Thanks for reading the second chapter of our story! We really appreciate any reviews you guys give us. so please REVIEW! - Rayne
Keri Eve sat on a towel next to the pool; her feet dipped in the cool water. She gazed up into the sky; the bright, hot sun hurt her eyes. She smiled, silently thanking her luck that Minnesota's weather had been fairly pleasant this summer. She sighed pleasantly, letting her head fall back and soaked in the light. Keri's face and body were tanned.
'Thank God for the summer, as much I like school, well not exactly the learning part, but my friends, and school events. I do adore summer, and being tan. Plus the natural highlights the sun gives my brown hair.' Keri thought. Suddenly she could hear a Lady Gaga song coming from behind her. She slowly got up, wiping her legs off with her towel, and answered her phone that was sitting on the plastic table.
"Hey, what's up?" Keri threw a black concert t-shirt over her bikini, and put on shorts.
"It's me you optimistic child," a man's voice said, obviously not happy to be talking with her.
"Oh, it's you, Ichigo." Keri tried to keep her frustration out of her voice. "Well what do you want?"
"I can't believe they always make me talk to you, I think they have this all planned out, and just want me to be tortured to death by you." Ichigo sighed, not letting Keri talk, "there's an emergency meeting. There's been a… a problem. You're mother, and David have already been contacted."
"What's this pro - -!" He hung up before she could finish her sentence. "Ichigo!" Keri yelled at the dead phone. "Ugh you jerk!" She closed it up and stretched. "Stupid meetings. Why do they have to interrupt my 'me time'?" Well, it wasn't their fault, most of her 'me time', which practically was everyday, was spent tanning in the hot sun.
She grabbed her bag and towel and left the fenced cage of the public pool and waited at the bus stop for a ride to Down Town where the meeting was going to take place. You see, Keri worked for Circle Daybreak.
When she was little her parents would always have strange people over. Most of them all seemed so friendly, they would greet her, say sweet words, and maybe pat her head. But they were different, far different from anyone she knew. She could sense something about them that was off, even then. She remembered when she was thirteen, and she began to understand. That was when her mom, and her step-dad told her about the Night World, and Circle Daybreak.
"Hey, Mom, is David home yet? He's like super smart, and I could really use some help on my math." Keri ran down the stairs, and walked into the living room. There her mom, and David sat on a loveseat. She could tell by how they sat so straight, and their serious faces that something was wrong. "Did I do something?"
"Karen, you didn't do a thing. It's... just that David and I have something to tell you," Her mother twirled a piece of hair in between her thumb and finger. She only did for two reasons, when she was thinking, or when she was nervous.
"We wanted to wait till you were old enough, when we thought you could handle it." David looked steadily at Keri, then wrapped an arm around her mom's waist.
"Take a seat, sweat-heart. Trust me, you don't want to lock your knees, and faint." Her mother forced a little smile, but it only lasted a few seconds. She held out a shaky hand, and motioned toward the chair next to the couch they were sitting in.
Keri cautiously sat down, she'd never seen her rents freak out like this. It was all too weird, and she suddenly began to wonder if maybe she had been adopted. She panicked, "I'm not adopted am I? Oh, god, this is horrible! Mom, why didn't you just tell me to begin with?" Her mother almost laughed at that, so Keri went to her second conclusion. "You two aren't getting divorced, are you? I mean, you're inseparable. I know I freak when you two get too touchy... but it doesn't make sense."
"Please, just listen." When Keri mimed zipping her lips, and throwing the key away, David began to explain a thing called the Night World, and then Circle Daybreak. Keri felt like she was drowning in all the information once he finished. It was all too much. But at the same time she felt like she knew the entire time, and everything would still be the same, right? It explained those strange people, and the secret meetings, and why David, or her mom would leave on urgent business trips randomly.
Her mother stared at her with concern, she twisted her hair faster. She bit her lower lip, waiting for her daughter to have a break down, and start freaking out, or just laugh.
"Okay," Keri said calmly, it was all she could think to say.
"Okay? That's it?" Her mother's mouth dropped open, but she quickly recovered. "Are you sure-"
"Okay, Mom. It's okay." Keri shrugged, and half-smiled. "Can I go do my math homework now?"
"Of course," David said when her mom stared blankly at Keri, unsure what exactly to do. "Um…you said you needed help?"
"That's alright," she responded weakly. "I think I understand it."
