Madison climbed off her sister as she pulled Jill’s arm behind her back. “Ow, ow! Stop!” She twisted it more. “Fine I’ll go!” Jill snapped. Madison did not ease up on her hold. For some odd reason she just didn’t trust her little sister at the moment.

“Ow! Madison! Stop!” Jill pleaded.

Candy ran out of the house and jumped in front of them. “Madison, let her go!”

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way,” she bit out each word.

“But…” Candy looked nervously from Madison to Jill. Whatever she saw on Jill’s face made her act in self-preservation. She inhaled deeply and looked down her nose at Jill. “I told you not to bring drugs into the house again.” Jill and Madison’s mouth dropped open at the same moment.

“I’m sorry, Jill, perhaps I didn’t do you any favors by letting it slide last time, but,” she nodded to herself, “this is for the best I think.” With that she stalked back to the house, leaving everyone stunned. Not for one second did anyone believe Candy hadn’t given her the drugs.

A sob broke from Jill that had nothing to do with the Madison’s hold. “I-I did pot last week and I-I tried ecstasy a week ago as well…..” she choked. “I’m sorry….I…..I didn’t think….I just wanted Candy to li-like m-me.”

Madison released her hold and pulled Jill into a fierce hug. “Shh, it’s okay.” She was going to slap Candy one of these days. Madison swore inwardly, she knew that was the major reason Jill had been acting like this the past weeks. She wanted Candy to like her.

“I won’t do it again. You don’t have to worry,” Jill said bitterly. Madison sighed. It finally happened. Jill realized in that moment their mother didn’t love them or care about them. It took her fifteen years to do it and Madison felt like someone stabbed her in the heart. She never wanted her sister to feel this pain. It hurt more than anything. She knew that better than anyone. Her eyes wondered over to Joshua who was watching them with bored interest. He already knew.

She forced herself from that knowledge and pushed Jill towards the car. “What? I told you what I did and won’t do it again.”

“I know,” Madison said softly. “But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I took your word. I don’t want you to end up making mistakes that you can’t take back.”

Jill’s eyes watered up. “Too late,” she mumbled. Silent tears streamed down her young face as she walked to the car on her own and climbed in. Grandma closed the door and threw a sympathetic look in Madison’s direction before driving away.

Madison forced herself to smile as she turned to look at her brother. “You feel like going car shopping with me?” she asked brightly.

Joshua’s little face lit up. “Heck yeah!” His little face scrunched up, looking thoughtful. “You should wash your face first.”

“Why?”

“You’re bleeding,” he said casually.

Her fingers went to her lips and found hot moisture. She pulled her fingers away and frowned. Damn that girl can hit. “Give me ten minutes and then we’re off.”

*******

Ephraim walked into his room and froze. He inhaled deeply and then again. Blood. Her blood. He closed his eyes and followed the scent into the bathroom. His eyes darted to her door, making sure it was closed. He walked over and locked it before looking for the source. After a moment he found it, tissues.

His hands shook as he reached into the wastebasket to pick up one of the many bloody tissues. He snatched up all of them, afraid they would disappear. In less than a second his eyes were closed and he inhaled deeply. The scent of her blood was overwhelming. His fangs dropped in his mouth aching for a taste.

He licked his lips, imagining what it would be like to taste her blood. In a moment he would know. It was fresh. All he had to do was squeeze a drop from the discarded tissues and he would have his taste. His head dropped back as he held the tissues over his waiting mouth. He opened his eyes, making sure that he didn’t miss a drop. His hand began squeezing the tissues together with inhuman strength, forcing the red liquid to separate from the material.

His tongue darted out, prepared to catch the drops he saw forming. So close…so close…He caught his reflection in the mirror and froze. His eyes were glowing red while his fangs glistened. His features were harsh and he’d never look more like a monster in his entire life.

Slowly he lowered his gaze. After a moment he could no longer look at himself. He threw the tissues into the toilet out of disgust and flushed. He looked at his hand and coiled at the thought that hit him, lick it. His hand was smeared with blood. He’d never been more disgusted with himself than he was at that moment.

For years he hated himself, hated what he was and hated what he wasn’t. None of those moments could compare to this. He was a monster. A blood thirsty monster who was preying on an innocent woman. How he hated himself. The need to lick his hand increased.

“No!” he growled. He would not give in to it. He dropped to his knees and opened the cabinet. A moment later he held his hand over the sink while he poured bleach over it.

Pain shot through his arm while the skin on his hand began to dissolve. He ground his teeth as he continued to pour the entire gallon over his hand. This would remind him that he was nothing more than a monster. He was nothing, just an unwanted accident and everyone would be better off if he remembered that.

*******

Ephraim took a deep breath and bent over. “Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,” he mumbled to himself. He really needed to take a piss and she was still in the shower. If she didn’t get the hell out of there soon he was going to be forced to piss out the window.

He stopped himself from knocking and asking how long she was going to be. For the past month and a half he hadn’t said a word to her. He hadn’t let his presence be known. It was safer that way. He was afraid of what he would do if she spoke to him.

He was drinking two extra pints a day, hoping it would be enough to take away the temptation. It wasn’t. He found that out the hard way. Even with a stomach uncomfortably full of blood didn’t stop the reaction she created. He discovered that every time he caught her scent. This was hell. This was worse than anything Nichols put him through.

He groaned. He was too old to piss his pants, but that’s exactly what he was going to do if he didn’t get to a bathroom now. That was it. He was going to break down the door. He raised his fist and froze when he heard knocking from her side.

The water shut off. “Yes?”

Jill’s voice answered, “You told me to tell you when it was five.”

Ephraim’s eyes shot to his watch. Well, her sister was a prompt little thing. It was five on the dot. “Oh, darn it, I’m coming.”

He closed his eyes and listened to her every movement. She wrapped a towel around her, unlocked his side of the door, scooped up her dirty clothes and went into her room, closing the bathroom door behind her.

“Shit!” He was really about to piss himself. He hurried into the bathroom, careful to lock her door on the way to the toilet. No need for either woman to see a man piss blood. It would probably send them screaming or fainting. He flushed the toilet all the while listening to what was going on in the next room. Ephraim moved around purposely making noise, no need for them to think he was creepy or anything.