This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
©2007 – 2011 Katrina Meade
Lindsay
Stephani and Meredith had been gone all day, and it was strange. But I didn’t care, as long as Stephani left me alone. I had been planning on seeing Laurel today, but she had texted me to not come over. So I had a full day of nothing.
When David got home, he was irritated. “Damn kids,” he growled.
“What happened Dad?” I asked. Since David had been transferred to the Duluth High School, he had been in many bad moods.
He looked at me sharply. “A couple of kids decided to get into a fight, right outside my class, too.”
I looked at him more closely. Across his cheek was a smarting purple bruise. His forehead was bleeding quickly from a small cut.
“Let me help you with that,” I offered. I grabbed the first aid kit from the hall closet.
I cleaned his forehead thoroughly. Once he was bandaged, I asked if he had eaten. When he said no, I cooked some lunch. We ate in silence.
“Where the hell is Stephani and your mother?” he demanded.
“I don’t know,” I answered quietly. “They said they were going out today, and they wouldn’t be back till later.”
“What the hell?” he grumbled. “You’d think they don’t know any better.”
I shook my head. “Sure, Dad,” I chuckled.
“Why are you always here?” he asked suddenly. “And who is that boy I always see you with?”
“You mean my friend,” I corrected. My dad didn’t need to know I had a boyfriend.
“Friends don’t kiss,” he pointed out harshly. “You can’t see him anymore.”
I glared at him mercilessly. “No,” I growled defiantly.
“Excuse me?”
“I said no.” I enunciated each syllable.
He slapped me sharply across the face. “I’m tired, so goddamn tired, of hearing you and your sister snap at me.”
“Well, its about time that you started acting like a parent,” I retorted harshly.
“You know what,” he yelled. “You, young lady, are grounded.”
“Fine,” I exclaimed, being rude about it.
“Go to your room,” he hollered.
I walked swiftly to my room and slammed the door. As soon as I locked it, I climbed out the window. I wasn’t about to sit around listening to my dad scream at me because he’s a bad parent. As I moved farther away from the house, I heard a panting sound. I looked at the dense trees. A silver creature walked slowly out to greet me.
“Ben?” I gasped, remembering that horrible night. “What are you doing here? Where’s Angelina and Kaitlyn?”
As I spoke a black wolf and a white wolf came out to us. The black wolf, Allyson, I guessed, sat immediately once she was clear of the trees. Angelina came straight to me. I patted her head and she looked up at me with crystal eyes. I gasped because I’d never noticed that they were as pure white as her fur.
Angelina blinked once and she shimmered into her human self.
“Hello,” she murmured.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“We need the vampires,” Angelina whispered. Ben and Allyson barked in agreement.
I gasped. “So what do you need me for?”
“Phoenix,” was all Angelina had said. She transformed and the three wolves loped off into the forest.
I sighed. “Of course,” I murmured into the night.
I climbed quickly into my truck. As I put the key into the ignition, I was startled when my door opened again. I stifled my scream as the dark figure moved closer. It placed a cool hand against my cheek. I winced; it was the cheek David had slapped.
“Shh,” a low voice murmured. “It’s just me.”
I relaxed. I recognized his voice instantly. “Phoenix,” I breathed.
He chuckled and I moved over so he could climb in. He started my truck and began to talk as he drove.
“What happened?” I looked up and noticed him eyeing my cheek.
“My dad got mad at me,” I explained.
Phoenix hissed under his breath. I spoke again before he could say anything.
“Don’t worry,” I said soothingly. “And, anyway, I was supposed to tell you that Angelina came to me with Ben and Allyson. She said that the wolves need the vampires’ help.”
Phoenix started, looking at me with confused eyes. “Why would they need our help?”
I shrugged. “They never really said.”
“That’s just like them,” he muttered quietly under his breath.
I rolled my eyes. We drove in silence then. Phoenix drove to Cour’s house. I felt a little hope that I might get to see Laurel. That hope was shot down.
“Hey Amile,” I said, when we walked in. “Is Laurel home?”
“No, darling,” Amile answered softly. “I think she was staying with Erich tonight.”
So for the night I sat down in the living room and stared blankly out the window. When Phoenix decided to call it a night, he drove me home. I laid down on my bed, and felt the weight of the day crash down on my.
The next week continued in the same fashion. No one saw any of the Coopers or Laurel. I was beginning to worry. But my worries were forgotten when David burst through the door Saturday night.
“Dad?” I asked warily.
“Lindsay!” David called. “Where the hell are you?”
“In my room,” I shouted.
My door burst open. “Where the hell is your damn mother?”
“I don’t know,” I answered quietly.
David reached across swiftly and slapped me. “Don’t lie to me, dammit, I know you know.” He sounded drunk.
“I swear, I don’t,” I cried.
He grabbed my arms tightly and started shaking me. “Tell me now.”
“Ow,” I screamed. “Dad, let me go.”
Stephani ran into the room as David shook me again. She tugged on his arms. “David let her go, you’re hurting her.”
