by Shae Bryant
There was a cacophony of voices accompanied by flapping wings. The birds all around us were shouting warnings to each other and screaming for help. It was chaos.
I covered my ears and shouted to Fox and Iris, "RUN!"
They grasped my hands and ran with me. Both of them stumbled and fell, but they got back up. The poor things ran until their lungs were burning and their hearts pounded. They were horrified by the noise my gun made and equally scared of their Father's actions. But, they wanted to be outside more than they wanted to stay.
I slowed down after a few minutes, letting them catch their breath. We could walk from here. There was no way Linden would catch us. We were about a half a mile away from where I hid the air boat. God, I hope no one took it. If they did, I had no reception out here.
Iris wrung her hands in distress, "Aster...?"
"Raina." I said, "My name is Raina. Not Aster. It's OK. I didn't shoot your Father. I shot in the air. See over there? I hid a boat there. It's going to take us somewhere safe."
Both of them felt a little better when I explained I had a plan. Fox walked next to me. "Fawn said you kept Lily safe. What happened to her?"
"Lily is in something called foster care." I replied to him. Of course, neither of them knew what that meant. So I explained it. "She has some people who are going to act like her parents for a while."
Iris thought about that for a moment, "We can be her parents. She's our sister. We can be her parents and be a family on the outside."
What was I doing? Neither of these kids had any clue how life worked. They thought they could just go and get their sister and somehow live as a family. They had no concept of anything except the strange tribal life they had lived in the middle of a swamp.
But, they were Druids. Both of them. There was plenty of help for them where we were going. An entire community of Druids would rally around both of them and make sure that they would always be safe. As soon as I got them to safety, I'd be back to take care of Linden.
Two hours later, I arrived at a quiet house in Aventura with two dirty teenagers in tow. Iris was crying that she wanted to go back. Fox's lip was trembling, but he tried to keep strong for his sister. Both of them held hands when I knocked on the door.
Of course, they were asleep. I knocked again a little louder, trying to wake up the people inside. Finally, the porch light came on, and a figure appeared in the window. A very sleepy and confused man in his thirties stared at me in disbelief.
"Raina...?" He yawned.
"Kevin. I need your help."
Kevin blinked between me and the kids. "What's going on?"
"That's what I need your help with." I stepped inside, greeting their three dogs who had woken up when I knocked on the door.
A second set of sleepy eyes peered at us through the bedroom. "Hey babe, what's...Raina?"
"Ronan. Something is wrong." Kevin said.
Kevin and Ronan Anderson were two men I considered good friends. Both of them lead our community for the last five years. They owned a flower shop that was semi attached to the house, proudly displaying the sign "Sherwood Florist. Druid owned and operated since 1995."
Inside of the home was a jungle of flowers and large plants that the two were nursing back to health. The florist shop wasn't just a business. It was a passion for both of them. I had to lay aside two sickly orchids in order to sit down on their worn out sofa.
Fox and Iris followed us inside the house, keeping their backs pressed up against the door. They were still terrified of everything around them. Electric lights. Cars. People. Thank God Ronan let their three dogs out when he went inside the bedroom to get dressed. The dogs immediately rushed to Fox and Iris, trying to calm them down.
The dogs were doing a good job of talking to the kids. They were trying to reassure them that we were all 'nice people' and they shouldn't be so sad. Having animals to talk to was a comfort to both kids.
Once Kevin and Ronan dressed, they stood in their hallway staring at me. I think I owed them an explanation for knocking on their door at two in the morning.
"This is Iris and Fox. They need our community's help."
Ronan looked at both of the kids, "Are they runaways?"
"Not exactly." I shook my head.
Iris stood up, trying to explain who she was. "I...um..." She got past the first word and the poor girl burst into tears.
I rushed over to the kids along with Ronan and Kevin. We were trying to offer them comfort, but the entire ordeal was just too much for them. They held onto each other and cried.
"What is going on, Raina?" Ronan turned to me with a rather accusing tone of voice.
