John adjusted his coat, running a hand through his frizzy curls. He quickly tied his hair back and sighed. There was yelling in the streets. It was starting soon. John rushed into the hallway, quickly knocking on his siblings' rooms. "Hurry! We need to be off soon!"

"Okay, Jack!" Martha, or Patsy, called back. John sighed at his nick-name and made his way downstairs.

"Good morning, Mr. Laurens," cooed Elizabeth Ross, the Laurens' personal seamstress and maid. She stayed in the guest room. She couldn't have been much older than John himself, maybe nineteen or twenty.

"Morning, Miss. Ross," John smiled as she handed him a warm mug of coffee.

"How many times must I tell you," the girl laughed, "please call me Betsy."

"Only if you are to call me John," he smirked. He took a sip of his coffee, though he was not tired at all. He was quite nervous actually.

"Okay, John," Betsy smiled. "You are quite the ladies man, aren't you?" John just shrugged and took a seat at the table that was situated beside the kitchen.

"Betsy, do you happen to know where my father is?" John asked, glancing towards a small window that was facing the street. Floods of people were swarming the streets. "I'd suppose we should be going soon." An unnerved feeling settled itself in John's stomach. Paranoia. Betsy shrugged, sitting down in the seat beside John's.

"He should be out soon, I awoke him long enough ago." John nodded and placed the, now empty, mug on the mahogany table. The sounds of footsteps coming from upstairs interrupted the calming silence. The sound of laughing was heard as the kids rushed their way downstairs.

"Hey! No shoving, Mary!" James called, stumbling to catch his balance at the end of the stair case. Mary, the youngest, just snickered as James stood and pouted.

"Hey, Jemmy. It's okay. At least you didn't fall this time," laughed Henry JR, also known as Harry.

"That's mean, Henry! I could've died. John was there! I could've died, right Jacky?" John sighed a bit and smiled, nodding slightly.

"You're mighty lucky that we got you to the doctor in time," John smiled. "Now. Where's Patsy?"

"I'm right here, Jack." John looked up and saw his younger sister leaning against the stair case's wall. She was smiling at the sight of the younger kids bickering, amused at the petty fights they aloud themselves to get into.

"Do you think you could find Pa? We need to go." Martha sighed.

"What's with you and being late? It's particularly annoying. Sure, Jack. I'll go find Pa." Martha gracefully descended across the room, to the hall that led to the guest room and their father's room. Her long green dressed swished against the dark hardwood floors as she left. A few seconds later, she walked back into the room, Henry Laurens following behind her.

"Sorry for the wait," sighed Henry. "I was caught up in some work. Now. Who's ready for the execution?"

•••

As soon as they got to the clearing, the Laurens' split up. Henry walked off to talk to his coworkers, Martha wandered around the area, searching for any new things to discover, the three younger kids went and played together, and John walked off to find Martha Manning; a girl whom his father wanted him to court. She was of the same social status as the Laurens', not lacking in money and raised by good people. John could honestly care less, but his father was rather set on them marrying. Which was concerning. He obviously needed them to marry for political reasons rather than romantic. "Hello, Miss."

"Hello, John," Martha smiled. Her light brown hair was curled slightly and her autumn dress did suit her quite nicely. John knew he should be feeling something, but nothing bubbled up into his senses. "How are you this early morning?"

"Quite well, though a bit cold. It looks like it's going to rain, don't you think?"

"I agree," said Martha. The sky was a light gray and a freezing drizzle hung in the air. The earth seemed to be mourning for what was to come.

"How are you, Miss?"

"I am doing well. Not very excited to be dragged to another one of these... er meetings, by my parents, but I suppose that it is only acceptable. We need to get rid of these demons, you know?" John nodded stiffly.

"I agree, Miss. Manning."

"Please, call me Martha, John. It's only fair, if we really are to be courted."

"Okay," John smiled, "Martha. Now, I'm afraid I must be off." Martha simply nodded and looked straight ahead, staring at the large stake that had been hammered into the ground. John rushed off and hid behind the corner of the nearest building, trying to slip away from the crowds. He took a deep breath and tried to control his breathing. He was one of them. Those demons. Monsters that waited until night for their dinner. A murderer. A— a loud sob interrupted John's thoughts.

"Please, don't do this to me," a high voice cried. The voice belonged to a female, that much was obvious. It was ragged and breathy, as if worn out from screaming and crying. "I can't... please!" John slowly walked towards the other side of the building, careful not to make any noise. He was rather good at being silent. The cries had come from the other street, away from the crowds which John was thankful for. He peeked around the building to see two buff men, each of them no older than John himself. They were pushing a girl into a large cart. She was tied at the wrists and ankles, red dress torn and muddied.

"I'm sorry, Miss," said the taller. His voice was thick with an accent that John identified as french. "Mr. Washington gave us our orders. We must go through with them."

"No! Please," the girl sobbed. Upon closer inspection, John was able to identify the girl in question. Maria Lewis. A fellow vampire. She was the one who was being killed today? John's hands started to shake. "I didn't try! I didn't want this— please!"

"Quiet!" barked a man who was shorter, but still quite tough looking. He had a cap on over his short curly hair. Maria bit her lip and whimpered, trying her best to hug her knees up to her chest.

"I don't want to die," she whispered, laying her head on her knees. The Frenchman chuckled, a deep rough sound.

"Then you shouldn't of become one of them."

"I didn't have a choice," she mumbled in reply, her voice quivering ever so slightly. The shorter man placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We know. C'mon Laf. Let's go. She won't be able to go anywhere." John quickly hid himself behind the wall as the two men walked off, laughing and talking like they weren't going to kill Maria in a few minutes. As soon as their voices couldn't be heard, John stepped around the corner. Maria gasped when she saw him.

"John...?"

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here."