After the Turning [c o m p l e t e d]

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Need for Connection

Hollie

Angie was asleep. Her hair and hands were sprawled out across the large white bed. Hollie had managed to calm her down; she started crying when they talked about her father again. The girl really looked like an angel; so young and innocent.

Hollie felt her blackberry buzz. Thank goodness she left it on silent—she didn't want to wake Angie.

She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm taking Evelyn back; you can bring Angie along anytime you want." It was Adan. Hollie could hear the crashing of the waves in the background. They were probably at the port.

Hollie smiled. "Okay, see you there."

"How is Angie doing?"

"She's sleeping, she kind of cried to sleep but she's okay now." Hollie knew that she shouldn't feel bad for the girl. They're demons, killing was what they did. This was the only time she got so close to a victim's relative, and a cute girl at that. There was a small tugging at her heart, Hollie easily succumbed to it-- she loved Angie already.

"Take care of her, Eve wouldn't like it if she kept crying," Adan whispered. He was trying to hide from Evelyn that he cared. Hollie shook her head. When was he going to understand the best way to win her over was to show that he did?

Hollie sighed. "I’m managing pretty well."

"Meet you back home then."

"See you."

She ended the call and placed the phone back into her pocket. She brushed her fingers through her hair and looked at the little girl. Angie just got a ticket into the messed up brutal world of monsters. No child should have to endure that. Hollie bit her lip. They were going to have to turn Angie sooner or later. She wouldn’t live very long as a human. Hopefully she’d be able to last at least five years before they were compelled to change her. The full transition from a pure-blooded human into a monster was one of the worst experiences ever, not something for a child to handle; at least, that was what she heard.

Angie started to thrash around the bed. “Daddy?” She was starting to sweat and tears were flowing down her frowning face. “Daddy where are you?”

Hollie was startled by the sudden movements. She gaped at Angie, uncertain about what she should do. “Angie?” She prodded the little girl’s thoughts.

Angie was having a nightmare. The girl was held down by tendrils of fear, her eyes wide and heart beat loud and thumping. She was a few feet away from her father, who was surrounded by darkness morphed into the shape of predatory tigers. He looked mid-thirty, with small wrinkles beginning to show. Angie had the same brown hair as him. “Daddy no!” the girl cried. The man was pleading for the tigers to stop, looking around frantically for a way out.

Then, it went dark.

Evelyn’s face lit up in the darkness. Although it wasn’t the usual her— she was in her demon form, with her pulsating veins evident all over her skin and her eyes dark as night. She was stalking towards Angie, while letting out a low wicked laugh. Angie screamed. “Don’t come near me!”

“Angie wake up, it’s okay… shush darling,” Hollie said, her tone soft and soothing. She wrapped her hands around Angie’s face, cooing to her. The girl’s eyes shot open and stared straight into Hollie. She looked stunned at first. Then, she started crying again.

“I had another bad dream Hollie,” Angie said. The tears wouldn’t stop.

Hollie tried to give a reassuring smile, though she was sure that she was grimacing instead. “I know, it’s normal.” Her tone was hushed. She didn’t know if it was normal, but that was what she read; it was a post-trauma syndrome. “Its okay dearies, just take deep breaths.” She pulled Angie into a tight hug and stroked her lovely hair. Angie apprehensively returned the embrace; Hollie hoped that it brought her comfort. She didn’t deal with children very often, especially not broken children that just lost their fathers.