tightly pulled thin skin , and prominent pointed cheek bones .
“ Oh my …” a maid said , stepping back when she saw the girl ’ s face .
“ Don ’ t move !” I said with steel in my voice . I was waiting for the girl to pounce . She had transformed into a fiend – a creature of prey , and fiends attacked indiscriminately without provocation , making them unpredictable . The only thing I knew for certain was that the girl would attack anything that moved out of hunger and lust for blood .
“ Sara ,” the mother began but paused , her eyes trembling . “ Darling ?”
The girl quickly drew her feet under and heaved herself forward , pointed fingernails outstretched straight for her mother ’ s throat , jaw opening to sink her fangs into the woman ’ s soft flesh . I instantly grabbed the girl ’ s foot – mere centimeters from her prey , pulled her back , and slammed her into the oak headboard . My hand landed at her throat and I squeezed her jugular like a vice-grip . The girl ’ s limbs twitched as I incapacitated her . A tear rolled down her pointy , disfigured cheek .
“ What ’ s going on ? I thought you were going to cure her !” the girl ’ s father said .
“ She was too far gone . I ’ m sorry .” “ You ’ re sorry ?!”
“ David , please !” the girl ’ s mother interrupted . “ You just had to deny the symptoms . ‘ She ’ ll be OK ,’ you said . Now look .”
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