BLOODSUCKERS

PROLOGUE

     I've always had one unyielding principle in my life, and that is - be responsible. 

     That decision of mine was made right after the day I did a terrible thing in my life. And it will forever be burned in my memory and conscience.

     I held the hair bow in my hand from the rusty biscuit tin, the fabric pretty worn out after the years. The very memento of that day. Staring at it, wondering had I not done the same.

     It was a chilly day in June when I was just a naïve 7 years old, at the park a few turns away from Lily Orphanage. It was the day I was forced to look at the world with unclouded eyes for the first time, forced to take down the supposed rose-colored vision of a child.

     I still could not seem to comprehend how the smallest details of the days we do not want remembered were the most vivid. It was the sun about to set complete on the far horizon at that time, that gradually swallowed the colors of the high-rise city buildings. Few stratus clouds were scattered on the tangerine firmament, and as if beings of my dark imaginations as a child were about to seep into existence. But the more I gripped on Annie's wrist.

     "No!" I bawled with my squeaky child's voice, tears and probably snot threatening to fall down. She looked at me with brows pulled together and eyes full of worry, which I mistook for a scowl that time.

     "I don't want to come back yet!" I demanded one more time, crumpling my mudded dress from playing the entire afternoon on my other hand.

     "But Sister will get mad Suzy. Everyone is preparing for dinner by now." She peeked at my face with a gentle expression but quickly I averted my gaze. Skeptical of confronting her kind eyes, "The other girls doesn't want me there. They keep hiding my chair!" a childish excuse I added.

    Through my watery eyes, I watched her lower herself in front of me. Her sorrowful and soft gaze fixed on me, and her hand still holding mine gently. I heard her sigh. "But I want you there." Her pale chapped lips stretched for a soft smile, it must've hurt.

     I remember how peeved I was as much as being in awe at how mature she sounds sometimes. She always seem to know what to respond and make me unable to rebut, when we're only three years apart. Even in the orphanage, her percipience, for some reason, has always seemed far more distant among all the kids, and some girls would hate her for that. Was it because she's sick? Maybe. I don't know why being sick sometimes makes one feel somewhat mature. And Annie is sick. Badly sick. But the me at that time just couldn't simply take that and give up on her childish tantrums.

     She really doesn't care about me. How can she smile like that? - My thought at that time.

     I sniffled quietly avoiding her eyes. I hated how she could easily say things like that when her leaving has also been set to date. And tomorrow is the day. "I'll come back at the orphanage if you stay!" I demanded with a frown, and finally raised my gaze to meet her eyes bravely, but my shoulders went down when I saw them dull. 

     "Annie?" I called worriedly, and took her hand for pity. "Let's just stay there hmm? Don't go. The other kids are mean."  convincing her, tears and snot all over me. 

     She regained her smile, "Hahah you can just fight them. You're brave you said, didn't you?" patting my head. It irked me more. I threw her hand. "I'm not! I'm not brave without you!" I admitted bawling.

     "Yes you are! You remember? You promised me you'll be brave, that you will protect me like how I protected you, and that you will help me make my dream come true. And you know my dream is to get better right? Those people will help me."