Afterlife Saga Chapter One to Four!

by cravethedrave

Afterlife… just some gothic nightclub where gossip is fuelled by the presence of a rich and unearthly, handsome family or Afterlife…the strange place where time seems to stand still and guests feel the presence of something more powerful held within the confines of the VIP.

Prologue

"Why are we afraid of the darkness when the light shows us more of the land of nightmares?"

I listened overhead as the footsteps grew nearer. My body convulsed as a natural reflex took over. Every fibre in my being was screaming as every sense told me danger was near. The smell of the damp space was flooding my nostrils as though a rotting corpse was sat in the corner. The palms of my hands bled from the nails I was imbedding into them, knuckles bone white until every finger ached.

I heard him now, those boots he always wore, as if all of hell dragged him closer to me using those boots as a mental torture. They were thick-soled like biker boots only every time he came to me I never heard the heavy roar of a bike's engine. I knew I didn't have long now until the foul breath of a true monster was breathing down my ear explaining to me how the things hell created could feel, could love.

I didn't believe his lies...who could?

My breath caught in my chest as I had counted my time in the seconds I had left, was this finally the end, my end? The dark space flooded with unnatural light and a figure emerged like death's silhouette. No matter how many times he had come to me I still couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped my bitten lips, trembling, swollen and bloody. Fear gripped at them making them quiver uncontrollably, the way they always did every time I saw something I couldn't explain. I wanted to be strong enough. I needed to be or I would never be freed from this curse.

The time was now.
This time was at an end.
The sharp sides I gripped dug into my hands making them slick

with my body's liquid. I heard one footstep but I wouldn't turn my head again. Facing away from him I did what I had to do.

"Goodbye" I said with my last breath before my vision filled with blood.

I opened my eyes with a start, alert and ready. It took me a moment to understand my surroundings and take in all the other passengers who were staring at my sudden actions. I guess on a long haul flight everyone was a little twitchy and the sight of me bolting

upright gifted me with a few startled looks. It was fine; I was so used to those looks that it was like second nature to me now. I was a master at feeling numb and I stared ahead as if no one was around.

I scratched my arms out of sheer habit as the details of my recurring dream came back to me with a nauseating churn in my stomach. I tasted the familiar flavour of bile in my mouth, like the dark after taste my dreams always provided. I looked down at my arms and I released a sigh when I saw the long sleeves of cotton that covered them. Of course, the dream wasn't how it happened but it was always the same way my mind played it, no matter how wrong the details were.

"Did you have a nightmare, dearie?" I almost jumped as the first person in hours spoke to me. A plump, grey haired lady with a flower print top that looked like it was once curtains, smiled at me as she waited for the only words I could say.

"Something like that."

Chapter 1- New World

New sights. New smells. New life.
This was New England.
Man, it sure was cold here, but hell I guess I'd better get used to

that now that my understatement of a "Crazy" life had brought me here. This was after all, my chance at a "new start" as my parents had been putting it for the last few weeks. But who could blame them, certainly not me. It wasn't as if they wanted me to go but more like needed me to go for my own good. Of course like any good girl, I nodded and agreed with every word, so I soon found myself packed and on a plane before I knew that the summer was over.

The whole journey from England had been a bit of a blur, the tears in my parents' eyes however were still fresh in my mind. Saying goodbye to them was one of the hardest things I had ever done and knowing it was for the best didn't make it any easier on either part. My damp cheeks mirrored those of my loving parents as I tried not to notice the underlining doubt in their eyes. I knew what they were thinking but not saying...

"Would I be strong enough?"

I made my way through the crowded Portland International airport at the arrivals gate looking for my sister's excited, yet anxious face and as expected, there she was, stood next to her huge husband Frank. They looked so perfect together. Frank's strong arm around my sister's shoulders, protecting her small frame from the rushing crowd of passengers fresh from my flight making their way to the arrivals lounge like cattle.

I had been so pleased that my big sister had met someone like Frank. With his heart warming smile and floppy, honey coloured hair that no matter how many times it was pushed back, still managed to make it into his chocolate coloured eyes. But for all of Frank's soft, easy going features his massive muscular frame still proved him to be a man not to be messed with.

As soon as Olivia brought Frank home that day to meet the family it didn't take us long to realise that they were completely meant for each other. You could tell instantly that they were soul mates destined to spend a lifetime together. Although my very first thought was "Christ, my sister is dating a bloody wrestler!" Now I envied her in a way, never having felt like that about anyone myself. At the time I couldn't understand why anyone would change everything in their life just to be with a guy but I guess that's the difference, when you have never been in love before, you don't know how far that love will take you.

So it didn't take long before I found my sister was a married woman and moving to the small town called Evergreen Falls, New Hampshire. This was where Frank grew up and most of his family still resided there. His dream was to have a family there and live the upbringing that he and his brother had. Of course it didn't take long before it became my sister's dream also, and at least she could still make jokes that she still lived in "England" so to speak.

Although I was sad that she had left, I was also really happy for her. She hadn't had much luck with guys, so we all held our breath when she told us about Frank. Thankfully they fell head over heels and have seemed that way ever since, having been together now for over four years. Plus I really liked Frank, he is like the big brother I never had and boy was he big! As a bodyguard and now owning his own business recruiting others, he had to be.

That's how they'd met, my sister and Frank, she was at a concert at the time and he was contracted to provide the security. She had

been stood in the wrong place when a fight broke out and she had been knocked out in the process and would have been trampled if Frank hadn't been doing his rounds and seen the whole thing happen. Like a knight in shining armour he jumped from the stands and over the barrier to take my sister in his arms, shielding her from the angry mob that had started to join the fight. This quick action saved her from serious injury.

I had now heard this story a million times over and every detail was burned to memory but the smile it puts on my sister's face every time she tells it is what stops me from saying "Ok, ok, for the love of God please don't tell me again!" But instead I just smile with her and suffer in silence with a smirk here and there, thankfully one she doesn't fully understand the meaning of.

That same smile came full to her lips now as she spotted me and I smiled in response. God I had missed her and I now found myself dropping my bag and running into her open arms. The smell of her perfume hit me like a wave of memories that nearly had me in tears. We had always been more than just sisters, we were also best friends and as a consequence of our bond it never became easier when we parted.

"Kaz" was all she managed to say as the tears came running down those pink cheeks of hers which looked and felt cold.

"Lib's", we both used our nicknames since childhood, Libby and Kazzy, instead of Olivia and Keira which our parents had named us.

"I've missed you my little Kazzy, how you doing?" she said giving me one of those head tilt looks I had become so accustomed to and also tired of, since the "Incident". This is the name given to my dark past, one never spoken of but always remembered.

"Good... I'm really good." I always over did it when answering this question, like pushing an automatic switch that enabled me to say what everyone expected or whatever answer would make it easier for them to deal with. Of course then I was always paranoid whether or not they bought it and let's face it, I wasn't about to win any Oscars for my acting skills. I hated centre stage at the best of times, but seeing that this was a new start, at least no-one here would know of my past and I wouldn't have to act as if everything was just great all the time, when really I felt like I had died inside.

My sister on the other hand knew me well and pretended to be happy with my response, when of course she knew the truth even

before she had seen me. Our mother had kept her well informed about my "progress."

"Great, well let's get your bags and get out of this ice box airport, I'm freezing!" A statement I totally agreed with. I chuckled to myself. Libby had always hated the cold. On the other hand, I didn't mind it so much. Growing up in the North of England, you got used to not having much of a summer. I enjoyed the seasons though, welcoming the different colours coming alive in the trees, the different smells that filled the air and most of all the snow. I loved the snow. The way it completely transformed the land, making everything look clean and crisp. Like a thick blanket had covered the earth to protect it in some way.

Getting my bags was surprisingly quick as I'm sure they must have been the first to come off the plane, so getting in the car, well to the heater in the car more like, was most welcomed. Libby complained about the weather as always. Living here hadn't softened her thoughts about the cold then.

The ride was also quick, mostly due to the fact that after 20 minutes of Libby's catch up gossip about people I didn't yet know, I was fast asleep. Car journeys always did this to me. I think it was mainly down to the rocking motion of the vehicle. Of course it was also down to the trust I held in the driver and thankfully Frank was driving instead of my scatty sister. It's not that she is a bad driver, just a bit...Umm...well, quick to arrive at her destination should we say, whereas I would prefer to take my time and get there in one piece without getting beeped at. Thanks to Frank's careful, smooth driving, I didn't wake up until we had pulled up outside their house.

I had seen the house in the pictures she had sent me via emails, but I now realised my little laptop screen really didn't do it justice at all. It was amazing to look at. I stood wide-eyed and speechless. My mouth had dropped and a wide grin lit up Libby's beautiful face.

"So I take it you like it?" It wasn't really a question as she already knew the answer.

"It's... it's so BIG" I said without needing to exaggerate.

