Mistress of Blood

Prologue

I gazed at my sister's blood soaked hands in terror, my heart thumping in my chest. She looked straight back at me and bared her teeth, snarling as the deep red liquid dribbled down her forearm. I went to open my mouth and ask a question, one which had been plaguing me since the first time I saw her like this, but something barrelled past me, sobbing.

"My baby, oh my poor baby!" My mother screamed, pulling my sister into her arms. My sister just thrashed and snarled some more, clawing at my mother's hands with her overly long nails.

"Get the bucket Lillian! Get it now!" My mother yelled, pinning my sister down with her hands. She struggled wildly, her eyes full of ravenous hunger. I went to demand an answer, for this had been going on for far too long with me in ignorance, but my mother gave me such a desperate look that I ended up running towards the bathroom.

I barrelled into the tiny, tiled room, and rushed to the sink, praying that my sister's episode would end quickly. I turned on the tap and grabbed a large bucket resting on a wooden cabinet. The bucket was stained with blood, from previous usage, but I ignored it, like I had learnt to ignore many things these days.

I shoved the bucket under the gushing tap, and stared at it intently, willing it to fill up quicker. Once it was overflowing I turned off the water, and then grabbed a red stained cloth. I bolted out of the bathroom, and went to hover over my sister. She was roaring by this stage, causing such a ruckus that the house was starting to shake.

I clasped one of my sister's flailing hands, ignoring my mother's labored breaths as she struggled to keep her pinned down. Then I started to scrub at the blood, only getting through by knowing one day I would be free. The thought of leaving this all behind made me smile, and smile I did as I cleaned from my sister whatever she had killed.