Chapter 1

Alec's POV-

I felt Zaid's fist slam into my ribs, knocking me to the side. I left my breath out in a huff as I hit the floor. I looked up at him as he smirked down at me. He held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. "You ok Alec?" Zaid asked, looking a bit concerned. "You seem to be doing worse than you usually do." His concerned expression to joking as he smirked at me again.

I nodded "I'm fine" I lied, returning his smirk, and shooting back, "I must of just grabbed the decaf coffee this morning." Little did he know the only reason I seemed distracted, was cause I felt every muscle in my body complaining due to the beating I had taken last night. I should probably mention that my father is an alcoholic and is usually abusive. He had been this way since my mom had died about ten yeas ago.

Zaid interrupted my train of thought. "I better get home" He said in an unwilling tone. "Got to go make sure my mom and sister stay out of trouble." His tone lightened a little. Zaid had been my friend since we were in 3rd grade. For the past few months him and I had taken time after school to practice boxing. Not that either one of us needed it. Zaid was average in height and slim in weight. He didn't show much muscle but he was stronger than me. His dirty blonde hair was cut in a buzz cut sort of way and his blue eyes always seemed to find humor in everything.

I, on the other hand, I was tall and lanky, with straight brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing above normal. I had no muscle, no tan, and I was extremely thin for some reason I couldn't fathom.

"Ok. I better get going too." I had no idea where I'd got to, home was not an option, but I didn't want to seem like a burden or anything. We headed to the showers to rinse off, then got our bags and headed our separate ways.

I guess this would be a good part to give you some back ground on me. As you know my father is abusive and an alcoholic and my mom died ten years ago, your typical sad story. My mom was an amazing woman, and I missed her a lot. Since she'd died my life seemed to fall apart. My dad used to be, well a normal dad, but it changed him when she died. I try not to go home much unless I have to, like at night, etc. There has been a few times when my father has been sober but it doesn't last long and he's still a grump.

Anyways, I'm 15 and in 10th grade. I live in Tennessee, Kingston Tennessee to be exact and I go to Roane County high school. I have only a few close friends, Zaid and his sister, Bay, being the closest.

I finally snapped back to reality. I was sitting on a swing in the park down the road from my school. It was a little park by the river and there weren't many people here today, but for some reason I got the feeling I was being watched. I looked around me but the few people here were consumed in their own little worlds and none of them seemed to even notice me. But still, for some reason I couldn't shake the feeling. I jumped at the sound of someone sitting in the swing next to me. "Excuse me?"

I looked up to see a girl about my age smiling at me. Her black hair reflected the light with a dark blue tint and her eyes were so dark that they looked almost black, but she was still startlingly pretty. "You looked lonely" She said and her gaze fell to the ground. "I'm Isabelle."

She glanced up at me, nervously. "I'm Alec" I said. My reply made her smile and she seemed to gain confidence.

"Are you waiting for someone?" She asked.

"Uh... No" I replied. She thought for a moment.

"Then what are you doing here all alone?" It was my turn to think. I really had no idea what I was doing here, well except for procrastinating the walk home.

"Enjoying the nice weather" I looked at the sky only to find it a dark, threatening gray. So much for nice weather. She grinned.

"It's beautiful weather" She agreed with a sarcastic tone. "The truth?"

"I'm delaying heading home. Plus I like the fresh air, It helps me think" She considered what I had said and decided I was telling the truth.

"Well do you mind if I delay with you?" She met my gaze. She seemed nice enough.

"Well only if you don't mind the boring old me" I grinned in a joking way, this made her cheeks blush slightly and she rolled her eyes. My grin grew. We chatted back and forth for about an hour.

As we sat there I could feel it starting to rain. I really didn't want to go home. As I got up to leave she stopped me.

"In case you want to talk to someone." She she scribbled down her number on my hand and gave me a small smile that I returned. I glanced down at my hand and when I looked up she was gone.

I looked back down at the seven number that were scrawled across my hand, balling it into a fist so the rain wouldn't wash the ink away.

I finally got up and began the 20 minute walk back to my house. As I walked I still felt like I was being watched, so I tried to focus my mind on something else. I focused on the thought of Isabelle. She didn't look familiar, so apparently she didn't go to my school. It had been so easy to talk to her.

A passing car splashed water from a puddle onto me, drenching me. I was soaked.

By the time I got home my clothes and hoodie were soaked through and I was shivering from the cool breeze. I opened the front door of my house and welcomed the warm air from inside. I hung my hoodie on the coat rack and made sure my father wasn't home. He wasn't. This fact made me relax a little. I went to my room, changed into a pair of dry sweats and an old t-shirt and stretched out on the couch to watch TV.

I flipped through the channels. Nothing good. In the end, I ended up watching some sappy, romance, reality show, that didn't hold my attention, and eating some cold pizza. My house hadn't changed much in the past ten years. The living room was small but since it was just me and my dad it was ok. We had a dinosaur of a Tv the sat on a small table on the far wall. The couch was positioned in front of the Tv with an old recliner to its right. The walls were painted a light yellow with light, translucent brown curtains, to try to brighten the room. It wasn't working.

I heard the front door open, then slam shut. This is what I had been dreading. My father stumbled into the living room and gave me a drunken glare. "Where have you been" I muttered as I fixed my eyes on the Tv.

"What did you say kid?" he said as he stumbled in front of the Tv and to the recliner, where he flopped down.