"Welcome home kiddo!" Frank said as he grabbed most of my bags with one hand and opened my door with the other.

Finally I managed to say a lame thanks in a broken croaky voice. The emotions were getting to me as I fought back the tears that had started to form.

I was overwhelmed.

The place was huge and very old looking, with that ancient fairy tale touch. It had so much character, which I adored. It was a large wooden structure with faded white paint that just added to the charm. Clusters of little nooks and windows of different shapes and sizes and slate coloured roof tiles came down at different points on the unconventional shaped house. The front of the house was framed with a large deck, which even had a swinging chair that looked as ancient as the building itself. Faded green shutters framed most windows, which were now nailed open after being retired during the installation of triple glazing. Still the effect was charming and the whole aura left no question, this was one well-loved home.

What astonished me more was not just the house itself, no it was more the grounds it sat in. Positioned on the very edge of the White Mountain National Park, we were surrounded by deep forest and everywhere you looked were oceans of green, in fact I think every shade of green on the spectrum. The landscape was an endless flow of mountains overflowing with enormous trees that wound around the house like a barrier, encasing it in living, breathing safety. It was only when I followed them one by one did I notice a clearing to one side.

It drew me closer like a magnet as I walked forward to discover its treasure. There, in front of me, stood the most fantastic view I think I have ever seen in all my years on this beautiful planet. The view exploded into a sea of even more mountains made from a lush green carpet of thousands of trees, hell it looked like millions! The beauty before my eyes held me captive like a rabbit in headlights taking my breath away. If I could cry, which I didn't do much these days after tears long run dry, I would have now. I wanted to show my pleasure in what I was seeing, but once again I was rendered speechless.

"It was inherited from Frank's uncle," Libby's voice brought me back and I turned around to see that she had followed me to the clearing.

"How old is it?" I asked, hoping for a background story on the place.

It looked like the type to have a few horrors in its past. It wouldn't have looked out of place in one of Stephen King's novels or even the family home in the movie Psycho.

"Not really sure, everyone in Frank's family we have asked can't really give us a date. But it's been in his family for generations." She

made a strange face as she said this, which made me think there was more to the story.

"What is it?" I asked, as light heartedly as I could but from her face I knew this was it, any minute now she would spill the house's deepest, darkest secrets and then I would never sleep again. But I didn't care. I still wanted to know, no matter how horrible it was.

"It's nothing really, just a bit creepy that's all." She lent around me to get a good view of where Frank was. When she was happy enough that he was out of earshot, she continued.

"Well you know I told you Frank inherited the place from his uncle?" She said whispering in my ear.

"Yeah, so what happened to him?"

"Well... he committed suicide." She waited for my response with that usual sad look in her eye whenever she said something that might "set me off."

"Where?" was all I managed, praying it wasn't in what was to be my new room.

"Oh no, no...not in the house, don't worry." I think she understood my mortified look of dread.

"Oh... well that makes me feel better at least, I was about to think I was going to have share my room."

"Share your room?" She looked confused about my answer as we made our way back to the house.

"Yeah, rather with a ghost or with you and Frank, 'cause I think I'd be too terrified to sleep on my own!" We both laughed at the thought.

"Nah, don't worry, if that ever happened I'd make Frank sleep in your room with his uncle. They would have something to talk about at least... being family and all." This just made us giggle some more like daft teenagers. It took me back to our naughty days when we used stay up late and we would tell scary stories under our blankets with a torch held under our chins for added affect.

"So where did he do it then?" I asked getting back to the morbid story .

"Oh...well that doesn't matter," was all she said and quickened her pace towards the house. This clearly wasn't the end of the story so I knew I would have to get it out of her later, when Frank was out.

Getting settled in wasn't hard, as my sister had already kitted my room out with everything. From family pictures by the sea, art I

liked, to bedding in my favourite colour. It was the most perfect room for me, being both cosy and void of all memories.

My new bedroom was at the very top of the house on the third floor in the attic which had been converted. There were other bedrooms in the house but this one definitely had the best view, as the window was on the side of the house with the clearing, so I had a personal view of my very own ocean of green. This was why she had picked it she had informed me as she watched Frank carry all my bags up the stairs one handed.

I surveyed my room and looked at all the effort my sister had gone to. It was amazing how well she knew me. There was a pine double bed with deep purple covers and a mountain of pillows to match. A bright purple lamp lay on the bedside table, which even had a copy of my favourite book on it waiting to be read. It had been a while since I had picked up Jane Eyre, but it was most definitely one of my favourites. I just loved the idea of dear plain Jane getting the rich and broody Mr Rochester above the beauty of the wealthy Blanch.

A lump started to form in the back of my throat as the emotion hit me. This was how I dealt with emotions now. Instead of crying I just held my arms tightly across my stomach, with fisted hands and concentrated on how to breathe. My sister had outdone herself and certainly achieved making me feel right at home, no matter how new this all was. At this point in my life, new was good but above all...

New was safe.

Shaking those thoughts from the dark crescent of my mind, I turned back to the room that had a definite charming, homely feel to it. There was even a framed family photo of the four of us. I remembered when it was taken and it took me back to happier times. It was Christmas and it was after we had opened all our presents. We were all excited because my dad had just surprised my mum with an amazing gift for the family, a trip to Florida.

The trip was the first time for all of us in America. It had turned out to be our best family vacation. We did all the usual stuff, Disney, Seaworld and Universal, but this wasn't the only reason for the fun. It was also down to how close we were as a family. We had always been a close family unit but when the stress of my father's job started to put a strain on my parents' marriage we, as children, learned the true meaning of a happy family life.

Libby and I were sent to live at our grandparents' house in the South of England for a while. This change was harder on Libby to

accept because, of course being older, she understood all too well what this could mean... the breakdown of that happiness.

I, on the other hand, thought of it as a fun holiday by the sea. I loved staying with my grandparents and there were always lots of kids to play with. Cornwall has always been a popular seaside area, so I always looked forward to the summer vacations we spent there. As a family we would stay in my grandparents' guest house situated at the bottom of their massive garden, but this time it was just Libby and myself, so we had to stay in their house. We shared a room in the attic, which was cosy and had an old fashioned playroom feel to it. Situated in one corner was my grandmother's old wooden rocking horse with a real leather saddle and reins. In the other was a beautifully ornate pink doll's house, which held tiny old looking furniture to match. We stayed all summer and although I missed my parents, I enjoyed the late nights and seaside treats, ice cream had always been a weakness of mine.

But Libby had never been herself the whole summer, and although my grandparents tried to put her at ease, it hadn't quite worked as well as it had on me, thanks to my sweet tooth and my ability to accept bribes. In the end of course, our parents had resolved their problems and come to get us. Soon after that my father had found a new job in advertising, which turned out to be the making of him. Our family was now back on track and stronger than ever, that was until the next breakdown, which was inadvertently caused by me.

"Well, I will leave you to it I guess, umm... not that you have that much to unpack," she said with a smirk eyeing up my two small cases and one holdall. I knew it wasn't much and although my parents had been more than willing to send all I owned with me, I declined. I think deep down they knew the reasons for it but as with most things in my life, we never spoke about the reasons why.

"Yeah, I know I've not got that much, so a shopping trip is definitely in order!" This would make her happy, as it was one of the normal things we used to love doing together before "It" happened.

"Of course, I wouldn't say no to that," she said before leaving, grinning at the idea.

After it had taken me all of fifteen minutes to unpack I couldn't wait any longer, I made my way downstairs, grabbing my jacket on the way.

"Hey, it didn't take you long, wanna cup of tea before you go exploring?" Libby said as she straightened up from the freezer compartment after retrieving tonight's gourmet meal.

"Nah, I'm good thanks, I won't be long, I'm sure to be jet-lagged soon."

"Ok, pizzas will be done in thirty minutes." With that she went back to preparing the pizza, which consisted of opening a packet and turning the oven onto full heat. Pizzas were about as much cooking as Libby did, if you couldn't just rip open a packet and bung it in the microwave or oven then it didn't make the grade with Libby. But Frank didn't seem to mind too much and as they were both very active people, they could get away without having to watch what they ate. Still this wouldn't stop me from doing most of the cooking as it was a passion of mine and cooking for three is better than just one. Plus, I knew that Libby enjoyed my food, her favourite was my lasagne.

As soon as I opened the front door two things hit me, first was the cold, it was so cold that it literally took my breath away, turning it into a visible cloud of misty white. The second was how fantastic everything smelled helped by the lack of a polluting population.

I inhaled the heavenly scent of wet wood, damp grass and clear mountain air. I had spent so much of my childhood in the woods, that this smell brought back a flood of memories. Happy times camping with friends, nervous times, like when Johnny Carlson, my first boyfriend kissed me on that camping trip. Then there were the sad times, like when I would argue with my parents (mostly about that boyfriend) and go running to the woods to be alone with my thoughts. But no matter what emotion it was, being there always made me feel better, like an old friend giving me a big hug and telling me that everything will be just fine. Like somehow the elements of the earth knew what I was feeling and worked to ease every crying breath. I would just lose myself in the smells and sounds of the forest, sitting there for hours, knowing it was the one place on earth I could truly be alone...somewhere not even my curse could find me.

