Orphans

Silence. I wasn't sure if it was because of feeling so numb, or maybe perhaps it was shock, but, I couldn't muster up a single word of comfort to the tiny fragile body that sat next to me in the car. She had cradled herself up tight into a ball, her face was covered by her long brown hair making it to where you couldn't tell for sure if she was sleeping, but I figured she wasn't. After tonight's events I wouldn't blame her, I myself would be unable to sleep for a while.

"I want mommy, where is mommy?" Was the last words she had spoken which was 3 hours ago.

"She's gone Ayva." I reported coldly. I felt guilty for being so cruel, she was only 6, and instead of holding her, telling her that mommy couldn't come back, and that everything was going to be alright, I despised her in that moment, blaming her innocents for the reason we had to leave our dying parents behind.

"Lanie, please, baby I need you to go, I need you to take Ayva and go."

My mother's voice was urgent as she pleaded with me to get my sister and I to safety.

"I dont want to leave you!" crying, I grasping tightly to my mother's arms. How could she ask me to just leave her here to die alone? I knew once I had seen the wound on her chest, and felt struggles of her breath, that everything wasn't going to be okay. I knew, once she came out without my father, that he wasn't going to be okay either.

Mother squeezed my arm in reassurance.

"I know this is hard Lanie, it's not fair, but, I'm not going to make it, please, let me give you and your sister the chance to escape, that's all I want for you two to be safe!"

A shadow appeared, beginning to make it's way towards us. I was hesitant to pull myself up, but with the help of my mother's shove i got up.

"Lanie, go home, go to the Griffon manor, and find Tate. He will know what he needs to do." I took a few steps back, still hesitant to leave. "GO!" she yelled forcefully.

Pulling myself together I ran, jumping into my father's car. the Engine roared coming to life blasting the lights toward the shadowed figure that was coming closer and closer to us. Its face was hidden under its black coat, it looked as if it was in a form of a human. I could. barely make out a symbol on its exposed wrist.

My mother weakly stood in defensive mode, I didn't have the heart to look back to see what happened as we drove away, leaving her there with that monster.

There was a beeping noise from the dash as the gas light came on, pulling me back from reliving the nightmare.

Pulling into the gas station I put the car in park and sat there, finding it hard to move myself from the seat I had yet to leave since saying goodbye to my parents.

"Where are we?" a tiny voice spoke looking up from her seat and glancing around.

"A gas station, do you need to use the bathroom?"

We walked into the small gas station and hurried to the back where we found the bathrooms. While Ayva used the restroom I glanced at myself in the mirror to find the horrific sight of blood soaked into my clothing, neck and fingers. Looking down at my hands, they trembled. This, was my mother's blood, this was hers. The thought kept repeating in my head. Quickly turning on the water, I began to scrub my skin raw. Unnoticing the tears that had began to betray me, dripping down my cheeks.

My mother was dead. I scrubbed her blood from my hands. My father was dead, but hadn't made it out of the building. I never got to say goodbye to him. Frantically, I scrubbed my skin harder, causing it to bleed and redden itself. My legs quivered and gave in causing me to collapse onto the cold tiles.

Why? why were they taken from us? why did these creatures have to exist? why was my family one of the ones responsible for these things, and how was it fair that they had to give up their lives, leaving their two children alone in the world to deal with it? The only thing that made sense now, was that my sister and I were now orphans.

The warmth of a hand reached my face, brushing the sticky hairs behind my ears. Opening my eyes I saw the small figure of my sister, her deep green eyes looking at me with such love and concern.

Without a word, she grabbed more paper towels, wetting them and wiping away the traces of blood that was still found. After, we held each other and cried. Though we were left as orphans, we still had each other, and I would not let anything take her away from me.