CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

Kayla shot up from where she sat, she took a few quick steps back. Her eyes were fixed on Scarlet and what she was doing.

Her body arched from the bed and she sat up, staring straight at the wall across from them. Scarlet’s eyes were back to the terrifying red-black color and her shoulders heaved with each breath she took. The color in her cheeks turned red just as her body temperature raised.

Kayla took a step towards her and as she did, Scarlet, in one fluid movement was out of the bed and against the wall. Her head tilted to the left as Kayla continued towards her.

“Scarlet?”

She didn’t understand how she could move as fast as she did with the weight she was carrying. The color of her eyes, the defensive position she was in as she stood against the wall. Scarlet was like a predator.

“Scarlet?”

Scarlet didn’t answer, instead, she watched Kayla move around the bed and get close to her.

Kayla was certain that it wasn’t Scarlet she was talking to and if it were she had gone through some sort of transformation. She stood in front of her, she felt eerie because her intense stare hadn’t dropped.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”

She thought it would be best if she let her intentions known just in case she frightened her or him enough to attack her. “I just want to help you.”

Scarlet posture eased and she stood straight. They were now at an eye level with each other. Kayla was curious as well as puzzled, she leaned closer to look into Scarlet’s eyes, amazed at the color and form they had taken. She held her gaze.

Solara burst in through the door and broke the concentration. Kayla turned back and looked as they both walked into the house. Nikki was still complaining about the task she had just done. Scarlet went back to the defensive position she had been in. A feral snarl ripped through her throat. The sound of it brought them to a halt. They all shifted their eyes at her and stared in disbelief.

“What was that?” Solara finally located his voice and asked. The question was directed at Kayla but his eyes were fixed on Scarlet. “And what happened to her eyes?”

“I honestly don’t know. When you left she fell asleep for one or two hours. Then she woke up or sat up like the living dead.” Kayla’s saucer eyes were wide with shock.

“Living dead? Seriously, Kayla? Your words, not mine.” Nikki didn’t seem as tense as they were.

“Sat straight up, then she moved to the wall. She was unbelievably fast.” Kayla ignored her, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to fight with her.

“It’s almost time.” Nikki walked around the bed. She was carefully observing Scarlet.

“What do you mean?” Kayla watched her move towards Scarlet. She was a little nervous about what she was doing but assumed she had dealt with that sort of situation.

“It’s time for the baby. They manifest themselves through their hosts...” Kayla’s reaction knew that those were the wrong choice of words, “mother’s when they are fully developed. But this is unusual, it shouldn’t be this potent.”

“Unusual she says. This is a vampire, beast child, or whatever it is. How do we deal with this?” Kayla’s eyes returned to Scarlet, who was now watching Nikki.

“Usually, we would wait for the child to come out. But now I think we should hold her down or something.”

“I don’t think we can.” Solara had stayed out of the female talk, he knew that he would only be able to help on the physical front.

“What do you mean, come out?” Kayla ignored the last part of the statement, she knew they would not be able to get close enough to subdue her. She was more concerned about how the birth would affect her friend’s chances at life.

“Don’t worry, during pregnancy, the mother’s body adapts to the child. Considering the dead body we just carried out of here and the freaky look she has, her body has adapted very well to the baby.” Nikki closed in on Scarlet.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kayla warned her as she watched her get closer.

Scarlet let out another growl and quickly climbed to the top corner of the room.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Kayla couldn’t believe it. One of them could climb up the wall but Scarlet was human, a pregnant human.

“So, how do we proceed from here Nikki?” Solara turned his attention to Nikki who was just as stunned as he was.

“Hmm.” That was all she could come up with, as she stared at the pregnant woman on the ceiling. “Maybe we should go up and get her. By we, I mean one of you. Beasts haven’t yet learned the art of defying gravity.”

“I don’t think that’s wise.” Solara’s watched Kayla as she tried to get Scarlet off the ceiling. She was stretching her hand out to her and it made him nervous.

“Scarlet.” Kayla had tried putting her thoughts in her mind but met a barricade. She was troubled by the look in Scarlet’s novel eyes, she looked like she was ready to attack.

“What now?” Kayla took a step back, she had given up.

Stephan stopped at the front of the apartment building, he peered into the little coffee shop at the side. He half expected to see Scarlet and the ginger-haired man at the window table. He was bewildered at how he couldn’t tell that she was heavy, at the time.

He ran up the stairs, excited yet scared. He was happy that Scarlet wasn’t with the human and was having his child but he was anxious about her having his child. With all that had happened, he hadn’t stopped to think about the child. The child he never wanted but was having. The child that would bind him and Scarlet forever. The child who was causing her trouble of some sort.

Stephan stood at the door, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever awaited him on the other side. He could hear hushed voices inside, he could especially hear Kayla’s calm voice calling out Scarlet’s name. It sounded like pleas like she wanted something and was desperate to get it.

He turned the doorknob, but it was locked so he knocked. He was as subtle as a gun. He banged on the door urgently, nervously, there was something wrong and he had to get in there.