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We were all gathered around the cave, joking and laughing, when we heard hurried footsteps coming towards us. I heard the hurried heartbeat of a panicking human and took quick inventory around me. All the vampires were in the cave and I didn’t smell any predators outside. ‘The human must just be spooked in the woods at night’ I thought to myself, and quickly focused back in on the conversation around me. Rachel was trying to figure out exactly what had changed between me and Adam, why he all of a sudden wouldn’t let go of my hand and kept looking at me like it was his job to protect me. “Nothing changed” I insisted, scooting closer to my friend and putting a small distance between him and I. Maybe if we put forth an effort, the others wouldn’t question it so much. It was hard for me to even wrap my head around; it was just like something had clicked in him. One minute he acted annoyed by me and then the next he wouldn’t let me out of his sight for more than a moment. “Yeah right” Rachel murmured, rolling her eyes at us. “I’m not stupid. He couldn’t stand you when you were human, but now that you’re a vampire he can’t keep his hands off of you. It’s very weird and I don’t like it” she continued, turning her back on me and him. It hurt that my friend didn’t believe me. Suddenly, the cave entrance was darkened by a shadowed figure looking distressed. “Mark” the girl whispered, trying to catch her breath. The twins hurriedly ran out to the lake and back with a bucket of water. Mark pulled out a glass and offered the stranger some water. She drank it greedily and finally seemed to have caught her breath. “The boy you had me watch, Matt. He is in danger. His father is an alcoholic and I just saw him beat him. He hit him in the head with a bottle and I think it knocked him out. What do you want me to do? I can’t just let that happen; after all, he means a lot to the newborn.” The girl continued to ramble, but I was lost in my own thoughts. Matt was being beat at home. How many days did I see him bright and early and never known that my best friend was being abused at home? I may have had a rough life with no money, but my mother never beat me. I shuddered at the images that went through my head of what I wanted to do to the scumbag of a father my best friend had. “Don’t call the cops” I said, hearing her debate with Mark over it. Mark looked at me questioningly. “You want me to drink human blood, I will do it on my terms” I told him, making eye contact. His face broke into a grin and he turned to Adam. “Do you want to handle this one, to ensure that nobody oversees her?” Adam nodded and we took off. “You sure about this?” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver. I nodded, determined to take care of Matt the same way he always took care of me. We ran through the woods silently, gracefully dodging everything. I was still so new to this; I wasn’t used to the super fast reflexes or gracefulness of my new life. We made it to the outskirts of town and I saw my house, my mother inside crying. She was making homemade missing person’s posters and trying to keep from breaking down. “Any regrets, sweetheart?” Adam asked, holding me. “No” I said, turning my back on my mother for hopefully the last time. If I was capable of tears, I knew I would be crying right now, but I was on a mission and not even the sight of my mother falling apart could get in the way of that. We walked stealthily to Matt’s house and saw him unconscious in the floor. I immediately ran to him, holding his head in my lap. He started to stir and opened his eyes groggily. “Shay?” he slurred sleepily. “What are you doing here?” I had to think fast. “I’m not here” I whispered, hearing the musical tone to my voice and noting the eerie paleness of my skin. “You mean you-you’re… dead?” he whispered the last word, it sticking in his throat. “Yes” I whispered, hating lying to him but knowing that I had to, for his sake. “I need you to listen to me. You need to go with my friend for a while. He will bring you back when it’s safe” I instructed him and immediately he listened. I was shocked, right up until Adam laughed. “He thinks he’s asleep” he said to me, smothering more laughter as Matt stumbles after him. Soon enough, Matt has followed Adam to the woods and is out of earshot. As soon as this happens I slink stealthily up the stairs, relishing in the silence of the house. I heard the muffled breathing of Matt’s dad and locked onto it. I slowly open the door to his room, careful of the squeaking that I know all the doors in this house have. As soon as I can slip into the room I do and walk to the bed. I grab him by the throat and his eyes fly open. I throw him across the room and he slides down the wall, groaning in pain. “You like beating your son, huh?” I hiss at him, watching him shrink back in fear. “What’s the matter? You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?” I hiss again, grabbing him and pinning him against the wall. He starts begging for mercy, but it is much too late for that. I latch onto his throat and am amazed at how much better the human blood tastes compared to the animals I had hunted earlier. I knew that murder was a sin, that it was wrong to be enjoying this, but I couldn’t help but love the feeling of this monster going limp and knowing that he was dead, never to hurt Matt again. I had made sure not to break anything and made sure the bite mark was not visible as I tucked him back into bed. To any coroner or detectives, it would look like this guy died of blood poisoning, only my coven and I would know the truth. I walked out and checked myself in the mirror, making sure I wasn’t a mess. Then I walked out to woods to find Adam and Matt. “Wait here with him. I’m going to make sure you didn’t use any venom” Adam breathed in my ear, taking off back to the house. “He’s strange” Matt said, eying the spot where Adam had been moments ago. “I know, Matt. But it is very important that you never tell anyone you met him or even saw me tonight.” I say, stressing my words to the half asleep boy. He just nods his head and mimes locking his lips, making me laugh. Adam came back then looking pleased. “You did amazing, sweetheart. Didn’t make a mess or even a mark, I’m impressed” he said, winking at me. I smile brightly, glad to know that I had done something right for once in my life. I lead Matt back to the house and he is soon fast asleep in his bed, safe at last. I see Adam starting to get antsy and so I run outside and we hurry quickly to the cave. I start to see the beginnings of the sun coming up, but for some reason it doesn’t weaken me like the others. However, I am tired so I drift to sleep in Adam’s arms and rest peacefully through the day.
Tales of the Lost