Of course it didn't take long before thoughts about the forest for darker reasons crept their way back, causing me to physically squint my eyes as I moved them back to the locked part of my mind where they belonged. I wasn't going to start thinking about that... not

now...not here! I swallowed the hard lump that my body expelled at the bad memories and tried to inhale my new life. It seemed ironic that I was now living in a place that held "New" in its title. Maybe it was a good omen and maybe that's why Libby had insisted to our parents that this move would be the best thing for me. After all she did know me better than anyone. A smile formed across my face, which was strange, it felt good to smile again having been a long time since I hadn't needed to fake it. I was starting to agree with Libby's idea of me coming here.

At the time I had just wanted to make the pain from my mum's eyes disappear and the constant anger in my father to die altogether. So I didn't really care where I was in the world as long I didn't affect the people that I loved around me anymore. I was numb anyway so what did it matter which country my body slept in, as long as it was far from that memory, I didn't care.

I wandered further along the beaten path made from man's constant footsteps, walking further away from the house towards the thick wilderness. The ground was making squelching sounds under my boots as the earth was muddy from the fine rain that had started whilst I was unpacking. Another thing I loved was the rain. It just enhanced the feel of the place, the mossy floor sparkled as the sunlight touched it and the trees swayed in the wind that had now picked up.

Then the majestic forest suddenly took on a very different look as the clouds darkened angrily, hiding the sun. The fine rain turned to heavy raindrops that fell to the earth like little water bombs, drenching my hair flat and curling it around my face. I decided to turn back before I got too wet and the dark forest had somewhat lost its appeal. Also I didn't want to get lost. After all I lived here now and there would be plenty of time for exploring and as I didn't know anyone in this town, I doubted my social calendar would be fully booked for quite some time. Even the idea seemed strange to me, but I needed to "move on" as everyone kept telling me, so new friends were an inevitable part to play.

I could still see the house through the trees but if I had walked any further it would have disappeared, replaced by a green wall of forest. I quickened my pace as the sky started to turn black, and I wondered if there would be a storm tonight. It wouldn't surprise me, knowing my luck it would be the worst one in history. Well, I was just glad that I was jet-lagged. I was starting to feel so tired that I could sleep through an air raid.

The smell of burnt pizza and oregano came from the kitchen as I walked in, only to see my sister wafting the smoke from the oven with a tea towel. This made me giggle and laughter soon followed as she started to blame the oven, but her face soon lost its harsh expression when she heard my laugh, no, shock soon replaced it. Wow, how long had it been since she had heard me laugh naturally, this was silly, she looked like she would cry with happiness. Of course guilt washed over me for what I had put my family through with my comatose state.

She started laughing now, not wanting my pleasure to stop and knowing my weakness for her funny grunting laugh, which just set me off again. This was something we both had in common, only mine unfortunately sounded more like a little pig snorting when I got too excited.

"Well, I hope you like your pepperoni crispy and well... your crusts extra crunchy."

"You forgot black and cremated," I cracked and walked over to her to kiss her on the cheek. "It will be just fine. I don't much like the crusts anyway."

The pizza could have been made from drywall for all I cared, I was starving. She automatically poured me a glass of milk and handed me the plate. I headed into the living room, having already removed my wet jacket and boots. Frank sat where I assumed was his regular seat in front of a huge flat screen TV with what looked like an American football game on it. I was used to a different type of football, and this reminded me more of rugby but with a lot more padding.

Libby followed in the room about to tell him to turn it over when I shot her a look to say that it was fine, I didn't mind what was on. Plus he looked like a man possessed, shouting player's names I didn't know and calling them a very different name instead. I smirked when he then realised he had been caught by his wife and Libby didn't like swearing at all. His face now looked like a little boy who had been caught drawing on the walls with a marker or cutting his own hair with toenail clippers.

So, there was one person in this world he did fear then. My small-framed sister stood waiting for the "sorry", arms folded and pouting lips. She didn't have to wait long.

"Sorry babe, it's just this guys a joker, let one right by and well..." he was cut off with just a look and a head tilt in my direction.

"Umm... sorry Kazzy." A sheepish look on his face made me smile.

"It's ok, I've heard a lot worse," and that wasn't an understatement, when I worked as a barmaid I had had to learn to tune it out.

"It's not alright!" My sister snapped as she took his empty plate back to the kitchen.

When my sister was out of view I whispered, "Its fine really, don't worry about me being here, you wanna hear it when the Liverpool vs Manchester United game is shown on the big screen in the pub, now that's swearing!"

"Yeah, I forgot you worked as a barmaid. Hey I think they're hiring at the club in town, do you want me to ask for you?" Wow, my first day and already the chance of a job. Now that would be getting back to normal (whatever that meant) as I had never really been without a job before.

"Yeah, my friend Jerry manages the place, should be no problem, he owes me one."

"Wow, that would be great, thanks Frank."

"Thanks Frank what?" my sister asked, making her way through the door.

"Frank thinks he could get me a job at the club in town," I said enthusiastically, knowing that Libby wouldn't see the good side to this.

"What at that...that place? Do you think that's a good idea?" This was directed at both of us, although Frank got the dirty look that I didn't. I answered this one before poor Frank was in the firing line again.

"I think it's what I need, it's all about a new start and well... a job kinda goes with that, plus you saw my wardrobe right? It's in need of major help."

"Yeah, like a transplant," she said making my chances better. This meant she was coming around to my way of thinking. Clothes, fashion and shopping of any kind always did it.

"Then it's sorted, I'll have a word with Jerry tomorrow." Frank looked pleased with himself saying this last statement, like he had won some epic battle. Libby on the other hand still looked sceptical but refrained from saying anything more on the subject.

By the end of the game I was fighting a battle with my eyes to stay open and they were winning. Libby, having seen how visibly

exhausted I was, had gone to my room and got the bed ready for me, taking the mountain of pillows and matching throw off and putting them in the big carved wooden chest at the bottom of the bed. Explaining all the while as she did this that it was nowhere near as cold as it would get in deepest winter, so now I understood the reason for the chest full of extra bedding.

I made my way towards the bed like a zombie not really thinking about my feet and where they were going, it was as if they knew where to find the bed so I didn't have to think. This was good, as my head felt like sticky mush. I think I fell asleep before my head turned horizontal.

That night my dreams were strange and hard to decipher. I was back in the forest but I was panicking because I was lost. The weather was stormy and wild, producing a downpour that drenched my skin and the cold stung with invisible shards making my face numb. I kept slipping on the muddy ground where twigs and branches tore at my clothes from all angles. I was frightened as I heard the night's creatures come alive and one sound cut through the storm and caused my blood to freeze.

It was the sound of a large bird calling out what sounded like a warning cry. I automatically ducked and cowered with my arms above my head as it was directly above my shaking body. I couldn't tell whether or not I was crying, as my cheeks were both soaked from the storm and from fear. With quivering lips I pleaded, "I want to go home" in a whisper to myself but it was as if someone else heard my frightened plea. I looked up to see a bright glow light the angry sky and only when I blinked fresh tears back could I make out the purple orb that started to pulsate and grow bigger.

It lit the forest life around where I knelt as it descended and all the black shadows of demons that had surrounded me backed away and began to retreat from the kill they had engaged. My fear doubled at the sight of hundreds of creatures all scuttling backwards like crabs in a desperate attempt to get away, leaving me with no chance of an escape.

By the time I got from my knees it now looked like a huge ball of gas that was effervescent. I could feel the power it emanated like a small sun burning my face in heat causing little beads of sweat to mix with the tears of fresh fears.

At first I was locked into place as my mind generated a mixture of possibilities, but in the end sheer impulse took over and I started

to move my feet. It seemed to like this, as with every step I took the more it grew, as if feeding from my actions. When I stopped in a mixture of horror and killer curiosity, it spoke.

"Come to me." The voice was purely hypnotic and hummed in my mind making me move my stumbling feet again.

"Yes, come to me...you belong to me." I felt my fear melt away with every syllable that flowed from it and into me. As if the energy was surrounding me in a heat source so comforting I could do little but obey. I took the last step before reaching out to touch it, my fingertips so close I could feel the tingle of my blood beneath the skin that covered them.

"Yes...be mine... Electus... The chosen, my chosen one," it uttered before a huge hand plunged out from the purple mist and encircled his fingers around my arm, encasing my limb in strong flesh and bone. He used his strength to pull me forward and I stumbled into the fiery heat of darkness until a solid band of arms captured me into an embrace, holding me locked to a concrete chest of muscle. I screamed out in fright as my eyes came up empty in the black air, relying only on the strong touch of a male.

