Hey everyone! I'm back and it hasn't been too long! Hooray for random bursts of inspiration for writing, especially quotes that basically tell you to get off your arse and right. :) Anyways, I finally gave all of you what you wanted... sort of. Just read and see. :)
Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to my bestfriend and psychosister Lily. She was the one that made me want to write after calling me to tell me she'd started writing her chapter on our mutual fanfiction. Go COT! :) Let's just say that without this girl then I would be dead to life and she makes my days a bit brighter. Even if her memory is like a rock. XD
Oh, and if you want (which you probably don't) then you can follow me on twitter. I post A LOT about Return To Me and how it's bothering me. Also, while you're at it. Follow Cassandra Clare. Who owns this not me. Anyway, I'm Char_Little
Yeah, the DISCLAIMER is up there. Hidden. Boochyea.
"Flight attendants, please secure cabin for landing,"
My head snapped up at the crackling voice, startling the man seated beside me. I nodded my head towards him amicably, smoothing out the fancy dress I wore. I had earned myself several suspicious looks as I hurried around the airport, telling lie after lie in my dress and elaborate hair-do.
The man sitting beside me had gotten on my nerves the moment he had sat down. There was some thing in the nervous way he flinched whenever I moved or the flitting of his eyes to my left wrist that bugged me. He was well built in his mid forties with his eyes lined heavily in stress and he was scared of me.
I shifted slightly away from him as his bright green eyes met mine momentarily, looking towards the window.
When I felt the plane begin to descend, I had to bite my lip to stop form shouting in excitement. I was stunningly not nearly as nervous as I should have been considering I had no idea what I was going to do it New York. Yet, as we pulled onto the tarmac moments later, my heart leapt into my chest painfully.
I gasped slightly and looked back out the window, clutching the armrest beside me and pointing with the other hand to the nothingness before me.
Without thinking, I turned to the man beside me and blurted out, "Did you just see that?" I watched as he blinked several times and shifted around nervously in the hard plastic seating.
"Did you?" I prodded, getting impatient as I looked out the window.
"No miss, I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered in a low voice, purposely low.
I narrowed my eyes at his suspicious behavior before leaning back in my seat and turning away. I couldn't really blame him, he was probably just bugged out at having to sit beside me.
Yet, even as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I could have sworn that what I saw was real. It was a monster from my nightmares, a flying creature that reared it's ugly head my way through the window. I was probably just over tired, I allowed. After all, I hadn't slept in over 20 hours.
I hadn't flown before, ever. So the whole thing was sort of awkward for me as I clutched my small bag to me and pushed through the crowds. All I had with me was my wallet, cell phone, small jacket and that picture of me and the man. I couldn't say his name, every time I tried I seemed to freeze up and get this intense feeling of pain on me.
I finally made my way out of the busy terminal and towards a row of carefully lined up ATM's. Clutching my purse to me and glancing around nervously, I waited my turn for the money machines.
I was to go behind a woman with a screaming child and exhausted eyes. Some thing in the way she gripped the child around the shoulders made me anxious. I was glad when it was my turn, the ghost of cold hard hands holding me like a father would. I shivered, I had never know my father.
I stumbled as I pulled out my bank card, trying to hurry up for the other people in line. I was tired of the looks I was getting, wishing to be out on the streets already in the mid afternoon eccentricity of New York.
It shouldn't be that weird, anyway. Sure, my make up was smudging so I looked like I was a raccoon or I had a back pack with an expensive dress on but it wasn't that odd. Okay, maybe with the fact that my wild hair was falling down or that I was wearing shoes with the heels snapped off - purposely - but still.
Sighing I looked at the money in my savings account. Before all this had happened they'd been intended to get myself a car but now... I didn't know what was happening now. My whole life had changed.
"Yo, miss! You gonna get some money or just stare at the screen?" some one barked.
I didn't turn around to acknowledge the person, only blushing and punching out the exact number that I had and watching as the machine spurted out five thousand and twenty-eight bucks worth of babysitting money.
Sighing, I tucked it into my wallet and turned away, avoiding the grumpy person behind me in line and just walking out the doors. The sun had already started to set, as it did when it got closer to winter.
Where to start?
"This was such a stupid idea," I blinked, shaking my head.
