Blood Rose

The Return

Alice could feel her concentration wavering as she began to slump on her desk, exhaustion weighing down her eyelids. She was in math class at Stonewall school for girls, a small college an hour away from the university and home, the college itself was small only 600 girls attended but it was the closest college to the university. Alice had never fit in with any of her peers, and it wasn't only the fact that she could see Supernaturals but that she was different from the other girls. Her classmates who were content to party and drink with not a care in the world, unaware of the hidden dangers out there. She was either ignored, stared at or politely talked to by other girls in her class, but she'd never been invited into a circle of friends. Alice often by herself would spend her free time with her nose in a book or studying, happy to stay invisible, unattached to others around her and staying out of trouble.

She could hear her maths teacher Mr Sulley droning on about the mechanics of algebra, normally Alice would be listening but she just couldn't muster the energy to pay attention. She'd only had a couple of hours sleep, unable to close her eyes in fear of the dream returning Alice had stayed awake. Now she was living with the consequences her eyes felt heavy and her head was pounding with an oncoming headache, peering at the clock on the wall there was still half an hour of class to go. Alice felt her heart sink the thought of staying awake much longer seemed like an impossible feat. Once Mr Sulley had finished talking, Alice rose out of her chair and stumbled over to his desk.

"Yes Miss Thorn, what is it." Mr Sulley said dismissively.

"Sir can I go to the nurses' office, I think I'm coming down with a migraine," Alice asked.

Mr Sulley took one look at Alice's pale face and dark circles under her eyes and dismissed her, giving her a signed hall pass before returning to his laptop.

Filled with relief Alice packed up her stuff and left the class, heading to the nurse's office. The nurse's office was near the administration block at the front of the school. Alice often visited nurses office, plagued by migraines, sudden dizzy spells and once or twice had fainted. While it meant the PE teacher was less strict with her, it also meant many of her classmates preferred to stay clear of her.

As these bitter thoughts plagued Alice's mind, she made her way to the nurses office. She began to feel weaker, her vision beginning to blur and her legs buckling underneath her. Clutching her stomach Alice raced to the bathroom as a wave of nausea rose in her throat. Throwing open the nearest cubicle Alice locked herself inside hunching over the toilet bowl waiting for it to pass.

Her head was throbbing with an intense pain she wondered how she was still standing, feeling like she was going to pass out Alice sunk to the floor clutching her head moaning in agony as wave after wave of pain assaulted her. As Alice began to lose consciousness images began to pass before her eyes.

Men in black hooded cloaks were chasing a group of children down a dark alley, it was late the sky was black the alleyway barely illuminated by the street lights. Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they sprinted through the alley trying to lose their pursuers. But their pursuers were persistent, it was like a wolf tracking a baby doe, the wolf never tired but the doe was tiring.

There were three one teenage girl and one young boy and girl, the eldest girl was in the lead clasping the hands of the younger two trying to make them run faster. But it was no use the hunters were getting closer and they were tiring fast. Dread washed through the eldest, she'd failed in her charge to protect these two. Then a plan struck her, it was a terrible plan but it might give the other two enough time to slip away.

"Kirsty, Owen I need you to go on without me, I'm going to hold them off but I need you to run okay," Tina said her voice shaking.

"No, we won't leave you" Kirsty cried tears pooling down her face, her long pointed ears dropping in sadness.