Snow Guilt

Images of her lifeless body still seared his mind as he dropped to his knees just outside her home. She would never return to play in the back garden. She would never again laugh as she swung to and fro of the tree branches out front. Sinclair stared at the ground, letting the truth sink in. His best friend's little girl was dead and he would have to be the one to tell them. He feared for Cherry most of all. She is unable to have any more children. Emmalynne was her only hope at a family and she was gone.
Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he stared at the hands that last held her. Even when he loved her so much and clutched her to his chest, no warmth reached her as he himself was dead. He was just fortunate enough to be able to walk among the living. Clenching his fist, his jaw tightened at the thought. Of all the promises he made, he never thought there would be a time he would regret one.
He still recalled the child's last scream as that villainous creature attempted to drain her veins, her eyes pleading for help as she looked around helplessly. He had been too late. The monster caught his scent and fled the scene, ripping Emma's jugular and leaving her to bleed to death.
Sinclair had rushed to her side, prepared to do whatever means necessary to keep her alive. But she screamed at the sight of him. More like, at the sight of his blood red eyes and pointed fangs. That scream froze him in his tracks. He couldn't do it. He couldn't change this child into his kind, even if it meant she lived. Emma would suffer, being the very thing she now feared on the verge of death.
Sinclair looked up at the house in front of him, the memory fading to a haze. His little Emmalynne was dead because of his kind. Legs shaking, he forced himself to stand. With wobbling knees, he made his way to the back door and rapped upon it, expecting an eager Cherry to answer the door with a fearful Randall behind her.
The pounding of feet raced across the interior of the home and the white door slammed open, a tear stained face gazing up at him with wide eyes. Sinclair bit his tongue, trying desperately to keep a straight face. Cherry on the other hand, frantically looked about for her daughter.
Upon not seeing her small strawberry blonde curls or her similar sapphire eyes, the woman stared hard at Sinclair, daring him to utter the truth she knew was about to come. Her husband came up behind her, noting how there was no squeal of delight from a child, and placed his hands upon his wife's shoulders.
"Cherry, invite the man in," Randall said softly, his face adorning wrinkles and looking much more pale than when Sinclair had left them. Cherry nodded and verbally invited the vampire inside. Taking a deep breath of air, trying to remain calm, he passed through the threshold and followed the weary couple to the sitting room.
Once seated, Cherry wasted no time. "Where is my daughter Sinclair?" she demanded her knuckles whitening as she clenched the hem of her pale rose skirt. Her voice was tight and scratchy, no doubt raw from screaming and crying while he was out and about searching. Randall held Cherry close, staring at his friend, pleading with his eyes for the truth.
"She's dead."
The words were not harsh, a light whisper in the silence that surrounded them. With a ragged intake of air, Sinclair dropped his head into his hands and shook his head, waves of emotion crashing over him. He wept for the child, ashamed of not being able to save her. He heard one of the two as they stood from their seat and walk over to him. When he looked up from his hands, he saw a pale female face, tears streaming down her cheeks and her lips in a tight, thin line.
A smack resonated around the sitting room, Cherry's hand still in the air and Sinclair's face stinging in pain. "You promised. Sinclair Macintosh, you bastard! You promised to bring back our Emmalynne!" Cherry screamed and raved, moving to strike the vampire again. Randall shot off the couch and grabbed his hysterical love, pulling her face into her chest and murmuring gentle words to calm her.
Sinclair watched the couple, guilt and despair taking over him. He caused this. He caused this couple to feel the pain of losing a child all because he couldn't do his duty and protect their little girl. He felt ashamed of himself and bit back more tears.
"I'm so sorry Randall and Cherry. I tried. I really did."