I had no incentive as to which way to go, how long I'd be there or even what I was looking for. No, that's a lie, I was looking for the truth.
The line in front of the clubs were outrageous, even on a Friday night. Even though the weather was on the cooler side, I was still in my insane dress and I looked like a raccoon, I was considerably happier than before. I tried to tell myself it was because I was in New York, the place I'd grown up but I knew it was because of a rich tingly feeling over my skin. A feeling that told me some thing was happening tonight, something big.
A small smile played at my lips as I walked, passing the clubs in aim of a popular hang out from years before. Why? I had discovered after buying a hotel room in a seedy joint and meditating on it for the remainder of the daylight hours that that was where my memory ended. Pandemonium.
The line of misfits out the door was on the medium size, though they seemed to be all radiating a kind of energy as they watched some one attempt to smooth talk their way in. I stuttered in my stride, an intense feeling of dejavu circling my abdomen.
I stared at the eccentric teen with the piercings and bright dress. As I watched my vision seemed to blur until the figure morphed into some thing gruesome and grotesque. Gasping, I stumbled back into some one hard.
"Watch where you're going!" they growled, arms pushing me aside.
I stumbled, muttering an apology while giving the trio a dirty look as they walked past me and into the line. I felt almost nauseous when one of them turned to me and their eyes widened perceptibly.
"Hey, whoa!" The male began, his tawny eyes raking me up and down unsurely, "Are you Clarissa Morgenstern?"
I blinked, unsure of what to do. Unsurely, I took a step forward until I was beside their group in line and tilted my head in to lower my voice. I now had all their attention, they male eyes boring into mine.
"Um... yes, why?" I asked, my voice wavering slightly at the end. I didn't recognize the last name but I felt it was important to say that I was, at least to see what happened. It couldn't be a coincidence that it was the right first name.
The male took a step backwards, his eyes going wide while his buddies did the same.
"I'm so sorry for running into you, Miss Morgenstern," the boy said, his eyes wide.
"It's fine, my fault," I answered, my voice laced with confusion. I furrowed my eye brows and looked at the group who were falling over themselves to apologize to me.
"If you don't mind me saying, why haven't we seen you around like any of your buddies? I mean the group are always knocking on the door of Freaky Pete's or some thing looking for Luke about your brother or whatever, why are you never there? I don't know the details but shouldn't you have been at some of the parties or whatnot?" The boldest of the group stated, crossing his arms uneasily over his chest.
"Um... I've been busy with other things," I attempted, noticing when they exchanged glances.
"Oh, I get it, special 'clave business'," The third grumbled, backing up his buddy.
"Yeah, that's it!" I shot back, grasping at anything to make me seem at least a little bit like this Morgenstern person they thought I was. I gulped when their expressions darkened at my words, maybe it was the wrong thing to say.
"I thought you'd be different, you know after the whole Alliance thing and raised my mundanes, but turns out you're filthy snobs like the rest of them nephilim," one snapped, his lip curling back to reveal almost canine teeth.
I took a step back, not understanding half of what he was talking about and wishing I hadn't attempted to try my hand at sleuthing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," I tried, flinching when their expressions didn't soften.
"Honestly," I attempted again, "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just a little lost and confused about some things going on."
At my admission, the look on their faces softened, though they still seemed harder then at first.
"Could you just do me a favor? It would really help me out. If you see my group of people could you tell them that I'm looking for them?" I asked, trying to be vague on the details so they wouldn't catch onto me having no idea what they were talking about.
"Yeah, I guess..." The first murmured, shaking out his hair and looking me up and down.
"Thanks," I mumbled, hurrying to get away from their accusing stares. I felt that if I stayed there any longer then they'd choose to not let me leave so readily after the weird looks they were giving me now.
Not paying attention to where I was going, I found myself turning into a dark alleyway. How typical, I scoffed, continuing my trek and hoping it let out at the other side. It didn't.
I was sure of three things right now.
Some one was following me. Well, I couldn't really be sure considering I was just basing this theory off of a tingle at the back of my neck at the darting of shadows whenever I turned around.
I had no idea where I was.
And... I was seriously regretting ever coming to New York at this moment.
