The New Beginning

The nuclear war

The New Beginning

I walked down the alleyway getting more nervous by the second. I made sure that there were no Nightwatchers around. My long blonde hair swished behind my back I was only 15 but I acted like I was an adult, especially since I was doing this. “Tabitha?” I called out to the darkness.

“I’m here Mikaylah.” The girl called Tabitha said with a strong Australian accent. “I’m surprised you came at all.”

“Of course, only crazy people would turn this opportunity down, and even then I would still do it. I want to protect my family; that’s why I'm here.” I said frowning at Tabitha.

I wore a simple grey T-shirt and black jeans plus a blood-red pendant around my neck which would kill Tabitha is she tried to break our truce by harming me. I pulled my black hood on my shoulders. 

“Where’s the money sweetie pie?” Tabitha asked.

“Here it is.” I said throwing her a small back that clinked when it sailed through the air and Tabitha quickly snatched it just before it hit the ground and spilled its contents.

Tabitha nodded looking amused. She took off her top hat revealing raven black hair. She also wore a vest, a pair of leather pants but no shoes. “Move your hair darling.” She said.

I complied bending over brushing my hair to one side, Tabitha barely hesitated biting deep into my neck, it was weird; a funny warm sensation tingled all through my body and I smelled the metallic smell of blood but I didn’t feel any pain. Tabitha stopped with pupils huge barely keeping the monster out of her mind. She licked the wound she had created sealing it.

My world went dark and what seemed like one second later I awoke with Tabitha staring at me impatiently tapping her foot on the ground and to me it sounded like a thousand drums crashing down in my eardrums, I looked around and saw a drop of mildew fall off the top of a rooftop and hit the ground.

She took a moment before she said “Ok sweetie, your first mission is to take down a whole patrol of Nightwatchers.”

The only catch to becoming a vampire was that you were loyal to the vampire that changed you for a week, after that period you were as some would say; free.

I nodded and started moving stealthily towards the main street where a patrol of 8 Nightwatchers were passing with dark hoods covering their faces.

Nightwatchers do exactly what their names suggest; they watch the night. They prevent anyone dying at the hands of a monster. Their weapon is a deadly scythe with energy running off it.

“Oh and Mikaylah, you’ll need this.” Tabitha said throwing me a normal sword and I grabbed I and held it in front of me with two hands getting used to the feel of it.

I ran quickly out onto the street catching the Nightwatcher on the outside off guard, I quickly stabbed it where its face would be, but there was no need to be stealthy anymore as the patrol had realised what I was. I smiled at the leader of the patrol, I recognised him because of the poisonous smell he emitted. He looked at me, well I thought he was but because he had his hood on I couldn’t be sure. He moved quicker than the human eye could see but the vampire could see every movement from the hesitation to every individual energy cell splashing off the scythe and onto the ground and finally his scythe reached me and we clashed, scythe against sword and sparks flew. He went high so I went low ducking his cut and he jumped over my sword.

He moved back and his cloak swished around almost getting caught on the cobbles that lined the street then two of the other Nightwatchers came at me with their scythes flashing dangerously in the moonlight with dark energy that sounded like peanuts getting cracked.

I decided I would take this party to my friend Melody and turn her into a vampire so she would go crazy for revenge and unleash all hell proving that no one could control me. I guess that was when you could tell that I was going to be a bad egg; running from an attack that my master had directly told me to.

I ran the way to her house leading the patrol there, her house was a simple one storey, brick house and with weeds growing randomly on the once perfect lawn. I had been living in Asia when the nuclear bombs started landing on the ground, now I was in what was left of London

The humans destroyed themselves with nuclear bombs somewhere in the future. The humans that survived were changed forever, changed to beasts and supernatural creatures. The remaining humans built a resistance against the beasts by turning some of them into Nightwatchers like beasts except that they were sworn to protect the human. So they weren’t extinct but many died and there were probably 2 million humans left; nowhere near the amount had that there used to be and it would be millenniums before they had built the world like it once been. 

I saw Melody standing at her door. She must have heard the commotion and wondered what the problem was. She stared at me with wide eyes. She drew a blade which dropped to the ground no sooner than she had drawn it. I smiled at her diving into her neck and drinking hungrily. I stopped and left her wound unsealed, sending her into madness, the Nightwatchers arrived and completely ignoring me they moved towards Melody poking her and when they heard her breathing they confirmed that she was long past help. The leader said in a voice that I immediately recognised. “You are convicted of killing a human, you know the price. What do you plead?” He was the guy that had helped my family when we had no food and were starving.

“You have to run.” I managed to say before I leapt on his back knocking him flat, the other Nightwatchers ignored this because they had no orders from their leaders and didn’t dare break their oath’s, they stood obediently with scythes touching the ground and the sharp bit close to their hoods.

I clawed Samuel’s back penetrating his cloak, knocking him out, nearly killing him. I cried blood-red tears on his back, but then I understood something, I had a will, so with my willpower I fought the beast within. I took him to the closest safest place I could think of, an abandoned cave.

I picked him up and ran faster than a cheetah. I ran to the cave and laid him down on the ground. He awoke with me leaning over him preparing myself to change him. I wasn’t supposed to change a human until the week period was finished but I thought that Tabitha could go get screwed, this was the only way to save him. “If you want to live let me do this.” I pleaded.

He screamed pushing me off him, but wincing in pain as he rolled on his damaged back. “Wait!” He yelled. “Don’t chan-.” He was cut off by my fangs sinking into the flesh of his neck, he whimpered as I drank deep until he had no blood left. I sealed the wound but I knew that because I had disobeyed the vampire tradition so would Samuel and he would not obey what I said, especially being my first victim.

“Why did you do this to me?” He whispered looking at me with eyes that faded into darkness as he fell into the world where the virus of my saliva would be working through his body twisting his DNA into a monster that even its own shadow and reflection shied away from it.

I watched Samuel the whole night as he was made into the thing that I now was; a monster. Samuel’s chest rose and fell a couple of times then stopped moving altogether. I didn’t think that he was going to make it as he was taking a lot of time to regain consciousness.                                     

The next day was a surprise as he woke Tabitha came to our cave and I immediately stood up from where I was lying next to Samuel. “You failed sweetie.” She said drawing a scythe. “You know the price of going against your master.”

I took Samuel’s scythe and Tabitha said with a smirk. “Looks like you killed your boyfriend.”

I smiled at her and brought out the sword she had given me and swung the scythe at her head and my normal sword at her legs she did a high jump over both of the blades so I, quick as an eel, sliced off her foot, she glanced down at it barely affected as it healed almost instantly. As she swung the scythe at me I naturally slid to the side sensing that this weapon could kill me without even trying.

She jumped to Samuel “Come any step closer and he gets it.”

Samuel opened his eyes, realising what position; in between both of Tabitha’s legs he tried squirming, uncomfortable where he was. “Stop moving Samuel.” I hissed.

Samuel went limp and Tabitha took it as a sign that he had given up. “See.” She said with a triumphant smile drawing a small love heart on his neck with her sword and Samuel winced but watched as it almost immediately healed. “Even your boyfriend has given up.” 

“You want me dead because I disobeyed vampire tradition?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“No-one disobeys the vampire tradition, and those who do shall be killed by the sword of death, it has taken more lives than any other sword.” Tabitha replied shrugging.

But when she shrugged the sword wavered from Samuel and he jumped up knocking the scythe out of her hand and cut her leg with it and Tabitha fell to the ground shaking uncontrollably and tears gathered in her eyes.

She ran out of the cave as fast as she could which admittedly not fast and she was jerking around the entire way like someone who didn’t like a puppet and was treating it very badly.

I picked up Samuel but he started running out of the cave unassisted, I ran, surprised, after him. Before long we came to a river. We never ran out of breath because we didn’t breathe. I stared at Samuel. “We should stay here for a bit before we move back to the main country to find somewhere safe.”

He looked at me with hatred deep in his eyes ignoring what I had just said. “Why did you have to change me?” He asked in a low guttural animal voice. His pupils dilated going completely black, he leapt at me, his nails turning to claws and his teeth lengthened turning to fangs.

He tried clawing me but I moved swiftly to one side. “Samuel!” I shrieked. “Stop it!”

He was completely an animal now and what little energy he had left was wasted on growling at me and using his new sharpened senses. He crouched down on all fours growling. He leapt again, this time I smelt the metallic scent of blood and barely contained myself from killing him with one swift swipe. 

“Samuel, please listen to me.” I begged. “If you succumb to the animal you will crave for blood forever and will go mad because of it.”

His eyes went back normal for a second then back to a black abyss. He growled like a feral dog. I decided that I’d had enough and turned away running, he chased after me like a lion would to a deer.

I jumped off a cliff airborne for a few seconds before hitting a rough surface of gravel and stone. I groaned in pain and my leg looked like it had been mauled apart by a vicious dog but even when I was thinking about it healing like Tabitha’s foot, it healed. I ran to what looked like a very old pub. I walked in. The inside was much more modern than the outside with neon lights and guns attached to every porcelain white chunk of a table. Probably loaded with silver to kill werewolves, I thought.

Garlic hung from the rafters of the ceiling. Thinking about how funny it was that the humans still thought that garlic warded vampires away. The truth was that if you shoved a clove of garlic down a vampire’s throat then it would kill them because of its poison, but no human had ever killed a vampire that way because it was too hard. I laughed out loud drawing a few raised eyebrows from the tables. “We don’t serve the drink you want here.” The bartender said.

“What makes you think that I’m a vampire?” I asked with a small smile.

“Because, no-one as pretty as you walks into this pub without a death wish.” The bartender said grinning broadly. “I hear that you are the vampire that changed a Nightwatcher into one of you ugly creatures.”

“Maybe I do have a death wish.”  I said

He pulled out a diamond dagger. “I will get a big fat reward-.”

He was cut off by Samuel crashing through the roof. The bartender and all of the people around stared at Samuel realising how dangerous he was. And here, he was talking about how dangerous I was.

Samuel growled low and loud on all fours. No-one moved except for a young girl with a bright-red tank on, she was immersed in her radio walkable swaying to an invisible tune looking out the only window oblivious to how much danger she was in.

Samuel snapped his head to her quickly calculating how much of a fight she’s put up. “Samuel.” I said softly clicking my tongue. “If you kill her you will be on the Wanted list like me for killing Melody and making her go crazy.”

He quickly snapped his head back to me, his eyes, a chasm of pure animalism and hatred for everyone and everything. “Don’t do it beast.” The bartender said. “I don’t want any trouble, especially murder in this pub; it has been mine ever since the war and I want it preserved.”

Samuel just stared at him then he jumped at the girl clawing at her back, the glass from the window smashed letting in the cold air. Her screams will haunt Samuel knowing that he caused that terrible noise, but it will haunt me knowing that I just stood there and watched as he killed her. The girl fell to the ground in a pool of her own blood with glass from the window surrounding her and landing on her skin piercing it.

“Her name was Alyssa.” The bartender said to no-one in particular and then he looked at me directly. “This is exactly why we don’t let your type in here.”

I stared at him then back to Samuel, he was on the floor playing with Alyssa’s dead body, tossing her around and drinking her blood. The bartender pulled out a machine gun loading the clip. “You are a beast and you don’t need to live to kill anyone else living.”

With a yell he launched himself at Samuel firing non-stop. Samuel jerked around like a puppet being pulled around except that red liquid was gushing from his body. The bullets dropped to the floor, the round being finished. Samuel looked at the bartender swaying where he stood, slowly he growled making everyone except for the bartender and I scream and run out of the pub in a stampede for the exit.

