A Human's Blood, A Tainted Family

'It's ok, don't cry.' A hushed voice whispered in the depths of despair, strands of gold cascaded down her slender back, stray hair shining in the warm glow of the sun. Her face was battered, and her arms were bruised, crimson hiding the wounds that tainted her features.

Soft, caring hands reached out to her children who wallowed in her arms, their tiny hands clawing at her fabric for comfort, pulling her as close as they could into an embrace of comfort.

'My beautiful girls,' she murmured, a gentle smile on her face. 'So caring and gentle, I'm happy to have had you.'

'Regrettably, I can't always be here to watch over you. You two need to look after each other, okay? Fiona, look after your baby sister. And Isabella, don't be afraid to tell her off when she gets out of line.' She looks down at the two angels that resided in her hands, their teary eyes staring up at her as she spoke.

'My little Princesses.' She cooed under her breath her heart warming at their care, slowly planting a kiss on both of their heads.

'but mom.. what about you?' A young girl asked, her huge blue eyes framed by strands of her black hair as it weaved and curved perfectly to fit her round face.

'Nothing's going to happen to me, my dear.' Her gentle hands caresses her, a soft smile on her face.

'We're going to escape this place, me and you two and your father will be non the wiser.' She chuckled, pulling them ever so closer. Their mom's warm embrace providing comfort in such dark times. 

Screams would often echo through their walls at the dead of night, the cold wind the only thing to embrace them. The sobs of their mother served as their lullaby. The sound of breaking glass and thumping wood rang in their ears. The never ending and cries for help, flesh striking flesh those were all things they were used to.

'Is mom going to be alright?' Isabella would often ask, her sister comforting her with the delicate touch she always would.

'Of course she will, it's only a matter of time before we leave right?' She'd often respond with that very line, and it would work, the warmth in her heart ignited every time she uttered those words. A feeling that she'd kill to feel again.

In tough times, they only had each other, every time their father would rage, or throw something at their mom, Isabella always run to Fiona, her caring embrace and cool head gave her hope, that things would be better.

Soon the sisters would start jobs, being ten or so at the time, so young yet burdened with so much only to help their mom live a better life with them, but nothing changed. The would often cry in her room, her quiet sobs at night would often be accompanied by screaming for help, the vivid memories forever taunting both her and her kids.

'Nothing had changed,' Isabella muttered, once again cowering in the arms of her sister to get her through the night of their mother's cries.

'It will , don't be like that,' Fiona hushed, her hands brushing through her short black hair.

Isabella would always admire her, even in times like this. Fiona's long black hair and sharp blue eyes were captivating, her slender arms and pale skin adding to her beauty. She wished she could be like her. Everyone fawned over her, even their mother, who would often praise Fiona for having such beautiful eyes and pointy ears. Isabella, with human ears, inherited a trait passed down by the man who treated her so poorly.

It didn't take long for her mother to lash out against her, locking her in her room to avoid her gaze at all costs.

'Your blood is tainted! Don't come near me!' She'd lash out at her daughter, often trying to separate the two sisters as much as her power would allow, though her efforts were futile, as the pair only had each other. It would always be the same, Isabella would seek out the protection of the one person who didn't judge her, the one form of unconditional love he had left.

'Come on, Isabella, don't cry. Be strong, hold your head high,' Fiona smiled, lifting up her head ever so slightly by the chin. 'Confidence looks great on any woman, ya'know.'

Her confident smile and cheerful voice brought a weak smile to her sobbing face, though her mother loathed her, she could always find love right where her sister was, and all would be right with this god forsaken world. Then one day, at the ripe age of nineteen, all that was lost, broken down and tossed aside, for even her sister abandoned her.

A society focused so much on beauty, a woman being a trophy to be treasured until the day she gathers rust, tossed out for another. To be shown off as loyal, patient, and kind, a mindless robot that looks good and does things that a man 'shouldn't.'

Fiona, a girl of amazing beauty, naturally drew the attention of many. She settled down with a rich man who paid off their mother for an arranged marriage, the money intended to help them. However, on the day of their wedding-

Isabella heard the sound of rustling from the room next to her's, the room of her sister, a hushed sound that carried so many secrets, curiosity swept the mind. Gracefully, she got out of bed with tired eyes. Her steps were sluggish, mostly left to the subconscious, her eyes filled with sleep as she tried to investigate what was unknown to her.

