The Phoenix Flame

Chapter 1



  Fury was probably planted on my face. Taking out my iPod to occupy myself for the drive, I sat in the passenger seat, steaming. Aaron was driving his car, angry, like me. Even though he was behind us, I could feel the bass rolling off his car in waves. I swear, someday he was going to go deaf! Well, he would be good listener. Ha. The only reason he was coming was because he was doing the college online program. I really wished he didn’t.

  We were on our way to our new house. My mom got a job transfer. My brother knew about the move before I ever did. I gave him the best thanks ever (I am being sarcastic) by smiling, flipping him over my shoulder when I got the chance on our last day to our old school. He got a huge bruise on his arm. Being less than two-hundred pounds is a gift to him. He never gains weight. Lucky for him, but I gain weight and grow puffy--not fat. I like to use puffy instead of fat- -on the sides and the middle, just a little. I also have fat thighs. Thanks dad.

  I put on Broken by Seether. I loved this song, but I liked many more… Anyways, our two-story house was a half an hour away. I saw a picture that my mom showed me and my brother. I dreaded the thought of leaving my old school, Peters Livingston High School. Though, I don’t think it would be any different for me having absolutely no friends and reading every minute I could. Well, things and people change. I might.

  Looking out the car window, I saw the familiar house, memorized up to bottom. Unsurprisingly, the red cardinal was perched on a pine tree, staring intently at me. Its red feathers were flapping in the soft breeze. The blackest of eyes, were looking at me. About the bird, there is always a red cardinal on my window sill in the morning --sometimes night-- if the windows closed. If not, the cardinal flies in and lands right in front of me. I hoped the weird bird didn’t follow me here. Bummer and disturbing that it did. 

Taking out my earbuds, I ignored the stalker bird, but hit the middle of my head on the door. Ouch! Coordination wasn’t my best thing. I played basketball at my old school. I was always right or left wing. It wasn’t a real game or practice if I didn’t slip and fall.

The colorful buttons on my messenger bag were clicking and clacking. I sighed softly to myself. I wasn’t happy, but I also wasn’t angry. My mom needs more money, I understand. Not everyone can fulfill their needs in just a day. Even if there is a lot of money involved.

  My brother yelled something about driving somewhere. I heard a door slam, a car squealing off. I didn’t have to worry about him; he’ll make new friends in a heartbeat. He was that kind of person who was bubbly and talkative around anyone, but their family. I, however, was not. I am the type of person that is secretive (for me, I have to) and invisible to everyone I don’t know well.       

I looked at my mom and saw she was unnerved, but it was gone in a second. She was a woman of many faces. She never stuck to one look for longer than four seconds. Yep, I even counted. 

“Well, let’s get this show on the road. I want to get this over with.” She had a brave look on her face. She wasn’t used to new things.

“It’s okay mom. We needed to move. I’m frustrated, but I’ll deal,” I comforted her. She only walked to the back of the house.

I didn’t pack all that much to carry in the car. My duffle bag was barely even heavy, but my instrument was.  The moving truck has already come and gone. My uncle did everything while we were getting ready to leave. I wonder how he did all so fast.

  I faced the house and gaped at the door. Right then I went over the usual rules for myself:

  1.          Don’t talk when it’s not important.

  2.          Never attract any attention to yourself.

  3.      Don’t make skin or eye contact.

  4.          Don’t make possible bad choices.

  5.      Be careful on who you trust.

  I made those rules when I was five and stuck with them ever since. Sometimes I broke them if I wasn’t careful. My big mouth was the cause of that.

  The house was all brick and had white paneling. There were many neighbors around us, which I really didn’t like. I needed the fresh air and birds chirping (preferably non-creepy cardinals), not the sounds of cars honking and the smell of pollution. The front porch was small and had a porch swing. There was also a pool in the back. In this Ohio humidity, I needed to cool off badly. I pondered over secrets that are in this house. It would be fun to find out…

  I opened the front door, running into a bulky shape. My duffle bag and my book bag fell. All my books, notebooks, and pencils were spilling everywhere. I instantaneously placed my baritone B.C. carefully down and dropped to my knees, stuffing things into my book bag. I stood up and didn’t even look at the person I knocked into. Though I saw the person was wearing black Nike shoes. I ran into the house. He wasn't human. He was a faerie, precisely Tanner Elsing. He was such a psychotic stalker.

  About knowing he was a faerie, I could tell if a person was human, or not. By not, I mean a supernatural.  I got a feeling when they were close or I could see through their glamour. I can verify vampires, real psychics, witches and warlocks, shapeshifters, werewolves, etc, from humans. When I see a supernatural I get this sense in my mind and I automatically know what they are. Either that or I have lost my mind.

