Sanguine

Seth leapt down from roof to lower roof, eventually stopping to catch his breath in the dark center of New Hope lane. He looked at his hands, still glistening with the blood of a few moments before. He looked up at the stars, at least the few he could see between the rising towers of glass and concrete. And then he nearly swallowed his tongue. "that was amazing!" said a girl's voice beside him, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Without thinking he grabbed the wrist, twisted, and had tackled the speaker before she could express her surprise with a startled squeak, which burst from her like a trodden on mouse when his weight pressed her to the dirty alley ground. Then, realizing what he had done, he examined her quickly. She was younger than he, a child even, and she was dressed rather nicely, no, very nicely, too nice for a street rat. "who..."he said in a soft hiss, which made her friends, which he had not previously noticed, back up from their aid of her, "who the hell are you?!" he demanded.

She began to cry a little, from fear he supposed, and loosened his grip on her twisted shoulder somewhat. She spoke through tears, trying her best to sound brave. "I'm Anna, Anna Ilziar and uh" she squeaked again, "you're reeeeally hurting my arm, mister!" Seth made a quick calculation that the dozen teenagers would not be a problem and then released her arm, backing up swiftly, but he bumped into another, older girl. He was surrounded.

His hands curled defensively, "what do you want, girl?" he said cautiously.

She got up and smiled fearfully at him. "you, I guess. that was so amazing! we saw the whole thing, we were hiding in that building during he shooting. How did you kill all those--!" He leapt forward and slapped a hand still wet with blood over her mouth. Then he realized this, wiped his hands hurriedly on his bloody pants, and then looked her straight in the blue eyes. "look, miss, uh," he paused. "Anna" she reminded him. "miss Anna," he corrected himself. "why are all of you here? what do you want!? and you must never talk of that." he looked her over once more, and looked at the dozen girls and two young boys who were with her, "on second thought, I really should kill you for knowing who I am..." they all gasped and took hurried steps back.

Anna pleaded with him. "no, really mister! we just want to, you know, hang out! you saved us from them, in a way, so we want to thank you. that's all!" he lowered his hand from a violent position, "and besides, who would believe us that a pale kid in a hoody killed a whole organized crime ring with his bare hands? so," a few tears ran down her pretty, if dirty face, "please?" He looked at her one last time, then rolled his crimson eyes to the heavens and shrugged. She gave a little cheer and hugged him. "Thanks! You're my new big brother!" and he groaned in exasperation. One of the boys, about his own age, spoke up, "what kinda karate was that?!" he asked, wide-eyed. Seth noticed he too had blue eyes.

Then Seth did a double take. They all had blue eyes and whitish-blond hair, they all wore bright white clothes, and all looked very expensive. It was slightly creepy, and he noticed further they all wore white suits and dresses, very formal, and all looked near his age. He shook his head, and answered the question at last. "not karate. Something better... something personal, and individual..." He looked at them all. "shouldn't... why do you care? why are you here? Ugh, I'm so confused!"

Anna smiled at him, revealing too perfect white teeth. "oh, we were just around. and we'll see you again soon, I think. You are not calm enough to talk to us." She looked sad.” Another, but older girl piped up, "that's too bad. But, well, we'll see you around, Bitey-boy!"

Seth stiffened. "how do you..." he raised his hands threateningly again, and the girl backed up fearfully. He advanced on her, probing her expression for an answer. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, because I've killed enough today. But if I ever hear you talking about... that... again." he left the sentence hanging, looked once more around at them all, and leapt over their heads onto another roof and off into the night.

Anna sighed with combined relief and disappointment. "oh well. Next time, perhaps, And I have a feeling we will be meeting again soon enough." she turned her pretty young face towards a previously hidden doorway. "was that ok, Mrs. Killingsworth?" she asked nervously. A tall woman stepped out of the enshrouding darkness. Dressed all in black, she was a curious counter to the almost glowing white children all around her. She looked down at the little ones all around her and nodded patiently. "good enough. Now, get him ready." Anna looked puzzled but Mrs. Killingsworth spoke over her. "I don't care how you do it, just get it done. Your elders, little girl, will know just what to do." she walked back into the gloomy doorway, then turned once more towards them, "oh yes, and get it done within a month. We'll be ready then." And then she was gone.

