Written in Her Blood

Chapter Two

Anna pulled on her leather jacket and her fingerless gloves pulling the black biking helmet out of her locker. Snatching the keys to her motorcycle out of her back pack she straddled her bike waiting patiently for the cars to leave the parking lot.

A familiar red head wandered past her, absorbed in whatever was blasting out of her headphones. Anna gunned the engine causing Natasha to look up from her shoes and she almost stunned to find Anna astride the bike. “Hey, Nat, do you need a ride or something? Where are you headed? My parents own a shop downtown if you wa…” Natasha cut her off. “I’m fine! It’s just a couple of blocks and I’ve walked farther in worse places. I’ll be alright.” A look of disappointment crossed Anna’s face. Nat smiled sweetly brushing a lock of hair out of her face. “Thanks for the offer though I… I appreciate your concern really! I just…” her cheeks turned a deep red and she began staring at her shoes again. Anna smiled and nodded, quickly pulling down the visor on her helmet and pulling out into the traffic clogged streets.

A crack of thunder sounded and rain began to fall heavily. Anna turned to look back at Nat, to find her oblivious to the rain falling around her as if it was a long lost friend to her. A tender smile played on the drenched girl’s lips and Anna felt tears welling up in her eye. Again memories flooded her thoughts until someone behind her honked and she snapped back to reality. She sped forward leaving the girl far behind her.

…

Natasha splashed through puddle after puddle, happily dancing through the rain. She had always loved rain. She didn’t know why but she did and after meeting someone as strange as that girl, Anna, she enjoyed the rain even more. Turning down a side street she didn’t notice a man enter the alley from the opposite direction and lean on the wall. As she walked past he grabbed her by the arm and pinned her to the wall. She struggled in his grip, his nails sinking into her biceps. Bringing her foot up between his legs, she planted her foot firmly in his groin, satisfied by an audible groan. Taking the opportunity, she dashed back down the alley. Glancing back over her shoulder, she didn’t see anything and was puzzled. She smacked into something and was pinned against the wall by her attacker again. The sound of rain hitting the pavement and his steady breathing were the only sounds she could hear. A passing car’s headlights illuminated his face. She gasped as she recognized as the boy from the earlier that day, Mark, and she fought back harder, trying desperately to escape him. He slapped her and she stopped fighting and felt blood trickle down her face from three deep scratch marks in her cheek. “Don’t do that again or I’ll do a lot worse than a couple of nicks, bitch!” He hissed in her ear as his hand slid beneath her shirt.

Anna watched the entire scene unfold from her hiding spot around the corner. At the sight of Natasha’s blood her eyes turned red, fangs extending and her instincts took over. Darting behind Mark, she grabbed him by the arm and slammed him into the opposite wall. The breath was knocked out of him and she grabbed a lock of his long brown hair and slammed his head into the dumpster. He dropped to the ground and the heel of her knee high biker boot pressing into his chest pinning him down. “You come near Natasha again and I will personally drain you dry and feed your dried corpse to my pet wolves.” She kicked him in the ribs and smiled when they crack under the force. He passed out from the pain and Anna turned to find Natasha still standing there frozen. Blood flowed from the gashes in her face and she couldn’t help herself. She leaned in close almost pinning Natasha to the wall again and licked the blood from her face, savoring the taste. Natasha didn’t try to fight back, but she was stunned by Anna’s actions. If this girl really was a vampire why hadn’t she bitten her yet? She was totally helpless and yet she wasn’t afraid of her because this girl wasn’t going to hurt her. Maybe it was her actions out in front of the school or when she saved her from Mark but she felt safe with her.

Anna pulled away the cuts on Natasha’s face starting to scab over. Her eyes were their natural gray once more and she was blushing but there was something off about it. Her face looked tinged with a teal color on her cheeks instead of red. “Are you ok?” Anna could barely get the words out. Nat nodded. “Why did you save me?” Anna seemed taken aback by the question. “I… um…” Anna didn’t know how to respond. Why did she save her? It couldn’t be for food, the girl would’ve been dead by now if that were the case. If not that then why?

“Because you look like her…” She responded in Romanian not realizing the langue change. Natasha surprised but not unfamiliar with the tongue replied almost instantly, in English. “Like who, Anna, who do I look like?”

Anna remained silent, thoughts flooding her mind images of a young red head much like Natasha but in far older clothing. Her smile, her gentle touch and tentative kisses. Times when she would fall asleep with her head in Anna’s lap under an oak tree. Anna began to sink into the depths of her memories.

…

The sunlight filtered through the tree leaves casting a reddish gold tint to her and her reading partner. “Keep reading, Anna! I love it when you read to me.” Her smile filled Anna with warmth. She stroked the girl’s red hair, smiling back and staring into her big icy blue eyes. “I will just let me admire you for a moment… did I ever tell you that you look beautiful in the sunlight?” She laughed her voice like the ringing of bells. “Many times, darling, many, many times.” She sat up and looked her in the eye and kissed her on the cheek. “But I never get tired of hearing it.” Anna smiled wrapping her arms around the girl as she leaned back against Anna. “I love you, Sandra.” Sandra snuggled closer. “I love you more, Anastasia.”

…

A flood of tears brought Anna to her knees on the wet pavement, mixing with rain and being carried away before it could stain the ground. Nat dropped to her knees next to her and watched as the teal colored tears left stains on Anna’s face. Not knowing what else to do she hugged her letting the vampire sob into her shoulder. “Anna, it’s alright. Please stop crying… I don’t like to see people cry.” Anna hugged the girl tight trying to make the tears stop but there was no end to her pain and she wept the thousands of tears that had eluded her for so many decades. “Anna…” Again Natasha’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Anna can you tell me where you live? You’re… you’re shaking from the cold.” Anna simply nodded as Natasha got her on her feet. The tears had stopped but a dull ache remained behind her eyes. “My bike is around the corner.” They both mounted the bike and Anna drove through the rain soaked street before leaving the city for the countryside beyond.