I pulled out one of the scythes that I had taken from one of the Nightwatchers and sheathed the sword. “I didn’t want to do have to do this Samuel.” I said sadly. “But you left me with no choice.”

I walked to him slowly at first but gradually I became a blur, Samuel lifted a lazy arm to protect himself. I jumped slicing through his arm and hitting him where his heart used to be, his eyes turned to the original green they had been, my blue eyes were the last thing he ever saw and the poison that ran through his body worked to kill him and finally succeeded.

“Thank you.” The bartender said. “That was a pretty noble thing knowing that he was…”

I placed the scythe on my back feeling that somehow Samuel had been my responsibility and now I just killed him.

I left without accepting the thanks walking towards the cover of trees. The stretches of plain land with the blood red roses made me realise that I was starving for some blood.

I heard the howl of a werewolf and realised that it was a full moon. I smiled; I had never fought with a wolf let alone a werewolf before. I took the scythe off my back again getting comfortable with it in my hand.

I walked into the heart of the forest where the howl had come from.

“By the name of the high court of the Nightwatchers I command you to stand down.” A voice said from behind me. 

I whipped around surprised. “I thought it was impossible to sneak up on one of you beasts.” The voice said again.

“What are you?” I asked the voice stalling for time so I could pinpoint his location and-

“I know what you’re thinking.” It said again. “I am one of humans that mutated, but unlike some of the mutants like me I use this to become a good person.”

I leapt at where I thought the voice was slashing blindly all around it, only succeeding in cutting leaves and bushes apart. “What do you want from me?” I asked with a real fear in my voice.

“I want what every Nightwatcher wants from you Mikaylah.” The voice said somewhere at the right.

“Which is?” I asked getting more nervous by the second like I was back in the alleyway waiting for Tabitha to turn up.

“We all want you brought to justice for killing Melody Lee and turning Samuel Ranger into a monster.” The voice finished and I pictured a face smiling.

I looked directly at where the voice had spoken and finally saw it; a hint of movement that was artificial, a sword only slightly moving. I would never of seen it if I had been human. I made my mind blank then leapt catching whoever it was off guard.

“How did…” He started. “Oh, that’s what I forgot; you have enhanced eyesight and hearing, how silly of me.” 

I frowned at him not understanding how he could have forgotten something like that. “What can I say? I’m forgetful.” He said smiling faintly.

He wore a dark brown cloak with a hood drawn back revealing a mutation of a face. His eyes were too much outwards; his left ear was almost at the top of his head and what little hair he had was placed randomly on his head and was a jet black colour.

“What happened to you?” I said slowly putting my scythe straight to his throat.

He just stared at me unable to comprehend with a scythe at his neck. His eyes bulged out of his head. “Damn it.” I said and ran away from him, he let out a howl of pain and I ran faster tripping over rocks and snapping tree branches.

When a mutant starts to mutilate even more they go crazy and try to kill everything that they see in their path of craziness.

A dark shape hurtled out from nothing and crashed into me taking me down to the ground, they put a hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming. “Shh!” A girl hissed at me.

She tried to drag me but I refused finally she sighed impatiently and said. “Come with me if you want live.”

Something in my mind clicked like a clock hitting midnight.

Madeline running through a fiery forest chasing a werewolf…

Madeline dressed in black leather head to toe with a black visored helmet and two glowing swords in each hand standing above a radioactive coloured skinned creature…

Madeline screaming as her family was carted away in a black truck… 

Madeline sitting in front of a brick house with tears streaming down her face…

More visions like these popped into my head like a long movie as I chased after the mystery girl Madeline.

She lead me to the house I had seen in my head; brick, one story, a rickety old wooden porch that had ivy trying to creep up it, though the house looked like it was weathered down the silver door stood out of the house seeming out of place. I guessed that the house would be more modern on the inside.

As we jumped up on the front porch a ginger and grey cat with the brightest amber I had ever seen stalked up to me hissing a warning. “I know what she is Thunder.” Madeline said to the cat.

The door flew open revealing the inside of the house: grey walls, a mismatch of chairs and tables, there was a leather lounge and instead of a TV there was a fireplace built into the walls emitting bright orange flames casting eerie shadows on the walls. “Quick.” Madeline said. “Get inside, unless you want to be at the mercy of a crazy mutant.” 

“That I do not.” I said.

Thunder the cat ran through with me leaping onto another small grey lounge, I looked to Madeline to see her slam the heavy door shut, I looked back to Thunder and saw a teenager with grey hair streaked with ginger sitting where Thunder had sat. He grinned at me revealing yellow stained teeth.

“Are you a mutant as well?” I asked looking deep into the amber eyes which I realised were filled with specks of gold.

“Yes.” He said. “But unlike some I can transform into a cat at will.”

I realised that it was a jibe pointed at werewolves and vampires because they can rarely transform at will and I ignored it. “Thunder seriously!” Madeline said in an exasperated voice. “Enough!”

Thunder stared at Madeline then shrugged. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked scrunching my hands into fists.

“Because you are what I think will change a new life for Thunder and I.” Madeline said with a smirk. “I hear that you turned a Nightwatcher then killed it.”

“What if I did?” I asked defiantly.

“You don’t kill Nightwatchers.” Thunder hissed, his hackles rising.

I looked at him, suddenly something bashed against the silver door. “He found us quicker than I would have liked him to.” Madeline said.

Madeline ran out of the room leaving Thunder and I left together. The silence turned awkward, Thunder stared at the floorboards lost in its intricate pattern that was carved into the floor. “Well.” I said. “How were you changed?”

“I was at my parents’ house and suddenly I heard screams, I ran outside to find the air was almost a green colour. People were on the ground screaming and holding their stomachs as their hair fell out.” He paused for a moment. “My parents dragged me back inside but I had felt some of the gas touch me, I was sick for weeks. Then I became a cat for another week until the effects had completely worn off, my parents ran away from me crying ‘FREAK!’ I left and found Madeline, she is also like me but she has the curse of immortality.”

He looked like he was going to cry so I walked over to him and awkwardly put my arms around him, I felt him tense his shoulders but he then relaxed. I suddenly got a stream of scenes put in my head just like with Madeline.

Thunder going outside and seeing everyone screaming…

Thunder lying on a bed being sick with two people with kind faces hovering over him…

Thunder in cat form chasing after his parents…

Thunder meeting Madeline as she saved his life from a vampire with dark hair and blood dripping from his fangs…

I stared at him and realised how hard it would be being a mutant, especially if your own family abandoned you. Madeline walked in the room wearing the leather suit she had been wearing in my vision except that she wasn’t wearing the black visored helmet and the glowing swords were sheathed. She stared at Thunder and I like she was seeing something new in me.

I removed my arms from him almost blushing. “Well, we’re all mutants here aren’t we?” Thunder asked.

 “No!” Madeline yelled. “She is more important than anyone else in this room.”

I stared at her incredulously. “No, I’m nothing important.” I said quietly. “I’ve killed one human and turned a Nightwatcher then killed him too for god’s sake.”

Thunder looked at me then at Madeline. He changed back to cat form and leapt up onto the top of the leather lounge. “We are going to sacrifice you to the Nightwatchers so that we can live in peace.” Madeline said with a smile. “And you can’t do anything about it.”

I looked at her then at Thunder. “Why do you have to choose me?” I asked sadly.

“Because the Nightwatchers are very interested in you after the people you’ve killed.” Madeline said.

She drew the two glowing sword and I saw another vision.

Madeline standing before the council proposing to hunt the vampire down to get her immortality and Thunder getting their humanity back…             

I looked at her. “You know that they cannot take away what they didn’t give.” I said drawing my sword and scythe “I didn’t want blood on this sword.” I said looking at the swords.

“Looks like you’ve taken the hard choice.” Madeline said placing her black visored helmet on.

I smiled at her. “Come at me then.” I said

Madeline tilted her head to one side and ran at me as fast as a car, I side stepped her lashing out with one of my swords, she whipped around quicker than the eye could see and struck another blow to me, I blocked it swinging the scythe at her head. It made a satisfying crunching sound and left a dent in the helmet. “Stop it!” Thunder yelled back in human form.

I stooped and looked at him and in the space that I looked at him Madeline struck catching me off guard and stabbed me in the neck with glowing swords. Thunder screamed and I stared at him as Madeline twisted the sword around. “You were supposed to keep her alive.” Thunder said angrily at Madeline.

She shrugged. “She’ll live.” She withdrew the sword from my neck. I became hungry as blood dripped from my wound and the sword. I looked at Thunder then back to Madeline.

“She’ll go crazy for blood.” Thunder said looking pale.

Madeline shrugged. “Let her go crazy.” She said in a muffled voice.

I looked at her then felt the surge of craziness then Mikaylah was gone and in her place was a beast of destruction and death. My pupils dilated and became a black chasm just as Samuel’s had. “Look at her.” Madeline said. “I can’t believe you like her.”

I leapt at Madeline with fangs and claws extended penetrating her leather suit and hitting flesh and bone, I dove hungrily to her neck and I drank her blood with Thunder only watching her. “Seal it.” He said pleadingly to the remaining monster.

I almost leapt at him but I stopped myself with all of my might closing my eyes instead of leaping at him. When I opened my eyes again they were normal and the monster left me. I licked Madeline’s wound shut, she opened her eyes “NO!” She screamed then her world tilted away from her and she would soon be reborn as a monster, also a servant to me. I smiled at that thought.

“You better not try to take me in.” I said plucking one of Madeline’s swords up.

“No way, why would I do that?” He said.

I shrugged then I picked up the other sword then Madeline suddenly opened her eyes; they were a black chasm then they were back to their original bright green which matched with her long bright red hair. “Ok Madeline.” I said. “Your first mission is to kill that pesky mutant that’s bashing on the door, that’s your blood meal.”

Madeline nodded and removed her helmet then moved towards the door changing her nails to claws bursting through her gloves and teeth to fangs. She opened the door and the mutant crashed in the room, Madeline jumped at him dodging its claws, she sunk her fangs to the mutant’s neck drinking deeply while he flailed his claws around the air desperately trying to hit Madeline, claws which slowly fell to its owner’s side admitting defeat. “Do not seal the wound Madeline.” I said when the blood had gone from the mutant. “Kill it.”

Madeline nodded again and drew a small dagger from a secret pocket in the suit, she brought the dagger down hard where the mutant’s heart was, she then carved a small hole where his heart was and ripped the veins and took its heart out and squeezed it.

“I never knew that she could be that ruthless.” Thunder said looking disgusted.

I shrugged. “Being a vampire has its consequences.” I said with a small smile. “I almost killed someone that had saved my family and my life because I was told to by my master.”

He looked at me. “How long have you been a vampire?” He asked curiously.

“About three days.” I said. “I used willpower to ignore my master.”

He nodded looking amazed. “How did you do it?” He asked.

“I decided that it wasn’t worth killing him for my master.”

A howl from outside made as both jump. “Crap.” I said. “It’s a werewolf in full form. Madeline shut the door!” I yelled.

She leapt to the door trying to slam the door close but as she did a huge, furry paw with long sharp nail reached around the door cutting her and as her blood dripped on the silver door part of it melted away like a candle lit.

The werewolf took full advantage of this and put all of its weight on the door and howling as the silver burned it. “Madeline.” I said quietly. “It’s all yours.”

Madeline smiled and kicked the door open, she crouch on all fours and leapt at the werewolf with such a force that it knocked it straight to the ground. Madeline tried clawing it but all instead she was pulling out tufts of yellowish hair out.