  Faeries are mischievous creatures. They bite, kick, slap, punch, etc. They do all those things to humans, but the humans don't ever feel it, except me because I'm more aware of them. Trust me, it really hurts at times. I could see through their glamour and even see them when they were invisible to other people.

  To stay safe, I pay them no mind. I heard in legends that they burned the eyes of the people that could see through their glamour and see them originally. A girl needed to keep safe. I didn’t know what would happen if supernaturals found out about my power. They could use me as a weapon if they wanted, and I really didn’t want that. At all!

  I knew I could do this when I was five and saw a guy about sixteen with wings, spiky dark blue hair, tall and skinny, and a little handsome. Tanner Elsing. I asked him where he got his wings because they were spiked and a bright golden color. They would have looked cool to any five year old. He only backed away and ran. Coward. If I was casting for a play for The Wizard of Oz, he would definitely be perfect for the Cowardly Lion.

  I then knew it wasn't safe to tell anyone. Not even my parents. But when I looked Tanner in the eye, I got a strange feeling that would send shivers from head to toe. I started to avoid even regular people because I knew they would see how much I was a freak. That's how I came up with the five rules.

  Back to my freakish reality, I found my room by going up the spiraling, light carpeted stairs. The walls were beige. The rails for the stairs were a smooth, dark wood. I hit the final stair and saw a hallway with only two three doors. I opened the first one to find a big broom closet. The second was a white-and-black tiled bathroom. The third door was my bedroom. The room was huge! Astonished wouldn’t even describe how I felt right now. There was even a walk in closet. The walls were green; my favorite color. The carpet was black. My bed, dresser, and desk were already in. I started to unpack my clothes and put them on hangers and in drawers. The darks were to the left; lights to the right (ha, that rhymed). I was usually really organized when it came to my room, but many times it would get messy and so monstrous that I couldn’t even step in it without falling. Or that’s just me.

  After an hour of putting clothes away and placing things where they need to be, I walked downstairs into the kitchen. I was starving! The trip was long and I didn’t have any breakfast. I smelt something from down there, like chicken. Yum! Mom was putting something into the oven. The kitchen had brown walls and tiled floors and counters. The cabinets were made out of light wood. It made the house seem homey.

  My mom apparently heard me walk in. “Hey, Eclipse, did you unpack everything?” I grimaced at my name. My grandma mentioned it to mom because I was born on an eclipse. Mom sometimes calls me Lunar because of lunar eclipses. Cliche.

  I nodded. Her hair was disheveled from packing today. My mom was beautiful. With her curly, multi-colored hair and her blue eyes, she would have gotten a lot of dates, but her nosiness and protectiveness prevented that. She was a victim of a mugging when she was only fourteen. She never could trust someone without looking in their backgrounds after that. My mom made it a habit of questioning every person she met. She was skinny, but not as much as much as those starving models out there. She had long legs and a curvy figure. At least I didn’t get my dad’s beer gut. I only got the legs and “bubble butt” as my mom says. So embarrassing...

  “Well, dinner’s almost ready. We are going to eat at the table. Uncle Bradley is having dinner with us. Also, his friend and his wife and daughter are coming to eat with us in about ten minutes. Lunar, I know you don’t talk much, but I want you to have a friend. I don’t want you to stick out and be closed off at this school. Her name is Sabrina. She is your age and in your grade. Just try to talk a little bit to them. Don’t get all shy.” She used my nickname, Lunar, so I know she was being serious, and trying to win me over. She barely used it. Mom looked up. “Oh, yeah, go change your contacts in a little bit. Your eyes are going to go red, like you’ve been crying.”

  I nodded again.

  I had on comfy black skinny jeans and a grey shirt on. It would do. I ran back upstairs and flipped open my book: Hush, Hush. It was my favorite book. I put on Nickelback, When We Stand Together. That’s when I really started thinking. A friend? What would I talk about? What if she didn’t like me? I’m the quiet-but-can-kick-your-butt-if-you-tried-something-I-didn’t-like-type and an awkward person that everyone likes to pick on. More importantly, what if she was one of those people that like to pick on me?

  Exactly ten minutes later, I hear the front doorbell ring. It sounded like bells clanging together. Hopefully we didn’t get many visits. It annoyed the heck out of me. I walked at a normal pace downstairs. My mom was at the door and I saw my Uncle Bradley standing there, smiling at me. I ran up and hugged him tight. I haven’t seen him in a whole year.

“Eclipse! You’ve grown, like a foot higher than the last time I saw you,” he said, smiling. I am really tall compared to other people.

“Well, I definitely didn’t grow shorter.” I usually joke around with my Uncle Bradley because he never judges me. He was a big man. Not fat, just big. He was very tall. I only came up to his chin. He had blonde hair like my mom, but cut close to his head. He was handsome, but single. My mom tried to set him up on dates all the time.