I rolled my eyes. As if I did this. Wait. I did. "Let's get them some water to drink. Food and a real bath. Then I'll explain everything."
"They need it." Kevin went into the kitchen, "Let's make some calls and get them some decent clothes too."
Over the next few hours, our phones began to blow up with messages and phone calls. Every Druid in South Florida was made aware of two young Druids who needed help. They needed clothes that fit them, toiletries,and a place to stay for a few days.
While Fox and Iris both got a much-needed bath, I answered the barrage of visitors. One of ours brought some clothes for a teenage girl. Another brought some shoes. Someone else found a box of bedding in their attic. By the time the sun came up, Fox and Iris had everything they needed and then some.
It was a flurry of well-wishers, concerned Druids and offers of help. The poor kids had no idea what to do with all of it. In a few hours, they went from thinking people hated them to realizing they were loved. It was a lot for them to take in.
Between visits, I explained the situation to Ronan and Kevin. By this time, Fox was sleeping soundly on the sofa, and I was trying to carefully comb the horrible tangles out of Iris' hair.
"These poor kids." Kevin looked at both of them and clicked his tongue in sympathy.
"Now you know why I can't just call the department in on this." I said.
Ronan nodded. "They need to get plugged in with us. We'll start getting them some help today. But, what about the rest of them?"
I turned Iris' head gently to one side, working on another tangle, "I need some help with that. I'll have it tonight."
"Fanged help?" Ronan smirked.
"Yeah."
All of us slept for half of the day. When Iris and Fox woke up, we got them a good hot meal and started to make some more calls. The first order of business was to find them a place to stay where they wouldn't be separated. That was easy. Two families offered immediately to take them in. Second, we needed a Psychiatrist who was willing to talk to them. Fortunately, we had one of those as well.
I made a few more phone calls on my own the moment the sun went down. We needed to make plans for the evening that would ensure we got in and got those women and children out of that place. Vince was all too ready to help, and he promised to bring some friends along. Ronan and Kevin would also come along with their dogs and mine.
At around midnight, we all gathered near the clearing. The dogs were there as a security blanket for the people being carried away. They may be too afraid to talk to us, but they'd talk to them. All four of them had been told what to expect, and they were ready to jump on anyone who seemed upset with wagging tails and words of reassurance.
Our plan was to allow the Vampires to do the heavy lifting. Vince, Sophie and Anika would carry them out one by one. Kevin, Ronan and I would go in behind them and make sure that people stayed safe. The dogs would stay in the clearing.
"Thanks for coming to help Vince. We appreciate it." I checked my gun, making sure it was loaded and in working order.
"A gun, Raina?" Vince raised his eyebrows.
"He's armed. Bullets might not kill you, but they will me."
Vince scoffed, "Bullets still sting something fierce."
I slapped my face with my palm and groaned, "Vince..." I ignored him for the time being, addressing Anika and Sophie, "The
re's a woman named Fawn in there. She has dark hair and is in the first hut on the left. She has a child with her. She knows we're coming. Try to help her first."
"Raina." Vince looked at me with a very serious expression, "We will make sure every child is safe. The adults make their own decisions. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Yeah. Do what you can."
The Vampires moved so fast that I couldn't see them after taking three steps. Fawn was crying inside of her hut. I scratched on her wall and whispered her name. I covered my mouth to quiet the gasp of shock. She had a black eye and her nose was probably broken. Linden had beaten her up.
"I told you I'd take their punishment." She grabbed my hands, "I'm so glad you are back."
"Listen" I whispered. "I brought some friends, and we're here to help. Stay inside. Someone is going to take Oak. It's OK. They're with me. They'll get to you soon."
Fawn tried to hide happy tears. She squeezed my hands tight and whispered, "Thank you."
She disappeared back inside the hut.
A gust of wind blew past me. Fawn breathed a sigh of relief when one of the Vampires whipped past the hut next to hers. A second gust blew behind me and then a third. Fawn stayed quiet, holding on to her sleeping son. The other women started to scream when they discovered their children missing from their beds. Two of the screams stopped abruptly when another gust of wind blew past me.
