Chasing Destiny

15. Hatred

I am so sorry that it took me forever to update this story. I don't remember how many times I deleted the whole thing again and again because it didn't feel right and didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. The chapter isn't that long but I had to make a cut where I did so the next chapter doesn't get messed up again.
Thank you for all the continuing support. I still can't believe how many people actually read this story and are still following and commenting on it. It really means the world to me and I would like to thank each one of you personally if possible. So let me just say thank you to all of you. I hope you are all still well and got through this shitty year somewhat unharmed by any tragedy. Stay safe!

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I followed the scent through and out of town. As much as I hated going to him of all people, who else would I turn to? He was the only one who could understand what was going on and what I had become. I couldn't bring myself to drag Maria into all of this, not if I wanted to honour all that she had ever done for me.
I slowly walked up the shallow hill and towards the old farmhouse on top. It was an odd feeling standing in front of the house. It reeked of death. I checked once more for a car standing outside in the driveway before gathering all my courage to walk up and knock on the door.
"Amy?"
"Hey, Michael..." I let out a groan when he roughly pulled me into him. It took a large amount of willpower to not just snarl at him. With my now heightened senses, I hated being close to him even more. Coming here had been a completely practical decision.
"Sorry. Come in." He pulled me inside and towards the kitchen. Looking around I cringed. The cave had been a mess sometimes but this... I could smell dead animals and I would take any bet it was coming from those closed double doors leading away from the living area.
"Amy why are you... Have you been crying?!" He gave me a concerned look and I let out a long sigh.
"Look, Michael... Things will never be the same between us. I am a different person now and not the girl you were with in Phoenix anymore."
"Yeah... I kind of got that by now." He nervously scratched his head. "But why are you here now? I thought David was keeping you on a leash. Last time I checked you were pretty much glued to those four..." I let out an involuntary growl.
"Things changed a bit... And I didn't really have anybody else to turn to." I could see it in his face that he wasn't exactly pleased with my words.

"I know it isn't any of my business but what happened?" He leaned against the kitchen counter and looked at me with his arms crossed over his chest.
"They lied to me... Everything was just one big lie from the get go." My voice was low and it was hard to even get the words out. It felt like betraying them, though they were the ones who had betrayed me in the first place. I looked up when Michael let out a grunt.
"I told you, that you couldn't trust them, Amy."
"I know you just wanted what was best for me." I almost spat the words and actually felt a little sorry for treating him like this. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you. It wasn't fair. You just reminded me so much of a past that I'd rather leave behind. And coming here helped me to finally do that. You suddenly appearing here triggered some unwanted memories. I thought I found a place where I belong again. People I belong with... Turns out it was just one big fat lie. Just so they could turn me. And now I am this... This monster!" Michael opened his mouth but was interrupted by another voice.
"Amy!" Shocked, I caught the brown haired cannonball midair.
"Laddie?!" The boy was clinging to me like his life depended on it. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the cave..."
"I couldn't leave him with them." I looked towards the door and raised my eyebrows at the curly haired girl. What was going on here?
"I am hungry, Amy..." I looked back at the boy in my arms.
"I asked you five minutes ago..."
"I don't want food from you!" I flinched at Laddie's high pitched voice as he shouted back at Star. "I want Amy! And I want to go home! Can we go home now?" I felt like someone was crushing my heart in their fist. How could I tell him that I wasn't here to take him home?
"Amy? What is wrong?" He looked up at me with those big brown eyes, his face wrinkled by a heavy frown. I let out a heavy sigh and put him back on his feat. I took both his hands in mine as I crouched down in front of the boy.
"Look... I don't know how to explain this to you. You are a big boy so I am going to be straight forward with you, okay?" Laddie nodded his head eagerly. "I didn't know you would be here. I didn't come to get you home, I came here to get away. I... Your brothers and I had a big fight."
"But you can make up. Paul and David fight all the time. I can tell them that they have to forgive you. We can go now and tell them!"
"I am afraid it isn't that simple, Laddie. They hurt me really bad... I will not go back. I can't go back because I can't forgive them."

I could see the confusion and hurt in his little face and I hated the boys for having me brought in a situation like this. I knew how much Laddie loved those four, especially Dwayne, and I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that I wouldn't ever be going back.
"You have some bread?" I looked at Michael and he nodded towards a cupboard to my left.
"Why don't you sit down for a little while and I make you a sandwich." Laddie nodded happily and ran towards the big couch in the living room. With a sigh I got back up to my feet and started putting together something for the boy.
"You won't go back." I didn't even look up when Star suddenly stood close to me. With a little hesitation I continued spreading some peanut butter on the bread.
"No. Not after what they did to me..." The words felt heavy on my tongue even when I knew they were true.
"And if there was a way to cure you?" I looked up at her in surprise.
"There is a cure for this?" I wasn't sure if I believed her, never before had I heard of a cure to vampirism.
"There is. In a way. That's why I took Laddie and came here when you and the boys were gone from the cave. But you might not like it." I looked between both of them, Michael just gave me a look that said Star was telling the truth. I bought myself some time by picking up the plate and bringing it over to Laddie with the promise I would tell him some stories once I had finished talking to Michael and Star before I returned to the kitchen.
"Tell me." I didn't know if I really wanted to go back to being human but what could it hurt to hear them out?
"They need to die." I was sure my mouth was hanging wide open at Star's emotionless statement.
"Come again?"
"What Star is trying to say is that in order to return back to normal is to kill the vampire that changed us. And that would be David." I still couldn't do much more than to stare at both of them as if they just tried to explain to me that elephants were able to actually fly.
"You are joking." Both shook their heads no and I let out a short snort. "Look, they really deserve some sort of punishment and I might hate them right now. But ill them? Really? Come on that doesn't seem a little over the top to you Michael?"
"If you won't do it for yourself, what about Laddie? You want him to become this?!", Star snapped before Michael had even the chance to open his mouth. "For heaven's sake Amy, he is just a child. He doesn't even understand what is happening and what he is in for. You can't want that for him." I bit my lip and looked over to the boy who was happily eating away at his sandwich. It was true I was mad as hell at David and his brothers but I didn't want them dead. They didn't deserve that even when I had wanted to tear off David's head a few hours back. Another thought popped into my head.
"But you two realise that David isn't the one behind all this? He might be leading the pack but he isn't the sire." Something in Star's eyes had me furrowing my brows. She seemed like she was out for blood and not like the sweet and innocent girl she always was around Michael.
"It doesn't matter. It was his blood and when he dies we can be normal again!" I took a step back when she snapped at me and I looked at Michael. My eyes were searching for something in his, anything that told me he wasn't going for that plan. My hopes were crashed the moment he put his arm around Star's shoulder.
"Michael... You can't seriously believe..."
"And what if I do believe her? She has been around them longer than you, Amy. Why would she lie to me?"
"And it isn't like you would have cared much for Michael since he came here. I did, you just played him and made him kill." My eyes shot from one to the other in disbelief. A tingling in my back and a growing heaviness on my body reminded me that there wasn't much time left until daybreak.
"I will have no part in this. I will take Laddie with me when I am leaving. He will not see the ones he considers family die at your hands." I turned around and walked again towards the living room to get the boy and be on our way before we wouldn't be able to leave once the sun was up.
"You can't let her take him!", I heard Star's high pitched voice and a split second later something heavy connected with the back of my head and my vision went black before I even hit the floor.