Chapter One - Eleanor

Eleanor's P.O.V

I smiled as I held the newspaper in my hand and looked at the large title written in bold on the front page.

'YET ANOTHER KNIFE VICTIM'

It was connected to a person's lifeless body. No, it wasn't a person. It was a vampire. A fucking bloodthirsty monster. He laid there lifeless on the floor with a body so unrecognisable that it would make people shudder at the murderer's viciousness. I'm curious who could be so ruthless.

You. My subconscious mind responded.

As my lips curved into a smirk. It was, indeed, my lovely work. Knife, after all, was none other than...

ME.

I remained standing there in front of the wooden table as I continued to observe the picture without feeling any sort of remorse for the man it depicted. For torturing the mother of that child in front of the helpless soul, he deserved it. He thusly earned everything I did to him and perhaps, maybe even more.

I wasn't shocked when 'that night' suddenly flashed before my eyes after looking into the child's blood shot eyes and the helplessness that lingered in them.

That unfortunate night when life was forever altered for a little year old girl who knew probably nothing more than whining.

For me.

"Happy Birthday, my beautiful baby!" Mom grinned while she squatting down to my level as she pinched my rosy cheeks making me whine.

"I'm not a baby, mom! I'm five! A year older!" The little me said, as I huffed in anger and frustration, looking away from those loving and tender eyes of hers.

Mom picked up an irate me in her arms and stood up, ruffling my hair and saying, "Yes, of course! My baby has grown older by one more year. However, honey, you will always be my adorable little child even if your hair starts to fall out like Grandpa Derin's."

"Moooooommmmm" I whimpered as she ran her warm hands through my hair, combing them once again. That time, I had no idea that that moment would be the last time those hands would touch my hair with that warmth. If I did, I never would have allowed her to stop.

Yea. Never would have allowed her to stop...

"Let's go into the woods, honey. We'll have to find some of your favorite raspberries for your birthday dinner tonight. Never had a good birthday without them. Have we?" Mom grinned as she picked up the basket lying on the old furniture. As we walked out of our house and headed towards the woods. On our way, a lot of the villagers greeted me. Some even pinched my cheeks saying I was cute, while some adoringly stroked my hair.

Mom continued to walk while holding a basket in one arm and me in the other. It had gotten quite dark by the time we arrived at our usual raspberry picking location. Mom and I parted ways to quickly collect them so that we could all return home to celebrate my birthday together. Just the two of us. However, that was my biggest mistake!

Leaving her alone was my biggest mistake!

I should have never left her alone. If I knew... I knew... that when I would be back, I wouldn't be greeted by her smiling face but a half lifeless body laying between two monstrous beings. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to stop them. But, mom was faster in noticing me as she motioned for me to not interfere without their knowledge.

The clock kept ticking by as my watery eyes took in the pain they inflicted on my mother. Her silent painful screams ringing in my ears. But what could a five year old do?

And, the answer to the question life gave me was excruciatingly painful.

It could simply remain hidden and defenceless, wishing that someone would intervene to help. In actuality, though, not a single leaf was hustled as even the wind refused to carry our message for help.

After a long time, those monsters finally left, laughing at the torturous act that they had just committed was nothing. "Mom..." My voice came out, it was barely a whisper as I ran towards her on my wobbly legs. Falling down a few times but getting up again and running desperately to reach her half-dead frame before it fell completely silent in the woods.

Once, my fragile body reached her. Her tired eyes met mine. Her face didn't move an inch but her bloodied hand met my cheek. It was still a little warm.

"El, my baby, mom wanted to stay with you a little longer. But it seems like your papa just misses me too much. Honey, there are only two things I want from you. Be a person mom could be proud of whenever looks down at you from heaven. Never spare the wrong doers whether it's our kind or others. And, my beautiful baby... li... live... well..." Her hand fell down my cheek leaving the stain of blood on my snow white cheek as the only breathing that could be heard in the silence of the forest vanished somewhere into the unknown. But, her loving gaze still held me.

She was gone. Gone while still looking at me, her daughter.

I ran my small hands over her face as I closed her once open eyes finally allowing her to fade away from this world that had given her so much pain forever and ever.

But, even juice leaves a stain on white clothes as it fades away into the air. So, how could that blood not leave one on the pure soul of a child?

For children, childhood is a time of development, learning about the outside world, making mistakes, crying in their parents' arms, trying to fix things the next time, making yet another mistake, crying again, and learning. The cycle continues until they realise they are in their early 20s something.

But, for me childhood wasn't growing up but more about fighting to survive. It wasn't learning from mistakes but abusing my body and mind to never make even a single one. It wasn't crying on small wounds but finding peace in death.

Yeah. That's what it was. It's really hard to imagine a five year old like that but it is what it is. At least, for me.

This bloodshed, scars, wounds have my life now as far as my memories go. I distinctly remember being four and telling mom that one day, my prince would come on a horse and would never let me get hurt.

Didn't take long for life to teach me that dreams are sometimes only just dreams.

"Eleanor!" I jumped a little at the sound and snapped out my thoughts as I crumbled up the paper in my hand, threw it in some corner of the wooden cabin, rushing to open the door.

And, as I did I was greeted with the presence of two little kids."Joshua. Marie. What are you both doing here?" I asked the two kids standing in front of my door with Marie holding a bouquet of freshly plucked lilies in her small hands.

"This is for you, El! Happy Birthday!" Marie wished me in her enthusiastic voice as she raised her little hands holding out the bouquet for me. I took the white flowers from the hands of the little girl as I crouched down and kissed her on her cheek earning a toothy grin from her.

"Thank you." I meant it when I thanked her. The bouquet really meant a lot. But what meant more was her remembering it even when I failed to.

You didn't fail to. You didn't just want to. After all, it all changed today on your birthday. My subconsciousness replied. And, it was right. I wish sometimes I could erase today's date from the calendar. Or better still, just erase my existence.

Shit. Not in front of the kids, Eleanor.

"El! The bouquet's from all of the children from the village. We worked hard to grow them. It was tough but we did it anyway." Joshua said holding his nose high in pride. Seeing his cute expression, I couldn't help but laugh as I tapped on his proud little nose.

"Thank you, Josh. Can you guys take me to others?" I asked the two little kids as they eagerly nodded. I rose up, kept the lilies on the side table and in it's stead picked up a basket, stepped out and locked the door behind me.

"Shall we go?" I asked as Marie took my hand and Joshua nodded, leading the way into the woods. I quickly followed them, walking past the lush green trees until we reached a clearing.

And, when I saw what I saw my legs grew roots into the land right where I was standing.

WHAT!?