CARLA

Travis

  "She fell asleep?" The tiny voice asked from the back seat. Carla didn't acknowledge him although she was aware he was there the entire time. She kept her eyes closed, controlling her breathing so they believed she was asleep, hoping to get some information.

  "Seems like it. Freak."

  "You just morphed into a cat before her eyes and you're calling her a freak?" The child laughed softly.

  "We all know what I am, and what you are. She's the anomaly. So yeh, she is the freak." Slade replied as he drove south towards the marina. No one spoke again.

  Two hours later, the Hummer pulled to a stop. Carla could smell the ocean and the others waiting for her. There were six of them. All had a distinct scent. She smiled to herself when she recognized his scent amongst them.

  "Wake up." Slade said, prodding Carla on the arm.

  "Where are we?" She asked, despite knowing exactly where she was by the scent of the nearby fish markets.

  "You are going on a trip Ms Reed. However, it has nothing to do with a job in a law firm in London. And, you're not travelling anywhere on a plane." Slade said with a sinister smile, opening Carla's door for her. She got out and looked in the direction of the waiting yacht. "I hope you don't get seasick."

  Carla looked around the marina, it was deserted. It was pointless trying to scream for help. Slade took her luggage and put his hand out for her phone. Carla stared at the stranger, then at her phone. Mentally calculating her chances of making a successful break for it.

  Slade was a big man, he towered over her and probably weighed double what she did. She knew a little self defence, specifically the kick to the groin followed by a punch to the throat. But even if she did manage to get away from Slade, she would then have to try and get away from the six others. One of which was a vampire!

  Carla didn't know much about vampires, but she was certain they could out run an out of shape, five foot seven human girl. She sighed and handed over her one and only life line. Slade took her phone and sneered. Her mind went to the child she heard inside the car, and thought surely these people wouldn't murder her in front of a child! Then she thought about Katy again, and decided to cooperate.

  She followed Slade to the yacht, feeling a mixture of dread and excitement. She was dreading what they wanted from her, but she was excited to properly meet a real life vampire. Especially one as handsome as the one from last night. She inhaled deeply, his scent was the strongest one out of all six onboard the luxury yacht. She paused momentarily, before deciding she had no other option other than to put her life in the hands of these strangers.

"Hello. I'm Carla." She said, extending her hand towards the empty space to her left.

"I'm Travis." The tiny voice she'd heard in the backseat said, taking her outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you Travis." Carla said. Slade raised his bushy eyebrows in shock.

"Freak." He muttered again under his breath at the sight of Carla walking in the direction of the waiting yacht, holding the hand of the invisible child.

Carla helped Travis onto the luxury yacht, giving him a gentle squeeze before lifting him onto the deck.

"You are adorable." She whispered into his ear, the invisible child smiled up at her.

"You can actually see him? Not just sense him?" Slade asked suspiciously.

"Of course I can..." Carla paused and looked from Slade to the child. "You've never seen him?" She looked at the child's big blue eyes. She sensed his sadness and his loneliness, instinctively, she pulled him close. The invisible child smiled and clung to her waist. Again she wondered who these people were and how they could kidnap her and also this small child.

She was still very confused but one thing she gathered was that they were all like her, ordinary individuals with extraordinary abilities. Slade was a shapeshifter. Travis was invisible and the handsome stranger from the alley was a vampire. She was yet to understand her role in the group but she knew her extra sensory abilities were definitely a factor.