A Tainted Revenge

The breeze was strong that early, autumn day. The newly, fallen leaves danced in the air with colorful spins. A huge gust of wind suddenly blew by, causing the fine dust of the path to be sent everywhere.

Lauren blocked her eyes with her arms. Her light brown bangs moved liked daggers in the wind. She kept brushing them aside to keep an eye on her surroundings. She sat, alone, on the splintering picnic table, ignoring the paper plates that flew off of it.

Lauren’s paranoia has been on high for the past ten years, non-stop. Even though her grandfather had sent her and Charlie to a small town, two hours outside of The City, where Alaric, by law, could not touch her and her family, she knew that anyone could be the enemy. This fear was causing her to feel very old at 26.

The fresh air filled Lauren’s lungs. She shut her eyes and leaned back the table in relaxation. She slipped off her black flats and dug her toes into the morning due soaked grass of the park. She felt the edge slowly slipping away. Lauren’s fear was dripping off of her bit by bit. She was sick of the pain, the fear. She wanted to feel the happiness that came out of everything that she had been through.

She opened her eyes and looked over to the swing set. Lauren watched as her Hayden swung herself so high off the ground. She was so beautiful for nine years old. Her skin was sun kissed and her eyes were amber, a color that must have come from Alaric. Hayden’s long, light brown hair rippled behind her, like waves, as she jumped off the swing at the very top of the bar. Lauren smiled as her daughter landed the jump with no problem. She was born with the gift to be a warrior. She was quick, coordinated, smart, and accurate.

Charlie ran over to Hayden, scolding her about jumping off so high. The little nine year old put her hands on her hips and started yelling at him about leaving Keria alone on the swing, because she tends to fall off. Keria was their four year old baby, her and Charlie’s. They had gotten married six years before and he made her happier than Dave ever did, although she had never expected to fall in love with him.

Lauren heard a shrill shriek. Her eyes shifted to the swing that Keria had been on. Sure enough, she had fallen off, but like her older sister, she stood right back up and brushed herself off. She held her tiny arms up and waited for her daddy to put her back up on the swing. Keria was tough like her big sister, but at the same time much sweeter than Hayden was at the same age. You could tell that they were sisters, but Keria took after Charlie, with bright, blond hair and pale skin. The two girl, however, had their mother’s toothy smile, and that was all that mattered to Lauren.

“I told dad that Keria would fall, like always, but he never listens to me”.

Lauren turned to see Hayden sitting next to her. Lauren brushed her daughter’s messy hair away from her pretty, amber eyes.

“That’s because he’s a boy,” Lauren teased. “He thinks he’s a know-it-all”.

“Yeah! So does Paulie. That’s why I gave him a bloody nose”.

“Right. I’m suppose to talk to you about that’” Lauren sighed. “Don’t do it again. It’s bad and other stuff like that.”

Hayden snorted. “Yeah, nice talk, mom.”

Lauren shook her head. “You sound like a teenager already. What’s up with that?”

Hayden shrugged. “I just talk to you the way that you talk to Grandma. It’s funny.”

Lauren ruffled up Hayden’s hair and laughed. “I sound like that, don’t I?” Hayden started to giggle. Lauren saw Charlie walking over to them, with Keria in his arms. “I bet they want to go home,” Lauren said loud enough for her husband to hear.

“I think I have had enough of these two for one day,” Charlie looked down at his watch. “Even if it is only noon,” he joked. He sat down next to Lauren and Keria climbed out of his arms and into her mother’s lap. Keria wrapped her arms around Lauren’s neck and hugged her.

“The swings are fun, but daddy doesn’t want me to get a boo-boo!” said Keria. “I sleepy! Haybin! Can I sleep on your lap?”

“Sure,” said Hayden and held her arms out so Keria could climb onto her lap. As soon as Keria settled down, she passed out.

“How does she do that?” Lauren asked Charlie. “It’s not fair.”

He shrugged and looked into his wife’s eyes. “You look happy today.”

“I am. I am trying not to freak out anymore about all this. I want to be able to be happy with you and the girls. I don’t want Him to be a problem anymore.”

“No more vampires?”

“I hope not.” Lauren paused, “I hope we won’t have to deal with this for awhile.”

