This chapter is a little longer, but it's been a week since I posted the last chapter.

Chapter 4

Now I and Steve were on the street, in front of our high school, under the grey sky. If I thought that what I saw inside was awful, than now I was sure it was nothing comparing to what happens outside.

People were running and shouting, cars were driving crazy down the road, the shop's and pub's windows were broken, glass scattered around. And they were there- the vampires. Grabbing people as they walked on the street, sinking their sharp fangs in their throats as they were just juice bottles. I watched, unable to do anything, as a vampire, after finishing feeding from a man, grabbed a girl by her ponytail, pulled her head on the back and bit her neck.

I was shivering. My hands were shaking, my mind was covered by a thick fog, I couldn't think well. I could barely breathe like suddenly, all the oxygen disappeared or like my lungs couldn't take air anymore.

I was right- my dream was true. My dream was a vision of what will happen.

I was dragged beside a truck which was half on the sidewalk, half on the street. My feet just couldn't hold my weight and I let myself fall down on the pavement, but some warm hands stopped my body from falling. All I knew was that I was falling to the ground and next I was in somebody's arms. I looked up and my eyes met Steve's concerned eyes. He hold me tight, and whisper :

"You almost fell on glass. Try not to cut yourself or you're going to gain their attention."

I nodded. I looked down and I did see the glass right under me. I bit my lip, nervous. Then I realised I was still in Steve's arms.

"You know, Steve, I think I can stay on my feet." I said low.

"Yeah, of course." He nodded a little confused and distracted.

He let me go and I made a step back so I could take a deep breath. I could smell smoke, like something was burning near- maybe a building. I leaned against the car door, the truck being tall enough so nobody could see me. Steve remained down, looking around- I didn't know whether he was looking for an escape or a better place to hide. I just wanted to go home.

Home. The word made me shiver. I had to find my family.

Suddenly, my feet weren't so weak and the fog vanished. I felt like waking up, full of energy, or like drinking an energizing juice. I had to find them, find a safe place, and get out of this city as soon as possible.

"Steve, do you still have your phone?" I asked impatient.

My phone was in my backpack, and my backpack was somewhere on the school's hallway, lost when I started running.

"Well, yes."

"I need it. Now."

He started checking his jeans' pockets, and he find it short after. He handed it to me.

Without saying anything, I dialed mom's phone number, hoping she would answer. If she was still fine.

"Hello?"

When I heard her voice, I breathed out relieved, and my whole body felt easy of relief.

"Hi, mom, it's Lara. I'm calling you from Steve's phone. Are you ok?"

"Lara!" she exclaimed with relief. "Lara, I've tried to phone you but you haven't answered. Dear, where are you?"

"I'm in front of school with Steve."

"Ok," she said, her voice suddenly pragmatic. "Look, I am with my BMW near your school. I've just picked up Mely from her school. She's fine. You're aware of what's happening, right?"

"Yes."

In fact, more aware then I would want to be.

"Darling, listen, the traffic is awful and it's getting worse- I can't enter your school's street. You'll have to come to me, I am at the big intersection, near the subway. Understood?"

"Yes. I'm coming right now."

"Fast, Lara." She added in serious tone then hanged up.

I gave Steve the phone back.

"We need to run to the intersection." I said.

"There are two streets until there." He drew my attention.

I nodded.

"Wait a second." He told me getting up.

He opened the truck's door. He searched the inside and pulled out a first aid kit.

"Quick, wrap this around your neck." He instructed me and gave me a strip of bandage. I did as he told me and he did it too.

He threw the kit back in the car.

"Now we have to run." He whispered.

"Just one thing." I leaned in and kiss him on his cheek. "Thank you, Steve."

He gave me a little smile.

Then we started running. We run trying to avoid anybody and anything in our away. We made our way through the other people that were running. I tried not to stumble; Steve was sure a better runner then me. At least I was skinny and he had enough power to drag me.

