Time for work

"Hey, why does this one have glasses?" he asked the decent-looking vampire who was in the tent.

"Who cares? Just take them off," he was nonchalant. Most of his attention was on the first girl whose blood he felt would be the sweetest.

Elaina's breath hitched in her throat. She opened her eyes with great difficulty allowing the pent-up tears to fall, "I-I can't see w-without my glasses," she managed to talk through the pain.

"You're in no position to speak, lady," he pulled her hair harder and this time, she screamed, unable to take the pain anymore.

"Quiet!" he yelled in her face.

"Let it go, Draluc. The market is later tonight, we can just take it off then," another vampire spoke as he approached them.

"Tch," The vampire named Draluc loosened his grip on her hair and threw her to the floor.

"Besides," the other vampire crouched in front of Elaina. He placed his hand on the side of her face and then moved it to her chin to tilt her face up.

"Her mother had such sweet blood, the sweetest I ever had. We can have her to ourselves if they don't buy her," a sly smile formed on his lips, revealing his sharp fangs. Meanwhile, Elaina's breath quickened, it was him! the monster who killed her family!

"And we need to hurry up anyways," he pushed himself up, "It's almost dawn,"

°°°

Elaina sat at the edge of the tent, her knees were drawn to her chest with her head buried between them. Her scalp still stung from the way the vampire had pulled her hair earlier but her knees were fine now. They had healed not long after she sat in the tent. Some power of hers, she guessed.

Her eyes moved to the closed entrance of the tent where it flapped when a gust of wind blew. It was noon already. The vampires couldn't step into the sun so a few of them sat inside the tent far away from the entrance.

It served them right, they ought to burn under the sun. Right now, Elaina was angry. Angry at the vampires, angry at her family that died so easily at the vampire's hands even though they were supposed to be special creatures but most of all, she was angry at herself.

She had been completely useless when everything happened. She hadn't been able to help her mother when the vampire was sucking her dry and she hadn't even known about the bullet until it had hit the wall. All she had was a sight that couldn't help her with anything. Useless, that was what she was. Elaina's fists tightened in anger. She blamed herself for everything that happened.

She felt small taps on her fists and she turned to the little girl, Athena, who had stuck with her since the time in the van.

"It's not your fault," came her small voice.

Elaina stared into her doe eyes, did she know what she was thinking? "Why?" was all she could ask.

"Mama always says it's not my fault," she shrugged and rested her head on her knees.

Elaina stared at the little girl, her words probably held a completely different meaning behind them but they still applied to her. A memory suddenly flashed in her head. It was from when she was still a little kid.

***

Little Elaina sat between her father's arms and they both held a book as he read it out loud for her.

'But wasn't he the strongest?' little Elaina asked when they got to the tragic part of the story.

'He was strong but not perfect. Remember this Elaina, strength is all for naught if a person is caught off guard,' her dad explained

'Off guard?' she repeated the word that sounded strange to her

'It means to be caught by surprise,' he rested his chin gently on the top of her head.

***

The memory ended there and Elaina's fists loosened. 'Strength is all for naught if a person is caught off guard' she repeated in her mind. It wasn't her fault neither was it theirs. They couldn't have known about the vampires' attack.

"Thank you, Athena," she thanked her and the little girl nodded in response. She was such a cute little thing, her lips curled into a small smile.

It was all silence and idle sitting after that. They sat for hours and soon the sun slowly started to set. The vampires in the tent rose to their feet, two went out while two remained. This was the only time they could step in the sun as the intensity of the setting sun wasn't as high as the afternoon.

"So, which ones are we taking?" the vampire, Draluc asked. It was time for work.

"We'll select them as usual," the other replied.

They walked in between the captives selecting the ones that would be sold. Draluc walked to where Elaina was seated. "Hey, get up," he said and when she didn't reply, he kicked her leg lightly, making her jolt out of her sleep. She looked up to meet the vampire's eyes.

Looks alone, the girl was supposed to be saved for last but if her blood was as sweet as Dio speculated, then it would be better to put her up for sale as she was so she would get rejected.

Although, he bent to her level and tilted her face up. She was beautiful, he didn't see how she wouldn't get chosen even with the glasses. Well, whether she got chosen or not, it worked out for them in both ways.

He stood straight and waited for her to stand but she didn't, instead she just looked at him confused. "Get up," he ordered. Not patient enough to see her struggle to get up, he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up.

"Follow me," he turned. Before he left his eyes fell on the little girl who looked terrified. Children had the sweetest blood untainted by impurities. He pulled her up with her arm too and said, "Follow me, the two of you, and don't cause a commotion," he passed a warning glare at Elaina.

On their way, the vampire chose four more captives. It was time for them to get sold, Elaina realized. She made sure to walk carefully this time so she wouldn't fall. Not knowing what they would do, especially after the vampire had warned her.

They followed him out of the tent and she noticed that the sun was almost gone giving way to the darkness. The vampire led them to the back of a wooden cabin where a woman stood with a rope in her hand. The rope was attached to a large tank filled with water. She pulled on the rope when a girl stood under the tank and the bottom opened letting its content out. It was their way of cleaning them.

Elaina glanced at the woman when it was her turn. Her eyes had a golden tinge to them, implying that she was a werewolf.

She flinched when the cold water hit her unprepared and quickly shut her eyes and used her hands to prevent her glasses from falling.

After five seconds the woman loosened her grip on the rope and yawned, "Next,"

The people that had been 'cleaned' were led to another tent. Their organized structure made it look like an actual business.

She shivered when a gust of wind blew past her, the sun was completely gone now and darkness had made its way to the sky.

Draluc stood at the entrance of the next tent, he smirked when he saw Elaina. Her white t-shirt was now transparent and clung to her body, revealing her slender figure. He wouldn't mind drinking from her while doing other activities.

He bent and used the knife in his hands to cut the ropes around her legs and then stood to cut the ones around her hands.

Elaina felt uncomfortable with the way his eyes roamed her body and the perverted look on his face screamed his thoughts, but she had no way of covering herself. After he was done cutting the ropes, she rushed into the tent.

The tent was smaller than the one they were in before and it had lightbulbs hung on the ceiling, illuminating the whole room. A few women stood in the tent taking off their clothes and some stood naked?! Her eyes widened, They were supposed to strip?!!

"You there," a woman called from the side, "Strip,"