CHAPTER FOUR — MORE TROUBLES.
2339 Words
Chapter 04.
MORE TROUBLES.
Scarlett's POV.
“Come here.” I said, my eyes burning with tears as I gripped Ravenna's hand.
However, as I turned to leave the scene with her, I found Caspian standing at a distance and holding a phone to his ear. But then, the moment we locked gazes, I noticed his lips move as he turned his face to the other side and went his way.
Of course, I was expecting that. Even though I needed to talk things out with him, I knew that I'd to get Ravenna cleaned up first.
With that thought in mind, I pulled her by the arm all the way to the restroom. As soon as we got to the female's restroom, I opened the door with my other hand, pushed her in and also walked in myself.
However, after I closed the door, I turned around, allowing my back to sag on the door as I tossed my head backward, staring at the ceiling with my eyes that burned with tears. While I was at it, the sound of running water filled the room.
After a few seconds, I scrubbed my palms over my face and looked at her.
“Oh, please don't give me that look.” she said, rolling her eyes at the words with a crinkled face.
“Can you listen to yourself right now?” I scoffed, blinking my eyes rapidly in surprise. “Do you realize what you've done?”
“I am not a kid, Scarlett.” she said, her face unreadable. “So, don't treat me like I'm one. Besides, I know what I've done.”
“No, you don't!” I shot back, my eyes glittering with anger. “If you had the slightest idea of what you've done, then you wouldn't be talking back at me right now. For goodness’ sake, you've just killed a young girl!”
“So, what would you have me do, huh?” she asked, with a raised brow. “I mean, I don't get it. Am I supposed to sit here and start crying? Is that what you want me to do right now?”
“Doesn't her life mean anything to you?” I asked, pointing towards the door as though the girl was right behind me while I spoke through my teeth with forced restraint. “She is someone's child, and you've just ended her life like that. She isn't coming back, Ravenna. She isn't!”
“Well, she could have.” she said, with ice in her voice. “I was going to feed her my blood. Perhaps, if you'd allowed me to do that, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.”
“Have you thought of how her parents would feel when they hear of their daughter's demise?” I asked, narrowing my gaze at the words. “Or doesn't that bother you?”
“It is not too late.” she said, with a shrug of her shoulder. “If you allow me go—”
“Don't you get it!” I yelled, as a flash of temper lighted my eyes. “You've just exposed us all. Or have you forgotten dad's words so soon? We have to keep a low profile in order not to get caught.”
“We won't if you allow me to feed her my blood.” she said, with a shrug of her shoulder.
“Will you just shut up for goodness’ sake!” I yelled, the words clenched angrily around my teeth. “Or don't you understand what I'm trying to say? This could ruin everything for us: the perfect life that we've always wanted; to live like humans; our safety! Or have you suddenly forgotten that we've been living in hiding all our lives? Can't you see that you've made a big mistake? And here you are saying that I ought to give you a chance to feed her your blood? We aren't to turn people into vampires; dad made it clear.”
“Well, there's always a first time, or don't you think so?” she asked, her brows taking a quizzical dip.
“You are only going to put us in more danger.” I said, giving a slow disbelieving head shake. “You have been here for a day and now this? Aren't you ashamed or yourself? We don't cover up a problem by causing more.”
“So, what would you have me do?” she asked, sounding as if she'd just realized that her actions were wrong.
“I don't know.” I said, swallowing the lump that seemed to strangle my throat. “I am sorry, but you're on your own.”
I turned to leave, but then she gripped my arm and held me back.
“Help me, please.” she pleaded, with a desperate appeal in her eyes. “Don't walk out on me, I beg of you. Help me out of this.”
I lowered my gaze to her hand which was holding mine, then I glanced at her.
“I am sorry.” I said, as a tear trickled down the side of my nose. “It is too late now; you should face the consequences of your actions. I won't allow you to ruin my hopes of living like a normal human being.”
As I attempted to retrieve my hand from her, she tightened her grip on me.
“Please, just this once.” she said, her eyes burning with tears. “I couldn't control it; I was on my way to talk to Caspian when I perceived the scent of her blood. I wanted to help her, but before I knew it, I'd started feeding on her already.”
“You should have fled!” I said, with a note of firmness in my voice. “You know quite well that you're a Crimsonborn and your hunger for blood is insatiable. So, you should have fled.”
“I know, and I'm sorry.” she said, in a soft voice. “But the damage has been done now. What do we do now?”
“We can't stay here.” I said, drawing in a deep, calming breath as I tried to pull myself together. “We have to leave this minute.”
“Where to?”
“Where to?” I asked, with an edge to my voice. “If we stay here any longer, then it's only a matter of time before authorities come for us. Do you want us to be caught by the cops? If we eventually get caught, then everyone will know who we are. If that happens, do you think that Lucien will find us or not?”
“Scarlett—”
“That's what I thought too.” I said, with a cold look in my eyes. “It is over, Ravenna. We can't stay here anymore. We need to leave.”