I leapt at the werewolf as a blur with both glowing swords held above my head trying to stab it but failing. “Madeline!” I yelled over the howling of the wolf. “Take this and work with me to bring the werewolf down.” I said chucking her a sword.

We fought perfectly as if we had been training for years together; if I went low Madeline went high, if I blundered Madeline would cover it up and if she would blunder I would cover up for her, the werewolf raised its huge, furry paws to feebly protect it from our onslaught, yet we did not yield.

The wolf howled in pain and decided to run away from us as we were a formidable pair. I smiled at Madeline and she smiled back. “Wow.” Thunder said. “You two are amazing together.”

I turned to face him and saw that he was upset. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

He looked at me with his bright amber eyes. “Nothing’s wrong.” He said quickly.

I narrowed my eyes and his thoughts hit me like a freight train.

Thunder chasing after Lightning through a dead forest…

Thunder seeing Mikaylah for the first time and asking himself why had he agreed with Madeline…

Thunder running with Madeline in cat form towards a grand building also known as the council and refuge for humans…

I stared at him not knowing how I kept seeing these thoughts, it had never happened before. I frowned. I keep seeing these thoughts yet I have no memory about being a mutation. I thought in my head.

Thunder gasped and Madeline tilted her head to one side. “What is it?!” I asked.

“You were in my head.” Thunder said finally.

“But I’m only a vampire not anything else.” I said.

“Maybe you’re a mutation and you don’t know it.” Thunder said. “It’s not impossible.”

I stared at the intricate pattern of the floor and my eyebrows raised themselves almost disappearing into my hairline: the floor was wood woven with hair into it. “When was this house made?” I asked.

“I don’t know and neither does Madeline.” Thunder said the he added. “I’m guessing that it was a while back though.”

“I should leave.” I said as an idea formed in my head, I was going to search for my friends then turn them to vampires and form a committee against the Nightwatchers and I would mark a new life for mutants.

“Please don’t go.” Thunder pleaded on the verge of tears. “I’ve never felt about someone like this in ages since…”

Thunder lying under an ivy sky with stars jotted down with Jocelyn, a brown headed girl with beautiful amber eyes…

Thunder and Jocelyn standing beneath a willow tree kissing…

“I have to.” I said firmly trying not to think about Jocelyn. “I don’t belong here, and what happens when the week period is up? Madeline will try to kill me or take me in to the council.”

I walked towards Thunder. I grabbed him in a tight hug then released, my hands moved to his face he suddenly kissed me catching me off guard, after a few seconds I realised that I was kissing him back, his passion surprised me but I didn’t care I just wanted to stand here forever with the warmth of Thunder that he was emitting. He broke off. “I just had to do that once.” He said.

I smiled sadly. “Goodbye Thunder.” I said and turned and walked out the door.

I ran past the forest and out into the country, I roughly thought that I was near the city so I turned east and followed my nose to a farm. I walked up a steep gravelly drive to an old run down house. It looked like it had been burnt on numerous occasions because it had black streaks through the peeling yellow paint. 

The door flung open and I saw the person I most needed: Ariana, she was a very powerful best friend and hopefully she would help me. “It’s been a while Mikaylah.” She said tossing blonde hair out of her face as a slight wind blew. She held a gun pointed at my head.

“Yes, I know.” I said with a sigh. “I changed for my family but then I dug my hole bigger for myself and I’m still trying to climb out of it.”

Ariana raised an eyebrow. “I hear you killed Melody.” She said. “She was a bitch but you had no need to kill her.”

“I need your help.” I said.

Ariana opened her mouth to speak and a shot rang out through the air and the gun in Ariana’s fell to the ground. “What the hell?” We both said in unison. Thunder stalked out from the cover of trees with a gun with a scope on it extended.

“Thunder is it you!?” I yelled.

He walked over and I saw that his hands were shaking, badly. “Put the gun down Freak.” Ariana said raising a shotgun and loading it with ammunition, her fingers shook slightly, but I noticed it. I heard the soft clink as her fingers tapped against the trigger and I saw her fingers shaking slightly leaving fingerprints on the gun that were almost impossible to see even with a vampire’s eyesight.

Thunder dropped the gun and raised his arms. He jumped down to the ground in cat form gracefully he ran up to Ariana, his paws barely skimming the ground. He jumped higher than the average cat could jump onto Ariana’s face and swiftly cutting it, she screamed in pain and tears started to fall like the first drops of a thunderstorm.

“Do it now.” Thunder said back in human form. And unfortunately I knew exactly what he meant.

I leant over Ariana crying and bit her in the neck, we had always joked that Ariana had the beauty of an angel and the mercy of the devil and whilst drinking her blood I found that it was true, she must have been a mutant and she didn’t know it. Her blood tasted like a sweet and bitter drink, I sealed the wound. 

Ariana was no more and in her place was the monster that over took most humans that changed into beasts. “Let’s go.” I said to Thunder.

“You can drag her.” Thunder said.

I picked up Ariana as if she was a small child and started running with Thunder almost catching up to me but not quite, we ran as a blur of black, red, ginger and white. We arrived at the edge of the city where the most famous pack of werewolves live and hunt together.

Thunder stopped for a moment then fell to the ground. “What’s wrong Thunder?!” I screamed.

I ran over to where he had fallen and saw a trickle of blood escape from his heart. I had no idea how the hell he would of concealed a wound like that. Then I remembered his words. “Do it now.” And I knew that I had no choice but to accept his words.

I leant down above him not wanting to do this but I knew that he would want it. My fangs lengthened and I sipped tasting his blood, it tasted like it was holding back memories. I felt intrigued but did not press and soon there was no blood left except for a tiny bit. His eyes faded into darkness and so did his world as I sealed the wound.

I turned around and Ariana was one metre away smiling at a werewolf who was in human form but was yelling angrily at her. “What’s up?” I asked the werewolf tearing my eyes away from Thunder who was lying in a pool of his own blood.

“You’re not supposed to be on this land.” The werewolf said baring yellow teeth.

“We’re just passing through.” I said.

“You will be passed on to the council of Nightwatchers now.” He said. “We’ve already notified them.”

With a yell Ariana and I jumped at the werewolf I drew Madeline’s swords while I was blurring towards the werewolf and Ariana drew a pistol shooting equally fast as me. Ariana shot the werewolf before it could change to a monster like us. I stabbed the swords down and casually twisted the sword sending electric energy through his body.

He fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut by a puppeteer.

A patrol of werewolves in human form stalked over to where we all were. They circled us waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Thunder got up and walked over to where Ariana and I were standing. “You are relieved from the duties of fulfilling your master’s wishes.”

He looked at me then nodded drawing out his claws. The werewolves thought that this was the perfect moment to strike. They struck in full force and Ariana drew a silver blade. I killed werewolf after werewolf leaving me hungry as I smelled the metallic scent of blood. My hands were stained with blood from so many deaths. Finally the onslaught stopped and the remaining werewolves turned heel and ran to the cover of trees.

We were left in the remains of a massacre with bodies all around us in a sea of blood. We all jumped to a werewolf’s body and drank hungrily. We consumed the blood of all the werewolves so that we were not wasting perfectly good blood.

A shaped hurtled towards us and a lone werewolf drawing swords that smelt exactly like garlic. The figure crashed into Ariana and tried to stab her into her neck with immense speed but Ariana was faster, slipping out of the werewolves grip she drew a silver blade and cut the werewolf’s left hand off. The werewolf screamed making all of the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

A group of people turned up at the edge of the trees. The only reason we had seen them was because of their scythes that had red energy running off them as they sensed the presence of vampires: Nightwatchers; and lots of them.

They started walking towards us. “Brace yourselves.” I said to Ariana and Thunder. “Ariana, you are relieved from the duties of fulfilling your master’s wishes.”

She nodded and I threw her a glowing scythe. “I’ve always wanted to use one of these.” Ariana said with a tight smile.

The Nightwatchers were about a hundred paces from where we stood. “Thunder, you can use this.” I said and threw him my normal blade. “You’ll get a scythe off the Nightwatcher that you first kill.”

He cracked a smile and then was lost in a tidal wave of bodies. The Nightwatchers divided into different groups to take us down and I noted; with satisfaction that there were more Nightwatchers assigned to take me down than the others.

They circled us then came at us as one mass of black hoods and energetic scythes eager to spill our blood. I jumped as high as I could over the bodies, just missing the swing of a scythe. I looked below in the few seconds that I was airborne and saw just what I wanted to see; mutants had come to help their fellow comrades. I dove down hitting the ground and sweeping out the legs of some of the Nightwatchers surrounding me. I jumped up and swept the two glowing swords around in a 360 arc slicing the Nightwatchers in two clean so that is a few seconds before they realise that they are dead and topple over.

I keep spinning, around, around and around I go like a merry-go-round until a Nightwatcher gracefully jumped over the blur of me and my swords hopeful to land on my head and kill me. I quickly flashed up one of the swords and the Nightwatcher clashed his sword with mine. I jumped as high as I could and so did the Nightwatcher, I quickly flashed my blade with his and stabbed him with the other killing him. I landed back on the ground with about 50 Nightwatchers still surrounding me.

A hole appeared in the nearest Nightwatchers chest and it took him a moment to realise that he was being burned from behind, he quickly turned around but nothing was there, not even me.

A bright, blinding light appeared next to me in the form of a phoenix burning all of the Nightwatchers leaving them in piles of ashes that were kicked up by a huge, sudden gust of wind as a mini hurricane stormed towards us. The sky filled with black storm clouds sending down cascades of rain and striking lightning at the Nightwatchers that were frantically trying to run away. Their screams echoed through the night as hungry flames licked them.

A vortex of water came out of nowhere washing away everything except for the hurricane, the phoenix, and the storm clouds, Thunder, Ariana and I. “Well.” The phoenix said. “That was well done.”

The phoenix changed into human form that had amber eyes as bright as Thunder’s and a long a long mane of fiery red hair and was a boy. The mini hurricane changed into another human with grey hair and nearly white eyes and held a wooden staff that had a ruby engraved to the hilt but it almost immediately faded into his arm. The person that had created the storm slowly drifted down to the ground with blindingly bright eyes that left an imprint on your eyelids after you had looked at them which slowly turned to a pale blue. A human hunkered out of the remains of the wave with dyed blue hair and matching eyes, their face looked like it had been cut by knives on numerous occasions.

“Who are you?” I asked them all.

“We make up the 4 elements that protect mutants from Nightwatchers.” The blue haired girl said in a surprisingly deep voice. “My name is Ebony but most mutants call me Water.”

“I wonder why they would do that.” I said sarcastically.

“I’m Phoenix and I don’t have a nickname, if you don’t know I'm fire.” The boy with bright amber eyes said with a small smile.

“I’m Storm, I control the air.” The girl with the palest of blue eyes said. 

“And I’m Hunter, you could say that I help Storm and control the ground.” The boy with white eyes said watching as the ashes of the remains of Nightwatchers float to the sky on a small wind.

I saw Thunder stare at Phoenix with a surprising anger in his eyes. “It’s you.” Thunder said almost growling.

I saw another vision.

A boy with the brightest hair and eyes stood before Thunder smiling as he told him that his twin had said that he was no longer wanted and would live by himself forever…

Thunder racing after Phoenix and Lightning as he tried to get to his home first…

Phoenix standing next to Lightning telling their parents that Thunder was a freak and was no longer human…

Phoenix stared at Thunder coldly. “That’s enough you two.” Ebony said stepping between the pair. “If you want to survive you have to get over what Phoenix ever did to you and come with us.”