Anna felt like crying again, but her brother Merto put a hand on her shaking shoulder and smiled reassuringly. She looked up at him with tears welling up in his eyes, "this feels..." He nodded sadly. "it feels wrong, I know... but remember, it's either him or us, and who needs to win in the end?" he left the question unanswered, giving her shoulder a last squeeze, and turning to go with the rest of them. Anna ran to catch up with the group. "but don't you guys think this is..." She made a frustrated little noise, "This is just not right! we should fight back instead!" she suggested defiantly, pumping a fist in the wet night air. Most of the group laughed hollowly. "well, nice idea, but it can't happen. Just try not to think about it! we'll have fun for a month, and then he'll just... go away, ok?" he ruffled her hair affectionately. "it'll be fine." Anna looked down at her expensive shoes, dejected. After a little while of walking, they came back to their own building. "well, I guess he'll be fun for a while." she trailed off, and didn't speak for the rest of the evening.

Robert Cunningham looked across the meal at his resident. His guest was refusing to touch his food and looking moodily off to the side and into his memories. Robert sighed, knowing teenage angst could be quite a problem. He scrutinized the pale expression of his guest who was nearly an adopted son, having grown so close. "Girl trouble?"

For the second time that evening Seth nearly swallowed his tongue in shock. After a few seconds spluttering he glared across the table at the concerned face of Butcher Bob. "NO." he said emphatically. "so yes?" Bob countered. Seth groaned in annoyance and Bob erupted in a huge belly shaking guffaw. "alright, what's up kid, you know you can tell me."

Seth looked him closely in the eye for a while. Even though Bob had taken him in off the streets and had cared for him for nearly three years he still didn't trust his benefactor entirely. This knowledge saddened Bob slightly, but he hoped eventually the trust would grow. Seth seemed to make a judgment that resulted in truth, so he spoke up in an irritated grumble, "Some people saw me, and they know what I am." Bob shrugged. "well, I know 'bout cha, maybe it's not--" Seth interrupted. "But I don't know them... and they want me to join them daily, I think." He looked rather helpless. "what do I do? should I have killed them all?" he suggested.

Butcher Bob vigorously choked on his wine, "um, no, I think not. Who are they, anyway?" Seth gave a brief description of the event including their uniquely white look, and Bob sat back in his chair reflectively. "Hmm. seem harmless enough. perhaps just fans, you know, they might be like you, in a more general sense, and," he reasoned, "it couldn't hurt to have more friends, could it?" Seth said nothing to this. Bob pointed at the ham on Seth's plate with the mouthpiece of his pipe. "now, eat, and go have fun with friends tomorrow. It's healthy." Seth made a face. "I've had my fill already tonight."

Butcher Bob frowned. "so I heard." he jerked his head towards the screen still showing the graphic violence. Seth grinned a bit at the site of the news anchor nearly loosing her lunch on the scene. Bob forced Seth's attention back upon himself. He sought an inoffensive way to breech the question. "Why'd you...help?"

Seth looked at the bubbles coming out of his mentor's fake pipe. "I..." he stopped and reconsidered. "I really am not sure. I guess I just wanted to see what it'd be like to help somebody else for once."

Bob snorted around his soap bubble pipe. "good, then you can help me do the dishes. now eat!" Seth rolled his bloody eyes once more and took a begrudging bite of the delicious meat.

Anna and only two other white-obsessed teens met Seth this time. It was the middle of the night, and they were standing around in the same alley as the previous night, waiting in the slight November chill. "he's taking his sweet time" Merto muttered irritably. Ariya punched him in the arm. "he's totally worth it though!" Merto gave his friend an odd look. "you're interested in a v—oough!"she punched him rather lower this time, and said, "no, I'm NOT, he's just..." then she let off a string of curses in her own language. Merto laughed, though still hunched over from the pain of insulting a teenage girl's boy thoughts. "you alright?" came a soft voice from behind Merto.

