Dangerous Desire

Ariana's POV (Point of View)

"AJ! Hurry up with those cappuccinos and don't forget the bagels in the oven, remember what happened last time?" Rhonda hollered while working at the register.

I sighed at the thought because last week, I accidentally forgot about the bagels and cappuccinos. Long story short, they ending up burnt, and the stench lasted for several days which made the rest of the staff, and the owner Brian Short… well…let's just say that we're still not on good terms.

In case all of you don't know but my name is Arianna Jordan Daniels but AJ to most people. I am 18 years old, roughly 5"2, and weigh 135. No one believes me when I tell them my weight; not even the doctor, who's convinced that I have a fast metabolism. I have long black hair with brown eyes that apparently, "seem to penetrate to people's inner core." HA! Yeah right! Sadie made that up when I first moved here. I'm a medium build and on the short side, which is sad because I always have people tower over me; so that would make the foot stool my best friend.

Oh I should have told you, I'm originally from a small city called Merritt Island, Florida. Honestly, it's really small enough to be a town. It just seems more like a city because we have four large bridges that connect to the more well-known cities in Florida. They're not very far away either, so our small city feels extended.

Anyhoo, I moved to Forks, Washington, about a year ago. Why did I move you ask? Well, for one thing I prefer towns to the big city, having lived in both, technically. Plus, like one of my best friends, I've always loved the rain, the cold, and the mountains, and decided I wanted to make it on my own. So, Forks seemed like a great place to start my new life.

So here I am now…working at a coffee shop…Yeah, which is 5 minutes from my house and about 55 minutes from Seattle. I was hoping to become a writer of stories someday, but I knew I'd have to start small before I could become big.

I've been patiently working at the coffee shop since the day I moved to this small but quaint town, hoping that my day would soon come when I could do what I really loved. Forks, is a wonderful place for inspiration; as Anne of Greene Gables once said, "it's got so much more scope for the imagination." Not only is it incredibly refreshing, green, and surrounded by beautiful mountains as well as the ocean, but Forks has that nice, quiet, friendly charm.

Yet, for all the peace and quiet this town obtains, a part of me keeps getting this feeling that a big change is coming…and from the tingling in my skin, and the excitement in my heart, I know it's going to be something different then I could ever expect…or wish for.

"Well! That's about it! Rhonda announced with a satisfied grin on her tired face.

Rhonda is a vivacious, yet petite woman with wild red hair, as well as one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. She was the one who took me under her wing when I first moved here, and helped me adjust to the Forks lifestyle. It helps that she knows everyone in the town; makes me feel more confident about everything.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

Oh yeah, did I mention that the coffee shop is open in the mornings only?

"I don't know; maybe explore some more of the town." I replied while flipping the open sign to the closed side.

"I don't think there's much more to see luv," Rhonda laughed, "but go explore and be careful. Oh, and I want you to come to dinner later this week all right?"

I chuckled quietly while rolling my eyes. "Okay, but you don't have to feed me all the time"

"Nonsense, I won't have any protests, besides we're neighbors and that's what we're for right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I will see you soon at my house for dinner"

"Okay, bye Rhonda" I called out as I walked to my car. I got in, and drove downtown where many shops and bistros are aligned on one street. As I drove by, I could see the people of this small town inside the shops, laughing and gossiping away no doubt.

My mother always told me that gossiping is a sin, but hey who can resist? Without gossip, there wouldn't be anything to talk about…so surely, it can't be a sin. Of course unless you're spreading rumors behind someone's back…

I pulled my car up to the house that belonged to my fun-loving Grandma Dee.

I smiled as the familiar smell of old woman perfume hit me square in the face as I walked in the door. I swear if that woman was lost, you'd find her by that strong scent; it was like her own force field!

"Hey AJ! What's new?" Grandma Dee hollered as she bustled to the alcove table in the diner.

"Nothing much, Grandma Dee, just work as usual."

"Well I'm glad you're here now dear, I've been worried about your safety ever since…"

I listened for the sentence to finish, but it never came.

"Ever since when grandma? Oh Jeez, you're not still referring to that incident with the coffee shop are you?"

"Hey! That shop could have burned down had your friend not come to the rescue in time!" I heard her scold from the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes as at her dramatic exaggeration.

"Oh please grandma, don't be so dramatic. People burn their bagels in the toasters all the time, it's a common accident."

I watched as Grandma Dee re-appeared, scooted to a chair and sat down with a grim expression on her face. Normally, she is such a cheerful person, rain or shine. But I could tell just by looking at her, that whatever was bothering her, had nothing to do with burnt bagels.

"No, Ariana this has nothing to do with the bagel incident. Listen honey, you're a young, beautiful woman and you need to watch yourself you hear?"

"Grandma Dee, is this going to become a regular truism of yours now? I've lost count of how many times you've said this to me."

