said softly, praying her daughter wouldn't question her.
"Okay," Ana nodded bringing a blanket to her mother.
"I'm going to speak with John outside, stay in here okay?"
Ana nodded again, wary of her mother's behavior. Sara walked out and closed the door.
"She's hiding something again," Ana mumbled under her breath walking up to her room and staring out the window as the snow fell onto the ground coating it like a blanket.
Ana wasn't as obedient as Sara believed and fate had a tighter hold on her daughter than it did her. Curiosity, after all, is unsatiable for a child.
It was bright out, so despite the presence that Sara felt in town, she allowed Ana to go exploring. After finding out it was in town, Sara had kept Ana indoors for almost two weeks. But winter had come and the child was becoming restless being cooped up all day and night. She reminded Ana that any dark alleyways or areas were absolutely forbidden.
"Remember," Sara began wrapping a scarf around her daughter, dressed in a red coat and a white dress underneath, "No matter what you must––"
"Stay in the light," The golden haired child finished smiling. Sara smiled back.
"Exactly, tesoro mio!" She hugged her before letting her go out into the snowy morning.
John had gone on a trip. He did this often to try and lure away anyone who had caught onto their trail. He didn't want Ana to have to move from place to place and Maxwell had asked him to do this from time to time. Ana never knew where he went, but sometimes she worried he'd leave them and never return.
It's not like he's related to us. She thought. But she liked playing with him. It got lonely when he was away and she wasn't really allowed to interact much with the townsfolk so playing with others her age was out of the question. She kicked some snow sending a flurry of powder into the air.
She pushed her lonely thoughts out of her mind and went on the trail to town.
"Ana!" A tall bronze colored man with a dark beard named Felipe called, "I thought you had disappeared!" He worked as a baker and whenever she went on a trip to town alone he let her try some of his newer creations. Ana liked Felipe, he was kind and respected the fact that she didn't want to answer questions about herself. "I've got some fresh profiterole ma chérie, care to try?" She nodded and he beamed at her. He gave her a bag with two inside, "Don't tell that beautiful mother of yours I gave you an extra one!" He winked at her before heading back inside.
Ana took a bite of one of the warm pastries and continued on her walk. Most of the shop owners waved at her and she waved back politely.
Most of the guests in town were locals and came by often, there were very few wanderers. Ana got a bad feeling suddenly and turned to find a man dressed in old clothes that seemed dirty eyeing the townsfolk. Most ignored him. Ana knew that he was looking for something and his intentions were bad. She sat on some steps and watched him, playing with snow when his eyes wandered toward her. Clouds had drifted overhead blocking out the bright light that had coated the town. It was in the moment the shade was cast that a black cloak stood out to her in the crowd. Ana had no bad feelings from the person in the cloak so he wasn't a bad person. He approached the other man and Ana only heard, "Can you point me toward…"
He spoke very low, this black-cloaked stranger. As the bad man nodded smiling maliciously, he led the wandering stranger down an alley, Ana had followed from a safe distance when they disappeared into a dark alley.
Ana stopped at the corner, she knew she shouldn't enter the alley, that her mother would be furious. To cross or not to cross. Somehow, the alley felt colder than everywhere else.
Sorry Mother, she thought before turning the corner and stepping into the darkness of the alley.
This small act of disobedience led Ana to finally get exposed to the darkness of the world she lived in.
The alley got colder the further she stepped inside. She tried to stay quiet, softly walking against the snow. Something told her to stop moving and she froze, waiting for whatever was coming next. It was eerily quiet for a moment. Then, Ana heard a muffled scream and saw something dark stain the ground a few paces ahead of her. She stepped forward just as the clouds moved on overhead brightening up the alley enough so that she could see the dark crimson that coated the snow covered ground and the cloaked stranger's mouth on the bad man's neck, his pale arms holding him back as he struggled then went limp. She watched him toss the lifeless body to the ground and saw the glint of red from his eyes, the blood staining the white shirt he was wearing and a few drops remained on his chin.
He licked his fingers relishing in the taste of the blood of his victim. He stared at him wishing that there was more for him. He noticed he had made a bit of a mess and followed the trail of blood in the snow. He followed the trail right to a red-cloaked girl who was staring intently at him.
