Reflections Of Angels

Blood In The Water

"What's up with you, grizzle-guts, eh?" Nyx cooed at baby Grizelda as she walked along, pushing her pram in the sun. It was pleasantly warm today, to the point Nyx had seen fit to add a wide-brimmed hat to her blue skinny jeans and floaty white blouse ensemble. Grizelda had refused any kind of hat. She was having none of it; sitting like a little pile of anger in the stroller, arms crossed, glaring cold death. "What are you pouting about, huh?"

I swear, this baby will be the death of me.

"Look at the sky, isn't it pretty? Look at the water!" They had rounded a corner in the park down to the pond; it was much cooler here, a light breeze having sprung up, gently rippling the water. Positioning the pram so Grizelda could look out across it, Nyx crouched down beside her, speaking half to herself as she watched the gentle waves. "I thought you and I would have come to a truce by now." She picked some grass, rolling it between her fingers. "Is it because he's your father? Is that it? Do you think I'm going to take him from you?" She asked, desperately wanting the answers no one would give her. She dropped the grass in the pond, watching the water swirl it away. "That's not going to happen. I promise."

Suddenly, it was as if everything went still; a strange quiet falling over the world. Slowly, Nyx rose to her feet. There was that feeling of being watched; of being in the eyes of some unseen predator.

It took only a moment, and then it appeared- a draugr, bursting forth from the bushes with an inhuman cry, heading straight for them.

Nyx had barely had chance to react before she was thrown to the side by the force of its bulky body colliding with hers.

Oh, she'd been so stupid, coming out here all the time; she had known there was one hanging around their house.

Shakily pushing herself up onto her feet, she saw the living-corpse of a creature standing between her and Grizelda; now it was here, it seemed somewhat undecided as to what to do, going back and forth between the two of them, unsure whether to go after her or the baby in the pram. Black ooze frothed at its mouth, teeth glinted sharp, nails like knives; it seemed almost curious for a moment as it scented the air; the rabid bloodlust of the hunt alight in its eyes.

Nyx wasn't going to let it decide. "Hey! Get away from her! Hey! Leave her alone!" She scrambled with her necklace as she raced towards it, trying to pull her pendant free, to transform it into the blade. The creature snarled, bloodcurdlingly low, and struck out, claws singing savagely through the air.

All Nyx saw was red.

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"