Linden burst out of one of the huts, shouting obscenities while he loaded the shotgun. He looked around at the chaos of his wives crying and looking frantically for their children. One of the women disappeared in a blur of clothes right in front of him.
Then, his furious gaze fell on me. Linden raised the shotgun towards me, "You again!? I banished you!"
"It didn't work." I aimed my gun right at his head. I was a much better shot than him. If he even looked like he would pull the trigger, I'd splatter his brain on the ground.
Another blur rushed past Linden and a crying wife went silent. "What?! What was that!?"
Vince, Anika and Sophie made quick work of things. The only two left were Fawn and her son Oak. I had to keep Linden occupied until they got them out.
"Friends of mine." I smirked,"Put down your gun and get on the ground, Linden."
I expected the sudden disappearances of his wives to scare him a little. Instead, Linden was infuriated at seeing them vanish one after another. He scurried to Fawn's hut and threw aside the palm leaves that covered her doorway. Fawn's cries of protest caused me to run to stop him.
He dragged her out by her hair, pointing the shotgun at her, "Bring all the children back now. I will sacrifice her to have them!"
"Linden, please!" Fawn cried.
A blur of green went past me. Fawn was wrenched from Linden's grasp, she tumbled on the ground a few feet away from him. Anika was holding her close to make sure that the fall wouldn't hurt her.
"I'm sorry." Anika said, "I needed to move you."
Fawn looked up at Anika in shock. Then, she realized what had happened and smiled, "Thank you."
"What? Who are these people!?" Linden was losing his grip. He jerked his head one way and then the other, trying to understand what had happened.
Another gust of wind moved past me. Vince seemed to appear in front of Linden. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and cleared his throat, acting as if he were introducing himself to a colleague.
"Vampires." Vince sneered, "Vincenzo Moretti. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I do not make friends with meals."
Linden yelped, "Evil! You made your bed with evil creatures, Aster! I will not stand for this!"
Anika shoved Fawn towards the hut while Vince had Linden occupied, "Go! Get your child!"
Fawn stumbled on the sand before she took off towards the hut. She tried to go around Linden and grab the boy who was standing in the doorway. The poor child stared at the scene in front of him with wide eyes. He couldn't understand what was happening or why. When Fawn reached the hut, Oak extended his arms for his Mother and cried out for her. Linden whirled around, hitting Fawn in the head with the shotgun.
"Don't hurt her Father!" the little boy wailed.
Linden held the gun to Fawn's head, "Oak! Oak! Come to me, son."
Some people say that the scariest thing in the world isn't a blood crazed Vampire or a shifted Werewolf. It's a Mother who is protecting her children. When Fawn saw Linden try to take Oak, her entire countenance changed. She pulled herself off of the ground and grabbed the barrel of the gun, shoving it away from her head.
"Let go!" Linden demanded.
"Oak! Run! Go with Aster!" Fawn screamed at her son.
"Anika!" Vince yelled, "Get the child!"
Anika was desperate to get to Oak without putting Fawn in danger. The boy was trembling behind his Mother's legs, while she struggled with Linden and the shotgun. I aimed my gun towards Linden, trying to find a clear shot that wouldn't hurt Fawn or Oak.
Ronan and Kevin were huffing and puffing as they ran through the grass, trying to reach us in time. They skidded to a stop when they saw the struggle between Mother bear and Linden. I shot them a helpless stare. No one could help Fawn until the little boy moved away from her.
Linden grabbed Fawn's wrist, and let out a cry of desperation when she wrestled with his gun. The blast of a close range gunshot thundered in my ears.
It felt like hours before the echo of the gun left my head. Oak screamed. Fawn fell to the ground. Linden stood over them with the shotgun gripped in his hands.
Fawn stirred, looking at the blood on her palms. She started to shake the little boy on the ground next to her, "Oak..? Oak..!?"
A cry of horror caught in my throat when I looked down beside Fawn. Oak lay limp on the ground in a pool of his own blood. A loud cry of anguish filled the air, when Fawn threw herself over her son's body and wept.
