Katie

' I lay watching the stars, surrounded by the fragrance of blossoms slowly closing for the night. I lay in a vast field surrounded by open space that made me want to fly. I squeezed his hand tightly, closing my eyes and breathing contentedly. He absentmindedly traced patterns on my arm. He stopped and pulled me to my feet roughly. I opened my eyes and looked at him, worry lining my face. He froze a finger on my lips warning me not to make a sound. I stared opened eyed as he pointed towards a dark figure slinking towards us, eyes shining like a cat's. I shuddered as a dark smile graced this hunter's feature. Desmond pulled me closer, angling me away from the stalker. Foul words purred from the hunter's mouth, as if he were caressing each word as one would a human being. I shuddered again. The hunters smile grew into a smirk as he watched me, waiting.

In a flash he was gone, I whipped my head around, searching for a face. I found none. Desmond let go of my hand and took a step forward, looking with careful eyes. Suddenly I was caught from behind, a knife at my throat, a purr in my ear. I struggled against the strong grip, but the knife pricked my skin. I gasped and Desmond turned around, his eyes deadly, darker than the night surrounding us.

"Let her go."

"I don't think so…" I felt his breath on my neck, the soft deadliness of his voice.

"I told you you would pay Katie, remember, your dead to me…" he purred into my ear, I shuddered out of habit. Desmond took a step towards us and the knife pricked my skin harder, streams of blood flowing down in soft trickles.

" That's what you wanted isn't it Desmond? To see her bleed… you got your wish." He returned his attention to me, whispering low so Desmond could not hear,

"Beg." He demanded. I shook my head slightly, he turned me to face him, catching my jaw in one hand, tilting it up almost as if he were going to kiss me,

"Beg, and I might spare you…" I shuddered again, where was Desmond why couldn't he save me…. As if in answer to my question Desmond leaped at Jordan, knocking him to the ground. But Jordan had a knife. With one cruel smile Desmond lay on the ground, clutching him stomach slowly bleeding. Jordan went in again, this time aiming for the heart. I jumped in front of him and screamed,

"I beg you don't kill him, please! I'll do anything…" I screamed louder as Jordan shoved me aside,

"ANYTHING!" he killed Desmond anyway. I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face. Jordan grabbed me and spoke softly in my ear…

"Dead to me Katie…you are dead." He kissed me lightly on the lips, his bitter taste the last I would know...'

I woke up with a scream, sweat covering my body. Tears mixing in with the sweat covering my face sobs racking my body. And suddenly there he was, wrapping me into his arms, holding me to his chest, letting me cling to him. He didn't ask me what I had dreamed, he just sat on my bed, holding me. After I had calmed down enough to think clearer, I looked at him.

"Why are you here so late? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he shrugged and lightly brushed a piece of hair out of my face.

"I couldn't sleep." He answered simply. I searched his face,

"You're tired. I can tell… why are you really here?" I asked again, not believing his previous statement. He ignored my question and reached around me to turn of the table lamp. The darkness engulfed me and shied into him, breathing in his scent. I let him hold me for quite a while as I drifted in and out of sleep.

Morning broke to the sounds of Ke$ha on the radio. I rolled over and hit the snooze, wiping the restless night from my eyes, erasing the nightmare from my face. A light rap on the door wakened me farther,

"Come in," I yawned, stretching my hands above my head. My mother entered a confused and worried look on her face.

"What happened yesterday? I got a call from the school saying you skipped school…Katie, that's not like you. What is going on?" I sighed and pulled myself into a sitting position,

"I'm really, really sorry mom. I know it was very irresponsible of me, and I promise it will not happen again." I started to get out of bed, heading towards my dresser. I pulled out a white tank top with a long sleeve button up and jean shorts. I felt my moms gaze follows me across the room, watching me. I self-consciously pulled the sleeves of my nightshirt farther down my wrists. I turned to face her raised eyebrows with a shrug of my own,

