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Scarlet Kiss
♦Chapter 1♦
(The Scarlet Kiss)
I AWAKE, MY HEART BEATING IN RYTHEM TO the wind that is blowing outside my bedroom window to find myself surrounded by shadows. Layers and layers of shadows. To my dismay my breath gets caught in my throat as if some strange force has its cold fingers wrapped around my neck. I remember clearly that that is how the Shifters feel before they make their first attack. My mother must have turned my light out after I went to bed, for the Shifters can only be out in the darkness.
I thought to scream, but I knew it would do little good. I was trapped. Trapped by my own enemy. I knew what I had to do, but the question that remained was: was I strong enough to do it? Or was I doomed to fail? My body began slightly shaking as I devised a plan in my head, keeping in mind that my enemy was near. I closed my eyes, gathering my thoughts as I lay still. Then, once I was ready, I bolted upright to face my enemy. We locked gazes and the traitorous being just stared at me, his eyes piercing my soul, scarring it for eternity.
This monstrosity was ugly; it looked almost like a skeleton, its bones hidden only by a thin layer of chalky white skin. I narrowed my eyes at it, contemplating how weak it was, sizing it up. Just as I was making my attack, hoping to get in a good punch to its ugly face, I was suddenly swirled into a pit of pure darkness, a spiraling staircase of nothingness… finding myself waking up to my phone ringing.
I sat upright, a little dazed. The light was still on and my text books were still splayed over my bed, just as I had left them before I dozed off. I’d been studying for my final exams and must have fallen asleep. My phone was ringing like crazy so I decided to answer it. I didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?” I asked into the phone. Who could be calling at this time of night? And before final exams?
“Sarah…?” the voice on the other line was but a little less then a whisper, I had to strain in order to hear it.
“Yes…?” I said, gripping the phone a little tighter, not so much scared as intrigued by this stranger. The voice belong-ed to a female of which I didn’t think I knew.
“Okay, good, I thought I had the number right…” I heard some rustling noises as if the person were walking through tall grass. This gave me a better idea on the person’s location and made me very well wonder if this could be an invitation to a party. “...meet me at the old abandoned warehouse on thirty-second street. You know the one…”
I didn’t feel much like playing games tonight. I wanted this conversation to be straight forward. “Who is this?” I spoke loudly, trying to worm the truth out of this person. But before I could get an answer I heard the line go silent.
Convinced I should go, though I don’t quite know why, I pull on a pair of old jeans and a black leopard print T-shirt, brush quickly through my dark hair, grab my purse and phone and creep as quietly as I can toward the kitchen. I knew that if I woke up my parents the party would be over. But, then again, that was a big if. I had snuck out many times and never been caught. I grabbed my keys off of the table in the entry way and proceeded to the door, my 2011 Volvo c70 was waiting just on the other side of it, parked neatly in the drive way. Picking up my pace to a slight jog, I made my way toward my vehicle. Once in my car I sat there, listening to the engine run, trying to recall all that happened, meaning the disturbing phone conversation. Though I didn’t know the person on the other line, there was a sense of urgency that made a sort of alarm go off in the core of me, something I have never felt before. Huh, strange. I glanced at the marks on my arm.
As I threw the clutch in reverse I thought about the last couple nights. The weird dreams, the weird feelings… I was hoping that maybe tonight I would get some answers. Who was this mysterious girl on the phone and how did she know me? More importantly, why did she want me to come to the warehouse on thirty-second street? What’s there? A party I’m hoping, I’ve been needing to unwind. Too much studying can wear sixteen-year-old girl out. I don’t get my hopes up, though. I don’t know who that girl was but she sounded a little older than me and if I’m correct a senior won’t want anything to do with the lower classmen. I’m afraid this might be a trick of some sort and I’m walking right into it. I anxiously glanced at the markings on my arm.
I didn’t realize how long I was contemplating all this but before too long I pulled up to the old warehouse building on thirty-second street. I was pretty sure this was the right one, for there were no other buildings for miles. All I could see as I peered out the window were a couple old shacks, no bigger than most garages on my street. I got an eerie feeling as I looked out at the house with its many boarded up windows. I had to do a double take when I thought I saw a shadow dart behind the building.
I parked my car on the curb, since the parking lot had been blocked off. While getting out, I was trying to figure out how I was going to get in the building and what part of the building I was supposed to go to. My annoyance grew and it almost felt as though my blood was boiling. Any person in there right mind would give out such details when meeting someone else!
Just as I was about to kick the ground and curse a couple times I heard my name being called. Curious, I twisted and turned, trying to find where it had come from. Suddenly, I felt someone grab hold of my arm. By instinct I wanted to run, but instead forced myself to stay calm. To my surprised, I turned to face Neveah Neytiri, someone I haven’t seen in two years. It was like she popped out of nowhere. “Wait, what are you…?”Before I could ask any questions (and trust me, I wanted to) she started pulling me to this window that appeared to be stripped of all glass.
