Disclaimer: Still don't own VA no matter how much I wish :(

I jumped out of the car as fast as a speeding bullet. Like lightning. I did have enough shock.

"Andy?" I cried. "Where are you?"

I looked behind bushes, behind trees, even under my car. He was nowhere. Hot tears began pouring down my face. And Rose Hathaway hardly ever cries.

"This isn't funny, Andy," I yelled. My body began to shake. "Andy!" I screamed.

Crack. Like a ninja, a turned around to face the forest. Maybe Andy was play hide-and-seek? But that was only wishful thinking.

"Andy?" By now, Andy would've said something, and that crack sound too big to be him.

"Who's there?" I said. Silence. "Show yourself, Bastard!" I roared. Silence.

I reopened the car door and grabbed a stake I stole from the academy a long time ago to defend myself if strigoi ever came after me, but who'd want a dhampir? I tip toed over to where I heard the branch crack, expecting what I saw, nothing. It sent chills up my spine. Crack. Another branch broke. Do they think this is some sort of game? I have places to go and things to do!

"Look, if you want anyone, it's me!" I said. In my peripheral vision, I saw a black figure moving. Shit.

The strigoi sent a plow to my face before I even got a chance to look at them. Oh God, I hope I remember how to do this! I jumped up and slashed my stake at its face. She screamed out since the stake touched her skin, but the cut quickly healed. The strigoi was a girl and she looked extremely familiar. She clawed at me, but I was out of her reach. I punched her right in the face, giving me the chance to stake her heart.

"That was for Andy." I studied her face a little more, but it was elusive to me where I knew her from. I made a mental picture of her in my brain.

Three more strigoi came up, closing in on me. Damn, I was too distracted with her I hadn't noticed there were others. I held the stake tighter. The one in front of me hurled himself at me. A foolish mistake some new strigoi make if they were once Moroi. I easily staked him.

"Either of you want to fight?" I threatened. One of them took a step forward, but the other pushed him back.

"Where's Andy?" I asked angrily.

"Oh, you mean him?" the leader, or so I assumed, asked. I slowly turned around, still aware of the strigoi behind me, to see a female strigoi holding a knife to Andy's throat. "One false move, Girly, and he's, well, just as good as dead."

"Let him go!" I outraged.

"Uh, uh, uh, that's not how we play," the leader purred. I nearly started gagging.

The female strigoi slowly started putting pressure on the knife to Andy's neck. Blood dripped out of his throat. A lump formed in my throat as Andy's silent tears rode down his face. It reminded me all too much of Mason.

"Stop please! I'll do anything!" I beseeched.

"Anything?" they all asked in unison.

"Yes! Just get off him!"

"Very well," the girl replied. She took the knife away and licked off the blood from the knife. She deeply inhaled and her face showed nothing else but hunger. "Too bad, he's very sweet," she said.

"Andy, go to the car," I ordered him. "If I'm not back in an hour, get help," I barely whispered in his ear. I don't even think strigoi could have heard me. He ran off towards the car, leaving me with the strigoi. I was almost certain they were going to kill me. Almost. After all, never mess with a Hathaway.

They keep on getting a little longer! I'm pleased with this chapter, hope you are too! Review please! It makes my day ;) I'll try to update as soon as possible.