Her heart raced as she hid in her room at the crack of dawn loud noises ricocheting off the walls of the hallway just beyond her door. Eyes closed tightly she hid in a corner behind her bed to keep away from her parents her body aching from the bruisings they would give her. Dakota opened her eyes shifting up to her feet dashing over to her window carefully climbing out onto the awaiting fire escape quickly grabbing her backpack slinging it over her shoulder. Her arms itched as she tugged down the sleeves of her sweater to cover her marks quickly making her way down the sets of stairs away from her house and her parents. Popping some earbuds in she blocks out the world around her making her way to Casper High not bothering in trying to find her friends feeling a little sick this morning coughing out gently. Music swayed into her ears as she approached the school keeping away from the rich and popular looking around wondering if she would actually find the trio this morning or if they would be running late once again. She had no idea what was up with her colleagues but from what they made it out to be it didn't bode well to her. A chill ran down her spine and she shivered gasping out gently making her way into the brick building sighing not noticing the blue eyes watching her from afar. Her eyes stared blankly at a wall not listening to the teacher that was lecturing about whatever her mind in some other place that it most likely wasn't supposed to be her arms bringing her back into the real world. She silently rolled up one of her sleeves looking down at her work on her arms frowning slightly knowing she would have to get more band-aids to cover them all up. The bell rang a small smile appearing on her face pushing her sleeve down once more getting up being pushed to the side shrinking in fear a little not wanting to get hit anymore already in pain.
" Out of the way freak," a jock hissed at her.
She blinked her mismatched eyes slowly keeping away from the other kids waiting till they left before heading out herself quietly making her way to the cafe smiling at the sight of her friends jumping in place a little heading over to them. Tucker noticed her first giving her a warm smile waving to her happy when she returned it watching as she sat down next to him.
" How are you today Dakota?" he asked gently.
She gave a 'so-so' motion with her hand dropping her bag to the floor opening it pulling out an apple taking a bite out of it happily.
" How about you Tucker?" she asked munching away on the fruit.
" Good," he responded glancing over to Sam and Danny who were off in their own conversation, " We just came back from Danny's place."
She nodded keeping small talk with the boy giggling gently at some of his electronic jokes knowing the other two wouldn't understand. Her eyes flickered away from her friend to one of the football players, Dash to be exact, creeping up behind Danny.
" Danny," she chirped at him catching the raven haired boy's attention warning him about the blonde behind him.
Danny ducked the incoming attack from Dash feeling the anger oozing off the boy shrinking down slightly.
" Fenton!" Dash shouted at him angrily for some unknown reason.
The raven haired boy fled leaving the others to sit and watch as the football player chased after him Dakota's eye full of worry for her friend.
" I'm sure Danny will be fine," Sam spoke with a shrug going to begin on her meal.
Dakota sat there quietly a thick lump forming in her throat swallowing it down going back to eating her apple waiting for the other boy to return for the rest of the lunch period. Her fingers trembled as she trudged back towards her house shaking at the thought of going back to that place. She shook her head feet carrying her away from the street to a calming park finding a place to set her things down resting for a moment rubbing her eyes after an exhausting day. Her eyes fluttered close yawning out softly slowly slipping into a gentle sleep not hearing the man approaching her. Slowly her eyes peeled open finding herself still in the park but later in the day the sky dark and full of stars. She shivered finding it to be cold out in the middle of the open sitting up quickly breathing out little wisps forming out of her mouth. Her body numbed as she gathered all of her things up making her way home hoping her parents weren't home or that it was late enough for them to be asleep. She picked up her place knowing she was a little farther from home than usual panting when she reached a few blocks away from her house slowing down gasping out quietly head shooting up eyes locking onto something floating through the air. Her eyes widened gulping as she watched a white haired boy float through the air her throat closing up at the sight of this person one thought screeching through her mind. Ghost. She licked her lips keeping still as the boy floated away dashing towards her house not caring that she was panting when she flung herself into her room. Her body shook from the ghost sighting her blood freezing as her door was slammed open her father standing in the doorway. He glared at her as she scrambled to her feet trying to take off out her window screeching as he grabbed onto her wrenching her away from it slamming her body to the floor. She screamed tears pooling in her eye as her father forced himself on top of her smacking her across the cheek sending a punch into her jaw to quiet her wails. Her sobs quieted but her tears didn't stop as her slammed a fist down on her face hitting her eye yelling at her for everything wrong in the world beating her to a pulp. She snivelled bleeding on the floor as her father raised a hand once more her eyes shutting tightly waiting for him to hit her once more shrinking into a ball as she heard him yell at someone else keeping her eyes closed a large thud alarming her but keeping her eyes shut.
