The Nocturnals

Chapter Nine: Sympathizing with a vampire

Blayne restates, "The Prince of all vampires."

Eliora looks at him, disgusted, "Why in the world would he visit me?"

"He may have something to offer you. I mean, he is the Prince after all," Blayne dodges, obviously knowing what the Prince really wants, but not saying.

"Um, no. How dare he want to visit me? I mean... What? How did he- why did he- I'm so confused!" Eliora stares off into a corner, mortified.

"I understand your shock, but I had to tell you that," Blayne pauses, but suddenly remembers something, "There's also another patient who was asking for you, in fact, he's the one who notified the Peacekeeper to save you. I believe his name is Josh?"

Eliora spits at the name, "Little shit."

"What a thing to say about the person who saved you," Blayne eyes Eliora.

"I'm sure he bribed someone to say he saved me to make up for leaving me. I'm sure you don't understand something like that," Eliora breaks her gaze on Blayne.

After a momentary silence, Blayne speaks softly, "I actually do..." He takes a deep breath, uncertain, "There's a cult of vampires who are Cannibals. They love vampire blood and my father was the leader of the cult... He strapped me to an unbreakable surgery table where he," Blayne chokes, forcing Eliora to empathize him, "he-he tortured me for my blood. Ever since then, I've sympathized with humans. Being alone in that kind of hunt situation is terrifying and I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can only imagine your contempt for Josh for leaving you and probably your contempt for me, too."

Eliora looks up at Blayne, more softheartedly, "I-I don't know what to say... Why would you tell me something like this? Something so personal?"

Blayne smiles gently, "I just wanted you to understand that I'm not that kind of vampire. That's the reason I only take blood from the willing. I would never steal someone's blood, let alone murder them in the process..."

"Well... I suppose you're being... Considerate..." Eliora mumbles.

"I will send the prince in as soon as he gets here. Whatever he wants... I really suggest you to not deny him. He's very powerful," Blayne mumbles, leaving the room with no other comment.

Eliora sighs. Her life is turning into a sappy vampire story. She rolls her eyes, "What was that movie called... Breaking Twilight? Maybe he'll whisk me away into an enchanted forest with unicorns and werewolves!" Eliora says sarcastically. She laughs bitterly in disbelief that her life went from running away from these beasts to being saved by them. She wonders how different their life is opposed to hers.

Life's been horrible while it lasted, now she's going to become a snack. She's sure something like that would happen to an unlucky person like her. She's escaped death too many times before, now she's done for. With all the worry her head begins to ache. Her body gives in to gravity as she falls down her bed, quickly slipping into sleep.

Staring at a dead Carter and his dead dad, Eliora found herself crying, "Carter... Carter? Wake up! Carter!" She sobbed as she forced one foot in front of the other towards Carter. At his side, Eliora fell to her knees and threw herself onto his unnaturally bent body. The vampire's carcass did mini spasms, its head and body separated.

Suddenly, a woman opened the backyard stone gate, forcing it closed behind her. She pressed it behind her back, her black hair flying.

"Little girl! Please! Help!" she said in a Russian accent. Taking a quick glance at Carter, Eliora leapt up and ran over to the Russian woman.

"Push hard..." she got out through gritted teeth. Eliora pushed with all her might against the stone, pounding on the other side shaking the whole fence. "Get statue!" She pointed at a beautiful, heavy statue of a Nymph. Little Eliora sprinted to the statue, shoving the wheels underneath the corners. Mr. Hanes, Carter's dad, would always have the wheels in case he wanted to change up the backyard. She pushed against the statue, putting it beside the woman who kicked the wheels out from under the statue, the statue wedging itself into the ground.

She looked at Eliora for a quick, uncertain second, then said, "Girl. Come with me," she huffed, grabbing Eliora's arm firmly. She pulled her through the house, which Eliora thought was incredibly rude since she was not invited inside, then again that required asking alive people. Eliora wiped away her tiny tears, tasting salt in her mouth as she ran side by side with the lady. She put her thumb nail halfway in her mouth, a nervous habit she gained that showed up whenever she felt she was in trouble.

