MoonNight (22 page)

ones,
who love you the most, will stay with you forever.
 
Even though I hate myself every day to allow you to be
what
you are.
 
I thank you for allowing yourself to be
who
you are.”
 
His body sped up, faster and faster.
 
Until the world was a spiraling blur.
 
And then launched himself forward, landing in a crouch position on the hood of the car.
 
I found it interesting that even though I had the same power level as Carson, he still treated me as if I were human.
 
Or a fragile fairy.
 
 
 
The rest of the ride he had me tucked underneath his arm.
 
The three boys were lying on the trunk of the car in their wolf forms up until we got into the city.
 
The airport was half an hour away now that we had to drive at a normal speed.
 
The hood on the car had rolled up.
 
Or else we would be the only ones in short sleeves and an open car.
 
My lust for blood was no longer as strong as it had been when I first transformed.
 
But right now I needed something anything.
 
 
 
We finally arrived at the airport and threw all of our black hoodies on.
 
Lorens tattoo looked as if it were
shimmering
in the cold sunlight.
 
When I touched it, it burned me.
 
 
 
“Ow what the-!”
 
I jumped back.
 
 
 
“It’s the day of the moon,” they all said at once.
 
I touched
each of
theirs
in turn and they all burned me.
 
 
 
“Leslie we are going to run, far away from any people in possible danger,
” Carson
placed his hands on either side of my face.
 
“I want you to stay safe.
 
Rent a hotel, anything.
 
Hide your scent.
 
We have no idea where the werewolf protectors could be.
 
Or president Alijondra, her fairy and vampire hunters.
 
Do this for me.
 
If we have not found you by morning tomorrow go to the airport without us and we will catch up on the next flight”
 
 
 
“Carson,” I said looking over his face.
 
“I’m always safe.”
 
 
 
He was about to lean down and kiss me, but something made him change his mind and he didn’t.
 
He pulled back, turned around, threw his hood on, and walked away with the others.
 
The last thing I saw was the thick transition of wolves leaping into the dense forest.
 
My mind wasn’t focusing but pretty soon it came clear and a voice kept on repeating, “Ma’am, ma’am.”
 
And then a light touch.
 
 
 
 
This almost scared the living daylights out of me.
 
I gently pushed him but he flew and landed on top of the nearest car.
 
That reminded me of the day I was human and getting chased by the wolves.
 
And I realized I was standing in the middle of a parking lot, blocking the way.
 
 
 
 
“I’m so sorry sir,
” I
went rushing to his aid.
 
Picking this huge man up
I
set him in his car before no one could see and acted natural.
 
Of course ignoring the shock on his face.
 
 
 
 
My hands reached into my pockets and fumbled around for my phone.
 
I dialed my
parents’
number.
 
A really terrible feeling in my stomach was frightened to hear who was on the other line.
 
And the phone was answered.
 
The butterflies flew away when it was my mother.
 
 
 
“Hi, mom, hey you there it’s Leslie.”
 
 
 
“Yeah honey you haven’t called in so long.”
 
 
 
“I know mom, I’m sorry.
 
School has been so busy.
 
Did the school give you any calls?”
 
 
 
“No,” she replied.
 
“Why?”
 
 
 
“Just checking in on how the school keeps in contact with my parents you know me mom.”
 
I squeezed my eyes shut wondering if I sounded too obvious.
 
I had never been this way.
 
 
 
“So how is school, your friends, sorry we can’t be there for your graduation.
 
We are
so
busy over here.
 
We will be waiting at the airport in two days for you!
 
Can’t you believe it Leslie?”
 
 
 
“Mom I already have plans to fly over there with a couple friends.”
 
 
 
“Friends?
 
You made friends Leslie?”
 
In all my life I had never had friends.
 
The most of a relationship I’ve had with a guy before Alaska was probably school project partners.
 
And the biggest relationship I’ve had with a girl is a few losing fights.
 
My whole life I had been bullied.
 
I have been lower class and made fun of.
 
But now that I’ve been involved with everything I have been I understand that this is the role I was meant to play.
 
Carson was meant for me and I was meant for him.
 
The other werewolves were meant to be my best friends.
 
And Galen was meant to be my big brother.
 
The school was meant to be a personal prison.
 
But life was meant to fold out.
 
 
 
“Yes mom I made amazing friends... they’re... just like me.”
 
I had to tell her friends were coming with me so I had an excuse for them to protect my parents while still interacting with me.
 
