Chapter One: I'm so dead

Knock! Knock!

The door was practically ripped opened, the hinges squeaking in protest. In the doorway stood a short female child with long blond hair, a wide grin on her face. She looked to be no more than six or seven. Total jumped from my arm then, and into the girls arms.

"Thanks for returning Total!" the child said sweetly, as she hugged Total.

"You're welcome," I said as pleasantly as I could manage. The sun was almost completely set. I forced a smile. I needed to get out of here. My heart was already racing loudly as my anxiety began to rise. Every second I stood there, on the porch of the house, adrenaline already began pumped it's way through my tensed muscles.

My gaze reflexively glanced behind me. No sign of any of them…yet. A shiver involuntarily shot down my back. I was going to be in big trouble if I got home alive tonight. I ditched the wolves and now…this could be my last hour.

"Hey Total's bac-Are you alright?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a different female voice crashed into my thoughts. My head snapped back (almost giving my self whiplash), to see not only the child and Total staring at me, but an African American girl standing their as well. Was I alright? Me? I could feel the sweat begin to beat on my face, as my breathing became a little uneven. Other than maybe dying tonight, I'm perfectly fine!

"You don't look, well Ash," Total commented as he looked me over. "I'll get Doctor Martinez."

"N-no I—Total!" I protested weakly as Total (ignoring me) rounded a corner. My stomach twisted into knots sending waves of nausea over me, as the African American girl took my hand and pulled me into the house babbling on about how pale I was.

I took a few deep breaths to try and calm my nerves, and unravel my stomach. Tearing my hand out of the African Amercan girl's hand, I shook my head vigorously. I had to get out of here. I will not have these people's blood on my hands...I glanced out the nearest window to see the sun was almost all the way down. My heart seemed to race even faster now.

"You need to calm down Ash," I looked down to see that the child was staring up at me, one of her hands held mine. For the first time I noticed my body was trembling. How can I calm down! I wanted to scream. You people aren't strong enough to fend against those—those Monsters! I'm going to have these people's blood on my hands…already too many have died.

"You need to calm down Ash," the child repeated calmly. "We can defend ourselves."

Another wave of nausea, rolled through my body. I clasped a hand over my mouth, while my right arm wrapped my stomach. I was barley aware of the African American girl freaking out to my left, as I squeezed my eyes shut and staggered backwards into the door.

"Nudge," yet another woman's voice appeared, quite possibly this doctor Martinez Total had went to get, "hurry and go get the waste paper basket from the bathroom."

I heard footsteps hurry off, presumably down a hallway. Slowly, I removed my hand from my mouth, sliding it down to join the other in wrapping around my mid-section. I kept my eyes closed, and cursed my anxiety. Cursed the monsters. Cursed my own blood.

Dr. Martinez was trying to talk to me, calm me down if only for a minute. Unfortunately, I couldn't calm down, not if I wanted to get lead the monsters away from these people, away from the flock. Hopefully by now the wolves would have figured out that I was missing…

A flurry of activity was exploding around me. All they wanted to do was help me. I knew that, and their kindness touched me, but I couldn't accept it. A pair of hands tired to place themselves on my shoulders (to steady me no doubt), but I recoiled from the touch pushing whoever it was away.

"Ash is really scared," I heard the child, Angel, explaining to someone to my right.

"Do you know why she's scared?" Dr. Martinez's voice replied.

"Someone's trying to kill her…I think wolves are after her."

"Wolves?" a male voice asked suddenly from my left. Did I detect a hint of fear? "As in Erasers?"

Taking a deep breath, slowly my eyes opened. In front of me was Dr. Martinez and the rest of the Flock: Max, Angel, Nudge, Gasman, Iggy and Dylan.

My cell! I could call them—It's not in my pocket. That's right, I left it in the school auditorium. I buried my face in my hands. They shook as if I was on vibrate, and had gone ghostly pale. I was dead. If these people tried protecting me…

"Why are erasers after you?" a voice practically demanded. My fingers spread and I peered through them. How pathetic I must look to them. Max stood in front of me.

"Erasers?" I cringed at how my voice quivered.

"The wolves." Angel was kind enough to clarify.

I shook my head, and laughed a little. They had it wrong. They had it all wrong. She put a hand on my shoulder, and this time I didn't recoil from the touch. Concern was heavy in her eyes, as she waited for my response.

"If you tell us, maybe we can help you."

"I don't know what erasers are, but I know they wouldn't stand a chance against…" my voice faltered. Images, gruesome terrifying images flashed through my mind's eye: I've lived through ghastly events and witnessed horrific, unspeakable acts. All eyes flickered to Angel when she gasped starring at me horrified.

"You shouldn't look into my mind," I whispered, drawing all eyes back to me. "It's not a very hospitable place."

"What did she see?" Max demanded.

"A small taste of what the things that hunt me, my whole family, are capable of doing."

"What hunts you?" it was more of statement than a question.

"Vampires." It was angel who answered, and then I was out the door, running down the street in the darkness of the night…I was going to lead the vamps away from here. I was not going to have their blood on my hands.

Crack!

Pain surged through my body like electricity. If a cry left my lips, I hadn't noticed. Tears welled in my eyes as I squeezed them shut and gritted my teeth against the pain. I clutched at my left arm feel, which was held by a monstrosity. My arm was broken (I didn't have to see it to know that), which was the least of my worries. My legs were scratched up, and probably bleeding.

"You're out with no wolf in sight." it's male, Scottish accented voice whispered in my ear. It was suddenly holding me tightly against himself, threatening to break me in half like a twig. He traced from behind my ear and down my neck with it's nose, and took in a deep breath of my scent before letting it out in a blissful sigh. My head jerked away from him as I felt his tongue slide up my cheek, when my tears had streaked.

My eyes opened as he pressed his lips against the hollow of my neck. In a flurry of denial I struggled against the vampire, though I knew I'd never get out of his hold alone. "Damn bloodsucker, let go of me!"

"Foolish hu—" the vampire stopped abruptly as he reached a hand behind him, and felt a knife handle sticking out of his back. Then he danced (still holding me) out of the way of five other knives. As he did this, his grip tightened around my body. It pushed the air from my lungs, and I thought he'd crush my ribs.

Dizziness swept over me as my lungs desperately fought for air, but none came. If the vampire didn't relax his grip, I would suffocate. I would die. My vision was tunneled as darkness encroached upon my vision. I knew the vampire was battling, but other than that…I knew nothing. Darkness fully enveloped my tunneled vision like a black sea.

I could hardly hear the snarl of the vampire and the panting or shouts of pain from the on going battle. It all seemed so far away. Distant. It was like I was falling, drifting away into comforting darkness…I am dying…I accept this fate…