Fallen Thirst

"I need you to stay away from my daughter Ramose! Or there will be consequences!" Jeff Harper warns.

"I know," I growl.

Harper doesn't realize that Sarah and her friends wandered into the forest near the Vanetts side. Sarah, is scarred for fucks sakes, yet she's still near the forest.

Of course she wouldn't dare step into the forest grounds but her friends did. I was wandering around for air when I spot them. I warned them not to go near that side of the forest.

Sarah almost had a panic attack from it. Her friends walked back out of the forest onto the pathway where Sarah stayed.

"Look, for your safety stay away from that side of the forest."

"Or what?" The red head said, fiercely.

"Or else you could die."

Sarah grabs her phone and starts calling her father, I presume.

It didn't take long for him to show up. It's not the first time that I had disagreements with him. "Ramose I warned you!"

Her friends scurried to the van but Sarah stayed behind her father. I warned them and he warns me. It's a fair trade.

"This is the last warning Ramose. You and your kind stay away!"

Harper wraps his arm around Sarah turning around towards the truck.

-

I've warned them but they didn't listen to me!

I'm walking through our part of the forest back to my home.

The forest is peaceful. A place where I can think without any disruptions.

Until I hear fainted cries.

Stopping in my tracks, I listen intently to the cries. It sounds like a little girls. Walking towards the sound, I speed up my pace until I was jogging.

Coming up to a river where it flows calmingly, scanning my surroundings, I find a little girl walking by the river towards me.

Her clothes are tattered and muddy, there's scratches on her arms and legs. Her blonde hair is tangled.

"Hey," I say my voice soothing and calm. I don't want to scare her off.

She looks at me. Scared.

"Hey, I won't hurt you. But what are you doing out here all alone?"

Her crying stopped but she kept her distance from me, not uttering a word.

I crouch down to her level so I don't seem scary. "I . . ."

"What's your name?" I almost whisper.

"Sapphire."

"Well Sapphire, that's a beautiful name. What are you doing out here all alone?"

"My momma and daddy and I were walking in forest when a big scary man showed up. He bit my parents and me. He killed them but I left. I'm hungry. I can't remember what day it is."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Has the man chased you?"

She shakes her head frantically.

"How old are you?"

"Five and a half. That's what my momma says."

"Okay, you said you're hungry right?"

She nods.

"If you come with me, I'll give you a home, education and food."

"Mommy and daddy says I'm not supposed to go with strangers."

"Well, my name is Blade Ramose, but you can call me Blade. I promise I won't hurt you. A little girl like you shouldn't be wandering alone in the massive forest like this."

I can tell she's hesitant. Thinking about it Sapphire finally gives in.

She walks up to me giving me a small hug.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll also clean you up."

She giggles. "Okay."

I lift her up carrying her back home.

-

As I hold Sarah in my arms, it breaks my heart to know that she's broken inside. I know what it's like to not have a family mentally before I came here, but I don't know what it's like to lose them.

I hold her tightly to me as I comfort her. I whisper calming and soothing words. It's hard to lose someone you love.

When she told me about his she felt that day the attack happened, my heart shattered knowing that she could have lost her life. Sarah found it horrifying.

I almost lost her. My whole could have ended without her. She could have died and it would be my fault.

After our alone time, we head downstairs with her clinging onto me. I don't mind one bit. As I drink my blood Raul and Victoria descends towards us.

"Oh dear," Victoria states as she gives Sarah a warming hug. Raul rubs her back in circles to comfort the girl.

"It's going to be okay. Your father would be proud of you," Raul comforts.

She nods in Victoria's touch.

"Both of your parents would," Victoria adds.

"I'm going to take her out for a bit. Just to get air."

"Okay, have fun you two," Victoria says.

"Not too much fun. We don't need any more people at the moment. We're already dealing with so much," Raul states.

At that moment, Nevada walks in.

"About that . . . There's something I need to tell you two."

"And that's our cue to leave."

I gently grab Sarah wrapping my arm around her shoulder. I guide her outside where the gloomy clouds block the sun.