"Nothing dad" I replied in a go-drop-dead-with-a-bit-of-mocking sorta tone. He got back up and stumbled to the beer fridge in the kitchen. I took this time to retreat to my room. I hated having free time around my dad. When those moments came up I'd usually either get in a fight with him or retreat to my room like tonight. I checked the clock. it was 7:00 pm. I'd spent more time wandering town, and watching that Tv show, than I'd expected.

I took time to work on my homework, but I couldn't keep my thoughts from drifting towards Isabelle. I finally decided to call her. It rang three times then went to voice mail. If I was being honest with myself, I was a bit disappointed.

By the time I was finally tired enough to sleep it was about 9:30 pm. I threw my books on a stack on the floor and slowly got ready for bed. Brushing my teeth, getting into some comfy sleep clothes, a typical person's night routine. I finally got to bed and pulled the covers over me. I was on my side and found myself staring at the picture on my nightstand, of a young couple and a baby boy. It was my family, "was" being the keyword.

Then something caught my attention. I saw movement in the shadows of my room. I perched myself up on my elbows and peered into the darkness. Nothing but blackness. After deciding it was just my mind playing tricks on me, I relaxed back onto the pillows. Your just being paranoid I told myself. Just as my eyes drifted shut my bedroom door swung open. I could hear my fathers heavy breathing and his feet, as they stumbled into my room. I braced myself for what I knew was coming.

It all happened so quick, as it did every night, that I barely had time to react. I felt my fathers fist wrap around my wrist as he jerked me from my bed, to my feet. I felt his beer bottle slam into my side and his fist hitting my shoulder. The blows to the rest of my body faded away as my mind went numb. It happened so often now that I barely felt the pain.

I woke to the summer sun in my eyes and the hard wood floor of my bedroom beneath me. I must have past out sometime during the pain and not remembered, but that was fine by me. I sat up only to find that I ached every where and my side hurt like pins and needles. I pulled myself to my feet and then collapsed on to my bed. I really didn't want to get up and face the day but after a few minutes of unbearable aches and pains I forced myself to get up and get some pain killers.

Once in the bathroom I scavenged up some pain killers and swallowed them, shutting the medicine cab-nit and examining the damage done last night. My t-shirt was cut up and streaked with red near where the beer bottle had shattered against my skin. I slipped my shirt off to look at the damage done beneath. My ribs were bruised and so was my shoulder. I had a sore spot on my forehead and a busted lip. I had cuts from the glass but nothing to serious. At least I didn't look like I was just almost murdered, though I felt like it.

I got in the shower to rinse off the blood. The warm water was soothing against my cuts and bruises. It was times like this when I missed my mother. I used to imagine her waltzing through the door and putting everything back on track, but I lost that hope with the hope that my dad would forget and get better, but my dad never forgot and he never got better.

When my mom had pasted away he kept to himself for a month or so. Then he began to look for ways to forget. At first he sought out the touch of strange women at night to ease the pain and I spent most of my time not seeing him for that reason. When he realized that would not ease the pain he started to drink his pain away. That's when the abuse started, I would much rather him spend his time with prostitutes.

I began to feel the water turning cold. I shut it of and reached for my towel. Once I was dry and dressed, I grabbed my messenger style bag from beside my bed and slipped out my window in an effort to avoid my dad. This was a usual thing. The bag contained my mp3 player, my dinosaur of a laptop, and a list of music that I had composed a few days ago.

I worked at one of the few radio stations here in Kingston. It wasn't well known and we only had like twelve listeners, but it was my escape. Music had always been my escape. It was the way I coped with my mother's death, my fathers drinking problem and the abuse. It took me about fifteen minutes to walk there.

As I walked down the familiar road I began to hear foot steps behind me. This too, was normal. I turned around just in time to see the face of Bay before she embraced me in a bear hug. I winced. My ribs, shoulder, side, and a few other assorted places, ached in response.

She pulled away as soon as I winced. "Whoops sorry" She said with an apologetic look on her face. I smiled. In her own ways Bay was beautiful. Her hair was a cherry blonde with the ends dip dyed a turquoise. Her eyes were a emerald green and had a light to them that nobody could put out. She wore no makeup, she wasn't that type of girl.

She was average in weight and petite in height. Thought at times, she could be shy and quiet, once she got to know someone her bubbly personality would began to leak through the cracks. Today she wore a white halter top, that hung loose down to her waist, a pair of denim shorts, and her blue Nikes that matched the color in her hair.

She examined me to make sure I wasn't hurt to bad. Bay had known me long before my mom died and the abuse started. She knew every one of my secrets and vice-versa. She was like a sister I never had. As she looked me over her fore head creased and her eyes became concerned. "You ok?" She asked. I nodded, though I felt like a train had hit me. "I'm fine." She didn't look convinced.

We began to walk again and she fell silent. It was unusual for her. When I looked over at her she was staring at her feet, deep in thought. When I was about to ask her if she was ok she looked up at me. A huge grin stretching across her face. "You know what?" She seemed to be enjoying some thought that bounced around inside her head.

"What?" I asked.

"You should move into my house." She said with a joking smile. I chuckled. I would if I could I thought. Anyway to get away from my messed up life.

"You think my dad would take kindly to you kidnapping his... punching bag?" I spoke my words careful. I couldn't think of another way to describe what I was in my father's eyes. She made a disgusted face.

"Ok then, do you want to hang out after work today?" She sounded hopeful. Bay worked at the radio station with me and I'd go hang out with her afterwards most days.