Once my tired lungs had me gasping for more oxygen to produce any more sound, the arms around me tightened possessively, pulling me even closer as the words of a very authoritative male spoke of his dominance.

"MINE!" He shouted out as I felt my restraint slipping away into an endless abyss and my body collapsed into the arms of my dark possessor.

Chapter 2 –Visitor

When I finally awoke my mouth felt like I had swallowed a ton of sand. I looked at the clock on the bedside table. Wow, it was six thirty in the morning. I had slept nearly twelve hours for once. I got up and got out of my pyjamas. Libby must have helped me to bed yesterday, because I was pretty sure I wasn't wearing my pyjamas on the plane unless I really had lost my mind and these days it wouldn't have surprised me.

I found my baggy jeans, my warmest sweater and changed as quickly as humanly possible before the cold could fully register. It was so cold that I could see my breath and as I walked over to the window I noticed the ice that had formed around the edges, like tiny white spiders trying to make their way to the centre.

The cold however still seemed to penetrate my clothes and I couldn't stop shivering. I thought that the chattering of my teeth was going to wake Libby and Frank it was so loud. I grabbed the throw Libby had put in the chest and wrapped myself up in it like a small child.

I went to sit at the window seat of my quaint little attic room and curled up to keep the warmth in like a cocoon. I stared out to what I had expected to be a green mass of beauty but instead I found something totally different than the picture I had encountered yesterday. This looked as if it belonged in some horror film. I imagined werewolves or some crazed beast eating tourists. The headlines "Campers Missing" came to mind. The forest was surrounded by the thickest fog I had ever seen, but everything was so still it looked more like a painting. This just enhanced the eeriness. The way the early morning light reflected off the fog made everything a dark gloomy grey.

Then my mind started to think about the day ahead. I had to plan my days like a timetable, never giving my mind chance to think back to darker times. Sleeping hadn't been a problem thanks to the sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed, which also helped with the nightmares. But it was times like now, when there was nothing physical I could do, nothing to keep my mind concentrating on, that it wandered back to the past.

I spent a long time trying to control my brain not to remind itself what it had been through. It was like when you wake from a bad dream and you try to get back to sleep, you keep telling yourself not to think back to the nightmare but it pulls you like a moth to a flame. Gripping the edges of your mind with black hands made from the darkest fears any sadistic creature could contemplate. And none of it makes much sense why it does this. I call them self-inflicting minds. The minds that seem to like the hurt and dwell on bad memories. I had been battling with my mind for so long now I felt almost crazy lost, but the fear of a padded room kept me from speaking to anyone fully on the matter.

I decided to read Jane Eyre. I had read this book a million times before but I just loved the story, the forbidden love of master and governess. The thought of nothing but this unstoppable force they held for each other, a love so strong that it could call out to one another between space and time. OK, a crazy wife held up in the tower did get in the way a bit, but show me a love story that didn't have its ups and downs. I always skipped to the part of the story where they meet for the first time and missed the depressing childhood bit.

I must have fallen back to sleep because I woke suddenly when a knock on the door scared me into not remembering where I was. I hated that feeling but I knew that it wouldn't take my brain very long to get used to its new surroundings.

"Good morning!" Libby said with a cheery bounce to her voice. She was always happy in the morning. This was another trait we didn't share. I was not a morning person.

"Hey, what you doing over there? Surely the bed wasn't that bad?" She teased.

"Nah, the bed was great, but the chair's got a better view," I smiled then noticed what was in her hand.

"You're an angel!" I said as I jumped up and took the hot cup of tea from her hands. I took a sip and went to heaven. It felt good, warming me up from the inside as it slid down to my stomach.

"Mmm...nectar." This had been my only request before moving here. My mum was going to keep sending me a good supply of real English tea. I already knew from my sister's complaints that this was hard to come by as most Americans drank coffee. So this rule suited her just fine.

"So what do you want to do today?" Libby said this with hope in her eyes. I think she had been starved of a good shopping partner for far too long.

"I'm easy, if you want to drag me around the shops, then that's cool with me," I said trying to sound as if I meant it. I didn't take as much pleasure in shopping any more, but it made my sister happy.

Her blissful face stared back at me and then glanced to my long sleeves. I instantly knew what she wanted to ask but she stopped herself at once, not wanting to upset me by asking difficult questions.

Ever since the incident I hadn't shown any skin on my arms. I just couldn't bear the questions that would follow. And pity was not what I needed. So I kept my scars concealed at all times, it was bad enough for my eyes to have to see them as a constant reminder. At

least in this cold place I could get away with it, with no questions asked. It was quite normal for everyone here to be wearing lots of layers to protect them from the bitter temperatures. So I would fit right in.

"It's fine, people won't notice," Libby said after reading my thoughts.

"Thanks," I said with a sad sort of smile that matched my very pale face.

"Right, what's for breakfast?" I said with loads more enthusiasm than what was needed. I was over compensating again for the melancholy in my voice earlier.

"Umm, cereal, sorry I do need to go food shopping." I giggled thinking that my sister's idea of food shopping consisted of a quick rundown the frozen food section. At least if I went with her then I could get some actual ingredients.

"Cereal is fine, and I wouldn't say no to another cuppa," I said giving her a cheeky grin.

We had finally made it to Evergreen Falls mall before lunchtime. Libby took quite a bit longer to get ready than me. Of course, thanks to my new views on my appearance, I hadn't needed to apply make- up and my long hair was always pulled back and tied up in a secure clip. I used to dress and look quite different, making the same effort as Libby did. But now I just wanted to fade away into the crowd and not draw any attention to myself.

I had wanted to cut my long blonde hair short but this had been one promise I had made to my mother - never to cut it. She loved my hair, calling it her golden fleece. It was something I used to be proud of too, but all I wanted to do now was hide it away. So it spent every day knotted up into a big thick twist, instead of how it used to look, long and thick, golden blonde waves down to my waist. Libby used to say I looked like a surfer chick when I wore it down, even though I had never been surfing in my life.

The mall wasn't as small as it had looked from the outside, having all the usual shops from shoes, sportswear, formal wear and a funky looking alternative shop. Libby knew I loved shops like this so she automatically crossed to the other side of the mall, knowing I would want to go inside. It had all the usual stuff you would see in a shop like this, Goth, rock, punk and Emo. But the reason I liked these types of shops weren't for the clothes, although they were cool.

No, it was for the fingerless gloves that Goths seemed to love so much.

I walked over to the accessories and looked at my options. Libby didn't look comfortable in a shop like this, but that was because she was a complete girlie girl. We had always been different that way. I liked the alternative look, never really following a fashion. Just wearing what I liked whether it was "in" or not. My favourite look had always been my pair of faded jeans and a fitted T-shirt. But now I was looking for a way to wear some of my short sleeve t-shirts without having to keep my jacket on.

I picked up a pair of black and grey striped long gloves that could be classed as sleeves. They didn't have holes for your fingers to go through but just a hole for your thumb, the rest of the material came down past the knuckles. This suited me just fine, the longer the better. I already had a few tops with sleeves like this. The thumb hole had always been a sort of comfort to me, like knowing that with my thumb securely in place, no one would ever be able to see the scars from my past.

I grabbed another couple of pairs, one in plain black and the other in white and made my way to the counter.

The girl behind the counter was tiny and almost elf like. She was skinny thin, as if you breathed too hard in her direction, her bones would shatter. Humans were so breakable after all. She wore all black, which made her bright pink hair stand out like a loud beacon, screaming for attention. The dark make-up around her eyes didn't make her look as fierce as she had intended. She still looked very friendly as she smiled at me. The girl took my items with spotty black covered nails and rang them through the till.

"You're new here, aren't you?" She asked in a bouncy, friendly voice which didn't match her appearance.

"Yeah, I just moved here, yesterday in fact," I said trying to disguise my strong, thick northern English accent.

"Wow and you're English!" She replied. Damn it! I was going to have to work on the accent thing.

"Yeah, my sister lives here too." I indicated towards the door, where Libby was stood waiting for me.

She looked at Libby and did a double take. Not ever imagining us as sisters, but we would have made unlikely looking friends too. We were very different, like chalk and cheese. The only thing we had in common were our figures. We were both five foot three with small

frames and slim builds, which we had inherited from our mother along with our curvy top half.

Libby hadn't minded this so much as she did like to be admired, but not in a vain way. She wasn't a big head by any means but after a long childhood of being picked on for the way she looked, she finally started to get her confidence back when her body matured. And she was a head turner. I didn't really mind this either up until recently. I used be quite comfortable with my body, but now I just wanted to hide it away in dark clothes.

The rest was completely different. She had curly, fire red hair and instead of the normal fair skin she was naturally tanned with a lightly freckled nose. This she got from our father. She had the most beautiful green eyes that looked more like jade stones or some deep lagoon you just wanted to jump into on a hot day. They gave a lot of insight into her character and her feelings.

