‡ Promise 14: Family Meeting ‡

-As told by Keith-

few hours before sunrise, I had stepped from my kingdom, back into my human form. Dore stood broodily by the gate, hoping that the girl would show up again tonight and try to cross over. "Didn't show, huh?" I sigh, both amused and relieved. "No." he said, disappointed, "Not since the night before." "Well," I shrug, "I guess she's given up, then." "Who's given up?" asks a small and smug voice. I turn to see a small girl, dressed in a frilly Victorian-era dress, carrying a sickly pink teddy-bear. She had just came from the gate, I could smell the death on her, and her favorite sickly sweet perfume.
"Fray," I nod, "So nice to see you again." "Who's given up?" she asks again, not interested in pleasantries. "The dark haired girl." answers Dore, "The one who wishes to make friends with demons and the dead." "Oh," she nods, "Yes, well... she does remind you a bit of-?" "Yeah," I said, cutting her off, knowing who Fray was referring to, "She does. And that's why I rather slit the girl's throat myself, than let it continue even further." Dore and Fray stay silent, but their quick glances at each other spoke that they were both worried.
One of Fray's dolls, a rag doll badly beaten and stabbed, came rushing from the gate. With a butcher knife stuck into it's back and bleeding, it hung onto Fray's boot, sobbing as if pleading for her to stop the pain. "Annoying little git." she huffs, "Shove off, will you? Go back home!" But the doll held tight, sobbing. "Rupert." she answers Dore's questioning look, "He's a bit hacked off, when I disappear on him. It can't be helped." Dore looked away, disgusted with the doll.
In the distance, a raven calls out, letting us know that someone was approaching. Dore stood up straight, a sort of excitement running through him, as I sigh and checked my watch. It's much to late for a school-girls to be running the woods. What was she thinking? "Looks like your little stalker is on her way here." nods Fray, cuddling the sobbing doll in her arms, "What will you do?" "I could kill her for you, my Lord." offers Dore, eagerly. "No." I said, eerily calm, even though my rage had hit it's highest, "I want to try one last time. But if it doesn't work, you may kill her." Dore lets out a small squeak of joy, but quickly stuffs all feelings aside, concentrating on his plans for a long and suffering torture for the girl.
We wait for a few moments, staring towards the dark shadows ahead, ready to see the face of my stalker. And she did not disappoint us, stumbling through the brush and landing on her backside before us. "Yeah," she blush, "That could've been smoother." "It's nearly five in the morning." I said, flatly, "Don't you have school, Miss Lily?" "It's the weekend." she smiles, standing up and patting the debris from her long checkered skirt, "There's no school today. I can stay up as long as I want."
She notices Fray, the weeping and bleeding doll twisting in her arms. "Oh..." Lily says, a little surprised, "Hello." "Hello, deary." nods Fray. "Well," I said, "I think it's a good idea that you go home." "Yes, sorry." nods Fray, taking a step back. "Not you, Fray!" I growl, then pointing to Lily, "Her." "Right." grins Fray, "I-I was just showing her how it's done, is all." "Yeah, right." mumbles Dore. "You don't own these woods." Lily says, defiant. I have no time for her games and my temper is starting to break free.
"No land is given to any man or being." I began, "All land and countries were stolen, at one point or another in time, by those strong enough to eradicate anyone who may object or stand in their way. And by my own strength I have conquered these woods." Lily opens her mouth to argue, but I continue on. "I am willing to fight for these woods," I say, as the dolls cries are increasingly louder, "Because it's only fair, if you wish to own them instead. But I will not hold back and in the end I will win. Either fight for it or just go home."
The doll wails now, giving me a slight headache. "Fray," I snap, "Shut that damn doll up and remove that knife!" She quickly removes the knife, splashing blood on the front of her dress, and doll's sobs quiets down. Lily's fear is evident, but she stands stubborn and steps forward. "Is that's the only thing you demons do?" she spat, "Solve everything with violence? Well, if you want to kill me, go ahead because I'm not leaving. So chew on that!" "Little girl," I growl, "You are seriously pushing my patience. I've given you many chances to turn back, but since you want to die so badly, I will grant you your final wish!"
My right hand rips open, revealing my true claw, and my crimson eyes burning to the surface. I can nearly taste her blood! "But, my Lord!" gasps Dore, "You said that I may do it!" "Hang on." frowns Fray, stepping in between me and a frighten teenage girl, "One last try, eh?" "Enough tries!" I growl in my guttural demon voice, "The girl wishes to die, that is evident." "Yes, I know." nods Fray, "But she doesn't know the full extent on what she asks. And as always, you've failed to communicate the final line, haven't you? Let me have a go at the girl, I'll set things right."
I thought about it, for a second, as Dore whines about the earlier promise. "If you cannot convince her," I grunt, "Her blood is mine." "Dually noted." nods Fray, grabbing the frighten girl's hand and pulling her off into the woods, the sobbing doll and the teddy running after them. "What about me?" frowns Dore, "What about my reward? I thought the girl's blood was to be spilled by my hands!" "I'm sorry, Dore." I shrug, my anger leaving me, "I can no longer make that promise, anymore. I want her blood, if it must be spilled. There will be other humans, I'm sure."
Dore sulks. "But," I offer, "You may have the girl's ears, if she is to die by my hands." "Yes, my Lord." he says, but with resentment. "Besides," I say, as my human flesh reforms over my claw, "There are humans heading our way, well, one in particular." "Of the Mitchell's?" asks Dore, a little interested. "Yes," I nod, "Seems like, after every twenty years, they catch up with us." Dore grunts in agreement.
Fray comes back, after a while, only her dolls follow her. "So?" I ask her, while Dore sulks again. "It's taken care of, then." she grins, "Of course, she may have a few nightmares, but at least she knows the full truth. She knows now that she can not be mates with demons and the dead." "Not without doing the tasks," I frown, "Which you've no doubt told her..." "What?" frowns Fray, "You don't really think she'd-" "She may." I said, a little shiver of fear running up my back.
"She's not that mental!" huffs Fray, grabbing onto her dolls, yanking them into her arms. "I don't know..." I frown, looking off into the disappearing shadows ahead, "She's may be just that crazy..."