Vampires turned their heads after us, but somehow we managed to not get caught- Steve knew what moves to make so we weren't such an easy prey. Or maybe they could have caught us, but there were much easier preys around us.

"Dude, hold on!" a boy shouted.

A boy with blonde hair put his hand on Steve's shoulder. I was preparing to hit him, when Steve exclaimed:

"You made it!"

I looked at him better and I recognised him- Eliot. He was in eleven grades like me and Steve. In fact, Eliot and Steve were good friends.

"Where ya going?" he asked.

"To the intersection." Steve replied. "Come with us."

Eliot ran with us. We all ran to the intersection. And yes we made it to the intersection, and I understood why mom couldn't come; the street leading to my school was blocked by some cars that had crushed. I could see my mom's blue BMW. But now we had to cross the street to get to her.

Cars were running disordered- all the traffic rules were broken. They were like ants when somebody almost steps on them and they spread, running like crazy to save their lives. There was way too dangerous to cross the street. And still, we had to do it.

"Let's go." I yelled to cover the noise made by cars and people screaming.

We slipped between the cars, being honked by nervous drivers. We almost get hit by a car- it stopped just one meter in front of us. We got to the car.

"Bye, Lara." Said Steve a little said and disappointed.

"Wait?! You're not coming with us?" I exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not. There is not enough space for all three in the car. Anyway, Eliot lives close, we have just a couple of streets till there, right Eliot?"

"Yep."

"Please, take care." I said biting my lip.

"Of course." He promised.

Mom honked us and I knew I had to get in the car. Steve opened the door from the passenger's seat for me, than ran with Eliot. I entered the car, closed the door and hugged my mom.

"Honey, you're fine, right? You're not bitten, right?" she inquired.

"I'm fine."

I turned to the back seat and saw Mely wrapped in a ski jacket. She looked scared, but when she saw me she gave me a little smile.

"Lara, I'm afraid." She muttered.

"We're gonna be ok." I calmed her with a soft voice.

"Put this on you." Said mom as she took a yellow ski jacket from the backseat. She looked at my skirt and shook her head. "Good thing I've brought you one of your pairs of jeans."

She stretched again to the backseat and gave me the pants. Before I could even take my skirt off , the car was on its road. It was quite hard to change in that small place, but I succeeded. I was too hot in that jacket, but it was for my own good. I felt drops of sweat running down my back and some strands of hair were stuck on my forehead by sweat and my palms were a little sticky.

The car made its way through the clutter of cars. 'So good mom's car is small!" I said to myself as the little blue BMW slipped between two cars like a cat. But then mom had to stop because in front of us was a long queue of cars- I couldn't see where it stopped, it seemed endless. Mom frantically moved her fingers all over the wheel, impatient.

"Come on, come on…" she muttered edgy.

She shook her head angrily.

"We have to get out of car now and run." She said.

I nodded then turned at Mely as mom started to gather some things from the car in her bag. My eyes met Mely's scared eyes.

"Look, Mely," I started with a soothing tone, "we really have to run now. We're close to home. You will take my hand and we'll run together, ok? I'll take care of you duck, I promise, you don't have to be afraid. Just run as fast as you can, promise me?"

"Yes." She answered with a low voice, but in her eyes I could see that she was more confident and sure that I was going to protect her. Because she trusted me.

"We are all going to hold hands." Said mom. "Now let's go."

Fast, I and mom got out the car and I opened the back seat's door and took Mely. I took her hand and she held it tight. Then mom took my free hand and again that day, we started running.

We run down the street and soon I could see our house- and vampires and people all over the street. But we made it- mom made our way with her bag, pulling it in front of her to make space. Just before we got to the house's stairs, I heard somebody unlocking the door and before I could realise, dad opened the door for us and we were inside, mom locking the door behind us and dad hugging me and Mely.

I felt safe; but I knew the safety wasn't going to last too much.