"And that was the beginning of it all," Keri murmured to herself as she stepped onto the bus. It was a weekend afternoon, and the bus wouldn't normally be so crowded. But all but one seat was taken that day, one next to a girl with blond hair and a moody expression.
She put money in the box and went over to the girl. "Do you mind?" Keri asked her. She didn't answer and kept looking out the window.
She shrugged and sat next to the moody girl. "Damn," the girl muttered to herself. "What's the point of any of this anyways. Everyone is just going to die in the end anyways."
Keri glanced over at the girl, trying not to look suspicious of her. Maybe she's going to try to kill herself later, she thought. That sucks. She turned back to look at the seat in front of her.
Her stop was soon enough and she couldn't be happier. The moody girl had mumbled to herself the entire ride there. When she had tried to ask the girl what was up the girl had given her such a scary glare that she swore that it was never going to leave her memory. Ever.
Keri wondered if maybe the girl was insane, but quickly dismissed the thought. The girl really hadn't done anything to her, so it was best not to assume, or pry. She moved to the very edge of the seat, sensing those cold green eyes on her back.
"Uh... don't go kill yourself, miss. Trust me, it's not the answer," Keri said quickly when they reached her stop. She practically ran off the bus to get away from her. She could still see those cold, green eyes. But if she remembered correctly, there was almost a hint of sorrow. She shook her head, it wasn't important, because she'd probably never see the girl again.
She walked on the sidewalk, and stopped in front of a shop window to look at her reflection. She groaned, wondering how the heck her hair could look this bad all of sudden. She sighed, stress did horrible things to her. She prayed some nasty zit wouldn't suddenly pop up. Keri pulled her hair into a ponytail with an elastic.
"Wow, I always forget just how big and nice looking this place is," she stood just outside a large bank. She knew it was one bought by a vampire in Circle Daybreak to use for money, and for a meeting place. There wasn't any other place anywhere near Minnesota, and it was much more convent then flying to Las Vegas.
She walked inside, then the familiar werewolf, Austin, greeted her.
"Greetings, Miss Eve. Come right this way," Austin lead her to a backroom, then to a stairwell that only went down. He unlocked the door at the bottom, and held it open for Keri. "Its the first door to your right."
She thanked him, then went to the meeting room. She straightened her short, sleeveless black dress, and sucked in a deep breath before she walked in. Everyone was already there, because there was only one seat open, which next to her mother. She calmly walked over to the seat, trying to keep her cool. It wasn't exactly easy when you walked late into a meeting full of real important people. Not just people. Vampires. Witches. Werewolves. Night World people.
Keri smiled sweetly, looking around at the faces around her. At least of the people here were vampires, some were witches, but she couldn't really tell, and of course there were other humans. She sat and listened to the man sitting at the head of the table. It was Jayden, the lamia who bought this place.
"I've called you all here because an old threat as returned." He glanced around the table, locking eyes with everyone before continuing. "Long ago a made vampire, Aurora, started a campaign against humans. She had a lot of people on her side, but when we fought against her, and she lost, something cracked inside her. She ran off, disappearing for years. It was like she didn't exist anymore, and we were stupid to believe she didn't.
"She's far from dead. She's come back, and her hatred's spread to everyone and everything. She's ruthless, and can't change. She's completely psychotic. Aurora will stop at nothing to accomplish her one goal. To make everyone pay."
"Pay for what?" A small vampire piped in. There was no fear, but instead curiosity. Obviously she was newly made.
"I'm afraid I have no idea," Jayden shook his head, raising from his seat. "We know almost nothing about her past, or what her motives are. Our theory is that a human did something so horrid it made Aurora want to punish the entire race, no, the entire world. But like I said, just a theory."
His gaze fell on a large painting of a dark forest. He studied it for a long time, and the room remained for the most part, completely silent. Without turning around he spoke again,
"Yesterday she came out of hiding, again, we don't know why. She tried to save a little girl from a creek, but when she failed, she killed the dead girls friend. She killed the girl by stepping on her chest, then left her to die. It took a little over an hour for her to die, because there was nothing anyone could do. Would like to know how old the girl was? Five." Many of the people winced, and scowled in disgust at this.
"Anyone who tried to stop her was either killed, or hospitalized. She almost killed a pregnant woman, but for some reason, spared her life and ran away. We haven't heard of her sense. But clearly, she has to be eliminated."
