The young woman lay in bed, staring at the plain grey ceiling she knew would be painted and given to one of her younger sisters later in the week since the most of her things would be either sold or passed down. Vampires had their own attire for their human slaves and rarely were they allowed many personal affects since at times the girls and boys ended up as little other than a living blood bag. She didn't want to go with the men who would come to take her; she wanted to stay here in their small town, have children of her own and die human; to die free. But she couldn't express that wish, fore it was the single desire of all those who were taken upon their sixteenth birthday, and the one thing they would never be able to have. She'd witnessed a man run from his master before, in the hopes of being free before the vampire came back to take them, but when the ancient had come to find the man holed up beneath the bridge he hadn't killed him; he was spared because it would prolong the torment - death was freedom for the human slaves.
She was dressed in her soft white nightgown, laying with the blanket throw off to the edge of the bed when the small knock came at the door and she heard a quiet voice from the other side asking if she was awake yet. It was their last breakfast together and she knew that all of her siblings would be trying their hardest to be happy, and not cry before sh was gone. Boys were foolish in that thinking though it would always be like that with them. The eldest on the other hand would never cry in front of them, never turn away in shame and she would find her ways to contact them. "Yes. I'll be out soon." She responded and heard the awkward footsteps of her youngest brother running away from the door, no doubt going to tell the others that she would be ready to eat the feast they had more than likely prepared for her final morning free. After the footsteps were gone she rolled off of her bed and nearly fell on the cold hardwood floor; she wondered what they would do with her clothes, since she was the only daughter they'd had. Maybe the eldest of her younger brothers would have children soon, the boy was just about sixteen so he would be finding a wife in the next few years. She'd never see the children now, but it was nice to hope for their future while her's was lost.
Standing she looked toward the closet where their hung a soft black dress they had only finished making the day before; it was stunning enough for a commoner's dress and it was meant to impress the vampires so that she wouldn't end up with a poor master, or a cruel one. Those higher on the food chain in the vampire world often wanted the nicer and more presentable humans as their slaves for things like parlor maids and for their bedchambers, the less physically appealing often ended up as house workers never to be seen by the guests. It was their hope that Anastasia would do little other than entertain; but that was every girls hope when they were sold to the vampires. It was a rather depressing thought, but a fact nonetheless; no one wanted to be sold to a vampire.
---
Fifteen minutes later, after pulling on the dress and carefully typing the laces herself, she headed down the hall toward the stairs. She could hear her family arguing about who was going to sit where, like always, though this time it seemed there was a general consensus that she was going to be sitting at the head of the table instead of father. She wore no shoes, a pair of tights beneath the dress hid her skin from view and she made little noise as she walked down the stairs, apart from the occasional squeaking stairs though it went unnoticed by the family below. They would be arguing like this tomorrow, but there would be an empty chair tomorrow; they'd fill it someday, she knew they would. The girl was not angry with her parents for bringing her into the world, of any of them in fact, but is they hadn't these young ones would never have had a chance at life; she was perfectly willing to give up her future for her family's sake. For her siblings lives.
Around the corner she turned, dressed all in black while soft alabaster skin shone smoothly in the half-light. She was pale, like her father, with his same dark hair though her eyes were all her own - the one s storm gray and the other an icy blue. They had told her once they made her unique, that they were beautiful and that she would be a wonderful woman and wife one day. What they hadn't told her then was that she was going to be sold off like cattle to the highest bidder; like a prize-winning horse;like a whore. The young woman had not expected the room to fall into silence when she made her appearance, but she must have done her job correctly fore her entire family hushed at the sight of the stoic beauty that they were meant to send off this very day.
"Good morning everyone."
Her lips turned up in a smile that lifted the mood of the entire room; her sweetness made them feel better since she was not afraid of what was happening today. They all laughed and a chorus of 'good mornings' and 'look was we did's with plenty of hugs from the younger children as they tried to drag her to her seat at the head of the table. It was almost like a birthday, there were even presents stacked near the table though none would be opened and the cake would be left uneaten unless her new master allowed her to have the last things they would give her today. She sat down at the table and listen as all of her brothers tried to tell her how they helped mom in the kitchen; from collecting the eggs and milk from the animals outside this morning, all the way to running to the market early this morning for the fruit.