" You can open your eyes now little one."
Slowly her eyes opened following the orders of the new voice that appeared in her room. Her eyes flickered around at the wall she was facing slowly moving her head gasping at the man that was kneeling in front of her. His hair was pitch black as well as slicked back with a trail of grey through the middle of it. Fangs protruded slightly from his mouth skin a pale aquamarine color contrasting heavily against his blazing red eyes. Dakota's eyes instinctively shut once more earning a deep chucking from the thing in front of her flinching as a gloved hand touched her cheek gently eyes slowly opening to stare into the creature's blazing red eyes enthralled by them strangely. She watched him as his hand pulled away from her face to tug off the cape it was wearing wrapping it around her lovingly a warmth radiating from it smiling to it in thanks. Her eyes connected to its for a moment flinching as it touched one of her wounds.
" Hush now little one let me take care of these," the creature spoke to her soothingly.
She nodded watching the creature quietly as it's hands began to glow a dim pink color placing a hand on her bruises watching in amazement as they faded away slowly. Her eyes began to slouch slightly yawning out quietly a chuckle rippling through the air as she fell asleep in the creature's arms. She shot up in her bed clutching her chest breathing frantically head whipping around for the creature sighing at the signs that it left. Rubbing her eyes she glanced over to the small digital clock on her bedside table jumping up seeing she woke up late rushing over to her dresser stopping at the soft sound of something behind her. She glanced back seeing the white cape the creature had given to her the night before her heart stopping for a moment a thick blush covering her face quickly taking the thing off looking around once more getting ready for school.
She rushed into the school heart pounding mind still racing over last nights event opening her locker keeping away from everyone else looking into the little mirror seeing nothing on her face a small smile appearing heart fluttering at the sight of her un-bruised face. Trotting off to her first class she grinned happily catching the attention of unwanted people. Time rolled by lunch around the corner Dakota happy to tell her friends of the creature she had seen last night jumping out of her seat as the bell rang heading towards the cafe getting stopped looking at the 'perfect' girl in front of her that sneered in her presence.
" Get lost you ugly little tramp," Paulina hissed at her flipping her hair at the smaller girl.
Dakota hesitantly made her way into the cafe shrinking at all the stares she was getting from the other students. She sat down next to Tucker smiling at him slightly giving a gentle wave he returned it when he saw her turning back to the discussion that him Sam and Danny were in. Quietly she ate just happy to be around her friends getting a little uneasy tapping Tucker's shoulder telling him she was going to leave waving as he nodded getting up leaving the lunchroom. Gulping she walked outside of the school blinking away tears sitting down at the trunk of a tree curling up pulling her knees to her chest. She sighed burying her head into her knees tears spilling into her jeans sniffling softly weeping quietly.
" Don't cry little one," a voice said in front of her.
Her head shot up thinking of last night and the creature surprised when an older man stood in front of her instead of the creature. His hair was brushed back into a low grey ponytail that resting against his dark suit he was wearing. Her different eyes sparkled with tears sniffling watching him crouch down in front of her his dark blue eyes connecting with hers as if she'd seen him before. She reached out to him worming her way into his arms not caring if he was a complete stranger to her face burying into his chest sniffling as his hand ran through her hair. His presence reminded her of someone but she couldn't put her finger on it slowly pulling away from him.
