That evening, Amanda and Henry stood in front of a small, ordinary house. Amanda knocked on the door, her heart racing as if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The door opened slowly, revealing an old man. His eyes widened, and soon after, tears began streaming down his face.
"Amanda!" the old man called with a shaky voice.
"Dad!" Amanda called back, rushing into a tight embrace.
"I missed you so much... It was so lonely without you," her father said, tightening his embrace and intensifying his cries.
"Me too, Dad, but here I am," Amanda replied, her emotions flooding in the form of sweet, pure tears running down her cheeks.
After their touching reunion, her father looked behind her and saw Henry standing by the door, arms crossed. "Thank you for returning her to me safely," her father said gratefully. Henry didn't react, waiting for them to get to the business they came for.
From behind Henry, little, adorable angels emerged. "Who are those children? How did you get them?" her father asked in surprise. Henry chuckled, covering his mouth as the question 'How did you get them?' could easily be interpreted wrong. Amanda blushed but ignored Henry.
"I will tell you everything, Dad," Amanda said. Everyone went inside. Amanda sat on an armchair with Henry standing behind her, leaning on the chair, and across from her was her father. The children surrounded them in a spectacular scene. Amanda began narrating the horrors they faced, from her leaving to Henry's apartment to their past and their current situation, omitting the part about Amanda having killed. She didn't want to upset her dad and make him feel like his only daughter had become a killer.
Her dad listened to Amanda's story, his expressions a mix of horror, sorrow, and disbelief. "I see..." Her dad said, looking back at Henry. "You saved her life, brought her to my doorstep, and watched over her as a guardian all these years. I owe you my life... Thank you, Henry," her father said, his eyes fixed on Henry's.
"Let's get to the point," Henry sighed, looking at Amanda.
"Dad, we need you to watch over the children. As you know, they need special treatment, and I don't know anyone else I can trust," Amanda said, looking at him with pleading eyes.
Her father went silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "I know you are too old for this, and the doctor said..." Amanda's begging was interrupted.
"I will look after the children," her father decided, looking at the small, cute figures around him. "How can I ever let these adorable creatures become killers?" he continued, smiling at them.
"Don't worry, Mr. Fred, you won't be alone. There's someone who just came to my mind who might agree to help you raise them and keep them safe," Henry suggested. "This house is small, so I will buy a bigger house for all of you. Don't worry about the money; I will handle it," Henry continued.
"But I think this house is enough for them if I get more blankets and futons," her dad said.
"Yes, Dad, but it won't be enough when more children come," Amanda smiled with a soft laugh.
"There's more?" her dad asked in surprise.
"Yes, and we are going to get them now," Amanda replied.
Her father went silent for a moment, his worry evident on his face. "Be careful, Amanda," her father said, his voice full of affection.
"I will, Dad," she said, embracing him one last time. Then she crouched to the children's level. "You have to listen to and obey whatever Uncle Fred says, okay?" Amanda instructed, and all the children nodded in agreement.
Amanda left the house, waving at the children, and they waved back. Henry looked at the children one last time. When his eyes locked onto Emily's, she started smiling. Henry smiled faintly and waved at them with a low hand, experiencing a new feeling he had never felt before. That's when Amanda called him, and he left with her.
Henry started the engine and drove the van with Amanda beside him. It was a dark and silent road, every turn a potential ambush.
"So, who is this person you mentioned that will help my father?" Amanda asked, breaking the silence and lowering the tension.
"It's someone I've known for many years, and you've met him before. Knowing him, he will accept this job," Henry said confidently.
"And how are you gonna pay him? Actually, how did you get this amount of money? Did your work as an assassin pay that well?" Amanda asked.
"On the contrary, the pay was as bad as shit. They only give you enough for living necessities like food, and they pay more the harder the mission, but still, it's almost nothing," Henry said, displaying his discontent. "The real source of money is the mission site. Since the dead don't use money, there's no harm in plundering them. Most of my missions involved eliminating dangerous rich figures, so I've acquired a lot of money over the years. I don't care about money, but I knew it would come in handy when the day came to leave Kurdrox," Henry said proudly.
"I see, that makes sense," Amanda replied simply. Henry was a bit annoyed by her answer. He had predicted her to be displeased, but her indifference was unexpected.
"After that, we will go free the other children in Kurdrox facilities, right?" Amanda asked, looking at Henry. Her face was expressionless, her eyes empty, a sign that her bloodlust was taking over.
"But this will mean we have to kill anyone that tries to stop us. Are you fine with that?" Henry asked in a low voice.
"It can't be helped... Yes, it can't be helped. We have to do that to save the children and stop Kurdrox once and for all," Amanda said with a disturbing voice, her eyes staring into the void ahead, her hands near the hilt of her sword.
Henry thought he was ready for Amanda's awakening, but he didn't expect it to be this sad.
"Oh, by the way, there's still a lipstick mark on my face from when you kissed me in my sleep," Henry said, trying to change the mood.
"What?! Where?!" Amanda said, looking at his face.
"I was just joking, but you should've seen the look on your face," Henry said, unable to contain his laughter.
"Well, how am I supposed to know you weren't asleep? You are so good at pretending," Amanda said, pouting in embarrassment.
"And in Kurdrox, your face was so close, and you said that my eyes were beautiful," Henry continued.
"Shut up, please!" Amanda said, starting to get annoyed.
"Man! I bet you wanted that kiss on the lips so bad. If you still want it, you're welcome," Henry pressed further.
"If you spit any more nonsense, I will drop you out of the running van," she threatened, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Well, I wouldn't mind meeting my end by the hands of such a beautiful angel," Henry flirted.
"You're playing dirty. This is not fair!" Amanda said, blushing, her face turned red but this time not from gore.
Henry looked at her face. Her eyes had returned to their normal color and were shining again. He smiled in relief and looked back to the road, resuming their journey.
YOU ARE READING
Bloodlust Curse
Mystery / Thriller"The language of pain is spoken fluently by those who have danced with darkness." Blood and deaths everywhere... Where did I go wrong in my life? That's what Amanda thought when her normal ordinary high school life turned into a bloodbath. It all be...
