What Was and Might Never Be Again (OPEN)

[everleighannemason]

The movies that she had snuck into early were over but Everleigh still wasn't ready to go back to that hellish foster home yet. The little girl wandered aimlessly through the streets for a while, peeking into shop windows, browsing aisles of accessory stores and even spent some time wandering an antiques store but nothing was catching her interest. She was bored and broke and nothing she did to try to alleviate the boredom was helping.

Everleigh finally decided that maybe tucking herself into one of the back aisles of the bookstore would be a good way to waste some time so she started making her way down the length of the sidewalk and all the way over to the other end. She wasn't in any hurry so she stopped every so often to peek into the window of one shop or another until she was almost at the book store.

She was right next door, in fact, when a commotion from a nearby display caught her attention. Ever frowned curiously to herself as she stepped closer and leaned in to see what the fuss was about. What she saw brought tears to her eyes. It was a litter of five German Shepard puppies all romping and falling over each other in the pet store window. She couldn't help but to smile to herself through her tears as she watched them.

Being a foster child for the last six years of her life, Ever didn't have the opportunity to grow many attachments. The one she did manage to let herself make was at her last foster home before the one she was currently in. That family had a huge German Shepard named Toby who had decided that he was her own personal bodyguard. When she would move, Toby would follow. He would be under the dining room table at her feet at mealtimes, at the end of her bed every night. He was like her big, hairy, six foot two shadow. Nothing on earth had made her feel safer. Seeing the puppies in front of her now reminded her of Toby and reminded her of what she would never have again. That kind of security, affection and trust. That is what brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't help it. Everleigh wanted nothing more than to feel that again, all the time. And not just around a dog but around people too. She wanted a family again. She sighed to herself as she watched the puppies play. Maybe she would wander into the pet store for a while. For now she just stood there, debating and watching.

[Eryk Allewell]

Eryk had always made a point of taking a walk. He enjoyed the fresh air, the people he passed – it gave the vampire a goal for each day when there was little else to be done. He didn’t work after all, there was little need when money was not an issue, and though he often helped Wendy with the bookstore, he was yet to consider that as a job either. Still, for now at least Eryk would enjoy his daily strolls with the exuberant beast that bounded along at his side.

Fang always accompanied Eryk on his strolls – it was the only time the wolf could be pulled away from the base Alabama’s cot, Thaila’s feet.... wherever the baby was Fang was soon to follow, given that the shaggy black beast seemed to have made the baby’s safety its personal mission. Sometimes, Eryk would, on a whim, remember the days when it had just been the two of them, the vampire and the wolf, and he would miss the peace and quiet that accompanied nights as such.... but the moments were fleeting in natures in the same way he would miss his long dead wife and son, and the life he had left behind over 200 years before. Now, he needed only to think of his daughters smile, his grandsons laughter, his Girlfriends warm embrace, and all these memories would be but fleeting, paling in comparison to the present.

Walking down the street now, back towards his home and away from the park where he had spent the last hour, Eryk paid little attention to the child admiring the puppies – or as little attention as any vampire can pay to a warm blooded creature, but fang however chose a different route, and went and stood by the girls legs, lifting up as f to peer through the window at the pups too.

[everleighannemason]

After several moments of staring, lost in thought the child finally realized that she had been crying. The bitter air, making the moisture on her face cold and uncomfortable. At that point she had all but decided that she would in fact spend some time in the pet store that day. Now she was feeling nostalgic and definitely needed some quality time with something cuddly. Maybe one of the shop workers would let her hold a puppy if she asked. Just the thought made her smile to herself.

It was when she was turning to head for the door that she realized that there was now a huge black wolf standing at her side. This was no dog, at least not one that Everleigh had ever seen. Maybe it was just childish wonder but her first reaction wasn't fear, it was awe. A wolf was standing right next to her on a public sidewalk, looking into a pet shop window. Just the idea of it made the child grin to herself. Without thinking the little girl reached out a hand and gently placed it on the animal's head. It probably wasn't the safest idea but it was an unconscious gesture. She couldn't help herself. Part of her wanted to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

But there had to be a person connected to such an animal. She couldn't imagine this wolf wandering the town alone without gathering a lot of attention unless there was a person with it. Even then she was sure it would turn heads. Still, she turned her attention to the man standing closest to the wolf, a blush infusing her cheeks as she pulled her hand back from the top of the animal's head. ”I'm sorry.” She smiled shyly. ”Your pet...he's beautiful.” She couldn't just come out and say the word “wolf” on a public street but she didn't want to insult the man or his wolf by calling it a dog either. Pet seemed like a more appropriate title, at least she hoped that this man didn't take offense to the label.

