My Dead Roses (M.I.P. 2)

Childhood Friends

Chapter Thirteen: Childhood Friends

When I awoke, my vision was blurred, but I could see a figure bending over in front of me, a white figure streaked red. It wasn't Rex, for sure, since Rex's skin tone was the exact opposite of this. I gathered my strength and tried to inch away, but I couldn't budge. The figure brushed my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. It then extended icy fingers to my cheek, ripping a shard of glass from my cheek. I let out a shriek, and an animal thrust itself upon the figure. I longed to help the figure, though I was unsure of who it was, but I was too weak to arise. The animal clawed at the figures face, and more red began to streak the figure.

As my eyes focused, I saw that the animal was not an animal at all, but rather Rex, coming to my rescue, which could only mean one thing. Though Rex covered the figure, I knew it had to be Jasper. I no longer wanted to help him, but rather join Rex in hurting him. Either way I was still too weak. I only watched the fight in desperation, letting out little whimpers that were nothing over Rex and Jasper's growls. Jasper fought his way to the top, slamming Rex against the ground. I then realized that he wasn't Jasper at all, but rather Carter. Rex had thought Carter was attacking me!

I found my voice and screamed, "No!!" Neither of them could spare a look towards me. "Stop, please!" I cried. "You're both being stupid!"

As I was speaking, a tall, slender figure pounced into the fight with a whip of bright red. For a second, I thought it had made blood spew from Carter, but I realized it was Liz's hair. Isabella and Ember were rushing over to me, pulling the glass from my skin.

"Cut it out!" screeched Liz. "I'm going to kill the both of you if you don't get off of each other!"

Rex retreated, Liz still stuck to his back. He let a small smile crack through his face, looking up so Liz couldn't see it when she jumped down. "Retards," she muttered. "You're on the same side!"

"But he was--"

"Shut up!" Liz cried. She glanced at me, her wide eyes seeming to have a look I didn't see in them often. It was wild and untamed. Not that anyone ever had Liz tamed, and her temper was short, but she kept herself calm when she was in a serious situation. Now, it seemed like she would do anything, whether it was reckless or not. It was very unlike her.

She raced over me. "Are you okay?" she demanded. "Rex called me after the crash. I can't believe you went through a windshield! You're tougher than I thought. Can you talk? Say something!"

"Hi," I whispered.

She threw her arms around my neck. I winced from the contact to the cuts. She pulled away immediately. "Can you get up?"

"I wish," I grumbled.

"I can help," a soft British accent growled from the distance. Everyone's eyes turned towards the direction of where it had come from. A gorgeous, pale figure with dirty blonde hair and a sly smile approached from the darkness. "I can heal her."

"Get away from me, Jasper!" I snarled. "I hate you!"

"Ouch," Jasper said sarcastically, putting a hand to his chest. "That one really hurt."

I expected Liz, Carter, and Rex to all jump on him at that point, but nobody budged. I thought they were all in shock, but when I looked to them for protection, I realized that they were all frozen in place.

"Impressed?" Jasper questioned, bending down beside me. My breathing turned even heavier than it had been, and I let out pathetic little noises resembling a dying cat. "I have new powers that you couldn't imagine...and that your little vampire boyfriend could never beat." He casually approached Carter, who was in mid-pounce towards where Jasper had approached from.

"Don't touch him!" I cried. I desperately tried to rise, but I only scrambled across the ground restlessly.

Jasper snorted. "Or what?"

I frantically looked around for something that would hurt Jasper. I didn't even see anything I could do if I could get up, let alone lying here, helpless, defenseless. The best thing I had was a cross necklace, but it was too small and I was sure Jasper could resist it by now. The only other thing I knew to do was lure him towards me and away from Carter.

"You're right," I murmured in my most seductive voice possible.

As he whirled, I saw his sneaky smile fade away...He raised an eyebrow as he took a slow stride towards me. "About what?"

"About everything. My friends were so wrong about you. I missed you..."

A new smile crept upon his face, one I would have mistaken for genuine so long ago. "I knew you'd come around," he whispered as he lifted me off the ground and cradled me against his chest. I expected him to lean down and kiss me, and I was fully prepared to kiss him back. It was worth it to save everyone else from him. I hadn't had time to plan any farther than that, or to prepare for if he did something different. Instead of kissing me, he tore the hospital gown off my body.

Shit! What was I supposed to do now? I really, really, really did not want to have sex with him. But at the same time, if I tried to resist, it would only piss him off. And I really, really, really didn't want that either! Holding me with one arm and unbuttoning his shirt with the other, he shifted me around until the gown fell completely away from me. This was embarassing and wrong. It was sick! Sex with a demon? But if I didn't, he would kill my friends. And if I did? Wouldn't he just kill us in the end, anyway? But this could stall him. Maybe time would unfreeze after awhile and give everyone a chance to run.

Everyone...with the exception of me.

While I was contemplating how to tell everyone to run before Jasper noticed anything, a slender hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Let...her...go," a shaky, girly voice said.

Jasper threw me at the ground. I moaned as more dirt filled my cuts, stinging them terribly.

"Stay out of this, Mildred!" he snapped.

"No," she roared. "You're not going to hurt girls anymore! And don't call me that!" She yanked a locket off her neck. It was glass, with a violent white light squirming inside of it. I head a faint scream come from the inside of its bonds.

"Watch this, June," she grumbled, taking the locket and smashing it to the ground. The light rushed quickly to her mouth, and once inside her it filled her with its horrific glow. Jasper threw himself towards her, obviously intending to hurt her, but the light burst from her chest and pushed him to the ground. He cursed her and disappeared.

I had a million questions to ask this girl, but she cut off my thoughts before I could decide what to ask first.

"Hi, I'm Millie," she said. "I know you don't remember, but we played together as kids...Me, you, and Carter. I'll explain everything later...but first, let's find you some clothes."