"So that's it?" she asked, "No explanation, no reason behind your sudden impulse to be reckless?" I sighed again, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I hated arguing with my mother; in fact we hardly ever had reason to. I hated keeping secrets from her, but somehow I knew the truth would hurt her more than my vagueness… she wouldn't be able to handle the scars, physically and emotionally…I couldn't risk putting that wall between us, even though I knew one was already in the making,

"I don't have an explanation worthy of telling. I just didn't feel like being stuck in classrooms all day, I got a little stir crazy you could say. I realize how stupid that was, and I'm really sorry, and I mean it when I say I will not do it again." She nodded slowly; I put a smile on my face,

"I'm going to be late for school if I don't get a move on." She walked over to me and kissed me on the forehead, then left, closing the door behind her. I started to dress, pulling on the lightweight button up, only buttoning the middle button. The white tank was visible, and I decided to pull my red-brown hair back into a loose braid. I checked my appearance in the mirror and grabbed my messenger bag, dashing down the stairs. I grabbed my keys then set them back down. I walked to the door and peeped out, sure enough there he stood next to his car. I opened the door fully and called out a goodbye to my mother. Then the realization hit – school meant Jordan…. Ouch. I stopped walking and cocked my head towards Desmond. Another thought trickled through my brain,

'Who cares? You have Desmond…he's yours.' I started walking towards him again. He was mine; he wouldn't let anything happen to me. Besides, with him I was, well not perfect…but was that a bad thing? I was breaking, falling but for the first time I felt whole. I felt like me. I stopped at his car and looked into his ice blue eyes. I leaned in closer to him and kissed him,

"Thank you," I breathed, he looked down at me, noticing the change. He was right, I had needed him. But it went farther then need it was now want.

"For what?" he asked between fervent kisses. I moved his hands up the sleeved of my shirt, tracing them over the scars.

"This." I whispered. He stopped kissing me, but kept the closeness,

"We are going to be late." I took a step back, trying to clear the heat. He helped me into his car, then drove off. All too soon the red brick of school appeared in the horizon. He parked and I got out, reaching for his hand. He held it firmly, leading us into the main entrance. I shrunk into him as I felt the stares, glaring at me from all around. He released his hand from mine and draped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. He sent chilling glares at anyone whom looked our way. He was frightening; the darkness he seemed too comfortable with was oozing off of him. I small shudder went down my spine – he was mine.

We stopped at his locker to retrieve his books, then headed towards mine. One of the flyers was taped to my locker. I calmly took it and ripped it up, letting it fall like confetti as I opened my locker door. A quiet musical ringing caused my hand to rush to my pocket, pulling out my phone. I looked at my screen and saw that I hadn't gotten a text…I looked at Desmond and asked,

"Was it your phone?" he ignored me once again, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. I waited a few moments, letting him read. My impatience got the better of me and I waved my hand in front of his face,

"Earth to Desmond…any one there?" he looked up from the screen, his eyes locked to mine,

"I have to go. I'll…" he stopped talking and looked past me, staring at nothing. He shook his head and leaned in, pecking me on the cheek.

"I have to go. If you give me your car keys and I can make sure your car gets here, so you will have a ride home." I nodded, and pulled my keys out of my pocket, not really understanding why he was ditching…again.

"Umm, where exactly are you going?" he didn't seem to hear me as he walked back down the hallway to the doors leading outside. A feeling of unease fluttered in the back of my head as I thought about a day without him. Then a cold lump formed in the pit of my stomach, blocking out the pity I felt for myself; something was seriously wrong, and it killed me not knowing what.

He had been true to his word- my car was parked out in the front parking lot, the keys underneath the mat. I threw my bag into the passenger seat and looked out at the scene around me. Innocent high school students were wandering around the parking lot, some going to various sport practices, others to club meetings. I sighed and got into my car, adjusting the mirrors and seat. My phone went off, an alert to a text message. I opened the text and read, my eyes scanning the small screen. I read, and re-read that message, trying to make it make sense, make it have meaning. I closed my phone and threw it onto the passenger seat, letting it fall to the floor. I put my head on the steering wheel and let tears fall for someone I hadn't even known existed, someone I had never even realized I was so intertwined with…someone that pulled Desmond out of school because of her death.