 
 
“Shouldn’t you have told your father and
I
a little earlier than this?”
 
 
 
“Mom, I know but I forgot.
 
And
it
’
s
okay don’t even worry about trying to come to my graduation.
 
It’s no big deal.”
 
 
 
“So what were the best and worst times at your school?” my mother asked.
 
What was I supposed to say?
 
My worst time is when I let my best friend be murdered.
 
My best moment is when Carson gave me an unbelievable kiss in the pouring rain?
 
 
 
“Well I don’t know mom.
 
The best part was meeting my special friends.
 
The worst part is having to dissect an animal in science class.”
 
 
 
“Sound like my little girl is growing up,” she said.
 
 
 
“Thanks mom,
it’s
about time to eat so I’ve got t-to go.
 
Bye.”
 
Before my mom could say bye I hung up before even a sniffle of crying came out.
 
 
 
 

 
  
Chapter 12

People passed by with shopping carts, happy families, nice warm clothes.
 
I held the very opposite.
 
Inside the store they were putting Halloween decorations up a month ahead of time.
 
I approached one of the ladies at
a
empty cash register.
 
 
 
“Excuse me ma’am,
” I
asked politely.
 
 
 
“Yes?” she looked down on me.
 
 
 
“Do you know where the nearest hotel is?”
 
 
 
“Yes, there’s a bank about two blocks north of here.
 
A pretty big building you can’t miss.
 
The hotel is right next door.”
 
 
 
“Thank You.”
 
I smiled and nodded heading out again.
 
The forest was directly behind here.
 
The rain and fog did some help to cover up.
 
After disappearing into the forest I just started running as fast as I could.
 
Everything I love is killing me, but everything I love I
cannot
give up.
 
That lined just played over and over again.
 
On the way I smelt a familiar smell.
 
One I hadn’t smelt since I had turned.
 
A snow white rabbit dashed behind a tree.
 
Enough to fuel me for a month.
 
It was impossible to catch one, let alone sense one as I had in human form.
 
I saw it dash back out and into a thorny bush.
 
 
 
My instincts kicked in.
 
My wild, mad, hunting ones.
 
I crouched low snarling.
 
Then leaped forward into the bush in less
then
a second catching the animal.
 
Streams of blood seeped slowly
down my arm.
 
The thorns on the bush had made marks all over me.
 
But I watched them heal and disappear.
 
I laid the animal on the forest floor, picked up a stick and drove it easily into its neck as if it were mud.
 
I lowered my body and supported myself on my hands and knees.
 
My head curled, and mouth down to the rabbit.
 
My teeth sank in delightfully as the energy coursed back through me.
 
I kicked the animal far enough out of my sight, found a leaf, and wiped my mouth off.
 
 
 
When I straightened up and walked off I was back to being the normal me.
 
The one who didn’t have rabid instincts.
 
It was strange to think how this worked.
 
If I find a target and approach it then
it
just kicks in, but when I happen to see one and pass it: nothing changes.
 
 
 
 
My tennis shoes were thin converse which had no support of the terrain I had been
going
through lately.
 
I was wearing my normal jeans and dark shirt.
 
I had been wearing dark my whole life.
 
It had nothing to do with the vampire factor.
 
Most vampires were light.
 
In fact if you are a vampire your hair naturally turns blond.
 
Like Galens.
 
But since I was bit by a werewolf
beforehand
the little effect let my hair stay
its
natural dark.
 
 
 
The level energy I had made it possible to increase my speed more and more without feeling any tiredness.
 
I guessed I was at about the right distance and headed out of the forest.
 
 
 
I came up behind some more usual store buildings.
 
There were no bigger buildings or banks that I could see.
 
Giving up I headed back deep into the forest, jumped in a tree like a monkey, and curled up on a branch. Until I laughed at myself.
 
I couldn’t sleep.
 
I could clothes my eyes and rest but not
sleep.
 
So I got up and wandered the forest floor.
 
When people think forest they think a group of trees.
 
It is thick and dense with lots of trees, darkness is everywhere, shadows cast everywhere during the night, and the moon cast down beautiful light in a clearing.
 
And then I saw that a trail led to either end of the forest.
 
My eyes made out an abandoned railroad track.
 
 
 
 
Cautiously I stepped forward and kneeled down next to it.
 
To the left it went under into a pond.
 
I went over and kneeled down looking at my reflection.
 
The face that looked back at me was a beautiful girl.
 