"Sure" I said. She seamed satisfied. We chatted for the rest of the walk to work. The rain from yesterday had cleared up, leaving the sky a clear blue. The air was humid and it seemed to mix with the heat as it clung to me. The heat didn't seem to bother Bay. She skipped and hummed as we walked, swinging her arms at her side.

By the time we arrived at the radio station, I was covered in sweat, and Bay was still as happy-go-lucky as ever. We walked into the radio station. The Radio station was dimly lit, with a recording room in the back corner. One wall of the recording room had a two panel long window and a desk of mixers beneath the sill. Floor to ceiling shelves took up half the room. Florescent bar lights hung above each aisle.

Back in the recording room Josh was finishing up his shift. Josh Williams was our boss. He was 18 and he dressed like an emo. He was dressed in a black graphic tee, dark denim jeans, and a gray hoodie. His black hair was cut jaggedly into his line of vision and was gelled into wild spikes. He had his lip and both ears pierced and he had bright blue eyes. Muscle rippled under his tan skin, as Bay would say.

"That's it and That's all of me for tonight folks. Let loose and live for the music." Josh finished and made sure the playlist for the next hour was playing. The music played quietly out of the speakers spaced along the ceiling.

"Hey Josh" Bay said, waving at him as he walked over. He gave her a one armed hug. When he dropped his arm Bay slapped him on the back of the head.

"What the-" Josh looked offended and irritated. He rubbed the back of his head as if it had hurt. "What was that for?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it" Bay shot me a grin and darted off towards to CD shelves. He rolled his eyes and chuckled, turning towards me.

"Hey Alec" I looked up at him.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"Are you busy tonight? I got a date with Jessica tonight and I forgot that I have the night show. Do you mind taking the show for tonight?" Jessica was Josh's girlfriend of two years now. He was my "boss" so I really couldn't say no. I'd have to take rain check on Bay's house later.

"Sure." I said. He thanked me and headed home, while I went to find Bay. Bay was in the recording show getting ready for our shift. I checked the clock. 9:57 am. That meant we had 3 minutes till we were on air. I got out my laptop and set it on a small, square side table that stood next to my stool. As we got set up I was the first one to speak.

"Hey Bay" I looked at her and she looked up at me. "I'm gonna have to take a rain check on hanging out." She looked disappointed.

"Why?"

"Josh needed to switch shifts so I'm doing some overtime with the night show." She frowned but put on a smile and tried to pretend she didn't mind. She did this a lot. I checked the clock again. 10:00 am. Time to start.

We took breaks in between and an hour long one at lunch. Bay was silent at first but she began to chat more as the time past. That was the good thing about her; she didn't stay mad/upset for long. Bay quit her shift and left at three o'clock. I started my shift, alone, at 3:15.

Crack! Thunder startled me and I heard it begin to rain on the roof. I was glad I couldn't see the lightning. I had been scared of lighting since I was six. The storm raged on outside.

My shift past quickly and before I knew it, it was 8:00 pm. Time for my night shift. This one was a short shift and went from 8:15 to 10:00 pm. My dad wouldn't miss me and frankly, I wouldn't miss him either. Crack! More thunder. The rain had gotten harder on the roof. I went and locked the front door and the back exit. I stood for a moment at the glass front doors taking in the storm outside. The rain came down in sheets, making it hard to see more than five feet in front of you. Lightning illuminated the rain, making it thunder every few second.

I quickly headed back to the recording room. Half and hour into the night shift heard something hit the front door. It was muffled but I was sure something had hit it. I quietly left the recording room and grabbed an old umbrella from the lost and found box. Making my way to the front door I heard it again. I jumped and rounded the last CD shelve. I froze at what I saw.

Author's Note-

I will do chapter 2 ASAP. Please review! I like honest criticism and I need it to get better. :) Thanks for your time!

2: Chapter 2
Chapter 2

Alec's POV-

I hurried to unlock the door and as soon as I did, Isabelle shoved it open. She looked like crap. She was drenched from the down pour outside. Her T-shirt was splattered with blood and she looked like she had been in a fight and lost. She stumbled and quickly caught and steadied her. Her eyes were wild and were out of focus. "Isabelle? Isabelle, what happened?" I gave her a small shake but it made no difference. I shook her again. Finally her eyes focused on mine and one word escaped her lips.

"Run" Her voice was almost a whisper. Run? A string of questions filled my mind. What had happened to her? Was someone chasing her? A crack of thunder shook the room making me jump. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something big and black through the glass doors. In reflex, I turned to see what it was. Big mistake.

A tall cloaked figure stood on the other side of the glass. The hood of the cloaked covered the person's face and the cloak hid the rest of its body. It's hand reached out from under the cloak and for the door knob. I was frozen where I sat. Its hand was bone but bits of flesh still clung to it.

The doors are locked, I reminded I realized I was wrong. I hadn't locked it back after letting Isabelle in. Isabelle's had shot up to grab my shirt sleeve, her eyes locked on the being too. I hurried to get my thoughts together. It all had happened so quick. Isabelle's words still rang in my head. Run. It suddenly seemed like a good idea. The creature, or whatever it was, shoved the doors open.

"Do you think you can run?" I asked Isabelle. Her eyes shot the my face, she looked outright frightened, but she nodded. The creature began to close the distance between us. I got to my feet and help Isabelle to hers. She staggered but caught her balance. The creature seemed to be slow so it wouldn't be that hard to out run.

