London - 1792
The radiant glow of the moonlight cast its light across the streets of London and its denizens of the night. Prostitutes roamed the dark corners plying their trade while drunks staggered down the cobblestone towards their next pub or home to sleep it off. Down one dark alleyway sat a little girl with deep red, wavy locks that hung loose and wild around her shoulders. The dress she wore was brown with an off white apron tied around her waist. It was an old dress, faded, a bit ragged, and a trifle small, but the girl didn't seem to care. Her bright amethyst eyes sparkled with starlight and just a touch of mischief. In her hands she held an old baby blanket that she wrapped around her shoulders, pretending that it was a beautiful velvet cloak. In her imagination she was Queen of the Fae sitting at a fancy dining table sipping tea from a golden cup. She tied strings around her fingers, wrists and neck and imagined they were costly jewels. In her pretend world she was loved by all of her subjects, wise and fair with her royal decrees or was rescued in the nick of time from the mouth of a dragon by a handsome, brave and valiant knight.
This late hour was the only time she could be a child. During the day she worked beside her mother washing clothes for people in order to earn a living. Her shoulders were sore from hauling enough water to fill the wash tub and her hands were dry and cracked with sores from the hot water, starch and lye soap. At first it wasn't so much work, but her mother had taken ill recently and the responsibility had fallen to her. Now the only time she had to play was late at night when everything was done. In her imaginary world there was no work, no sickness and no debts to pay. Each night she snuck out of her window and played quietly in the alley behind it.
Tonight the moon was full and bright in the clear night sky. The little girl had decided to pretend that she was hosting a grand ball with all the nobility. She imagined she wore a gown of fine crimson velvet with a gold crown on her head. She put out her hand as though she were being led out to the middle of the room for a dance and she might have tried to dance too, but her reveries were broken by the sound of a terrified scream. She turned to the direction the cry came from and saw a woman running toward her. The woman's hazel eyes were wide with terror and her face was white as a sheet as she grabbed the child. Her hands were clammy and she was shaking with fear.
" Run into your home girl and lock the doors, before the vampire gets you! " Then as quickly as she appeared the woman ran off into the night. Aidan stood there a moment confused and a bit curious. She wondered if what the woman said was true, were there really vampires in London? Curiosity got the better of her and decided to venture to the end of the alley and see if she could see where the woman had gone. She had only taken one step when another scream pierced the silence. Aidan stood frozen in fear for a moment before summoning her courage and continuing her walk to the end of the alley.
She reached the main street and peered up one cobblestone road then down the other way but found no trace of the woman. She looked across the street at the continuing alley but could see nothing but dark shadows. The gas street lamps were not strong enough to pierce into the inky blackness of the narrow alleys. A shudder went through the child at the sight and she crossed herself.
"God, grant her rest." she whispered. She turned around to go back home and found close behind her a man that seemed impossibly tall next to her diminutive size. Surprised she gasped and fell back against the building, the baby blanket around her shoulders falling to the ground. His hair was dark brown and thick with eyes of blue gray. She could tell that he was someone of wealth by his waist coat of black silk with silver trim and gentleman's boots, but his manner was cold and sinister. Aidan looked into his eyes and could see something sad and long buried beneath his stern countenance.
"You don't look like a vampire." She said rather forwardly
"What?" The man replied rather surprised at her boldness.
"Vampire's should look like corpses, shouldn't they?"
"You know what I am?"
"A woman warned me that there was a vampire." The girl pointed in the direction that the scream had come from. "Are you going to kill me too?" She asked a little hesitantly.
"I'm not going to harm you, child." He answered. Aidan was instantly taken by his voice. It sounded like a soft whisper, yet was loud enough to be heard as though it was a natural speaking voice. "What is your name, little one?"
"Aidan Cathal." She answered.
"Little fire," He said to himself.
