Lilac

"Daddy there's someone over there..." I whispered and his hand tightened around his gun. We were just taking an afternoon walk from grandma's house. We live with her but daddy always sneaks off when he thinks I'm asleep, I hear them arguing and often sometimes it's about mummy. I stopped thinking when I heard daddy's gun click. The little creature that's lurking in the shadows whimpered in fear, I don't think it's a threat otherwise it would have attacked us by now. I crawled through dark green bushes to get to the little clearing, the sun shone down on me and I felt like I was under the spotlight.

"Lilac get back here." My father whispered but I chose to ignore him which will probably get me in trouble later. I'm small enough to stay unnoticed, if he came out now the creature would run away and I really want to find out what it is. My eyes squinted to see into the shadows and then it shuffled away whimpering again. Is it a puppy?!

"Hello?" I called out to it but it fell silent, I heard my daddy whisper my name and scolding but I concentrated on the, well what ever it is. Then I realised it's human girl. "Come on out I'm not going to hurt you." I insisted but she shook her head. "I want to see what you look like."

"You might not like what you see." She said in a frightened tone then she looked behind me. I turned around and glared at father.

"Daddy put the gun down and come out here." I ordered but it wasn't needed because he had already put it on safety and it hanged by his side as he tried to see the girl in the shadows. I faced her again and she was still in the same spot.

"Come into the light little one." Daddy said softly but she hesitated.

"We promise not to hurt you! I just want to see what you like... Please." We stood in a eternal silence so of course my father lost a bit of patience.

"Lilac, Pretty name." She finally said, her voice sounds soft and gentle so I tried picturing what she looks like. I imagine long golden hair, big blue eyes and smooth milky skin.

"May we ask your name?" Daddy said formally so I rolled my eyes.

"M...my name is... I don't really know." She said confused.

"You don't know your own name?" I questioned and she jumped and my rise of tone. "Sorry... I'll give you a name!" I said excitedly completely forgetting daddy's standing next to me.

"Ok tell me one."

"I have to see what you look like first." I heard her sigh then she took a step forward into the sunshine. Her little bare foot, covered in dirt, muck and little cuts. The sun finally showed herself and I got her all wrong in my head. Her hair is mud brown and not just because it's covered in dry mud, the blue eyes I got right, deep ocean blue and her skin is tanned but covered in scrapes and bruises and she's naked. My dad took his long coat off and covered her up head to toe and she button herself up mumbling a thank you but then she backed away. "You're pretty." I said to try and comfort her and it worked. "Can she come with us?" I asked daddy but he stared down at her suspiciously.

"Where are your parents?" He questioned.

"I don't know."

"Who takes care of you?"

"I don't know." She said again but this time more nervous, so I stood by her.

"Where do you live?" He asked more fiercely.

"I don't know..."

"Daddy!" I scolded and he gave her this look, I know that look very well. It's his thinking look, he puts his thoughts together and thinks of logical stuff that I don't much care about. Sometimes I picture his brain as some clockwork machine that clicks every thought in place.

"You can't stay with us." He finally and my mouth fell open. "Step away from her Lilac." He ordered but I stood my ground.

"No! Why?" I exclaimed so he grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me to his side then got his gun ready to shoot. "Daddy no!" The girl's eyes widened then she bolted away with his long coat flying behind her. I've never seen a girl run this fast before.

"Damn it. Come on Lilac we have to get back to grandma's house." He urgently stated pulling me along as he ran back to Granny's wooden cottage. He slammed the front door and grandma walked out of the kitchen still wearing her pink floral apron and her long white hair tied back in bun with two chopsticks. She stared at me with her soft brown eyes but then she looked at daddy sternly.

"Dinner is almost ready." She said.

"I'm going out." Daddy said and I looked up at him my stomach twisting.

"Don't hurt her daddy."

"Who?" Granny asked opening her arms out for a hug so I ran to her embrace and smelt her rich earthy fragrance, she doesn't like perfume. She doesn't like hiding her true scent I'm not to sure why.

"A girl we found in the woods." I whined looking at daddy.

"Keep her here I'll be back later tonight." He said heading out again and grandma held my hand pulling me into her dark green walled dining room.

"Help me set up little flower." She said her withered face smiling sweetly.

"What's he going to do with her?" I asked as she passed me the china plates.

"I don't know Lilac but lets not worry. I made lasagna!" She said trying to lighten up my mood but my mind was on something else. I left the plates in a pile on the table and ran to the front door. "Lilac!" I ignored her and tripped down the steps hurting my hands and knees but I just stood back up and ran, ran not for my life but someone else's. "Lilac come back!" Her tired voice cried out as if she were in agony. She won't run after me she's too old for that kind of excitement so I need not worry. I started walking as quiet as a mouse avoiding trying to snap any twig and thinking of a little plan in my head. Find daddy and convince him to leave her alone, I don't understand why he hates her. He doesn't even know who she is! Why would he go after her? For once I'd like to go for a peaceful walk in the woods, just once.

"Daddy?" I called out and the wind whooshed setting the eery mood. I gulped down the frog in my throat and continued walking until the stars were actually visible in the night sky. Sun is gone and the banana shaped moon is up mothering her baby stars, that's what mummy used to tell me. Once upon a time the moon spirit and and the sun spirit were lovers, I don't remember much of this story because mummy told me years ago before she disappeared. The planets grew jealous or disapproved of their undying romance, I believe mars didn't like the amount of stars being created. Mars thought of this a big threat, he feared this was a way to takeover so he made a devious plan to separate the two. He convinced Venus to seduce Sun to break moon's heart. Moon took all her stars and they now run away from the sun.

