Blood

Chapter 7: Memories

 Sayu's POV

"What is this place?" I found myself in a very unfamiliar place inside a castle with many  servants in maid dresses who were busy walking back and forth, cleaning and maintaining the orderliness of the this huge citadel. This place is similar to those movies I had watched like in Harry Potter. There are many candle lit chandelier hanging high from the ceiling. There are two grand half spiral staircases in front of the main door. The floor is made of marble and there are many statues and ornamental displays which I can say are very expensive with their obvious aesthetic appearance.

I am still in my hooded jacket and jeans which I wore when I went to the store and when this old man came to the house and rambled about me being 'vampire', 'princess' or whatsoever. I don't know what goes into his mind for saying those things. Also I had that irritating thirst and only subside when I drunk that old man's blood. Wait, blood?! His blood, it cannot be, he must have some witch skill or power making his blood to cure my burning throat.

A maid passed by me carrying a pile of cloth which distract my thought about the old man. The maid seem not to notice or see me. Well she may just be in a hurry. I search and roam around the castle. There are also wide portraits on the walls. One portrait at the middle were a man and woman dressed elegantly and a girl at the middle with a half smile on her face. The girl must be their daughter. They must be a happy family. Yeah, family which I don't have anymore. I stare at the girl's image, she looks pretty and familiar. I think I have seen her before. I don't know. Then all of a sudden, I saw this boy running towards a room at the end of the hallway. I followed him and run also to hide and peek what's inside the room. And there was the woman and the girl I just saw on the portrait. The boy's back is facing me so I can't see his face but he was catching his breath with his hands on his knees. He must run a long distance to be tired like that.

"What have you come here for?" The woman asked the boy who tried to relax more and speak.

"I have heard humors my Queen that the converted vampires have plan on turning against you and the king." The boy said with hint of worry and fear. I was a little surprise to know that the woman was the queen and therefore that little girl is a princess. My curiosity got me to listen and know more about this place. And the boy also mentioned about vampires. They must be real and I need to know about it.

"Calm yourself boy. What is your name?" The queen wasn't bothered by the boy's announcement.

"Oh no, I'm sorry my Queen. My name is Maru." The boy replied lowering his right knee making contact with the floor. The queen is pleased with the boy's courteousness.

"Would you tell me why they would do such action?"

The girl is looking at the boy with much curiosity on her face. "I don't know but I had the bad feelings that such thing might happen. It was my father who instructed me to inform you about this my Queen." The boy had his head not looking up to the queen still  kneeling with his right knee.

Then a scream from the outside startled us all inside the castle. The first scream was followed by more accompanied by cries and sound of firing guns. I was terrified and look for a hiding place. A man came to the room this time. He must be the king, the man in the portrait.

"You must hide and be safe somewhere away from this place." The king blurted out getting the queen and his daughter by hand.

"W-what's happening?" The queen questioned the king.

"Just follow me Jesenia. I have no more time to explain and I haven't predicted this thing to happen today. The converted..." the king wasn't able to finish his words when the queen agape in shock and said, "How did this thing happen? Wait, the boy!" The queen turned to look for the boy who was standing straight in his place with much surprise and horror shown in his pale face.

The king dragged the queen, his wife and the little girl, his daughter downstairs with many men dressed in uniform waiting for them. I look back at the boy still not moving or attempting to escape the threat of getting killed. I want to help him but I need to go and save myself. I ran downstairs hoping for the boy to be safe.

Two men accompanied the queen and the girl to escape and the rest go with the king. I decided to follow the queen escape team. After minutes of running at the back of the castle, under many tall trees, I was at least four meters away from them when six men stand to block our way. They have bows and arrows which they immediately used and target us. The two men of the king move to the front to fight and protect the queen but they were killed very soon. The queen embraced her daughter and turned her back from the enemy. I started to run to the side so not to be killed by the flying arrows. Next thing, I saw one arrow in my chest. I-It passed through me from the back and had the queen as its target. I was stunned and froze in place. 'What had just happened?' I asked myself confused. 'I cannot be dead...'

I looked to see the queen holding the arrow on her chest. The girl is very terrified and started to cry for the queen her mother. The other six men release their arrows and shoot the queen. One man who came from my back approached the dying queen and took the girl.

"No please, not her. Don't kill my daughter. What have we done to you?" The queen plead for the man who took her daughter.

"You're all hunters. I-I thought we'd agreed already. We haven't kill a single human for you to do this to us." The queen explained, her blood draining from her heart.

"Well, I'm sorry if you haven't know. We work for money." The man exclaimed.

"Put me down. Let me go. Mother! No!" The girl struggle to release herself from the arm of the man.

I was shocked with all these things I had witnessed. 'Why am I here?' I must be only dreaming. Or not, because it felt real, maybe an apparition. But why I am seeing all these?!

Leaving the dying queen behind, the man put the girl on his shoulder therefore the girl don't stand any chance to escape. The man is tall with well built body under his leather uniform and cloak; the girl look so tiny under his arm. He instructed the six men to go and leave him. He carried the girl to the deepest farthermost part of the forest. I followed him confidently now I know that I am not part of this place, that I'm only witnessing the events that maybe had happened from the past.

After almost an hour walking, the man put down the girl who was feeling dizzy unable to keep her balance caused by the long walk being carried by the man with her head upside down. The man hold the girl and let her sit and lean on the tree buttress. Her pink beautiful dress was now dirty. The girl pull up her legs and began to cry.

"I know you'll kill me like what you did to my mother." The girl mumbled. "Exterminate us all vampires with your powerful arrows you have!" The girl raised her head to look at the man. Her face was wet with tear continuously from her violet eyes.

"Fortunately, you are exempted." The man squatted in front of the girl taking strands of her hair. The girl stares directly at the man's eyes trying to read what he was thinking.

"But I will erase your memories..." He cover the girl's eyes with his right hand then...

...I'm falling to sleep...

I opened wide my eyes and found myself lying on my bed. I look to my left to see the old man sitting on a chair and staring at me.

"Have you had a long dream? You really had a sound sleep." The old man told me.

I immediately put myself on defense mode by sitting on my bed to face the old man. "Why are you still here?"

"Didn't I tell you earlier that I came to me destination? I'm sorry to surprise you Sayu, I am Toshi Sato, your father's elder brother." The old man explained, leaning forward.

"Oh no, you're my uncle. I-I'm sorry also but you haven't told me soon that's why I acted so blunt and didn't welcome you." I got up from the bed to hug Uncle Toshi. I only cried, and what I want now is a comfort and someone to understand me.

"I'm here for you." He assured me.

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