I, on the other hand, was naturally blonde and very pale. My eyes were a boring grey/bluish colour that looked more like the sky when there was a storm coming. They were big but the only thing about them was that they were framed with thick eyelashes that Libby would have given her right arm for. But that wasn't the most outstanding difference between us. It was our clothes, which showed our difference in style.

She was wearing a tight dark brown pencil skirt with tights and boots, which made her legs look great and the tight red sweater showed off her beautiful hourglass figure. When she had come down stairs, she had looked ready for a catalogue shoot not just a shopping trip at the local mall. I could see now why it had taken her an hour longer than me to get ready. Even when I used to make an effort it still didn't take me as long.

I was just wearing my usual comfy fitted jeans, a black long sleeved top and my scruffy flat baseball shoes that had seen better days. And of course no make-up what so ever. Luckily I did have fairly nice skin, even though deadly pale wasn't the most attractive feature about it. I always looked as if I had just come from my crypt and didn't care about the sunlight rule. Even the bright lights of the mall didn't help. If anything they made it worse, reflecting off it. I shied away from the thought, getting embarrassed as this Goth girl studied me.

"My name's Rachel Jane Thomas, but everyone calls me RJ!" She held her hand out waiting for my response.

"I'm Keira...Umm Johnson, but everyone calls me Kaz." We smiled at each other as we shook hands. I hated telling people my full name, always holding my breath until it came out right.

"Are you at the college here?" I asked hopefully, as it would be nice to know at least one person before I started.

"Yeah, I'm going to be a freshman in a couple of weeks." Result! I thought enthusiastically. Ok, I'd better keep this going, just keep talking, maybe she would give me her number.

"Great, me too, just wish I knew the area better." I said hoping she would get my hint.

"Well let me give you my number and we could meet up some time. Hey, have you been to club Afterlife yet?"

"No, is that the one on the outskirts of town?"

"Yeah that's the one, loads of my friends go there, it will be a good place for you to meet some more people." She was already writing down her number on my receipt as she had put my things in a bag ready for me.

"Give me a ring tomorrow and I'll let you know which night we're going there. That way I can introduce you to my friends."

"That will be great. Ok, well I'll ring you tomorrow then." "Cool, nice meeting you Kaz."
"Yeah, you too." I made my way to the door and turned to wave

only to find her already on her mobile phone chatting away. I could have sworn I heard her mention my name.

The rest of the day was more fun than I thought it would have been, and we even got chance to do some food shopping.

I decided to make my famous lasagne. Libby looked lost following me down the aisles as I looked for all the ingredients I needed. I also picked more food for the rest of the week, already having some idea what I was going to cook. Libby just looked happy at the thought of not having to cook anymore and I say cook in the loosest sense of the word.

By the time we got back to the house it was already getting dark, but if anything the falling night seemed to enhance the beauty of the surrounding scenery. I had really wanted to go exploring but that would have to wait until tomorrow. Although I wasn't scared of the dark, I knew the idea of walking around a place I didn't know would be a stupid idea. It was just so peaceful. If it hadn't been freezing cold I could have sat out, staring at the mountains for hours. They fascinated me. Every time I looked, there was something different

about them, the colours, the shapes and the smells of the air seemed to change with them. Just then the wind picked up and Libby looked impatient at me while I lingered.

"Sorry, I'm coming," I said rushing to the door with arms full of shopping bags.

"I'll put the dinner in the oven, you go and relax." Libby said with a wink.

As we had lost track of time I had agreed to save the lasagne until the next night, and as I hadn't prevented Libby from buying any frozen meals, that's what was on the menu tonight.

We had lunch out at the mall so I was still full from my burger and chips, or fries, as they say here. The girl at the counter had looked truly confused when I ordered, thankfully Libby had come to my rescue.

"You nearly ended up with a bag of crisps," she had teased.

After our mammoth shopping adventure, Libby had taken a long detour to show me the town and although it wasn't big it had taken longer than we had expected, taking the long roads winding in and out of the wilderness. That's when I gave in to burritos from a packet, Frank's favourite apparently.

I carried all my bags up the two flights of stairs. I had done well today, ok well everything I had bought was a shade rather than an actual colour but I bought some warm tops, all long sleeved of course. I had bought a new pair of jeans, two sweaters and most importantly, a warm black jacket. It was a long coat down below the knees with a warm interlining and had long sleeves that were more like gloves as they had a hole you could put your thumb into. It had a big hood that hung nicely when down and above all it looked water proof which was a must as Libby had told me how much it rains here.

It was fully dark outside my cosy window by the time I got out of the shower and dried my hair. I pulled on some warm sweat pants and an old t-shirt that I was using for pyjamas and a chunky woollen throw to put round my shoulders. I had put my long fingerless gloves on as soon as my arms were dry. This was mainly for my benefit, along with others. I hated any reminder of the incident, so therefore tried to hide any evidence that would remind me of the hell I had experienced.

My sister's face, whenever she saw my gloves, was one of deep sorrow and regret. She tried to hide her feelings but I knew her too well although I appreciated it all the same.

I decided that I was tired enough to get some sleep without the fear of dwelling on the past. I had to confess that the shopping trip had taken it out of me, which was always a good thing.

I had already heard Libby and Frank go to bed so I tried to tiptoe downstairs to get a drink before bed. I didn't want to put the light on in case it woke them, which made getting down to the kitchen all the more difficult in the dark.

I was just about to knock into the cupboard at the bottom of the stairs, when a sudden flash of lightning lit up every window in the massive hall, illuminating my way. Of course it also scared the life from my bones and I froze, too terrified to move, with my hands clamped around my mouth so as not to scream. Then it came five seconds after the light, the loudest bang and crack of thunder I had ever heard. I put this down to the location, as it must have echoed off the mountains because it seemed to go on for what seemed like minutes. I remembered something vague from my childhood, about for each second after the lightning strikes, that the waiting for thunder represents a mile. So therefore the storm was five miles away. This was somewhat comforting.

It wasn't that I was scared of storms normally but being in an unfamiliar house in the middle of what seemed like nowhere didn't appeal to me. In fact storms kind of fascinated me. The power of them was so immense. I used to like to think of them being created in anger by the almighty Zeus, forged by his own hand to be sent to the underworld, ruled by his brother Hades. This was to be a warning of his impending wrath towards his treacherous brother living in the pits of Hell.

I nearly ran into the kitchen and turned on the light before the next angry blast of light could erupt. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as I noticed that a heavy downpour of rain had now added to the night's stormy weather and left quickly, trying to glide up the stairs without making any noise. I took two steps at a time. Amazingly I only stumbled once and considering the steep uneven steps to the attic that were consumed by darkness, I thought that I did pretty well not breaking something.

Once inside the comfort of my own room and seeing the warm glow of my bedside lamp I felt as if I could finally breathe. I got my cold body into bed just in time before the next eruption. The explosion of light and noise indicated to me that the storm was now right above us. And Zeus was most definitely very angry tonight! This was by far the worst storm I had ever heard. It seemed to last

forever. I didn't know whether it had finished or not by the time I finally fell asleep but when I awoke suddenly to the strangest sound, I didn't know if it was thanks to any noise the storm produced. Wide eyed and breathing heavy I lay waiting for the sound again.

It sounded like something was trying to scratch their way out of my window. Half in between sleep and consciousness, I tried to make sense of the noise, coming up with explanations in my mind as to what could be the cause of this irritating noise. My mind led me to a more familiar sound that our family cat used to make when she jumped up to my window ledge. Puddy, our big grey pet cat used to scratch at the frame to get my attention, so I would open the window for her to come into my room, in the hopes that I would share my bed with her.

This thought quickly had me sat in an upright position, frozen, staring out into the darkness. The noise hadn't been something trying to get out but more importantly, something was trying to get in!

I sat waiting for the noise again hoping to God that it had only been part of my dreamy state and that I had imagined the whole thing. But then I heard it again and nearly jumped out of my skin. The clawing had become more erratic sounding, more frantic to enter my room and get to me.

My heart raced, it felt as if it would burst through my chest like the thing in the Alien movie. I still couldn't see what it was and knew that if I put my lamp on it wouldn't help, the only thing left for me to do was to get out of bed and walk over to my window to get a better look. The problem was I wasn't sure that I wanted a better look.

It was getting louder now and I did think about waking up Libby and Frank but then what if it had been nothing or was gone by the time I got back to the room. They would think I had finally lost it. And I feared the nut house more than anything else. Well almost anything.

I decided that I had been through worst things and that I would brave it. It was just harder to get my legs to agree with my mind's decision. My body and mind refused to co-operate with each other.

Finally I got to my feet and stood very still, waiting for the noise to begin again, wondering if I would ever be able to get back to sleep, not knowing what it was. I had to find out even though I was terrified. I still needed to know. But as I crept forward taking a deep breath with every step I took, the vision started to get clearer. The clawing was so violent that the glass sounded near to shattering at

any second. Suddenly I was beyond all fear, and ran over to the window as fast as I could tripping over the clothes I had left on the floor, then falling into a heap on the window seat. This put me face to face with the creature trying to get inside.

