the bond in bloody roses

Night Seventeen

Night Seventeen:

When I was young, my fear of vampires was horrid. I couldn't even hear the word vampire without freaking out, or going into a panic mode. I was not sure what it was that made me fear them so much. All I knew was that they were dangerous. They were monsters, or so my father taught me. They were monsters. They hurt humans. They were not to be pitied. Not to be liked. Not to be associated with. They were to be avoided at all costs. Not that I would go near one with a ten foot pole when I little, I was so frightened...

My family, my father especially, thought it was disgraceful for a vampire hunter from a lineage such as ours to be so frightened of those beings. He would take me as a small child to missions with him. Or send me out on missions with my eldest brother, in hopes that I would get over my fear.

"You're a vampire hunter, Sakika! Do you know how embarrassing it is to have a child so frightened of those monsters! We are trained to kill those beasts masquerading as humans! Why are you frightened?"

My father would question in frustration, but I never once had an answer.

How could I come up with an answer when I could not explain it to myself? How could I give an answer when I lay awake nearly every night questioning the same question, and more, to myself each night until I fell asleep? I couldn't do such a thing. Nobody could do such a thing. So, I never answered my father. He would get frustrated, and just send me away.

I was seven years old when I was sent with a mission with my father. It was to execute a level E vampire. The lowest of the low. The ones who had fallen to even a monster status.

"I want you to see what we do, and understand it very well. You're so frightened of these beasts, I'm afraid this is the only real way to test you. If you can handle it."

My father told me as he buttoned up my jacket. I could remember feeling frightened. I was scared. Shaking. I didn't want to do this. I was scared for my life. What if something bad happened? To me? To my father? What if it went all wrong? What would I do then?

"Just be a brave child. You'll see. They are scum, and nothing to be frightened of."

He told me with a reassuring smile, messing with my hair. I smiled ever so slightly. The words temporarily had put me at peace, but it would be short lived.

The place where we went to was damp. It was dark. It stank of rotting flesh, and other things. I clenched my fists to my chest, and stuck close to my father as he adopted his normal badass expression, holding tightly to his weapon as his eyes looked with alertness around. I knew that he was just trying to see anything out of place. His very ears were set to hear even the tiniest of things. I was careful not to make even the slightest of noise. I didn't want to disturb my father.

However, I gasped, closing my eyes tightly, and clenching onto my father's dark colored trench coat when something moved behind me, causing a brick to fall to the floor. My father, trained warrior he was, moved in front of me protectively, one hand on my back, holding me closely, while the other was on his trusty weapon.

I opened my eyes just slightly, looking at my father. His eyes were narrowed as he looked off to the corner with a concentrated frown.

"Come out! Now!"

He shouted almost in anger. I whimpered slightly, squeezing my eyes shut. I couldn't bear to see what happened. I couldn't bear to see the vampire.

"You brought me a gift! Such a sweet smelling girl! Lemme have her! Lemme have her!"

The voice, I couldn't concentrate to tell if it was female or male, sounded crazed. Like some maniac. My fear, and anxiety went up ten fold, and I whimpered again as I clung to my father tighter.