Fate of the Blood Moon's Path

by Tiffany Potter

  “How long have I been sleeping?” Scarlet awoke stretching upward towards the sky.

  “Only a few hours.”

  “Oh.” She said. “Feels like I’ve been asleep for days.”

  “Are you ready for the hike?” I asked her, walking towards the creek for a quick drink of the fresh spring water. She followed suit and did the same.

  “I suppose I must be ready, correct?”

  “Yes.” I smiled to her. “Here.” I handed her a walking stick that would help her with the hike north.

  I looked up and muttered to myself ‘what did I get myself into?’ quietly. Twenty miles north. An almost rogue hybrid who doesn’t have control of her full speed yet or her anger. This is ridiculous. I really don’t know what I was thinking. However, we are young and in shape, I’m sure we’ll do much worse than this in our lives.

  “Did anything exciting happen while I was asleep? Did you sleep?” She asks a lot of questions. I honestly didn’t mind. I found her voice almost comforting sometimes. It’s been a while since I have had any type of a conversation with someone. That’s my own fault. I’d rather be out on my own then have to deal with others and listen to them.

  “No and no.” I answered simply with a slight grin on my face.

  “Why didn’t you sleep Angel?” She asked me.

  “Leave the both of us unprotected? I think not. Besides, you needed the rest more than I did.” I started walking more towards this path. “I have gone days without sleeping, it doesn’t bother me.”

  “Oh.” She said and followed me, her feet slightly dragging in the dirt.

  “And I still don’t trust anyone or anything for that matter.” I added. “For all I know we could be walking into a trap.”

  “What?” She stopped in her tracks, “You really think that we are walking into a trap? Then why did you agree to go meet them up there?”

  “It’s doubtful. Being open minded and considering all of the options are best.” I replied to her questions. “Now come. We have to be there before it gets dark out.”

  “You are the first being, besides my family, all those years ago, to actually care about what happens to me and to actually want to try and help me.” She said, as we continued onto the rock path that started up through the thick pines.

  “I’m not a complete monster.” I replied back. “Anything you may have heard about me probably isn’t true.”

  “No! I don’t think that you are at all.” She defended herself. I laughed.

  “I didn’t say you called me a monster,” I smiled, “But be careful, I can be.” She made a slight grin in return.

  “I won’t anger you. I saw what you did back in that alley way to those Vampyres.”

  “I learned from the best.” I admitted.

  “And who was that?” She asked me curiously trying to get to know me better.

  “My father.”

  “That was enthusiastic,” She smiled. “Where is your father now?” I felt strong emotions in her questions.

  “Back in the States.”

  “I have never been over there. What’s it like?” She asked with a sigh.

  “You’re not missing much. It’s a lot like here I think. Just different.” If that made any sense at all.

  “Are there Vampyres where you come from?” She asked me as she tripped over a rock and caught herself.

  “There are some. But we don’t tread on their land, and they don’t come into ours.”

  “That’s interesting.” She smiled. “Things are so much different in other places.”

  “Not really.”

  “Are you the only one of your kind where you come from?”

  “No. There are two other hybrids that are like me. Rayna and Micah.”

  “Then why do you travel alone?” She asked me. Question after question.

  “Because it is my choice, a little thing that is called free will. Just as I have chose to keep you with me and to help you in your vengeance against those who murdered your family.”

  “Oh.” She stopped walking, “So you don’t like me then?”

  “Only slightly.” I smirked, and she started after me again almost tripping over an exposed root.

  “Slightly.” She whispered to herself. “So your father…he taught you how to fight?”

  “Yes. Where I’m from there wasn’t much to do but learn how to fight and run wild in the woods.”

  “That sounds fun.” She said as she caught up with me.

  “A little.” I stopped and turned to her. “Now I have a question for you Scarlet.”

  “Yes?” She stopped and looked up at me as I stood above her on a large rock.

  “Why did the Black Thorn kill your family and leave you for dead?”

