Disclaimer: Based on the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices universe. I know it follows an original character with their own storyline/setting/characters but I would be eternally grateful to anyone who gave it a chance.

Chapter I

I was walking back home after hanging out at Ebony's late into the night. I didn't need the constellations in the sky to tell me that my mom was going to have a cow over it. Sure I'd been late plenty of times before but even then it wasn't late-late. Most of the time I came back before 10, when more people populated the streets of the town I now lived in; Greaton.

I wondered what penance I would have to pay for my insolence; being grounded for a week? No electronics for a month? No, no, she'd become quite crafty of the late and would probably make me stand on a street holding up a sign that read "I am a bad kid who comes home after curfew."

Ever since the her discovery of Facebook she had borrowed punishment ideas from other sadistic parents and unleashed them on me. Like the time I got a C on a test and had to do all my homework over again for that month. Also the other time I spray painted inside the school (apparently it was a safety hazard or something) and made amends by cleaning up local parks. To say I got in trouble a lot wouldn't have been an overstatement. With a world full of rules, it was hard not to break a few of them.

"Hello there pretty girl, what are you doing out so late?" I snapped my head in the direction of the voice, which had the qualities of a British accent watered down by living life abroad. While wondering about what punishment my mom had in store for me, I had completely ignored my surroundings. Unfortunately, even with my newfound awareness, I still couldn't find where the voice was coming from. The pace of my heart quickened and my hands clammed. I mentally slapped my wrist for being afraid, I was used to creeps, "Just getting back from a gang fight that I won."

I had somehow managed to retain my sass along with a steady voice despite my growing panic. I am used to creeps, I told myself again. Unlike most of the residents of Greaton, I had grown up in a city full of them. And I have had countless interactions like this one growing up in my old city with my dad. I also mentally traced where I kept my pocket knife in my side bad. It was somewhere towards the bottom, and the chances of me reaching it inconspicuously were seriously low.

"It doesn't look like you did," finally a shadow from one of the street corners gave way to reveal a tall man, his hair was short enough that really didn't have a shape or texture I could desipher. He had a light complexion that made his skin glisten in the dim light in the street. My arm hairs rose up and small shudder moved through my spine. I would have pegged him as handsome if I weren't terrified out of my mind. I thought to myself how many times I had felt scared in my life. The time I was being dragged underwater by a rip current, and the other time I was in a life threatening car accident. Both would be scary but my body had never had such an extreme reaction before to a threat. I felt almost every fiber of my being raging at me to run away. A primal urge to run and never look back.

"Looks can be deceiving," I said with a surprisingly even voice that contrasted with my emotional state. I probably should have screamed at this point but I looked around and all the shops were closed. I was in the farther side of town where people didn't wander this late. I silently cursed myself for not just crashing at Ebony's. While stewing in my regret I slowly lowered my hand into my bag to find my knife; better to seem like a suspicious, knife happy teenager than some maggot food inconspicuously hidden on a joggers morning route tomorrow morning.

"That's a nice sentiment," he responded and took one step closer, as he did his lips fell away to reveal a pointy smile and my hands reflexively flew up to cover my mouth. I'd seen enough bad teen movies to know what sharp incisors meant. Holy shit, vampire.

"AHHhhhhhhhhhh," and all rational thoughts abandoned me and I spun back in the direction of Ebony's house and ran frantically.

"Easy does it love, that's not the way one usually begins polite conversation." Startled, I blinked up and he stood five feet in front of me blocking my pathway.

"Oh god, oh god, I don't want to die," I backed away tripping in a pot hole in the sidewalk. How cliche, how really fucking cliche.

"Oh, you won't die," he said walking towards me, he lowered himself so we were eye to eye and he lifted my chin, "I mean, you might. But that's not the plan. I'm just a little thirsty is all."

He tilted his head back slightly and extended his teeth, I knew that either I did something now or I was likely to end up as an empty sac of skin later. I didn't know how far I could run but I needed to do something. So with a last act of defiance I bit down hard on the hand he had held my chin with and I heard him yowl in pain. Quickly I propelled myself forward and began to sprint as far away from him as I could. Surprisingly, I wasn't tackled a few seconds after my escape as I had anticipated.

"He's over there!" I heard from behind me. My head whipped back instinctually and I saw the vampire standing in the tunnel with two other figures standing in the opposite end from me and he was turned towards them. His feature were painted with disgust as he eyed the strangers, his eyes met mine for a moment and his look for disgust deepened. With out glancing back, I ran all the way back to my mom's praying to Darwin that I would escape unscathed.