“What if I don’t want to go with you?” Thunder asked angrily.

“We leave you here.” Storm said as calmly as possible.

I stared at Storm and saw why they had helped us. “You inhaled a lot of that nuclear shit and you weren’t sure if you were going to make it, you’ve been living by yourselves for ages; ever since the nuclear war started and now you’re sick of each other and want some more people to add to your hell.”

“It’s almost true Thunder.” Ebony said calmly.

I stared at Thunder. “Please come with us Thunder.” Hunter pleaded with a tinge of panic in his voice.

“No!” Thunder yelled. “You’re all traitors to everything so leave me alone!” He screamed and I saw something dart out to him and he crumpled, it then went to Ariana and she went down as well.

“Get on my back.” Hunter said.

He picked me up on a gust of wind up to the sky and I finally saw what had nearly killed Ariana and Thunder; a spear of light which was now hurtling towards me. I twisted out of the way as it came past me and I realised why it had almost killed Ariana and Thunder; it had the ancient language carved on the tip of the head. It was built to kill half demons and full demons. “Thunder get up and fight!” I screamed over and over until my throat was raw and yet he did not move.

A shadow moved over his body and dragged him and Ariana under a tree to the base where a set of stairs were placed. I passed out as I was dragged through the rapidly turning grey sky.

We were landed in what appeared a dungeon when I awoke. Hunter was leaning over me with a vial of red liquid. “I thought you were hungry.” He said. Shrugging he handed me the vial which I drank in one go.

“She’s awake!” Hunter yelled to whoever was in the dungeon with us.

Ebony slowly came into view. She was wearing a suit similar to Madeline’s except that it was a light blue colour instead of black.

I sat up immediately when I saw her. “Relax. We’re not going to turn you in.” She said.

“But you’re wearing what Madeline wore when she turned me in.” I said confused.

“You’re right.” Ebony said. “Probably because she’s my sister, but she chose the hard path.”

I stared at her and Storm came into the room looking possibly paler than she had been yesterday. “We have a small problem.” She said gulping.

“What?” Ebony asked.

“I think that Phoenix has gone to get Thunder.” Storm said quietly.

“God damn it!” Hunter yelled going as pale as Storm was.

Cracks began to form around in the cave. “Run!” I yelled as the caves ceiling started to send down rocks the size of boulders and just as hard.

Hunter raised his arms and a huge gust of wind picked up Ebony, Storm and I up and out of the cave as it almost collapsed. “I’m not leaving him there to die.” I said firmly.

I ran into the rapidly closing cave entrance getting my shoulder nearly decapitated by a falling rock. I ran to where Hunter was and found him lying on the ground nearly dead. I picked him up and ran out of the cave in a few second. Everyone stared at Hunter except for me because I knew what I would have to do to ensure his survival. “Hunter.” Storm whispered as tears streamed down her face. Dark thunder clouds appeared in the sky and Storm unleashed hell on the land below them screaming in agony.

I jumped up to Storm with no effort. I dragged her down to the ground. “Storm I need you to stop this otherwise people will notice this unnatural stuff!” I yelled at her rapidly shaking her non-stop.

“There’s only one way we can save him.” Ebony said softly looking at me.

I nodded. I leant down to Hunter feeling my fangs immediately slide out tingling with excitement as I smelled Hunter’s blood slowly pumping through his body. I bit into drinking his blood. I barely heard Storm scream as I was so immersed in finding out all of his blood’s secrets. The next thing I knew was that I was laying on the ground a metre away from Hunter. “Don’t you dare touch him you monster!” Storm screamed but I had already run over to Hunter’s body in the blink of an eye and sealed the wound.

“BITCH!” Storm screamed completely out of control as torrents of rain came down nearly pressing me straight down to the earth.

I leapt up dodging lightning bolts that were obviously meant to hit me and took Storm back to the ground and I saw Hunter slowly get off the ground unsure of what he was and what had happened. Then he looked at me and remembered everything. He leapt up with Storm and I and helped me drag her down to the ground using the force of wind.

A burst of fire struck where we were going to land and I quickly moved out of the way dragging Storm and Hunter after me. Phoenix walked up to us his eyes reflecting the fire that was behind us. “Thunder is dead.” Was all he said and the next thing I knew was that I was in a pitch black world trying to swim back to the surface but my legs and arms were like lead.

I don’t know how long I was in that world for but it felt like ages. When I finally surfaced I looked around and realised that I was in a bed of hay with a bottle of blood to drink next to me. The second thing I saw was Phoenix sitting looking at me dozing on another stack of hay. He woke with a start. “I guess that Storm hates my guts.” I said.

“Well you did turn the man that she loves into a vampire.” He said. “He’s actually in here at the moment waiting for you to wake up and relieve him from your wishes.”

“Hi Master.” Hunter said.

“Don’t call me that. Hunter, you are relieved from the duties of fulfilling your master’s wishes.” I said.

He smiled. “Thank you, Storm’s trying to kick you out of here.”

Phoenix spat out a small fire onto a stack of hay which licked it up hungrily turning it into a crispy remains of yellowish straw but now was a black pile of ashes. The flames turned into a Phoenix flying towards me with claws extended but at the very last moment it dispersed into thin air becoming nothing. “How did it happen?” I asked.

“What happen?” Phoenix asked looking at me curiously.

“Thunder dying smart one, how could you, forget?” I asked feeling anger boiling up inside me because he obviously knew what I meant.

“Oh. I didn’t actually see him die but you know when a car is written off because of its extent of damage. Well that’s what I’m doing to Thunder because he was shot by one of the Demon slayers with a spear of pure light with the ancient runes carved on them which has a killing percentage of ninety nine point nine, nine, nine.” Phoenix said staring at me with such an intensity that I realised he was holding something back.

I realised that he was lying to me and then his thoughts came out as if floodgates were being pulled open releasing all of the water that they held.

Thunder fighting with a golden shadow as Phoenix watched…

Phoenix watching how Mikaylah looked at Thunder and wanting revenge on him…

Thunder screaming at him as he realised who he was…

Phoenix changing into leather gear for hunting as he realised who Mikaylah loved…

Phoenix staring intently at Mikaylah watching every movement memorising the lines on her face, the curves of her body, the colour of her eyes and hair and the tension that relaxed whenever she saw Thunder…

I stared at him with my mouth slightly open. “What’s wrong?” Phoenix asked nervously.

“He’s alive.” I managed to get out as the huge lump in my throat disappeared.

“No he’s not.” Phoenix said and I saw how easily he flared up as a small flame appeared in his hair lighting it all up and it stuck up.

“I saw it all.” I said sadly.

“What’s going on?” Hunter asked wringing his hair around his finger.

“Thunder is alive.” Was all I said and then I realised how hard Phoenix was pushing his nails into his palms drawing blood and I contained myself from jumping over to him and not wasting his blood that carelessly splashed to the ground.

I walked out of the barn with a fiery Phoenix form trailing after me swearing under his breath. I started to run but Phoenix kept up so I finally drew my swords and they went a bright blue, like Ebony’s hair.

Phoenix drew two swords identical to mine which immediately turned to a blood-red as it sensed the presence of a vampire. I struck my sword out and Phoenix almost reluctantly clashed his sword with mine sending blue and red sparks flying. “Don’t do this, please.” He said in human form for a second and in that second he slowed down immensely and I left him sprinting to where I thought that I had last seen Thunder.

The stretch of land was exactly how I remembered it; grey sky, dead grass, long shadows casted from tall also dead trees and a sun hanging limp in the sky. I ran to where I had last seen Thunder and found blood stains all over the trunk that he had been dragged into. I ran into a small opening that had stairs twisting around the tree’s trunk and into the unknown.

The air smelt stale, like nothing had entered this certain entrance for a long, long time. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be like, I thought frowning. Then the stench hit me like a freight train in a hurry. I gagged on it smelling every particle of the smell. It had the metallic familiar scent of blood, rotting animals and food and a completely different smell. Like an air freshener trying to penetrate through a heavy cloud of stink.

I doubled over covering my nose and started coughing up blood which was not a good sign. I ran down the stairs doubled over looking like a hunchback. I ended up in an opening with a mutilated body lying on a table strapped down to it. There were flies buzzing around it and an air freshener was in a corner where somewhere was frantically pushing the button trying to get it to work to make a dent in the horrible stench of rotting flesh.

The body on the table moaned pathetically making me jump. “SHUT UP!” The person in the corner roared slamming his hand down on the air freshener splitting it releasing all of the liquid within onto the ground. “Bloody thing doesn’t work.” They said kicking the empty bottle.

They turned around and I saw the person that I had seen in my vision that had been running from Thunder. “What are you doing here Mikaylah?” Lightning asked drawing a glowing knife that was in the shape of a lightning bolt.

“Looking for Thunder you...” I said trailing off looking for an adequate word to describe how Lightning was making me feel. I barely kept the tears out of my eyes as I saw how badly injured Thunder was.

“There he is.” Lightning said gesturing towards the person on the table.

“Why did you do this to him?” I asked.

“I had a little debt to pay back and I had a bit of help from Phoenix.” He said smiling broadly. “He’ll be very hungry. I hear vampires get very savage when they’re hungry.”

I leapt at him with claws extended scraping his bare face smelling his blood. I grinned. “You’re very right when you say we get savage, and he’ll smell your blood.”

Lightning went as white as a sheet of a paper. “You wouldn’t.” He spluttered.

“I would. Especially after what you did to…” I said gesturing mockingly to the table smiling broadly to him.

I grabbed his hands and held them tightly behind his back and drew more blood and heard Thunder scream after smelling it, he yanked at the restraints until the restraints on the table snapped under the extreme pressure that they were being pulled at. Thunder got up and watched fascinated how his hands healed twisting them in the slowly darkening light. Lightning gasped in pain and Thunder snapped his head up to see Lightning then smiled.

He leapt at Lightning sinking fangs deep into his neck and I slowly felt the pulse on his wrist fade away. “Thank you.” Thunder said letting his fangs retract into his gums.

“Always a pleasure Thunder. Let’s go and explain Phoenix to the others.” I said. “Hey. What happened to Ariana?”

“She’s below, he raked his swords against her bare skin, I know because she screamed then he came upstairs and said how close he was to get his blood drank by a filthy mutant. Then he left her like me.” Thunder said, his mouth twisting into a disgusted look.

My eyes bulged out of my head thinking how bad it would be for her. “Let’s go get her.”

Thunder led me to a steel trap door. “He carries the key.” He said.

“Stuff keys.” I said kicking the door down with a few powerful kicks. “Ariana are you down here?!” I yelled to the darkness and instead of her voice I heard an animal growl. “Go get Lightning’s body! Quick!” I yelled at Thunder.

He ran and gracefully jumped up the trap door and chucked Lightning’s body down to me then himself jumped back down the trap door. “Ariana.” I cooed softly clicking my tongue to the growl. “I bring you food.”

I heard the cracking of chains as Ariana jumped off the table she had been chained to. She leapt to Lightning’s body clawing his face drawing blood as she sank her sharp fangs into the small of his neck drinking deeply. “Let’s go.” She said as her fangs retracted.

I nodded and jumped out of the cellar.                                 

We all jumped up the stairs wanting to be out of this place. We reached the clear air and all collapsed on the dead grass feeling it crackle behind our backs. “What are we going to do?” Ariana asked.

“I honestly don’t know Ariana.” I said.

“Well, that’s the last time I am ever going near a tree with a hollow inside.” She said shivering even though she couldn’t feel the cold.