  She leaned against a nearby tree and looked down at the ground. I could feel her emotions stirring inside of her. I could sense her distress oozing out with every breath she took.

  “I can’t tell. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t.”

  “If you don’t tell me, then I will refuse to help you and you can continue North without me.” She looked up at me in a panic. “Then at least show me and I will have no words to repeat for any other soul.” I said to her.

  “Show you? How am I to do that?” She asked, sitting down on the nearest rock.

  I jumped down from the rock, which I stood, and went to her. “Like this.” I placed my hands on her face pressing against her temples tightly. Every image flickered into my head. Every emotion ever felt buried into my veins. Every fear broke my heart.

  Scarlet.

  2.

  Cursed and Blessed,

  1641.

  “Present fears are less than horrible imaginations.”

  -William Shakespeare

  “Daddy!” My sister’s voice yelled in excitement through our front doors of our little cottage we lived in, off the coast of the ocean.

  “Cian! My sweet darling!” He scooped her up into his arms kissing her forehead. I walked through the door behind her seeing my father and my mother in the kitchen. My mother was smiling. It was rare to see her smile like this.

  “Daddy, you made it home. How was your trip?” I asked him as I walked closer to hug him and inhaled his familiar smell that we had all loved so much. A sweet musk from the forest with a hint of firewood burning.

  “I did make it home as I always do,” He hugged me, “My trip was,” He looked over to my mother, “It was good. I was gone away from home for far too long though my dear children.” He smiled at us, then sat down at the small dining table he had built with his own hands, and took his hat and jacket off. My mother set a glass cup in front of him filled with water. He drank it right up.

  “What did you do on your trip daddy?” Cian asked our father as she tried climbing up into his lap.

  “It was business, nothing too exciting for little girls.” He smiled at her.

  “Absolutely nothing exciting.” Mother came over with dinner plates arranging them around the table. She had made these plates herself out of clay she had found down by the shores. It was buried deep, and she dug it up and formed them, putting them deep into the ground with a fire on top of them. I remember watching her make them. I sat there in amazement as a child playing with rocks and dirt.

  My mother touched my face lovingly with a look of sadness in her eyes after setting the table. I smiled at her letting her know that my thoughts were of the happier days.

  I could sense that there was something going on. I was old enough now to know the things that vexed my family. I am an adult now, my parents think that they can protect me forever. With daddy going away all the time, and my brother always being gone for some mysterious reason that no one will explain.

  There is a secret in this family, and I want to know what it is.

  “Look who made it home!” My mother yelled loudly in excitement as my older brother walked in through our front door. He aimed a huge grin at my father, making me eve
n more suspicious of this “business” trip. My mother clapped her hands in delight and gave him a tight hug.

  “Ethan my boy, good to see you home. We weren’t expecting you for a few more days.” My father stood up shook his hand and gave him a hug.

  “Well, things went better than expected.” He said to my father almost in a whisper.

  “What did?” I asked him.

  “Scarlet!” Ethan yelled and bent over picking me up as he hugged me. “You’re still too young to think about such things.” He smiled, then reaching over to Cian and hugging her as well.

  “I guess I need another plate don’t I?” My mother said still smiling. “Now go wash up, you smell like death.” She said in her thick accent from our Celtic decent.

  “Yes mamma.” He said frowning and smiling at the same time.

  After dinner, we were all told that it was time for bed. It was dark outside and the moon was full now. Every full moon we were put in bed early, while daddy stayed up in front of the fire holding his rifle. There are many legends of people who can turn themselves into animals, that are beasts and attack the living. I don’t know if I entirely believe in such things. Ethan used to tell us these stories when we were younger just to try and scare us. And it worked.

  I don’t understand this feeling that is surfacing inside of me. I didn’t understand why I felt so frightened. I used to be this innocent child that had trusted everything that my parents had said and now I doubt it all.

  My head was tucked in tight under my covers; listening to the wolves made me nervous. I feared things that may be lurking under my window. It was then that I heard hushed voices in our living room.