Merto whirled around as best he could, and saw about a foot away the glaring red eyes of their new acquaintance. "uh, Seth!" he paused, trying to straighten up without looking ridiculous, "uh, hi there!" he tried. Anna ran up and gave him a hug. "hey big brother!" Merto tensed, worried the other boy might hurt her, but Seth merely looked as though his personal bubble had been ruptured so badly it could never be repaired. He exchanged a "please-control-your-damn-sister" glare with Merto who returned a "yeah,-you-try-it-first" expression.

Seth looked down at the little white haired head still pressed hard to his newly cleaned chest. "um, can you please let go? thanks." she backed up, and Seth noticed the other girl, about his own age. She blushed furiously when he looked at her, "uh, hi! I'm Ariya..." her voice became softer and softer as he continued to stare, and she looked away, her nerve gone. Seth looked back at Merto, and raised an eyebrow. Merto stuck out a hand and introduced himself. "Hi! I'm Merto, and I'm, um, special, like you." Seth looked at the hand, and looked at his own clawed digits. "well, not quite like you, but not like these others around us, if ya know what I mean... so, does that make us friends?" he suggested hopefully.

Seth's eyes turned colder than their earlier slight warmth. "No." Seth saw them all look hurt, and remembered what bob had told him, admonishing him to be kind for a change. The Butcher's words rang in his head and he sighed.

He extended the previously examined hand reluctantly. "Seth. you seem to know what I am." Merto took the offered hand happily, and shook it hard. "great!" He pulled Seth into a hug and he could feel the boy tense under his grip. Thankfully however Seth did nothing more than politely shove him off and he paused, now pumping up and down the sharp fingered hand still cutched in his own well manicured digits, frantically thinking what to say next. "do you... like music?" Seth looked shocked. "yeah, well, most music I suppose. why?"

Ariya saw her opening. She slid up behind him and put her arm through his non-shaken arm. She was well aware she was pretty, very pretty, and she recognized him becoming uncomfortable, just as he ought to with this level of proximity. It was all working perfectly. "well, I like to dance. shall we go together?" Seth looked worried now, being held on both arms and waist by oddly beautiful, very white people. He looked between the trio. "yes, but on one rather key condition." they looked at him. "name it! this'll be great! we'll dance and play and --"

"--that you get the hell off me!" he said plaintively. All three laughed and released him immediately. "thank you." he brushed himself off, more to get the thought of their touch off him than any actual dirt, their persons seemingly immaculately clean. "now where are you dragging me off to?" He realized after he said this that it sounded rather aggressive so he tried to soften the blow with a faint smile.

Ariya giggled and crooked a finger for him to follow her. "This way, Seth! Do you like raves?" She asked excitedly, walking backwards to keep the uncomfortable youth in her vision.

He gave a noncommittal noise. "yeah, a bit. I've been a few times in the past, when..." He didn't finish the thought, and the trio exchanged another nervous glance.

"well," Ariya said, recovering the situation, "even if you hadn't, you'd like this!" She laughed as he gave her a doubting look, and Merto gave him a little polite  nudge to speed up.

"As you can see, we're actually pretty close" he said into Seth's ear as the noise got louder and louder.

Seth grunted sarcastically. "really? Are you sure?" Merto smiled by way of answering but otherwise remained silent. Seth had other things on his mind however. "Is she, and other girls like her, are they  always that...” he sought the proper word and it came to him, “that annoying?"

Merto laughed appreciatively, making Ariya turn around. "What was that?!" she demanded, hands flying to her hips to show her indignance.

"Nothing!" Merto and Seth called out simultaneously, making her pout dramatically, hands on her slender hips and body at a certain angle that Seth didn't want to admit he was unable to tear his eyes away from.