" I'm very very sorry sir," she started, " I didn't mean to inva-"
" It's quite alright little one," the older man said with a smile, " My name is Vlad, and you are?"
" My name's Dakota."
She smiled softly head turning back to the school as Danny called out for her glancing back to Vlad.
" You should get back to school little one."
She nodded getting up dusting herself off slightly watching him rise with her looking into his eyes once more.
" Thank you Mr. Vlad," she chirped gently making him smile.
She ran off back towards the school to Danny with a smile on her face heading back inside with him. After school ended she started walking back home happy how her day had went climbing into her room through her window crawling into bed stretching out yawning gently curling up something slithering into her mind. Slowly she shuffled out of her bed grabbing the cape that she had put on her desk chair earlier that day pulling it over herself humming gently as it produced some sort of heat diving into her bed happily. Jumping her eyes dart around looking for what was laughing settling down as the creature from the night before floating above her floor watching her.
" I'll never get my cape back will I?" he said with a chuckle.
Her eyes lit up a big grin appearing on her face confusing the creature watching her closely as she got up and launched herself onto it. She smiled happily it's arms wrapping around her body to keep her from slipping out of its grasp.
" Thank you so much for last night," she chirped at him causing the creature to smile slightly.
" It was no problem little one," it cooed back softly.
" I'm Dakota, and you…"
" Call me Plasmius little one," it cooed once more.
She nodded happily held in its arms curling up to its chest to make herself smaller and easier to carry.
" Now, little one why did you come back to this horrible place? Do you like being hurt?"
" It's the only place I can go," she responded sadly, " I can't run away from my parents."
" What if you weren't to run away how if I had someone take you in little one, how does that sound."
Her eyes widened nodding happily her heart beating a mile a minute a dream coming true eyes locking with the red ones watching hers. When she felt her feet hit the floor she scrambled over to her backpack taking out all of the school supplies stuffing her clothes into it not caring where this being was taking her but not really caring as it would be away from here and her parents. After packing everything she needed she looked up to it nodding hoisting her backpack into her arms blushing gently as she was swept off her feet. She pushed closer into its chest gasping softly as she turned intangible along with Plasmius holding onto it tightly burying her face into its chest. Her ears rang with his chuckles her face growing hot at the sound eyes opening slowly looking up to Plasmius taking in everything about him while she could. She curled up a little in his arms gaining his attention feeling his eyes on her looking down to the city below her in wonder. Her eyes lit up smiling letting Plasmius look at her watching the lights twinkle below her glancing up to to him when they stopped. She looked at him as he glared off at something turning her attention to the boy in front of them that floated at the same level as them something in her mind clicking as she looked at the white haired boy. She'd seen him before the night she met Plasmius on her way back home that's when she saw him.
" Hey vampire," the boys spoke in a familiar tone, " What are you doing with the girl?"
" None of your business boy, leave us be," he hissed at the younger looking boy.
She shifted in his arms looking at the boy whose eyes glowed a neon green as he shifted his hand glowing green some sort of laser shooting it towards the both of them Dakota's eyes closing in fear hearing the ray hit something but not them. Her eyes fluttered open seeing the two of them were hidden behind a pink mirrored shield the blast hitting the boy back sending him flying back into a building. She looked back to Plasmius who split in two a clone of the man heading towards the boy the one currently holding her keeping her close to him heading in the other direction.
" Plasmius," she spoke out softly looking up to him, " What are you exactly?"
" A ghost," he stated blankly.
She nodded keeping quiet a thousand questions speeding through her head wondering why he was helping her in the first place, why he was protecting her from her father and the other boy, and why he was taking her away from her family. His arms tightened around her as she shifted curling up more in his cape sighing out gently looking to the city that passed below her watching as it disappeared into suburbs and then into wilderness. She yawned eyes drooping curling up into his chest a little more getting comfortable watching everything passing her by. Her eyes finally closed head rolling over onto the ghost's chest once more falling asleep in his arms not knowing she was crossing the border into Wisconsin heading towards her new home.