"No, I'm being serious, look," she reached into her purse and pulled out today's newspaper, which read: SEATTLE TEEN FOUND DEAD: FOUL PLAY OR MURDER?

I couldn't speak. These killings were awful; every night in the news, there was another report for a missing or a dead person. These days, most of the headlines in the news are about death.

Grandma Dee leaned forward and grasped my hands, while staring into my eyes. I squirmed with discomfort, but I didn't turn from her. "Child, I'm telling you this because you can never be too careful today. Whenever you leave this house, you're always in danger no matter where you go. Death is around every corner, no matter how safe you are.

I shivered at her warning. Well duh! Everyone was closer to death when they woke up or left the house! That doesn't mean they should stop living though…I certainly wasn't going to.

"Um…thanks grandma…that was um…morbid. Soo that's why you're making me read this? To teach me the lesson of life?" I asked pointing to the paper.

"No! Be serious for a minute young miss! With more of these killings going on, I don't want you to be next!"

I blinked twice in confusion…but then realization hit me. "Wait…you're saying that whoever or whatever is responsible for these horrific murders; they're just doing this for the sake of blood lust?" Grandma Dee nodded fearfully.

Then she continued by telling a very sad and true story.

"A young local man named Riley Biers disappeared over a year ago. He was the kind of guy whom every parent wants their daughters to date: extremely good-looking, compassionate, athletic, good student, and kind, everything a parent would want in a child. Well, story goes Rile went to a club. When it got late and started to rain, he left to go home. Anyway, when it got past midnight, his parents started to get worried sick; they waited for hours until a police officer, Charlie Swan, showed up and told them the news every parent dreads: 'Mr. and Mrs. Biers, your son, Riley Biers disappeared; no body found.'"

I was shocked but I didn't interrupt as Grandma Dee continued. "Lord have mercy on them, Tom and Nancy were absolutely devastated because they lost their only son, their pride and joy. I know Nancy; Riley's mama wasn't the same and Tom, that poor man couldn't accept that Riley's gone and will probably never return."

"Grandma Dee, if you don't mind me asking, do you have a picture of Riley Biers?" I asked cautiously.

"Sure thing honey and you can have it." Grandma Dee replied as she rummaged in her wallet and found the picture which she gave to me.

I picked up the photo and looked it at with wonder.

Riley's face was lean, with masculine features that could only appear on a male model, except with a more…I don't know…manly appearance?

He had the perfect nose, teeth, smile, sand brown hair, and lips that made me think of a male version of Angelina Jolie's. But what drew me the most were his eyes. Those brown pools which pierced my soul, causing me to shiver with delight; I was weirded out at these sudden, unexpected feelings, and tried to suppress them.

"I told you he was a catch, I can tell that his appearance leaves a haunting notion in your head and heart." Grandma Dee teased lightly while I tried to hide my blushing face, but to no avail.

"Definitely, but I'm not interested." I denied.

"AJ, don't lie to me, your eyes give you dead away."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You know, this might sound extremely crazy…but I want to find Riley Biers."

"Honey, I don't think you would be successful, because he has been missing for a year now and the police said that there wasn't a body found. Everyone would tell you the same thing, that they haven't seen him, and I don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Grandma Dee, I don't care if the town thinks I'm crazy, I want to find him! Think of how his poor parents must feel. If I were missing you wouldn't give up till you found me would you? Well, what's wrong with me helping them out?"

I was the kind of person that didn't give up easily, and if I had to, I'd go down with a fight.

"Ari, millions of people go missing everyday…you can't find them all you know."

I scoffed while leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. "Riley was a local right? This town is small, he has to be somewhere around here. I doubt he'd run away, because it sounds like he had a great relationship with his parents."

Grandma Dee shook her head at me. "Well, why so suddenly? Why a perfect stranger? You've never met him Aria."

I couldn't even answer that question. I was confused with my sudden determination to find this man.

"Because…I don't know…I guess…I feel like I'm supposed to. Like it needs to happen, ya know? I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like I've seen him somewhere before…maybe it was in my dreams, I don't know. And you know me Grandma Dee, if I don't pursue these feelings in my spirit, I'm never going to have a peace of mind."

Grandma Dee nodded in agreement while patting my hand. "Yes, you've always been that way. Well, even if I disagree, I will still hope and pray that you'll be successful. Hopefully, we can bring that sweet boy home."

On that note, we both ate dinner, and then I departed. As I got in my car and drove home, I resolved I would find Riley Biers and end his parents' pain.

Why did I get the feeling that I would…actually be meeting him sooner than I thought?

.

"Hey Ari! I thought you were home by now." Sadie asked me as I walked into the living room.

"Sorry, I went downtown and Grandma Dee was talking to me and didn't realize the time."