They reached the club, and a huge hairy man tried to stop Seth entering the back door. The first time he held out his arm to stop the black clad teenager the young man in question threw him into the alley's opposite wall so hard bits of dust and brick rained now upon him. At that point Anna said apologetically to the dazed man on the alley floor, "He doesn't like being touched, and he's a guest of ours and dad's, anyway. Ok? So let him be." She turned to Seth, "Now say you're sorry to Biggie!" She demanded childishly. Biggie, still upside down in the the pile of boxes he had landed in, saw the furious red eyes look into his. Seth gave an enormous false smile and Biggie saw a series of oddly sharp and pointy teeth. He got the message, though it was not quite the one Anna had intended.

Ariya giggled nervously. "now, you do know it's traditional to be with a girl in a place like this," and she hugged him from behind. Instinctively he grabbed her, flipped her around so that she was gripped tightly in his arms in front of him and held her close. It had all happened in under a second under reflex and he looked surprised to see her soft face. She blinked, then recovered smoothly, "oh, you prefer the front? ok!" she moved to hug him again and he recoiled from her as the the others, even including Biggie, laughed raucously. She pulled him along by the pockets of his hoody into the intensely noisy dance hall. Inside was pitch black, and then a sudden flash of green illuminated hundreds of moving bodies, all flailing with the music.

Seth was shocked. "wow." he said, and Merto laughed, pushing his female friend out of the way. "yeah, it's pretty cool. Come on, lemme show you around, there are lots of... others, here." Seth looked at his new friend's face in the flashing lights. Blue, green, red, blue, green, red... "others?" he asked in clarification. Merto nodded. "non-humans, come on, you can figure it out." he pointed to a man with scales on his bald head. "see? not alone in here anymore, eh?" Ariya grabbed Seth's other arm, a flanking gesture with Anna pouting in the back, "no, he's home!" She winked coyly at Seth, "right, hotstuff?" Seth gazed at her, feeling himself blush. "what's wrong?" Merto asked. He was doubtful about Ariya's part of the plan, and thought he sensed a bump.

Seth continued to look into her beautiful though oddly alien face. "I don't know what to do here. I'm not sure if I should kiss you or kill you." Ariya laughed and kissed him immediately. "there, your choice is made!" she began to dance violently to the violent music, disappearing into the crowd. "join us, Seth!" She called out to him.

Seth took one last look at Merto, "friends?" Merto suggested, holding out his hand. Seth touched his lips where Ariya had kissed him, his first kiss... "yeah. friends." he said, and smiled genuinely, shaking the proffered hand with the kiss-touched hand of his own. Merto smiled and drew him into the club, outwardly overjoyed to have a new friend, but inside he was crying for what was to come.

Seth danced and talked with them many times over the next few weeks. Everyday they returned to the red crescent, and everyday Bob was thrilled to see his surrogate child grow happier and happier. Ariya had become extremely friendly to Seth, and Bob enjoyed watching Seth figure out how to behave with people he wasn't actively trying to kill. Seth had had an interesting conversation with Merto, who seemed the most serious and reliable of the trio. He had explained they called themselves angels, but had nothing to do with the myths, merely an appropriately similar name. He wasn't allowed to say much more, just as they knew better than to ask about Seth. But even this small exchange of secrets had made them all much closer, and Seth began to trust his new acquaintances as true friends.

One day Seth was alone reading in his room, a room they had arranged for him adjacent to the Red Crescent when he heard a soft knocking on the door. Surprised, he put down his book and called, “well, come in, I guess.”

The nervously smiling face of Anna appeared in the door way. “Seth?” she called out. He answered her and she said timidly, “uh, can I come in?” He thought about this for a moment. He didn't see why not, and shrugged, getting up to get the door for her, using his finger as a bookmark in his reading material. She beamed at him, “hey big brother!” she hugged him, and he hesitantly hugged back.

He tried being nice, “Well, this is a, uh, nice surprise!” he tried without any hope of progress.

It seemed to work however. “yeah! I want to spend more time with you!” She said joyfully.

Seth gazed down at her, and had a small internal battle. The side that listened to Bob won and he smiled as kindly as he could, “ok, well,” he thought desperately of what to say next, “...what do you want to do?”

She paused, her pretty childish face contorted in thought. Her pretty eyes drifted all around him standing in front of her, searching for ideas. After a moment she clapped her small hands, bejeweled and pristine. “I want you to read to me, Big Brother!” She declared.