'Fiona? What are you doing this late.' She pondered, trying to fight the sleep with the wringing of her fist against her eyelids, seeing her sister hunched over in the corner, packing her stuff, teary eyes filled with bags as if she didn't sleep for days. 

'I'm sorry Isabella, I can't stay here.' She murmured through the hitches in her voice, trying to keep the tears back.

'What? But- but you can't leave!' She cried out, soon snapping out of her sleepy trance once she heard the news. Her sister? Leaving? She couldn't stand such a thought!

'I'm sorry but I can't marry him, that man.... he's-' Her voice trails off, her eyebrows furrowing, gritting her teeth at just the thought.

'So what if he's not the one for you! Please! Do it for mom! She needs you more than anything! You're the only person she could love in this world!' Isabella cried. Her arms flailing like a lost child as snot escaped from her nose, the thought of loosing someone else. First her mom, now her sister. It was too much to even think about! Too much to even begin to bare.

'You're such a good kid.' Fiona's voice quivered under the weight of her choice. Her hands slowly closing the lid of her bag before turning to her beloved sister. 'You're so much better than me.'

'Don't say that! Your beautiful! Smart! Kind! You're amazing!' Isabella argued, clawing at the fabric that hugged her chest, shaking her with all her might in hopes that would bring her back to her senses, but she just laughed softly, tiny droplets of tears escaping her eyes as she looked down at the one that called her a big sister.

'My little princess.' She hugged her sister ever so tightly in her arms, not wanting to let go.

'Yet here I am, abandoning the woman that loves me so, just because I don't like something, and here you are, begging me to stay for the sake of someone that hates and loathes you.' Fiona stretches her arm out to the young child, her soft, careful touch caressing her face like how her mother-, no, like how Velvet would have If she still cared, If she still saw Isabella for her and not her father.

'I'm sorry Isabella, but I'm not as kind as you, and I want to get as far away from here as possible. Please, don't hate or loath me, come with me! I won't leave you behind! Not like mom, dad, or anyone that left us in his care!' Fiona begged and pleaded for her to understand, though her cries fell on deaf ears as he sister shunned her, slapping her hand away from her face and breaking free of her embrace.

They stood there in silence, tears stinging the back of her eyes as she thought about it, leaving mom in the state she's in, where she couldn't trust anyone, where she shunned out her own daughter in favor of another, and with all the love she had gained, she just wanted to leave like it never happened, it made her blood boil.

'If you want to go then so be it,.' She mumbled, her hands tightening into fists, trying to get out the rage in what little strain she could manage. 'Get out I'd rather be dead than go with you! I don't want to remember your face.'

'Leave! Get far away from here and don't you DARE call me your sister ever again!' Her words were blades, piercing the heart of the one who cared for her most. Tears welled in Fiona's eyes as she packed her bags, running past the door and slamming it shut behind her, though by some miracle, their mother didn't awaken, not even for a second.

Isabella fell to her knees, her hands slowly reaching to cup her face in a fit of rage as the tears flowed endlessly through the cracks. her hands quivered with anger and sadness, already regretting the choice of words she had portrayed, the feeling of loss, to think she'd get used to such a thing by now, but she was mistaken. This stung, far worse than one might imagine, the feeling of being truly alone, is far different than being alone with someone who cared.

'How could you do that?!' The sound of a crisp impact flooded the air, sending Isabella back with a bruised cheek, flaming red from the impact. Her mother towered over her, standing as tall as imposing as a woman would look to a child. Her hands clenched in rage before her daughter.

'How could you say that to your sister!?' She roared, tears flooding her eyes as well.

'She wanted to leave us! She was going to abandon us!' Isabella cried out, her hands digging into the wooden floor as tears soaked the floors, receiving another brutal blow to the face.

'You dare talk back to your mother!?' Velvet shouted at her child. 'You know what? Maybe it's better that she left! I wouldn't want to stay with you either! You're a good for nothing, ugly child who should've never been born!' 

And with that, Velvet locked away her heart to the child, not even bothering to feed her like a decent human would. Her eyes dead and void of all life after losing someone so close and dear to her, she was practically a vegetable.