My breathing was coming in short gasps as I clutched at a stitch in my side as I rounded the track again, but there was no way I was going to give Carmen the satisfaction of seeing me stop. So I kept going and pushing myself across the line finishing up another lap of my 10 lap punishment. My legs were burning and my lungs were begging for air, but I was going to push myself till I dropped.
I heard the coach's whistle blow and I gratefully stopped and stooped over and laid down on my back in the middle of the blazing track. A shadow crossed over my face, and I had to squint up. "Next time you try to show me up freshmen think again." Carmen sneered as she glared down at me. I just didn't have the energy to muster up a proper response so I just remained quite. Carmen took my silence as understanding and she walked away laughing with her cronies. I rolled over and pushed myself up and off the ground and stood up.
"You really shouldn't get on her bad side if you want to make the team," came a small voice from behind my back back. I whirled around, not really looking to pick another fight but not really in the mood for any more crap, but I was staring at the junior varsity's goalie. "Carmen will make your life hell. The girl is beyond vicious." The girl tucked her ball under her arm and held out her hand. "Jessica," she smiled. I shook her hand.
"Ricole," I breathed as I had finally caught my breath and we both turned to head back toward the locker rooms. The first tryouts had been long and hard. And under the Texas sun it was almost brutal. However I was determined to play. My dad had finally convinced my mom to let me play soccer and I wasn't going to pass this up.
"So where are you coming from?" I looked up at Jessica trying to match her long strides. I really needed to hit my growth spurt or something. This was getting a tad ridiculous.
"Oh um we just moved down from North Carolina. This little town you probably never heard of. High Point," I shrugged. I hated that place and I was actually glad that we had moved. Though my mom pitched a right fit.
"Isn't there where um..." her little face screwed as she tried to think of what she was trying to say. "Um that American Idol girl come from?" She was pulling open the door to the locker rooms and she stepped aside to let me pass. I gladly moved out from under the glare of the sun and ducked into the cool locker room.
I nodded, "Yeah it is." Thats all people knew about High Point and to be honest it was all that really mattered about the place. I hated High Point, but according to my dad it was the cheapest place to live. Whatever. I walked over to my locker and slumped against. Jessica had scampered off to talk to her friends. Sometimes I really liked being the new girl, but this was the one time I didn't like it. I sat down and bent over to unlace my cleats when I felt a strong tingle down my spine. I thought it was Carmen coming to start more drama and my Spidey senses were alerting me to danger. I sat up and thats when I saw it. That blue crescent moon. Oh crap a tracker was coming to mark someone. I stood up to watch. I had never seen a marking before and though I always wished it was me and I was sort of glad it never was. The tracker's eyes locked onto mine and he started toward me. I backed up against a row of lockers and still he kept coming towards me.
"Ricole James! Night has chosen thee: they death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee. Hearken to Her sweet voice. You destiny awaits you at the House of Night," a long slender finger reached out and gently touched me right between my eyes on my forehead and I screamed as the pain slammed through my body. Everything went black.