"It's wonderful out here," she croaked. For us, a gloomy weather is wonderful since we don't have the sun shining down on us.

"Sure is."

We walk peacefully towards the river where I found Sapphire several years ago.

"Here's a little fun fact," I start when we get to the river.

"I found Sapphire here wandering all alone."

"Aww, poor girl. How old was she?"

"Five and a half."

"That's pretty young."

"It is."

We sit down by the river and watch it flow. Sarah leans her head against my shoulder. Setting my hand on her upper arm I rub her. Listening to the calming sound of the water it didn't disturb our peace.

We are out for quite some time that I think we stayed for the rest of the day.

We are disturbed by yelling in the distance.

"Well no!"

"Why not?!"

"Because you know full well what he does to me and you don't do anything about it! None of you guys do! Even when Blade was around! No wonder he forgot about us!"

I knew instantly who they were, Seth and Roland. Sarah tenses beside me listening to the conversation that's going down.

"I doubt he forgot about us because of that reason. It's been over a century so of course he'll forget about us! Not because of what father does!"

I mean . . . He is right on certain points. There were times whew I do forget about them, but Roland? I would never forget about him.

"How the fuck would you know?! At least when he was still around he would protect me from the beatings! He knows how I feel but you don't!"

"What the fuck makes you think I don't know how you feel or what your going through," he said more calmly.

"Cause you don't stop him. All you do is stand there and don't help me. All of you! I can tell that I'm not his favourite."

"What makes you think he's not your favourite? There's no favourite in the house?"

"Well then. Let me tell you why. Everyone but me isn't beaten. He tells you calmly what to do and gives you guys chances. He give none to me! Neither did he give them to Blade!"

"Blade, hon, what's he talking about?" Sarah asks.

I sigh. I don't want to keep lying to her but for her to be protected from them, I need to lie.

"I . . . I don't know."

"No Blade, I think you do know. Your just not telling me."

"Look, honey, it's something personal, okay?"

"Okay," she whispers.

Lifting her chin up towards me where our faces our inches apart. I kiss her on the lips. "I still care about you, I always will. Don't forget."

"I won't." She smiles. I grin while resting my forehead against hers. "Should we go check out what's happening?"

"Probably."

We get up descending towards the two. Once in our peripheral vision, we stop as they continue walking in our direction without noticing us. They are still arguing.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because father wants you back."

"Well tell him to fuck off."

"Hey, what's going on?"

Both men turn to me. Roland eyes told that he was thankful I showed up. Seth on the other hand, isn't.

"What do you want Blade?" Seth hissed.

"What I want is to why you are arguing?"

Roland slowly moved towards us. Seth must have noticed Sarah beside me since his expression changed from anger to smirking evilly.

"Who's this?"

I block Sarah from his view but she ain't having it. She moves beside me stiffening.

"Who are you?" She shoots back.

"Blade, buddy, you've got a feisty one don't you? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Go home," I warn.

"Why? Do you not like me? I'm I a favourite that you can't stand either? Roland let's go. We're going home."

"No! Tell your family to fuck off. I'm not going back!"

"My family, you mean our family."

"Like hell they are."

"Look, go home!" I say furious.

Before we could go anywhere once we turned to go back home, Keir shows up.

"Hey, there you are! The others were a bit worried, more like Sapphire, Kathrine, Sabor, and Lennix."

"Yeah we're just coming home."

As we start walking, Seth doesn't think it's enough.

"Blade Carl Ramose!"

I stop dead in my tracks.

Keir notices getting ready to stop me, Sarah ready to calm me down.

"Blade?" Roland whispers.

I spun around fast running towards him ready to rip his head off. Keir and Sarah stop me. Sarah's trying calming me while Keir is holding me back. Seth is laughing hysterically at the scene play out.

"Blade I know you don't like it when people use your full name but you need to calm down," Keir says calmly. Sarah kept mumbling "calm down and look at me."

When I didn't she brought her hands to my face and brought my face down for me. She leans her forehead against mine calming me down. I close me eyes concentrating on their voices. Their soothing voices.

I kiss Sarah for helping me.

"Go home!" Keir tells him.

We turn around and head back home.