End of Chapter 2
Josephina nodded as much as she could as I moved up and motioned for her mother to move the light so that I could see better. When the light fell about this small child, the horror of the situation was know. She had been attacked by something, the wound shining in the light. Whatever had hurt her had gone for the kill with it's attack, a cut started on her right shoulder and wrapped around to the left side of her neck. I reached my hand out, grabbing a cloth that was laying on the bed which I used to wipe around the cut, looking for how much blood she had lost. I knew instantly that this child would not last through the night, that she had lost too much blood from her wounds.
"I'm sorry." I said to Catherine as quietly as I could.
She started sobbing instantly as she moved the child so that she was holding her in her arms. I stood up and wiped my hands on another cloth as I made my way to the door. I was just about to walk out of the room when I heard a small voice call my name. I turned slowly, looking at Josephina who was cradled in her mothers arms.
"They want you, be careful Carlisle." Her voice called before she took her last breath. I turned and ran out of the house, her mothers cries chasing me all the way back to my fathers house.
Chapter 3
By the time I made it back to my house my legs were burning in protest as I gasped for breath. I knew that my body had been pushed further then it had been in a long time, but Catherine's screams, along with the memory of Josephine had followed me and I did my best to get away. I could still hear her wailing when I opened the door and closed it, leaning against the cold, wooden door as I prayed that there would be no more deaths, that my father and his friends would find and stop whatever was harming our town.
I was still leaning against the door, trying to erase the memory of the dying child and calm myself when the door behind me moved slightly, scaring the daylights out of me.
"Carlisle?" My fathers voice called as he pushed against the door again.
I moved slightly so that he could open the door, smiling at him and the others as they filed into our tiny home. My father reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a look full of wonder and curiosity. I knew that he was asking if I was able to help the poor child who had been attacked. I shook my head slowly as I looked at the floor, tears welling up in my eyes. He sighed loudly then took a moment for prayer before he turned back to the men who sat in the room.
"Tonight we have lost one of our flock, sweet Josephine has died from injuries sustained tonight." He said as he rung his hands.
The men all made sounds of sympathy and disbelief, a few of them bowing their heads in prayer before it got too quiet again. I figured that this would be my time to leave since it seemed that my father did not want me involved in the chase yet. I turned and was about to walk down the hall when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned and saw my father looking at me, shaking his head slightly.
"Carlisle, I believe that it is time for you to join us." He said as he guided me back to the room where everyone was waiting.
"Did anyone find anything?" I asked as I went and stood next to the fireplace, doing my best to warm myself.
"We believe that we know where they are hiding." John Meyers said as he laid out a crude map that had obviously been folded in his pocket. It was stained and tattered, but showed most of the town and the small farmsteads that surrounded the area.
"It seems that they are staying in different areas every time, we know this because of the reports that have come in of people finding things missing or signs that someone has been hiding there." My father said as he pointed at a few of the outlaying farms.
"What kinds of things?" I asked as I moved closer to see the map.
"Well, a few people have come to me at church and told of things missing from their houses. At first it was just little things like jewelry or clothing, but then it changed. The stories started coming in of hearing things running around the house, calling to them, begging them to come outside into the night."
"Things are calling to your parish, asking them to come outside?" I asked in shock.
"Yes, and a few others reported seeing a flash of something running around their house." My father said softly.
"What do you think that it is?" I asked as I looked at the faces of the elders of our town.
"We weren't sure before tonight, but after the attack we're sure that we are dealing with demons," My father said as he drew a cross sign against his chest. "Vampires."
I stood there shocked by what my father had said, had he honestly just told me that they believed there were vampires in our town..and that they thought they knew where they were hiding. I began to wonder if he was getting foolish in his old age, my father had always been a firm believer in the supernatural..but this...vampires?
Josephina nodded as much as she could as I moved up and motioned for her mother to move the light so that I could see better. When the light fell about this small child, the horror of the situation was know. She had been attacked by something, the wound shining in the light. Whatever had hurt her had gone for the kill with it's attack, a cut started on her right shoulder and wrapped around to the left side of her neck. I reached my hand out, grabbing a cloth that was laying on the bed which I used to wipe around the cut, looking for how much blood she had lost. I knew instantly that this child would not last through the night, that she had lost too much blood from her wounds.
"I'm sorry." I said to Catherine as quietly as I could.
She started sobbing instantly as she moved the child so that she was holding her in her arms. I stood up and wiped my hands on another cloth as I made my way to the door. I was just about to walk out of the room when I heard a small voice call my name. I turned slowly, looking at Josephina who was cradled in her mothers arms.
"They want you, be careful Carlisle." Her voice called before she took her last breath. I turned and ran out of the house, her mothers cries chasing me all the way back to my fathers house.
Chapter 3
By the time I made it back to my house my legs were burning in protest as I gasped for breath. I knew that my body had been pushed further then it had been in a long time, but Catherine's screams, along with the memory of Josephine had followed me and I did my best to get away. I could still hear her wailing when I opened the door and closed it, leaning against the cold, wooden door as I prayed that there would be no more deaths, that my father and his friends would find and stop whatever was harming our town.
I was still leaning against the door, trying to erase the memory of the dying child and calm myself when the door behind me moved slightly, scaring the daylights out of me.
"Carlisle?" My fathers voice called as he pushed against the door again.
I moved slightly so that he could open the door, smiling at him and the others as they filed into our tiny home. My father reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a look full of wonder and curiosity. I knew that he was asking if I was able to help the poor child who had been attacked. I shook my head slowly as I looked at the floor, tears welling up in my eyes. He sighed loudly then took a moment for prayer before he turned back to the men who sat in the room.
"Tonight we have lost one of our flock, sweet Josephine has died from injuries sustained tonight." He said as he rung his hands.
The men all made sounds of sympathy and disbelief, a few of them bowing their heads in prayer before it got too quiet again. I figured that this would be my time to leave since it seemed that my father did not want me involved in the chase yet. I turned and was about to walk down the hall when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned and saw my father looking at me, shaking his head slightly.
"Carlisle, I believe that it is time for you to join us." He said as he guided me back to the room where everyone was waiting.
"Did anyone find anything?" I asked as I went and stood next to the fireplace, doing my best to warm myself.
"We believe that we know where they are hiding." John Meyers said as he laid out a crude map that had obviously been folded in his pocket. It was stained and tattered, but showed most of the town and the small farmsteads that surrounded the area.
"It seems that they are staying in different areas every time, we know this because of the reports that have come in of people finding things missing or signs that someone has been hiding there." My father said as he pointed at a few of the outlaying farms.
"What kinds of things?" I asked as I moved closer to see the map.
"Well, a few people have come to me at church and told of things missing from their houses. At first it was just little things like jewelry or clothing, but then it changed. The stories started coming in of hearing things running around the house, calling to them, begging them to come outside into the night."
"Things are calling to your parish, asking them to come outside?" I asked in shock.
"Yes, and a few others reported seeing a flash of something running around their house." My father said softly.
"What do you think that it is?" I asked as I looked at the faces of the elders of our town.
"We weren't sure before tonight, but after the attack we're sure that we are dealing with demons," My father said as he drew a cross sign against his chest. "Vampires."
I stood there shocked by what my father had said, had he honestly just told me that they believed there were vampires in our town..and that they thought they knew where they were hiding. I began to wonder if he was getting foolish in his old age, my father had always been a firm believer in the supernatural..but this...vampires?