Desmond:

Red, that's how I saw the world. Pain, that's how I felt the world, the way it should be. I don't feel whole without a blade in my hand, the scars on my arm are apart of me – the scar that is just now forming is for her. The world looks red to me, I don't see a reason to live anymore. I don't have a good or strong enough reason to breathe anymore.

I closed my phone after sending Katie the message, wiping off the little crimson dots speckled across the black case. I had never told her about my family, I hadn't a reason to. She couldn't know how close I was to Lizzie; she wouldn't understand what her death meant to me. I sighed and looked around the tree house I sat in. Katie hadn't been in this room yet, I almost wish she had been though. Pictures of Lizzie hung from the wall, some in black, some in red, she was so beautiful…. I felt the urge to kill the one who did it, the one who took her away. I fought the urge to hunt him, kill him. I knew it would be nearly impossible to find him; New York is a big city, and he could have – would have left by now.

I hadn't liked the idea of Lizzie going to NY by herself, traveling alone. She had been excepted into dance school there, a huge honor that we were all proud of. The police say it was a suicide, but I knew better. Lizzie loved life, she was the only one that could make me smile…she understood me, but her love for life kept her strong enough for the both of us. I loved her, and I protected her…she would not take away her own life. I knew it was a man, some sick and messed up freak that enjoyed the fear in her blue eyes, that wanted someone to suffer for his screwed over life. The police found her lying in a pool of her own blood, the gun lying next to her, suicide for sure…

The sun was setting, turning the world red, the rightful color it should be. I see the world in degrees of pain, I see her face, the background etched with hate. The warm blood dripping down my arm is the only thing that keeps me sane…or perhaps insane…does it matter either way?

Katie

I rushed through the traffic without any regard for my safety, or the pedestrians I honked at. I needed to get to him, to be with him. I stepped farther down on the gas pedal, my engine purring. I knew where I could find him, and I knew what I would find him doing. I stopped at the edge of the woods, parking along side the road, locking my car. I ran through the trees, ignoring the scratches from thorns. The sun was nearly touching the horizon, his favorite time of day. I ran faster, hoping he wouldn't bleed to death, hoping he still had enough common sense to realize that someone still needed him, hoping that he hadn't completely lost control. I climbed the ladder up to the series of houses in the trees. I scanned the first room and saw no one, my heart was thundering as I ran across to the next room. No one. I came to a room I had never been in before, one I had never noticed, or been exposed to. I slid in through the window, searching the room with my eyes. I wasn't prepared for what met my eyes. Pictures similar to the ones of me where nailed to the wall, they all held the same subject; a girl of no more than 16, her hair choppy and fun, her eyes searching and full of life. I was taken aback by the detail and obvious attention to personality Desmond had used to depict this girl. I looked closer and saw a name written in the corner, Lizzie. I sucked in my breath and closed my eyes…it was her. I opened my eyes, searching the room for Desmond. I found him sitting in a corner, eyes closed, head resting on the wall behind him. I walked over slowly and sat next to him. I looked at his face, saw no expression. I let my eyes trail down to his arms, dripping with blood. I gently took the sharpened piece of flint from his hand, entwining my fingers with his. I took my sweatshirt and tried to stop the flow of blood at least a little bit. I turned my head back to his face and saw he had opened his eyes. I didnt say anything, what was there to say? i swallowed and returned my gaze to his arms. i peeled away the damp sweatshirt assessing the damage. he hadnt cut deep, but i hadnt expected him to. i had never seen so many cuts made in succesion, all at once. I looked up at him again, leaning my back up against the wall. i rested my head against his shoulder and we sat their in silence. A breeze rustled the leaves outside the window allowing the cool evening air to tease our faces with its scents. i closed my eyes and breathed deeply squelching the questions i knew i would end up asking him. I felt him move beside me and i looked up at him. his eyes were scanning the wall full of her pictures. he took the nearest one down and handed it to me, his thumb brushing the image,

"katie, this is my sister, Lizzie. they say she commited suicide- i know she was murdered. He is going to die."

end chapter.