Alexandria was a girl, maybe six or seven when she wondered too deep into the old Whitman mansion and found the room in which the Tracker was stored.
"Are you okay?!" She gasped when she saw him. Huddled in a corner, writing in pain.
The creature eyed the curious girl and extended its hand. Alexandria squealed and pulled an apple from the pocket of her dress.
"You must be hungry. Here." She handed the creature the apple. "Why are you in here? You must be lonely." The creatures hand closed around her own and Alexandria felt a burning travel through her body. She wanted to pull her hand away but felt like it would be rude. So she bit her lips between her teeth and did her best to stay in pace.
Before she knew what was happening she was ripped away from the creature and being shaken like a rag doll.
"You are never to come in here!" Her father bellowed as he struck her for the first time. Alexandria knew better than to cry out. Her teary gaze fell onto the creature as she scrambled to get out of her fathers iron grip.
Alexandria was forced to watch as her fathers men tormented the poor creature.
"We do not speak with abominations!" Her father cried as he hit her with a bamboo stick when she tried to intervene and protect the creature. "We do not exist with them!"
"He's hurt daddy, stop it!" The creature watched the older man strike the girl for coming to his defense.
"This is no human, you foolish girl." The father struck her again. "This is a Nillie. A monster!" Alexandria whimpered as she denied her fathers words. "He's hurt and helpless, let him go!" It was the first of many harsh lessons. The creature would see the girl again. She knew to be careful and quick so that she wouldn't get caught. Watching her fathers men torment him to near death was a harsh reality. A reality that she would never come to understand.
The creature would be the one to tell her his story and how he was made. That her father was right and he is an abomination.
His existence defied the very definition of nature… Alexandria would have none of it.
"You are here. Naturally or not, which means you are meant to live…" she would remind him. "I will free you one day." She promised.
"I shall grant you you happiness in return." The creature replied. An apple sealed their deal.
A grown Alexandria came to the creature in a frantic desperation, she threw herself into the bars of his cage uncaring of the electricity that ran through her body.
The creature could see the bruises that littered the woman's body. His eyes fell on the hand shaped mark around her neck.
"Please… I will give you my very life… save my family…"
The creature did not reach for the apple that she offered. "Your father has commanded otherwise child." He replied, "I am bound to my command."
"No!" Alexandria cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Name your price and I will grant it!" She pleaded to be met with silence, "Please.. they're children… ten and four… please…" the creature felt his heart shudder at the sight of the crying woman before him.
"Then take me as well! Please don't let them suffer…please…" the creature turned from the sobbing woman. "Even I cannot undo the kiss of death, child." At the same moment, an agonized shrill wail ripped from Alexandria's throat. She fell from the creatures cage, gripping her chest. Body trembling, she curled into herself whimpering, mumbling jibberish it seamed. The creature watched her tangle her hands into her already messy hair as she curled into herself, as if trying to keep her emotions in check.
It was short lived battle.
Alexandria threw her head back with another agonizing wail that pierced the creatures non existent heart. The creature slid toward the wailing woman as she threw her body towered the nearest table and swiped her hands across it, sending papers flying. Jars shattering, photos crashing to the floor. She flipped the table over with a cry as she made her way to the nearest bookshelf where she shoved it onto its side with another cry. Hell bent on destroying whatever she could get her hands on. Alexandra was about to do the same with the shelf next to it when she tripped and stumbled through a rotting wooden door.
Numb and unseeing, Alexandra's eyes fell onto hazel eyes. He had a strong jawline, looking slightly to the left, head held high in his dignity. Alexandria tilted her head as her hand fell onto a leather book.
She opened it and started to read, desperate grief fueled a new, tantalizing emotion within the heart broken woman. She read every word and read it again. No one knew how much time had passed. The creature watched the woman slowly, numbly walk from the hole in the wall before him.
"We will meet again… old friend." She muttered as she continued on her way. Alexandra cradled the book in her hand. She would indeed be back.…
Alexandria was driven. Ambition that drove her to be the pride of her family now morphed to an obsession to destroy said family. Using her name and lineage, she infiltrated the Whitman Facilities. Finding the stories of the woman who cursed her late forefather into madness, Alexandria got an idea.