“Was it that bad?” I asked curiously.

“Well, firstly feeling that god damn spear go through my leg was like I was dying all over again when you drained my blood. He stripped my clothes. Then he got on top of me well away from my fangs that had long come out and…” She stopped. “Sorry, I don’t want to go through it again, he’s just filthy vermin all right?”

“It’s all good. We don’t want you unhappy do we?” I said questioning Thunder.

“No way.” He said throwing his hands up into the sky. “I’m glad that you found us.”

“So am I.” I said really meaning it.

I hopped up grabbing Thunder and Ariana’s hands. “Look.” I hissed nodding towards the horizon.

A phoenix was slowly making its way towards us with two blood-red swords drawn as it sensed the presence of vampires. I drew my swords alike to his and they turned to a blue as it sensed the element of fire.

I threw one to Ariana. “The scythes from the Nightwatchers are the same as these swords.” I said throwing my scythe to Thunder.

The Phoenix drew steadily closer and the sky turned an even darker grey and it started to spit down rain on us and as I watched the Phoenix dulled to a darker colour meaning that the sky was helping us weaken Phoenix.

As I watched the sky a figure drifted down to the ground I realised that it was Storm but she had her back to us. Phoenix came closer to us and I tensed up readying myself to launch me to Phoenix if he tried to hurt Storm.

A tsunami wave came crashing down on Phoenix and he changed back to human form. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” He screamed at Ebony and Storm.

“Making sure that you don’t do something that you will regret for the rest of your small little life.” Storm said calmly as if she was the calm before the storm.

“WHY WOULD I REGRET IT!? SHE GOT THUNDER AND ARIANA BACK!” Phoenix roared and spit started to foam at the edges of his mouth.

“Go.” Ebony said quietly and Hunter landed on the back of Phoenix knocking him flat on the ground and sinking something in his neck, at first I thought it was a knife but then I looked closely and saw that it was actually a syringe loaded with a sedate. Sure enough Phoenix’s head drooped down to his chest and his arms and legs stopped fighting Hunter’s muscly arms.

“I’m so very sorry.” Hunter said. “That he ended up like that.”

“We’re going to have to block anything to do with us out of his head somehow.” Ebony said brushing part of her fringe to one side.

“I can do that.” I said surprising everyone least myself. “I was a mutant before I was changed into a vampire but I didn’t know, not until a couple of days ago.”

“OK.” Ebony said. “But we’ll have to do it well away from the cave so he doesn’t accidentally stumble across it.”

Hunter nodded. He picked himself and Phoenix up on a gust of wind and shouted over the roaring of the wind. “Follow me!”

We all chased after them for a couple of hours and Ebony and Storm took one break where they were flying and surfing along while they regained their energy then kept running but Thunder and I just raced along not feeling the slightest tired.

We ended up somewhere in town where nowhere would ever of hear of Connor Smith. He would live in my old house and live a normal life without the troubles that every mutant has. Hunter drifted down from the sky when we got to the outskirts of town so that no-one would be suspicious. We raced to my house on a last spurt of energy from Ebony and Storm and laid him down on the lino floor of my kitchen.

I focused on creating a wall between Phoenix and mutant history.

I drifted into his mind seeking all of the memories that had to do with being a mutant or a part of the elements and I realised that he could finally see me going through his memories. “Who are you?” He asked me confusedly. “And what are you doing in my head?”

“I’m no-one because you will never ever remember me. Good bye Connor Smith.” I said and swam up to my own consciousness where everyone was staring at me. “It’s done.” I said.

“There’s a party at my friends place tonight do you think we should go?” Storm asked nervously biting her nails. 

“Well I’m in after what’s happened to us…” I let the sentence hang in the air. “I’ll go get something to wear.” I said feeling very self-conscious about my ripped, bloody clothes.

I walked to my room and as I got in there I sighed. So many memories were here, from the scarlet walls to the oak wooden furniture. I walked to my walk in wardrobe and selected my favourite party dress: a strapless, black mini dress. I grabbed my black stilettos feeling their familiarity of the plastic material. I also grabbed my favourite bag: a shoulder red bag and placed the dress and a crimson coloured lipstick within it.

I brushed my long hair to one side putting my Mum’s hair pin in matching it with the dress. I put ruby earrings in my ears and kept the blood-red pendant around my neck. 

A soft knocking came at my door and Thunder came in with slack shoulders. “I just wanted to let you know that if I could grab one of your Dad’s suits…?” He asked looking around my bedroom drinking its sight in.

“Sure. I’ll go find one.” I said grabbing my stilettos and putting my shoulder bag on.

I walked out of the room knowing that this would be the last time that I’d ever see it. I almost cried as I walked past the frame of my Mum, my Dad and I standing in front of a Chinese restaurant in Asia.

I walked as calmly as possible to the edge of my parent’s bedroom and opened the door and was attacked by a fury of claws. “Is that you Lexi?!” I cried out and the claws stopped.

I picked up a black cat with blue eyes up. “What are you doing here Lexi?”

Lexi standing in front of the house as bombs fell…

Lexi with my parents in the bedroom hearing people in the house…

“Mum! Dad, where you?!” I yelled out to the bedroom.

I saw Lexi shake her head slightly and I knew that they were here. I ran to the bed and checked under it revealing cardboard boxes stuffed with food but nothing more than that. I walked cautiously to the sliding mirror wardrobe. I opened the door and a man roared and leapt at me with a kitchen knife stabbing me rapidly. “Dad please stop!” I yelled frantically as I smelled my blood drip to the floor.

“Mikaylah?” A middle aged woman with brown hair asked cautiously.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I said almost smiling but not quite.

“Why did you change?” She whispered her eyes widening and went pale as she saw how I was.

“For you. So that they would never get you because I could protect you.” I said.

My Dad fell over having fainted. “I need some clothes for my boy-. Friend.” I said quickly cutting off the rest of the sentence.

“Alright, you can use some of your old brother’s clothes.” She said and sighed. “Your brother is in Australia at the moment living somewhere on the coast.”

“Wow, thanks for telling me.” I said sarcastically.

“It was for the best.” Mum said.

I sighed and Mum lead me to the mantrap that had a key slot that Mum brought the key out which was gold. Mum opened it and above smelled a lot like mildew and dust.

I leapt up. “Grab by hand.” I said reaching down and grabbing my Mum’s outstretched hand and hauled her up.

I walked over to one of the many wooden crates and rummaged through, I pulled out a sparkly sequined shirt and flares. I grinned at Mum. “Did my brother happen to be gay?”

Mum hesitated for just a second. “He always said he was straight but I believe he was convincing him rather than your father and me.”

I shook my head grinning. “Thunder’s going to love this.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Mum said and we both jumped down the manhole closing it behind us.

I walked as calmly as I could to the lounge room where everyone else was sitting around on the lounges and mismatch of chairs. “Thunder. This is your suit.” I said smiling.

 I burst out laughing till my stomach ached and I was crying when I saw Thunder’s face that dropped from a smile to a mask of horror. “I can’t wear that!” He yelled dismayed staring at the blue and gold sequins that sparkled in the light.

All of us fell on the ground crying with laughter barely breathing for those who could breathe. “What the hell is that?” Dad said as he came in the room and it sent us on new bouts of laughing.

“I’ll go make a sandwich for you Dad.” I said wiping my eyes smearing bloody tears over my face.

I walked to the kitchen going straight to the fridge pulling out a bloody piece of meat and drank all of its blood so that my hunger could be satisfied. I got a slice of blue  cheese out knowing that my Dad loved, lettuce hearing the satisfying crunch as I tore off a couple of leaves, ham, two white pieces of bread pulling them from the packet noticing that they were only just going stale and pulled out a tomato from the fridge’s crisper. I pulled out one of the kitchen knives that weren’t rusted from age and quickly diced it up.

I got some butter out that didn’t smell too off and spread it over the two slices, just how my Dad like it. I firstly put the cheese on almost gagging on its smell. I then put the ham on ripping off a bit and ate it. The next layer was the lettuce, almost to crisp to be true and finally was the slice of tomato, it was a bit brown but it was still pretty good considering how long it had been in the crisper.

I picked one of my favourite plates from my childhood; a light blue plate that had hardened frills around the edges and the matching cup filling it with long life milk that had been stored in the cupboard for about a year now.

I walked back to the lounge room, almost tripping over Lexi. I bent down to pat her and felt her smooth black fur and remembered when I first got Lexi: it was a rainy day and I had been bugging Mum and Dad for a cat for ages and finally it was Christmas time I was only 9. I naturally grabbed the biggest present there was. Finally after I had ripped all of the presents open Mum said. “There’s one more present for you.” And then she pulled out the cutest kitten ever: the kitten had a little bell around her collar that tinkled whenever she moved. Her eyes were a sea blue that stared at me playfully.

I sighed thinking about how much Lexi had changed in the space of 5 years.

“I’m here.” I said putting on a plastic smile and walked into the lounge room.

‘What took so long?” Dad said.

“Déjà vu.” I said. 

“Ok. Let’s go get changed.” Storm said.

“I packed everything because I thought we were walking.” I said frowning.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the saying that you have to arrive at the party in style?” Storm said grinning.

At that moment a screeching of tires arrived just outside of my house. “Come and meet the chauffeur.” Storm said and walked outside then back in with a muscle of a man dressed in a black suit, an earpiece and sunglasses even though it was nearly dark. In plenty of ways he reminded me of secret agent.

“How the hell did you come by something like this?” I asked amazed.

Storm winked. “The magician never gives away his secrets. Now go get changed everyone, maybe not you two.” Storm added looking at my parents.

“Sorry Mum and Dad, but you will have to act as parents for Ph- Connor.” I hastily said. “He was going to kill us so he doesn’t remember anything to do with being a mutant. Can you please be parents to him?”

“Sure honey.” Mum said smiling but I could detect every bit of sadness in her voice. “Anything for you.”

I nearly cried but forced myself not to knowing that once I started I wouldn’t be able stop. I walked to my room taking off my shoulder bag. I tipped the contents onto my bed.

I stripped off my blood-soaked clothes chucking them one the floor of my room. I walked into my on-sweet taking a long shower washing off all of the blood that was crusted on my body. I picked up my strawberry body lotion slathering it over my skin, it left my skin smoother than it had been for a while.

I got out of the shower closing its steamy door. I grabbed a strapless bra and a pair of clean undies out of one of the draws of my dressing table. I smoothed the creases out of its silky material. I brushed my hair detangling it then put it up in a bob with just a couple of loose strands out of it. I applied crimson lipstick and put my stilettos on standing up and admiring myself in my full length mirror.

I walked out of the room breaking my ankle on one of the stairs but it quickly healed leaving me in no pain.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Thunder said uncertainly.

He wore the sparkly suit that I had given him with a matching headband and looked like a disco ball. “So do you Thunder.” I said nastily smiling.

“Do you know how much I hate your guts?” He said but I knew that he didn’t mean it because he was smiling as well.

“Are we just going to stand here and talk about who looks hot and who’s not?” Storm said, she wore a full length white dress with sleeves but leaving her shoulders bare, she had a silver bracelet on her left arm and her hair was left out moving in an invisible wind.

“Let’s go.” Ebony said casually flicking her hair back behind a pink halter dress.

“Good bye Mum and Dad.” I said barely stopping myself from crying.

I grabbed them in a tight hug. “We’ll always remember you as the girl you always were.” Dad said.

“Come on Mikaylah.” Thunder said gently prising me from my parents embrace.

