I was in the garden.
It was just past five in the evening and I had agreed to meet Parker at the end of the property.
Parker was the love of my life. We'd met about three years ago when we were both newly turned adults. I wanted to marry him, but when I invited him over to my house to have dinner with my family, my parents banished him from our home.
They claimed that I was to never see Parker again or else I would be left to live in the streets alone, abandoned by my family. Essentially, I could not be with Parker so long as my family lived. And with my father's money, access to the best healthcare and beneficial foods, I didn't think my family was going to die any time soon. And I did not want them to.
A part of me, at the time, was ready to run away and spend my life with Parker, the way it was meant to be. But the reputation my family had painted in the town would mean death for me on the streets. Although I never had a hand in the torment my family spread, the people did not care.
Having my head would satisfy them.
So, I stayed quiet. And tried to ignore my breaking heart. But, weeks after the horrible dinner, when I went into the village part of our town to meet some of my former friends, I ran into Parker and we swore to hold on to each other forever. We found other means to communicate, keeping every thing a secret.
Parker was an escape for me, from my family. And I refused to let him go.
"How are you this evening, my love?"
I grinned, rushing to Parker who had climbed over the spiked gates separating my family from the rest of the world. No one but Parker knew of this entry to the manor. If they did, my family would have been attacked by now.
His arms immediately found their way around my frame, squeezing me like it was the last time we'd see each other.
After a minute of embracing and inhaling each other's presence, I finally pulled away, taking his hands into my own.
I squinted at his fingers in the dimming light of the sun.
"Why are your hands stained?" I frowned. "Do you not wash your hands? Peasant!"
My remark caused Parker to let out a soft chuckle. "I was picking berries for my mother this morning. They were especially soft and managed to stain me. I did, in fact, scrub my hands with soap and water multiple times, but the stains are resistant."
I nodded. "My family ate some of the softest looking berries this afternoon, a gift from one of my mother's friends. My father couldn't stop eating them. Perhaps the summer heat has caused the crops to spoil and become overripe this year."
Parker's eyes widened.
"What?" I looked behind me in alarm, afraid one of my brothers had found us.
Parker's lips curled into a small smile."Your family ate berries? Have you gone poor? Eating the food of the villagers?"
"Oh my God." I shoved him, rolling my eyes. "Shut up."
"Did you like the berries?" Parker asked, teasingly.
We shared a knowing look. I was deathly allergic to berries. So I had not tried any.
"Oh yes, I love putting my life at risk."
"Didn't think so," Parker smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we took a little stroll.
We talked and walked for what seemed like only a few minutes, but the sun had disappeared and the moon illuminated the sky. My eyes felt heavy and I let out a yawn.
"Time for you to get to bed," Parker suggested.
I pouted. "I loved spending time with you today."
"Me too, we'll meet again soon," Parker promised, kissing my forehead before heading toward the fence to climb it again and make his escape.
I watched as his figure faded into the distance, sighing as I dragged myself towards the manor. All I wanted was to roll into bed and dream of the future I hoped Parker and I would share some day.
When I pushed the door open, however, something did not feel right. A cool draft of wind engulfed me as I stepped inside. I tried to ignore the pit in my stomach, strolling upstairs to kiss my parents good night.
But when I crept into their bedroom, I found their bed vacant.
Frowning, I figured they must have been downstairs eating or watching something.
I peeked into my brothers' rooms as well, to find them missing as well.
It was only nine in the evening, so it was not unusual for them to be up.
"Mom?" I called as I headed down the stairs.
I turned left, heading toward the kitchen. "Dad?"
As I looked into the kitchen, I heard a blood-curdling scream.
It took me a few seconds to realize it was a scream that I had let out myself.
On the floor of the kitchen lay my two brothers, convulsing, with their eyes rolled back into their skulls revealing only the whites.
"Mom? Dad?" I urged, looking around wildly. I rushed out of the kitchen, looking for a phone to dial 911.
Our living room had our landline, so I headed towards it. I ran towards the phone, resulting in me tripping over some unknown object in the dark.
I flicked on the lights to observe what I had tripped over, only to find my father's body.
Unlike my brothers, he was not convulsing. His eyes were not rolled back, rather they were open and still. I was too panicked to emit any noise.
"You! You killed your family!" My mother screamed. "You monster!"
She seemed absolutely delusional. Not slightly in her senses. As she grabbed for me, I caught sight of her eyes, her pupils were enlarged, dilated unnaturally.
"Mom!" I protested, "I didn't do this! I was in the garden this whole time!"
"Be gone you foul creature!" My mother slurred out, before staggering and dropping to the floor herself.
"MOM!" I yelled out.
I had no medical background. I needed to call for help.
Tears clouded my vision. My father was dead. My brothers perhaps soon to meet a similar fate and my mother was out of her mind.
Rushed, I dialled 911 on the landline. I informed the person on the line that the residents of the Miller Manor needed medical attention immediately. I was told the ambulance would arrive in five minutes.
Wiping my eyes with the backs of my hands, I headed back into the kitchen to see what the condition of my brothers was. They were still convulsing beyond control against the cool tiles. I felt ill to the stomach, unsure of what could have possibly happened.
I was sweating profusely, wishing Parker hadn't left. All I wanted was to be in his arms and for him to brush away my fears.
Swallowing, I decided I needed to drink something cold and to take a seat as I waited for the ambulance to arrive.
I had no idea what was going on.
How had all of this happened in the time I was in the garden?
I'd bought myself a couple Sprites earlier in the week, and kept them in the fridge for later. A Sprite sounded good.
I shrieked as I opened the fridge.
I found what appeared to be bloody and headless squirrels. My stomach flipped with unease. In the centre of the headless bodies was a sheet of paper with the words TIME'S UP etched across it.
My craving for Sprite disappeared immediately.
I knew a lot of people despised my family. But I never considered anyone would go as far as to cause bodily harm.
I blinked. Realizing how bad it looked. I was the only member of my family who was unharmed. The cops and other authorities were bound to question why that was the case. If my brothers or my mother survived the circumstances they were in, they'd kill me for being with Parker. I had no other alibi though. If I could not provide a proper alibi, I'd be framed for murder. I'd never see Parker again. My life would be over.
I could not stick around.
I had to run. I had to hide. To find Parker. Maybe this was the start of a new beginning.
Nodding to myself, I took one last look at my brothers, subconsciously noting purple stains on their fingers before I ran out of the manor.