Chapter 203Drop of Sanity

Something was very interesting indeed.

Her room reminded me of my own. Something that felt years back. There was a small bookcase with all sorts of books. A few fantasy ones that I recognized, but mostly more normal adventure books for children. I didn't dislike them, but I had no real interest in them either. She did have a lot more teddy bears than I had. No dolls that I could see and much less pink than I had expected of her. But that all wasn't it.

The closet stood half open, a mirror on the inside and lots of cards, notes and other pretty stuff on the outside, which wasn't it.

The dream catcher near the window caught my attention as well, not it either.

The wall near the bed was pained gently in a way which made me wonder if she had done it herself, but that still wasn't it.

Rain stood behind me in the door opening and just let me watch and probably never noticed the thing my eyes kept returning to as I took the rest of the room in.

Footsteps on the floor in the gentlest traces of blood that appeared to walk into the room, two steps, then out of it. The one who'd made the footsteps wore shoes, different one than the father was wearing, my sharp memory supplied me. Her mother had worn slippers, just like last time. And these looked like sneakers or something.

But their outline was vague. It wasn't very surprising why they showed here and not in the corridor. Rain's room had a short carpet floor and the bedroom and corridor were a sort of fake wooden floor. It really couldn't have been more than a single drop of blood, spread over several footsteps. But it was enough for me.

So they'd seen her and let her be? That felt very unlikely.

"Rain, did you wear any shoes at all today?"

She looked at her feet, the question completely surprising her. "Shoes? Oh no! I completely forgot about them." She looked at herself, noticing she was still wearing her pyjamas. "I haven't even showered." She said in a guilty voice, tears still rolling off her cheeks. She wasn't sobbing loudly anymore, but there was still a lot to go through.

I smiled. "That's not important right now."

So, the footsteps weren't hers. I really hadn't expected them to be, they were too large, but I had to be sure. Everything pointed to one or more vampires or such doing this to them. A normal human wouldn't be strong enough to do this. And, though I wasn't sure on this, a single vampire wouldn't be strong enough either.

But he'd been here in the room, when she was sleeping, and they'd missed her. That was something that didn't fit. Her parents kind of made sense, killing the whole family as revenge for the life that wasn't allowed to take before. Not that I agreed with it, but everyone could see some creepy logic there.

Something in me wanted to look at her sisters room. I didn't really know why, but it was something that felt right. Even though it was very dangerous to stay here, the police not a welcome companion to my existence, this was my only chance. But only with permission.

"Can I see her room?"

This shocked Rain in a way I had never expected. Not with pain or anger, but with genuine surprise. She immediately understood I was actually asking her permission. A little blush glowed under her tears, it was cute. It took her a few moments to answer in a small voice. "Yes."

She pointed to the only still-closed door on the this floor. It wasn't locked.

It was very different from Rain's room. A desk with study books, a very simple bed and only one doll, a porcelain one. The closet in here were the same style as the one in Rain's room, but without any decoration whatsoever and closed neatly. No clothes or lying around at all, but I wondered if the mother had cleaned her room. She probably had, a little.

Though the sisters were very different, in both rooms I felt a warmth that I hadn't ever encountered in the rare school friends' places I'd visited.

Rain's footsteps told me she was standing behind me again. She reminded me of the question what I had to do with her. There were too many people around me already. Though I was very, very happy with all my new friends around me, giving me warmth like never before, it was getting too confusing. Half of my friends were vampires, the other half human. It just didn't fit.

I couldn't take her.

But I had to think of something.

Almost with shame I realized that I couldn't. But there was someone who perhaps could. Either Hitori or Afentis would certainly know of a good place for her to be. But it would have to be a really good place for me to feel good about her.

I couldn't just leave her.

"Rain..."

She looked up at me, afraid I was going to say she had to go to the police. But I had a feeling that would only postpone her death. It was a miracle she wasn't found this time, for whatever reason that might be, not a good idea to try her luck on that again.

"Rain, to be honest I don't know what to do with you. But maybe I know some people who do."

"Will you take me to them?"

I nodded. "Yes. Grab some clothes, pack a small backpack or something and get dressed as quick as you can."

Rain nodded and ran to her room. I stayed outside as I heard the rustle of clothes and let her get dressed at her own pace. Though she probably wouldn't even have minded if I hurried her along or helped or anything. She felt so happy that I took her away from all of this. Her dark angel once more.

But, what would Hitori think?