"Oh, hey there's another killing in Seattle" she announced pointing to the TV with the remote, as I plopped on the couch next to her.

"All we know is these killings are getting worse and police don't know the cause, and are warning citizens to have a buddy at all times, and to report any suspicious acts to them."

"I can't believe this! It's getting worse every minute!"

"Yeah, pretty soon everyone will be armed and do whatever crazy thing in order to protect themselves."

I went to the kitchen to look for something to eat and returned with a pot of gumbo: Sadie went to grab bowls and spoons. Pretty soon, we were both in the living room eating gumbo and watching TV.

As we ate, I turned to Sadie asking "Did you know someone named Riley Biers?"

"I thought I would never hear that name again…"

"Wait you knew-? Oh gosh, I'm sorry hun. We don't have to talk about him…"

"No, it's okay girl. You didn't know…and actually, I've been thinking about him for awhile now. I need someone to talk to about him. Do you mind?"

I shook my head while taking her hand. "Of course not doll, talk to me. So, you knew him well then?"

"I just didn't know him well…..he…he's my cousin…"

I felt like I was punched in the stomach when Sadie's pained eyes looked at me; she drew in a breath and began "Riley was my favorite cousin; he and I were very close. We were a year apart but that didn't make a difference to our relationship. He practically raised me, you know, teaching me stuff like how to fix a car, ride a bike, play soccer, shoot baskets, you name it… he was a great listener, a shoulder to cry on, late night talks. Whenever my parents couldn't be there for me, he was. I played soccer for a long time and every game home or away, win or lose, he was always the one who shouted and cheered the loudest like 'Go Sadie!' or 'You can do it!'"

"So, he was basically a brother to you?"

"Yeah, he was never afraid to share his emotions with me, and knew when I needed a reality check; I hated it when he had to be strict with me at times, but he always did it out of love and that made our relationship so close… When I got the call from Uncle Tom and Aunt Nancy that Riley vanished without a trace, I felt my whole world come crashing down. I cried for many months, depression almost led to suicide, but I got the help from this awesome guy named Dr. Cullen. He really helped me psychologically, emotionally, and physically… If it weren't for him, I would've been gone; I still miss Riley so much that it hurts."

By the end of her story, Sadie was sobbing openly and leaned against my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around the girl and let her cry.

I never realized she had been holding this in all the time I've known her.

When her cries subsided, Sadie leaned forward and silently finished her gumbo. Understanding, I did the same.

We were silent for a while, but then I finally got the gumption to tell her what I was thinking. "I know this sounds crazy, but I want to find Riley."

"AJ, my uncle has been lobbying the police for a year now, but they can't do anything because hundreds of these cases are pouring in like floods. I don't know hun, it sounds like a dangerous job."

I gave her that "nothing's to hard or dangerous for me to handle" look, and after staring at me she began to snicker a bit.

"Okay, I guess if you really want to try, then do it."

I brightened up at those words. "Are you ok with this? If you're not, don't be afraid to tell me. I won't if it makes you uncomfortable."

It was her turn to give me the "really?" look. We both shared a laugh at that.

"It still hurts, but I want to see him again…soooo badly."

I nodded my head sympathetically.

After we finished, me and Sadie washed and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher and went to our separate rooms to get ready for bed.

I enjoyed my shower time, letting the water trickle down my body; I washed thoroughly and rinsed out the shampoo from my hair along with the soap off my body. I decided to be a princess tonight, and stayed in the shower for a few minutes longer, but eventually shut off the water and stepped out.

With a towel wrapped around me, I proceeded to dry my hair, brush my teeth, and brush my hair out.

Then, I dressed in a spaghetti strap top and shorts. I was washing my face, when I noticed that an envelope was on the counter. How long had that been there?

I took up the envelope and brought it to my nose. It gave off a nice, masculine smell like Tag cologne.

I wonder who wrote this I thought as I opened it. The paper was very thick and the script on the paper was neat. But it wasn't the script that shook me to the core, but the words that followed:

Ariana,

I would watch myself if I were you, my little kitten.

R.B.

My heart jumped, and it took all of me not to scream in panic!

I shoved the note back into its envelope and raced into my room while slamming the door. My little kitten!? Who the hell is R.B.?! I thought as I crawled into bed, and pulled the covers tight around me.

Although sleep came quickly, it was full of…mysterious, almost nightmarish dreams…

Ariana's Dream Sequence

It was raining a flood in Forks. I was walking in the rain, when I suddenly encountered a strange shadow in the rain blocking me.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I yelled in the rain.

The stranger walked up and looked at me.

My eyes did a double take and couldn't believe who it was.

The stranger was Riley Biers! His tall figure walked toward me like a rigid soldier. I wanted to run but I couldn't move… my feet felt like blocks of cement, and wouldn't will me the freedom to even shift.