Two huge black wings battered against the window in frustration as the thick set of claws on each foot looked deadly enough to rip through skin like a hot knife to butter. I sat staring at this enormous bird trying to destroy my window. I was fixated, I couldn't move, it looked like a raven only more the size of a giant eagle. Its feathers all looked as if they had been pushed backwards, it was so scruffy and not like the usual majestic birds I had seen on TV. Oh no, this one looked bloody possessed! What had come over this creature to want to behave this way? It looked almost demonic, eyes bulging with fierce hatred that glowed in the darkness it seemed to own, the look of a killer that had finally found its prey.

Just then a great scream rang through the dark sky... no not a scream, more like a roaring howl. I had never heard anything like it before. It sounded part animal, part man and part... something else. The bird heard it too and pushing from the window's frame, made off in flight towards the direction the noise had seemed to come from but it was hard to make out in the night sky.

My mind raced as I still sat at the window looking for any explanation as to what just happened. Had it even really happened or was I still asleep?

When I had been taking my medication I would often hallucinate, seeing strange things but even then I was sort of aware that the reason at the time was due to the drugs in my system. This was not the same at all. Whatever had happened, one thing I knew for sure was that it had been real, for one reason I could taste the metallic taste of blood in my mouth where I had bit my bottom lip in fear. This was a hard thing to accept but there was no other reasoning behind it. I was clearly awake, as my sleepiness had soon worn off due to panic.

My mind wandered through any explanation I could think of, none of which made any sense. I finally crossed the room towards my bed, when I stopped dead as something important hit me, the memory of the look on the creature when it too had heard the same blood curdling sound that ripped through the forest.

Its master was calling...

Chapter 3 - New Friends

The rest of the week went relatively quickly well, more importantly, without any more crazed bird incidents. But still, it didn't keep me from wondering what the hell had happened?

I had been for numerous walks and hiked as far as I could until I was sure I knew the area, so I wouldn't get lost. I had even arranged to meet up with RJ at a coffee shop in town, to get to know each other before the big night at club Afterlife. After all, rock music isn't the best way for a first "let's get to know each other" date and as I kept getting reminded, I really needed to meet some new friends, hopefully before I started college.

The week hadn't completely gone by without some progression towards this new life I was trying to create. I had landed myself a job at club Afterlife as a waitress thanks to Frank's connections. And even better, without an interview, all I had to do was show up for my first shift next week. Libby was still getting round the idea of course, not wanting me to push things too soon but I was strangely optimistic.

I really did need a job, besides from what I had heard from Frank, its where most of the...I quote "kids your age" hang out. So at least I would meet people there if the RJ thing didn't pan out. Luckily I wouldn't have long to wait to find out as I was due to meet her in about twenty minutes.

Libby had been kind enough to offer to drop me off as she wasn't back in work for another week, she had booked time off to help me settle in and show me around. She had even been hiking with me as this was a passion of hers and Franks. She showed me the best spot to go on a clear day, unfortunately it had been cloudy and raining that day but it was still an amazing view. A brilliant place for a date, she told me and then went into one of those stories I had heard a million times already. It was about the time Frank had surprised her with a romantic picnic for their anniversary. But I listened as if I hadn't heard it time and time again. She continued all the way home, not leaving out one tiny detail. I loved that smile she gave, whenever she spoke about Frank, it was nice that she was so in love. I was

happy for her. But it also had me wondering if I would ever find a love like that?

"Slow down, I'm not late Libs!" At this point I thought I wasn't going to make it, not in one piece anyway.

"What, I'm doing the speed limit!"

"Yeah right, around the bends maybe, see that thing there, next to the gas, it's called the brake, maybe you should think about using it once in a while," I teased.

"You just chill out about my driving and worry about meeting the Goth."

"What...I'm not worried!" I didn't even convince myself with this statement.

"Ok then, why did it take you longer than me to get ready this morning? Plus your room looked like a bomb went off and the clothes were the shrapnel." This was true, it was a complete disaster zone.

It wasn't that I was worried but more apprehensive. It had been years since I had to do anything like this, it felt like first grade all over again. The panic was more down to not knowing what questions were going to be asked, it felt like a test that I hadn't studied for...hell I didn't even know the subject. There would be your usual, where are you from? Why did you move here? These I could deal with but it was the more personal questions like Do you have a boyfriend? Have you ever had one? The normal boy talk, that always comes up in these types of situations.

It wasn't that I couldn't answer these questions. It's just that my reactions that followed were the problem. I wasn't good at lying! I would just have to stay calm and relax, after all she was a Goth, she might not be into boys, she might be one of those 'it's all about the music' types. Ok, highly unlikely but one could only hope.

In the end I chucked on a pair of old jeans that had seen better days, a pair of trainers that had the same problem and of course a long sleeve top that was grey with thin black stripes. My hair was wrapped up tightly into a twist that was held securely by a large clip made of metal, which had a butterfly on one side and a rather large point on the other. I had bought this from a Christmas market last year thinking it would serve two purposes. One, with it being made of metal it would be strong enough to hold up all my long thick hair, and two, more importantly, it would also be useful as a weapon. These days you never knew when you would need protection.

We pulled up in the parking lot right outside the main doors as it had started to pour it down with rain.

"Well, good luck, I have some stuff to do but I'll be back here in about an hour...ok?"

"Yeah ok, no problem, I'll meet you here."

I got out of the car and ran towards the swinging doors, as I turned to wave I just caught a glimpse of Libby making a speedy getaway. I would have to talk to Frank about her driving to see if he could talk some sense into her. Thanks to her speeding she had dropped me off with five minutes to spare. I walked over to the escalators and up to the food court. I remembered my way from last week's shopping trip and knew exactly which coffee house I was meeting RJ at, so I had time to find a seat before she got there or so I thought.

I just turned in the doors to find a bright pink haired girl sat in the corner. She wore all black like the last time I had seen her except for a very long multi-coloured scarf that although wrapped around her neck a few times still made its way to her feet. Her hair was cut short and spiked into pink points, a style that suited her very thin but friendly face. She waved and stood up just in case the erratic waving hadn't caught my attention. I couldn't help smiling at this as I walked over to the booth she occupied.

"Hey Keira, how's things?"
"Yeah good thanks, but you can call me Kaz, everyone else does." "Cool, so what have you been up to? Have you settled in yet?" I

don't know why but it felt like she was easing me in with this question instead of bombarding me with what she really wanted to know, which of course, was everything!

"Yeah just about, I didn't really have that much stuff to unpack as most of it is still in England with my parents."

I read her face as I said this, she must have thought my parents had died or something equally as horrible, otherwise why else had I moved here. It was funny the way the darkest of reasons entered our minds first. It was as if they were put there by something evil controlling our thoughts, whispering morbid possibilities into our head.

"That sucks, are they going to send the rest of your stuff over?"

"Nah, but my mum said she would send anything I needed over to me, so that was the main reason behind the shopping trip last week, I was in desperate need of a warm jacket." She smiled at this last statement.

"Yeah it gets pretty cold out here, just wait until winter and you'll be sleeping in it!" We both laughed. She was so easy to talk to I don't know what I had been worrying about.

This wasn't the only reason for most of my stuff being left behind. They had been fully prepared to send everything I owned over but it just reminded me of my old life, clothes I would never wear again, brighter, shorter and more noticeable, which wasn't who I was any more. I had told them to throw them out but my mother wouldn't. She was still holding on to the hopes that her baby would return back to her happy bubbly self. Which I knew was never going to happen. Broken pieces never fixed themselves and this was yet another reason to add to the very long list of reasons why I moved here.

A waitress came over to take our order but didn't look too happy at the task. She was quite old and haggard looking with white hair with some grey in patches. There were deep dark circles that lined her eyes along with the most wrinkled skin I think I had ever seen. The uniform didn't help her appearance, a pasty green shirt that looked like the same colour that they painted hospital walls. She looked ill and the colour brought out the green tinge in her skin.

"What do you want?" A rude harsh voice came from a pair of thin tight lips that looked like she was sucking a lemon. RJ's bubbly voice answered first.

"Cappuccino." She turned to me but didn't meet my eyes.

"And you?" Was all she said, which sounded more like an order than a question.

"Hot chocolate please." I always felt like a child ordering this but I didn't like coffee and I doubted that they had English tea.

"Oh and can I have a double chip muffin?" RJ's voice was the complete opposite to the waitress' whose name tag revealed her to be called Meg. She just gave a vague nod and walked away towards the counter to start the order.

"Wow she was happy, must love her job." I said with a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah" she giggled "don't mind her, she's never happy and she's been working here for years. I think she used to go to school with my mom but dropped out. She's been working as a waitress ever since."

I now understood why Meg wasn't the happiest person in the mall.

"Ah I see," was all I could think of.

