CHAPTER 2: Attack

  The silence in the whole village made Hailey uneasy.

She loved quiet and all but not like this. There was fear and a sense of danger in the air, you could almost smell it.

There were no more sounds of laughter and Christmas music like there should be on a Christmas Eve. Not even a whisper could be heard.

Their father had warned them not to step out of the house later that day, and they had ended up eating most of the things she cooked themselves while the rest were left to spoil in the kitchen.

Hailey didn't like what she was feeling. 

It was almost midnight, yet she couldn't sleep. The sounds of snow falling on roofs were the only sounds that could be heard outside Hailey's room.

She got up from her bed and went to stand beside the window and stared at the dark bushes. 

What really happened to Miss Kate?

What sort of animal was it?

How do they know that the animal was still in the village? What if it already left?

Where could it be hiding and where did it come from? The bushes were very small...not enough for a wild animal to hide in.

Still feeling restless she decided to go to the kitchen for some cookies. If her dad hadn't stolen most of them though.

But the moment she got up from her bed, she heard a creaky sound from the sitting room... the sound of a door opening and closing immediately.

Who was going outside by this time?

Could it be Lily who was sneaking off again? Wasn't she aware of the danger they were in?

Hailey rushed to the bedside, grabbed her cloak and lamp and went out of the room. She knocked at the room beside hers and there was no response. Opening it quietly she peeped inside and she was right. Lily was not in her room because her bed was empty.

That thick head.

She turned around and immediately screamed, dropping the lamp in her hand.

"Hello daughter" The woman standing in front of her said with a smile and Hailey frowned. 

She hadn't changed at all...in fact she looked younger and prettier than Hailey had ever known her to be 

"Venessa?" She murmured, still confused or rather shocked. 

What was she doing here by this time of the night? And where had she come from?

Better yet...how did she find them?

"Now now my dear..that's no way to address your mother is it?" Venessa grinned.

She smelled just like Hailey remembered... sunflowers.

"You are not my mother" Hailey whispered looking around her and trying to peer over Venessa's shoulder into the room but she blocked her with that scary smile.

"But I am honey. I am your mother.. I have been looking for you for five years now. I have searched villages, towns for you and your sister so I could unite with you and hold you in my arms again"

"Was that speech supposed to make me go all awww ..I missed you so much mother? Well I'm sorry to disappoint you..'mother' but you are not needed here. In fact what are you doing here and how did you get here?"

"I've been in this village for two days now, daughter. I've been watching you and your sister and that pathetic father of yours" Venessa said and shuddered dramatically on the last word.

"You have been here for two days?... How come no one noticed you?" Hailey ignored the insult on her father

"Well I have my way of going around unnoticed. It was quite easy..."

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you... I'm here for my daughters. I've come to take you both with me" She said with a shrug as if that was the most normal thing to say.

"What are you talking about? We are not going anywhere with you Vanessa. Go back wherever it is you came from" Hailey said and moved past her into the kitchen. 

Where was her pa? And why hasn't he come out here despite the noise?

"You don't have a choice my dear" Her mother muttered behind "you two will come with me like it or not"

"What are you going to do if I refuse Vanessa?" Hailey asked stopping to look at the woman that had given birth to her and abandoned her a few years later.

How dare she come back here out of the blue demanding to take them?

"What I did to your father" She replied carelessly and Hailey froze 

"What did you do to Pay?"

"Not my fault he's a weakling. I only fed off him...just a few sips of blood and he couldn't take it. Pathetic and weak...just like that old library woman"

Hailey opened her mouth but no word could come out and she shook her head..as thousands of Emotions swirled through her...fear, confusion, shock.

She turned and ran into the living room grabbing a lamp by the desk beside her. But what she saw in the middle of the parlor froze her in her tracks.

Her father, lying on the rug, lifeless with a deep bite on her neck. 

Hailey's stomach clenched at the sight and she walked slowly to her father.

This can't be happening.

"What did you do to him?" She whispered still shocked and suddenly Vanessa was standing in front of her with a smile that showed a pair of what looked like fangs.

"He's dead honey"

No ..... No no no no. This can't be. Her father couldn't be dead. This wasn't possible.

Hailey's legs weakened and the sudden sorrow that rushed into her was so strong it brought her to her knees.

She knelt down beside the lifeless body of her father, and stared in shock.... She still couldn't believe it wrapped her head around what was happening.

"What did you do to him?" She whispered and shuddered when she saw Vanessa's cold fingers on her neck.

"I fed Hailey. That's all. I understand how you must be feeling right now dear daughter. The sorrow, the pain. Let me take it away" Vanessa whispered kneeling behind her and caressing her neck

"I am sorry for being a miserable mother. But I'm here now, and I want to make it up to you and your sister by giving you a gift..... A precious gift of eternity. Wouldn't you love to have eternity and live forever with me in my palace? Just you, I and your sister" She whispered into Hailey's ears still caressing her neck 

Hailey tried to speak, or scream or get up and give her a slap but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything at all because she was frozen in place.

All she could do was just kneel, trembling and sobbing as she felt her mother's teeth sink into her flesh