I was so distracted by my panic, that I didn't even notice that Riley was now in front of me…not until I felt his arms snake around my waist, startling me from my thoughts.

I tried to look away, but he wouldn't let me…he had taken my face into his hand and was forcing my eyes to meet his.

My breath stopped in my throat, because when I gazed into his eyes, they weren't the gorgeous brown eyes I envisioned…they were a vibrant, ruby red!

He smiled, and revealed his teeth, those perfect white teeth… but slowly they began to change…into fangs!

"Let me go!" I struggled without avail, because the more I fought, the more my resolve melted away. I was reacting in fear, but strange…my fear wasn't of him, it was of the unexpected feelings that rose within my chest.

There was this new intrigue, lust, and…slight desire?

Slight was putting it lightly…

Riley tightened his grip and tilted me back. The rain trickled down on my body and I tried to release myself, but Riley whispered in my ear, "You won't get away… because you're mine…and I KNOW you want me…little Ariana."

I shivered in fear; how could I run away when this young man had so quickly enraptured my mind, body, and soul?

I knew I was in danger…I knew I should want to get away! But when I thought through the logic, I knew it was useless… no matter where I hid; he would always ends up finding me.

"P-Please…" I whimpered.

"Please what?" He asked me with a sarcastic smirk.

Exactly…please what? Please take me here on the spot? Please hold me closer? Please kiss me?

It was obvious I wasn't pleading for mercy…I was begging for fire.

"Please… Kiss me…" I whispered submissively.

I saw him bend his head towards me, and I did the same, thinking I was going to kiss him.

But the kiss never came…instead, I felt his lips trail down to my neck… before I could react, his lips parted, and I felt a sharp pain unlike any I had felt before.

I began to scream and flail my arms in agony, but Riley calmly held me almost comfortingly in his arms, as he continued to bite me.

For a moment, the feeling of being held almost concealed the pain…but that feeling didn't last.

My body arched as a terrible burning sensation suddenly eclipsed my body.

"MAKE IT STOP RILEY, MAKE IT STOOOOOOOP!" I begged while writhing in his arms.

But Riley merely stared coldly into my eyes, his words somehow making themselves heard over my terrible screams.

"Being mine pays a price Ariana…don't worry, soon you'll be just like me."

Tears joined my screams as I realized what he was doing to me…

"NOOO! FIX IT RILEY, TAKE THE PAIN AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOOOOUUUU!" I shrieked, but all I could do was fall limp in his arms as my whole world went black.

"NOOOOO!" I screamed while wrestling with my sheets and punching the hell out of my pillow…

I heard Sadie race into the room. "AJ! AJ! Wake up!" she yelled shaking me. I bolted up and nearly collided heads with her, but I calmed when I realized it was all just a nightmare.

"What happened!? I heard you scream; I thought someone broke in or something! Are you ok?" she asked with a shocked look on her face.

"I had a horrifying dream"

"It must've been some dream by the way you screamed. What is it about? You can tell me"

"You're not going to like it"

"It has to do with Riley?"

"Yeah, in the dream he um…..well we…look, don't freak ok? But in my dream, he was a vampire."

Sadie blinked at me for a couple of minutes, before scoffing at my words. "You've got to be kidding AJ. Like the ones you see in movies? You really shouldn't eat before bed anymore hun."

I felt a rush of annoyance at her reaction. "Come on now Sadie, you know that whenever I've had dreams like this in the past, they turned out to be some kind of premonition that would happen the very next day for real?"

Sadie merely shook her head. "AJ, those dreams were more logical. It's one thing to dream that someone you loved got killed in a car accident and it actually happening the next day. But you expect me to believe that my cousin is now a vampire just because you dreamt it?!"

"You think I'm lying?"

"I didn't say you were, but it's hard to believe that!"

"I'm sorry Sadie, but I can't deny my dreams or the feeling I have in my gut. I stopped doubting those a long time ago. I'm pretty convinced he is a vamp; and what if he's the one responsible for these killings? It would make more sense if you think about it."

Sadie glared at me in disbelief before shrieking, "You're telling me that you believe a dream about my cousin becoming some horror-story fantasy monster, and now you're going to stand there and automatically assume that he's a murderer on top of that?!"

I shifted uncomfortably at the way she made it sound. "Well, I'm just saying-"

"Forget it AJ! You're crazy! How dare you accuse him for murder!? Stupid girl! Believing all this illogical bull crap!" Sadie screeched with anger while backing away from me.

I wanted to apologize, but I knew she was too angry to listen now. I held out my hands apologetically, while Sadie stormed out of the living room without a word.

I sank into the couch trying to contemplate what went down between us. I mean, I'd just seen Riley in my dream and…. I couldn't explain what was going to happen.

I didn't give myself to think about anything else, as I numbly strode out to the driveway, got into my car, and drove off.

