This Totally Bites

Chapter 10

We all tensed at the sound of Lucas' cries, "What the hell caused that?" I started to crawl toward the exit. 

"Stop, December, Lucas said to stay here. Maybe it's for the best," Emmie cautioned. 

"She's right. If you go out there you may just be the next one screaming," Randy added.

"No. He's our best friend. We're not just going to hear him get hurt," Maya sided with me. 

"Don't, December," Ashton warned, "You can't."

"Watch us," I slowly opened the door to the passageway and climbed out carefully with Maya following. 

I looked around. The passageway had led us to another house, no doubt another ally of sorts. We stood in a bedroom with a bunch of portraits. Of course, nobody in the portraits was recognizable. An unkempt man, what seemed to be his wife, a younger man possibly in his twenties, and a teenage girl. They seemed like a happy enough family, but that's not why we're here. 

We heard a noise from upstairs, followed by an angry yell, "Don't you dare talk about bringing vampires into my home! I will not allow it! Son, throw him back in the basement!" 

I looked at Maya, who was already staring at the door to the stairs, wide-eyed. I pulled her to the passageway, and we climbed inside just before hearing Lucas tumbling down the stairs. When we knew it was clear, we ran to him. Blood trickled down the side of his head, and his arms were bruised. He was breathing heavily, "We need to go." 

"Are you okay?" I asked him, helping him up. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, but we need to get out of here. They'll kill you if they see you." 

Emmie climbed out of the tunnel, everyone else coming after her. They looked rushed

"We really need to get out of here. We hear them down the tunnel," Hunter told us, fear in his eyes. 

"The people up there can't see you here - they will kill you without hesitation. They follow the vampire law very strictly," Lucas informed, wincing as he wiped the blood off his face. 

I looked around and found a window, "The window," I said, "If we're cornered, that's going to be our best bet." I walked over and opened it as quiet as possible. I motioned out, "It's all clear as long as they don't see us leaving." 

Ashton and Hunter climbed out first, helping out Maya and I. Randy and Emmie climbed out after, then Lucas. We ran off the property, looking for a direction to go. 

"Wolf boy, where exactly are we?" Ashton asked Lucas. 

"We may or may not be in the middle of the woods..." Lucas answered, "We go east to make it to town." 

"We can't go back to town, that's what they will expect. We need to head out of town. To a hotel or a remote location. Somewhere very hidden," Randy said. 

"Wherever we are going we should discuss it while we're running from the people looking to kill us!" I yelled, panicked. 

"Let's go deeper into the woods," Emmie suggested, "They wouldn't expect it and it's remote. And it's the quickest option while we outrun the beings with enhanced speed. We need to move now." 

We all nodded in agreement and headed west, further into the woods. 

****

Two hours later, we decided to take a break. 

"There's no way they're still on our trail," I said, "Now you guys may be these cool fantasy creatures, but Maya and I are just fledglings and unlike you, we actually need sleep." I sat down with my back against a tree. 

"I'll go get sticks to build a fire," Emmie walked away into the forest to get sticks. 

Lucas sat down next to me. I turned to him, and couldn't help but notice his head. He was still bleeding. I took off my jacket and tore off the sleeve. I tore off a little more and cleaned off the blood as best I could, then tied the rest around his head, "Thank you December." 

"Any time Lucas. Please be careful next time." 

Everyone sat in silence for a good ten minutes, rethinking everything that happened today. It wasn't until Emmie came back with a handful of wood that we snapped out of it, "I got the wood." 

Hunter helped her stack the wood, but in the corner of my eye, I saw Randy walk away. I decided to follow her. 

Randy stopped just out of earshot of the camp, and she sat down against a tree, "December," she spoke, "you followed?" 

"I just wanted to know if you were okay. You seemed a bit more silent when you saw the painting of Isabella and Aleece," she tensed as I said their names. 

"It's hard to explain," she looked up at the stars. 

"Why did you freak out when you saw them? If you don't mind me asking." 

Randy looked at me, "Every time I look at you, I see her."

"Isabella?" 

"I'm not as young as I look, darling. I've been alive for longer than you think."

I tried to piece what she was saying together, but so far it made no sense.

"You act just like her as well. It's like she's back with me."

"You knew her personally," I tried, finally realizing what she was saying. 

"And Aleece. They were great friends of mine and-" she stopped herself. 

"And what? And you were there when they were taken by the council?" 

"Well yes, that. There's a reason I know their story so well. I was there, but I guess at this point you're the only one that knows that now." 

I looked at her, "Your secret is safe with me." 

"I miss her."

"What was she like?" 

"Honestly she was just like you. Isabella was one to always take others into consideration before herself -like you seem to be with your friend Lucas," I looked over at her and she had tears in her eyes, "She knew me very well and I knew her just as well."

"Is that why you went berserk when you saw the painting?" 

"I freaked out because I saw the woman I love for the first time in over one and a half centuries. And knowing you and Maya are the descendants of them makes me feel obligated to protect you. I don't want the same thing to happen twice."

I stopped. Randy was in love with Isabella. Isabella died so long ago... Randeria must have felt so alone... I had to make her feel better.

"It won't. We have an advantage, Maya and I are vampires now. The prophecy has already been altered. And we're going to beat the vampire council," I told her, "And that's a promise."