One the old me doesn’t remember.
 
I stood up, stepping on the tracks and started walking on it holding my hands close to my heart.
 
Those two bracelets on my wrist contrasted so much.
 
 
 
 
Snow started falling, stinging me like little pricks of needles.
 
A little husky came out into the clearing.
 
Sniffed around and left.
 
Maybe it was lost.
 
I kept on walking on the track.
 
For about two hours I probably got four miles.
 
So I headed back out.
 
There was an empty park, the same o
ne where I had brought the Ricc
oli's I thought.
 
My head turned to the sign and
it
was written in plain text, ‘White Claw.’
 
 
 
I picked up my speed faster and faster until I got to the city.
 
Then faster until the airport.
 
I braced myself up against the wall and started whispering Galen and Carsons name over and over again.
 
My back pocket revealed a few hundred dollars Carson had snuck in while hugging me.
 
The airport was open twenty four seven luckily.
 
When I stepped through the doors heat rushed over me.
 
I know Carson said wait until morning then go.
 
But I couldn’t wait any longer.
 
 
 
 
Luckily there were seats open.
 
I sat awkwardly between two
elderly women.
 
Six hours later I found myself boarding off the plane to L.A. California.
 
Born and raised in this state.
 
My hot dry homeland.
 
Reaching in my back pocket I pulled out money for a taxi.
 
The taxi man asked what my destination was so I gave him my exact address.
 
To my annoyance of course he knew exactly who my parents were.
 
 
 
I still had no Idea what I would say to them.
 
Showing up as a whole new person with no luggage.
 
 
 
 
“Is this your house ma’am?”
 
The driver asked coming upon a wealthy three story.
 
 
 
“Yes sir,
” I
replied.
 
Before shutting the door I gave him the remaining money.
 
Taking a deep breath I put one foot in front of the other up the walkway.
 
The taxi man was still looking at me strangely.
 
So my knuckled pounded the door.
 
A little more than I intended.
 
 
 
No one answered.
 
That’s when the real fear set in.
 
And I panicked.
 
My hands turned the knob ignoring the lock altogether.
 
I slammed the door behind me and shouted, “Mom!
 
Dad!”
 
I ran to every room of the house and couldn’t find them.
 
When I smelt everything I didn’t catch any abnormal scent.
 
Calming down I walked up the stairs to my room.
 
The same as I had left it.
 
Plain, clothes in the closet, desk filled with papers, books scattered all over.
 
I walked up to one of the books and picked it up.
 
Scary stories I read in Junior High.
 
The ghosts of Okinawa.
 
It was funny to see how I spent my lonely nights and how I spent them now.
 
 
 
Slam!
 
The sound of a heavy door shutting.
 
 
 
 
I stepped down the stairs. Both my parents not noticing me yet were linked arm in arm in formal clothing.
 
Business convention
again I guessed.
 
Damn it.
I thought.
 
I really should have called my mom beforehand.
 
I looked at
their
faces full of so much worry and confusion.
 
Oh yeah the doorknob.
 
I stepped down the stairs more and cleared my throat loudly.
 
 
 
“Oh my!”
 
My
mom jumped back.
 
They were both completely shocked.
 
“Leslie what are you doing here?”
 
She
asked.
 
“You’re supposed to be coming tomorrow with your friends.”
 
 
 
“Always changing my mind as you know,
” I
told her.
 
 
 
My father was just taking it in and not asking.
 
Being
Mr.
motionless in his suite.
 
 
 
“Next time you call me first!”
 
my
mom said sternly.
 
Ever since becoming a vampire I had been forgetting I even had a phone that existed.
 
“Now-
” my
mom ran towards me as I walked down to her and embraced her into a hug.
 
 
 
 
“I love you mom.”
 
I said.
 
“I love you too dad.”
 
I told him hanging my head over her shoulder.
 
 
 
“Love you too sweetie,” they both told me.
 
 
 
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
 
 
 
At first I was caught up in a silence and then I said, “No thanks mom.
 
I ate before I left anyways.
 
I’m eighteen now remember?”
 
 
 
“I’m so sorry your father and I couldn’t be there for your birthday but we have a surprise waiting for you outside.
 
Come see.”
 
 
 
For their sake I followed them outside.
 
This home was going to be terribly bland now.
 
A black dodge charger was waiting for me outside on the side of the garage.
 
 
 
“Oh mom you didn’t have to get me something as big as this.”