On the road…..

I drove from the house and into the empty street. The rain was coming down in torrents; this wasn't the night where one should be driving, but I didn't care because I had to let my anger and confusion go somewhere.

My windshield wipers were swiping with erratic speed, warding off the pounding rain.

I had no idea where I was going, not that I really cared; I just kept on cruising. I pushed down on the accelerator which produced nice, satisfying, speed.

Dissatisfied that it wasn't enough, I sped up even more.

As Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter would say: "What an idiot…"

Words can't describe my rising panic, when I saw that the speed was increasing without my help. I pressed on the brake but it didn't slow anything down.

"Oh crap!" I thought while looking down at the jammed pedal.

Next thing I knew, everything whizzed past me from the outside world to my thoughts, the more I tried to stop, the speed merely increased.

Suddenly, I saw something move from the corner of my eye… it darted left and right as if trying to get my attention. I looked ahead to see the figure standing in the middle of the road; I swerved, trying hard not to hit it but I went too far. The car hydroplaned out of control, and plowed right into a giant tree.

My head shot forward, hitting the steering wheel; glass exploded around me, and my world went dark.

"Ohhhh…What... Where am I?" I asked while my eyes diverted to take in my surroundings.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my body like needles stabbing me.

I moaned at the feeling, and it took my mind a moment to register where I was. The room was white, with a TV hoisted up on the wall. A random late night talk show was on; I guess it was either Leno or Letterman, I don't know.

There was a table next to the bed along with a water pitcher and glass. The bed was actually pretty comfortable, and I noticed that my duffel bag was on the chair.

Wait a minute… I didn't bring anything when driving except my wallet and keys...weird.

I looked straight, but my eyes immediately saw the crane that elevated my cast-wrapped leg. I tried to move, but looked down at my right side and discovered that it was bandaged up from the collarbone to the arm.

My right arm was in a cast and sling, bandaged close to my body.

"What?! Casts!? What the hell happened?!" I must've said it aloud because the door burst open and in came a tall, blond haired man wearing a white coat coming towards me. He had huge brown eyes that held kindness them; they quickly became clouded with concern as he took in my shocked expression.

He wore a badge like the hospital staff wore and it read: Dr. Carlisle Cullen M.D.

"I see that you're awake" he commented while looking at me with a clipboard in his hand.

"What happened? How did I get here?"

"You were in involved in a car accident… the other driver was in the wrong lane and crashed into you head on. The paramedics had to use the jaws of life to get you out and you were unconscious. You've sustained serious injuries."

"So that explains the cast on my right leg" I replied looking at it with disdain.

"Not only that, you went through surgery because you were found with a couple of broken ribs, your collarbone, and arm. You lost a good amount of blood which worried me because I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"Someone crashed into me? How? I was the only one on the road and I swerved out of the way so I wouldn't hit a man who was standing in the middle of the road."

"I'm afraid that's not what the police told us…They found your car in a mangled mess and arrested the driver of the other car because he was drunk."

Dr. Cullen looked at me and held his gaze…. I squirmed slightly; it's nerve-wracking when someone stares at me.

"You said someone was standing in the road when you crashed, what did it look like?"

"It was a tall, male figure with sand brown hair….. It was pouring rain, so I couldn't make out other features, how long am I going to stay here?"

"I'm going to keep you here for a while due to the extent of your injuries….. Do you want to call anybody to inform them about this?"

"No, there's no one I can think of right now"….. I did think of Sadie but I chose not to contact her because she's was probably still pissed at me for accusing Riley as a ruthless murderer.

Before I could say anything else, a police chief entered the room. He was about the age that my dad would have been, around late thirties early forties with brown hair, eyes, and a mustache. He was wearing a blue uniform complemented with a badge stating the Forks Police Department.

"Dr. Cullen, is this a good time?"

"Sure Chief Swann, what did you find out?"

Chief Swann raked his hand through his hair before saying "We searched for evidence at the crash site and one of my fellow officers found this," he pulled out a crinkled envelope and handed to the doctor.

Dr. Cullen took the envelope and opened it revealing a note. I stared at the envelope in his hand.

Then, a revelation shook me….. I recognized the writing and the scent, the faint cologne

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed.

Both Dr. Cullen and Chief Swann stared up at me. My pale face gave away my feeling of shock.

"Do you know something about this?"

"Yes, I-I-I recognize the writing…. He wrote to me again."

"What do you mean again? This has happened before?" Chief Swann questioned with concern.

I looked down briefly, trying to recollect my thoughts, before replying, "I received a note three days ago and it was signed R.B."

"This one is also signed with the same initials R.B."

"Are you being stalked?"

"I don't know, it must be some prankster" I responded sheepishly in an effort in dispel the discomfort, but the chief wasn't amused.

