A Vampire's Night : New Beginnings

Chapter 2 - The New Arrivals

Thadford and I made our way through out the entire festival grounds, looking at everything there was at the stands this year. We tried our hand at a few of the activities, and Thad even tried his hand in a boxing match... though he narrowly won the event, I still cheered for him when he lost.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to do that?" I asked him as I lifted a cool cloth to his face when we had made it back to the tables where food was being served, "I don't think he bruised your face evenly enough."

I had set him at one and rushed off to get cold water, and was back, before he could even protest my actions... add the fact that I was also teasing him a little about his lose now, and he seemed to be in a down right grumpy mood.

"I just wanted to see what it was like to fight in that arena once." Thad tells me as he tries to brush my worried hands away, but my free hand catches his and I hold it away so that I can look into his eyes and clean him up at the same time.

"I'm only teasing you Thad, and I thought you did very well." I inform him as I carefully placed the cold cloth on his cheek where I knew a bruise was going to be.

We were silent for a moment as he took in my words and I was nursing him 'Battle Wounds' as his siblings would soon call them, because I could see his mother coming in our direction from over his head. I whispered a quick warning to him, and he ducked his cheeks turned a bit red as he stood up quickly in order to face his mother's worry.

"Thadford, what on earth were you thinking? I only just heard about your little tussle... did you at least get a few good swings in?" Mrs. Williams says as she worries over his already bruising cheek and surprised us both by encouraging his behavior.

"He did at that." I couldn't help but chuckle a little under my breath as a smile spread across my face at the sight of Thad's family worrying over him and yet seeing if he liked it well enough to try and fight again.

"I think I'll stick to fighting for good reasons instead of sport though." Thad tells his mother as he gives me a quick half smile before smiling at his mother too.

"That's my boy." His mother says as she pats his cheek gently and gives me a smile of her own.

"Amelia! Amelia! Can we go and listen to the music?" Thad's youngest sister asks me as she tugs on my dress skirts.

"Listen to the music? Why would you even need to feel the need to ask that question?" I mock horror as I smile at her as I lower myself to her level, "Music is a must on a day like today! Who else would like to come?"

All of his siblings, except for his younger brother (not the infant one, the 9 year old one) immediately shouted out their agreement to going to listen to the music, while I smiled and laughed with all of them about the idea of it. I took the baby from Thad's mother and led the way with Thad's sister walking next to me as Thad took his mother's hand and placed it in his elbow so that he looked like he was escorting her over to the tables that were closest to the musicians that were all taking turns playing their most spirit-lifting songs. I carefully rocked the baby in my arms as the other children danced about in front of me, Thad danced with his mother for a song or to, putting a smile to her face, but she soon came to me and took her child from my arms, giving me a little nudge into Thad's arms in order to finish the dance that she had just left.

I knew the steps well, because she had been my teacher... but dancing with Thad was something of a different experience than any other I'd every had. It felt right to me on more than one level, and I always seem to lose myself when dancing with him. It was always as if we were the only two in the entire world when we were dancing together... of course I would know that this was not the case, but it always seemed blissful to not have to worry for a few moments about the rest of the world around us. We danced to song after song, after song... the simplicity of being able to enjoy something so small as a dance on a day such as this, lifting our hearts as we continued with each step... that is until the music seemed to lurch to a stop.

I didn't really know what was going on at first, because all who were dancing were confused as to why the music had stopped so suddenly, but as I looked around, I realized that everyone was starting to look in the same direction. I looked in the same direction as everyone else, and saw the mayor's family walking several steps behind him with pale faces as they glanced nervously at the people the Mayor was talking. There were three in total. A Gentleman, his wife and what appeared to be their son... who looked like he was about Thad's age. I watched as everyone seemed to back away from them as the Mayor was leading them through the various parts of the festival grounds, watched as mother's hid their children behind and husbands stepping forward to stand in front of their families in a protective manner.

I didn't realized what I was doing, but I was actually walking through the crowd, attempting to get closer, in order to see more of the three people that appeared to be scaring the entire village... and as I finally made it to the front of the crowd, taking a few steps in front of them so that I could really see the new family clearly, and I finally get why everyone else seems to fear these people. I had seen people like them before. I had already seen, in a small way, what people like them were capable of... and yet my fear for them was still so small, that I always questioned why that fear was there to begin with. This family wasn't a normal family, and because of that they naturally caused fear in others.

This was a Family of Vampires.