  “Ha, right. Grace, now how about our hug?” My uncle smirked. My uncle pulled her into a hug just when I saw a car pull up into the driveway, the headlights burning into my contact-covered eyes. The door windows covered most of what looked like a jeep.

  “They’re here,” my mom spoke with urgency. I guess she really hoped I’ll make a new friend. Three people got out of the red jeep. The man was as tall as my uncle. He had brown hair and a lengthy stride. Who I presumed to be his wife was beautiful. She was also a brunette, but was short. Their daughter had dark brown hair and freckles going across her tan cheeks. She was about the same height as me. Also, she was wearing blue jeans and a low black top that had sparkles going down from the shoulders, fading inch-by-inch. They were all human. I could sense their purity, not mixed with supernatural DNA.

  “Eclipse and Grace, this is my friend Steven, his wife Lily, and their daughter Sabrina.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” my mom said, smiling widely. She held out her hand for each to shake. Let the questions begin. “What is your occupation? I’m a journalist.”

  Tuning them out, I turned to Sabrina. “Hi! So, you guys just moved here? That’s awesome. This house has been on the market for a long time. We live a little ways down the street. Maybe we could have a pool party to welcome you here. Is the pool outback big or small?” She seemed like the always-and- never-ending talking type. Hopefully she wouldn’t pester me. I crossed my fingers mentally.

My mom seemed taken aback that I talked. She quickly recovered and said, “Why don’t you two go up into Eclipse’s room and hang out. Dinner is almost ready. Oh, remember to wash your hands before dinner.” I rolled my eyes at her last comment. My mom was a total germ and neat freak.

  I started to walk forward. I only looked back to see if Sabrina was following. She was. I climbed the stairs, again. When we made it to my room, I stood awkwardly.

  “I like your room, and your name,” she said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “I like yours also,” after a thought, I saw my mistake. “I-I mean your name. I haven’t seen your r-room or anything." I was stuttering, which I usually did when I talked. “Sorry, I’m not good at conversations.”

  “Well, I might have a solution to that.” She plopped down onto my bed, on her back, staring at the ceiling.

  “And what might that be?” Curiosity got the best of me sometimes. Hopefully it didn't kill me like the cat in the saying. But it might as well.

  “There is a party by the school,” She paused. “Well there will be a bonfire. It’s in the woods. We call it the X Woods because there are two fallen trees, making an X at the entrance we usually go through. Some kids found a cemetery there, on the edge of the creek. That is where the bonfire will be.

  “Also, the creek is huge. Now everyone hangs out there. Well, there is going to be a party this Sunday. So, since it’s today is Saturday, I was thinking of you and I hanging out tomorrow before the party. We could get to know each other. And you could talk to the people there.” She was actually clapping with joy. She apparently had this all planned out. I only knew her for about two minutes and she is already thinking about us being best friends. Where was a wall to hit my head on when I need one?

  This was going to be a problem. I wasn’t ready to meet people. I didn’t know if I should agree or just run, screaming out the door. I chose the first. It seemed more logical than losing something almost like a friendship.

  I’m pretty sure my eyes were widening by the nanosecond. “Okay, but no leaving m-me alone. Agreed?”

  “Fine, agreed. Do you want to spit-shake?” She pulled her hand to her face, waiting before I answered.

  “No!” I involuntarily put my hands behind my back. Sometime I could be a germ freak, but not a neat freak. Not like my mom.

  “Jeez. I was only kidding.” She smiled wickedly, pulling her hand to her side.

  I heard a faint yell from downstairs.

  “Dinner,” I said simply. I opened the door and walked out.

  Dinner was nice, I could say. We had chicken enchiladas. There was little talk. It was mostly awkward silence. There could have been a hairless bear in there, and it wouldn’t be any more awkward. I kept my eyes on my plate. Somehow staring at my chicken enchilada seemed more interesting than looking around the new house. Though, when my mom kept on asking Sabrina questions, I groaned inwardly each time. After dinner, Sabrina grabbed my elbow and steered me to the bottom of the stairs.

  “Now is the time to ask. You go ask you mom and I’ll ask my parents. Go!” She pushed me into the kitchen where my mom was.

Mom was putting the dishes into the dishwasher. I swallowed and reluctantly walked towards her. “Hey, mom, S-Sabrina wants to hang out with me and take me to a party. Is that alright?” I can’t believe I straight out asked her.

  “Yeah, sure, whatever you want.” She seemed…off. Maybe today was wearing. I was expecting an argument. That usually happened when my brother asked. Speaking of the devil, where was he?

  “Mom, are you all right? You seem sad.”

  “I’m just tired.” She sighed deeply. I got that correct. Maybe I am psychic.

  “Well, I think Sabrina and they are g-going to leave in a few minutes. Get some sleep. Love you,” I told her before kissing and hugging her and then trudging into the living room. Sabrina was on the couch while her parents were talking to Uncle Bradley. She looked cheerful and looked ready to do the LMFAO shuffle.