"Oak..." Linden rasped, reaching towards both of them. Dread darkened his face when he saw the blood trickling into the sand. Linden fell to the ground, "Look what you made me do!"
The tears that welled up in my throat came spilling out. I could not believe I let this happen. I was so stupid! I missed something so simple! Something that I should have seen coming! I wrapped my arms around my waist, trying to calm the sobs that shook my body.
Someone stood behind me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Raina..." Vince spoke with compassion, "I know we promised, but under the circumstances..."
I opened my eyes, staring at the bloody sand, "Kill him."
The sinister smile that spread across his face was apparent in his response, "Absolutely. Ladies?"
"With pleasure." Sophie answered.
Seconds later, all three of the Vampires surrounded Linden. Sophie kicked the shotgun away from him, and grabbed his arms, forcing him to stand up. Linden's eyes darted back and forth between Sophie, Vince, and Anika. His legs buckled underneath him, and he begged for his life.
He disappeared into the tall grasses nearby -- along with three Vampires. A spine-chilling scream came from the grasses. The next scream was cut short by a desperate rasp. Then, there was nothing.
There was no satisfaction over Linden's death. My mind was on the grieving woman in front of me, who was cradling her son's body in her arms. At work, I was able to offer someone a bit of comfort without feeling it so strong myself. But, this wasn't work. This was something far too close to me. This was my community. My group. My people.
I tried to keep my voice from cracking when I approached her, "Fawn..."
"He killed him!" Fawn held Oak's body in her arms, "He killed my baby!"
Ronan and Kevin embraced each other while they cried. Brutus and Kevin's Akita, Steel nudged their hands and whined. The other two dogs had not come with them. They were busy comforting the others. Perhaps it was for the best.
I opened my mouth to offer Fawn some words of encouragement. I couldn't hold back my own emotions. I broke down into more sobs, falling to my knees next to her.
"I'm so
rry Fawn! I didn't mean for this to happen!"
She leaned her head against me and wailed while I held her. Kevin and Ronan let each other go, moving to wrap their arms around me and Fawn. Sometimes, there was nothing you could do but allow each other to cry.
Sophie stood behind us, wiping her eyes. She reached out to Fawn, "Let me take him."
"No!" Fawn pulled Oak's body close, "I won't let him go!"
"She won't leave you for a moment." Vince said.
Fawn turned around to look at Vince, Anika and Sophie. "The birds. They told me...they told me about you! You can save him! Can't you? Bring him back to life like you do everyone else. Then...he...he won't ever die!"
"We can't." Sophie knelt down and put her arm around Fawn, "That isn't how it..."
"Please!" Fawn interrupted, "Please bring him back!"
Anika stood behind Fawn, unable to hide her own emotions. Tears fell down her cheeks when she tried to explain, "Oh, my sweet woman. We can't do this. I'm sorry."
"My Oak!" Fawn threw herself over him and wept.
After a few minutes, Vince lowered his eyes, "Let's take all of them away from here. There is nothing left for any of them but heartache now."
Fawn finally let Sophie take Oak in her arms. She followed behind them with faint sobs. They disappeared into the grass. I stayed where I was even when the sobs from the rest of the group reached me.
Kevin nudged me, "Raina? We need to go. We shouldn't stay."
I looked at him with swollen eyes, "Kevin. I...I couldn't..."
I broke down again. Kevin wrapped his arms around me, "Come on. Let's go. There's nothing left to do here."
The aftermath was a whirlwind of activity. We moved everyone towards the air boats, trying to comfort them the best we could. When we arrived at our meeting spot, numerous Druids were waiting for us. We trudged onto the dock, avoiding the questioning glances. Our heads were hung low and many of us were still shedding tears.
My mind went to work mode. I had to go through the motions and get these people safe in homes for the night. Stop crying, Raina. You can not grieve right now. There is no time. Kevin and Ronan started to delegate responsibilities; one group got clothes together, another found places to stay, and another would make some calls.