"So how come you moved to little old Evergreen, if you don't mind me asking?" There it was, the question I knew was going to be asked, the one I didn't yet know how to answer. I knew the truth, I was running from my past and it had brought me here, but I couldn't come out with that for an answer. But it always made me laugh the way people added "if you don't mind" to the end of a question they really wanted to know. What was I going to say "hell yes, I do mind."

Just then the waitress brought us our drinks, which gave me a bit more time to think of an answer that seemed logical. She dumped them down and walked off.

RJ blew on her cappuccino and looked up at me with big eyes that were caked with thick black make-up. "You were saying," she said as she studied my face for an answer.

"Umm... well I decided to move here because" think Kaz, think! "Because of Libby... my sister."
"Your sister?"
"Yeah she was kinda missing her family and stuff, so I decided to

move here and start college in the fall." This was partly true as she did miss us and had a hard time adjusting to the move in the beginning, but things had become easier for her with time and with her new job she soon found friends. Frank's family also lived in the next town and they felt the same way about Libby that we did about Frank. They loved her.

"Wow that was really good of you, you two must be really close." "Yeah, we are, she's not just a sister, she's a friend too."
"That's cool, I have a sister but she's younger than me and going

through her bratty teen years, driving my Mom crazy, and me for that matter!" We both laughed and I couldn't help wondering if they were as different as Libby and I were.

"Yeah I get on better with my brother Jack, he's two years older than me but we hang out quite a lot as we both have the same friends. He's into rock music like me. Hey do you like rock music 'cause there's this great live band playing at this club called Afterlife, I think I mentioned it before in the store, but a bunch of us are going tomorrow night and it would be great if you could come?"

"Club Afterlife? Yeah I know the place, I've actually kinda got a job there."

"SHUT UP, no way, really?" She had sat bolt upright, spilling frothy coffee over the edge of her cup as she looked so excited by this new discovery.

"Yeah, I start next week for my trial day but I should be fine, I think so anyway, I mean I've worked in a bar before."

"Oh my god, I can't believe it, you are so lucky. Everyone I know would kill for a job there, how did you manage that?"

"Well my brother-in-law Frank knows the owner or something and well... he just asked him, I think he must owe him a favour."

"What, hold on, let me get this straight... does your brother-in- law know... The Dravens?" She whispered the name as though it was the town's biggest secret and had my skin crawling with instant goosebumps that had me shivering.

"Who?" As soon as the name was said, she had my full interest. It was weird, as if some light just went on in my head. Why did that name suddenly have an effect on me, as though I had heard it before, in a dream or a memory I couldn't remember.

"The Dravens are a family that come here once a year, they are stinking rich, millionaires or even billionaires, who knows. But they own the club and half the town for that matter and like I said, they come here for a couple of weeks every year to this tiny town. But nobody really knows why. They bring in loads of really crazy looking people, I mean really weird looking!"

"That's strange, I wonder what brings them here?"

"Like I said, no one really gets to the bottom of it but we get a lot of these 'visitors' while they're here and they all stay at the club." She said this making "quotation marks" in the air with her hands, for a more dramatic effect. It worked.

"What do you mean... they, like live there?" She could see my confusion and smiled.

"It will make more sense when you see the place, trust me. Which reminds me, so are you up for up it, tomorrow night that is, the band's called the Acid Criminals, they do quite a heavy set, but it's worth it just for the dreamy drummer." She was getting carried away with herself and went on talking about the drummer for fifteen more minutes before we arranged a time to meet. I really wanted to ask her more about the Dravens but chickened out, plus Libby was due to pick me up. RJ's easy going nature and friendliness had made the time fly by and I found myself looking forward to tomorrow night. I had a feeling that we were going to be good friends.

She walked me down to the front entrance of the mall and waited with me until Libby's car was in sight. She continued to tell me about tomorrow night and who I was likely to meet there. One of

which included her older brother who apparently was dying to meet me. I couldn't understand why but I figured she had said this to put me at ease about meeting everyone or maybe it was because in a town this small a new girl was probably a talking point. Especially one from England, well hopefully the novelty would soon wear off.

Libby waited while we said our goodbyes.

"Ok, see you tomorrow, oh, and don't forget your ID, they're really strict. Wait what am I saying? You will be working there, ha, I forgot that!"

"Ok, see you then," and with that I made my way to Libby's car and noticed she had the window cranked down despite the weather. "What's on tomorrow night?" She asked and I smiled as I got in

the passenger side and waited for my interrogation.
"She's invited me to see this band tomorrow night."
"You must have made a good impression then, where's the band

playing?"
"Club Afterlife." Her faced dropped. "What? I'm going to be

working there, I think it's a good idea if I go and check it out before my first shift."

"Yeah, about that." Here it was, I knew what was coming, the TALK.

"I was thinking maybe a quieter job would be more...suitable to your situation. I mean you don't want to rush into things, if you're desperate for a job I could see what I could do, maybe office junior?"

"Oh great, making coffee for thirty people and a whole load of photocopying!" She looked hurt so I quickly added,

"Look, I appreciate your concern but bar and waitress work I have done for years and you know what I'm like around machines, they blow up if I just look at one wrong, I can't even get my mobile phone to work without calling China!" She laughed and with that the ache I get when I had hurt someone's feelings faded.

"Libby, I will be fine and anyway, what is it about this club you don't like?"

She made a face like she had just smelled some bad cheese and I knew this to be one of those "things she shouldn't say" faces. So I pressed harder.

"Come on Libs what are you not telling me?" she hesitated.

"It's just...just you hear some really weird things about what goes on there."

"Like what?" I looked at her with a sceptic eye, which she refused to acknowledge.

"You hear some crazy stuff that goes on there, and with the Dravens coming, I'm not sure you should be there." This instantly sparked my interest.

"What do you know about the Dravens?" I asked and she looked confused.

"More like, what do you know about the Dravens?" Well, she had me there, I mean I had only been here a week and I seemed to know about the town's favourite gossip.

"RJ told me that they're a rich family that come here once a year and nobody really knows why," I answered as she just stared ahead and for once concentrated on the road which was unusual.

"Libs!"

"Sorry, look I don't want to sound like some gossip queen but I just don't like the stories I've heard about them. And no I'm not just being dramatic, but it just doesn't fit, why they come here, why not some big city to do their "business," why this little country town?" She sounded a bit crazy herself as if she believed they were some secret cult.

"You think its drugs?" Although it didn't seem likely, as that would be more fitting to a big city environment, not little Evergreen falls, New Hampshire.

"No, I mean... oh I don't know, it just doesn't feel right, I mean they bring all their own staff including bodyguards, which Frank thinks is really strange, I mean why would they need them?"

"They bring their own staff? I mean that's a little strange but I guess they must entertain really important people and just want things to be right."

"Yeah I guess," was all she said but didn't looked convinced and this didn't seem like the only thing that bothered her about the Dravens, but knowing she didn't want to say more, made me all the more determined not to let up!

"Come on, I can see there is more to this story!" I insisted.

"It's just one story I heard and before you ask a million questions I don't know much on the details!" She was getting touchy now as the truth unfolded.

"So what was it?"

"A girl went missing..." She said in a low voice and I couldn't help feel a shiver go down my spine when she said it. I could see I wasn't going to get more than that out of her, so I dropped the subject, not really knowing if I wanted to know more anyway. Not if I was going to start working there.

When we got back to the house there was an urgent sounding message for Libby on the answer phone asking her to call the office. Libby worked as an interior designer for a company in Portland and she lived for it, so as soon as she heard that a potential client had changed his appointment date and that their presentation was nowhere near finished, she went into panic mode.

"Look I have to go but will you be ok on your own?" What, was I five? Of course I would be fine, did she really think I couldn't cope on my own for an afternoon.

"I'll be fine, look I could do with a wind down, a good book and a cup of tea and I'll be set, don't worry about me Libs." I finished this with a hug and with that she was out the door and running to her car, I barely had time to shout...

"Not too fast Libby, take it easier on the gas!" She pulled a face and waved as she sped off down the gravel drive.

To be honest I really needed some time to myself as since I had arrived here Libby had not wanted to leave me alone, well since the "Incident" I hadn't really been allowed much time to myself and considering the circumstances I could see why people were so afraid of leaving me.

I decided to go for a walk instead of the book and tea idea, so I grabbed my new coat and my keys. I decided to try the walk Libby had shown me the other day, the one with the amazing view. The sky was clearer now and it was still early afternoon so I would have plenty of time to make it there and back before anyone got home.

I followed the footpath that had been created through years of exploring feet until the undergrowth got thicker. I loved walking. It's the only time that I felt free, the only time when you can be yourself with no one judging you. No one to have to act in front of, and most important I could let my emotions flow through my body with ease. To cry when I wanted and to not feel guilty about whom it may be affecting.

