CURSE OF THE BLOOD MOON

“Scarlet let me help you. Is there something wrong with the baby?”

“You need to leave. Please leave.” She was begging him now. She could feel everything the baby was feeling. She could hear the deep hard thud of his heart, the light quick rush of his blood in his veins. The scent of his blood, and the longing to taste it on her lips.

“Please leave.”

“Scarlet you are burning up.”

She beat his hands off her and shoved him again. She didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just leave her alone. She would never forgive herself if she hurt him. She thought about how Kayla had lurched at her, she couldn’t help it. This was the same thing, but it was her son who wanted his blood and not her.

Scarlet’s breaths were beginning to get hard and shallow. She could feel the need to feed overpower her will.

“Archie please leave.”

“No. You aren’t feeling well let me help you up.” Archie got to his feet and tried to raise Scarlet with him, but was faced with resistance. She didn’t move from the crouch she was in.

Scarlet looked up at him, as she felt her senses go crazy, she was going into a frenzy. She knew that her eyes were back to the terrible red and black color because Archie leaned down to look at her.

He was so close to her, the scent of his blood became stronger and soon all she could see was the thick vein in his neck. It was like she could see the blood pulsating in his vein. Archie took both her arms and pulled her to her feet. This time Scarlet didn’t resist, she couldn’t. Her need, her baby’s need was far too important than the need to save his life.

She pushed him away from her and to her surprise and his, he went flying across the room. Scarlet hadn’t even put that much weight behind the thrust, but it didn’t stop him from smashing against the wall. He rubbed the back of his head and felt the warm moist of his blood. Archie stared at Scarlet as if he was seeing her for the first time. It wasn’t normal let alone human for her to have that kind of strength.

Scarlet’s eyes locked on the trail of blood he had left on the wall. She followed it down to where he sat, confused and frightened. She walked to the wall, paying no attention to him scrambling to the corner away from her.

Her protruding stomach stopped her from getting any closer to the wall, so she leaned her head towards it. She sniffed and took a deep breath, letting the scent of it intoxicate her. Then she licked the blood off the wall and paused as the taste of it took her to a new high.

She wasn’t watching him, but she could feel him move. She was able to block his way when he ran for the door. She looked up at him as he took slow steps back.

“Scarlet, what’s going on?”

Scarlet didn’t answer her mind and her senses were locked on the scent of his blood. She pushed him against the wall and bit into his neck. Scarlet body tensed as she felt the warm blood run into her mouth. She didn’t need much strength to subdue Archie. His struggle went unnoticed to her. She could feel the need die down, and the baby settled down. Scarlet was more relaxed and in control of herself. She pulled away from Archie’s neck and looked at his face. Scarlet could barely hear his heartbeat, and the rush of blood in his veins had turned to a silent sipping sound.

His eyes were still open but they didn’t move. He stared straight to the wall at the other end of the room. His skin was pale and his breaths were shallow, he looked like he was struggling to breathe.

Scarlet stepped away from him, horrified at what she had done. Her hand went over her mouth as she gasped. She felt the wetness around her lips and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She stared at the blood, evidence of what she had done.

Archie sank to the ground, his breaths rasping through his lips. His feeble hand flew to where she had punctured through his skin, but it soon dropped to the floor. He didn’t have the strength to help himself.

Scarlet reached for him and tried pulling him off the ground but couldn’t. All the strength she had before had left her. She knelt beside him and stared at her handiwork.

He was dying slowly. Archie had offered her nothing but his love and support and now he was slowly slipping away because she made a meal out of him.

“I’m sorry.”

She sat next to him and took his hand. There was nothing she could do now but sit with him as he died. She thought about taking him to the hospital but she was sure it was too late. She was sure that she had drained too much blood from him for him to survive the night. Tears fell down her cheeks as she watched him flatter his eyes closed. The rasping breath he let out ripped through her chest. His body limped and his head dropped to the side.

“Archie.” She shook him, “Archie!” Scarlet knew he was dead but still, she tried to wake him up.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She crawled away from the body to the other corner of the room. Her eyes were fixed on the dead body. She had taken his life, she was no better than Zen or all the other murderers out there.

She rocked herself quietly in the corner, away from the lamplight that surrounded Archie’s body. Tears streamed down her face as she whimpered silently.

***

Vincent and Victor didn’t have to track him for long. His scent was mainly around the house, even when he went far he always led them to the area near the home.

The four of them weaved through the forest and the alleys, through different towns and at times crossing the state lines. They seemed to be going round in circles until at last, they ended up at the beach.

They stood a distance away and watched him in the night light. They didn’t want to approach him just yet and startle him. His senses were sure to warn him, and considering his activities during the past week, he was sure to attack first.

Vincent thought it would be better to go to him alone. He was the only one out of the four of them who knew what he was going through. He had lived with him and Scarlet for the better part of the year. He saw how much they loved each other and could only imagine how he felt being away from her.