A fierce wind blew and it was in this moment that the cloaked stranger caught the scent of the girl standing just a few paces away from him. The scent sent a wave of flames down his throat.
He didn't make a habit of killing children, but he knew that this child had seen what he had done and sadly she had to die. Ana removed her hood but her bright blue eyes never left the stranger's red ones. Dammit, why of all humans it had to be a child. He thought, silently cursing himself and his thirst. She'll run off screaming to the whole town.
But, he noticed, she wasn't screaming and there wasn't a single trace of fear in her eyes. Oh, you should be very afraid little one, especially with that sweet scent of yours. And her scent was sweet, the sweetest he had ever encountered.
It was Ana who made the first move, she took a step forward rather than backward, moving toward the stranger.
He couldn't feed off of her yet, he was too intrigued by her peculiar behavior. He held his ground waiting to see what her intentions were. She kept walking toward him, he held his breath has her scent grew stronger, trying to hold back from ending this curious girl's life.
Ana studied the stranger, he had curly black hair that went up to his shoulders, his skin looked so beautifully smooth. Bright red eyes. She had heard stories from her father about vampires, about how horrible and fearsome the bloodthirsty beings could be. But she didn't sense that he was going to eat her. In fact, she knew he wasn't going to bite her like he did the bad man. She paused, vampires can smell blood and it makes them thirsty. She put the bag of pastries down on the ground and pulled out a handkerchief she kept in her cloak. She held it out hoping that the man would close the distance between them, the wall being his victim's body and blood that froze in the snow under him. "You have blood on your chin and shirt, people will be afraid of that if they see you Mr. Vampire."
The stranger's red eyes widened, shocked that the girl knew what he was and was concerned for how he was perceived.
"Shouldn't you be running away little one?"
"Why would I do that?"
He looked pointedly at the corpse in between them.
"This man was bad, he was going to steal things. I'm not bad so what reason do you have to kill me?"
"I've killed people regardless of their goodness," She laughed. The vampire was baffled. "What's so funny?"
"You're not going to kill me!" She giggled shaking her head as though he was being ridiculous.
"My identity is meant to be a secret and those who know are in the same state this man is in," He snarled baring his fangs at her. She narrowed her eyes at him. A child, looked at him with challenge. A golden-haired girl no less, he thought.
Ana pursed her lips, trying to figure out a way to show the vampire that he had no intention of killing her. Then, she got an idea. She removed her gloves and shoes and socks and scarf and laid on the cold snow. She started to pile it onto her body, attempting to bury herself, her hands started to shiver but she pushed on reaching for more snow when suddenly she was pulled out and wrapped in a black cloak in a matter of seconds.
"Are you mad?" The vampire snapped.
"I thought you were going to kill me anyway," she giggled. The vampire froze and sat on the ground and laughed harder than he had in a long, long time.
"You were testing me?"
"No, I was proving a point," She breathed out rubbing her hands against her arms.
"You're a strange one," The vampire smirked at her and moved to pick up her accessories. "Your bread is cold and probably inedible now," He mused.
"Oh no!" She pouted.
"This is what you're distressed about? A mere piece of dough is where you draw the line?"
"Felipe gave me an extra today! A-a-and it was f-f-fresh baked," She felt colder as time went on. The vampire grew concerned and grabbed her cloak and accessories making her put them on. He accidentally inhaled her scent and quickly backed away, grunting.
"Sorry, does being near me hurt you?"
"Please," He smirked, "a mere child, causing me pain?" He made his thirst calm down and moved back to the girl lifting her in his arms effortlessly. "You're going to kill yourself trying to prove a point," She giggled shivering more. "Let's get you somewhere warm," He sighed.
"Wa-w-wait!" She huffed shoving his chest.
"What, I thought you weren't afraid?" He chuckled smirking at her.
"N-no, t-the m-man, people w-w-will s-s-see!" She ground out pointing at the corpse. The vampire chuckled and flicked his wrist a blue dust sprinkled out and turned the corpse into pure ice. He then stomped on every piece of it leaving no trace it was ever there. There was just ice on the ground in the winter.