But today's walk was different, as now that I was finally alone to feel these things and let the overwhelming sadness and depression sweep over me, I found there was none and it had been replaced by a wave of unanswered questions and a sea of curiosity. I kept finding myself thinking about the Dravens. Who were they? Why did they even come to this tiny town? And most importantly, when would I finally get a glimpse of them for myself?

I would have to restrain myself tomorrow night so as not to bombard RJ with loads of questions. I was hoping she would have

been more forthcoming on the subject but once she had mentioned the drummer, he had become the main topic of conversation. The one thing she did say, which I found to be very disappointing was that no- one hardly ever saw any of them. As soon as they arrived they spent all of their time upstairs in the VIP lounge, and of course they had their own private party guest list that no-one who lived in the town was ever included on.

I didn't really understand why I was so fascinated, why I was obsessing over them but at heart I knew it wasn't "them" I was dying to find out about, it was him. As soon as RJ had mentioned the name Dominic Draven, I had latched onto it like a good murder mystery book you couldn't put down! By the time my brain had calmed itself down and started to get some real life perspective, I had arrived at the spot I had been looking for or so I thought.

I frowned as I saw a natural looking archway framed by the trees. I didn't remember this being here the other day and I was sure I had taken the exact same route with Libby. Maybe we came at it from a different angle last time, yes, that must be it. I convinced myself of this long enough to pass through the entwined branch arch but not before looking back over my shoulder one last time.

Once my fears left me they were quickly replaced by awe. The place was amazing, as if it wasn't part of the forest, it was more like a secret garden, which instead of being surrounded by a stone wall to keep it hidden, the stone had been replaced by a wall of life, lush green life. The forest surrounded the open space like a protective barrier, with hundred years old trees standing guard.

I was so amazed that I didn't let it register that this was in fact not the place that Libby had brought me the other day. It just appeared that way because it seemed to have the same view. This place looked like someone's property and I had just stumbled across someone's own private Garden of Eden. Upon closer inspection the trees were different and more exotic looking, with huge palms and vines growing on them with bright red flowers that looked very similar to hibiscus, if memory served me right from watching all those gardening programmes with my mum on lazy, boring Sunday afternoons.

But this couldn't be right, it would be far too cold here for them, and there were even more plants that would definitely not survive in this climate. How was this possible? The only way would be in a greenhouse and I was pretty sure I wasn't crazy enough not to notice I was standing in one! Yet here in front of me was the colourful proof,

the yellows, oranges and blues of the Birds of Paradise plant. The bright pink bell shapes of Angel Wing Begonia, sun bursting Dahlia's and the beautiful purple and red Blue Dawns, all lay around basking in the winter sun as evidence to this incredible place.

I walked into the middle trying not to make a sound, only I wasn't sure why, it was just so breathtakingly beautiful that it was like a dream I didn't want to be awakened from. There was no sound or movement for that matter, which I didn't understand. How can there be no wind in this big open space when there were clouds above me that were moving. There wasn't even the slightest breeze. I could feel my nerves kicking in and I started to tremble. I wanted to turn back, feeling something not right under my skin but I couldn't see where I had come in. Where was the archway?

My instincts were quickly coming in to play and I pulled the metal chip from my hair releasing long blonde waves down my back. My eyes darted from one space to another as I held onto to cold metal, which was pointed at one end and barely bigger than my palm but from my grip it could have been a sword the length of my arm.

Then suddenly I heard a noise from behind me and as I spun round, I tripped on some uneven ground and lost my footing, falling to the forest floor. Letting out a yelp, I automatically put my hands out to break my fall, losing my unconventional weapon in the process, feeling the wet moss across my skin causing my hands to slide. With my grip lost I tried in vain to hold my body upwards. Instead my hands flew out in front of me again coming into contact with something hard and smooth like leather. I could swear I heard someone breathing, momentarily forgetting the noise I had heard before, then realising it wasn't something.

It was someone.

As I lifted my head towards the object my hands were touching, my hair had fallen forwards like a yellow blanket. I shook my head trying to part the sea of hair that was obstructing the view of what my hands were gripping onto. I moved my hands away quickly as a pair of thick, black men's leather boots came into sight and I gasped out loud.

I tried to get up quickly but the earth under me had other ideas and I slid around as if on an ice rink. Then, just as I was about to fall again a large strong hand circled the top of my arm, bringing back a wash of memories I couldn't explain. Before I had time to think

another hand grabbed my waist holding me upright, preventing me from hitting the ground.

My eyes followed the figure from the ground upwards, boots, jeans, belt and a long black jacket that started at his knees. I worked my way up his muscular frame, feeling the heat generated from his body as he still held me, so as not to let me fall. He wore a dark tight t-shirt that showed the indents of a muscle covered washboard stomach and an incredibly wide solid chest, with strong shoulders to match. Expecting to see a harsh hard face to match this warrior body, I reluctantly raised my head to see. I had to keep looking up at him, as he was exceptionally tall, being well over six feet, making my eyes level with his hard chest. The face however wasn't harsh but extremely handsome. No, that wasn't enough, he wasn't just handsome... he was breathtaking!

He was Mediterranean looking with very dark features and olive, sun kissed skin. He had jet-black hair down to his shoulders but shaped as if it had been styled professionally. He was very well groomed but still had a roughness about him with deep-set eyes that burned right though me. They were incredible, as if they were trying to see into my very soul, burning deep and finding what secrets lay there. They were endless, dark pools of hard emotion framed by

thick, long lashes. Not quite brown, more like onyx black, but they had a slight purplish edge to them, one I had never seen before.

He was truly amazing to look at, so much so, that I couldn't stop staring at him. His hand finally released me and my body was left feeling cold, as if his touch was sending a warm pulse coursing through my veins and making its way straight to my heart. This in turn pumped what felt like pure electricity through every part of my body causing it to tingle. I took a step back and pulled my wild hair back from my face. He watched me in what seemed to be amazement, as if he was trying to distinguish if I were real or not. The heat rushed to my cheeks with being stared at and I tugged down at my sleeves nervously.

"Are you alright?" His voice sounded like velvet. Smooth and soft but most of all a strong comforting essence encased every word. I was speechless and was just staring at him, finding it hard to turn away from his intense gaze. His face was just so familiar to me but I couldn't understand how I knew him, knowing that was impossible,

as I would have definitely remembered a man like this. I needed to make my lips work before he thought me a simple, staring mute.

"I'm...fi... fine...thank you." My voice didn't sound as cool and calm as I had hoped. His lips curved slightly as though amused by my obvious shyness and this made my heart skip a beat and my cheeks blush even more, so much it made them feel like they were on fire, melting away from my bone structure.

"What is your name?" He seemed to be getting closer to me and for some reason I was backing away. I don't know why but he really intimidated me and after all, here we were, all alone in the forest and I knew nothing about him. For some reason I felt both at ease, as if I knew he wasn't going to do me any harm, and scared as though there was something not quite right about him. I didn't know whether or not to tell him my name and he looked shocked that I hadn't yet given him a response.

"It's alright little one, you can tell me," he said looking down at me, speaking in that soft voice, making me trust him even more but instead of giving him my name I confessed my fears.

"I shouldn't be here," I said while looking down at my feet and trying to escape his dark gaze. There was just something so predatory about the way he kept looking at me. He made me feel like a gazelle that had been caught grazing in the wrong territory.

"Oh really... Then please tell me, why are you?" I looked up meeting a confident smile, which was the complete opposite to my own.

"I guess I got lost." He was shaking his head to tell me I was wrong.

"Oh, you're not lost, you're found at last and right where you need to be I think...Now for your name?" This sounded like an order, all velvet now removed and I gulped down the hard frightened lump in my throat before answering him.

"Keira...umm... Johnson." His hand extended to mine offering it to me and reluctantly I did the same. But as he took my hand in his large grasp his grip tightened suddenly and pulled my body closer to his. Warmth coursed through my blood once again making me light headed. He was looking down at me but I refused to meet his lust filled eyes. Instead I focused on my surroundings trying in vain not to be affected by the intoxicating scent of raw Alpha male, leather and a spicy musk combined into one indestructible man.

"What's...what's happening?" I stuttered in a whisper when I realised the lush Garden of Eden that surrounded us was fading away into a forest of demise. The exotic flowers began to wither and turn to ashes of grey. The trees blew in tornado winds that didn't reach us, uprooting them into splinters. The world began to spin with darkness and die as though in the presence of the man Death himself. I choked back a scream and tried to pull away from this dark stranger's vice like grip. The movement caught his attention enough to pull me back and one arm snaked its way around my waist putting an end to my plans of escape.

He leaned his face down towards mine and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me as our faces were mere inches apart. But he moved his free hand to my face and pushed my hair back from my neck to whisper something in my ear. I could feel his breath swim across on my skin and at first it just lingered there before the words were released from his perfect lips.

His voice was light and delicate as if trying to control me into a trance as he spoke the words...

"Somnus my Keira." (Meaning "sleep" in Latin)