Chapter 2
Everyone in the house was asleep. Except for me. I layed on my back staring up at the ceiling. The sounds of cars going by was neverending and I watched the lights from their headlights flash across the walls. Blaire was snoring loudly from the living room where he and Tommy insisted they sleep. Pip had made the attic her room- the crazy mexican. I smiled and peered over where Nadia was curled up on the far side of the King sized bed. She always slept in the same room as me. When we asked her why, she just said that I keep the shadows away. I knew what she meant and no one ever questioned her again.
With a sigh, I got out of bed, being careful not to jostle Nadia. She seemed like a shadow herself, what with her dark african skin. I stared stubbornly down at my own drastically white arm. Damn my inability to get a tan. For some reason it just didn't work for me. All I get from trying is a really nasty sunburn.
The whole sleep thing wasn't working tonight. I heard a reassuring snort from the other end of the house that the rest of my gang were having peaceful dreams. Rubbing my head, I tried not to think about just why I never slept. Flashes of my usual nightmares krept into my mind. The shot of a gun. The burning red of fire.
I shivered and tried to remember where I last put my shoes. I found them by the door to the street, covered in New York sludge. They seemed home-y to me. Putting them on, I trudged out the door, silent as ever. They never caught me when I snuck out. They only found out that I'd left when I walk through the door at sunrise, or don't come back till the next night. Depends on how I'm feeling.
The cool night air breezed against my skin as my head filled with the sights and sounds of the dark-time city. I walked down the side of the street, searching for something-anything- to keep my mind from going back to those nightmares. Those memories.
A NYPD patrol car slid down the roud and I ducked into the nearest alley. My face was plastered on quite a few wanted ads, and not just the ones for fellonies, though running from the cops was something me and my mottly crew did on a regular bases. We're street rats, remember?
When the po-po was gone I stepped back into the pool of orange that the streetlight cast, my toe landing in a puddle. Not caring what exactly that puddle was made out of, I hurried off. After a half-hour of walking I finally came to the East River. Though it didn't smell good, it was the only expanse of wide-open-ness that I could find close by. Trouble is, I didn't usually expect to have to kick someones ass.
The two men were struggling a few yards down the boardwalk. The one guy was getting beat to a pulp by the tall dark one.
"Help! Please! Someone, HELP!"
And that was when I started running. Now you might think I'm crazy, me a seventeen year old girl taking on some big scary guy that's beating the hell out of some person screaming for help. Well, I'm not like most seventeen year old girls. I am so much more than that.
My foot connected with Creepy Guy's head after a running jump. Roundhouse kick to the face; score 1 for me. I do believe Chuck Norris would be proud. The little dude run off while Big And Scary was distracted and didn't turn back for so much as a 'Thanks'. But, I didn't care then. Creepy had jerked his head around to look at me. And I forced back a scream when I stared into his blood-red eyes. It wasn't human.
With a snarl, it came at me and I defended myself, blow for blow. This thing was strong! But so was I. I got in at him, taking an uppercut jab at his rib-cage. It should have shattered some bones, but he barely even flinched. All it had seemed to do was piss him off. He punched me in the face, a movement too fast for me to do anything about. The whole left side of my head burned and my lip was already bleeding.
I grapped for y switch-blade and pulled the knife out. I distracted him and went in for a get-em-or-get-you. I managed stab him in the back but got another blow, this one on my shoulder. Caught off guard, I went under a barrage of attacks. I couldn't fend him off and went down. It hissed in my ear, whispering, "To kill, to eat, to drink…"
With a horror set deep in my stomache, I realized I was going to die. The monster leaned in, claws extended to tear out my life.