I knew Neveah from my high school. She and I used to be good friends, up until her sixteenth birthday. Then things changed. She changed. Every time I was around her I could feel this sort of hate radiating off of her as if she despised my very being. I didn’t see her at all after awhile. Seeing her again I realized exactly how much she had changed. She was tall—not much like me—and very beautiful, with fiery red hair that lay in lazy curls over her shoulders. Her eyes were a piercing green and she had a swift, graceful way of presenting herself.
When we got to the building, we both scurried in through the window. I took the time to carefully watch her each and every move, seeing if I could get any hints to what might be happening. At this point, she had successfully made her way in through the window and I followed swiftly behind her. We ran through a maze of hallways and rooms surrounded by darkness. This building had a more welcoming interior, but not by much considering everything was shrouded by shadows. At times, I thought I had lost her; the only way I would know I was still with her is I would hear her say “Oh, come on, keep up!” or something.
We eventually entered into this grand room lit by candles and lanterns. As I looked around, I noticed many crimson red eyes staring at me from the shadows and I felt the hair on my arms stand up. I remained a close step behind Neveah, afraid they would try to pick a fight or something. She led me to the end of the chamber, and in front of us sat a young man who looked about twenty-one, but came off far wiser then he should. Standing beside him was another rather handsome young man who looked about two years older than me. As we approached them, Neveah’s voice changed into a more soothing, almost melodic tone as she addressed them.
“Christian, I have done as you asked me, the girl is here.” As she spoke, I noticed she looked him deep in the eyes. “I hope you and Dylon have a plan for her, she is not by any means who I would have chosen.” Her voice then got a little more threatening.
At her last statement, the older man, who I now assumed to be Christian, stood up and spoke with a smooth voice that although was soft, sent shivers down my spine.
“My love, you have made this clear, but she has been chosen, and there is nothing that can be done about that…” he looked at me, those golden eyes burning into mine as if he were trying to read me. He smiled then and I felt only slightly less comfortable. This man, in my eyes, was superhuman. “Come, child. We need to talk.” I stood for a moment, frozen in place, until a not so gentle push from Neveah launched me forward. Neveah fell in a few steps behind me, but Christian stopped her.
“Neveah, Dylon and I can handle it on our own.”
“I have no doubt that you can, love, but Dylon may still be weak to clean blood.” She took a step closer. “And he is strong for his age, I’m not sure you would be able to hold him off yourself.”
“He may still be weak to clean blood, but I have faith that he won’t attack his own mate, Neveah.” He gave her a stern look and she took a step back and bowed her head.
I then followed Christian and the other man who I now knew to be Dylon to a room at the far end of the hall. We enter, and I am suddenly engulfed in a soft candle light. I then feel a hard grip on my right arm, as if he didn’t realize his own strength, which led me to a corner of the room where I was laid on a bed and tied with rope hand coves. Believe me, I was panicked, but my face wouldn’t show it. I stayed as completely calm as I could, not wanting to get myself into deeper trouble. As soon as I knew it, the door plunged shut, and silence surrounded me. I sat, waiting to find out what the future held. Life or death.
“There is no need to worry, Sarah.” The voice came floating out of the darkness, surprisingly soothing my soul and calming my nerves.
“If there is no need to worry, then why am I tied up?” I asked, ashamed that my voice shook showing fear.
“Well, it is for your own good, we don’t want to hurt you and we don’t want you to hurt yourself…” this time the voice came from the other man, Dylon, it still sent shivers down my spine, but in a far different way then Christian’s did. It made my heart beat just a little faster. I knew not why his voice did so, but I liked it and I didn’t want him to stop speaking.
Almost as if he read my mind, he continued. “Don’t worry, love. You will soon understand what is going on. There is no need for you to worry.” I then felt a soft yet firm hand rest on my shoulder; it sent warmth straight through my body.
Then they continued on to ask me questions about my dreams and the feelings I was having. I knew not why they were asking or even how they knew about them, but I told them everything.
“Close your eyes, love…” Dylon told me. “Perhaps they will come to you a little clearer.” I did not obey, keeping my body tense as he leaned closer to me, and for the first time I could get a good look at him. Though this was the first time I had been able to really see him, his face was so familiar. His hair was a golden blonde with gentle curls that seemed to caress his face. His eyes, though his expression was hard, held a softness of silver with blue flecks. I then realized where I had seen him. He was the one who would come to me in my dreams and tell me of the things that tried to get me. He would also explain to me about how my life was about to change and how I would be taking over, but I would always wake up to my heart beating fast before I could get an answer.
“What’s going on?” I begged and pleaded for them to tell me, tired of trying to hide my fear and worry. Dylon then put his hands on both sides of my face, tilted my head to one side, and whispered to me that it would only hurt for a moment. I was about to ask him what he meant, but I then felt a piercing pain on my neck and I heard myself scream as if I were watching it all happen. Then came darkness, a warm, soft blanket of darkness.
I'm trying to support my clan called Mysterious Wolf Clan, so if you liked this tid-bit of my story could you please help us by donating a little gold? Thank you so much<3
Here's the link to my clan~
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