"I'm going to keep an eye out for this quack," turning to Dr. Cullen he added "Better update security, you know, to prevent any break-ins."

"I've already got the security system up and running, don't worry, but thank you."

Chief Swann gave a nod and walked out the room closing the door behind him.

After Chief Swann left, I studied Dr. Cullen's face. It gave off a concerned and kind expression that would warm even the coldest of hearts.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"All you need to focus on is recovery, let the police handle this."

"But, there's got to be something I can do to help." I protested.

"You're in no condition to do anything; all you can do is rest. I will check on you tomorrow." Dr. Cullen

patted my other leg and left the room.

I 'm stumped… err confused with what transpired the several hours and I'm in the hospital.

It seemed hopeless to do anything, so all I could do was settle into the bed while letting my mind wander.

Unfortunately, a wandering mind results in a sleepless night for me.

After tossing and turning for several hours, I gave a frustrated huff and laid still. I strained to hear anything in the corridors, but it was silent like the grave. I hate silence in a place that is normally filled with noise, even at night; it gives me the creeps because it's late and I'm in a freaking hospital (I know, I know, my imagination runs wild at times).

What was I suppose to do? I'm stuck in a hospital bed with serious injuries; I could turn on the TV but I have no desire to do so, because most of the shows are stupid or crude humor. I was still trying to comprehend what happened with my accident.

Seriously, this is ridiculous beyond words; I mean how can me plowing into a tree while dodging a mysterious figure, diagnosed as a DUI? It doesn't make sense!

With nothing else to do, I grabbed my IPod and began to listen to one of my favorite songs; "Angels" by Within Temptation.

Sparkling angel I believed
You are my savior in my time of need
Blinded by faith, I couldn't hear
All the whispers, the warnings so clear

I see the angels, I'll lead them to your door
There's no escape now, no mercy no more
No remorse 'cause I still remember
The smile when you tore me apart

You took my heart, deceived me right from the start
You showed me dreams, I wish they'd turn into real
You broke the promise and made me realize
It was all just a lie

Sparkling angel, I couldn't see
Your dark intentions, your feelings for me
Fallen angel, tell me why
What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?

I see the angels, I'll lead them to your door
There's no escape now, no mercy no more

No remorse 'cause I still remember
The smile when you tore me apart

You took my heart, deceived me right from the start
You showed me dreams, I wish they'd turn into real
You broke the promise and made me realize
It was all just a lie

Could have been forever
Now we have reached the end

This world may have failed you
It doesn't give you a reason why
You could have chosen a different path in life
The smile when you tore me apart

You took my heart, deceived me right from the start
You showed me dreams, I wished they turn into real
You broke the promise and made me realize
It was all just a lie

Could have been forever
Now we have reached the end

I listened to the lyrics carefully…

Was it ironic that it reminded me of the mysterious figure that I avoided hitting?

He was tall with drenched sand brown hair that from the rain pouring down…yet... yet what? I closed my eyes to visualize it when suddenly, a thought hit me... Oh s***! Can it be?

Tall male with sand brown hair? Could it be? No Way! Impossible!

I tried to flip through my mental files in my brain but that didn't help me much until something on my table caught my eye. There, laid a photo of Riley Biers... could it be? I snatched the photo from the table and examined it.

The photo was haunting with his manly features and that smug smile really did me in. "How come I've got a strong connection with someone whose been missing for a year? It doesn't make sense at all... I mean I've never met him and yet, we're connected"? I wondered aloud.

"Of course it's possible" came the deep, male voice coming from the corner of the room. I jumped and winced due to my broken leg; I took out my earphones and scanned about the room. "Who are you? Where are you?" I demanded but there was no response. Okay, now I'm really annoyed, I mean I'm NOT insane... I know I heard it.

I jumped and turned to the corner where the figure emerged from his hiding place and sure enough, my suspicions confirmed. Riley Biers was standing in front of me and now he's sitting on my bed.

"That was a horrendous accident you endured tonight"

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" I snapped while glowering at him trying to look tough but failed.

Riley shook his head, amused by my defensive tactic, "Why would you take your anger out on me?"

I snarled while keeping my glowering gaze fixated on him. "Why did you stand in my way?" I challenged.

Riley didn't answer at the moment but reached out and stroked my cheek with his hand. I wanted to push it away but froze, his touch is so tender and soothing... but that didn't give him an excuse to stand in the middle of the road and cause me to crash.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked in a calm manner.

"Why should I answer? I don't have to" Riley answered smugly.

"It's a simple question; you can at least be civil and answer it."

"In case you don't remember, vampires aren't civil because were neither dead nor alive!" He snarled with his red eyes glowering in my direction.

"Seriously, it's just a question and I want to know why YOU were standing in MY way! My car is totaled and I'm stuck in the hospital with serious injuries… to top it off, I'm talking to a rude vamp that doesn't bother answering my question!"