It was almost time now.
---
When the knock came at the door they had been in the middle of eating, their plates half empty and the trays that had held the food before still held food though little of it. They had worked hard to make it, and deserved to eat as much as they wanted, considering that the eldest would never be returning to their home again. It was a feast in her honor and yet, she couldn't love it even though thy were trying to send her off with a smile. The room fell into a hush as their father stood and walked over to the door to see who it was, all of them hoping desperately that it was someone else coming to say happy birthday or ask for a cup of shoulder. Everyone knew that vampires didn't make mistakes, especially when it came to something that bound the humans into submission, made them helpless and fragile again when once they'd been able to hin the vampires down. The one that stood on the other side of the door couldn't enter the house without their permission; it was both the commands of his type and the will of his own creator, but they wouldn't stop him from burning down the house if she didn't go with him. She had seen it happen once before; the house burning while the man in the suit and shades waited for the family to be flushed out like rats. It was the child's fault for not leaving the home willingly that he had killed all of their family and left them nothing to stay for. It was easy to break humans and the vampires knew it; humans loved.
"It's time honey."
She heard her father call for her and she nodded quietly, standing and pulling on her knee high boots beneath the long skirt of the dress. Much of her body was hidden from view, but the dress itself was tight enough around her chest and torso so show off her curves and bosom while the skirt flared and danced around her in the light breeze that traveled through the open doorway. She carried no bags with her as she set about walking from the house, no looking back and no looking down. Her chin was up, shoulders back and back straight as she walked with pride and elegance. She would not be broken by having to leave; she was saving her family and that was something she could be proud of. Her off coloured eyes were framed with dark lashes and the shadows cast from them on her naturally pale skin, over high cheekbones and a narrow chin.
She walked in silence, spiting the guard who had come to fetch her on her sixteenth birthday, refusing to bend over for him as they walked toward the car at the end of the drive. It was small and black, a sports car of sorts that only the rich bothered with since it was a luxury to be able to waste so much money on something impractical. The difference with the vampires though, was that these cars were impossible for humans to escape without being allowed out; if you were let out you were to follow orders, run and they would make sport of you. Her footsteps were sure and soft, but her strides long and confident as she approached the car and got in the back seat without another moment of hesitation.
She would not break for this one.
She was dressed in her soft white nightgown, laying with the blanket throw off to the edge of the bed when the small knock came at the door and she heard a quiet voice from the other side asking if she was awake yet. It was their last breakfast together and she knew that all of her siblings would be trying their hardest to be happy, and not cry before sh was gone. Boys were foolish in that thinking though it would always be like that with them. The eldest on the other hand would never cry in front of them, never turn away in shame and she would find her ways to contact them. "Yes. I'll be out soon." She responded and heard the awkward footsteps of her youngest brother running away from the door, no doubt going to tell the others that she would be ready to eat the feast they had more than likely prepared for her final morning free. After the footsteps were gone she rolled off of her bed and nearly fell on the cold hardwood floor; she wondered what they would do with her clothes, since she was the only daughter they'd had. Maybe the eldest of her younger brothers would have children soon, the boy was just about sixteen so he would be finding a wife in the next few years. She'd never see the children now, but it was nice to hope for their future while her's was lost.
Standing she looked toward the closet where their hung a soft black dress they had only finished making the day before; it was stunning enough for a commoner's dress and it was meant to impress the vampires so that she wouldn't end up with a poor master, or a cruel one. Those higher on the food chain in the vampire world often wanted the nicer and more presentable humans as their slaves for things like parlor maids and for their bedchambers, the less physically appealing often ended up as house workers never to be seen by the guests. It was their hope that Anastasia would do little other than entertain; but that was every girls hope when they were sold to the vampires. It was a rather depressing thought, but a fact nonetheless; no one wanted to be sold to a vampire.
