Crowine Road, who would've thought, the most elusive members of Ljungborg where my neighbours all along. By neighbours I mean they were on the next street over, separated by a grove of trees that privatised all but the tippy tops of their houses. I should bake some cookies and send them over as a polite hello. I scoffed at second thought; stop acting like a grandma Louisa.
I got home, putting my keys into the glass bowl on top of the shoe wrack then shuffling out of my thick coat. After eating a venison burger, courtesy of the kind butcher on the main street and knocking back a glass of cow blood, I hopped into the shower and settled into bed as per routine.
I stared up at my ceiling and willed my suddenly keyed up body to rest, this had been happening more frequently as of late - as a Dhampir I should favour a nocturnal lifestyle but I had always been able to adjust my sleep routine to fit that of a humans. Recently, as soon as the sky grew dark, around when the clocks chimed midnight, my teeth would ache in my jaw and my muscles grew twitchy.
I wanted to do something, be somewhere. But I didn't know what or where.
With a sigh of frustration, I retrieved the pouch of the red Siderdnap berries Hetty had given me and popped one under my tongue. The deep crimson pearl melted in my mouth and my sigh of frustration turned to one of pleasure as the deep flavour flowed over my tongue. Sweet yet salty and smooth like the finest of wines.
I tucked the pouch back into the draw. Hetty said I had to be lucrative in my use of them, that they had an addictive quality, but they would work perfectly to ease me on my restless nights.
—
Waking up horrifically groggy, I found myself having to wipe at my eyes multiple times before they decided to function. My phone screeched at me again, the sound making me flinch.
8:15 - my breath hitched, I'm late!
I launched myself out of bed, stumbling when my hip ached as it recently had for a few weeks now. In a rush I threw on my clothes and brushed my blonde hair into a low bun, no time for makeup today; my first and only appointment today was at nine with Mr Gimmery and he loathed waiting; I reached my front door and grimaced.
The sun was up.
My lips set themselves into a thin line. Despite it being winter there was hardly a cloud and the sky was a bright blue already. There would probably be a storm later next week.
I pulled on my long leather trench coat, it wasn't exactly my style and made me look like a Van Helsingr vampire hunter, but Hetty had hexed it to be impermeable to a majority of sun light. I laced it up, pulled the sleeves to hang over my fingertips, my car keys ready in hand – one breath to fortify. I flicked up the hood and swung open the door, not even locking it behind me, because no one would travel as far out as I lived, as I sprinted across my lawn and flung myself into the car.
Tinted windows save the day, I sigh, putting my hands on the steering wheel as reassurance. I palmed at my hip, I'm getting too old for this shabang.
Just as I had turned my key to ignite the engine I felt a familiar twitch in the back of my skull; Comrade. It called. But it was daytime. The trees circling my house were sparse and wouldn't offer enough protection from the sun. A vampire would fry.
Comrade.
The calling declared more vehemently. My eyes moved to the small gully down the side of my house, where I kept the wood to dry for my fire.
Comrade! I physically jumped, hunched and holding my head in my hands as the loud plea bolted through my head. Jesus Christ, I cursed. Someone was over there. More so, a vampire was over there.
Without much thought, I backed the car up as close as I could, my bumper very nearly hitting the timber planks trimming my house. With haste I exited the car and turned into the narrow, shaded space.
Now I could hear whimpering, shuddering breathes, coming from the farthest storage box; I pulled back my hood, not needing it in the shade the house provided. My hand briefly hesitated over the lid.
Comrade! The voice called again, desperate. I heaved the heavy wooden lid away.
A small form curled close in the corner of the box, its long red hair facing me as she tucked her chin into her knees. Her tiny body shivered with sobs, flinching further into itself when I gently reached in and touched her shoulder.
"Uhm, hello?" I asked softly. Her face suddenly flew up to mine, our eyes locking together. Fair skin marred with angry red burns, I gasped at the sight, her big teary green eyes bore into mine; she was no older than six. "Oh honey..." I shrugged out of my coat and wrapped it around her shoulders before carefully scooping her into my arms. She didn't even make a sound nor a single attempt to protest as she wrapped her blistered arms around my neck and snuggled her face into my neck. "Hold on tight now." I made sure to wrap the coat tightly around my precious load.