“You dream about vampires too, mom? I thought I was the only one,” said Hayden. “I had one last night.”

“What?” Lauren and Charlie asked together with fear.

“Another?” asked Lauren. “I mean how long have you been having these dreams? You have to tell us what happened it could be important.”

Hayden started freaking out. “it’s no big deal,” she lied so her mom wouldn‘t freak out, hopefully. “There was some vampire dude named Al-something and a man tied up and…” she trailed off.

“What happened, Hayden,” asked Charlie, “We have to know.”

“The tied up man was Grandpa and the vampire killed him,” she said quietly. “I hope it was a trick, but everything else I’ve seen has been true.”

Lauren froze up. “This can’t be happening,” she whispered. The sky turned dark and rain started falling, heavily from the sky, as if Lauren’s emotions controlled the weather. They sat in silence, getting soaked to the bone, watching the woman they loved most in the world starting up another mental breakdown.

The sudden downpour made Keria wake up. She reached her small hand out to Lauren’s bare shoulder. Keria started hitting it.

“Mommy! I getting wet! I want to go home!”

Lauren snapped out of it, knowing that she could not do this anymore. She looked into Keria’s green eyes.

“You’re right, baby girl. Let’s go.” Lauren stood up and walked through the grass, leaving her shoes behind. Her tail of her sundress dragged behind her, catching up wet grass and leaves. When she got to the car, she opened the door of the passengers seat and got inside. She turned her head to look at her family, still sitting at the table, staring at her, and beckoned them over with her hand, and then slammed the door shut.

Charlie picked up Keria, out of Hayden’s arms and started running to the car, while Hayden grabbed her mother’s shoes and chased after them. Charlie got to the car and put Keria into the booster seat while Hayden waited to get in behind him. When he finished, he moved out of the way so Hayden could get in and shut the door behind her. Charlie got into the driver’s seat and sped off to home.

Their house was not that far away from the park, but with the silence it seemed long. Charlie decided to break it. “Hayden, why didn’t you tell us about the dreams?”

Hayden shrugged. “I have had them for as long as I can remember. I’m not scared by them, most of the time,” she said proudly. “I didn’t really think that it was a big deal. I mean I knew that the dreams were stuff that was really happening, but I didn’t want to be sent away, because I had this power. I guess I’m like a superhero, or something.”

“Yes you are, girly,” said Charlie as he pulled into the driveway. “Let’s just hope this one isn’t a real one.”

Charlie turned off the car and Lauren bolted out of the door and ran into the house. Charlie got his two girls out of the car, as quickly as he could and they followed Lauren inside.

They found her in the entrance hallway, where they had the answering machine on a small table. Lauren was standing there with tears falling from her eyes. Charlie went up to her and pulled his wife into his arms. Lauren buried her face into his chest and slipped her arms around him. She pressed the play button so they all could hear the message.

“Lauren, Charlie,” said a voice. “I am sorry, but the Chief was killed last night in a fight with Alaric. The funeral is on Tuesday. There was a note left for you that he wanted me to give you. All it says is ’Protect Hayden’. I am sorry that you have to hear it like this.” and it clicked off.

“Protect me?” asked Hayden. “Why?”

“Because,” said Lauren, as calmly as she could, “The vampire, Alaric, is your real father, not by my choice, and he wants you dead.”

Hayden froze in fear as she watched her mother push Charlie away from her and run off into the kitchen. Charlie crouched down in front of her.

“When he said that to me in my dream, I thought he was tricking me, but it’s true, isn’t it, dad?”

“Yes, Hayden, it is.” Charlie took her hands. “But you are my little girl, and what I need you to do, if anything happens to us when we are go to The City, for the funeral, is to take Keria and run to the church near Grandpa’s house and stay there.”

“What’s gonna happen?”

“Hopefully nothing, but The City is full of evil and Alaric is the worst. He is after your mother and I, which is why we live here. He can sense us when we are near him, but you and your sister are more important, especially to us. Promise that you will take care of her and protect her if things go bad.”

Hayden looked back at Keria sitting on the floor, her wet clothes making a puddle on the floor. Keria caught Hayden looking at her and she smiled. Hayden looked back at her dad.

“I promise.”