Riley looked at me with unwavering eyes while his lips, those luscious male lips, were set in a firm line.

I was so pissed that I shot up from the bed and I yelped from the pain. Riley scooted towards me and held me in his arms. I struggled but it was fruitless due to the pain and the weird calm that came over me that it was comforting he's holding me.

Riley held me close while stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. I couldn't help but lean into it still speechless with what's happening.

We stayed like that for a few moments before he spoke "You're not staying here."

"What? Wha-Wha-What do you mean? No! You-You-You're gonna take me away? You can't take me! I'm nothing to you, Why?"

"You being cooped up in here won't do you any good"

"I can't leave here! I need to stay here and recover! The doctor says he needs to schedule physical therapy and I must do it in order to recover properly"

"You'll recover under my care, Ariana" Riley replied earnestly.

"No! I rather stay here and recover" I protested but couldn't struggle because of having casts and being dragged down with drowsiness.

"You don't have a choice! You're coming with me" On that note, Riley got up from the bed and carried me in his arms. I wanted to fight back but it's usless because of the casts. Tears just spilled down my face as I pleaded with him "Let me go! Please!"

Before I could protest any further, Riley opened the door and walked out in the hall. The halls were quiet, so quiet that we could hear a pin drop; Riley strained his ear but didn't hear anything.

"Where are we going?"

"Shhhh... that's none of your concern"

"I must know where we're going because people will worry and search for me"

"There's no use because no one will be able to find me or us"

How can I be so blind! He's kidnapping me! I tried to kick him but winced at the pain and I didn't have the energy.

"Let me go! I don't want to go anywhere with you!" I screeched instead Riley clamped my mouth with his hand muffling my screams "Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm!"

I struggled against his hold but proved fruitless, I mean what can I do? Nothing... Nada... Zilch.

Riley paid no attention but raced down the hall so fast I didn't have time to think but all I could do was wrap my left arm around his neck.

"What's going to happen?"

"Don't worry about it"

"You've got to be kidding"

"No one's gonna notice you're gone"

"How can you be so nonchalant about this!"

Riley smirked while shaking his head in disbelief. We went through the corridors and the amazing part was no one saw us and the security cameras I know they're on and running but it's strange to me that we could escape without being noticed; I guess that's the advantage of being a vampire that they can be practically invisible.

After a few more corridors, we were outside in the cool, evening air. It was a nice evening with stars twinkling in the midnight sky. I thought about sleeping in his arms but I asked the question that burned within me.

"Why are you taking me away?"

Riley looked into my eyes with his piercing gaze as he reached up and brushed my hair from my face before saying "I can't bear to see you suffer"

"Suffer? What do you mean by suffer? I was fine where I was"

"No, you weren't... you couldn't do anything but lay in agony, I can't bear seeing you like that"

"People will be searching for me, you have to take me back"

"No! You're going to be better in my care" he whispered sternly complete with his gaze at me. What I can't describe next was chills went down my spine because of the way he spoke those words aroused my curiousity.

I still had my left arm looped around his neck while laying my head on his shoulder. I suddenly have this weird calm over me, even though I was being kidnapped but knew I wouldn't be harmed by him in any way.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Don't worry about it"

"But, I must know" I said around a yawn which escaped from my mouth.

Riley held me close while murmuring "Rest Ariana, let me worry about where we're going".

After he said that, I snuggled in his embrace as he held me and walked into the night."

The Next Morning…. (Sadie's POV)

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Ariana Daniels' room is?" I stopped a brunette who turned to me.

"Go through this corridor and her room is on the left" she instructed and went to make her rounds.

I thanked her and went to find AJ's room. I went through the corridor and turned to the first room where

AJ's name was written in the card displayed in the window.

I was hesitant at first because we got into an argument last night which I accused her for saying Riley was a ruthless murderer and a vampire; I couldn't help but snap because she had no right to say such things about my cousin, I mean she never met the guy and how dare she make that conclusion.

Seriously, she says it's her instincts and premonition she saw how Riley is a ruthless, murdering vampire! Yeah, I totally scoffed at the idea.

Admist all these things, I felt guilty for screaming at her; she didn't know and when I heard she was involved in a DUI accident; I was terrified yet blamed myself for letting her storm out with the unbridled and hurtful things I said.

Flashback to Last Night…..

I had a horrifying dream"

"It must've been some dream by the way you screamed. What is it about? You can tell me"

"You're not going to like it"

"It has to do with Riley?"

"Yeah, in the dream he um…..well we…look, don't freak ok? But in my dream, he was a vampire."

"You've got to be kidding AJ. Like the ones you see in movies? You really shouldn't eat before bed anymore hun."

. "Come on now Sadie, you know that whenever I've had dreams like this in the past, they turned out to be some kind of premonition that would happen the very next day for real?"