She looked at him, her blue eyes finally filled with surprise. Somehow he felt pleased that he had finally done something to shock the cocky little being in his arms. "Now that's taken care of, let's go somewhere warm before you freeze," He knew he couldn't go back to town so he instructed the girl to hold on tight and leaped up into the air onto the roof of a building. He scanned the area looking for any old abandoned building that he could stay in, finding one just outside of the bustling business that was in the heart of town. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop careful to stay away from any brightly lit areas.
When they arrived he set the girl down and in a matter of seconds started a fire so that she could warm up. Ana laughed awed by the speed of the man. "Amazing, you're so fast!" She clapped giggling and then shivered again.
"Yes, yes, come sit by the fire now so you won't fall ill," He huffed ushering her inside. After she stopped shivering he sat down next to her keeping a safe distance so that he could get more used to her scent. He carried her but that took all the restraint he had if he hadn't fed beforehand who knows what I would've done to her. He stared into the fire, his throat felt like that crackling and burning. He silently cursed himself, he knew better than to talk to humans, in the millennia he had been walking this planet. So why did I do it? He wondered, why had he after all this time decided to break from the shadows, to interact with this small, golden-haired child.
Humans are weaker than we are, old friend.
We're superior to them, they are prey.
We have to sustain ourselves somehow.
He glared harder at the fire when he recalled the voices of those who had tried to control him for years. His throat burned along with his anger, the fire within him raging like the one in front of him. There was a creak that snapped him out of his thoughts. He eyes darted to the sound. The girl had moved farther away her eyes tracking him like his were tracking her. He listened to her heartbeat, Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump. His instincts began to take over.
"Finally afraid?" He said, his voice low. Maybe now he could kill her, since she'd shown that she was like all the other humans, that she was nothing special, despite what he originally felt.
She nodded, moving further back.
I just saved your life. Now you insist on me killing you? He stood, slowly stalking toward her. Should it be quick? Slow? He hesitated. She backed away further, something flashed in her bright blue eyes. He took a step and they flashed again. He realized that they flashed from fear to anger.
"Stay back." She said, frowning.
"Why are you running?" He challenged, wanting a reason to crush his intrigue, his hesitation.
"Because I'm afraid––" She was cut off by his sudden approach falling back onto the floor.
"And you should be," His instincts started to take over, he leaned in and listened to her quickening heartbeat, forcing himself to do what should have been done the moment she stepped into the alley.
"I don't want you to hurt!" She cried. He froze, once again the small child surprised him. "Doesn't it hurt?" She whimpered.
"What?"
"Your throat hurts when you're close to me," She snapped, her hands shaking. "People always get hurt around me. The closer you get the more it burns," She glared up at him.
The stranger stopped, and for the first time in a long time, he laughed hysterically. His thirst had quelled as a result and he sat back and continued.
"What's so funny?" Ana huffed backing away as she did.
"You, little one, have seen me suck the life out of a human and enjoy it, leap from buildings, turn a dead body into the snow and yet you're afraid of making me uncomfortable and getting hurt?" He continued chuckling in disbelief.
"You're lying if you say you're not thirsty!" She said.
"You're correct," He smirked.
"See! I knew it!" She wailed and pouted at him.
"But, as you previously established, I'm not going to hurt you," He smiled.
"But your thi—"
"I'm a lot stronger than you seem to fearfully believe, little one," He said chuckling, then getting up and ruffled her hair. He walked back to sit by the fire, looking back at the blue-eyed girl who still seemed wary of him. "Come on then, you're still not fully warmed back up."
She slowly walked back to sit by the fire but made sure to keep a good distance between them. He smirked and moved so he was right next to her, chuckling when she stiffened.
"Don't worry I'm fine, child." He smiled which seemed to reassure her since her body relaxed. "Well I suppose since we've come this far it's only fair we actually introduce ourselves," He stuck out his hand, "I'm Constantine."
"I'm Ana," She shook his hand, not flinching at the vast difference in body temperature, "It's short for Anastasia, Anastasia Cullen."