A Dance at Midnight

dawn's coming

-

Senar stood out on her balcony, breathing in the dawn's air. The sun hadn't risen yet, but its rays snaked through the clouds. The leaves on the trees swayed in the wind, their rustling like ocean waves. 

The sound reminded her of the time she and Jihwa made daisy jewelry. They had lived nearby a meadow where wildflowers grew rampant and, if they were lucky, a family of deer came to graze. On a balmy summer afternoon, Senar and Jihwa had sat in the meadow, their skirts billowing out around them; the leaves of the trees towering above them swished gently. 

Hajoon had joined them soon after, laden with snacks to munch on. Together, the three of them spent the whole afternoon splitting daisy stems and connecting them to create necklaces, bracelets, and crowns. The crowns had easily fallen apart, cascading down their hair, but not before they fell apart with laughter. 

Senar's smile faltered. How innocent that time had been; how happy she had been. If she'd known that she were to become a vampire and be the reason her family died...

...She had been heady with blood, unable to see or hear properly. The men had been watching her family, and knowing that she was not a threat due to her blooddrunkenness, they made their move. 

They took Jihwa in the dead of night. Hajoon had heard them and tried to fight them off, but the men were prepared. When Senar stumbled out of her room the following morning, Hajoon lay slumped against the corner of the common room, blood, both dried and fresh, smeared across his face and gut. He was breathing but barely. 

And their daughter...

Senar had found her quickly after following the scents of the men. But even though she'd found Jihwa, Jihwa wasn't Jihwa anymore. They had broken her, mentally and physically. They believed that she had the devil inside her like her mother did. Since they couldn't touch Senar without fear of getting ripped apart, they had taken the smallest and weakest member of the family and destroyed her...

Senar rubbed the backs of her hands across her wet cheeks. The wind blew, and the smell of leather-bound books drifted up.

She paused. She knew that smell.

No, he can't be. Another gust of wind tangled her hair, bringing with it the scent of old books again. There was no denying it: he was here. 

Cursing, Senar practically flew out of the bedroom, and after triple-checking that both her bedroom and guest room doors were locked, she made her way toward the foyer.

As silently as she could, she pulled open the door and stepped outside. Dew topped the tips of the blades of grass on the lawn, and a bird chittered to its neighbor.

The old doctor stood in front of her, his expression sheepish. It didn't make sense; she should be the one who should be sheepish - she was the one who threatened him with his life and left him on the ground.

"It's not safe for you here," she said.

"I understand this isn't the most ideal of meetings, but it'll only take a moment, my dear."

She hesitated. "Please," she said as she sout of the house completely, "not so close to the house."

They walked down the steps together and into the shade of the biggest tree on the side of the lawn. This position hid them from the windows of the house, should any vampire be too curious. 

Once she made sure they were safe, she turned to the doctor. He reached out and clasped her hands in his. He placed a small pouch in her palms. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving. I'll be retiring, and my wife and I will be going on vacation. I meant to tell you earlier, of course, but I didn't want to tell you before I left you in good hands."