DRAFTED Into Chaos

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The fox had large, round eyes that looked down his pointed snout, and they were staring straight at me, about twenty feet away. I cursed under my breath and leaped forward with a grunt as the fox turned on it's heels, bounding away. I flung myself after him; I wasn't about to let him escape now. After a moment, it seemed possible that I could catch him, but then he cut to the left, towards the house, and I fell behind once more. By the time we reached the house, I'd lost him. I slowed, doubling over next to the steps.

"I... give... I give up!"

When I straightened, Elinor stood extremely close with her arms folded, eyes hard, lips pursed. I swallowed hard as I stared into her crystal-blue eyes, which had crimson dashes in the center. I took it as a warning.

"You failed," she said icily. "Why?"

I took a breath, "Because I'm human, and--"

She threw up her hands irritably, pushing by me into the house, I assumed to distance herself. "Because you are flawed!"

I turned after her, but she was far too fast. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared, leaving the door wide open. I sighed loudly, stepping up the porch, and closed the door behind me.

The house was silent, at least to my ears, except the large clock, which read one-thirteen.

Just as I was about to call out for Elinor, a shockingly comforting hand grasped my arm. The touch was an incredibly chilly temperature that reminded me of death. I gasped sharply in response; The vampires never touched me.

It was Cindy, whom I never had spoken to, and knew her name only because of Elinor's introductions. She had strawberry blonde hair that shone like the sun, even in the dim room. It was straight and reached her shoulders. Even though she was taller than me, and even though I knew she was a wild, blood-thirsty monster, she wasn't intimidating in the least.

"Katie, let's talk," she said. She sounded different, too. Her words weren't enunciated like Tanya's or Elinor's, but the words came out smoothly and quiet.

"Yeah, of course," I said, even though I didn't even think about saying the words. They just happened. She took my hand, her cold fingers wrapping around mine as she tugged me up the steps and swept me into her room, closing the door behind us.

"Mark?", she asked lowly. "Ques diseen eint wulf seht?"

These strange, foreign words snapped me out of a brief cloudy sensation. They sort of sounded German, but not... quite. I was standing in a rectangular room with beige carpeting and almond-colored walls. I turned to see Cindy locking the door, then a new, firm and directed voice arrested my attention.

"Yes. She's gone."

Standing over by the window was a tall, thin boy with short-cropped hair that stood up on end. Turning to face us, he ran a defined hand through it, only for his hair to stand back up. Mark had almost no curves, but was full of corners. He reminded me of a puzzle piece.

The window was un-covered, letting in bright, pale yellow light. There was a bed in the same corner of the room, so the window was located near the foot of it. Mark gestured for me to sit, but I didn't move until Cindy gave me a gentle nudge forward. I was much more aware of their presence than I was of the room. Mark wore a gray long sleeved shirt and black slacks with white sneakers. They were both rather monochrome, unlike the others, who were prone to color.

"Forget about the fox, okay, Katie? It's really not important."

She was sitting to my right, while Mark stood in front of me with a little half-smile. I slowly looked over to Cindy.