We took off running. I darted for the back door with Isabelle at my side. She limped and looked like she would pass out any moment. When we reached the back door I fumbled with the lock. The creature was still behind and it wasn't as slow as I thought.

I heard the lock click and I shoved the door open. I held it open and Isabelle darted out under my arm. I followed her. She was headed deeper into our little town, towards the courthouse. I had no idea where she was leading us, but as long as it was away from the creature I wasn't going to argue. We rounded the corner at the court house and came to a screeching halt.

I mentally cursed. The creature stood just a few feet away. It smelled of rotting flesh and I still couldn't see anything about it due to its cloak that hung low on its head. How the heck did it get here before us? It began to move towards us. I grabbed Isabelle's hand and pulled her off in the direction of my house. I had no idea if the creature would make it there before us but I had to try.

I wasn't paying any attention to what way I was heading home and I found myself running through the busy street. I dodged a brand new Ford 5150 and its horn almost blew my eardrums out. I kept Isabelle close at my side as we weaved through the cars, almost getting hit by a few. The rain still poured from the sky and we both were drenched.

We made it to the other side of the road when Isabelle stop. A crack of lightning illuminated the rain followed by a boom of thunder. Isabelle dropped her hand from mine and stared at the other side of the road. "Isabelle we got to go before that creature comes back" I said over the pounding of the rain. No response.

It was hard to see across the street due to the rain but as I looked closer I noticed the creature crossing the street. Time seemed to slow as it walked towards us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Isabelle hold out her hands with them balled into fists. Her lips moved as if she was speaking but no words came out. She seemed to radiate a light and her eyes turned a milky white. The creature was still coming.

Then Isabelle flung her hands open and a light shot out of them, towards the creature. The creature let out a wail as the light hit him, and I had to avert my eyes due to the brightness of the light. When the light disappeared and I looked back to where the creature had been it was gone. Everything was back to normal as if there had never been a creature.

I turned to look at Isabelle and found her passed out on the ground. My emotions changed from happy that the creature was gone, at least for the moment, to panic. My thoughts were chaos. I knelt down beside Isabelle and shook her shoulder a little. Please don't be dead, please please don't be dead I thought.

Author's Note-

Sorry for it being shorter than the last chapter but it seemed like a descent place to stop this chapter. Anyways I would like some honest criticism so I can get better. Next chapter will be up soon. Thank you guys for reading :)

3: Chapter 3
Chapter 3

Bay's POV-

My school books and laptop were spread over my bed as I studied. I had just taken in a two whole chapters about the history of modern psychology and a whole chapter of French. I was beginning to overload. I decided I would take a break and go grab a snack from the kitchen. I shoved my school book in a messy pile on the edge of my bed and shut my laptop. It was 8:38 pm. My mom was in her room watching reality shows and my brother was doing who knows what. My dad was away on a business trip for the month and the house felt like something was missing without him.

I went into the kitchen and searched for something to munch on. I made a mental note to go stock up on food when I got the chance. I grabbed a granola bar from the pantry, giving up on the search for something tasty. As I headed back to my room, the phone rang. It rang twice and hurried to get it, without even looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I said, swallowing a biting of my granola bar.

"Hey Bay" It was Alec. I wondered what he was doing calling me. He was supposed to be doing the night shift.

"Whats up?" I asked. He hesitated then replied.

"Have you by any chance inherited your mom's nursing skills?" He asked though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah I guess. Why? Are you hurt or something?" My words came quickly

"Or something... Look, I need you to get over here ASAP" And with that the line went dead. I stood there like an idiot for a second, then went into motion. I hurried to the guest bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. My eyes scanned the bottles of pain killers. Alec had asked about my nursing skills which meant that something was wrong. I grabbed a bottle of Naproxen and hesitated. I was almost sure Alec had other simple, everyday, medical stuff at his house so I stuck with just the bottle of Naproxen and hurried to my room.

I wasn't paying attention and half way down the hall I ran straight into Zaid. We both stumbled back and looked at each other. We laughed and he noticed the medicine bottle in my hand.

"Where are you going with that?" He asked. I looked down at my hand then back up at him.

"Alec called. I think he's hurt. He wants me to head over as soon as I can." I started to walk again.

"Want me to come too?" He followed close behind me.

"No. I'll just go over and see if everything ok. I'll be back within the hour." I wasn't sure if I would actually be back within the hour but it seemed reasonable. I hurried to my room and grabbed my rain coat and my purse, stuffing the Naproxen in it. A boom of thunder echoed in the distance and I could hear the rain letting up against the roof. Alec only lived a couple houses down from me, it would be an easy and short walk there.

I jogged down the side of the road. The rain had stopped completely. It was getting dark outside and a heavy fog was beginning to set. The usual calming little neighborhood now look spooky. I sped up. Within a minute I could see Alec's front porch lights. I got to his door and knocked. It was his father who answered.

I didn't much care for Alec's dad. He always smelled like a bad mixture of whiskey, cigars and bad cologne. To be honest he gave me the creeps. I forced a smile.

"Hi, is Alec home? He called and asked me to come over" His dad gave a gruff grunt then let me in.

"He's in his room. You can find your way there, Missy." I nodded and hurried to Alec's room. His door was shut as usual. I gave it a light knock.

"Come in" Alec's voiced drifted from behind the door. I opened it and stopped.

Alec sat on the edge of his bed next to a girl, who was passed out and very pale. She was beautiful with her dark blue, almost black hair and perfect skin. A pang of jealousy shot through me. She was prettier than I'd ever be. I shoved those feelings aside and stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind me. I shed my rain coat and dropped it beside his door along with my purse.

