Scarlet's Blood

Chapter One: The Perpetrators of Darkness

Lena McHenry ran down another block, trying to escape. Her heart thudded as she sprinted through the streets. Her curly black hair kept getting in her face, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to get away from them. She didn’t know who they were, but she learned after being tied to a bed for weeks, that they were not good people. She heard the footsteps gaining on her and she began to push herself faster. She rounded the nearest corner and ducked into the shop. It was a small shop, and very musty. There was a rack of clothes off to the back and she ran and ducked in them. The door slammed open and she heard rummaging about the shop. She kept very still and held her breath. She saw a hooded man in front of her, looking. His arms extended as if to move the clothes, but Lena was faster. She launched herself at him, knocking him to the ground. He growled in frustration as she stood up very quickly, and ran out of the shop. However, Lena did not see the man waiting outside the door. He grabbed her, and threw her to the ground. He slammed her head into the ground and all she saw was black and she slowly faded into unconsciousness.

Lena woke up to be tied up in the rickety, old bed again. This time, her hands were tied with those plastic ties, which were nearly impossible to break out of. At the end of the bed, there was a man. Actually, Lena was not quite sure if he was a man or not. He looked like one but there was a certain aura around him that Lena did not trust one bit. He seemed to notice she had awakened and he said, “Oh, hello, my dear Lena.”

Lena responded in a thick voice, “I’m not sure who you are. You seem awfully familiar, yet I cannot put my finger on it. However, I don’t appreciate being kidnapped and tied up.”

He chuckled. “My dear, you’d only be tied up if you had not tried to escape so many times.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “I have tried one time, thank you very much.”

He grinned wickedly at her and it made her stomach roll. He said, “How much do you know of the tales?”

She looked at him sharply. “What are you talking about?”

He smiled sinisterly at her. He spoke in goose bump raising tone, “Everything in your precious mortal fairy tales is based off truth. The writers didn’t have an inspiring imagination. There are warlocks, witches, dwarves, werewolves, vampires, fairies, etc. They are real. I myself am a warlock.”

She said, “What does that have to do with anything? I’m a regular human being.”

He chuckled. “You are anything but regular and human. I’m not quite sure what you are but you have great power locked up in that tiny body. We have to figure out how to unleash it. We must use it to defeat them.” His lip curled.

Lena raised her eyebrows in confusion. She asked, “Who are they?”

He snarled. “They are demon slayers. Yes, there are demons, get over it. They protect you fickle human beings. From the terror of the real world. The Perpetrators of Darkness.”

Lena said, “Then what’s your problem with them? It sounds like all they do is good.”

He slapped her across the face. She sucked in a breath as her cheek stung. He smirked in satisfaction. He whispered in her ear, “There are some things you don’t understand, Miss McHenry.”

Lena said furiously, “Who are you? Where am I?”

He grinned. “You may call me…. Mr. Rutzmoser.”

She said, “Where am I?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”