A/N: Ok, so here's the deal. I got this idea randomly and immediately ran to my PC. So… it is probably going to be kinda weird, and I only read Marked, so it's going to be different from what you might have read in Betrayed etc.. Yeah, so if something happens in future books that would make stuff in this story impossible, then please don't mention it to me, keep it to yourself because, I don't know about you guys, but I despise having my books be spoiled for me. So yeah… just R&R please!

Another Mark

Prologue

How can you see into my eyes like open doors Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb Without a soul My spirit sleeping somewhere cold Until you find it there and lead It back home

I slammed my fist down on my alarm clock, which was blaring 'Bring Me To Life' into my ears. Silence. I opened my eyes. 7:00 am. Shit. I had to be at school in an hour. I sat up in bed, and opened my mouth in a huge yawn.

Once I was out of bed I walked over to my window and yanked open the curtains. It was still dark. What the hell? I thought. I love the night, but it makes being awake difficult, when all you want to do is go back to bed and you're thinking, 'why the fuck am I awake?'.

Walking? Yes, I have to do it. My mom left when I was 6 and now my Dad barely ever pays any attention to me. All he cares is about himself and his damn Jack Daniels. I come and go as I please, and he takes no notice.

I pulled on my pair of my favorite jeans and a tight black T-shirt. Then I brushed my straight red hair, letting it lay sexily around my shoulders.

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A half an hour later I was stalking downstairs, ready for school. My "dad" was passed out at the kitchen table, Tequila bottle in hand. Disgusted, I pulled it out of is fingers and tossed it into the recycling bin. Shaking my head in revulsion, I grabbed a pop tart out of the opened box on the counter and left.

As I was waiting by the corner where Sara, my "friend", picks me up in her electric blue Porsche. Here she is.

"Hey Kat," she said.

"Hey." I said, climbing in the passenger seat.

"So, Kim says that Kristen and Michael are back together,"

"What?" I said incredulously. "Again?"

Kim was the gossip queen of our high school, and Kristen was the queen bee, the queen bitch. And Michael was her on-and-off boyfriend, the hottest guy ever born.

"She so doesn't deserve him." I continued angrily.

Sara nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and now apparently Kristen's having a party to announce their "renewing of their relationship"."

"Bitch."

"Yup."

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When we arrived at school a couple minutes later. I jumped out of the Porsche, and walked straight to the door, greeted by a few more of my "friends" a.k.a. people-who-are-jealous/scared-of-me.

"Hey Katrina," said someone.

"What's up, Kat?" said another.

When I finally got to my locker, I saw that the bitch herself and her royal band of brainless ho's where there.

"Kristen." I acknowledged her.

"Katrina."

That's how it was between us, nothing more, she knew I loathed her, and I her. It was a battle for popularity. I had grown tired of it since freshman year, but that didn't stop me from being popular too.

Kristen flipped her big, blonde hair and stalked away, her followers copying her every move.

Just then Sara ran up to me. "Kat, Tracker, don't look." her words made me immediately stiffen. A Tracker. Here. Why? The Trackers were the vampires sent to Mark people. I had never believed in them until now. I turned my head just slightly. There was a plain-as-day Tracker right across the hall. And he was staring. Right at me.

"Damn." I muttered.

I turned around, trying to hide. But then I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around and was staring straight into the dark brown eyes of the Tracker.

I stopped breathing and I could swear my heart stopped. I was terrified.

Then, he pointed at me.

"Katrina Johnson! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" A searing pain hit my forehead, and I blacked out.

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When I woke up, my whole body hurt. My head felt like it was going to implode, and I could barely breath. I was coughing. Like crazy.

When I stopped coughing, I opened my eyes, everyone was staring at me. The principal, Mrs. Anthony, was leaning over me.

"Well, get up," she commanded. Bitch. I got up. She looked me up and down.

"Well, you might as well go home. You have to leave." she said.

I didn't need to be told twice. I picked up my bag and was out of there. I didn't look back.

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When I got home, my "dad" was awake. Wow. Surprising. When he saw me, he went insane. "Why the hell are you home so early?" he asked angrily.

"Dad… I'm leaving." I replied. "Look at me."

I walked upstairs into the bathroom. In the mirror, I looked just like myself, except for the crescent moon in the center of my forehead. It was a bright silver Mark, and it seemed to glow against my porcelain skin.

I turned back around and my dad was looking at my Mark.

"I'm…. Marked." I said, and he stumbled off, clearly still trashed.

I gathered up some of my stuff in my room and stuffed it into the only suitcase I owned. I also stuffed my favorite stuffed animal. It was a lion cub, that I had named Zia. She was one of the last things my mom gave to me before she left. The other was the heart necklace that I wore everywhere. I remember the day she gave it to me like it was yesterday. It was a few hours before she left. And it was my birthday. She said, "Keep this with you wherever you go, and I'll always be with you. Even if you can't ever see me." I hadn't known what she meant, I'd seen her everyday. But then she left, and I knew exactly what she meant. And no matter how mad I was at her for leaving, I still love her.

When I was packed, I started to go downstairs, checking the money in my wallet. I had sixty bucks and some change. Just as I was about to go out the door, my dad stopped me. He had a beer bottle in his hand. "Wait, don't go. I love you sweetie, I don't want you to leave." and that's when I snapped.

"If you loved mom as much as you love that bottle then maybe she wouldn't have left! That's what you should have said to her! If you, "loved her" as much as you "love" me! Then she wouldn't have left. And I would still have a mother." I yelled in his face, and pushed past him, running as fast as I could with my giant suitcase.

When I got to the bust stop I sank down, crying and coughing. Finally I calmed down, and waited for the bus that would take me to my destiny.

A/N: Are the changes good? I hope so.