Jayden stared blankly ahead, and everyone remained silent. Some people looked shocked, some had a look of hatred, but everyone had fear in their eyes.
Keri though to herself, If the things she did to innocent people were so horrid, what did she do to people she knew, and hated?
"Why the long faces? Oh, that's right, you forgot to invite a certain someone," Aurora was leaning against the doorway, grinning menacingly. She ran a hand through her hair, crossing her arms across her chest. She laughed at all the shocked faces now staring at her.
Keri didn't want to admit it, but Aurora was beautiful, just like any other vampire. But she was also terrifying, she could sense something bad about her from the beginning. That's when she realized, and gasped.
"Oh my god - - your the girl from the bus!" Keri felt dizzy, she had told Aurora not to go kill herself. She was crazy, and Keri should have known that. No one mutters to themselves constantly, unless their sanity is questionable.
"'Miss, please don't go kill yourself'," Aurora mimicked Keri, and laughed again. Keri sunk in her chair, wanting nothing but to never be seen again. She felt like she was helping the enemy. "Trust me human, I'm not going anywhere."
She turned her eyes to Jayden, who stood there staring at Aurora intently. Keri furrowed her eyebrows when Aurora stared back, and she swore she saw the sorrow in her eyes again, but then Aurora turned away,
"What are you all looking at? I came here for a fight, so are you all going to sit here gawking at me, or what?" She smirked when people started to come to their senses, and rose from their chairs. Suddenly many of the vampires there were across the other side of the room, going after Aurora.
David grabbed Keri's mom, and ran off through a different door. Keri followed after them, there was no chance she was going to fight against a vampire, especially Aurora. There was a teenage girl sitting up against a wall, blood oozing from a large gash across her forehead. She was pale, and looked almost dead, but suddenly she wheezed loudly, then coughed.
"My goodness, what has she done to you," Keri said aloud. She hurried to the girl's side, helping her up, then helping her walk.
"I thought I could stop her," the girl smiled grimly, the blood was dried and crusted in her thick, dark brown hair. "I thought I was strong enough... I should have listened to him." She let her head hang, hiding her ashamed face.
Keri furrowed her eyebrows, wondering who exactly the girl was referring to. She stopped abruptly when she saw a heap of fur, and blood laying on the floor. Keri's mom wrapped her arm around the girl's waist, now helping her walk to the car.
"Oh my, Austin!" She ran over to him, quickly realizing he wasn't moving at all. David wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her away from Austin. "Let go of me! He needs help, can't you see that!"
"Keri, please don't," David swung her around so she was facing him, then grabbed onto her wrists, hard. "Let him go, he's not going to make it. And if you stay here, you'll end up like him. Trust me, you won't die right away. You'll left alone on the ground, bleeding out and in so much pain. There will be nothing anyone can do. Keri, do you understand me? Do you want that?"
She couldn't help but cry for the injustice done to Austin, but she nodded slowly anyways. She let her step-dad pull her out of the bank, and into the car where her mom, and the girl was waiting for them. David got into the drivers seat, and quickly sped away from the bank.
"What did you say your name was," David asked, trying to break the awkward silence. He kept his eyes on the road as he drove, occasionally glanced in the mirror to look at the girl to see if she was doing alright.
"I didn't," she wrapped her arms around herself, pausing a long time. "Charlie, my name is Charlie."
"Charlie, where do you live, so we can drop you off," David stopped the car on the side of the road and turned around in his seat.
"I… I lived with Circle Daybreak… but that's not exactly safe right now." Charlie frowned, rubbing her arms in discomfort. "Could you guys let me stay with her for a little while?" She tenderly poked at the gash on her forehead.
"Of course, honey," Keri's mom said almost right away. She gave David a look that said, I don't care if you like it or not, just drive.
Keri sat quietly in the backseat, all she could think about was Austin laying there. He sacrificed himself for everyone at the meeting. She couldn't stop herself from thinking the terrible things that could be done to that nasty Aurora. Before she knew it they were back home, that's when she realized that no matter what happened in her life, that people would keep living. And even if everyone died, the world would keep spinning, and the days would keep going. Tomorrow would still happen, and it wouldn't care if she was there or not. And the worst thing that could possible happen to Keri was tomorrow; because even after all that happened today, tomorrow would still be there.
Thanks for reading this chapter, sorry about how long it took ^^ we were arguing about some things but everything is up now. Awesome. Review. Please!