As soon as she realized, she sat on top of her mother, Sarah released her grip. Her eyes widened even more and through the tears she noticed the crimson liquid on her hands. She scrambled back and her eyes darted across the room. What she saw could only be described as carnage. It was more reminiscent of a battlefield than a living room. Blood pooled on the floor and splatters of it decorated the walls. Corpses were strewn across the room. So many thoughts flooded her mind. Sarah couldn't get a grip on any though.

She tore her eyes away from the carnage and looked at her mother. Her clothes had been ripped to shreds. Various wounds covered her body. A sad smile appeared on her face as she crawled to Sarah. The redhead didn't know what to do. She couldn't even think.

Once again, she felt a hand on her cheek. Her mother now knelt directly in front of her. "I'm sorry", she said, her voice brittle but strong at the same time. Sarah asked herself why her mother would apologize. The blood on Sarah's hands showed, she was at fault. The body of her father supported this thesis. Just then she realized, she had killed her own father. It hit her like a bag of bricks. Tears ran down her face as her gaze switched to her hands again. The scent of her father's blood made her nauseous. At the same time she felt the urge to run over to his body and eat it. How she was able to fight against it; Sarah didn't know.

Screams tore through the silence. Sarah sobbed, burying her face in her hands. When her mother pulled her into an embrace, she tried to protest. She didn't deserve it, for she had done the one thing she never wanted to do. But since her mother didn't let go of her, Sarah gave up. Instead she cried into the shoulder of her mother.

Over and over she apologized while her mum just listened and rubbed circles on her back. Her hands weaved through Sarah's disheveled hair. More and more tears streamed down her face. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, they didn't stop. A whirlwind of emotions swirled inside her, ravaging her soul.

"It's okay. It will all be okay", her mother whispered to her. Something inside her wanted to lash out at her mother for saying this. It wouldn't be. Nothing would be okay. But she held back because she knew her mother just tried to calm her down.

After what felt like an eternity, the sobs turned to sniffles. Sarah pulled back from the embrace and looked into her mother's eyes. They sparkled with an emotion she wasn't able to identify. "I'm sorry", Sarah mumbled once again. Her mother shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. You simply lost control." Sarah didn't know what to answer to that. Her head still processed the events, but at the same time it was like an empty room. Pain itched beneath her skin while she tried to block out the scent of blood and flesh.

All of the sudden, she realized a faint light coming from her left hand. The wide eyes of her mother showed that it wasn't just her imagination.

She turned her hand. Through the blood shone a light. It formed a symbol, reminiscent of flames. Sarah blinked a couple of times. She furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes as if it would help her understand what this meant. With her other hand she grazed over the symbol. It didn't hurt. Instead it exuded some kind of warmth, like a real fire would. Her gaze turned back to her mother whose eyes were fixated on the crest. Then she looked into Sarah's eyes. "Get upstairs", she ordered, catching Sarah off-guard, "Shower, get new clothes. I'll wait outside." Sarah's first emotion was confusion. Before she could ask however, her mother said, she should hurry. "I'll explain it to you once we're in the car."

Sarah didn't like the direction in which this situation went. But she complied with her mother's orders.

Once she reached her room she took some clothes out of her closet before running to the bathroom. She stepped into the shower and washed off all the blood. The water turned crimson, making it look worse than it had already been. A glance to her left hand showed, the mark remained. While she was confused, she reminded herself, her mother would explain it all. Sarah jumped out and dried herself. Then she slipped into new clothes. After it was done, she rushed downstairs again. In the hallway she stepped into her shoes.

Outside stood the car in which her mother sat. Wind breezed through her wet hair, making Sarah shiver. "Come on!" Without further hesitation she ran towards the car. Just when she hit the seat, her mother stomped on the gas pedal.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Her mother didn't look at her. However, after a few seconds had passed, she answered. "You've been attacked by a demon, right?" Sarah blinked a couple of times. "How do you-". "I've seen it", her mother replied, interrupting Sarah in the midst of her question. Sarah's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "What?" A sigh left her mother's mouth. "I just saw how he cut you. I prepared myself to fight him, but then he left." Sarah stared at the older woman. "You know those things exist", she snapped. Her brows furrowed.

