Chapter 202Trace of Fear

It took me a few moments to recompose myself. Pieces of her father, only barely recognizable, where scattered across the living room. If this was the work of a vampire, it had been a very feral or angry one. Limbs torn from the body, neck, wrists and ankles ripped open. A truly horrible sight. Too much really. I just took it in as parts of my mind shut down temporarily.

Rain kept quiet through all of this. Did she even believe all of this was real? I didn't know and I wasn't about to ask. Where was her mother?

"She's upstairs." Rain answers my unspoken question as she noticed me looking around.

Her words surprised me almost as much as her voice. Cold, empty. Perhaps she had, as I just did, shut down part of herself to be safe. She would be the rain when things were over. When she had time to cry, time to be herself again.

I followed her up the stairs, going into their parents bedroom while she waited at the door. My eyes picked up something curious. Though her mother's state was close to her father's, she was dressed in normal clothes. So they hadn't been surprised after they'd gone to bed. Had Rain seen it all happen? That was doubtful...

I hoped.

I hoped with all my heart that didn't happen.

Could I ask her?

Later.

First take it all in, look at every detail. Remember. You have to find out who did this. There were so many smells here, even with blood clawing at my hunger all the time, perfume, her mother, clothes, detergent, cleaning agents. The sights weren't helping either, surprisingly little loose skin or hair found. Considering the strength of the killer I don't think that they'd left anything of them.

Vampires?

I was less and less sure. It almost looked like something worse. But... There were bites in the skin of her neck that looked very much like a vampire bite, if a bit too deep. My thoughts flashed back to the one in the alley. He wanted to hurt her more than he wanted to drink... Perhaps the same ones. Yet, this one had been really strong.

But why was Rain still alive?

Now I had to ask. "Rain, did you see it happen?"

She shook her head. "No, they were fine when I went to bed. This morning..." Her voice trailed away, finally gaining some warmth, but losing her protection.

"You didn't hear them and they didn't find you?"

A thought crept in, no footsteps on the stairs besides Rain's when I went up. Bare feet, small ones. No others. In fact, the rest of the house had been surprisingly clean, considering the ravage in those two rooms. So strange. On purpose? Wouldn't the one who did it be covered with blood?

Rain shook her head. "I slept. If they found me or not, I don't know." Her voice shaking a little.

She just stood there in the door opening. I had to do something, but what? Memories of how I hugged Nuru popped up and helped me realize that the simplest, the honest way was often best. And the simplest way had me walking to the door, kneeling on the clean floor and giving Rain a hug, looking up in her eyes just before I wrapped my arms around her.

She fell into them, crying. Finally she let go of everything she had held back. Rivers of tears, a storm, flowed from this little being and let go of all the fear, pain and memories. Oddly enough, it felt as if she cried more for herself than for them. Though, considering the little I'd seen from them, she didn't have a strong bond her with parents.

A really scare thought entered my mind. Did Rain do this herself somehow?

No.

It was only a doubt in my mind that easily drifted away in the sea of nonsense. The whole thing was very physical. Bitemarks in some places, bruises where they'd grabbed to tear their limbs in other places. So, Rain is safe. Unharmed, innocent.

I gently let her go once more and looked into her eyes. "I can't stay here long, Rain. Police will come and take care of you."

Shocked, she looked at me. "No! I won't go with them. They will just me into an orphanage and I'll be the freak. No, I don't want to go away!"

Her words weren't even very loud, her force drained by her tears. But the words felt as loud in my heart as if they'd been amplified and played through hundreds of speakers. No, it was too dangerous.

"Alright, I'll think of something."

Her sister had been killed, her parents had been killed, all in mysterious circumstances. Almost like a wild animal, but no windows on either side of the house had been broken. As it looked as though someone had just rung the doorbell after Rain had already gone too bed, getting in the easy way.

"Rain, can I see your room?"

She looked up at me in surprise, the first real expression on her face besides her tears. "Sure. It's a mess though."

"Can't be worse than this."

Despite herself she smiled a little and nodded bravely. She allowed me to stand up and let me to her room. Two thoughts ran through my head;

'It really wasn't a mess.'

And.

'That's interesting...'