"Ready?" I asked softly. Not getting a reply, I psyched myself up for the possibly stupid thing I was about to attempt.
Ow ow ow! I hissed in my head, feeling the sun burn into my back and frazzle my scalp as I dashed out and back into my house, slamming my door on the blasted rays as soon as my shoes hit the entrance, I think my whole house shuddered with the residual force. My chest heaved great pants of air, my age is catching up to me I swear.
"You okay in there?" I questioned the lump of black leather gripping my neck. An affirmative movement that I assumed was a nod responded.
With great effort I managed to relocate us to my bathroom, juggling the child in my arms as I turned some knobs filling the bathtub with warm water. I gently unwrapped her and placed her clothes and all into the filling tub. "Hold tight for a second honey." I soothed.
I ran into my studylike the devil was on my heels and quickly analysed and picked out several bundles of herbs and some crystalline substances that would be necessary, and then sprinted back. When I returned the young girls eyes had started to water again as she peered over the lip of my bath.
Doctor mode on; I crushed the various ingredients in my fist before mixing them into the water to make a milky liquid. I made sure to bathe her skin head to toe with the solution, softly balming her face with tender thumbs and combing it through her long hair with my finger tips. Breathing only after the task was complete. I sat back on my heels in relief when the flaming burns numbed into flushed patches.
"You'll be okay now." I folded my arms on the lip of the bath, letting my own burned hands receive some treatment.
"Thank you." If my hearing wasn't as strong I may have missed the small utterance.
"No problem honey, I'm a Medicus it's my job to help people." I smiled, extending a hand towards her, "I'm Louisa, and you?"
She took my fingers, hand too small to fully clasp mine, "Juliette." She gave me, what to her must have been, a firm shake.
"That's a very pretty name." She blushed happily but smiled, tucking her chin into her chest.
"Daddy says so too." She's adorable; I physically restrain my grand-mothering instinct to pull her into a hug.
"Juliette, who- or rather, where is your daddy?" be calm, be soft, but don't forget when you need to be serious when dealing with children. Much to my dismay, Juliette became upset, eyes watering and becoming large.
"Daddy went to Dr Damerae last night to get the blood, so –so I was gonna meet him at the end of the road but when- when I got there, there was a loud noise and I ran in-into the forest and gotted lost." She sobbed and hiccupped between words, this time I couldn't help but pull her into an embrace. Patting her back and whispering kind words to her as she eventually calmed down.
"Oh honey, I know your daddy, I'll call him right after we get you out of the tub. I'm sure he's very concerned right now."I pulled away and took a fluffy white towel from the radiator, wrapped little Juliette in it and hoisted her from the water then placed her on the toilet seat lid. "Now, does anywhere else hurt?" I
kneeled before her, she shook her head, "Good, good. Will you be okay to dry off and get changed into that dressing gown over there?" I pointed to the pink gown on the door. She nodded again; I brushed an unruly lock of hair behind her ear with lips turned up in a small smile. "I'll be right back."
I left the room to find my on call phone, locating it I redialled the most recent number, having to ring it twice before it went through.
"Hello?" snapped a voice on the other side, an even angrier feminine voice was screaming in the background- presumably at him.
"Hello, its Dr Louisa again. I wouldn't suppose you have a daughter going by the name of Juliette would you?" everything on the other side went silent, even the woman's tyrannous tantrum going quiet.
"Yes! Yes I do, have you seen her? Please!" he panted into the phone, voice cracking with strain.
"Yes she's with me right now, I found her on my property this morning-"
"Is she okay!?" a woman's voice interrupted, sounding close to tears.
"I assure you she is fine." A collective sigh, just how many people were there? "She had some minor UV burns but I've treated them and she's all healed up nicely." I continued on and eventually went back to my bathroom and gave the phone to Juliette, as requested.
After some time, she handed it back to me, but the phone line was already dead. I scrunched my brows, expecting to have to tell them my address and arrange a pick up.
"Uncle Leon is coming to pick me up in an hour." Juliette filled me in, using an innocent voice, of course looking ridiculously cute swaddled in my dressing gown.
"How do they know where you are?..."my voice was quiet.
"Uncle Leon knows everything." She smirked at me, a fiery look returning to her eyes. Her stomach grumbled, demanding attention. "I'm hungry." She stated the obvious.
"I guess I should feed you then." I laughed.