She found the witch. The one her late husband told her about: Zafrina. "What you ask is not small feat, child." The old crone muttered as she smoked her pipe. "Name your price."
Zafrina eyed the woman before her. "You've lost your mate. Your children…" her eyes fell into Alexandria's flat stomach. "The grief that you wear so well has cost you your youngest." Aged eyes watched the woman before her deflate. "I've never seen the darkness of vengence latch to a mortal so desperately… is this how you survive the pain?" Alexandria had no idea what the woman was talking about. She just wanted the potion. She wanted her revenge.
Price didn't matter.
The cost was of no consequence.
After all… what was there to life anyways…
"You wish for the dead to haunt your twice cursed family, child…"
"I want their sins to plague them. I want them to destroy themselves as they have destroyed my family…" Alexandria declared.
"Will you claim a life? Taint your spirit further?" "Name the life you want."
"Alexander Whitman."
Icy determination brought her to her fathers doorstep. The old man was strong and fit for his life style: Latched to the bottle.
Alexandria made her peace with him and offered to make dinner, as her mother used to… the elder, trusting and eager for his eldest daughters forgiveness consented.
Alexandria served her father a drink and sat across from him. She watched him grab at this chest and stare at her wide eyed. She watched the blood spill from his mouth, eyes, nose and ears, as he tried to speak.
She watched him gasp for breath, clearly in physical agony as Deaths kiss slowly greeted him. Alexandria stood and gathered what she needed of her father: his blood.
Fresh from his heart.
She was uncaring of the investigation. She was numb at his funeral. Alexandria latched onto her grieving brothers side and continued with her plan.
She bore witness to the ghastly experimentations on the thirteen children. Seeing one blue eyed and one hazel eyed girl emerge from the gore, she watched the little golden eyed girl sit between them. It was an image that would surely stick with her for the rest of her life.
***
Alexandria sighed as she watched the boy leave with the red eyed man.
"I can take you as well." Alexandria shook her head. "Please ensure Axel finds what I left you… he will need it."
"Alexandria…"
"It's time I've joined my family… Alexanders tracker will not stop until he finds me."
"He actually sacrificed his own daughter…" Alexandria scoffed, "it's not the first daughter he's sacrificed. If he has his way, it won't be the last either… a Whitman child is required to create the tracker…"
The red eyed man felt the tug of his body. The tracker must be near. He internally cursed his rotten luck. "Thank you, stranger. Perhaps we will meet in a better life?"
The red eyed man nodded. Doubtful to if they would.. however the warm smile on Alexandria's face made the statement worth saying. He cursed as he was ripped away from the aging woman. Alexandria felt her body tense when she felt the ominous presence behind her.
"Have you made your peace… mortal?"
Alexandria faced the brown eyed creature with her head raised.
Finally… she would be with her family…
"Have you?" She replied, tension leaving her body as her hazel eyes fell onto the brown eyed man. "Old friend." The creature lifted a bony hand, and she placed an apple into his open palm.
"Looks like this is my last treat to you… I'm sorry I couldn't free you."
A sadness filled Alexandria… 'I couldn't avenge my husband and children… I couldn't protect the boy… or even Myriah… perhaps this is the fate of all Whitman blood?'
The creature allowed his hand to close around the apple. "You are kind to have tried, young one. My binds prevented me from saving your family…" the unfinished apology wasn't missed by the aging woman as she placed a gentle hand ontop of the creatures folded one. "Perhaps we will meet in a better life?" She asked, with new dread filling her heart.
Death was truly a scary thing… regardless of how wanted she is. The creature offered a slow nod with a whispered yes as the red eyed man had before him.
Alexandria nodded as tears slipped from her hazel eyes, "if you find Myriah… will you allow a bargain?" The creature halted.
"I will grant the bargain on my last breath." Alexandria sighed her thanks as the creature placed a gentle hand on top of her head. Alexandra closed her eyes.
"Farewell… old frien…" the creature watched the woman's body fall to a lifeless heap at his freet. "May you find your family in the netherworld." The creature whispered as he vanished from the small cottage.