  “So what did your mom say? Did she say yes?” Sabrina asked. Sabrina stood up and stretched.

  I nodded.

  “So did mine. Your uncle and me and my parents are about to leave. I’ll be here at three O’clock. The party starts at six O’clock. See you then.” She walked out the door, smoothly.

  I hugged Uncle Bradley goodbye and waved a small farewell to Sabrina’s parents. Today was a long day. Tomorrow was probably going to be an even longer day. I treaded upstairs, into the bathroom. I had to take out my contact lens. My eyes were a little red around my eyes, but not much that anyone would notice. I stared at my unnatural red eyes. Why couldn’t I get normal features? My small nose twitched from the dust covering the old radio flying off when I wiped it off.

  I walked back into my room and threw my messenger bag into the corner and plugged my iPod into the radio dock. I took out my kindle, jumped onto the bed, and started reading the Shadow Falls series. I already read them two times, but like Hush, Hush, its fun to reread over and over. I went over what happened this morning. 

  I had come down for a bowl of cereal, preferably, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Yum. My mom was at the table rereading something over and over. She was supposed to be at work. She had a familiar unidentifiable look on her face. The only other time I’ve seen that face was when she told me and Aaron about the big divorce.

  My brother was on the couch, watching ESPN. He always wanted to be a famous baseball player. Now, he wanted to be something else. I forget though. He knew what was coming and didn’t bother to tell me. He could be such an A-hole at times that I wanted to karate kick him where it counts.

  When mom told me what was happening, she said it was for the best.  I guess it was. 

  Now, Hurt by Johnny Cash came on. I loved this song. I smiled greatly when the lyrics came on. I started to hum the tune when I heard a tsk, tsk sound. Turning down the music to a minimum, I looked around to try to find the owner of the sound. Tsk tsk, tsk tsk. I looked at the window and gasped.

   



























Chapter 2





  The red cardinal was there. The bird was pecking and scratching at the window, nonstop. The usual unnatural black eyes had a red ring of fury around them. This bird was not an actual bird. I could tell sense it had an almost human quality. Though, I couldn’t even sense what it usually was, I was pretty sure it was some sort if a powerful supernatural. I’ve never sensed this before. Weird.

I stepped back a few steps. I then realized something. I was backing away from a bird. Even though it wasn’t the typical bird, how was it supposed to get in? Magic? No, I don’t think so. I mentally pulled up my big girl panties and walked up to the window. I did the bravest thing I’ve ever done; I pulled down the blinds and walked back to the bed, pulling out my kindle, again.  I didn’t fall asleep until after three AM when my eyelids started to get really heavy.

  I woke up with my kindle dead and me facing away from the window. Figures, I am still freaked out by the cardinal’s eyes. I got up and almost fell from the room spinning. I guess I got up too quickly. Light was coming through the white blinds, covering the windows. I opened the blinds to find the sun has almost hit the top of the sky. What a beautiful day. The trees by the road were moving with the breeze, almost like they were dancing to unheard music.

  It was one O’clock. Jeez, how tired was I?  I only had two hours before the insightful Sabrina picks me up. Even though I have my nose in my books all the time, I know how to use some sarcasm when needed.

  I flipped open my black laptop and logged on. I opened up my Facebook account to see if anyone noticed that I was gone yesterday. None, Nada, Zilch, Zero. I shouldn't even expect it like I should. On Facebook I only had one-hundred friends. Mostly they just added me so they would have more friends on their profiles. Usually I just got on to play Vampire Diaries, the game. I loved the books and TV show. The game was really addicting. I was rooting for Damon and Elena to be together. They had the perfect attraction between them. I always had a special pillow to bury my face in if the tension got too thick in the show. I was so dramatic when it came to drama or suspenseful shows and books. Mom would usually make fun of me if she caught me with my hand to my mouth, biting the tips of my nails, or chewing on the tip of my necklace which I did regularly.

  I decided to get ready for today. I took a shower, letting the hot water fall onto my back. All my muscles seemed to unhinge after a few minutes of hot water trailing down my body. Getting out, I put a towel around myself.  Putting some ear cleaner onto my pierced earrings, I winced. I haven’t cleaned or turned them in a while.  I had one at the top of my left ear and two on the earlobes of both ears. Then, I really looked at myself, which I never do.

  My hair was nothing like my mother’s dirty blond hair or my father’s light brunette hair. It was jet black and went to just below my shoulders. My bangs were hardly bangs at all, only a mask to cover the left side of my face until it hit this bottom of my chin and curled under. It was outrageous. I couldn’t curl or straiten it at all! And it took like ten minutes to get through one tangle, let alone many. Today, I decided to just put my hair into a low braid.