Seth fought an urge to moan in frustration, though a small sigh escaped his lips. Reading to child was not an idea of fun for him. “alright, what book have you got?” she showed him a storybook, and he flipped through it with one hand. Then he handed it back. “no.” He said firmly. Anna looked heart broken, but he continued, “if I'm going to read to you, I'm going to read something worth reading.” She beamed at him, and ran to his bed and hopped up joyfully. Seth reflected for a moment upon her little white figure amidst the blackness of the room, but then went to sit next to her. He glanced around the room, then looked lastly down to his own hands. “this is what we will read.” he declared, and opened to the page his finger was still holding.

Anna was petulant. “aw, but that's a hard book! I know that one, it's stupid, I can't understand it!” she whined. “Father made me read it when we first came here! Its so silly, the story has been done before, it's just a stupid love story about two families who don't like the other's children!” She summarized the book in her way, pouting out his choice.

Seth waggled a finger in her face. “no no no! This is an excellent book, you just need to understand why. The excellence comes not from the story, which you are right, has indeed been done before, but how the story is told!” he cleared his throat and was surprised when she moved to sit on his lap. He opened his mouth to comment, but thought better of it. He held the book out for her to see as well, and began to read. “now, listen to how this is said, not just what is said. Here he is speaking to his poor dead wife, reflecting upon their love and his memory of her; Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death's pale flag is not advanced there'.”

She gazed at the book, then squealed with delight. “that sounds so much better when you read it!” she declared happily. “read more!” she commanded imperiously. Seth had the odd impression she was quite accustomed to ordering people around and would normally have refused, but decided to read on anyway. He was pleased with her reaction, and glad he had someone to share his pastimes with.

As the days went on he read more old books and plays, and he tried to teach her a new way of reading. About a week after their first reading session she opened the door at the usual time, but she was sobbing and her face was bruised and swollen. Seth gaped at her from his bed, then leapt up and helped her. “Oh gods Anna! What happened?” She sobbed through her words, but eventually she calmed down enough to speak cohesively when he held her to his chest for a few minutes. He stroked her hair consolingly as she blubbered, “John! John hit me!” she sobbed into his black clothing, her white face shining against the dark. Seth froze. “a boy hit you? Hurt you? Bruised you?” He was confused. “but, why?” Anna sniffed wetly, and Seth handed her a towel for her face. “He said rich kids like me shouldn't go to school with people like him. He says I just exist to make him feel bad about money!” she wailed. “and he says pretty girls like me shouldn't go to school, they should just sell--” Seth put a finger over her mouth gently to stop her.

Seth patted her head again, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Anna looked up into his terrifying visage, but seeing comfort in those eyes, not fear, and glad of it. “do you have school yearbook or something?” he asked. She was confused, but nodded. “in my backpack.” she told him. He carefully placed her on the bed and went over to her satchel. He riffled through it for a minute and eventually came across a book with students in it. He looked for her, and smiled in spite of the sad situation. Anna was watching him curiously. “what's up, big brother?” she asked tentatively.

He held up the book. “is this him?” he asked. Anna peered at the page, and nodded, wincing at seeing her tormentor's face again so soon. “that's the meanie who--” But big brother cut her off again with, “can I cut out two photographs from this book?” he asked her seriously. She gazed at her role model, confused. “yes... I suppose, but why do you want a picture of him?” She inquired.

He smiled at her. “never you mind. Lets' read again, ok?” she giggled through her tears and hugged him. “thanks big brother, you're the best!” He laughed, and hugged her back. He really had begun to love her innocence. He was so accustomed to seeing people as either sources of money or things to kill, it was a joy to find someone he could teach and explore with.

When he had finished reading to her, he looked at the two photographs in his hands. Then he wandered off into the night.

