Cross

Book 1 Chapter IV - Prisoner

Chapter 4 - Prisoner

Dani ran through the forest, ignoring the branches that hit her arms and legs, jumping over the ones closer to the ground if she saw them in time. She was certain that she was being followed, which was confirmed when something grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. Lights danced in front of her eyes and a sharp pain shot through her head, but she didn't black out. She didn't have the chance to speak, either; someone held her against the ground with one hand and held her mouth shut with the other.

"Don't say anything. Not one word," someone whispered in her ear.

Dani nodded without really thinking. The next thing she knew, she'd been pulled to her feet and dragged away from the place. This annoyed her greatly.

For what seemed like an eternity, she was led through the forest, rapidly losing all sense of direction. At last, they stopped, and the whisper of a river nearby was only thing that told her where she was.

"I never thought I'd see you here," the someone said after several minutes, "certainly not tonight."

Dani recognized the voice instantly. "What are you doing here, Professor Cross?"

"Saving your life."

Now I know why people take sleeping tablets. I'll have to start taking them if I don't want to keep having these weird dreams.

"Go away." Is that all you can think to say? her voice mocked her.

She tried to get up, but someone pulled her back down. 

"Look at me," Professor Cross ordered.

She wanted to point out it was too dark to see anything here, but didn't dare. Instead, she stared at where she thought he was.

"This is all a dream. None of it ever happened. Do you understand that?"

Dani nodded, feeling rather sleepy. Maybe I'm beginning to wake up. I'm glad; this whole thing is beyond bizarre.

~~~~

David set the human girl down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. He looked down at the sleeping form and frowned. He was right, then; She was here. And She was recruiting children. What next?

Without thinking, he took the girl's hand and sank his fangs into her wrist. It took several minutes for him to realize what he was doing.

Good work, Lucius, a voice in his head taunted him, really smart move, drinking her blood. And, of course, there's no danger that she'll remember some of what happened tonight and when she sees the bite mark, she'll put two and two together and...

Make five, or three, or anything but four, I hope, he cut the irritating voice off abruptly, And don't. Call. Me. LUCIUS!

He ran his tongue over the bite mark, healing the wound with his saliva. With that done, he climbed out the window, suddenly regretting that he'd ever had the idea of coming to Earth.

Did you have any choice?

~~~~

The next morning, Dani wasn't at breakfast. Neither was Edward, oddly enough. Janice frowned as she headed towards her youngest daughter's room first.

"Dani, wake up! You'll be late for school!"

As she spoke, she pulled back the curtains. The light that suddenly flooded the room fell on Dani's face and Janice gasped. Her daughter was unnaturally pale, with her eyes tightly shut. She was breathing rapidly and shivering.