“You take good care of our daughter.” Mum said looking at Thunder.

“Trust me, I will.” Thunder said.

I walked away with Thunder having his arms around me and walking me out to the limousine where the chauffeur was patiently holding the door open for Thunder and me to walk in.  

He closed the door after us. “Here.” Thunder said pushing a glass full of blood-sparkling wine into my hand. “Drink this.”

“I’m only 15.” I said but took the drink anyway gulping it down, it left me feeling fuzzy inside. I smiled; maybe the party would be better than I thought it would be.

The chauffeur rapped on the window twice letting Storm know that we were going to be pulled over. The tinted window rolled down and an angry person let out a stream of swearing at the chauffeur demanding to see who was in the back. “Hide under the seats Ariana and Mikaylah while he comes in.” Storm said indicating to the leather seats.

I nodded and hid beneath the seats not really caring if they found us or not. I almost giggled as he came in. “I’m Ranor and I would like to see who you have in your cabin.”

“Sure, just search through all of our stuff if you please.” Storm said giggling at her own joke.

Ranor bent down but Ebony quickly got up downing her 4th glass of wine. “Not down there.” She said hastily. “That’s where all the dirty things that we use go. When us girls have our accidents.” She said laughing.

I almost laughed myself but made myself laugh quietly while Storm, Thunder and Hunter laughed their heads off. “You are disgusting.” Ranor said his mouth twisting to a frown.

“Have a drink luvee.” Thunder said handing him a drink of normal wine.

Ranor smashed the glass on the ground with everyone laughing at him like everything was hilarious. Ranor walked out of the cabin swearing at everyone in it.

“OK guys, time to come out.” Ebony said wiping her eyes.

I got out of my hiding place. “I almost pissed myself then except that I can’t piss anymore!” Hunter said crying with laughter.

“That was a close one. Lucky you said the thing about girls having their accidents.” Storm said also crying with laughter.

“Let’s keep going chauffeur.” Storm said rapping on the window. The limousine kept moving down the road and soon we were on a dirt road going out in the country, we stopped at a farmhouse that had a few balloons floating around the letterbox feebly.

“Are you serious?” I asked my face dropping as I saw the house: it was run down with peeling paint on it.

“Come on.” Storm said.

We all reluctantly followed Storm up the dirt drive. She rapped on the door sharply 3 times, the door opened and a girl with spiky orange and green hair opened the door. “Storm!” She exclaimed. “I thought that you’d never come.”

“Of course I would, I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Storm said hugging the girl tightly. “Everyone, this is Trinity.” 

Trinity smiled at us revealing sharp fangs. “This is; Hunter, Ebony, Ariana, Thunder and Mikaylah.” Storm continued. “We have 4 vampires for Bloody Mary and 2 for sparkling thanks.”

“Cool beans.” Trinity said opening the door wider giving us a better look at her, she wore a top that left her stomach bare, a pair of cammo pants and knee high boots.

We all walked in and a mutant with radioactive skin and eight arms handed us all a drink then walked away.

I drifted away from the group with Thunder at my side, we found a spare bench and started to kiss, his touch sent electric rushes through my body. I wanted to stay at this party forever with Thunder but knew that I couldn’t. “Stop please.” I said pushing Thunder off me. Thunder nodded then walked away leaving me feeling like I did something wrong but I knew that I hadn’t, the truth was that I didn’t want a proper relationship yet, kissed and hugs were fine but nothing else. The same waiter that had given me drinks when I walked in came over with a large glass of Bloody Mary.

“This is for you.” The waitress said handing it to me.

“Who is it from?” I asked suspiciously.

“Non. The bloke told me not to tell you.” The waitress said and her accent stood out to me for a moment; it was French mixed with a bit of slang.

I regarded the bottle with curiosity not sure whether to drink it or not. In the end the bad side of me got me. I downed the glass and let the fuzziness overtake me.

I don’t remember the rest of the night as drink after drink came to me, but the last thing I remember was Thunder coming over and asking me if I was ready and then my world was dark.

I awoke with sunlight almost burning my skin and a drumming noise in my head. I also noticed that someone was almost laying on me.

“Get off me.” I said rolling over.

“Leave her alone Thunder.” Ebony said walking into my vision. “She’s had a rough enough night as it is.”

“What the hell happened?” I asked closing my eyes against the bright light.

“You drank too many Bloody Marys.” Storm said.

“What did you do to me Thunder?” I asked.

“Nothing.” Thunder said.

“You asked me if I was ready.” I said confused.

“Ready to go.” Thunder said smiling. “What did you think?”

“I could’ve sworn… It doesn’t matter.” I said.

“Vampires, like normal people get hangovers.” Ebony said.

I groaned feeling as if I had just had so much junk food and I was going to throw up any minute. Ebony sighed. “You need to learn.” She said. “I’m taking you to a very dear friend of mine who can answer any questions you have.”

I tried to say that I didn’t have any questions but I turned to my side and threw up, but instead of the usual mush it was bloody and very watery, then my world turned to harsh light and I passed out under the light. I heard snippets of conversation. “I’m not sure if she’ll make it…”

“She needs a proper mutant doctor…”

“How the hell did she end up like this…?”

I went back to the harsh lights and started to scream, the pain was like being continually on fire without given a second to regenerate my wounds. Finally I saw a tunnel up ahead where it was peaceful, deathly peaceful. I knew that if I went in there the pain would be over but then I thought of Thunder and how upset he would be if I died.

I endured the pain hour after hour. There would be no end to this fury that was eating my life up. A small change happened to the heat; a small wave was rapidly hitting me cooling the fire and letting me regenerate even if it was only for a few seconds. Then Phoenix came: he watched me burning and smiled then I turned to a Phoenix making noises like them and the feeling of pain washed away. Phoenix was above me looking at me concerned. “Go away!” I yelled at him. “Leave me alone!” I feebly tried to push him off but he stayed at my side.

“Thunder!” I heard someone scream.

I felt as I came up to the surface of reality Phoenix’s hair was on fire. “Stop it Mikaylah!” Someone yelled at me but Phoenix just stared at me looking surprised.

I snapped out of my confusion and realised what Phoenix actually was. “What the hell!?” I screamed at Thunder unable to do anything as Thunder’s hair was slowly burning to a crisp.

“Ebony! Do something!” I screamed at Ebony who was standing slightly open-mouthed at me.

Storm summoned a large rain cloud dousing the fire on Thunder’s head. Everyone stared at me unable to comprehend what had just happened. Thunder acted first. He walked over to me. “I’m not Phoenix alright?” he said wrapping me tightly into him.

I couldn’t speak but I could cry. I stained his shirt with bloody tears. “Come on Mikaylah.” Ebony said softly.

 I gently prised myself from Thunder, he changed back into cat-form leaping up onto the bed that I was sitting on and landing on my lap. He purred deeply and I petted him. “Are you alright?” Storm asked.

I shook my head. I had a throbbing headache that refused to go away. She sighed and Hunter came into the room looking very worried. “Some-one’s outside demanding to come in.” He said biting his bottom lip.

“Thunder turn into cat form and hide. Mikaylah…” Ebony trailed off. “You’re too weak to move so we will have to put a mental block in his mind so that he doesn’t come here. You think you can do that?” Ebony asked looking at me.

I nodded and imagined the person at the door walking into the house and seeing the room, except that his eyes would drift from one side of the door to the other without really seeing it. I put the block up exactly when he came into the room because he was closer and that made it easier to put it up.

I heard the man walk past my room and when he passed I sucked in my breathing as an old habit. But when he didn’t yell I relaxed stretching out on the bed that I was lying on. Then I heard Storm screaming and I jumped up ignoring the pain in my head.

I ran to the door and flung it open. The air around me was coated in a layer of dust and smelled faintly like blood. “Storm!? Thunder!? Ebony!? Hunter!?” I screamed out to the silence; there was no answer.

Then a shape was hurtling at me bowling me down, Thunder got off me. “Where are the others?” I asked.

“Fighting Phoenix.” Thunder replied.

“How could he…?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I ran and jumped out of one of the windows feeling the glass scrape my bare skin drawing blood but I didn’t turn hungry. Especially after the amount of Bloody Mary’s I had drank the previous night.

The sight that I saw was a memorable sight. Fire was burning up the scrub that there was, smoke spiralled upwards to Storm who was desperately trying to summon a thunderstorm but it wasn’t working. She started to cough up blood and I leapt up to her dragging her down. “It’s the smoke.” I hissed at her through her coughing fits.

Her eyes widened and she pointed at something behind me that was coming out of the smoke. It was hundreds of Nightwatchers pouring out of the smoke and landing as gracefully as a vampire on the ground. They formed five blocks, each with different glowing scythes according to the person; for Thunder, Hunter, Ariana and I the scythes were blood red, for Ebony they were a fiery orange and for Storm they were a black. “If you want to live let me do this.” I said showing her my fangs.

Storm’s eyes widened and she nodded before her head and eyes lolled backwards. I knew that I was full even before I drank Storm’s blood. My fangs were reluctant to come out, but I drank her blood anyway sealing her wound. Storm awoke in a few minutes feeling her two powers bonded with each other. The Nightwatchers that were assigned to Storm watched as their scythes turned blood-red.

“We don’t have to do this!” Phoenix yelled.

“How the hell do you remember us!?” I yelled back feeling confused because I thought that I had put a strong mental block in your mind.

“Your bedroom smelled too much like blood and you.” He said barely making a noise.

“Well in that case we need to do this!” Thunder yelled and charged at a pack of Nightwatchers in the blink of an eye drawing two scythes.

I saw Phoenix speak to my pack of Nightwatchers and the leader nodded and they split to different groups leaving just Phoenix and I. I smiled at Phoenix. “You remind me so much of Madeline.” I said. “Come at me if you think you’re good enough.”

With a yell Phoenix launched himself at me as a blur to the human eye, but to me it was very long. I drew my two glowing swords which immediately turned blue. Then it started to rain; first it was just lightly sprinkling then it was flogging down soaking everyone but dimming Phoenix’s powers. I brought my two swords up to meet his pure flame swords. They clashed and the flames dissipated into thin air after feeling the rain and the glowing swords. “Crap.” Phoenix said going as pale as a sheet of paper and drew to normal swords.

I smiled again, this time I made the first made slashing faster than anything hitting Phoenix rapidly, Phoenix barely had anytime to block my blows and he let in more and more as the rain got even heavier to a point where I thought we were going to get compressed to the ground. “Do you concede?” I asked grinning at Phoenix who was shivering uncontrollably with blood dripping to the ground.

He spat in my face as a final act of defiance, the spit turned into fire which quickly went back to his face burning some of his flesh leaving it charred. Phoenix stared at me his mouth agape. “How the hell did you do that?” He asked dumfounded as the fire raged across his face.

“You actually gave me that power when I put the mental block in your mind I took part of your powers with me.” I said controlling the fire to his mouth, he quickly shut it and the fire was doused by him regaining control. I stabbed him in both arms at the elbow joints pinning him to the ground.

Phoenix fell on the ground writhing in agony as the magic from the swords started to work through his body. “God damn you!” He screamed at me.

 The Nightwatchers turned and looked at Phoenix on the ground writhing in excruciating pain. They looked at me and charged with scythes extended. I smiled at the oncoming tsunami of Nightwatchers and glowing scythes as another wave came crashing into them stopping them in their tracks. Ebony walked up from behind me swiftly moving her hand as the water turned sharp stabbing the Nightwatchers mouths making them choke on the salt water.