"AJ, those dreams were more logical. Its one thing to dream that someone you loved got killed in a car accident and it actually happening the next day. But you expect me to believe that my cousin is now a vampire just because you dreamt it?!"

"You think I'm lying?"

"I didn't say you were, but it's hard to believe that!"

"I'm sorry Sadie, but I can't deny my dreams or the feeling I have in my gut. I stopped doubting those a long time ago. I'm pretty convinced he is a vamp; and what if he's the one responsible for these killings? It would make more sense if you think about it."

"You're telling me that you believe a dream about my cousin becoming some horror-story fantasy monster, and now you're going to stand there and automatically assume that he's a murderer on top of that?!"

. "Well, I'm just saying-"

"Forget it AJ! You're crazy! How dare you accuse him for murder!? Stupid girl! Believing all this illogical bull crap!"

(End of Flashback)

Those last things I've said haunted me and now, I don't know if AJ would give me the chance to forgive me. I don't blame her if she refused to talk and probably move out. Embracing for the worst, I held the handle and pushed the door open, then stepped in.

"AJ? Hey, it's me… Sadie, listen, I'm sorry for what I said last night but it's hard to accept what you've said but I still didn't have the right to say what I've said… It's really hard… AJ? AJ?"

I looked to the closed- door and assumed she was in the bathroom, so I waited for her to come out but I couldn't help myself, so I opened the door and no one was there.

Confused, I looked around. All of her toiletries were on the sink which didn't strike me as odd but I stepped out and went to the bed. I assumed she was still sleeping but once I pulled the covers away, there was no one! Now, my head is spinning with a nauseating fear that something happened to her.

Fear gripped me as I frantically looked through the drawers and looked at the locked window and that's when I had the horrid thought she disappeared.

"No! You can't think like that! Sadie! Pull yourself together!" I hissed but my gut feeling was screaming so loudly and felt my body moving on autopilot as I reached for the door.

"Oh God! AJ? AJ! Where are you?" I wasn't thinking as I raced out of the room and went down the corridor, avoiding all the weird looks on the passersby. I punched the button and went in the elevator; it felt like an eternity until I reached the ground floor.

Without thinking, I ran out where I saw Dr. Cullen standing at the front desk talking to the receptionist. I knew what I was doing is insane but I couldn't help but ran straight into his arms.

Dr. Cullen seemed alarmed but he was a kind man who would do whatever to help someone and now, I'm glad for doing what I did.

"Sadie, I didn't see you come in. What's wrong? You look like thunder and you're shaking!"

"Dr. Cullen! I went to see AJ but I can't find her! She's-she's-She's GONE!" I wailed.

"Gone? How can she be gone?" She's placed under my care, there's no way she's gone because I need to talk about doing therapy this afternoon.

"Dr. Cullen, I went to see her but there's no one in the room. Please! Help me find her!"

He didn't need me to plead anymore and Dr. Cullen went up the stairs while I trailed behind. I couldn't believe how fast he was because we reached AJ's room in no time.

He surveyed the surroundings while I stood next to him in complete shock. The room wasn't ransacked or anything but the bed looked like someone slept in it now there's no one; I didn't know what to do or think at this point.

I took a sideways glance studying Dr. Cullen's face. The kind eyes are replaced with worry and his mouth usually gave a warm smile is substituted with a firm line creased in thought.

"I'm gonna call Charlie Swann, need this place roped off."

"What can I do? I want to find AJ, I mean, Ariana"

"I don't know if you can do much now… unless you can make posters. Use the most recent picture of her and make them. Then, post anywhere and I'm hoping she won't be missing too long"

"Ok, I'll make them and do what I can…. I hope she's all right."

"In fact, I think its best you stay with me. I don't want anything happening to you,"

We left AJ's room and went down the corridor and into his office. Dr. Cullen wasted no time and was soon on the phone with Chief Swann.

I sat there quietly toying with my cell phone when I had an idea. How about I call and text her? I didn't waste time and speed dialed her number.

I held my cell in place waiting for the dial tone, then there was connection but after a while, the voicemail came on.

"Hey this is AJ. I'm not here now but leave your name and number and I'll call you right back."

So much for calling but then, I tilted my phone and shot a text: Where ru? Text me girl.

After I sent the text, I tucked my phone in my pocket, hopefully she would answer. Then, Dr. Cullen got off

the phone and replied "Chief Swann is coming right now, I've got to make my rounds but I'll be back at noon; are you going to be ok here?"

"I should get going. Maybe Ariana will show up later" I replied while walking to the door; except Dr. Cullen stopped me " I don't think it's a good idea to go out there alone...I don't want you to get hurt either or disappear...You should stay here." He closed the door behind him.

I couldn't think of anything else to do except curl up in the chair and hoping AJ will return.