---
Fifteen minutes later, after pulling on the dress and carefully typing the laces herself, she headed down the hall toward the stairs. She could hear her family arguing about who was going to sit where, like always, though this time it seemed there was a general consensus that she was going to be sitting at the head of the table instead of father. She wore no shoes, a pair of tights beneath the dress hid her skin from view and she made little noise as she walked down the stairs, apart from the occasional squeaking stairs though it went unnoticed by the family below. They would be arguing like this tomorrow, but there would be an empty chair tomorrow; they'd fill it someday, she knew they would. The girl was not angry with her parents for bringing her into the world, of any of them in fact, but is they hadn't these young ones would never have had a chance at life; she was perfectly willing to give up her future for her family's sake. For her siblings lives.
Around the corner she turned, dressed all in black while soft alabaster skin shone smoothly in the half-light. She was pale, like her father, with his same dark hair though her eyes were all her own - the one s storm gray and the other an icy blue. They had told her once they made her unique, that they were beautiful and that she would be a wonderful woman and wife one day. What they hadn't told her then was that she was going to be sold off like cattle to the highest bidder; like a prize-winning horse;like a whore. The young woman had not expected the room to fall into silence when she made her appearance, but she must have done her job correctly fore her entire family hushed at the sight of the stoic beauty that they were meant to send off this very day.
"Good morning everyone."
Her lips turned up in a smile that lifted the mood of the entire room; her sweetness made them feel better since she was not afraid of what was happening today. They all laughed and a chorus of 'good mornings' and 'look was we did's with plenty of hugs from the younger children as they tried to drag her to her seat at the head of the table. It was almost like a birthday, there were even presents stacked near the table though none would be opened and the cake would be left uneaten unless her new master allowed her to have the last things they would give her today. She sat down at the table and listen as all of her brothers tried to tell her how they helped mom in the kitchen; from collecting the eggs and milk from the animals outside this morning, all the way to running to the market early this morning for the fruit.
It was almost time now.
---
When the knock came at the door they had been in the middle of eating, their plates half empty and the trays that had held the food before still held food though little of it. They had worked hard to make it, and deserved to eat as much as they wanted, considering that the eldest would never be returning to their home again. It was a feast in her honor and yet, she couldn't love it even though thy were trying to send her off with a smile. The room fell into a hush as their father stood and walked over to the door to see who it was, all of them hoping desperately that it was someone else coming to say happy birthday or ask for a cup of shoulder. Everyone knew that vampires didn't make mistakes, especially when it came to something that bound the humans into submission, made them helpless and fragile again when once they'd been able to hin the vampires down. The one that stood on the other side of the door couldn't enter the house without their permission; it was both the commands of his type and the will of his own creator, but they wouldn't stop him from burning down the house if she didn't go with him. She had seen it happen once before; the house burning while the man in the suit and shades waited for the family to be flushed out like rats. It was the child's fault for not leaving the home willingly that he had killed all of their family and left them nothing to stay for. It was easy to break humans and the vampires knew it; humans loved.
"It's time honey."
She heard her father call for her and she nodded quietly, standing and pulling on her knee high boots beneath the long skirt of the dress. Much of her body was hidden from view, but the dress itself was tight enough around her chest and torso so show off her curves and bosom while the skirt flared and danced around her in the light breeze that traveled through the open doorway. She carried no bags with her as she set about walking from the house, no looking back and no looking down. Her chin was up, shoulders back and back straight as she walked with pride and elegance. She would not be broken by having to leave; she was saving her family and that was something she could be proud of. Her off coloured eyes were framed with dark lashes and the shadows cast from them on her naturally pale skin, over high cheekbones and a narrow chin.
She walked in silence, spiting the guard who had come to fetch her on her sixteenth birthday, refusing to bend over for him as they walked toward the car at the end of the drive. It was small and black, a sports car of sorts that only the rich bothered with since it was a luxury to be able to waste so much money on something impractical. The difference with the vampires though, was that these cars were impossible for humans to escape without being allowed out; if you were let out you were to follow orders, run and they would make sport of you. Her footsteps were sure and soft, but her strides long and confident as she approached the car and got in the back seat without another moment of hesitation.
She would not break for this one.
