Emma’s foot brushed against her husband’s under the table when he started questioning Sarah about her work, just a nudge to remind him what she told him earlier- ‘no personal questions’. She added a soft warning look while Sarah was busy playing with her food, to boot.
She used the opportunity while Sarah was in the shower to make sure she was settled, gathering a blanket for her and making the couch. When she made her way to the laundry to toss Sarah’s clothes into the washer, and couldn’t resist turning the jeans inside out.
Her heart stopped.
On the fabric were clear traces of dried blood, and her mind raced as the awful realization clicked into place. The pattern of the blood stains. Sarah’s youth. Her complete avoidance of discussing her work all pointed to one horrific possibility. The vampire. Sarah was someone’s....possession. Someone who had been feeding on her, using her, las a constant source of sustenance, without ever fully killing her.
Her stomach turned as the grim picture unfolded in her mind. This was convenient for the vampire. It didn’t need to go out hunting for fresh victims. It didn’t need to hide bodies every other night from the police. It was keeping Sarah alive, like some sort of a domestic farm animal.
Her heart clenched with fear. If this was true, Sarah wouldn’t be able to simply walk away. The vampire would come for her. It would hunt her down like a lost animal. She was his possession, and what’s worse – she knew it existed. She was a potential liability, and sooner or later, the trail would lead him here. To David and her.
What would she do? How could she protect Sarah, let alone herself? She knew she had to act fast, but she didn’t know how.
She couldn’t sleep.
The night dragged on, as she lay wide awake in her bed, watching David’s sleep soundly beside her. She envied him. No matter what she did, she couldn’t quiet her mind. She has made a mistake. What if Sarah never wants to leave? What is she’s already trapped in a cycle of dependency? What if they could never get away from whatever was preying on her?
Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of wind against the window sent her heart racing. She would freeze, holding her breath, listening for the unmistakable sound of a footstep or a whisper of movement. What if the vampire was already here? What if it was watching them, right now?
The thoughts made her chest tighten. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the blanket, pulling it up around her neck like a shield.
Get a grip, she told herself. You’re just paranoid.
Still, she couldn’t relax. Her mind wouldn’t let go of the idea that the vampire would come for Sarah, and who knows what it might decide to do with David and her.
By the time dawn was approaching, she was no closer to sleep. Every muscle in her body ached with exhaustion, and her mind refused to allow her to rest.
The morning itself was a blur of restless energy. Still drained from a sleepless night, she tried to rouse Sarah from the couch, but the girl was as exhausted as she was. Her nerves were frayed, but she was determined to drag Sarah up to her feet and get her some new clothes that would actually fit. Something to help her feel human again, rather than livestock.
It was a quiet and tense shopping trip. Emma picked up some clothes for Sarah – something practical, comfortable, and that would flatter her figure. She barely noticed her own irritability as she rushed through the stores with the young woman in tow. Sarah seemed too tied to protest, not really present. She was on edge by the time they returned home, and Emma was almost thankful for the chance rendezvous with Henry the other night. Who knows, maybe he did have a way to protect her. Right now, she would not rule out anything, no matter how crazy it sounds.
Grabbing her bag, and letting Sarah crash back on the couch, she quickly left the apartment, heading to the restaurant Henry picked for their date.