  “And you took care of that?” I heard my father’s voice say, from around the fire place in the living area.

  “Yes sir. I did.” I heard my brother respond.

  “Did anyone see you?” Mommy asked, in a different tone of voice that I have never heard come from her before.

  “No. No one saw me, at least I don’t think so. Well, there was this one girl…” He trailed off in his thoughts.

  “This girl? You need to finish your words son.” My father said with a slight laugh that had a bit of nervousness to it. “You know we can’t have any problems with them…” He trailed off.

  “It’s probably nothing, she was just dressed so oddly and standing up on a cliff looking down and watching me after I…” He lowered his voice, “Took care of the bodies.”

  “Do you think that she was any trouble?” My mother asked.

  “No. I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

  By this time, my whole body went stiff. Bodies. Killings. I didn't understand.

  "Our conversation is no longer private." I heard my mother’s voice. I shut my eyes tight.

  "Scarlet, come out here now!" I heard my father raise his voice. My brother laughed deeply.

  I slowly rose from my bed. I was not eager to go out there and get into trouble. I had done nothing wrong.

  "What did you hear?" My father asked me as I walked into the room. He did not face me. He kept his face towards the fire. His stern face glowing with in the flames. I could see the intensity in his eyes.

  "Not a lot." I said in a low voice.

  "Lie." Ethan smiled at me. "You heard it all didn't you?" He just kept on grinning at me.

  "I...." My father had cut me off, standing up looking at me.

  "You should know better than to eavesdrop young lady. I know you have always wondered about your family and our secrets; now you have no choice. You will be told, and you will have to hold the secrets as well. This is a big responsibility. Do you think that you can handle that?"

  "No father I..." he cut me off again. I was trying to explain myself. Trying to apologize for what I had done. What was it that I did? I heard a bit of the conversation, nothing more.

  “Scarlet, you’re too young to have to hold such burdens.”

  "Do you hear that?" My mother asked out loud. "There are footsteps."

  “Let me go check.” My brother said.

  Before he got to the door, it had already swung open and slammed into his face pushing him backwards onto the floor. There was blood now pouring out of his nose. I then started to feel the panic coming from my parents.

  “Oh Victor.” This tall man entered into our home. He was dressed in all black animal skins and had very long flowing black hair that went down past his buttocks. He had extremely pale skin and deep red eyes. A demon. “It has been too long my friend.” He smiled looking down at Ethan who was trying to get back up from his position on the floor. This man had kicked him back down and put his foot down on his chest. There was a blade attached to the bottom of his boot.

  “Don’t. He has nothing to do with this. Any of this.” My father shouted.

  My mother walked over to me and put me behind her. I couldn’t help but to peek out and see what was going on. I was afraid of this man; and yet I was intrigued by him.

  “Did he not?” He asked with a grin on his face, “And who is this?” He pointed at me.

  “No.” My mother said, as she tried to push me into the bedroom.

  Another man had come up behind me and pushed me down on the ground then threw my mother like a rag doll across the room. She hit our dining room table and fell to the ground, snapping her ankle. Her face went green with pain.

  “Name?” The man who threw my mother dove at me with a knife at my throat. He crawled behind me and put me in his lap. He put his arm around my waist and was breathing hard in my ear.

  “What’s your fucking name?” The man asked me again, this time yelling, his spit spraying onto my face.

  “Scarlet.” I barely got out because of my fear.

  “And aren’t you a beauty!” The man with his foot holding my brother down said. I looked to my parents. My fathers face went red with anger. I didn’t understand then, and I don’t think that I understand it now either.

  “Please, leave her out of this. She doesn’t know anything.” My father begged, as he held up my mother, who was almost passing out with pain.

  “How can you raise your children and have them not know who they are?” He asked my father. “For Christ sake would someone put her out of her misery?” A small dagger came flying in through the front door severing my mothers spine and killing her instantly.

  Another tall man with shorter black hair and dark brown eyes came in and stood behind his leader. He reached down taking the dagger out of my mothers back and wiped the blood off on her dress.

