Year 1630:
In one dark evening, a young woman, Rosaline, could be seen walking with her toddler sister, Penelope, on her back. She had put a raincoat around her which had holes in it, but it was enough to protect her sister from the rain.
She moved from pillar to post for her sister's treatment, but because she had no money, no one helped her. She finally had reached this unknown village named Blackburn.
The ground had turned muddier, making it difficult to walk. The doctor she reached out to earlier threw her out of his clinic when she could not pay him. Finally, she had reached this village in the hope that someone would definitely help her.
But the world is a cruel place, not everyone helps you!
She was refused help from every single house. Some did not want to help because of her shabby appearance; some thought of her as a thief while some did not open the door.
Rosaline stopped in front of the last house of the alley and knocked on its door. A middle-aged woman came out and gave a strange expression upon seeing her.
With great hopes, Rosaline initiated the conversation. "Madam, could you please help us? My sister is sick. If you could provide a little help to us, then that would be great. It's raining outside and even the medicine shops are closed," Rosaline requested the middle-aged woman, keeping a tiny smile on her lips.
"Go away!" the middle-aged woman shouted at her and then slammed the door in her face. "Don't know from where such people come," Rosaline heard the words of the woman.
Rosaline lowered her eyes and then descended the stairs. Her hopes were shattering and fear was occupying her mind.
Three years ago, her mother passed away after giving birth to Penelope. Her father, who was a drunkard, had died after he was brutally thrashed by the creditors. From a young age, she had seen how hard it was to survive in a world where the poor and destitute had no one. Her naivety had left her long ago because she was exposed to this cruel world at an early age.
The money she had kept safe was taken by the debtors from whom her dead father had taken a heavy loan. Both mother and daughter had to work day and night to pay the debt but there was no end to it. When her mother passed away, their condition became miserable. She did every sort of work to fill their stomach but a safe shelter she could never get for them.
"Pene, do not worry. Your elder sister will surely find help," she assured Penelope as she straightened her back. Her eyes fluttered as the raindrops hit her eyelashes. However, Penelope was in deep slumber because of the high fever she had.
Rosaline took the left route and found that it was an isolated alley. Though there was a bridge ahead, she thought to take some rest under that bridge. She hastened towards the bridge as the rain started to turn heavier.
But her feet stopped as she saw a man, whose face was buried on the crook of a woman's neck, under the bridge.
Rosaline averted her gaze as she realized they were doing something intimate. She stepped forward to walk ahead when heard the loud thud. Looking in that direction, she found that the woman had slumped onto the ground but she was alive. The blood overflowed from her neck.
A Vampire!
Rosaline took a step back in fear, but something stopped her.
'I can take the help from him.' A thought struck her mind.
For centuries, vampires and humans have lived in peace. They had an unspoken treaty between two races: the humans need only offer their own blood — not their lives — and the vampires would ensure their town’s safety. That had been the way for many generations and multiple human settlements had already grown used to this unsaid system.
She gathered her courage and went towards this strange man.
The vampire licked his lips when he heard a soft voice.
"Excuse me, Sir," Rosaline said and he turned his gaze at her.
The Vampire had sharp eyebrows, a pointed nose, and a chiseled jawline. His eyes were red while his skin was pale white. He arched his brow, expecting an answer from Rosaline.
"I can give you my blood but please save my sister," Rosaline said in a single breath.
The Vampire was amused to hear her request.
"I am done for today," he answered and turned to walk away when Rosaline grabbed the edge of his overcoat sleeve. The Vampire narrowly gazed at her and the hand from which she was holding his sleeve.
"I beg you, Sir. You can take me as your meal for tomorrow. But please save my sister," Rosaline humbly requested him and tightly clutched his sleeve, not letting him go because he was her last hope.
"Sir, I assure you that my blood is tastier among all the humans you have ever tasted. I promise, I will not disappoint you," she stated and pleaded with him. She tried her best to convince him because it was a matter of her younger sister's life.
"You do not need to search for your meal for tomorrow. Just sa-save my sister, Sir. She is sick and her fever is not reducing. I have never been tasted by any Vampire, so the strength you will gain after sucking my blood will be much higher than others," she pronounced with a confident tone. "Please, Sir," she once again urged him.
The man looked at the toddler on Rosaline's back. Her face was hidden, however, he could see her forehead.
The Vampire contemplated before saying, "Follow me," and stepped forward. Rosaline took a breath of relief and followed the man.
"Thank you, Sir. I will not disappoint you," Rosaline expressed her gratitude. She was happy thinking that her sister would be fine soon.
Just a few steps ahead, she saw the carriage. A middle-aged man had carried a lantern in his hand and an umbrella in his other hand. He was the coachman and ran towards the Vampire Lord while narrowly gazing at Rosaline. He covered his master's head with the umbrella and
opened the carriage's door for him.
The Vampire turned to look towards Rosaline, who was drenched in rain with her toddler sister.
"Get in," the Vampire told her. Without wasting any second, Rosaline climbed into the carriage and left with the unknown man… not a man but a Vampire to his house.