Worlds Apart

Eighteen

I pushed away from him, not minding the way I fell further into the dirt and grime as long as it meant distancing myself. He held his hands up, slowly reaching out to me, but I knew their games too well. I threw my leg up to his gut to send him on his ass. My foot caught on his hand, and our eyes locked. They were scarred and staring at my matching colored ones. I scrambled away. "You're..."
"Yes," he reached out again. "Come now, dear; it's only time before the police arrive."
I hesitated, turning back in the direction I had come. I didn't hear sirens then, but I knew he was right, and any moment they'd be speeding here to snatch me up. I took his wrinkled hand, which was stronger than it looked. He pulled me up from my place on the floor and dragged me by my arm to a neighboring home a few feet away. I barely kept up, staggering behind and coughing up the trapped air I'd sucked in from crying.
"Who are you?" I asked, letting him pull me onto the porch of a lovely white home. The matching white fences bordered it, and flowers bloomed along it. The house itself was small but well-kept among the others in this neighborhood. He looked all around us before opening the door and pushing me inside. All my instincts were telling me to turn back and run. A strange man was taking me into his home. Except he's not a man. My mind told me. He was like me. A part of my mind wanted to trust one of my own, but I already knew how that could go. The memories of Solomon crawled to the forefront of my mind, bringing tears to my eyes that further humiliated me. The man called out to someone as we entered, and a plump older woman emerged from the corner. Her eyes were as crimson as ours, and her teeth were sharp. It was slightly intimidating to be near human-feeding vampires, even if I wasn't a possible meal. The vampire's eyes could be any color, but they were only red if they'd fed on blood recently. I knew my color would fade eventually, but not soon enough for when I'd need to return to Rylie. The woman gasped, hurriedly placing her china cup down and rushing over to me. I stepped back at her raised hands.
"What happened?" she turned to her husband, I assumed.
He peeked out the blinds, "Rough hunt, is my guess."
He turned to me for confirmation, and I nodded out of embarrassment. My cheeks felt hot, and I looked like an irresponsible child who was left unattended. In the house's light, I could see the full extent of my physical appearance. The dried blood ran up past my elbows, and pieces of grass, dirt, and leaves stuck everywhere. I felt leaves rustle in my hair as I moved, and the wound on my stomach pulsed when my body decided to remind me of my injury. I winced, pulling the grimy shirt away to decrease the chances of infection, as if it mattered at this point. The woman reached for me again, and this time I let her. She cupped my face, and her hands were soft but cold.
"Come into the kitchen, dear." She led me through their small living room.
The inside of the home was just as I'd imagined it if I'd only seen the outside. The couches looked as if they'd never been used, and the carpet looked as if it had never been stepped on. I bit my lip, trying to avoid making stains on it, as I followed her. There were similar grand paintings placed on their white walls as there were on the ones on our castle walls. I didn't recognize any of the faces, but I didn't expect to. I reminded myself that I didn't know these people; they were strangers. I couldn't trust them. I hesitated to step further into their home. The old woman turned to me and held her hands out. "You're safe here, little evil."
Her words were pure with intention but tainted with truth. I was evil; I killed a father. I orphaned a child. I wanted to tear the world apart. I wanted to burn every bit and let it swallow me whole. She left me standing in the kitchen for only a second, returning with a wet cloth. It was warm against my face and soft with care.
"What happened?" She asked again.
"I never hunt humans." I said it truthfully. " The man entered the kitchen from behind me and said, "How obvious. What changed, then?"
I eyed him from my peripherals as I stood still, letting the woman wipe my face clean of blood. "I needed to get away from where I was staying. I just needed a distraction."
He scoffed. "You almost exposed our entire species for a distraction?"
The venom in his voice was strong, but mine was stronger. "Then why not leave me in the woods to be found? The only thing people look at you for is if you're going to break a hip."
He chuckled. "You've got some fangs on you, girl." I let her finish cleaning my face, as if it had made a dent in my appearance. I needed a deep cleaning, but I wasn't about to ask strangers to use their bathtub.
"We've lived here for years." The woman began, "No one expects the elderly couple when someone ends up dead."
"Why don't you hunt animals?" I asked.
"We're old, Hun." She smiled, "Blood with a soul carries more power and more use. It keeps us up and going."
I looked around at their nicely decorated home. They must have lived here for a while. Which seemed impossible. Eventually, someone would notice their elongated lifespan, and suspicions would arise.
"Hasn't anyone noticed you two not aging?" I asked, taking the cloth from her.
I cleaned my arms, noticing small cuts and bruises as I cleaned foreign blood from my limbs.
"We move often. Any human who had suspicions eventually passes from old age, taking their theories with them." The man spoke up, leaning against the wall.
"My name is Annette." She tucked the free grey strands behind her ear, "My husband is Ricardio."
I handed her the cloth, "My name is Anastasia." I watched something change in Ricardio's eyes as I finished. I kept my eyes on Annette as she examined my clothing. I'd almost forgotten about the gash in my chest until she gasped at the sight.
"I suggest a bath. I can't rub a cloth over everything, and that wound needs to be cleaned properly." She tossed the soggy rag into the sink.
I pulled my clothes away from my body, "I haven't any clothes."
"Don't worry about that, dear."
She placed her hand on my lower back and led me down a narrow hallway. To our left were stairs, and surprisingly, she didn't need the railing like I imagined elderly people would. I let her lead me up the stairs until we were met with a white door. She pushed it open and switched the light on. It was spotless and almost blinding from how white it was. It was a humble little bathroom, with minty green accents and forest elements that gave me the impression they hadn't been from here.
"There are towels in the cabinet on top of the toilet; I'll find you something to wear. Take your time." She closed the door behind her.
I was left again in deafening silence. I didn't deserve the kindness that I was given. I deserved to be left in those woods, to be found and punished. I imagined myself in their shoes. Would I save a murderer just because they were like me? I undressed and turned the tub's knob. I lightly touched my wound; it burned and pulsed. I examined my scrapes and marks. This had to be the last time. This was the last time. I couldn't lose control. I stepped into the warm water and submerged my head. I felt my body ache from letting the water hold my weight instead of itself. I had to go back to Rylie soon, and maybe she already noticed my absence. I thought about the possibility of her assuming I left permanently. How she would react and what she would do. If she would care. I hoped she would.