Blood lies
Chapter one
~ I saw myself bolting down the empty streets of suburbia. Past darkened windows, people asleep in their beds, blissfully unaware of the danger I was in. My dark hair whipped at my face as a strong wind blew, making it harder to run. The sound my sneakers made against the street was deafening, my breath was coming in short gasps, but I had to continue on. I had to get away.
It had killed all I loved. My mother, father, and sister all lay on the floor of our home, their blood soaking through the floorboards. I took a quick glance back to see where the creature was, and as I did so, a root slid from a crack in the cement directly in my way. I hit the ground with a sickening thud just after cresting the hill. Intense pain shot through my left arm as I turned so I was on my other side. I cursed as warm blood dripped from a deep gash running from my wrist all the way to my elbow.
"You're wounded, Raven," It bellowed from what seemed feet away. "I can smell your succulent blood. It smells even better than your sister's"
He laughed at this. His voice was like ice, driving into me and sending shivers through my body. I held my left arm close to me and pushed my self off the ground, tearing the bottom half of my shirt off and winding it around my bleeding limb as I went. Then I was running again, my feet flying over the pavement. I didn't know where to go, or even if I'd make it there, but every particle of my body was telling me to run, and run fast. My body was numb, and the only thing I could feel was the blood pounding through my veins, the adrenaline pumping from my heart to every part of me.
Then I heard it. The screech of the wind as it bent the trees on both sides toward me, deadly branches reaching toward me, keeping me centered in the road, out of their grasp. I screamed as a root slithered from a pothole next to me and attempted to wrap around my ankle. I jumped away and the collar of my shirt was caught in the wooden fingers of an old birch tree. I screamed again and twisted and turned, trying to get away. Suddenly I felt weightless, then I was slammed down on my right shoulder. I looked up and saw a small part of my collar attached to a broken branch, and the tree shaking back and forth. A cold, shrill laughter to my right caused me to scream again. I turned but no one was there. Then I noticed the trees were still, the wind had stopped it's incessant howling. All was completely silent save for my ragged breathing. I stood up, cradling my arm, my eyes darting in every direction.
I staggered a few steps and the shrill laughter sounded again, this time from inches behind me. I picked up speed and barely felt my feet touch the ground. A flash of red passed through my peripheral vision and I skidded to a stop as a boy stood two feet in front of me. His blood red hair reached to his collar bone and his eyes were the deepest ruby red I had ever seen. He stood about six foot and his pale skin made him look sickly. The darkest blood red filled his eyes as he looked at my arm, the shirt I had used to cover the wound was soaked with blood and sweat. He licked his lips and the gleam of his fangs was unmistakable. They reminded me of my mother's and father's. I had seen them many times before, when they were angry with my sister and I.
This one boy had managed to wipe out most of my clan. All I had ever loved or known was destroyed and I was the last of my Element to have survived his attack. I could feel the power of my ancestors inside me, just barely out of reach. At age 14 i could only conjure small flames in my hand and that would not help me now. This boy, as young as he may look, was one of the most powerful Trackers in our world. The bloody hunter was what they called him, but his true name...
"A- Arinok," I whispered.