To Heal the World

A Spark

"Rhapsodie." Diana whispered, gazing down at her newborn child in her arms. She gave a soft smile. "I'll call her Rhapsodie."

Her husband, Elias knelt beside the pile of old blankets that made up the bed she laid on. He brushed a long strand of hair back from Diana's forehead. To their right was a door which led up to the first floor. Above that burned a torch, casting shadows across their faces and making the room feel warm though it wasn't.

Diana gave a tired sigh as she watched her daughter sleep.

Finally, a bit of peace. There hadn't been a moment of peace here in years. Humans were prey to vampires, hunted to near extinction. Some in their settlement believed they were the last survivors. Driven into hiding. Elias and his wife now led one such community of people. 

In those days, fear was constant. They stayed indoors at night, traveled in groups, and in this way managed to hide in relative safety for several years.

And here came his daughter, Rhapsodie. So small, so fragile, but no doubt a spark of hope in their cold, dark world.

Little time did Elias and Diana have to reflect on this when suddenly a young man, panting and drenched in rain, came barreling down the stairs. The door crashed open and the baby was startled so Diana held her to her chest and cooed soft words, trying to calm her.

Elias jumped up to face the man, " What is going on?"

"Vampires! I- I saw them across town. They've set fire to the houses and they're headed this way!"

Elias' brow furrowed as he turned to his wife, who was now starting to stand. He gestured her back. "Gather everyone here. We'll go dark. If we're quiet, they will pass us by."

The man's eyes widened, "But sir, what if they find us?"

Elias swallowed and gazed down at his helpless daughter one more time. He set a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Then we'll fight."

The look of courage came into the man's eyes. He nodded and disappeared up the steps to relay word to the others.

One by one, each family in the deteriorated houses of their dead-end street crowded into Elias' cellar. The men with their weapons constantly glanced down the fire-lit street, hearts pounding as they watched the flitting shadows of the enemy creeping closer. The vampires would surely find them. There wasn't enough time.

"There's one more house." A man wielding a sword whispered urgently to another man as he forced him into the cellar. "Stay," he commanded, and disappeared the way he came. A second later a thunderous noise and a muffled scream shook the outside wall. The tiniest of gasps went up and was instantaneously choked out by terror. They all listened to a veritable death struggle above. Bodies slammed against the building over and over, all the time nearly drowned out by the hissing sound of the enemy. The group crouched as close as possible to the opposite wall.

Elias' gaze flicked between the front and back exits. From his wife's face to the other faces with him. He racked his brain for an escape plan. It was up to him to decide what to do.

"Elias, we have to go." Diana pleaded, barely loud enough to hear. He swallowed and shook his head, wiping sweat from his face with dirty hands. They couldn't leave; this home was all he'd ever known. He shook his head. 

But then there was the shrill scream of a woman, and out of duty to protect his community, Elias had to tear himself from his family and charge up the back stair to help.

Rhapsodie started to cry again, this time louder. Diana tried desperately to calm her, but was alarmed to find, as she crouched along the far wall with the rest, that Rhapsodie's tiny body was hot with fever. She was just born, she thought. Could she be ill?

Pressed against one another and trembling, they stayed gravely silent as the men fought above. Elias attacked the vampire who had grabbed an old woman and while they were engaged the woman was able to join the others in the cellar.

The enemy continued to converge on the scene, "Get everyone out!!" Elias shouted suddenly.  A dark-haired man knelt on the ground, holding a wooden stake. He had just slain another vampire and was covered in what remained of it- its ashes. The man shook off and went running to lead the women and children away. Elias looked down the street again to see if everyone had fled. There were a small troop of vampires gathering right there, grouping together.

With his short sword in hand, Elias struggled fiercely with the vampire he had knocked on the ground. It lashed out with its sharp fangs and claws built to tear flesh. Its eyes were dark and vacant. He was almost bitten once, but he managed to pin the monster and cut off his head with one proficient stroke of his blade.

His heart thumped. He scowled at the blood on his uncontrollably-shaking hands and stood slowly. Glaring down at the pile of ash the vampire had been reduced to, Elias thought. That was too close. They almost killed us.

He looked hatefully at two more close by, silhouetted by the fire beyond them. The bloody dagger still clutched tightly in one hand.

One was already pulling the other back. "There are too many," it hissed. They staggered back in the direction they had come.

Elias bounded after them. Not a one could be left to live. This had to stop. I have to protect them, he thought.

But one of his men came up behind him and stopped him. "Let them run." he panted. "We- we need to move."

Reluctantly, Elias nodded, still watching the vampires run. A moment later, he followed the man inside, down the stairs and out the back to rejoin his wife and daughter.

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