Falling Once

Chapter I

It had been a surprisingly good birthday this year, Elizabeth decided as she wandered around the garden collecting used paper plates and empty plastic cups. The sun had been shining all day, there hadn't been any arguments, no one had been sick and, most importantly, her mother hadn't gotten drunk. Yes, it was a good day to turn sixteen.

With the last of the rubbish deposited into the black sack by the door and the setting sun warming the bare skin on her arms, Elizabeth allowed her blue eyes to wander over the tall tree at the back of the garden, candy pink blossom falling like the lightest of snowflakes each time the breeze caught the tall branches. When she breathed in deeply, the air was full of the marzipan scented blossom and the honeysuckle that scaled the walls. She thought back to when she was a child, playing outside all day with her friends, climbing the tall tree and making dens in the shurbs around the base of the wall. She was sixteen now. It was time to grow up.

Her mother stepped out of the back door, her slender frame shaking slightly as she settled into one of the chairs on the patio.

"Come and sit by your mother," her voice was dry, the rasp of a heavy smoker. "These are your last few hours as a girl, Effy - spend them with me."

Elizabeth hastened to her side and sat on the seat next to her mother, a smile on her face.

"You know, Effy, when I was your age things were so different," her mother's eyes glazed over a little and her voice sounded wistful. "I was starting to court, going to dance halls with my friends, imagining my wedding... I was even preparing my bottom drawer. I was never so serious as you with your books and your studying."

Elizabeth laughed a little, the last rays of the setting sun catching the strands of her brown hair coming loose from the fishtail plait down her back. She was a bit of a geek, her nose always stuck in a book, and had never had a boyfriend. She knew she had to work hard so that she could provide for herself and her mother. "I'm not serious, mum. I just like books and learning."

Her mother smiled indulgently. "Of course, my dear. So much like your father. He was always so serious too."

"Can you tell me more about him?" It was rare for Elizabeth to ask about her absentee father.

"I will. I need to. You deserve the truth now." With a deep sigh, Elizabeth's mother sat straighter in her chair. "Effy, he died a long time ago. You know that. Before you were born. He was a good man, a strong man, and he loved you very much even though he never got the chance to meet you. But... Well, it's how he died. It wasn't a car accident."

Elizabeth frowned, confused by the revelation. "It... He wasn't in a crash?"

"There are things in this world that are hidden from most. But he knew about them. He fought them." They both jumped slightly as a black cat leaped over the wall in the long shadows of the dusk light. It was Socky, the neighbours cat.

"Fought them?" Elizabeth didn't understand. Not one bit. She looked away from her mother, to the large blossom tree, her thoughts in turmoil.

"Yes. They're evil. They're V-" When her mother's voice was suddenly cut off mid sentence with a gurgle, Elizabeth turned back to check she was alright.

Then she felt the hot, wet splatter of blood on her face and screamed.

A figure was behind her mother, claw-like hands around her throat. It's eyes were red and it's skin a dull grey tinged with blue, its skin stretched tightly across it's skull. Her mother's eyes bulged and blood weeped from her neck where the claws dug in. Elizabeth watched, transfixed, as the creature opened its mouth of sharp, pointed teeth and lowered its head, a long dark tongue creeping out to lap up the blood before it sank those teeth into the pale flesh of her mother's neck. She couldn't tear her gaze from the horrific sight before her, and didn't notice the figure dropping from the wall behind the creature until it drove a long stake through its back and ripped it away from her mother.

Another spray of blood covered Elizabeth's face and arms, soaking into the material of her white vest top, staining it.

"Get inside! Now." It was a man, she realised as he shouted at her. But she was paralysed with fear and confusion, and stayed where she was, watching as he turned the creature onto its back and took a hip flask from his pocket, emptying the contents onto the creature, causing its flesh to melt back from its bones and steam to curl upwards. Turning from the melting corpse, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and dragged her inside the house, locking the door.

Elizabeth sank to the floor, her mouth hanging open, the tanned skin on her blood splattered face pale with shock. She felt dizzy and closed her eyes.

"I'll make the tea then." 

She fainted.