Bloodling

Chapter 2

"You have to count to ten Kyra!" Percival exclaimed when I had turned around a second too early. 

"I did count to ten!" I said as Percival was running around me calling me a cheater. 

"No you didn't sissy! You only counted to nine!" I could see that little kid grin on Percival's lying face. I was about to respond but we both looked at our small cottage as the door swung open. 

"Kyra! Percival! Get in here before you two catch a cold. It's freezing out here." Our mother called from the door. 

"Coming mommy!" Percival stated as we ran inside. Percival didn't notice but I saw our mother looking around on the front porch. I tugged the edge of her shirt going out to her.

"What are you looking at, mama?" I asked with a tilt of my head. 

"It's nothing sweetie, go back inside. Your father is almost done with dinner." She replied but she didn't even look at me. I looked in the direction she was looking in but I didn't see anything. Just trees...Trees with glowing red spots... No, not spots, they were different than spots. Almost like eyes... I didn't get another chance to look at them though. My mother picked me up as the red spots began to advance towards the cottage. She carried me inside closing the door with a loud thud. 

"Mama, what are those dots?"  I asked looking at her as she kept holding onto me. She didn't answer me. She took Percival's hand with her free arm as my father came out from the kitchen. I looked between my mother and my father, it was like they knew what was going on. My mother brought my brother and I to our room as I heard the front door click twice, once as it opened and a second time when it shut. I was placed down on my small twin bed as my mother was hugging onto Percival covering his ears. I looked out the window hugging onto my knees as the red dots were stuck in my mind. 

"Kyra! Don't look outside!" My mother told me but she warned me a second too late. I shuddered as I heard a loud bang. A second one followed... and a third... Bang... Bang...Bang...The sound of a gun firing as the bullet hit its target. I shut my eyes quickly after I saw the first bullet hit what I now knew were red eyed monsters. Nothing could've keep me from hearing the screaming and the gunshots though...

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My breathing quickened as I came back into reality. Wh- What was that all about? I placed two fingers on the side of my neck. Quick breathing. Fast pulse. Scared. Scared?! I  shook my head, this is not happening. I don't get scared. I don't have time to be afraid of anything... my nine year old self was allowed to be scared though... That was the first day I ever saw a bloodling... It was also the first day I ever saw a killing. I didn't come out of my room for days after that incident. I was terrified to even look at my father. When I was nine, I said that I would never kill anything. Funny how quickly things change when survival is on your mind...I need this day out of my mind. I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes but I began to see new images form... Not again...

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"Please don't leave us here alone." I begged my parents as they got ready to leave for the day. 

"It'll only be for a few hours Kyra." My father told me. "Percival and you can handle yourselves for a little while."  I wanted to object to his decision but my parents left before I had the chance. I let out a disappointed sigh as I walked into the kitchen.

"Percival! Get out of the cabinet!" I said running over to my brother who was standing on the counter reaching the top cabinet. I pulled him off of the counter as I climbed up to close the cabinet. "Mom and dad said we can't open that during the day!" 

"You're no fun anymore sis." He said with a mouthful of cookies in his mouth. 

"Well I'm sorry that I'm trying to follow the rules that are set in order to keep us safe." Percival rolled his eyes. He was only eight, he didn't understand the danger of having food out during the day. "Animals have a very impressive sense of smell. They could try to get into the house for the food." Whenever my parents or I said animals to Percival, we were never talking about real animals. We were talking about the monsters, the bloodlings. 

"The rules are boring!" He exclaimed. "Besides, I bet you're just trying to ruin my fun." 

"Percival, shush! You know we're not suppose to be loud!" 

"Look at me! I'm shouting and nothing is happening!" Percival shouted running around the house as I followed him. "I'm breaking all of the rules and nothing is happening!" When he was about half way up the stairs he turned around and stuck his tongue out at me. Was I this stubborn was I was eight? I surely hope not. I was about to follow him up the stairs but then there were footsteps coming up the front porch. I ran over to the closest window as I hesitantly glanced through the curtain. Bloodling. What am I suppose to do? Mom and dad aren't here. They'll get Percival... I looked around searching for something that would help. Think Kyra think... A bow laid on the top dresser near the door. My parents must have forgotten it. I took the bow off quickly nocking an arrow. I didn't really know how to use this thing but as soon as the door opened I shot the arrow watching as it hit the creature's arm. It's not a bloodling... it's a vampire... I watched in horror as she pulled the arrow out of her arm not even phased by it. 

"Mom! Dad! Someone! Help me!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I took a few steps back surprised that the vampire hadn't attacked yet. It was a second later when I blacked out.

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I was only twelve years old when I had my first encounter with a vampire. Nowadays they weren't really a problem. Well at least most of them weren't a problem. Everything else I remember about that memory was waking up a few days later. I sighed, I had to grow up pretty fast... I had to protect Percival whenever my parents left for the day. For when they risked their lives hunting the bloodlings every single day once we were old enough to stay home alone. A single tear rolled down my cheek hitting the floor. Eventually, their luck finally ran out... I fought off as the flashback attempted to play in my mind.

"No! That is enough for one day!" I said. I was not going to see my parents death again. One day was enough. "Get out of my head! Stop it!" All different images played through my mind from the past. Stop... leave me alone. Then all of a sudden everything was extremely bright. It took my eyes a second to adjust to the lighting. I saw Onyx and Lumina looked down at me concerned. I attempted to sit up but Onyx gently had me lay back down.

"Easy Kyra, you were screaming a lot in your sleep..." Onyx started but Lumina interrupted him.

"Screaming? That's the least of it. You were sleep fighting." Lumina stated. I finally noticed the red marks on my arms. I was about to ask where they came from but Lumina seemed to already figure it out. "You nearly took me out, I wasn't expecting you to attack. If I didn't see you at the last second you probably could've knocked me out." I could never take down Lumina. Was I fighting more intensely in my sleep than I normally do? Even Lumina seemed impressed with my skills and nothing impressed her.

"I was the one who realized you were sleep fighting. You were screaming about Percival and your parents." Onyx said taking over the story. "Lumina and I had to pin you down so Orianne could give you one of her herbal medicines to get you to relax. Trust me, you did not want to be restrained like that but we had to, we didn't want you to hurt yourself somehow." He finished. 

"I- I... I'm sorry." I said. I turned onto my side. Lumina was about to say something but Onyx quietly convinced her to let me rest. Thanks to Orianne's medicine, I quickly fell back into a sound sleep. This time, there were no flashbacks.