As I turned to leave, she refused to let go of my hand.
“What is it?” I asked, trying to understand why she refused to let go of me.
“This is all my fault.” she said, her voice breaking into two. “I am sorry.”
“Save that for later.”
The words had barely left my lips when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance. It seemed like that of a calvary.
“They are on their way here.” she muttered under her breath as a flash of realization lighted her eyes.
In the blink of an eye, we exited the restroom. And barely few seconds later, we arrived home.
“What do we do now?” she asked, as a note of fear creeped into her voice.
“Just give me a moment.” I said, gripping the sides of my head as closed my eyes to think.
“Is there something wrong?” — the voice came from a distance.
“Dad?” I called, blinking my eyes in surprise. “What happened? I thought you'd left for work. Why are you still here?”
“I decided to take the day off.” he said, walking towards me. “However, what's with the look on your faces? Is there something wrong? And why are you back home this early?”
Ravenna and I exchanged puzzled glances at each other for a moment.
“What is going on?” he asked, darting his gaze back and forth as he glanced at me then to her. “Is there something you aren't telling me?”
“Sweetheart, I can't seem to find—” the rest of the words died in my mom's throat as she found us in the sitting room. “What's going on? Is there something wrong?”
“That's what I've been asking.” my dad said, as he settled on the couch, still darting his gaze back and forth. “Why aren't you saying anything?”
“Something happened.” I managed to say, not sure of how they would react to the news.
“That doesn't sound so good.” my mom said, with a concerned look on her face. “Tell us, what happened exactly?”
“Ravenna fed on a student.”
Her mouth fell open.
“Tell me that's not true.” my dad said, shaking his head as he lifted his gaze to Ravenna.
“It is dad.” she said, dropping her head as her face burned with shame.
“How could you!” he yelled, pounding a fist on the armrest of the couch. “What were you thinking?”
“I am sorry dad.”
“You are sorry?” he asked, righting himself from the couch as a flash of temper lighted his eyes. “Do you have any idea what you've done? Why couldn't you control it?”
“I tried to.”
“You didn't try enough!” he thundered, his voice rising to the heights of the roof. “How could you have lost control?”
“You should calm down, sweetheart.” my mom said, trying to get him to sit.
“How do you expect me to be calm in a situation like this?” he asked, blinking back tears. “Don't you get it dear? Our efforts for the past twenty years is all for nothing. And you want me to be calm?”
“We will find a way about this.”
“Of course, we will.” he said, trying to steady his voice. “Everyone go pack up. We're leaving tonight.”
“Leaving?” — the word jolted out of her lips on its own accord as a look of shock masked her face. “What do you mean by we're leaving? I thought you said that we wouldn't relocate until they're done with college.”
“Well, there's been a change of plan.” he said, his voice suddenly as hard as steel. “We need to leave tonight. Or would you rather have Lucien find us?”
“Sweetheart—”
“That's what I thought too.” he said, with ice in his voice as he retrieved his arm from her. “There is nothing to argue about; we're leaving tonight. So, prepare yourself.”
As he turned to leave, he paused and turned to face the window.
“Is there something wrong?” my mom asked, as she turned to face the window too.
“They are here.”
As the words fell upon my ears, my skin crawled with sparks of dread. He turned to face us.
“Take whatever you can and leave now.” he said, his voice reflecting the urgency of the situation.
“Dad—”
“Now!” he yelled, breathing heavily.
“What about you dad?”
“We will be right behind you.” he said, with a subtle nod of his head. “However, you need to leave now. I can't afford to lose either of you.”
“Dad.” I called, with tears in my eyes.
“Here, take this.” he said, putting a sealed glass tube in my hand and wrapping my fingers around it.
“What's this dad?” I asked, staring down at the glass tube in my grip, which contained a transparent liquid.
“Neither of you chose this life.” he said, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear as he stared into my eyes with a smile. “I brought it upon you both. So, if at any point you feel like you don't want this life any more then I'm giving you both a chance to live the rest of your lives as humans.”
“Is this the—”
“Yes.” he said, with a subtle nod of his head. “That's the cure to vampirism.”
“But how?”
“There's no time to explain right now. You need to leave.”
“Mom.” I called, blinking back tears as I turned to face her.
“You should listen to your dad, sweetheart.” she said, touching my face with a smile on her lips. “It doesn't matter if you're a vampire or human, you'll both remain my daughters. But you need to leave now.”
“I am so sorry, dad.” Ravenna said, as she hugged him. “I am really sorry.”
“It is not your fault, sweetheart.” he said, kissing her on the forehead before framing her face with both hands as he stared into her eyes. “Don't blame yourself for what has happened. It was bound to happen anyway. However, you need to leave now.”
“Mom—”
“There is no time; go with your sister now.” he said.
As soon as the words left his lips, the door was slammed open.
“Now!”
- Writer