"What happened?" I asked. My tone lacked emotion, I imagined my face was the same. His eyed flicked to the girl then back to me.

"Its a long story." Was he going to seriously use that as an excuse? I kept my face and voice emotion less.

"I got time" I had all night anyways. He hesitated biting his lip.

"Can you help her?" He asked. Avoiding the story of what had happened. I shrugged.

"It depends. Like on what happened and how bad her condition is." I looked up at him, he looked truly worried. "I'll do what I can."

"That's all I ask" He composed his face into a calm mask. "Just tell me what you need."

I examined her. She had minor cuts and bruises and a few gashes on her side and thigh that had already stopped bleeding. I flipped over her hands, to find burn marks on her palm and traveling up her fingers. The skin was burnt and in some places, raw. I shook my head. Seriously, what had happened?

"I'm gonna need some bandages to wrap her hands in and some gauze. Some disinfectant alcohol would be good too if you have any." I said. He left the room and returned with two small rolls of ace bandages and a few pieces of white gauze.

"No disinfectant alcohol?" I asked. He shook his head. I could make due. "Ok. How about some water and a wash cloth?" I said and he left the room again. I examined her hands. What would leave burn marks like this on her hands. I guess there were a lot of logical answers but something felt wrong.

Alec returned with a glass of water and a wash cloth. I nodded a thank you and began to put my inherited nursing skills to use. I poured a little water on each hand to clean the wounds then I carefully dried them. Then I took a few pieces of gauze and placed them on her palms, wrapping each hand with an ace bandage. I wet the wash cloth and cleaned up the cuts and few gashes. After that I got the Naproxen out of my purse and placed it on the bedside table for when she woke up. She was gonna have some pain, no matter how little.

I turned to Alec. It was time for him to do some explaining. "Ok, now that that's done, what happened?" He took a deep breath before beginning and explaining in detail what happened.

When he finished, only one thought would grace me with its presence. He's crazy. "You expect me to believe you two were attacked by a half dead, cloaked figure and then she saved you two by shooting light out of her hands?" It sounded crazy. "Who is she?"

"He name's Isabelle James. I don't know much about her otherwise that." His eyes drifted to her and they filled with emotion. He looked back at me, going back to a serene, calm mask. It was all so crazy. How did he expect me to believe it. I felt Isabelle shift then let out a small moan.

Alec responded as if his name had been called. Another pang of jealousy. His eyes scanned her checking for anymore sign of movement. Nothing. Then out of no where she shot up, eyes wild, letting out a shriek of a scream. I jumped back tripping over nothing and landed with a thump on the floor. Alec grabbed her shoulders and eased her back onto the bed. Her eyes calmed and she relaxed.

I got back to my feet. Alec was muttering something that sounded like Its ok, your safe, relax. I heard foot steps thump up the hall and Alec's dad began banging on the door. "What the hell was that?!" He shouted through the door.

Alec looked up, it took him a second to think up an explanation.

"Sorry dad, but we're busy at the moment. I'll explain later!" Alec smiled at me. I knew his thoughts. Pervert, I mouthed. It just made his smile grow, making me smile too. His father fell silent then without a reply his footsteps faded off down the hall.

I turned back to Alec and Isabelle. Isabelle was trying to sit up, Alec was protesting. "Let her sit up if she wants to" I said and shook two Naproxens from the bottle and handed them to her, with the remainder of clean water. She smiled at me, took them and swallowed. I sat on the floor across from them.

"How do you feel?" I asked Isabelle.

"Like I've been hit by a train" She replied. "But I'll live." She turned to Alec. "Are you ok?" she asked him.

"I'd be worrying about yourself" he said flashing a smile. Another pang of jealousy. Obviously there was chemistry between them. He liked her, she liked him, at least it seemed like it.

"Do you have anything to eat?" She asked out of the blue.

"Sure. I'll be right back." He got up but stopped when he got to me. "Keep on eye on her please." I nodded and he left. I sat back down and the room fell into an awkward silence.

As I sat there my eyelids bean to get heavy. I began to drift off. I shook myself awake. I didn't feel tired, it was like someone was making me want to sleep. My eyes shot up to Isabelle. Her eyes were locked, intently on me and her mouth moved though no words escaped. Within seconds sleep over came me and my world went black. The last thing I felt was my body going limp and hitting the floor.

Author's Note-

I hope this one is longer than the last chapter and that you enjoy it. Sorry if you don't like swearing in stories but it was just one word. Anyways thanks for reading and chapter 4 will be up soon :)

4: Chapter 4
Chapter 4

Bay's POV

The sky was dark and clouded over. The moon flooded out from behind the gaps in the clouds, making the fog covered field gloomy. I was standing off to the side of a huge field as a battle raged on in front of me. I felt unhinged. Like I wasn't in control of my moments at all. I felt helpless as people were killed in front of me.

My feet moved forward with out my command, weaving carefully through the battle field. I saw Zaid off to my left. He was skillfully slicing enemies, He looked graceful but tired. I wanted to help him but I walked on. My eyes scanned the field. I found what I had been searching for.

Alec stood in a small parting of bodies. Time slowed and it all happened in slow motion. Alec sliced down an oncoming enemy and turned around. As he turned around a knife sliced through the air. There was nothing I could do. The knife would hit him and it was heading strait towards his heart. It would kill him.