He reached over and slapped Stephani so hard that she fell to the ground. He then turned back to me. “Tell me,” he commanded repeatedly, slapping me every time I said I don’t know.
Finally the next person to walk into the room was able to pry my father off me.
“Don’t you ever touch these girls again,” Phoenix growled.
David jumped out of the room cussing as Gerrie and Cour headed for him. Phoenix crouched next to me.
“Lindsay, are you okay?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I hurt so much everywhere.”
Phoenix lifted my left arm carefully and examined the damage. “This arm is broken, and bruised from your shoulder to your elbow. Your right is just bruised. Your face, however,” he touched my face lightly, “is slightly swollen and your going to get some bad bruises.”
“Lindsay,” Gerrie asked quietly, appearing in the room again, “what started this? Why’d he attack you and your sister?”
I shuddered. “He said he was looking for my mom, but then he started hitting me when I said I didn’t know where she was. He sounded like he was drunk. Stephani tried to stop him.” I looked around the room for Stephani. “Where is she?”
Gerrie looked out the door. “Cour’s taking her to our house. She sprained her ankle pretty bad, but she’ll be fine.”
I nodded.
“You on the other hand, will have to go to the hospital,” he continued.
Phoenix pulled my attention back to him. “Linds, do you guys have somewhere to stay?”
I shook my head.
Phoenix looked at Gerrie then back to me. “I’m sure Gerrie could spare a room for you. Stephani, can do what ever she would like.”
“She could actually press charges,” I informed them.
“How so?” Gerrie asked curiously.
“David isn’t her dad, he’s just another adult, and so is she.”
Phoenix chuckled. “That’s good, now we have to move you.”
He bent down and wrapped his arm around my waist. I wrapped my good arm around his neck. Gerrie and Phoenix walked me to the car. After spending hours in the ER, I was brought to the Cliffe’s house.
Stephani was sitting on the couch next to Terry, Erich, Amile and Cour.
“Lindsay,” they all gasped, seeing my arm and all the bruises.
Amile walked up to me. “Oh, Lindsay, I am so sorry. How we didn’t see this before…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“It’s okay Em,” I whispered, feeling wiped. I looked around the room. “Where’s Laurel?”
Erich looked up. “Wait, you haven’t seen her?”
“No,” I answered, perplexed. “I thought she was staying at your house.”
Terry laughed. “As if.”
Stephani slapped his shoulder.
Cour stood up. “So, no one knows where she is?”
Everyone’s head shook no.
“Dogs!” Erich hissed.
“Erich, stop,” I shouted.
Terry grabbed Erich around the chest. His arms restricting. “Calm down, little brother.”
“No,” he snapped. “They have some explaining to do.”
Phoenix cleared his throat “Actually, we do need answers from the wolves.”
Erich paused. “What?”
“A week ago they talked to Lindsay,” Nix explained. “They said they needed us.”
“Yeah, and only a month ago, they kidnapped Lindsay,” Erich growled. “And several months before that they took both Laurel and Lindsay.”
“I know,” Phoenix amended.
“There’s no need to wait,” Erich said impatiently.
“No, we won’t attack them,” Amile murmured settling the matter.
With the score settled Amile led me upstairs to the guest bedroom. I waited until everyone was downstairs before I went to Laurel’s room.
I expected the room to be bodiless, but I was wrong.
“What are you doing in here?” Erich snapped.
“I came to see if Laurel really was gone,” I explained.
He waved his hand around the room. “Obviously.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked walking into the room.
“She’s nowhere,” he said softly.
“Ah.”
He sighed.
“I guess I’ll leave.”
He nodded, and I left. Instead of going back to my room I went downstairs. The whole house was black, except for the living room. I found a note on the table. It was addressed to me.
I read the note aloud. “Lindsay, I’m sorry to leave on such short notice but, Oliver called. Gerrie and Amile are in their room, and Cour is outside in the garden. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Phoenix.”
I wondered what was so important.
I was curled up on the couch when Erich walked in. His eyes were wide, staring at the paper in his hand. I got up cautiously. Had Phoenix left him a note, too?
“Erich?” I whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s gone,” he mumbled.
My head spun; who was he talking about? “Who’s gone?”
“Laurel,” he said, looking up sadly.
I gasped. “No, she can’t be.”
He held out the paper to me. I grabbed it and read.
Erich,
I’m sorry to do this to you, again, but I need some time to myself and I can’t think of any other way then this. I may see you again someday, but for now I need my space. I love you and always will. Goodbye, and don’t, please don’t come after me.
In time,
Laurel
“No,” I shouted. “She can’t do this!”
Erich shook his head. “She has, and now she’s gone.” He looked around the room suddenly. “Where is everyone?”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” I admitted. “I thought Gerrie and Amile were upstairs and Cour had been in the garden. Phoenix went home, Oliver had called.”
Erich nodded. “This isn’t good,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my head tilted to the side in confusion.
“They’re gone,” he explained.
“What are we going to do now?”
He sighed. “We need Phoenix.”