The Seldom Seen
AN: So, guess what? i got more followers/favoriters! They make me happy enough to get out small chapters.
But the big chapters are now being reserved for when I get reviews. Yes I'm pulling that route. :P
I'll still update every few days with little snuppets I come up with, probably more like this one since I like how it went.
I still love you, silent readers. But I love the vocal ones the most.
PS: Title is random, just sounded cool. XD
12: Sharing Is Caring
Seras tossed and turned fitfully in her bed, hands clenching in the sheets and ripping little crescent holes in them with her slowly growing claws. Darkness flickered at her edges, and when she groaned in the depths of her dreams, her fangs showed; extended far past their usual length to come close to overhanging her lower lip. Blood tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall and stain her pale face crimson.
Seras Victoria stared stone faced at the wall, the nine year old was sitting in her room, alone. One of the orphanage workers walked down the hallway, saw her just sitting there, and sick of her sullen silence, kicked her out into the yard to 'try and get along with the others already'. The blonde stared at the swing set rather longingly, but it was full up, and the other kids hated her as much as she hated then, Instead, she wandered over to her favorite tree and flopped down against the trunk, looking at all the pretty flowers on the other side of the chain link fence surrounding the orphanage. Her mother loved flowers… Gasping at the pain in her heart, she shoved the memory back into her mental closet and plucked a handful of grass, shredding it idly.
The sun started its descent into the horizon when she heard a strange sound. Looking up, she stared at the lumbering black hound tearing through the gardens and his trailing leash end. She felt the strangest draw towards that dog.
Deciding to do something about it before the adults called the pound, she scrambled up the fence, nimble as a monkey, and dropped down in the patch of marigolds feet first. "Here doggy doggy doggy…" Holding her hand out flat, she edged closer to the loop of chain in the petunias.
The hound turned and Seras was startled to see red eyes, not just a brownish red, but like rubies soaked in blood. Keeping her cool, she inched closer still, hoping to grab the leash before it – he, she thought, unsure why – ran off. "Nice doggy, c'mere boy." Surprisingly, he obeyed and sniffed her hand pleasantly enough. Reaching for his leash, she hooked her fingers into the plastic covered loop and grinned at the great beast. "Hiya, boy. Did you escape your master? Just wanted to play in the flowers, huh?" She crooned to him cheerfully, feeling at ease with him despite his size nearly dwarfing her; his shoulders met her chest, and he could easily rip out her throat.
"Hey, Ser found a dog!" A male voice called, and she cringed. "It's huge!" Five bodies followed her path over the fence and her least favorite group of boys jeered at her as they approached. "Aw, betcha it's harmless. Probably stupid if it let her grab the leash." A round of vicious laughter followed this statement as the older boys spread out in an arc to cut off her escape. "Hey, it's got a collar, maybe we can get some reward money for returning it!"
Seras scowled and her grip tightened on the leash, body tensing to run. She knew where a pile of rocks was, and she'd need them with five against one. The dog growled and curled his lip back viciously as Fred got too close. "Shit!" Fred leaped back a good two feet and glared, "Stupid mutt."
The dog barked then, the sound loud and threatening, and the five boys glanced at each other nervously before identical cruel smirks curled their lips and they reached into their pants pockets for handfuls of rocks. Seras' eyes widened and she jumped in front of the dog to act as a shield, "Don't you touch him you bastards!"
"Oh look, Ser's got a new best friend." Fred mocked, "Can't get along with humans so you turn to animals huh? No wonder your parents left you here, you freak!"
Seras jerked, and lowered her head, teeth gritting visibly as she clenched her fists, "Take that back you fucking bastard!" She screamed, eyes blazing as she charged blindly at the red headed boy, leash forgotten at her feet. The first rock hit her in the corner of her eye, followed by another in her gut. The boys jeered and laughed as they pelted her with small stones, mocking her viciously and calling her a freak. Blood trickled down her cheek like a crimson tear and suddenly the dog was no longer content to sit and watch. The great black beast snarled and lunged at Davie, nearly taking his hand off as he let loose another projectile at the wounded girl. The blonde screamed bloody murder and a wet mark spread swiftly across his shorts. The other four shouted in alarm as the dog pounced and pinned Fred to the ground, growling and nearly foaming at the mouth with rage.
Davie and the other three bolted, screaming, over the fence to get an adult, or just get away from the scene of the crime. "Ser… hey Ser call him off." Fred pleaded, his own pants wetted by urine as he stared fearfully up at the set of teeth hovering in front of his eyes.
Seras did nothing, simply stood there, bruised and bloody and staring with cold eyes at the scene before her. Her silence was her answer.
Just as the dog leaned down to do something horrible a sharp whistle rent the air and he stilled. "Heel, Alucard." A young girl, no older than thirteen at the most, said as she appeared at the edge of the gardens. Platinum blonde haired framed a solemn face, large circular glasses covering her ice blue eyes, and a silver whistle in her hand. The outfit she wore reminded Seras of the uniforms the fancy prep school kids had.
The dog – Alucard – grudgingly backed up and off the boy to stalk towards his owner, and Fred took the chance to run screaming in fear himself. Seras still didn't move, frozen in place by the tumult of emotions crashing through her head. She would have let Alucard kill Fred for her, would have stood by as he mauled the boy, and she wouldn't have regretted it. Was that any way for a future police officer to act?
"What's your name, girl?" The other blonde asked as she took up the hound's leash and approached.
"Seras, Seras Victoria." She answered, locking gazes with the other girl for a brief moment before glancing away. Blood trickled from various nicks along her arms and leg, and the most noticeable one next to her eye. Alucard approached and wagged his tail before leaning down to lick the salt and copper from her skin. His owner looked shocked and about ready to yank the chain in reprimand when Seras smiled and patted his head. When he finished licking the blood from her legs and arms he turned his great head towards hers and ran his tongue over her face in one slobbery swipe, Seras laughed and made a playfully disgusted sound. The dog's owner gave her an odd look before pushing her glasses up her nose, "You may call me…"
Seras bolted up in bed and whammed her head on the lid of her four poster coffin, swearing blackly. "Was that… it couldn't be, could it?" She remembered that dog, and how the boys had lied and told the orphanage workers she'd set the beast on them. No one believed her side of the story and they'd sent her packing tp another orphanage out in the country.
She frowned and looked at her feet, wondering if that memory was tampered with – she didn't remember the dog's name or the owner before now. But… she'd noticed that since becoming a vampire all of her senses, and even the clarity of her memories had sharpened. It was a double edged sword when it came to remembering the bad moments of her childhood. "Master… did we really meet before Cheddar Village?" She asked thin air, not really expecting an answer.
None came, and she truly wasn't surprised. It was still daylight out there. Shaking her head, deciding not to dwell on it, she sighed and flopped back onto the mattress and curled up in her blankets to try and get a little more shut eye.