The other person didn't answer for a few moments. She seemed to think about what she should say, at least that was the conclusion Sarah jumped to when there were no answers. "Your father told me about them. At first I didn't believe him", she explained, "But after being attacked by one, I knew he has told me the truth." Sarah's eyes widened even more.

She wanted to say something. However, her mother continued. "That mark you have on your hand is usually a sign of becoming an in-between." "What?" Her mother took a deep breath. "An in-between is a human who is infected with demon blood." Sarah's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when realization hit her. On the switchblade had been the blood of her attacker. "It takes quite some time, but sooner or later, an in-between turns into a bloodthirsty monster that knows nothing but carnage."

Sarah didn't know what to say because her brain turned into a faulty version of Windows XP. If her mind were a computer, she would have to reboot the system. "Wait. What the... I mean... does that.." Sarah stumbled over her own words. She shook her head, trying to form a coherent sentence. "I know. It's a lot to take in."

There were so many thoughts crossing through her head. Although, every single one slipped out of her grasp like an eel. They all came to a screeching halt however, when her mother hit the brakes. If it weren't for the strap, Sarah would have been ejected from the seat like a rocket. "We're here", she stated, her voice hoarse. Then she opened the door and got out of the car. She gestured for Sarah to do the same. Sarah did as she was told and followed her mother.

Soon enough they stood in front of a house. Her mother knocked on the door. "Uh, It's the middle of the night. Do you really think someone will open it?" Sarah ended up eating her words when she heard a yell. Someone rushed down a staircase.

The door creaked open and revealed a young man with black hair. It ended just above his shoulders. He wore a white shirt and sweatpants. "Michelle? What are you-" he stopped mid-sentence. His dark eyes widened as he looked at Sarah. "Michael, you have to help her." His gaze turned back to Sarah's mother. "You should know there isn't much I can do – or anyone for that matter." "Then at least take care of her. The forces should already be at our home." A moment of silence passed. Sarah shifted her position and bit her lip. At the same time she asked herself what her mother was talking about. There was also the question how her mother knew this guy.

A sigh broke the silence. "Out of all the times you could have brought up my promise, you chose to do it now?" Sarah avoided eye-contact, so she didn't know the look on Michael's face. "Please. She will die otherwise!" Sarah's eyes widened and her head snapped up. She stared at her mother.

"Michelle, you're gonna be the downfall of me." "Then you shouldn't have made the promise", said woman retorted. Sarah knew from experience that her mother only used this tone when something was on the line. In this case, it was Sarah's life. Again, she wondered what her mother meant with that. "No. It's okay. After all, Terrence saved my life. So, I owe you." Sarah's gaze turned to Michael again. His face had relaxed. "Thank you so much."

Her mother looked at her. All of the sudden she was enveloped in a hug. It squeezed the air out of Sarah's lungs. As quick as it came, it vanished though. She put her hands on Sarah's shoulders. The expression on her face made Sarah uncomfortable. "Listen to me, because we won't see each other again." Sarah wanted to say something. She wanted to protest but no word left her lips. Her mother took something out of her pockets and gave it to her. "I love you. No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, even if you can't see me. Don't you ever think this was your fault. Sometimes things will happen. Things you won't be able to change. But right now, I want you to know, that I love you. Your father and brother too."

Then she kissed Sarah's head like she had done when Sarah was just a little kid. Tears stung in her eyes and the air of finality thickened around them. In the back of her head she already knew this would be the last time.

So, she replied: "I love you too. I will never forget all the things you, dad and Elijah have done for me."

Her mother pulled away at a slow pace. She didn't say a word as she got to the car. Sarah knew, this was hard for both of them. Even though she wanted to stay with her mother, something inside her knew this was for the best.

After a few minutes, the car vanished into the distance. She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around. Michael wore a sympathetic smile on his lips. Once again, tears trailed down Sarah's face. This time though, they came with silence. "I know how you feel. But I will take care of you", he said, "And the others will be gladly accept you in the group." Before Sarah had the chance to reply, a yawn escaped her lips. "You're tired, huh? Let me get you to your room. I'll explain everything tomorrow, okay?" Sarah nodded.

Then, everything went black.