I tried to shout, to warn him, but no words came out. I tried to run towards him, to shove him aside, but I couldn't move. I felt panic shoot through me. My friend was going to die and there was nothing I can do. The knife closed the distance between it and his heart. It pierced his heart and he fell to his knees. His hand wrapped around the handle and he pulled it from his flesh. Blood dripped from the blade and Alec's eyes found me. They were filled with emotion- pain, love, sorrow, defeat.

His eyes widened. His lips parted. My name was the only thing to escape. "Bay." My name came again but louder. "Bay" It was his voice that spoke it, but his lips never moved. My vision blurred and it was like I was surfacing from a dream. A dream, that's all it had been.

"Bay!" The voice was louder, angry, and it was Alec's. He shook me. Waking me from the awful dream that was already fading. What had it been about? A battle? Someone dying? I couldn't remember.

"Bay" He shook me again , his voice hard with anger. My eyes focused on his face but I was still a bit groggy. His eyes were filled with anger and his jaw was clenched. "What happened?!"

I had a small moment of confusion. Before everything came flooding back. Isabelle was nowhere that I could see. "I... Well Isabelle..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Well spit it out" He hissed. I looked at him, amazed. He had never been this harsh to me. I sat up.

"Isabelle made me pass out. I don't know how or why." I said. His expression didn't loosen or relax. No emotion, except anger, filled his eyes. Why was he angry? It wasn't my fault. "Why are you mad?" I tried to keep my tone calm but I was getting irritated.

"You wouldn't understand" His tone was emotionless as he looked away.

"Why? Why wouldn't I understand?!" My voice raised and a lump began forming in my throat.

"Cause your just some stupid girl who doesn't know anything!" Our eyes met and he still showed no signs of relaxing or taking back what he had just said. He meant it.

"Better to be a stupid girl that a love struck fool" My voice was almost a shout now and the lump in my throat was growing.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He asked, still furious. I looked at the ground. I couldn't believe he was acting this way and it hurt. It hurt to know that that's how he felt. That he felt that I was just some stupid girl. He was right though. I was a stupid girl to believe that Alec might actually care about me. He didn't and now I knew that.

I got to my feet and he copied my movements, blocking the door so I couldn't leave. "It means that your putting our friendship on the line for some girl you barley know because you thought I let her go on purpose. And your right I am stupid. I've always been stupid to think that you could ever return my feelings!" I raced out of his room, leaving him speechless and still steaming. I slammed his front door as hard as I could and took of towards my house.

I to my house, got inside and darted towards my room, tears all ready spilling from my eyes. I ran past Zaid in the living room and finally made it to my bedroom and shut and locked the door. Zaid had come after me and was now banging on my door asking me what was wrong, what happened and to open the door.

"I hate him!" I shouted in a moment of anger.

"What's going on?" It was my mom. All the noise must of alerted her that something was wrong.

"I don't know." Zaid replied. "She went over to Alec's house then came back crying and now she won't open the door and she says she hates him." I do hate him I thought. But what nobody, not even my family, understood was that I could never stay mad at him for long. When you've known someone for as long as I've known Alec, you sometimes begin to develop feeling for that someone and over the years I've develop feelings for Alec.

"Bay, open the door" My mother's voice was calm and kind, but I wasn't going to open the door. After a few minutes of me ignoring them they went away reluctantly and I was free to sob out 3 years worth of held back tears. My cell phone kept ringing,and I finally had to shut it off. It had been Alec trying to reach me, probably trying to apologize but I wasn't about to answer. About five minutes later there was a light tap at my door.

"Go away!" I shouted, though my throat was sore. It came again. Tap, tap, tap.

I stood up, and I wasn't completely sure my legs could hold my weight, they wobbled under me. When I was sure I wouldn't fall over I went to the door and opened it. It wasn't my mom, nor was it Zaid. The boy that stood in front of my was to beautiful to be real. Blonde hair and blue eyes. Muscle wrapped around him like he was a serious weight lifter . He wore a tight shirt, that defined him body perfectly, and blue jeans. Even a happily married woman would swoon over him.

I was at a loss for words. Without my permission he stepped into my room and shut the door. A jolt of panic shot though me. I realized I had just opened my bedroom door to some rapist or murderer. Wait, how the heck did he even get into my house in the first place?

He moved towards me and I moved back. He moved again, to the side then forward. I moved back. I realized to late what he was doing. He moved forwards again and kept coming. I felt the wall against my back. He had cornered me. He stopped when we were only inches apart. Another jolt of panic.

He met my eyes and smiled crookedly. Stunning me speechless once again. Then something happened. He placed his hands on my neck in a choking grip. My head began to pound and I could hear my blood rushing in my ears. I began to feel like I was coming unraveled, like I was losing my grip on reality. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force again the pain.

I gasped for a breath but got nothing. His hands gripped tighter. It felt like my mind wasn't my own. Like someone had forced their way in and was torturing me from the inside out. I tried to shout for help. My brother's name was the only thing to escape. "Zaid!" The boys hand covered my mouth, cutting off the little bit of air I could get. I closed my eyes tighter.

Then it was all over. I was back in control and the pounding in my head subsided. I gasped for breath and it filled my lungs. The boy was gone and there was no evidence that he had ever been here except for the in my memories. Zaid came through the door holding a plastic pirate sword and a small BB gun. I was to shaken to find his choice of weapons amusing. His eyes skimmed the room and he dropped the sword and gun and knelt down beside me.

"What happened?" He asked.

