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It was about thirty-five minutes before sunset as Devon and Rose found themselves running for their lives. A strange woman came to the door of their home and Rose answered. Only for a sickly grin to come across the woman's face as she said that she wasn't aware there 'were two of them' and that her Master was 'going to be very pleased indeed.' Rose barely had any time to call out for her brother when the woman barreled past her, grabbing Rose by the hair and dragging her into the living room.Devon ran up to the woman, knocking her upside her head with a frying pan before grabbing Rose's hand and dashing out of the house with her in tow. They had been running for a good thirty minutes and couldn't go much longer. Ducking into an alleyway to hide, the strange woman ran past them and he looked at Rose while they caught their breath.“You're going to have to go to the Enforcer HQ,” he resigned, eyes closing briefly before looking back at her determined. Cutting off her protest with a shake of his head, he grabbed her shoulders. “Yes, I know what they're gonna do when they find out you're without parents but I need you to go to them, please. This woman was the one I told you about earlier from the shop. She also fits the description in the newspapers and she mentioned a 'Master'. That all means only one thing and you know it.”Her blood ran cold as she gave a slow nod. It all really meant only one thing: Vampires. The Enforcers had been trying to find leads on the person or persons responsible for leading people away from their homes with the promise of gifts. Or even worse, accusing them of stealing and blackmailing them with 'proof' and threats to turn them into the authorities if they didn't follow orders. Devon came home not too long ago telling Rose that a woman pulled him aside in the shop. She said that he had stolen a pocket watch that belonged to her benefactor and she was there to get it back. Thankfully, the blacksmith overheard the exchange and got her out of the shop. Devon came straight home afterwards, unaware that he had been followed.“What about you? What are you gonna do? You gotta come with me. You'll come with me right, Evo?” Biting her lip, she searched his face. Tears started to form in her eyes when he looked away from her. “No, please. You have to come with me! I can't go alone. You can't stay out there! They'll---”Devon hugged her tightly. “I can't let them get you. I won't let them get you. Please, Rose. Run as fast as you--” a loud bottle clanging caused them both to stand up, turning in the direction of the sound.The woman had come up the other side of the alley and was heading toward them slowly with a mad grin on her face. “Aw, so sweet. So precious. And so---Out. Of. Time~” She dramatically turned her face up to the sky as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the building.A look of horror fell on Devon's face as he turned back to his sister. “RUN!”Her eyes widened as they both took off sprinting, her in the direction of the Enforcer HQ and Devon in the opposite direction. The woman got to the end of the alleyway and roared in frustration, she turned toward Rose's direction and screamed. “Don't worry! My Master will be with you shortly!”Tears streamed down Rose's face as she zoomed pass adults and streetlights, pass buildings and carriages. She could see the HQ in her sights and started to slow down a little bit before she felt a chill go down her spine and a dark chuckle at her back. She tried to call out to the Hunters she could see standing by the door as they started to go back inside but not a sound escaped her lips except for a sob of frustration. The tears were making it hard to see as she felt a cold wind brush up against her legs opposite of the direction she was running. She couldn't give up and she couldn't stop.“Oh but you can stop. Why don't you stop and turn around? Look behind you. I'm not far.”Those words reaching her ears spurned her on faster, relief flooding into her as she got halfway to the building. Suddenly, she felt resistance, something snagging the back of her coat. She quickly shred it off and continued to run toward the building. She was at the bottom of the steps but didn't stop there. She ran into the door, frantic to open it as she heard loud noises behind her.Fumbling with the doorknob and sobbing, it finally opened and she quickly made her way inside but not before the vampire reached for her again, clawing at her back. The force of the attack caused her to fall, sliding forward until a desk stopped her movements. Rose called out in agony, quickly pressing her back against the desk and faced the opened doorway.All she saw were angry red eyes as the door's wards kept it from entering. The hiss that came out of its mouth was from a thing none too happy having lost its prey. They slammed on the barrier of the wards before leaving her with parting words:“You can't stay in there forever, little meal. We will see each other again. Oh, and don't worry. I'll take real good care of Devon.”The red eyes were the last thing she saw as Hunters and Enforcers started to gather from the commotion. There was yelling and questions being thrown about as a Healer tried to tend to her. Rose didn't hear any of it though as she continued to stare out the door. All she could think about was her brother and how she failed to help him.