I walked to the wave feeling like I had the power. I made fire appear in the wave. It was small at first, struggling to overwhelm the wave but it started to get brighter and the water around it started to harden into stone. Hunter, realising what I was doing sent all of the Nightwatchers that had escaped from the massive wave with small gusts of wind. All of the Nightwatchers were trapped in the wave by boiling stone.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” I said breaking the silence. “Soon the council of Nightwatchers and human will figure out what happened and come after us.”

We all made our way to the house that stood out proudly on the hill staring at how much damage we had caused; windows smashed, the door had been beaten down and burnt, the fence of the farmhouse was knocked over and random parts of the grass were on fire.

We all walked over the broken door avoiding shards of glass. I ran to the spare room I had been in and opened the wardrobe, the person that had lived here was only a couple of sizes above me. I chose a black trench coat, a shirt that was darker than a thousand crushed rubies and a pair of hiking boots that just fitted me.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail pulling out tufts of grass from it. Once I thought that I looked presentable I walked out of the room leaving my dress and stilettos on the bed and put my empty shoulder bag around me.

“You look like you had a shower.” Thunder observed walking over to me and hugging me. “You know, I don’t particularly know much about you except that you’re extremely stubborn and brave.”

“That just about sums me up.” I said smiling at him broadly. “I could show you, or you can figure it out for yourself.”

“Show me please.” He said like a little boy would ask his parents to show him his present for his birthday.

I laughed and opened my mind to him and let him, walk among my memories, although I did keep a few hidden deep within my mind. I sat down on the lounge and closed my eyes and was immediately with Thunder in my mind. I felt like I was a tour guide walking Thunder through my mind, past exhibition after exhibition.

“Wow, this is amazing.” Thunder said breathlessly awestruck as we passed the different memories.

“I hate to break you guys up but it’s time to go.” A voice said just outside of my consciousness.

I jumped half a metre in the air finally out of my head. “Wow. That was amazing.” Thunder said.

“It was.” I said smiling.

Thunder changed into cat form and leapt up to the top of the lounge just below my head, I scratched his chin and he purred.

“Come on you two.” Ebony said. “There’s no time for this.” But I heard her thoughts as clearly as if they were mine. They were smiling at this scene and imagining her and Hunter but knowing that it would never happen.

“I’m sorry.” I said directly at Ebony and she smiled sadly.

“It’s alright.” She said.

“Let’s go.” Storm said, she had taken her dress off and was wearing head to toe in brown, old leather hunting gear which shifted whenever she moved giving her a rippling appearance.

I nodded and got off the lounge already feeling like I was at home. We walked to the road and the carnage that we had just witnessed and caused was still evident around us from the grass that was still feebly burning to the large stone that looked exactly like a wave frozen in time, and in a way it was. “We need to get a committee together to stand up for the mutants.” I said breaking the silence. “That’s what I was trying to do when I left Thunder by starting with Ariana but…”

“It’s a good idea. We could try with Emily then Rani.” Ariana said. “But somehow I doubt that they would let you turn them into vampires.”

“I have my ways.” I said smiling.

“Where do they live?” Storm asked.

“Somewhere in Australia.” I said.

“Hunter, do you think you could take us to Australia?” I asked deadly serious.

“Of course, I’m like you now: never getting tired.” Hunter said absentmindedly making a wind play with his hair.

“We need to rest first.” Storm said impatiently.

“I know-“ Hunter said but was cut off by Storm.

“You think you know? Well guess what? You don’t bloody know anything about me so you can go get stuffed!” Storm said and a storm brewed above our heads. “I’m sick of feeling like there might be a spark between us but I knew that I was being stupid. You never cared about me!”

I just looked at Storm warily and sat down on the road because I knew that once she had started she wouldn’t stop until everything was out and Hunter was feeling like a dead set dickhead.

Lightning struck down just next to Hunter who was frozen in place watching Storm as she released everything that had ever bugged her. “I see the way you look at Ebony! She wants you but would feel so bad for me so that’s why she never asked you out! You don’t get a god damn thing about girls, you’re that clueless and I’m not going anywhere with you until we sort us out.” She finished spitting on the word us.

Hunter just stared at her not truly seeing anything and it took me a while to realise that it was because Thunder was frantically whispering to him “Don’t do it, it’s not worth it. She’ll get over it.”

“Are you going to come with us Storm?” I asked nervously ripping my nails off and chucking them to the ground listening to them land with a soft thud on the rocky road.

“I’ll come with you but I’ll take the sky by myself.” She replied putting enough venom in each word to kill an adult.

“Let’s get as close to the water as we can before we even start to try to get to Australia.” I said pointing to the South.

“Let’s go then. Mikaylah you can take the lead since you know this probably better than all of us.” Ebony said.

I nodded and started walking back to the house but instead of going in it I walked straight past it. Beyond the house were meadows of crunchy, dead grass going all the way to the horizon. “Let’s get cracking then eh?” I asked clapping my hands together.

I started to walk down the fields and saw a shadow above me, I immediately jumped up and took them down to the ground and only just realised that it was Storm. “What the hell are you doing?” She hissed venomously at me.

“I thought you were someone else.” I said sheepishly. But she had reminded me of someone, they were at the back of my memories buried by thick layers of walls like someone had deliberately cut this memory from me.

“Well I’m Storm and you better not get it mixed up again.” Storm hissed.

I nodded and started walking again ignoring the stares from everyone else and focused on the horizon and putting one foot in front of the other.

It took us only about a day to reach a forest that was separated by a looming diamond wall and had engravings on it with a Nightwatcher standing on a mutant with a sword at his neck. “How nice is that.” Ebony muttered. “Glad that they think very fondly of us.”

I jumped to the top of the wall and nearly burned myself. “Guys! The wall is poisonous to vampires and probably every other mutant.”

I fell back down hitting the ground and hearing a sickening crunch and realised that my spine had collapsed but in no time at all it had healed. My burns did not though. “It scars you once you get burned by it.”

Everyone nodded and suddenly Ebony, sweeping her hands to the top of the wall was raised by a massive wave that lightened her fall once she hit the ground on the other side. “It’s all good guys!” She yelled.

I jumped as high as I could just brushing the top of the wall and feeling it burn. The burn was agonizing but as I hit the ground fresh water washed me healing my burns.

Everyone jumped over the wall and Ebony sprayed them each with a spray of water, except for Storm; she flew over the wall more than ten meters high of the top of the wall. “Everyone good?” Ebony asked then, without waiting for a reply, went ahead into the forest.

Thunder came over to me. “Tension’s high.” He murmured to me. “I say, at the first signs of trouble we leave them.”

I took a while to formulate his plan. He wanted to leave if there was a big fight between Storm and Hunter and they used their powers. Slowly I nodded, I felt like a traitor after but I, firmly, told myself that it was for the best.

“I can see a village up ahead!” Hunter yelled back to us from the point of the group.

He was right; a run-down village with a battered sign that looked like it had seen good days then fell to this. It was illegible to the eye, but to the vampires eye you could just see the faint etches in the wood where writing used to be.

We reached the edge of the forest cautiously searching our surroundings. “Let’s go.” Ebony said walking out into the open but that was then I saw it; it was an artificial shade of light: a machine gun attached to the roof of the nearest house.

“Ebony come back!” I hissed at Ebony jumping out then heard the click of the machine gun load and I ran in front of her feeling the bullets rip through my body and felt that they put more pressure on me than normal bullets.

The round ended and I took a second to regenerate feeling the bullets stay inside me and I winced. I pulled Ebony back into the cover of the trees and as soon as I felt the coolness I chucked blood up. “Those are special bullets.” Ebony observed pulling out one of the bullets that were in my arm. “They’re made by Nightwatchers to specially kill vampires.”

“I’ll bet you anything that that isn’t a Nightwatcher.” I said through chucking fits, when the vomiting left me I felt like my stomach had shrivelled to the size of an apple and I felt indescribably weak.

“Maybe you should stay here.” Thunder said looking extremely concerned.

“No way am I missing out on finding who the hell this is and drain their blood and not change them.” I replied putting my flat hands into fists which longed to smash someone’s face in with extra strength.

Ariana walked out first then pinpointed where the shooter was and pulled them back to me. She screamed when she hit the rough ground and Ariana dragged her along with no mercy. “What’s your name?” I asked the girl.

“Nemphis and I swear that I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Nemphis sobbed into her jacket sleeve.

“Sure you didn’t mean to hurt me.” I said but began to get the impression that Nemphis was working for someone in higher power. “Well, if you don’t find me a human to drink their blood I will drink your blood and I won’t be so merciless.”

“I don’t trust her.” Thunder announced looking directly at me.

Come on Nemphis. I said with my mind scaring the life out of her.

She jumped about five meter in the air. “Hey, you’re a mutant!” Storm yelled from above.

Nemphis looked around guiltily and flew straight at me trying to knock me but to her surprise I was rock solid. “Vampire’s aren’t easily moved.” I said smiling at her and lazily punched her in the head; right in the temple killing her cold.

I went straight to her neck feeling my strength return to me and the pain in my stomach ceased to nothing. I breathed deeply sheerly out of habit. “I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so.” Thunder said with a stony face.

“Come on.” I said to him nudging him lightly in the ribs. “Brighten up, at least I didn’t die. Now that would be tragic.” I smiled at him.

“You’re absolutely right; it would be tragic if you died.” Thunder said with sarcasm dripping from his words. 

“Don’t be mean Thunder.” Ariana said mockingly smiling at him.

“Enough flirting, let’s go into this bloody village and see who wants us dead apart from Nightwatchers.” Ebony said shouldering past me.

Ariana and Thunder both shrugged at me and I barely contained myself from laughing out aloud. I followed Ebony out into the open and felt the eyes of someone who was invisible to the eye and only really badly camouflaged to the vampires eye. “There he is.” I whispered to Ebony nodding towards to the figure that also had a gun that was loaded with the bullets that had hurt me so badly.

Thunder dropped to the ground in cat form under the cover of the trees and ran lightly, paws barely skimming the ground giving him a flying appearance and ran to the invisible person that cats would probably be able to see also and sense them.

Thunder scratched the invisible or not so invisible person’s face making them scream and I watched as small red droplets hit the ground and forced myself to race over and kill the person in one go. “Thunder and Ariana, dinner is served.” I said to them and they leapt to the man and both drank hungrily.

“Do you think that we should have asked them who they were and what they wanted with us?” Storm asked drifting down from the sky and landing as light as a feather on the ground.

I shrugged. “Probably, but what’s better? Having 3 full vampires or knowing who the enemy is?” I asked Storm.

She shrugged. “I’m getting pretty hungry too now.” She remarked.

“Next person we find is your dinner. Then the next is Hunter’s.” But I regretted saying anything about Hunter because Storm’s face went stony and she turned away and started walking back into the village scooping up stray tumbleweed and sending lightning down on it burning it to a crisp.

I walked over where Storm was. “You need to stop blaming him.” I said to her.

“Stop blaming who?” Storm maliciously said smiling at me.

“Hunter is attracted to Ebony but given time…” I trailed off leaving the sentence in the air.

To my surprise she sighed. “I know, but I just can't, he’s so…” She searched for the word.

“Hunter?” I asked grinning.

“Yes, you’re right; he’s so Hunter.” Storm said and she smiled for the first time since her outburst. “I just don’t know if he ever even might…”

“Just give him time and he’ll come around.” I smiled at Storm and she smiled back.  

