what a woman! i.

vingt-deux

Jasper had left before Tatum woke up and she didn't know whether to feel sad or relaxed. She was sad because he left so early and relaxed because he didn't have to see her bedhead when she woke up. 

Tatum rubs her head and itches her cold nose before looking towards her nephew and seeing him still fast asleep. She had no clue what time it was, but honestly, she didn't want to know. 

"Bailey, can you go get Avery's thermometer?" her mom asks Bailey. Tatum could hear the two from the other room. Bailey groans and stays quiet before mumbling shamefully.

"Tatum knows where it is," Bailey says. She knew she should be more present in her son's life, but she was so busy. She had school, a job, friends, family, and student council to take care of. She didn't care to think about Tatum. Tatum had school, friends, family, sports, job applications, college applications, and a toddler to take care of. 5 vs. 7

Bailey suddenly felt all the guilt at once. She excuses herself from the room and heads to the woods outside their house. She didn't know where she was going, but she was fine as long as it wasn't near her sister. 

It was starting to get dark before she knew it, she kept track of the time on her phone, knowing no one could call her with no signal. She didn't know what to do, but she knew what she was doing. She was going to run away.

●○●

Tatum and her mother thought Bailey was just going on a stroll, but it was an hour after the sun had set did they realize that maybe it was more important than either of them thought. It was actually Tatum that had reported the suspicious disappearance of Bailey.

"Yes, Mr. Swan, she seemed perfectly fine - How do you show signs of running away?! - Well, I guess that would but - No, she left behind her clothes and other essentials but she did take her phone and a backpack of things. Will do. Thanks, chief," Tatum hung up the phone sadly, her mom looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"Are they gonna track her phone?"

"She's too out of signal to do that, but they're sending out multiple search parties," Bailey's mother runs and hugs her remaining daughter while sobbing roughly into her shoulder. "We'll find her mom, no matter what." 

Sadly, not even five miles away, a group of nomadic vampires was searching for a meal. Lucky for them, a teenage girl on the run was available. Maybe a little too available. They quickly sniffed around to make sure she wasn't being followed. Unluckily for her, she wasn't. The nomadic group executes a quick plan.

"Hello, sweetheart. Are you lost?" the tallest and darkest of the group asks, his crimson eyes landing on her neck. The teenage girl spins around and stares at the beautiful creature. 

"Maybe she's just out on a walk," another beautiful "man" suggests.

The girl was so confused.

"I don't know, she seems certain on her path."

The three beautiful men jumped out of their hiding spots. The teenage girl searched them for any open weapons but found none. She did, however, notice that they all held a similar eye color. Crimson. They were different shades of it, but it was crimson none-the-less.

"I have money and my phone. Those are the most valuable things I have, take them both," the girl says smartly. She wasn't afraid to die, in fact, she was positive these were just theater kids trying to scare her. 

"She's a smart one, isn't she, Fred?"

"She sure is, Reid."

"Okay, creepy twin time is over, do any of you know how to get to highway 10?" the girl asks. She was getting annoyed about the 'theater nerds' that were creepily circling around her. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and crossed her arms very upset. 

"She's a smart mouth too, Liam."

"Can we just stop playing now?"

"Shut up, Reid."

"Haha, funny, can you guys stop with your act and actually help me?" she asks sassily. These kids were wasting her time and she wanted to get some food...but so did they.

"Ya'know what? Forget what I said, Reid. I think we'll have a quick dinner tonight?"

The beautiful men started closing in on her. She knew she had made a mistake.

"Oh my god, you weren't kidding."

And those were the last spoken words before Bailey Fernsby let out an ear-splitting screech.