  Here’s a complication: my hair and eyes didn’t go together so well. I have unnatural bright red eyes. They were the color of a very red tomato, or as my grandma would say, ‘The color of a phoenix’s flame.’ I got stares if people saw my true eye color. And trust me; I really didn’t like people staring at me. My arm would get all itchy and I wouldn’t be able to stop scratching it. I had to wear contacts to cover up my eyes, and what felt like half of me. The contacts I was wearing made my eyes look really black. But it helped me blend in with the shadows more. That helped a lot.

  I don’t have tan skin. I get sun burnt, even in the winter. I just looked somewhat tan. My “tan” is from freckles just popping up everywhere, and the zits on the corners of my forehead really didn’t help.

  I chose blue skinny jeans that have holes at the knees and thighs and a black shirt with headphones plugged into an iPod as the graphic design. The bottom read:

Music influences life.

It gave the don’t-piss-me -off look.

  When I was done getting ready, it was five minutes before three. Sabrina is probably the type of person to arrive late. I ran down stairs and put on my black converse. I guess I was going to be the new Gothic figure.

  I heard an incessant knocking downstairs. I looked to the clock and saw she was right on the dot. Maybe I was wrong about her. That thought was going to be haunting me all throughout today. I opened the door and saw her giving me the once over. She had on a really short red dress that had to have only a couple inches between the hem of her dress to the start of her underwear, if she was even wearing any, which I was betting ninety-nine percent wasn’t. The dress itself would have passed for lingerie. If I even tried to walk out the door with that on my mom would have killed me. And I wasn’t kidding. She also had a phobia of clothes showing too much.

  She shook her head, pressing her hand to her forehead. “Come with me before I shove my foot so far up you--”

  “Watch the language. My m-mom will kick you out if you c-cross the line with that word. Just use a word similar to it instead. That’s what I do,” I interrupted.

  “Fine, but I was being serious about it. You are going to ruin my reputation. Come with me.”

  “And what would that so-called reputation be?”

  “Being popular and not hanging out with losers.” I wondered if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.

  “W-Well, it’s not like I’m n-n-not offended by that comment or anything.” She gave me a stern look. My stuttering did not back me up.

  I followed her up into my room. She slammed the door and locked it. Pushing me on the bed, she ran into my closet and started searching. She found a low-cut navy blue shirt I never wore. I needed a gun to shoot me out of my misery. She had found really short, faded shorts. They had holes all over them. My mom got me them and told me to explore a little out into the world of fads. All I exactly said was “Why, no.” That pissed her off so bad I had to run so I wouldn’t get B-slapped.

  “These will do. Better than that other outfit you have on. Now, try it on.”

  I changed my outfits awkwardly. I didn’t want to give up my don’t-piss-me-off look. The don’t-piss-me-off look was what I usually wore when I wasn’t threatened by my mother to be on house arrest and tested on drugs. I’m not a druggie. The only thing I like about drugs is that they are a part of my other favorite music artist, Kid CuDi. He is awesome, but a used-to-be druggie.

  “Awesome! I like you a lot better now.” After a moment’s pause, she said, “I m-meant you look b-better with this outfit.” She was stuttering, trying to cover up her mistake.

  I raised my hand and shook my head. “Just forget about it.” I game an encouraging smile and saw it was three-thirty. “L-let’s go.”

After about two hours and a half, we had gone through each and every one of the mall’s stores. It was fun we talked about our favorite things. My favorite color was green and so was hers. We talked about school and music we both liked. We had a lot in common. Maybe, just maybe, we could be real friends.

  When we were done, the sun was set and it was fifteen minutes before six. The X Woods was only a mile from the school. It took about ten minutes to get to the creek, known as Bear Creek. Hopefully there will be no bears there. I really didn’t want my body being mauled in the first week of moving here. We were just pulling into the little church by the woods, when I started to freak. There were so many cars in the lot.

  “Calm down! No one is going to judge you. Well, they might, but it won’t be intentional. Some of my other friends bailed, even my boyfriend, Charlie. I will help you get through tonight without you dying. Got it? I have to be there to claim my territory.” I didn’t even want to ask about the ‘territory’ she was talking about. She only gave me the look that said: Don't even try to argue.

With my eyes on the dashboard, I nodded. Tonight might not be so bad. I’d just have to keep repeating that in my head so I don’t freak out anymore. But there was also the possibility it could be bad. If I didn’t stop thinking about this I was going to start hyperventilating. 

  “Okay, let’s go. This church is giving the creeps. They say in the time of the witches, people hung and burnt them here. If you ask me, that church needs to be burned down. This city seriously does not need ghosts,” she shrank away to the edge of the woods.

  I eyed the church. It didn’t look all that creepy. It had dark red, chipped paint on it. The sign was creepy though. In big, black block letters it said:

  Beware of the Takers of Blood.

  Prank maybe? I shrank away after a few moments of rereading the sign.