John Hitchinns was bored, and had resorted to throwing pebbles at kittens in the street. His mother had yelled at him to come inside, but he had ignored her, as he did every night. He had managed to knock a cat off a ledge with one particularly well aimed stone when he sensed someone behind him. He turned around, expecting to see Mich and the gang. “about damn time you showed up, I was...” he trailed off. There was a boy, dressed all in black and with freaky red eyes staring at him from the alleyway. “What the hell do you want?” John snapped. He threw a stone at the boy in black ignored this.

The boy looked at a piece of paper in his hands, examined it for a minute, and then held it up for John to see. “Is this you?” he asked.

John peered at the photograph in the gloom. It looked like his school photo. Why would this guy have his photo? “Yeah, it is.” he stood up and balled his little fists aggressively. “you wana make something of it, punk?” he said toughly.

The boy smiled. “yes. Yes I do.” and john screamed as the big kid lunged at him. John smashed to the alley floor and looked up into the sickly pale face of this attacker. He punched that face, but the boy grabbed both his wrists and held them down over his head. With his free hand he pulled out a second picture. “you see this girl?” he asked.

John looked at it and spat on it. “yeah, that's the rich bitch from school, she thinks she's soo--” the big kid grabbed his face and John shut up instantly.

“I want you to think about her face. Remember her face. Got it?” He said quietly, his blood colored eyes staring deeply into him and his pale skin reflecting the shade of the moon.

John, tough as he was, knew when to draw the line. This boy was screwy, best to do what he said until he could escape. He nodded. “I'm thinkin' about her, I'm thinkin' about her!” he insisted. “good.” the boy said.

And John began to scream.

The next day Anna burst into his room at the usual time, a cold pack and a big smile on her delicate face. “big brother! Guess what? Guess what?” she demanded of him, leaping from the floor to his chest on the bed where he lay. He “oomph'd” and then smiled at her, putting his book down. “I don't know, what? Your face looks a lot better, by the way.”

She smiled at him, loving his concern for her. He was so nice! “That awful bully, John! He wasn't at school today! And the teachers said he probably cant ever come back!” she said joyously. A funny look crossed her mentor's face, and she faltered for an instant. “really?” he asked. “that's wonderful!” She fell on top of him. “you helped me, didn't you?” she inquired imperiously with a hug, poking him lightly as she asked.

He smiled that strange smile again and said mysteriously, “maybe.” She pouted. “tell me!” she insisted, but he shook his head. “no, telling you would remove your imagination. Remember what I've told you? Imagination is the greatest thing. Never ever stop dreaming. Imagination is the best gift we can ever be given.”

She nodded sagely from his wisdom and sat back, ready to be read to. He picked up a new book and read to her, as he did every day, and smiled to himself.

It was a good day.

About a week later Seth was back eating dinner with butcher bob, his adoptive father. “so I've been hanging out with this little girl for the past few weeks.” he was saying as they munched on delicious meats. Bob raised an eyebrow. “and I really think I'm starting to like her! She's great, and I really enjoy the time we're spending together!” bob was shocked, but said merely, “oh?”

Seth blushed. “not love like that, come on she's like ten years old! No! No, I just like her like a daughter or little sister or something. I look after her, you know, and care about her. I read to her a lot, and it's really fun getting to know somebody I'm not supposed to kill for once!” Bob was amazed and said nothing, so Seth continued, “And there's others, too! Merto is such a great guy, he shows me all these games and we have great talks, and.... and Ariya is really something too” He began to blush at that, and fell silent.

Bob smiled at him and got up from the table. As Seth stared at him he embraced his adoptive son and said tearfully, “I'm glad you've found your heart, kid. I knew you could turn out alright. It just took a few kind people to bring out the kindness in you.”

Seth blushed again, but returned the embrace. “thanks, ...dad.”

A full month had gone by with happiness, and Ariya now sat on his lap, an act if Bob could see Seth knew he would never hear the end of, and something utterly impossible before being taken under the wings of his 'angelic' friends. She leaned back to look up into his face, pecking him quickly on the cheek. "hey, wana try someplace new?"

Seth looked to the heavens, or rather, the thousands of little dancing lights on the ceiling one could believe were stars, waiting, thinking. "yeah, I suppose that'd be cool" he said, "where'd you have in mind?" he idly stroked her hair, another action he couldn't have imagined himself doing without pulling off her head instinctively just a month before. He was pleased that he could interact with other people, even girls now, without having to be frightened of violence, scared for his life or worried about betrayal.