"That's how the days and nights work Lilac, the sun travels around the world to find his long lost love and the moon continues running away. Her heart cold and broken."

"But that's so sad."

"Sometimes life can be sad but it's up to you to make sure you move on from tragic moments in your life. That's the only way you can be happy."

I really miss her. Suddenly I heard the crackling of crushed dried leaves far behind me, the wind continued blowing silently but almost deadly.

"Daddy?" The hoot of an owl scared the day lights out of me so I hugged myself tightly as if it would secure me. I started feeling queasy, my stomach has gone against me and this sour taste in my mouth came, this only happens when danger is lurking. I know this from experience... I then heard a humming. I whipped around to see nothing but the humming still continued. Daddy doesn't hum, he doesn't even whistle. I started shivering, looking up at the leafy arms of the trees searching for the source of the creepy humming. "Who's there? I demand you come out." I yelled bravely even though my legs are about to give put at any second. Instead of a human response I got low grumbling chuckle. The eyes are the first thing I noticed in the dark shadows of the deformed trees. Pure glowing red globes then the mother moon shone on his ghost white skin, beak nose and I noticed he is dressed in all black. He looks pretty much like a floating head. A scary floating head with white fangs.

"Hello pretty girl." He greeted sinisterly so I turned around to run away but he appeared right in front of me and I yelped in surprise. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you." Responded trying to stay come as he placed his hand over his heart.

"I'm hurt." He said and I scoffed accidentally.

"I'm young not stupid." I said running off but he reappeared in front of me again so I crashed into him falling back into the ground.

"Bad attitude for one so young. I suppose I'll be doing your parents a favour." He said revealing his fangs and snarled at me. Then I heard an animal growl coming from behind him. He suddenly yelped in pain dropping me onto the ground and I scurried away watching him hop on one foot and clutching the other.

"Stay away from her!" A girl screeched then she came out from behind him still wearing daddy's coat and kicked his other leg.

"You little rodent!" He yelled ready to slap her so she sunk her teeth into his hand drawing out blood. He made an inhuman scream and his face deformed into something so horrific I froze in place. He pushed her away into the ground so she jumped back up and was in front of me in a protective stance within seconds. He glared at us and his eyes darkened to a blood red, no longer glowing.

"Daddy!" I screamed hoping that there's some little chance that he could be near.

"Shut up." He snapped venomously then he made a powerful hunting scream at the sky. "I'm hungry." I held the girl's hand and we entwined our fingers deciding that each others faces are the ones we want to see last.

"I've chosen a name for you." I whispered to her as he slowly paced towards us.

"What?"

"How about Roxi?" I suggested and she thought about it. But we froze when gunshots were fired. We stared at the man who collapsed onto his knees his face shrivelling up then it fell into the ground in a splat. Daddy stood holding his gun and eyeing us in surprise.

"Lilac? You disobeyed me." He stated then looked at the girl. "Thank you for saving my daughter..."

"Roxi." She said.

"Beg your pardon."

"My new name is Roxi and I only did what I thought was right." She said and I smiled.

"Please daddy let's take her home I always wanted a sister." I begged and he sighed in thinking mode again.

"Let's go home."

✨💫✨

Roxi

When her grandmother saw me she didn't react like I expected her, well at least she didn't point a gun at my head. She complained at the state I was in and demanded that both Lilac and I take a nice long bath. Lilac wanted join with me but her grandmother said. "Not this time Lilac this poor girl looks like she hasn't taken one I over a month. But you can stay with her if she likes." I don't remember ever taking a bath, I don't remember anything except for waking up yesterday in the woods. That's all...

Lilac applied the bubbles into the nice white bathtub and turned the knob to stop the water running. It's so nice and warm I love it, before the grandmother ran me down with a hose to get all the dirt and muck off me. She wouldn't let me in the house in that condition but I'm not complaining. Lilac sat on a stool next to the tub and looked down and me with soft reddish brown eyes. She has long raven black hair and very fair skin, flawless and she has these big pretty dark pink lips. She looks like a living china doll except her scent is so sweet, sugar sweet or maybe honey.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She said resting her arm on the tub then her head.

"I didn't rescue you I just bought you time." I said scrubbing myself with the soap trying to avoid the cuts.

"Do you really not remember anything?" She asked and I nodded. "That's so sad." She said but I shook my head.

"It's not sad just annoying. I mean if I don't remember anything there's nothing I can really be sad about."

"That's true." She said then got a pink bottle marked shampoo on it. "Can I wash your hair?"

"Ok." I turned around and she ran her delicate fingers thought the strands of my hair really getting out the knots. Awhile later I was wrapped up and snuggled into a white bathrobe that belongs to Lilac. She dried my hair then I ate some of her grandmother's warm lasagna before grandmother tucked us both into Lilac's bed. She gave Lilac a kiss on the forehead then she eyed me again, and gave a me peck on the forehead as well. She smells like daffodils.

"Sweet dreams." She said closing the door but not completely, so there's a bit of light shining through.

"Thank you Lilac, I'm sorry to be a nuisance."

"You're not a nuisance. I have a feeling you and I will be best friends Roxi." She said turning over to look at me. I smiled at my new name.

"I hope so..." I said truthfully.

"Tomorrow I'll need your help to nag my dad."

"About what?"

"About the man in the woods." The man that smelled like rotten flesh.

"He was a vampire."

"How do you know?"

"It's obvious, he even smells like one." I said and she went silent before she yawned.

"I'd sure hate to be one of them." Same... "Goodnight Roxi."

"Goodnight Lilac."