  “Eclipse, come on!”

  I ran towards Sabrina. She was right. The church was creepy. It had a powerful vibe that felt evil. Something was wrong with this building, and I was going to find out soon.

  When we made it to the entrance, I saw for myself the X the fallen trees had made. They were aligned perfectly. I also saw a very faint trail on where people walked on repeatedly. I guess this place was popular. I looked up to see the sun setting in the sky. I hoped it wouldn’t get too dark before we left. Wait, what was I saying? I don’t mind the dark. All I mind is the dangerous animals lurking in the shadows. The kind of animals that could and probably would tear my head off and bite me and give me rabies without a moment’s hesitation, and drunken people. Drunken people can be very reckless. Just like my dad.

  “Okay, so we’re a little late, but everyone likes to be late. We’ll be at the cemetery in no time.” Sabrina sounded so sure that we would be there, I didn’t. I was really nervous. Nervous, like I was going up on stage at an overpopulated concert. That was the worst nervousness ever.

  I never was really good at talking to people. Also, I could barely stand to be near them. I didn’t mind hugs all that much. Well, except for awkward hugs. Those are just weird.  I was practically people-claustrophobic. It was like magnets repelling each other when they are on the opposite sides.

  Sabrina started to talk nonstop. I only started listening after a few seconds of her staring at me in accusation. Woops.

  "What? Sorry, I wasn't listening. I was, uh..." The thing is I couldn't come up with an explanation.

  "Yeah, exactly. Fine! Let me start over and waste precious oxygen." The drama queen took a long, deep breath and then exhaled. "Okay, so when we get to the cemetery, don't talk. Just let me do the talking. I'll introduce you. And if you do talk, try not stutter."Hmm, she seemed to have noticed. “Also, get your eyes off inanimate objects, like, the ground for instance.” When she was done blabbering, we turned to the path. The woods looked already dark and Shadowy.

  "Let's go."  I followed reluctantly.

  The woods got darker as we went. I don't know how we were still able to see the trail with how dark it was and how faint the trail was. I looked at every fracture, tree, rock, and crevasse there was to see and find.  Something bad was going to happen tonight. I could feel it. I could walk really easily here. Even though it was rocky and steep to go down, it wasn't all that hard. At my grandma's house, there was a wood in the back and I used to explore it almost every single day. I guess practice makes perfect.

  “It is so hard to walk, even if I’m wearing small heels.” Small? I didn’t think so. They were huge! They had to be like five inches.

  “T-Those are small? I would hate t-to see what’s big.”

  After a few more easy minutes of walking, I heard music. We were close, very close.  After a couple more steps, I saw the cemetery gate. It was faint black, about five feet high, and had designs on the top. It was also spiked at the top. Did I mention it was torn down? Well, it was. Restricted area was written all over it.

  "Okay, remember what we talked about." What we talked about? More like you.

  I faintly nodded and looked around. There were people dancing and drinking and smoking. Was it pot or tobacco? I couldn't decipher it, but people used to smoke a lot in the bathrooms at my old school. I was not one of those people, but I usually went to the bathroom to get space from everyone else. There were tables set up and people running around. Could this actually be fun? There were couples making out ands dancing.Someone even brought a generator to power some lights. I looked around a little more, until Sabrina started to squeal and jumped into someone's arms.

  This guy had light brown hair and brown eyes. He was about six foot four and looked like he worked out once a week. He had a dark five O'clock shadow growing across his chin and jaw. He could be called handsome, but I wouldn't to be too sure about that. My grandmother always used to say, 'a way a person acts, effects on how beautiful or handsome they really are.' Sounds reasonable, right? I sensed something that was surprising. He was a werewolf. This must be Charlie. Wasn’t he supposed to not be here? Hmm, maybe he changed his mind.

  Sabrina talked first. "I thought you weren't coming?"

  "Boss let me out early," he replied. Then she remembered I was here. 

  "Eclipse, Charlie. Charlie, Eclipse." She even used hand gestures.

  "Hello, Eclipse." He had a slight southern accent. For what felt like the thousandth time in only two days, I nodded in greeting. I had an idea, I could be a bobble-head when I grew up. Joking.

    I felt sorry for Sabrina. What if she broke up with him? Would he lose his temper and change into a wolf? Probably. Werewolves and shapeshifters had bad tempers. Werewolves didn’t need the full moon to change into a wolf. The full moon only made them stronger, but silver was a kryptonite to them. I've only met one lycanthrope in my life. He went to my school and we were assigned together I was not happy.

  He held out his hand and, hesitantly, I shook it. I kept looking at his hand. It had a golden tan. I couldn't meet his eyes; not anyone's.

  "We'll be right back. Come on, Charlie." Sabrina grabbed Charlie's hand and began to saunter away towards the woods. He cast one glance at the top of my head before going off with her.

