Blood Ties

Oregon, Ohio 20xx

Hot tears flow from my eyes in realization–I’m going to die here. Alone in a dirty alley four blocks away from my home. Maldita sea.

Twenty-seven years I’ve lived in this world and it took this exact moment for me to realize I’ve  done nothing worthwhile in my life. 

People always say your life flashes before our eyes as you die but all I can think at this exact moment is the fact I don’t have one happy memory that comes to my mind.

I’m so distracted by my inner pity party, I completely miss the blade coming straight for me. My breath is ripped out of my lungs as excruciating and searing white hot pain spreads throughout my abdomen. I choke on a scream as my attacker continues his assault, twisting the knife further shredding my insides. He  releases me, and I crumple down to the filthy pavement.

There’s something wet and warm pooling beneath me–oh god, is that my blood? I press my hand to the wound, the sticky, warm liquid coating my hand. It’s a weak attempt to put pressure on the wound but I’m too weak, I can’t even manage to keep my hand in place.

I can’t breath, I can’t fucking breathe. Please, please stop.

Each breath I take is pure agony, like broken glass is being shoved straight into my lungs. I can taste my blood as it pools in my throat and when I can’t hold it down any longer I cough it all up. The blood splatter next to me has me crying harder as my tears mix with the blood and grime on my face.

Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?

The world begins to grow hazy as my breaths grow shallow. The darkness is closing in at the edges of my vision.

I can faintly feel someone patting my body roughly as I hear a second person rummaging through my backpack next to where I’m laid out. If they’d bothered to listen to me I’d let them know I have nothing of value. Never have and now I never will.

“Damn it. All she has is a cell phone and a fucking book in here.” I hear him toss my backpack and step closer to me. “Oh, she’s got a necklace. I bet that shit’s worth some money.” I feel his disgusting hands touch my neck. I try to shift away as I make an attempt to speak up and beg to let me keep my necklace, but I end up coughing up more blood which I can only hope lands on his vile face.

“Alright, let’s get out of here before she croaks.” I hear them stuffing my things into the pockets as a third voice suddenly comes out of nowhere.

“Why have you done this?” a female voice demands. The men stop their movements realizing they’ve been caught.

“Hey! What’s it to ya, lady? Best you be backing off if you don’t want the same thing happening to ya.” Big words for someone who’s voice sounds like it’s shaking. My vision is blurry but I can still make out these bright red eyes hovering over me.

In a flash of blue the woman has one of the men against the alley wall, his legs kicking uselessly as he gasps for air. There’s a crack and his body drops with a heavy thud against the pavement. I blink rapidly trying to see through the blurriness and for a few seconds my vision clears enough to see the woman darting towards the other man. Her movements are so fast she’s a complete blur. Her hand darts out and plunges straight into the chest of the man, extracting his still-beating heart.

The last man is cornered at the end of the alleyway. He’s desperate to find a way out and begins to reach the fire escape but the female dashes towards him and holds him still against the building. He lets out a whimper as she presents him with his accomplice’s heart.

“Please!” He manages to cry out, “I’m sorry, I’ll do anything, just let me go!” The woman slowly tilts her head to the side as if considering his request.

“You should have thought of the consequences before attacking such an innocent being,” she says slowly. “Now, you must face justice for your crimes.” She lifts him off the ground with terrifying strength. Her beautiful face is etched with a grim resolve as she leans in, opens her mouth–and what I can only describe as fangs flashing white in the moonlight–and sinks them into the man’s neck. He thrashes around wildly for a moment before going completely still.

The woman lowers his lifeless body to the ground and turns to find my eyes, her eyes glowing and otherworldly reddish in the shadows. I try to scramble away in a panic thinking I'm next but I only succeed in coughing up more blood.

Unexpectedly, she kneels down at my side with a chilling grace and brushes my blood-plastered hair away from my face. There’s a tenderness in the act completely different compared to how brutally she had just murdered my attackers.

“Do not be afraid, childe. I mean you no harm,” the beautiful woman says, her soothing voice contrasting with the night’s chaos.

“Who-who are you?” I manage to choke out through my crusty blood-coated lips. Death’s grip grows tighter on me with each passing breath.

The woman meets my gaze with concern and urgency. “My name is Serafina, and I can save you. But only if you wish for it.”

“Save me?” I feel a small spark of hope. “Please, I’ll do anything. Just don’t let me…” I can’t finish the sentence as exhaustion sets in.

Serafina takes my hand and nods solemnly. “What I offer you is a gift but also a burden. I can not spare your mortal life, but you will no longer be human. You will be reborn through my blood as one of the immortal nights.”

My mind is trying to wrap itself around the meaning behind her words, but I can feel myself falling further into unconsciousness. With my last bit of energy,  I grip her hand desperately. “I…I don’t want to die.”

I barely register the movement of my head being lifted when I suddenly feel a sharp pain pierce my neck. I gasp at the sensation, the line between pain and pleasure blurring as I feel myself slipping away. Closing my eyes, ready to accept my death at the mercy of this woman, I’m suddenly filled with a strength that surges through every seam of my body, searing, burning, mending my very soul.

It’s as if time stands still as life and death play a dangerous game of tug a war with my fragile state. Organs, tissue, and bone all cry out as my heart hammers a furious beat, as if it was trying to escape from my chest, and then, with a jarring silence…it stops.

In my last few seconds of awareness, I hear the woman murmur, “Rest easy, my childe,” her voice as soothing as a lullaby, “When you awaken, a choice must be made, but I have faith you will choose the correct path and be reborn as a daughter of the night.”