Paranormalcy Alternate Ending/ Prequel

Chapter 3

Determined to win my bet with Reth, which had ended with us sitting in silence until Raquel came to let him go, I decide to work my hardest into getting out onto the field with the rest of the agents. Plus, it will give me more time alone with Reth when I get there, and that thought has me bursting at the seems.

Raquel had been happy to hear that I would be working my hardest, and had me put to work immediately. I trained every day for two weeks with the instructors, and with the teachers I studied my hardest. Goofing off was still a part of my after school life, but I was never allowed to see Reth again after he ruined our play date.

After a month of training, studying, and watching videos of agents on the field, Raquel feels that I am ready for my first mission.

"Are you sure you are going to be up to this Evie?" She asks me again as she helps me into my uniform, "You are still allowed to back out. No one would look down on you for it."

"No, I can do this." I say confidentially.

She sighs. "Alright then, but remember to be careful and stay close to Reth. He may not be reliable, but he is under oath to protect you, and I have no doubts that he will. If things get too bad have him bring you back at once, use his real name if you must. And no matter what you do, do not let go of his hand until you are out of the faerie paths. Got that?"

We had gone over faeries in one of my classes. I had learned a lot about them, and how tricky they could be. But it didn't make me think of them as any less. They still seemed perfect in almost every way in my eyes. And I have to prove to Reth that I am a member here just as much as he is.

Raquel calls him and he comes at once, this time wearing a challenging smile.

"Ready for this, little girl?" He asks, emphasizing the little girl.

I raise my chin high and nod. He smiles, not a kind smile, and offers me his hand. I have to hold myself back from leaping to snatch it before anyone else gets the chance, or before he changes his mind. Without another word he turns and the bright door opens in the wall.

"Lorethan, you make sure you bring her back alive and well. Do not push her too far." Raquel yells behind us as the door closes and I am plunged into darkness.

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see what the paths look like. The thought terrifies me. Reth laughs when we emerge.

"Too afraid to open your eyes, little girl?" He asks, sneering.

"No, it was better that way." I say walking past him.

I notice we have come out somewhere in the forest. In the distance I can see the lights of a city, but from what I learned about faeries we could be anywhere in the world. 

Reth starts walking towards the lights, and I follow him. He doesn't say a word about what this mission is about, and I ask no questions. So far Raquel hasn't told him or anybody else that I can see past glamours, and I don't want to mention it. She seems to think that it is important to be kept a secret for now.

When we step out into a cemetery I am more than a little bit confused.

"Why are we here?" I ask.

Reth sighs as though he is sick of me already. "You need to find a vampire, and I am to 'tag' it as Raquel says. This is only a test for you, to see if you can recognize a vampire from a regular human. It won't be easy though."

He walks away and leaves me alone. Instead of following him, as I probably should, I walk towards the other end of the cemetery. I am almost there when I see some people moving among the headstones. I hide behind the nearest stone, and watch them carefully.