  I snapped my head up. "Wait! You promised you wouldn't leave me alone!" I wasn't ready to mingle or talk to anybody.

  "I agreed to not leave you alone. I didn't promise." She was going to get it when we get to the car.

  "Fluff it!" I was never allowed to say any type of cussword. So, I just said a word similar to it. So, fluff the fluffing bench. That brought a secret smile to my face, but only for a few seconds.

  I didn't want to look into the eyes of anyone. Feeling fear was not new to me. Not with me being the new kid. I decided to not stand there awkwardly. I wasn't going to walk to where Sabrina and Charlie, pretty sure they were sucking face. I didn't want anyone seeing me here alone. Something strange could happen. Anything could happen.

  I then came up the perfect answer. I needed to walk around in the woods. I was betting barely anybody was out there. Well, except for the dangerous animals and other couples making out. I was pretty sure I could climb a tree when I needed to get away from an animal, but I don’t know about kissing teenagers. I used to take rock climbing lessons when I was younger. I would always fall on purpose because I liked the thrill. No falling purposely out here, I told myself.          

  I couldn't just walk climb. I could do all other things, too. I don't always stay cooped up, reading books and/or listening to music. I could sketch and throw knifes. I had a mixed personality. I could shoot a gun and bow and arrow. I know karate and martial arts. I took lessons at the Rec. Center. Also, I used to have a punching bag, but it broke a long time ago. Bummer. It took me a couple weeks to get a hold of karate, but I got it down. My brother had signed me up. He's the only one that knows about my power. I couldn't consult with mom. She wouldn't have believed me. Aaron understood my dilemma, even though he didn't have this power.

  I turned around and walked quickly back into the dark recess of the woods. I needed to find Sabrina quickly. I wanted to leave. If I didn't find her I was going straight to the jeep. Without the lights at the party, the woods got denser and denser the more I walked. I realized I couldn't even see the path anymore. Figures. Just my luck for Sabrina to run off and me getting lost in these woods. I shouldn't say lost yet because if I just walked straight I could make it. At least I had my hair up. It would make my chances of getting ticks a little bit slimmer.          

  I had to admit something after about a half an hour of walking, I was lost. Where was I? I didn't know. Where was Sabrina? Munching on Charlie's face probably. Or they could be looking for me. I doubted that though. I barely knew Sabrina for her to even remember I was there. A sudden thought crept into my mind. Maybe I should climb a tree and see where the light from the party was and go north from that. Ouch! I just accidentally went through a thorn bush. My left foot got caught on the vines and I went down, landing on my foot wrong. I yelped when a few thorns pricked me all over. It stung badly from the sprain I’m guessing I got.

  I looked around frantically and tried to get up, wincing. This was bad, really bad. How was I supposed to walk? I was going to have to limp on my right foot. I heard wind fly past me. I pulled a semi-strong stick up like a bat, looking up and seeing nothing. I looked behind myself and heard the rustle of leaves and wind pass again. It blew my hair backwards. I turned in a one-eighty. Nothing. What was going on? I momentarily bit my nails, pondering on what was happening. Maybe it was just a storm brewing. Oh great, a storm. What could get any worse? I was going to become a meaty treat for these animals out here.

  "Oh, beep." I muttered to myself.          

  I looked down at the ground to get my head back into place, using my sense. I felt swomething powerful that about made me pee myself. When I looked back up I did not expect to see what I was seeing. I saw a person. Not just any person, but a guy that was about my age. The dude was only a few feet away, leaning against a tall pine tree, pinecones dangling above his head.

    My pony-tail was whipping in the breeze, my bangs flying into my eyes. Could he help? Wait, what was I thinking? He wasn't human. This person was a new supernatural I've never encountered before. I searched the recesses of my mind and saw what he was. He was a fallen angel. My mind was officially blown. Was he like Patch in the book Hush, Hush? I hoped so and not.

  The fallen angel had black hair that hung in his eyes, curling over the ears. It was grown into a skater-hair style. He was wearing a navy blue shirt with a grey jacket over it and deep blue jeans. He was tall. About six foot three. I didn't look into his eyes. That would be very dangerous. My eyes could give away every emotion and feeling I feel. He could probably hear my blood pumping and my heart racing. With his eyes assessing me, it was like he was looking a chocolate cake over before devouring it.

    This whole situation was kind of familiar, like I read this in a book or watched this in The Vampire Diaries. My mind was screaming: Danger! My heart was pounding with adrenaline.  I knew tonight wasn't going to be a great night, but I never predicted dangerous. Hopefully, it didn't come down to that option.

  I noticed something behind the stranger, still eyeing me. It was the X! I wasn't so lost after all. If only Mr. I-think-I'm-so-cool wasn't in the way. Yes, I came up with a nickname. No, I couldn't think up a cooler one. Hmm, maybe he was just trying to relax and didn't want to be bothered. The real question was nagging at the edge of my mind. How did he come here and I didn't notice?

  Curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to see what would happen if I walked away. So I turned a little and limped in the direction of the X. If I got past Mr. I-Think-I'm-So-Cool then I would be home free and could get to the X.  I stopped in my tracks right when I heard a voice behind me.

  "You know. I expected you to be shy and mute, but not rude. Come back." His voice was deep and smooth. Why should I go back? Wait! Did he just say 'expected'? I don't even know him, so, how could he know about me?

  "Expected, huh? F-Funny, I don't even know you. I have one word to d-define you right now: Creepy." 

  Why did this fallen angel have to waste a minute of my time? Because he's a creep. But I only got that from one sentence. And sometimes one sentence can be enough. Most of the supernatural were creeps. They could be really ignorant and arrogant because they thought they were more superior to everyone. I jumped back when he jumped in front of me. Can I have some space? I thought to myself.

  "Not so fast. Just so you know my name is Michael. And you are?" He was a snake. I could sense that also. His eyes were looking over what he could see of my face, which was pretty much my eyebrows and forehead.

  "W-Well, honey, my n-name is None of Your Business. Now, let me through. And like I said earlier: Creep." I sidestepped him and limped towards the X again. I think he already knew my name.

Please let me get to my car before it's completely dark, I pleaded in my mind.

  "The more you ignore me; the more persistent I get.” He just wouldn't go away.

  “Fine, I’m Eclipse.” I needed to get this over with.

  “You’re new here.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

  “Nah, I am j-just an immortal that has been here for thousands of years, watching over the town.” Using sarcasm seemed like the best way to answer, but my stuttering killed most of it. It’s funny I used this because Michael is an immortal. I was so hoping I intimidated him by saying that.

  “Maybe I could show you around. Show you some of the best cafes and stores around here. Are you going to Worthington High School?” Nope. He wasn’t intimidated. Didn't even flinch.

  I didn’t answer. I was, but didn’t want to give out to much info.

  “I take that as a yes.” I felt hands on my shoulder, turning me. I smirked. His own smirk faded.

  “What’s so funny?” He asked.

  Oh, don’t I love violence? “This.” I grabbed his hand from my shoulder, flipping him in the process. He grunted, but more out of surprise. He jumped back up after a second of recovering.

  “Now, I’m not going to say this again. What do you want?”

  He leaned down and said, “You are hiding something big and we are going to find out. One thing is your eyes. The second I really don’t know, but the crease between your eyebrows says so. And I am going to find out one way or another.”

    Scared wouldn’t be able to describe how I felt right now. Did he know about me being able to sense the supernatural and about my eyes? I’ve been careful. Then a sudden rush of a though hit me. “Wait! What do y-you mean by ‘we’?”

  “You will see. I’ll see you soon, Eclipse, very soon.” That should have scared the pee out of me, but it didn’t. Somehow I expected it. So, I wouldn’t have to talk anymore, I turned and limped towards the X. I could feel him watching me carefully. I was already guessing I was going to have a new stalker.

  When I saw Sabrina coming towards the car an hour later, I was asleep. She only woke me up from me nap when we arrived at my house. I thanked her for bringing me and trudged into the house. All the lights were off and only Aaron’s car was in the driveway. Mom was probably at her new job. She had to arrive by nine. 

  Walking upstairs was a blast! Not. It was horrible. I was still tired. The stair case was blurry and spinning. I needed to get some sleep. School started at seven-thirty. That was way too early for me.  When I reached the top of the stairs I shot out my right hand and placed it on the wall to hold me up. Did I drink anything tonight? I don’t remember. I lifted myself off the wall and dragged myself into my room. I jumped onto my bed and held onto my messenger bag to make sure I still had it. I took out my iPod and plugged into my radio. I turned the music on and my alarm clock. The silence around me was drowned out by Placebo, Running Up That Hill. With today bouncing all around my head, I fell asleep.

 









Chapter Three



  Waking up at five in the morning can be a bit of a drag. I was used to this, but I was starting to get bags under my eyes. I usually woke up at this hour on purpose: to avoid my brother and the cardinal. Every time I woke up this early there was nobody awake in the house. The cardinal didn’t even come this early.

  I got up, but like every time; I was dizzy. It was a habit to do that, like, biting my nails and cracking my knuckles. Getting up that fast was just a habit because of all the martial arts training Aaron put me through. It was a sign of being a light sleeper and excellent reflexes. Yeah, right. I have the relfexes of a gold fish.

  I did the usual routine of getting ready. I went with the black jeans and dark shirt again. I flipped my head downwards and up, putting it into a ponytail. The usual. And, lastly, brushing my teeth and putting on a pair of contacts.

  I ran downstairs, carelessly.