[Eryk Allewell]

Fang had somewhat of a reputation for taking in strays, and adding new members to an ever growing pack simply because he believed that person needed help. Thaila, Eryk’s now adopted Daughter, had been befriended by fang long before Eryk had managed to earn the girls trust. Wendy, the woman quickly becoming the love of this vampires un-life, had been rescued from the bushes by fang.... and now it would appear the large, black wolf wished to add another member to the pack... or at least that was the impression given in the way the wolf tolerated the girls petting, when must would find themselves losing a hand, and Fang gaining himself a new plaything.

Still, Eryk was somewhat surprised when the wolf was no longer at his heels, turning back and quirking a brow at the animal standing on his back legs to peer into a shop window. Returning, he stood at the other side of fang... he knew how skittish children could be, and quite rightfully so... but this one had guts to lay a hand on Fang’s great head. He smiled across at her when she smiled at him, standing with his hand held behind his back, peering into the shop window. ”Thank you, but He is not a Pet. I think you would be hard pressed to find a wolf would settle in such a derogatory position. He is a companion... and his name is Fang.” He smiled at her, and reached a hand to scruff the animals fur gently.

” he seems to like you... he won’t let many touch him without consequence.” yes. Eryk had no idea just how much he sounded like some sort of paedophile, when truly he was only being polite.

[everleighannemason]

Fang, as the man called him was a beautiful wolf and the child still couldn't help but to admire him. A companion. That made more sense. Wild animals like this could never really be tamed or owned, after all, so it made sense to see the wolf that way. The man that accompanied this wolf somehow fit with him. There was something very worldly and old fashioned about him, as if he didn't quite fit into modern times. The idea made the child smile again. It sounded ridiculous. Still, there was something otherworldly about standing there on that street corner with this man and this wolf. Having an animal like this allow you to touch it was a special experience and Everleigh was very aware of that at the moment.

When the man commented that the wolf seemed to like her, Everleigh found herself reaching out and petting Fang again. The small child had always been drawn to big animals and this wolf was no different but then again they seemed drawn to her as well, for some reason. Was it some instinct inside, telling them that she was orphaned and alone? Maybe some part of them knew she needed protecting in that way. She couldn't be sure but the attention gave her a sense of security. Still, she was very aware that, in this case, she was lucky the wolf was so gentle with her. He could easily take her hand if he wanted to.

The girl again removed her hand from the wolf and looked up at the man, ”How did you come to have a wolf as a companion?” She wasn't trying to be rude but childish curiosity had struck. Since the man had mentioned that the wolf was picky about who he liked, it made her wonder what the wolf had been drawn to with this man.

[Eryk Allewell]

Once more, fang tilted his head into the child’s touch and accepted the affection he was given with a quiet satisfaction as Eryk watched curiously. The canine certainly did some rather curious things at times, and today was appearing to be no acceptation, and is was all the vampire could do keep track of the people Fang continued to befriend. Eryk was even beginning to wonder if their more settled lifestyle was what was causing the wolf’s nature to change somewhat, if he had lost the more aggressive side to him now that there was rarely the danger that accompanied the pairs previously nomadic lifestyles.

” How? I was hunting, and came across him as a pup. I believe his pack had been slaughtered, hunters most likely, and he attached himself to me, as I in time grew somewhat attached to him. “ Eryk smiled, the fondness in his eyes causing them to warm as he looked upon the wolf for a moment. Wolves and vampires were often seen as kin, perhaps most drastically in the tales of Dracula, where the vampire could turn himself into such a creature, but of course, such legends were simply that, legends and myth, with no grounding in the truth.

Still, the avid reader in him gave fancy for a moment to the idea that a kinship lay deep routed within the two species, and it was this reason why the wolf had chosen to affiliate, accompany and befriend himself with the vampire.

“but perhaps the question we should be asking is why he seems to have a soft for you, child. My name is Eryk Allewell, may I ask of yours?”

[everleighannemason]

No wonder the wolf was drawn to the child, having had his pack slaughtered and Everleigh's father having been murdered. Everleigh herself was also attacked and left for dead as well. Fortunately for the child, she survived. When the child reached to touch the wolf's head again it wasn't just to pet him. She closed her eyes and ran her small fingers down the length of his head to his neck, not just feeling but seeing what that past experience was for the wolf. Eryk was right. It was hunters. When she opened her eyes again there was the shine of tears in them. ”Hunters,” she mumbled to herself, her attention still on the wolf.

Everleigh never revealed her “gifts” to anyone. Being a ten year old empathic psychic as well as an orphan, she felt, was much too off-putting. She would never find a family, a place to belong if she revealed something that made her so different from everyone else. In this case, however, it was instinct that drew her to try to see what the wolf had been through. There was some strange amount of comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one to lose her family to that kind of violence but her empathic side felt horrible for the animal.

She turned her head away from both the man and the wolf for a moment to compose herself before looking up at Eryk's introduction. ”I'm Everleigh.” She wasn't shy about introducing herself to people. Unlike most children she was never really taught to be wary of strangers. The past six years of her life she had been shuffled from one stranger to another. What was meeting one more?