I walked after Ebony and suddenly heard the click of a booby trap and a hologram appeared by my side and I naturally moved out of the way but the hologram could not harm me. “You cannot pass through this village. You have already violated the law by passing through the wall.” It said and it formed into a robot that was real. It raised its bow and pulled an arrow from a sheath that was carved from its back. I raised my sword and swerved around the arrow that it had fired but the arrow swerved with me and went straight through my arm.

I frowned at the arrow than tried to slice its head of but with no succession and I looked closer at the armour and saw that it had intricate markings on it that moved like a colourful wave preventing any magic from harming it. I sheathed my sword and drew a small, silver dagger that rested against my arm.

I dragged the dagger against the armour of the robot and the peeling of the metal created a screeching sound that vibrated through my whole body and made me drop to the ground as I had better hearing than normal and as I looked around I saw that the only one who was standing was Ebony. She was throwing small spears of water at the robot though it barely affected the robot and it drew a glowing sword, similar to my sword.

The air shimmered around the sword as it was swung at Ebony’s head and it was alike its body armour; magical symbols etched onto it. Ebony swung her hands away from the sword and another sword came up from the water that was at Ebony’s feet which met the sword with the same speed but the robots sword was stronger and it was slowly pushing into the watery sword pressing Ebony flat to the ground.

I leapt at the robot and this time applied as much pressure to the dagger as possible on the neck with both hands. The screeching was unbearable but I just closed my eyes and imagined that I was on an island in the middle of nowhere where there was no sound just me and the waves softly hitting the sand, the screeching was still there but it was fainter than ever and soon it was gone.

My eyes snapped opened and I looked at the robot to see that its head was ripped off and there were small sparks flying off the disembodied head. “Let’s get out of here.” I said and started running down what was obviously the main street of the village and soon reached a wall identical to the wall that burned. This time I didn’t make the same mistake jumping as high as I could over the wall not even feeling anything touching me. I looked around and realised why the walls were there; there were dead trees burning and the trees that weren’t struck down had huge scratch marks on them. “Something huge came tearing through here.” I said to the others. “The other side is the coastline.”

We walked through the forest feeling daunted by the huge trees that were lying on their sides with bite marks on their smooth trunk. I started to run feeling how unsafe this place was, the others trailed behind me then we were out in sunlight on the ridge of a hill that led down to a beach where beautiful water was crashing in waves against the shore.

“Hunter, are you sure about this?” Storm asked.

Hunter looked quite taken back and took a few seconds before he stuttered. “Of course I am, you can count on me.”

“Let’s get going then, Hunter go as fast as you can.” Ebony said nodding to Hunter.

Hunter raised his arms and we all floated upwards into a light blue, sunny sky. “Go as fast as you can Hunter!” I yelled at him and we started speeding through the clear sky.

“Woohoo, this is great!” Ariana yelled flapping her arms pretending to be a bird and then we heard a mechanical machine slowly humming. I looked behind us and saw what I dreaded the most: a jet plane for Nightwatchers coming our way.

I splayed my hand at the ship and a little fire was hurled at them from thin air, but it didn’t even make a dent in the machine. I turned around in the air staying very still while the plane hurled through time and finally it hit me. It hit me with enough power to make part of my guts go flying, I moved from the point of the plane to the windscreen. I pulled my silver dagger out again and stabbed it. It made a big enough hole for me to squeeze through and I was met by another blade which I quickly ducked under and stabbed the Nightwatcher where it stood. “Stop this nonsense right now!” A Nightwatcher said making everyone freeze in their tracks. “We are here to help you, but if you harm us then we attack.”

I burst out laughing. “That is the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Why the hell would Nightwatchers be helping mutants?” I said to them.

“Because we are the revolutionary Nightwatchers, we think that everyone has the right to live.” The same Nightwatcher said.

Just then the windscreen was ripped apart by Storm and Hunter letting the rushing air in and Ebony, Ariana and Hunter leapt in cutting any of the Nightwatchers before I screamed in their heads to stop. Then the rushing air stopped and I glimpsed Hunter doing something among all of the bodies. “Take us to Australia and we will know that you are telling the truth.” I said.

I stood as the plane travelled to the land of Australia. “Do you know what remains they live in?” I asked Ariana.

“I’m pretty sure they live the ruins of the Harbour Bridge in Sydney.” She replied. “They’re in a group of people that used to live near them.”

The Nightwatcher that was piloting the ship nodded and raised a wooden staff with an emerald engraved into the hilt, alike to the staff that Hunter’s arm held beneath the skin and smashed it on the ground and the plane slightly tilted sending us in a completely direction.

I stood all night watching the Nightwatchers talk about stuff privately, even though I could probably hear them I didn’t bother tuning in. In about a day we reached the ruins of Sydney. “We will wait here for you however long you will be gone until you need the plane again.” The leading Nightwatcher said then whispered to me. “I think we have a spy within our ranks, never come back to us so you can start it all.”

I looked quizzically at him but did not press with my millions of questions, instead I wished him farewell then walked out of the plane into the ruins of Sydney.

You could obviously see from the skyscrapers to the millions of shopping centres that a great city had once thrived here. The great bridge that had once so proudly stood over the harbour now was collapsed into the water, gone forever. The foundations of the bridge were all that was left of the great bridge.

I set out to one of the ends of the bridge that still lied down on the crumbling road. “Hello? Is anyone there?” I called to the darkness.

“Raise your hands in the air!” Someone yelled out to me.

I slowly raised my hands in the air. “Turn around and look behind you.” They said.

I turned around looking at the remains of a skyscraper that had obviously fallen over some time ago. I heard the person pull out a gun then heard it click. “Don’t try anything stupid.” They said and I sensed them walk up behind me and pull my shoulder bag off.

They then undid my red pendant and they gasped. “How the hell did you get this?” They asked me.

“My Mum gave it to me when the bombs first started to fall.” I replied tossing my hair back and revealing the mark where I had been bitten. They gasped again.

I turned around to face the person and found the person I had come here for; Emily. “Long time no see Emily.” I said smiling.

“You’re a mutant!” Emily shrieked and started to fire the gun; each bullet penetrated through my layers of skin but was trapped by my coat at the back. Emily tried to shoot again but all she got was the click of her gun as it ran out of ammo. Her eyes widened. “I’m not here to hurt you.” I said but Emily had already raised an arm which started to glow then reform into a battle axe.

“You should leave now Mikaylah.” Emily said coldly.

“I’m against the Nightwatchers and need mutants to oppose against them in a committee.” I said quickly.

Emily frowned then Ariana jumped on her back and put her lengthened and sharpened claws resting against her neck. “Back down now Emily and everyone walks away unscathed.” Ariana hissed at her.

“I will never give in!” She screamed and her neck warped into a thick barrier which even Ariana’s claws couldn’t penetrate and with her sword arm tried to cut but Ariana dodged every attempt looking like she was on a very stubborn mechanical bull.

Finally Emily collapsed from exertion of so much power and energy. “That went a lot better in my head than it did in real life.” Ariana said.

“What do we do with her?” I asked her but already knew the answer.

“You know what to do; you’ve done it heaps already.” Ariana said tilting her head slightly at me.

I nodded and leant down to Emily hearing her pulse race beneath her skin. I bit deep tasting the familiar sweetness of magic running in the veins of every mutant that I changed. Emily didn’t wake up and soon her breathing ceased to silence.

“Well, that’s one down one to go.” I said breaking the awkward silence between me and Ariana.

“What have you done to her?” A little girl asked from behind us.

I spun around face to face with a small, fragile girl said. She was so thin that her bones showed through her skin and a light, blue blouse that hung lightly from her frame. I frowned at her. “Who are you?”

“I’m Emily’s best friend!” She said to me smiling. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Umm… She’s sleeping.” I said trying to sound as convincing as possible.

“Out here? That’s silly.” She said.

“What’s your name?” Ariana asked putting her arms around her.

“Laura…” Laura said then she started to cry. “You changed her didn’t you?”

Laura flew straight up into the sky and powerful energy pulled around her encasing her in blue energy that crackled and Laura’s hair flew around in an invisible wind. “You hurt Emily.” She said down to us and a string of energy cracked down where I was standing. The bolt hit my leg making me cry out in excruciating pain.

Emily woke up then at that exact moment. She leapt up to Laura and brought her down to the ground and whispered a few hushed words to her and the globes of light that had been in her eyes and faded back to brown. Laura collapsed onto the ground her head hitting the concrete making a sickening crack on it. “Come inside guys.” Emily said indicating to the ruined end of the bridge.

We walked hesitantly into the ruins and I quickly looked around and noticed body guards flanked Hunter, Ebony and Storm who were on the outside of our group who had just watched as we changed Emily. “Where are you taking us?” Storm demanded but got no answer.

“This is where we have planned to strike against the Nightwatchers.” Emily said and nodded to a bright red room that had a hologram protruding from a wooden table. “It is as simple as it will get.”

We walked into a room where a huge map that took up a 3 metre by 3 metre table that had red pins all over it obviously representing the biggest councils of Nightwatchers. “Do the Nightwatchers know that you’re here?”

“Of course they do! We have runes protecting this place though that they can’t penetrate.” Laura said smiling. “Don’t you know anything?”

I laughed at this. “Are there any other places like this?” I asked tracing over the read pins.

“No. But there are more soldiers here than you would think.” Emily said stretching then yawning.

When were these people going to attack though was the big question. I trusted Emily but would these men and women lay down their lives for a hopeless cause for a mutant? “When are we attacking?” I asked aloud.

“Tomorrow Mikaylah.” Emily replied.

“You better get some sleep ladies.” One of the general’s that stood next to Emily said.

“Five of us don’t need sleep.” I said raising an eyebrow challenging the general.

But to my surprise she nodded looking very respectful. “Ebony, go get some sleep.” I said realising how long Ebony had been awake for us all.

She nodded and Emily took Ebony to her room. “Well, that’s that done.” The general said clapping her hands together. “Take them away guards.” She said.

I stared at her dumbstruck and only snapped out of my confusion when guards were coming towards to me with four sets of handcuffs drawn to bind our powers. I drew my two glowing swords and stabbed them quickly. “Get out of here and finish it all.” Thunder said to me grabbing my wrist.

“What about you?” I asked him.

He kissed me even with everything happening around us. Then I felt the first splashes of rain and thought that Storm had made it rain but then I realised that both Thunder and I were crying on each other’s faces. “Quickly get out of here.” Thunder whispered in my ear and finally I ran.

I blurred down corridors and quickly got lost but as I made my way down the winding corridors I finally saw something that I recognised; the hologram on the wooden table. I quickly twisted away from it making sure that no one saw me then I ran out of the ruins relishing in the fresh air. Then I saw them; a wave of Nightwatchers coming towards me and I realised that this would be the last time I would fight the Nightwatchers in the final battle for domination. I ripped off my trench jacket tearing it into little pieces then I threw it away distracted by the little bits of fabric floating in the breeze. I stood watching as a little breeze played with my hair.

The Nightwatchers advanced made no mistake and obviously were given orders to take me down with no exception to anything. “Goodbye Thunder.” I whispered out to the night and I was finally lost in the Nightwatchers.

No one will ever know how the final battle ended. Blood and guts all over the place I guess but no one apart from me ever lived to tell the tale. Well, no Nightwatcher anyway. Me on the other hand… The Nightwatchers had been certain that they could control me; turn me into one of them. But no one could control me and no one ever will be able to. Even my own master couldn’t control me. I now live on the run, no one knows I go and no one ever will, if they did they would probably tell a Nightwatcher. Not even innocent Thunder lived to tell the tale. I lived immortality to the end, not even I know the final battle anymore…