She giggled and shifted so she sat facing him on his lap. "someplace quieter. The M&Ms can come too" Seth smiled at the nickname they'd created for the brother and sister.

The pair in question smiled and stood up. "let's go! the 'special' spot?" Merto asked. Ariya nodded, and gave Seth a big hug. "come on, bitey boy, let's go!"

Seth was uncomfortable with her using that pet name, but he shrugged it off. "Alright, you exotic angel, lets try it!" she smiled her beautiful smile at him, and tossed her soft white hair cutely. Seth smirked and followed them out and to a waiting car.

"Oh, my dad secured a car," Ariya explained. Seth emitted a little "oh" of understanding and slipped into the darkness. "We figured you'd want it dark." she offered. He sent her an appreciative smile, and they were on their way. After about quarter an hour of driving in comfortable silence they arrived at what appeared to be an old church.

Seth raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. Ariya waved his concerns away like a cloud of mosquitoes "don't worry! it's cool!"

He followed them into the empty church, and began to frown slightly. "guys... why are we in an empty church? That's kinda... weird." he asked with mild suspicion.

Suddenly Ariya leapt on him and hugged him fiercely, burying her face in his shoulder. "you're really soft in a hoody, you know that?" She told him quietly, and he realized she was crying and laughing at the same time.
He looked down at her in shock. "Ariya, what--?" he began but he could not continue.

Merto came into Seth's field of view, crying as well. He smiled through his tears and Seth could do nothing but stare at him. "Seth, I... you were cool, man. really cool. Thanks for all of it."

Seth began to seriously worry. "Guys, what is going on!?" he demanded.

Ariya sobbed harder into his shoulder, and he suddenly had to catch the little form of Anna who threw herself into his arms. "We're so sorry!" she cried, "We're soo sorry! Please... please forgive us big brother?" she begged him. As Seth opened his mouth to speak, he suddenly felt pain, an intense pain like nothing he had ever felt before and he could taste blood in his mouth...his own blood The incredible pain ebbed as he slipped down into darkness, falling away from the loving angels around him, falling into the dark embracing arms of death.

The three members of the Killingsworth family looked down at the fallen young man. A heavy wooden stake protruded through his back and deeply into his heart. The three angels were crying all around him, huddled together, holding tight and weeping. Merto was the first to speak. "You...” he swallowed some of his tears away, “you'll let us live then?" he asked for reassurance.

Mr. Killingsworth nodded, stroking his small brown beard with one had, and holding a large leather bound book in the other. His wife beside him still held the hammer and an extra stake in her hands. Killingsworth spoke softly. "yes, now that you have given us this foul beast, we can let you lesser evils go." he pointed towards the door dismissively. "now go, before I get violent."

"I think... that's my line" said a hoarse voice. They all looked around frantically, before they looked down to see Seth pushing himself up to his feet with shuddering slow movements. Mrs. Killingsworth screamed in frustration and confusion, though an unusual lack of fear. "You?! What the hell? there's a four inch thick stake in your damned heart!"

Seth reached behind him, and with a small scream of fury and pain of his own he ripped it out of himself, a jet of blood squirting out to spray on Ariya, who began to scream. He held the dripping sharp stake and staggered towards Mrs. Killingsworth. "I want you to know two things, Ma'am.” he grew closer and she mere stood and watched him struggle. “first of all, I want you to learn better anatomy. the heart is higher than that, and it's in the middle, not off to the left.” He raised the stake slowly over his own head as he staggered right up to her and stood face to face, panting heavily and trailing blood. “Secondly, I want you to know what it feels like!" He screamed right into her face. He took a violent lunge at her and rammed the stake with all his remaining strength into her chest. An explosion of blood erupted from her torso, spattering onto him and the floor. "And that's what it fees like!!" he screamed into her shocked face. She took a staggering step back, and he walked after her, digging his face into her neck and sucking up the red fluid that gushed forth. No one moved as he stood, drinking the blood that was gushing out of her demolished body. After a few seconds he let her fall to the church floor, and turned to look at her husband, who was hurrying to the door with his daughter closely in tow.

