.Chapter 2.

Her dreams were those of strange forms lurking in the shadows, she dreamt of blood spilling and a woman dancing.

The woman was lovely, but it was a terrifying loveliness that invoked terror. She had porcelain skin, dark hair and dark eyes. The woman wore a black leather corset around her tiny waist and a beautiful, crimson camisole that swayed at her ankles as her bare feet danced in the dirt. There was a gold band around the crown of her head and gold bracelets on her wrists and ankles. Her movements were fluid and quick, she twirled and her dress spun with her lifting to reveal slender legs.

Fedora could hear a man screaming and the woman’s laughter, sinister, shocked Fedora. The woman danced in front of a man that was tied to a post. The wicked woman bent down, hips still swaying and kissed the neck of the prisoner. Fedora felt her stomach lurch. The man cried out as the woman lifted her lips from his neck. Blood ran down to pool at his collar bone before spilling down his chest, staining his white shirt. Fedora saw blood on the woman’s mouth, she tried to wake herself from this nightmare, but she wasn’t dreaming. She felt something tying her to this horror, forcing her to witness this ungodliness.

“I’m going to make you like me, my love.” The woman’s voice was like a snake hiss.

“Strigoica!” The man yelled at the murderess. “Demon! Vampyre!” There was something terribly familiar about the man.

“You will love me,” the woman continued to dance and laugh, “as all of my followers do!” The demon swooped down on his with unnatural speed. “We will all be together in death.” The woman cut her wrist with a blade she had unsheathed from the buckle on her waist. She held her dripping wound over his mouth, allowing her blood to fall on his tongue. The turned his head, lethargically refusing her. The demon forced her wrist to his lips giving him no choice but to drink. Drink. After a few seconds the man seemed to regain strength and like a slave, continued to drink, as if compelled.

The woman smiled and closed her eyes as the man drank. The sight made Fedora want to turn away, but curiosity kept her looking. The woman pulled her arm away from the man’s grip. As she fisted her hands in his hair and pulled his head back to expose his throat, Fedora saw her Papa’s face. His eyes were open and glazed over and his face was dirty and blood was smeared around his mouth. Fedora heard herself scream, the demon woman turned around and…

Fedora sat up in her bed. Her Mamma was sitting there next to her with tears in her eyes. Fedora was sweating and tears ran down her cheeks as well.

Fedora opened her eyes and pulled away from her mother, then realized as she glanced at her window that it was night. Poppa wasn’t home. It really hadn’t been a dream.

“Don’t tell your brother and sister, okay?” Her mom choked on the words. Fedora shook her head.

“Where are Selma and Deriah?” Ana looked up as if she had just noticed that the house was silent. Fedora saw the blood leave her mother’s face.

“I’ll get them, they’ll be alright.”

“Bless you Fedora,” her mother walked to her own room and shut the door silently.