[Blood Diary Entry]
With the 'deal' done, we decided to leave the shop, but before we actually got out, I stopped.
I felt the snug clothes that hugged my body, almost ripping themselves apart from sheer strain.
After the whole Caine situation, my body grew taller and broader. And since we needed to leave Chicago as fast as possible, there wasn't much time for clothes shopping.
I tried looking for something on our way here, but we never actually got to it.
So, I'm in dire need of some new clothes…
Thinking about the whole situation, I turned back to Nico, who was already going back to his 'mad' self.
"Ehem…" I cleared my throat, trying to get his attention.
"Yes?" He spoke after noticing I wanted something from him; he had an annoyed expression, but decided to indulge me anyway.
"You said people from here were either killed or ran away, right?" I asked.
He nodded. "That is what I said."
I tugged at my shirt's collar, showing how it wasn't exactly a very comfortable fit. "Would you mind if I…"
His face went deadpan.
Rebekah giggled behind me, and I could see Mother's urge to facepalm.
He sighed resignedly. "Do whatever you wish. As long as nobody is going to miss it."
I nodded and smiled back. "Sure. See you in a bit, Nico!"
"Whatever you say, kid…"
We turned to leave, and just as I was about to step out of the store, I heard Nico speaking under his breath absent-mindedly.
"Three crowns… three suns… three hearts beating together, and one coiled serpent at the end of it all…"
When I heard what he said, my heart started beating faster for some odd reason. I almost forgot how to breathe at that moment.
I turned towards him, mechanically and stiffly. "What did you say?"
His eyes lifted and locked into mine. I could see something deeper and older behind them… before he blinked and it was no longer there, as if it was all a simple mirage.
"Hmm? Oh… I was saying I ran out of cocoa powder. I need to get more before the next shipment of imp tongue comes…"
I swallowed dryly. "Yeah… that must've been it."
"Come on, Darian! I got some clothes I want to try, and I also want to choose a few for you." Rebekah called me, dragging me away from my thoughts.
Seeing her bright smile, her excited look, and the pep to her step. I suddenly forgot what was worrying me. Right now, I just wanted to see her happy and carefree like this.
And almost as if in a magic trick… Nicodemus's words were buried deep in my memory, as if shrouded in dense fog.
The rest of the day was as much a nightmare as it was a cherished time for me.
On one hand, I was spending time with Mother and Rebekah, the only two people I have ever cared about. Seeing them go from one store to another, running between one clothes hanger to the next. Choosing clothes not only for themselves but for me as well. It warmed my heart and made me want to keep this peace forever.
But on the other hand… I was subjected to torture. I had to give my opinion on EVERY single thing. And no matter what I said, they still kept an unsatisfied look. Even when Rebekah came out with stunning sundresses that made my body warm up, and my heart beat faster, she still kept that unsatisfied expression. The same goes for my mother; she chose quite a few lovely styles that complemented her raven hair and her deep blue eyes, but she kept none of them.
And god… the amount of clothes I tried in the span of a couple of hours… I don't actually think I have worn so many clothes in my entire eight years of life combined.
We took a break a few times, going to some abandoned cafés or dinners. Though we had to make our own food from whatever good ingredients we could find, it was still fun.
Mom was an excellent cook, and since she had worked a couple of times in a 'grill' from her hometown, she knew her way around industrial kitchens.
I found it somewhat odd because from what I recall, our family is pretty well off. So, I see no reason why a Salvatore would work in an ordinary restaurant.
Mother shrugged and said she just wanted to work for a while at the time.
What an oddball…
A couple of times, we caught the gazes of some old timers that were too stubborn to leave the city, and I must say… seeing some strangers borderline ransack their town didn't make them all too happy.
But what do I care?
We are the ones who are going to clean the mess in this town; this is the minimum we should get.
After all, even the law has already abandoned this town.
By the end of the day, I was carrying a pile of bags that was taller than me. My only salvation is that I could carry an entire building without much effort; otherwise, this would have been a whole new level of torment.