"He came in and tried to strangle me!" I was surprised by how calm I sounded. Zaid looked around the room again as my mom came in.

"Who?" Zaid's tone was serious.

"What happened?" My mom asked. I shook my head.

"Some rapist, murderer guy came in and tried to kill me." I still sounded calm and that made me even more uneasy. My mom and Zaid exchanged a glance.

"Did he do that to you?" Zaid motioned to my neck. I looked at him, confused. I scrabbled to my feet and ran to stand in front of my full body mirror. My eyes widened. His hands had left blackish-purple bruises on my neck. I reached up a finger, to lightly touch them, and winced. They were tender to the touch.

"Yes" Was all I could manage to answer Zaid's question.

"Where else did he hurt you?" My mother asked.

"Nowhere" I replied. After checking every window and door in the house and making sure they were locked, I was alone in my room again. There had been no sign of forced entry anywhere in the house, so how did he get in? I was still freaked out. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

I began to feel my body start to tingle. Like that feeling you get when your foot falls asleep, except it wasn't just my foot. It was my whole body. My head began to pound like when the boy had attacked me. Once again I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. The pounding got worse. I squeezed my eyes shut and placed my hands over my ears, curling into a ball. It felt like my head was going to explode. I blacked out.

I knew what I was doing but I couldn't stop myself. I opened my eyes to find myself walking down the street in the direction of Alec's house. I tried to stop my feet from moving but I wasn't in control. My hand was curled around the handle of a shiny, black blade, my pace fast. I came to Alec's porch and climbed the steps. I paused.

I wanted to turn, run home and lock myself in my room. What was going on? What was I doing here and why didn't I have any control of myself. I was free to think, but when it came to moving my arm or leg, it was rerouted to a different circuit board. I let myself in without knocking, besides I was Alec's best friend, I had no reason to knock.

I came to his bedroom door. It was closed.I reached for the door knob and shoved the door open. Alec was perched on the edge of his bed, he looked like he had been crying a little, but not as much as I had. He looked shocked by my showing up, then he noticed the knife in my hand. He looked at me in confusion. "Bay?" He sounded uncertain, his eyes moving from my face to the blade and back.

No, No, No! I had to find a way to stop myself. I was going to kill Alec, my best friend. Yes I was upset with him, but I didn't want to kill him. I was sure my face betrayed my emotions. It probably looked like I was crazy or something. Maybe I was.

I moved towards him, knife raised.

5: Chapter 5
Chapter 5


Alec's POV-
   Bay's eyes were distant and filled with pain as she moved towards me, knife raised above her head. What was she doing? I was speechless. I  inched back a bit but her eyes caught the movement. She paused her eyes locked on me. They weren't Bay's eyes though. They had a different light to them. A flame instead of a sparkle.
   Her lips pulled into a smile, a crooked smile. As if she didn't know weather to laugh or cry. I moved back to the middle of my bed. What the crap was she doing? She moved closer.
   Then, a figure appeared from the shadows of my room and lunged at Bay, knocking her to the ground. I moved back on my bed a bit farther. There was a series of grunts, hisses, "Ouch" and "Give that to me!" My mouth fell open with shock.
    The knife that Bay had held now slid across the floor and under my bed. The knife had distracted me form the catfight and when I looked up the mystery person had Bay's hands pinned above her head and was straddling her waist to keep her from moving. The person was wearing a cloak made from dark thread, with pieces of gold thread intertwined. The hood covered their face. 
    "A little help here?" It sounded like Zaid. He removed his hood and looked at me with an expecting look. It was Zaid. I jumped to my feet and quickly went over to help him. My hands wavered over Bay, unsure of what I should do.
   Bay was out of herself. Her eyes were wild and distant and she hissed like some sort of wild animal. "Hold her hands" Zaid ordered. I obeyed, grabbing Bay's hands and pinning them to the floor. Zaid reached for something inside his cloak. He pulled out a vile of blue liquid and poured a drop into Bay's mouth. 
   Within seconds Bay blacked out. I got to my feet and Zaid mimicked my motions, getting to his feet as well.
    "What...." I couldn't find the right words to ask what I wanted. I wanted to know what had just happened. Zaid looked amused.
    "You ok?" He looked from me to Bay then back to me.
    "Yeah. I think."
    "My what" I asked. She gave me an impatient look.
    "Your guardian" I was still confused. "Your protector, the one who keeps you from harm. Nod when you understand."
    "I know what a guardian is. What I don't understand is A) How the hell you got in my house and B) What you mean by my guardian."
    "Zaid Mackenzie" She said, answering only my second question. My mouth dropped. Zaid? Zaid a guardian? No way. There was a part of my mind that decided it would make sense. Zaid had been my friend for years. He was a great hand-to-hand fighter and he had always kept me out of trouble. But I still couldn't believe it. My eyes drifted the floor as I tried to sort it all out.
    Finally I grabbed my phone and dialed Zaid. He answered on the second ring. "Hello."
    "Zaid. Get over here now." My voice was empty and I hung up without another word and went over to Bay. She was still passed out. I looked up a Kateara. She was watching me. "Why do you need to talk to Zaid?" I asked. She thought for a moment.
    "Cause he is doing a lousy job of protecting you." I heard the front door open and someone make their way down the hall. I momentarily hoped it wasn't my father. The door oped and Zaid walked in. Closing the door behind him.
    Then, the air around us went cold and a shiver went down my spine. Kateara's eyes turned from milky white to a straight white and unfocused. Her breathing got rapid.
    "Kateara" I said inching closer.
   Her voice went raspy when she spoke next. "They have her. Isabelle. There going to open to the gates of hell to start the war. It will become hell on earth."
 