"HEY YOU!" Seth called out after him. Killingsworth actually stopped, looking back momentarily. "By the way... I don't die that way." He pointed at his chest, now just a huge scab, the wound seeming superficial and insignificant compared to the impalement that had actually created the blemish. "I want you to remember your wife, you bastard. Any time you think of coming after me, think of your wife." At that last threat Killingsworth screamed an oath to kill Seth and ran out and away, his daughter crying silently as she tried to get a last glimpse of her dead mother.

Seth turned now to the angels, who were cowering in the pews. Anna ran forward and sobbed onto his wound, hugging him fiercely around his waist. "Big Brother! I'm so sorry, so sorry!" She sniffled, and looked up into his face. His expression terrified her. "Big brother, they were going to kill our family!" she pleaded with him.

He looked at her with loathing in his cold red eyes. He picked her up by the front of her expensive dress and brought her face up to his with no apparent effort, Anna gazing terrified into his blood spattered face. "Big Brother?" he asked. he looked past her to Merto and Ariya, who were holding on to each other tightly, hidden away in a pew. "Big Brother? Friend? Maybe even a lover?" He screamed at them then. "Is that how you treat your friends?!"

Merto stood then, swallowing hard. "We... we're so sorry man! We liked you, really we did!" Seth snorted. "apparently not enough." Ariya spoke up then, "they were going to kill us all!" she said through gasping sobs. Seth screamed again, making them all flinch at his rage, "SO WHY NOT ASK FOR SOME DAMN HELP?!" he bellowed, and his volume made Anna begin to cry again. He pointed at the corpse of the woman who had tried to kill him, a gruesome image of violence on the marble church floor. "If you had even a vague idea of what I was, enough of an idea to attract that kind of attention... If you knew what I can do then why didn't you ask for help!? WHY?!"

Anna looked into his eyes, still held to his head height."please, big brother, we'll always ask next time! we trust you now, and we know you could defend us!" Seth began to laugh. "you know, somehow..." he stopped. He brought his face in towards her soft young neck and her brother Merto yelled, "Seth! No! STOP!" Seth hesitated. Anna laughed through her hysterical tears, her large white eyes rolling with terror "big brother! you wouldn't kill a harmless little girl like me, right?" She begged him. He looked at her neck, then touched his chest wound with his other hand. "...you're not harmless." he said simply, and tore out her throat in one quick bite.

The fountain of red that burst forth covered Seth's face, and he drank a great deal, letting the liquid flow down her once beautiful white dress and his newly ruined black hoody. Merto and Ariya stared in silenced amazement, unsure how to react, too stunned to even think, to horrified to flee. He finished and dropped the little girl to the ground where she still tried to make little noises through her mangled neck. Seth turned to look at the remaining two angels still cowering in the pews. Merto held up his hands then. "Please! Seth! ...Seth good gods she was your friend! She loved you like a brother, she really did!" He was crying now, and stood up, standing his ground protectively in front of Ariya, his hands spread to block her as Seth advanced on the pair. "Ariya, how do you feel about Seth?!" he demanded. She spluttered and he shouted at her "spit it out!" she cried hard into her hands, her whole body shaking. "I did love you! I do love you! I really do!" Seth had by now walked right up to Merto and placed his gore caked fingers on the angel boy's shoulders. Merto looked, terrified, into the pure red eyes of the psychotic boy he had once loved like a brother, a close and dear friend. A friend he had betrayed and who who could kill him in an instant. He looked deep into those red eyes and found courage. "...please" he said quietly. Seth's eyes began to quiver, and suddenly he began a screaming cry of anguish, falling into the other boy's chest and sobbing hard into his shoulder. Metro lowered his hands from surrender to a bone crushing hug and cried with him. Ariya joined them in their great hug, and the three fell back into the pew in a tight embrace, the angels repeating softly over and over, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" long into the night.