  “No!” I screamed loudly. No one paid any attention to me.

  “Daddy!” Cian came running out with a man chasing her out of her bedroom , but caught her before she got to him. My father was standing there helpless watching his whole life, and his family, fall apart.

  “Akuma, please don’t do this!” My father yelled. Akuma. That name would haunt me forever, and I would never forget it.

  “Oh Victor. Please. You knew this day would come. He had you and your family marked. Marked for death.” He was now eyeing me. The man behind him walked out slowly and stood with his back facing the entrance as if he was a look out of some kind. “You know Victor, I just don’t understand how you couldn’t tell your family about what you were really doing and working for.” He looked down at my brother who looked like he was gasping for air. “Oops.” He laughed and moved the blade on his boot slicing my brothers throat, killing him. “Slipped.” He laughed again, this time louder.

  I was trying to close my eyes but if felt like there was a power that was over me holding my eye lids open forcing me to watch. Like someone, or something, wanted me to see this happen to my family.

  “No!” My father yelled, dropping to his knees.

  “He didn’t tell you what you are and where you came from my love?” Akuma walked towards me, almost in slow motion. For being as evil as he was, he was a beautiful man. A little hypnotizing and you couldn’t help but watch him mo
ve.

  “No…” I choked out. I saw my father on his knees staring down at the floor and his finger tips sitting in the blood that was pooling around him.

  Akuma came before me and stared into my eyes. I watched the other man who had my sister, he stabbed her at least ten times in her heart just to silence her screams. I couldn’t bare this anymore. I couldn’t watch anymore of this.

  “You have this strange innocence about you. Almost saint like…” Akuma touched my chin with one finger holding up my face to look me in the eyes. Alluring. “Kind of makes me sick actually.”

  “Let me do it…Let me kill her.” The man holding me was saying while he chuckled loudly in my ear. His breath smelled of rotting corpses.

  “No!” Akuma yelled. He looked calmly back at me, “I promise you won’t feel a thing…” He laughed and then stood up rapidly. I have never seen a man move that fast.

  He had reached my father’s side in the blink of any eye, kicked him in the ribs and made him fly across the room landing on the same dining room table my mother did; but my father broke it in two and it splintered in the middle making him fall onto the ground. “This could have been done the easy way Victor if you had only cooperated.” Akuma paced the room. My father stood up with anger in his eyes.

  “Nothing is ever easy…” My father whispered and started to run at Akuma. Akuma’s arm came up so fast and spun, his elbow went into my fathers throat making him fly backwards again against the front door making it come off it’s hinges. The man with his back at the door didn’t move an inch. He didn’t even flinch.

  “Victor, for Christ’s sake, you brought this all upon your fucking self. Do what you’re told and don’t betray us. You had simple orders and you couldn’t even do that.”

  “Why isn’t he turning?” The man holding me asked.

  “He doesn’t want his precious daughter to remember him for the monster that he really is. That she will someday become. Isn’t that right Victor?”

  My father looked up slowly. The look of defeat within his face. The hatred in his eyes for what he had done to his family.

  “You see my love,” He was now speaking to me, “Your daddy here, is not that hero who rescues you from the nightmares in your sleep. He is those nightmares. He is the monster you always were afraid of. You see, when he and your brother went away it was because they were working for my master. They were assigned people to kill, creatures to hang. Couples to sacrifice. Humans to tear apart, all in search for those damned hybrids of the world! And other things, of course. They disobeyed direct orders. He didn’t want to do what he was told and follow the rules, well they are simple my love.” He turned and looked at my father after saying those last words, “The rules are simple Victor. You don’t carry out the command, you pay with death. Your lovely family could still be alive if you had just done that simple thing you were asked. But you didn’t, did you? No. You didn’t. You are ridiculous you know that Victor? He is not happy with you.” He ran at my father kicking him again in the throat making him fall backwards and not able to scream. “So listen to your daughter’s pain!”