6: Chapter 6
Chapter 6

Zaid's POV-

Kateara's eyes refocused and returned to normal. She was on her feet and in front of me within seconds. "What happened to 'Protect him' Mr. Guardian?!" She asked, her tone angry. I took a step back. How could she accuse me of not protecting him? It wasn't the most easy thing.

"I was protecting him." I replied, my voice emotionless. She gave a mock laugh.

"Well then obviously you need another lesson in How to Protect Humans! If you couldn't see that was like the second time he was almost killed."

I stepped forward. "Well then maybe someone should of told me that a hybrid was banished to earth. Then I would have been better prepared." My voice had calmed. A tingle went down my back and I ground my teeth together. My eyes fell upon Bay, but I wasn't concerned about her. "I think the more important thing here is to find the hybrid before a war breaks out."

Kateara nodded and turned away. I gave her a once over. She still looked as amazing as when I had first met her. I looked over at Alec. He looked like he was mauling everything over in his head. Another tingle down my spine.

"Who has Isabelle?" He asked his voice low, but before anyone could answer him we heard the front down slam and the stumbled foot steps of Alec's father, Derek, coming down the hall. I looked at Alec. His eyes were wide and a little frightened, they seemed to display a message. I hated Alec's father. Being Alec's guardian made me responsible for what ever happened to him and his father was one thing I couldn't protect him from.

I nodded and exited the room into the hall way. His father stopped when he saw me. Another tingle went down my spine and this time I welcomed it. "What are you doing here kid?" His voice was slurred. Bay and I had both witnessed Derek abusing his very own son, so it didn't matter to him that someone was here. It wouldn't stop him.

I just smiled. "I asked you a question, boy" Derek stumbled another few steps forward.

"I heard you Sir, its just that we kinda need you out of the picture so here are your options. You can go find a lady for the night and crazy at her place or I can put you out of the picture." My voice had a hint of amusement.

"What kind of threat is th-" He broke off, his eyes widening and focusing on me, as another tingle went down my back. I felt my body shift and I was now closer to the ground in a crouching position. My whole body was alive; my vision sharper. I could smell Derek's fear as he watched me in horror. I grinned, my smile filled with razor sharp teeth. My body was covered with a thin layer of black fur.

Derek stumbled back a few steps as his eyes widened. He reached out a hand to brace himself against the wall bu the misjudged the distance and fell. "What are you playing at kid?" He asked. His voice was no longer slurred. I cocked my head to the side, my smile growing wider and took a few steps forwards. He shuffled himself back, keeping an equal distance between us.

"I have no idea what you mean Sir" My voice was deeper and more ruff, with a slightly mocking under tone. "So I will repeat myself. You can either leave by your self or I can make you leave." I took a threatening step forward and Derek scrambled to his feet and ran from the house screaming something about being crazy and a monster attacking him.

I felt my body go back to normal and the world dull. I stood straight and stretched. When I got back to Alec's room I found Bay awake and sitting on the bed. Her, Alec and Kateara were talking and Alec looked troubled as Kateara spoke.

"He's gone, but I don't know how much time we have before the cops show up." All three of them looked up. Alec and Bay looked confused, but Kateara just looked amused.

"What did you do?" Alec asked. Bay glanced from him back to me, both their eyes questioning. I grinned.

"Lets just say after the cops investigate and find no monster hiding under the bed, he'll be locked up in a padded room." Kateara looked at me, her eyes changed from amused to surprised.

"You exposed yourself?" She asked. She looked like she was about to have a panic attack. I nodded.

"Exposed yourself?" Alec asked. Bay was silent and her eyes were focused on the floor.

"Why would you expose your self in front of a human?! Its against code!" She was so adorable when she was mad. She waited for my reply.

"I was protecting my human. There's nothing in the law books about that." She rolled her eyes. "Anyways I was just explaining to Bay and Alec what we would have to do to retrieve Isabelle."

My eyes darted to Alec's. He had composed himself, but behind his carefully composed mask I could see the worry and pleading. He wanted to find her. I looked at Bay. Her eyes were still on the floor. She looked like she could care less. "So are we going after her?" I asked.

"Of course. But first we need to pay a visit to Kathrina." A devious smile spread across her face as mine disappeared. She was going to have fun with this one.

"Kathrine. You call her Kathrina to her face and she will behead you. Then again maybe I should let her." I spoke giving Kateara a small mocking smile. She glared at me.

"Haha" She said. Me and Kathrine weren't exactly on great terms. The last time I saw her was a life time ago, but I can tell you that she is the one to thank for me shifting into an animal instead of having wings. I heard Bay mutter something incoherent under her breath. She got to her feet.

"Well then lets go rescue the damsel in distress and save the world from becoming hell on earth." Her voice was bitter and emotionless.

"So where do we find this Kathrine person?" Alec asked shooting a worried glance at Bay then looking at Kateara.

"Iguazú Falls." Kateara replied with a smile. Of course.

Author's Notes-

Sorry it took me so long to update. I was out of town for 10 days with no internet. Hope ya'll will forgive me and keep reading. I would appreciate some constructive criticism please. Also I wanted to know what your thoughts were about Kateara. Does she fit in well or should I put a day between when Bay tries to kill Alec and when Kateara comes in. Thanks :)