Kyle and Caitlin dove for each other, each in a murderous rage.
Caitlin met him head-on, and they crashed together like a pair of charging rams. They grappled, grabbing onto each other's shoulders. They tore and clawed at each other, and it was a tremendous meeting of strength. Kyle was twice her size, but Caitlin could feel a strength burning through her beyond what she'd ever known. And strangely enough, even in the midst of such a heated battle, she no longer felt overwhelmed by her emotions. She felt calm, clearheaded. In control. She focused on her breathing, on her inner strength, on the life force coursing through her.
Caitlin could sense Kyle's hatred, his fury. But she was surprised that she could also, as she turned in, sense something deeper underneath: fear. She was shocked to sense that Kyle was afraid.
Of her.
After minutes of grappling, Caitlin got the upper hand. She turned and threw him, and he went flying across the room, slamming into a stone wall.
Kyle stood there, staring back at her, wide-eyed, looking shocked.
He snarled as he charged her again, as if to tackle her. But as he did, Caitlin jumped straight up into the air and kicked him right beneath his jaw, sending his chin flying back, and sending him landing flat on his back.
Caitlin then lifted her foot, aiming to crush his throat. At the last second, though, he rolled out of the way, and her foot went into the floor with such force that it put a hole in it. For a second, she was stuck. Kyle elbowed her hard in the back, sending her flying across the room, and head-first into the wall.
Caitlin fell burning pain in her back, and in her head, and momentarily, was dizzy.
Kyle charged her again, this time grabbing a huge desk, bringing it up high, and getting ready to smash Caitlin over the head with it.
Caitlin rolled out of the way just in time, sweeping out Kyle's feet as she did, forcing him to fall flat on his face, banging his head into the edge of the desk. She wheeled, tore the metal arm off the desk, raised it, and brought it down hard on the back of Kyle's head.
He rolled several times, across the room, and finally came to a stop on the ground, groaning, barely conscious.
Caitlin walked over to him slowly, raised the metal bar high, and prepared to plunge it into his chest, and finish him off for good.
Barely conscious, he looked up to her, and grinned an evil grin, blood coming from his mouth.
"Do it," he said.
Caitlin raised it high, and was about to plunge it into his chest - as revenge for everyone she loved dearly - when, at the last second, she heard a voice.
"Mommy?"
Caitlin spun at the noise, the sound of Scarlet's words coursing through her.
She saw Scarlet sitting up in bed, reaching out for her.
Caitlin spun back, to finish off Kyle, but it was too late.
He was already running for the open window, and with two huge steps, he leapt out.
All Caitlin could do was watch, as he flew into the night sky.
"We'll meet again!" he screamed out, his words echoing through the night sky as he flew away, his body disappearing into the full moon.
Caitlin dropped her weapon and ran to Scarlet's side.
She gave her a huge hug, and held her, as she was crying and shaking. She leaned back and brushed the hair out of her face, and kissed her all over her forehead. Her welts look much worse than before, and she could feel her burning up.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Caitlin said. "I'm so sorry mommy left you." Scarlet hugged her again, holding her tight, crying.
"It hurts so bad, mommy. Please, make it go away."
Caitlin's heart was breaking.
"I will," Caitlin said. "It's all going to be okay. I promise." Caitlin ran around the other side of the bed, to Caleb's side, and knelt there, holding his hand in both of hers as she leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
"Caleb," she said.
Nothing.
She squeezed him harder, with both of her hands, and could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. She could sense that he was still alive, but barely.
"Caleb, please," she wept. "Open your eyes. Just one last time." Slowly, very slowly, Caleb's eyelids fluttered just the tiniest bit.
"I love you Caleb, "she said. "I want you to know that. I will always love you. And I will always be your wife."
Caleb seemed to stir. He opened his eyes just the tiniest bit more, and Caitlin slid one hand beneath the back of his head. She gently lifted his head, and with her other hand, reached over, and took out the vial of Violet's blood.
"Caleb, I need you to do one last thing for me," she said. "You must drink this. Can you do that?"
He didn't respond.
"Caleb. Please. Do this for me. Just this one last thing. Please." He looked at her, his eyelids fluttering, and seemed to nod just the tiniest bit.
Caitlin took a deep breath, reached over, unstopped the vial, and held it to his lips. She lifted his head a bit more, and forced his lips open. And then, she suddenly emptied the entire vial into his throat, closing his mouth, forcing his head back.
Caleb coughed and gagged as the blood went down the back of his throat. He was coughing and coughing, trying to catch his breath.
It did something to him, clearly, because, for just a moment, his eyes opened wide.
"And now, feed on me," she said, crying.
Caleb slowly shook his head.
"I can't," he whispered. "It could kill you."
Caitlin shook her head firmly.
"No. It's okay. I promise. Everything will be okay."
Caleb shook his head again and again, as his eyes began to close.
Caitlin shook him by the shoulders.
"Caleb, please, listen to me. You have to do this. Not just for me. But for Scarlet. Listen to me. I have the key. You have to try this. It might work. It might just send us all back." Caleb shook his head, again and again.
"Mommy?" came the voice from across the bed. "I'm scared. I'm seeing things." Caitlin jumped up onto the bed, between the two, and dragged Caleb over, next to Scarlet. She reached over and grabbed Scarlet's hand with one hand, and grabbed Caleb's hand with the other.
"I hereby lay thee down to rest," Caitlin said aloud, initiating the funeral ritual herself. "Caitlin, Caleb, and Scarlet, to resurrect another day, in God's ultimate grace." She repeated it a second time. As she did, Caleb's eyes fluttered. She held the two of them even tighter, and then leaned over, putting her exposed throat right before Caleb's lips.
She then slipped one hand beneath his head and lifted it, forcing his teeth towards her throat.
She repeated it a third time.
As she did, Caleb's eyes opened wide, and Scarlet clutched her firmly. She squeezed the back of Caleb's head, pushing him closer and closer towards her throat, urging him.
"Caleb, please!" she pleaded. "Feed on me. I demand it!"
And then finally, as she began to feel her world spin, becoming lighter, her father's key heating up in her pocket, she saw Caleb open his lips wide. She felt his fangs protract, and with his very last bit of energy, he suddenly leaned forward, plunging his long teeth deep into her throat.
She let out a little cry, as she felt the pain of the teeth puncturing, entering her throat.
As his teeth sank deeper and deeper, Caitlin felt the room spinning, felt her world turning white.
She started to lose sense of her body, and she could have sworn that she saw Jade, standing over them all, watching, smiling.
Her world slowly, inevitably, turned white, and all she could think of, as she held them all tight, was that, finally, she was betrothed.