I sighed and tried to ignore my aching feet. There hadn't been much need for walking in California with the ready amounts of rides from at least one of my friends or bus or taxi so my feet had gone unused for quite a bit.
Pulling back on my misery for a moment when I heard some thing behind me, I whirled around, feeling like an idiot all the same. Like the last few times of doing this, nothing was there. I backed up a few steps, making sure though I was almost positive nothing was going to happen. It was just paranoia, I rationalized.
Rationalizing sucks.
He slammed into me faster than I could blink. Well, It slammed into me faster than I could blink. I was forced up against a wall but some thing larger than my small shape that smelled truly awful. I heaved against it's talons, opening my eyes after realizing they were closed.
I felt like I could pass out right there and then. It was some thing that could only be describe as right from hell. It had three sets of eyes that seemed to drip with goo and a tongue that seemed to continuously slither between it's lips. I gasped as I looked beside it to see the other one behind it.
"Hello, princess..."
I gaped at the one holding me that had spoken, it's voice piercing my ears until they rung.
"W- What do you want?" I asked, feeling too vulnerable in my position.
"We want to please master, master will be oh so happy!" The second crowed, seeming to jump up and in glee.
"Who-" I attempted, only to be met with a swift slap in the face.
"Princess, will come quietly, master says, or we have permission to satisfy ourselves," The one holding me insisted, it's voice high and reedy.
"Get off me! Help!" I screamed, when a slithering hand cut into my arm.
"Bad idea, princess," the thing screamed, it's claws raking across my abdomen.
A burst of pain broke through me as I let out a high pitch scream, the claw marks seemed to be sizzling into my skin like they were on fire.
"We said to be quiet!" One of them hissed, indistinguishable in my pain.
One moment his hand was raised in another blow and the next I was falling to the ground as a form hit the creature square in the side with inhuman speed. I clutched at my stomach, looking up at the creatures and the other form wordlessly.
I gaped at what I saw. There was only one monster left and the other was backed up against the ground as a man loomed over it, his hood drawn and a... glowing blade clutched against it's throat.
I scrambled up against the wall as the man hunched over the creature, the muscles in his back billowing as he jerked it up by it's skin to meet the edge of his knife. I struggled to hear his words through the feel of the pain on my skin.
"Who sent you?" the man growled, his voice cold and hard.
I shivered at the voice, slightly familiar to me. I felt the edge of a memory begin to take place but not forming around this morbid vision.
"Who sent you!" the man repeated, screaming into his face and slicing away part of the creatures throat.
"M-master," the demon stuttered reluctantly, driven by pain and desperation to live. Demon, where had that word come from?
I looked at the only piece of the man visible to me to distract myself from the pain of my wound. His hand. Long pianists fingers edged along the blade in a bone tight grip.
I blinked as I realized that the memory I had of the voice was the bursts of it I had gotten in California. Yet, this empty version wasn't the one I remembered, no, this was much worse.
"Who's your master, demon, tell me," he hissed, his knuckles turning white in anger.
"Never!" the demon spat.
I whimpered in terror as the blade pierced through the demons throat and it screamed as it crumpled in on itself.
The man rose from the being, black cloak billowing like some sort of avenging angel. When I felt the hotness of his gaze on me though his eyes were shrouded in darkness, I found my trembling increase, fear coursing through me along with something else.
He walked over to me, boots clonking on the ground heavily. I looked a mess probably in my torn and bloodstained dress and tangled hair. Stupid, I thought, you're laying on the ground bleeding, while a hooded figure who just killed something if walking towards you.
The man froze when he got close enough to me, his breathing suddenly labored. I looked up at him with no fear, some thing in me knowing that he meant no harm.
Neither of us spoke, just him looking into my eyes and me looking into the darkness of his hood.
"Show me," I said, my voice clear and unwavering.
I didn't think he would do it. A part of me didn't want him to do it. But he did. He reached up and lowered his cloak down behind him. I felt my world stopped. There, glaring at me was the man in the photo. Jace.
DUN, DUN, DUN, DUN! D I know I'm evil. Let's just say that Lily called me out on it when I told her that I was ending it in another cliffhanger. I know it's short but I promise the next chapter will be longer or at least better. I'm not entirely happy with this but this is after restarting once so you guys should be remotely happy. Please review, they make my life! Charlotte.
