Red Crescent: A House of Night Fan Fiction

Chapter Four

Zoey

The first thing I felt when I could actually feel was not thirst, surprisingly, but a feeling of not-rightness. I instantly knew where I was – in the infirmary. The second thing I felt was confused. I thought I was dead. The third feeling was understanding. I was brought back. By Neferet.

There was obviously no one sitting next to me. I would have sensed it if there are anybody. So, checking my surroundings one more time, I opened my eyes. Nothing. I sat up, feeling grateful and happy to be alive, as well as fear of what might come next. I looked at the palms of my hand. Nothing. My tattoos were gone. I sprang out of bed, desperately seeking a mirror around the room – and found Stark sitting in the corner.

"You okay?" he said to me, his look totally normal, save for a little red in his eyes.

"You scared the poopies out of me! What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up." That was such a normal answer to receive after I just had a near death experience. Hell, I'd just had a died-and-came-back experience. Looking at Stark, I realized he was looking at me up and down.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I demanded.

He looked at me a little longer and said, "Your tattoos! They are all gone!"

"I kind of thought that had happened." And I had. Then, a thing came to mind. "Why are you here?"

"I told you, I was waiting for you to wake up."

"Yeah, but why? Isn't it usually Neferet? Stevie Rae said so."

"Who?"

I realized Stark had never met Stevie Rae and therefore don't know a thing I was talking about. "Nevermind. What time is it now?" Then, I got the answer before Stark even replied. "It's twenty minutes after sundown, isn't it?"

"Yup. Well, you are not so different, I guess. More normal than you had been."

And I realized he was right. "Well, I don't like different so much, so this is good, I guess. How about you and I break out of this place."

"What? Why?"

I looked at Stark like he was truly insane. "Why? Because Kalona and Neferet is going to get us and the rest of the school! Aren't you going to stop them? They might be up to something bad. Hell! They are planning something bad."

"So?"

"Do you even care?" I cannot even believe that this indifferent Stark was the one I had kissed right before he died. He seemed so strange and different.

He shrugged. "Not really. I don't really think I should. I mean, it's Neferet and Kalona's choice anyways. And, plus, Nothing really bad is going on."

Clearly Stark has lost his mind since he cannot think about anything clearly, And if he can't see what is going on, what can I do about it?

"What is going on with the school, Zoey?" Stark asked. That was an abrupt change of attitude.

"Well, Neferet and Kalona are… Wait a second, are you on their side?" I know it was stupid to ask, since Stark is an 'evil minion' of Kalona's, but I still wanted to ask.

"Of course not!" cried Stark. "Why don't you trust me?"

"I think you shooting an arrow through Stevie Rae's chest has something to do with that!" I didn't bother hiding my feelings of disapproval and my doubt for him. Then, when I looked into his eyes, I realized I could trust him. "Okay. Listen, Kalona and Neferet are trying to control the whole human race…" and I spilled about the secrets I knew.

A/N: Slow chapter, I know. I'm running out of things to write. I'll maybe write a couple other stories. I think I might discontinue this one and maybe I'll do some short crossovers. But nothing is final now.