The lady lead her through the garage after she had stolen keys from the kitchen countertop, "It okay. Will be fine," the lady reassured Eliora, smiling. She grabbed Eliora throwing her into the backseat of the Mercedes. She jumped into the front seat, jamming the keys into the ignition.

"Am sorry to snatch up like that. Was not very polite. I am Kate. And you?" she smiled gently.

"Ellie..." she whispered, Eliora's voice shaky.

Kate furrowed her brow, still smiling, "Don't be worried. Will be okay. Sorry about friend. So young to experience that."

Eliora's lip quivered as tears fell. Her life had gone from relaxing to a horror story in two minutes without her even knowing what happened. Kate floored it through the town, only taking one glance back. New York City would be behind them soon. Eliora breathed in deeply.

"Girl-" Kate stopped herself, "Ellie?" Kate turned her head as she drove down a back way to an airport. Eliora looked up hesitantly. "I owe my life to you. Saved me back there with statue. I will get us to safe place soon. I know where safe place is."

She nodded her head, "Can I go to my house?"

Kate wore a confused expression, "That was not your home?"

"No."

Kate slowed down the car, pulling over, "Is dangerous, but... We will go. Must go quickly. Where you live, Ellie?"

"I live behind the Central Park," Eliora replied.

Kate nodded her head, doing a u-turn. It was a silent drive of hitting beasts as they ran towards Eliora and Kate and Eliora closed her eyes. Eliora watched the human like creatures with fangs and yellow eyes. She bit her lower lip as she thought about it all. Her heart pounded in her chest as screams from outside resonated through the streets. Kate pulled into Eliora's neighborhood right behind the Central Park with a little instruction from Eliora. Kate pulled up to the familiar run down house, the white walls rotting with mold. Kate took out a gun from her jeans.

"Ellie, stay behind me," Kate jumped out of the car, grabbing Eliora quickly from the backseat. Wrapping her arms around Kate's muscular arm, Eliora hid behind Kate. Kate's foot knocked down the front door and they ran in.

Eliora sprinted ahead in desperation, headed towards Jessica's room. Tears clouded her vision as she ran to the door. She immediately fell to her knees at the sight of her sister lying on the floor, looking completely anorexic and dead. Jess's eyes were glazed over like a dead fish's. She had a large cut on her arm, but no blood spilled forth.

"Jess! No!" Eliora sobbed, "Wake up... Jessie... Wake up! Not you, too? What-what happened? Jessie?! Please! Tell me you're okay!" She threw her arms over Jess' lifeless body.

"Ellie... Am so sorry... Poor girl..." Kate sympathized, dropping to her knees and putting an arm around Eliora's shoulders. Eliora turned into Kate's chest and hugged her waist, "I am so sorry... We cannot stay here, Ellie... We have to move. This girl wouldn't have wanted you to experience the same fate."

Eliora pulled away, putting her nail halfway in her mouth nervously. Without a word, Eliora walked over to the kitchen, searching for a note or something from her parents.

"Dey-dey left..." a small voice Eliora knew to be Henry, her three year old little brother. He was an oops baby. Eliora's parents never controlled their drunken sex.

"Henry!" Eliora leaped over towards him, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the car. Kate kept her gun aimed as Henry and Eliora got in the car.

Kate pulled out of the neighborhood, "Dey left to Huami."

"He means Hawaii," Eliora explained to Kate. Kate nodded in understanding, rain beginning to pitter patter once again on the roof of the car. Eliora sat on the leather seat while she held Henry's hand. "What was the last thing they said?"

Henry thinned his lips and furrowed his brow thoughtfully, "Dey said, 'Thuck the kids.'"

It burned her lips as she repeated, "Fuck the kids..."