Though playing at balancing with these bags wasn't very fun as well…
But what about Rebekah and my mother, one would ask… weren't they carrying bags as well, did they just dump all of them on me?
Of course not!
They are not so cruel.
They were also carrying some bags.
An impressive amount of…
Two bags…
They were each carrying two bags.
I want to cry right now…
The two were happily chatting as we walked around town, looking for an abandoned house where we could settle down for the night, since we had decided Rebekah and I would tackle the whole ghoul problem tomorrow.
We came up with a preliminary plan that tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we would leave Mom with Nico, for her own safety, and then the two of us would go on a killing spree.
There isn't actually much else to plan here.
So, it was simple and effective.
Another hour or two went by as the two women nitpicked all of the houses, looking for the right one, because it had to be perfect.
For crying out loud! We are going to spend ONE night—two tops—not live in it for the rest of our lives…
I feel a headache creeping up on me.
Just as they finally came to a consensus, the sun was already setting, darkness slowly crawling its way into the world.
And then I heard a raspy breathing, an erratic heartbeat, saliva dripping down in steady intervals.
The smell came next. The stench of death, of decayed flesh, and rotten bone.
I looked up towards the roof of one nearby house.
And there it was.
Tall and slim, with skin as white as snow, though it was stained with blood all around. Eyes empty and vitreous, so much so that I could even see my reflection in them. The teeth projected outward, in an entangled mess of fangs, with flesh stuck in each crevice. Claws that were almost as big as mine, twitching and dancing impatiently.
It took a whiff of the air, almost as if tasting it. Immediately, its eyes locked on my mother's figure.
Its stomach rumbled in hunger, and the saliva flowed faster. Slim muscles coiled, ready to leap at us.
That whole scene, the smells, the noises, it's little gestures…
They all made me angry.
Unreasonably so.
True, it was targeting my mother…
But that anger that bubbled inside of me wasn't only because of that; there was something else as well. Something I couldn't quite place my finger on.
I growled.
A deep rumbling bellow, that made the ground shake around me.
Rebekah, who already sensed the ghoul wasn't all too surprised. But Mother, who had neither of our powerful senses, wasn't aware of the predator prowling about.
She almost jumped in fright, and when she turned to look at us and noticed us focused in the same direction, she instinctively followed our gaze and regretted it afterwards.
She stepped closer to me, seeking safety in my presence.
The ghoul heard my threat and immediately scurried off, searching for prey that wasn't guarded by a bigger and more threatening predator.
Rebekah pushed my mother to the house they picked.
I followed them, but not once did I stray my gaze from the direction the ghoul came from, ready for any reckless attempts at a sneak attack.
It was only when I was inside the house, and we locked the door, that I managed to relax.
"Go to every room, close and lock every window, don't leave anything open. None of it will actually stop these things, but it will make it easier to know where they are coming from." Rebekah ordered, and we nodded and followed her advice.
After we locked and barricaded what we could, Rebekah showed up again. "Isolde will sleep in the closet on the second floor; it has no windows and only a single entry. Darian, you'll guard the door and keep alert in case something comes up."
"What about you?" I asked, though there wasn't any need to, I still worried about her.
She noticed it and smiled gently, her fingers combing through my hair affectionately. "I'll stay on the ground floor, though I'll come up every once in a while." Her gaze turned to my mom. "You're the only one who actually needs to sleep here, so make sure you're well rested. I dragged a bed to the closet so it shouldn't be too uncomfortable."
Mom nodded.
Night had finally fallen, blanketing us in its darkness. Usually, I find it comforting, but this time, all I feel is unease, the uncertainty of whether those things will come back for my mother. The apprehensiveness of the possibility of me failing her again clawed my chest.
I exhaled slowly, trying to get a grip on my emotions.
Rebekah noticed and held my hands gently before her hold became a bit stronger.
As the two of us heard a harrowing sound in the distance.
Roars.
Hundreds of them.
All brimming with anger, hunger, and viciousness.
But among them… There were 7 who were much louder.
"Seven alghouls… what the hell is this?" Rebekah said incredulously.