Bad Guys Always Give Me the Shivers

Be Safe

Disclaimer: I'm not Darren Shan.

Author's Note: This is more of a filler than a drama filled chapter… but I loved writing it. I love writing stuff like this chapter! It's just intriguing… anywho, hope ya'll enjoy!

Thanks for the reviews too :)

The whole stadium was teeming with a timid pulse. Birds were flying out of their trees, the grass was swaying from the faint wind, and the timorous sun was finally peeking out. The flames had already died during the night.

Alexandria was leaning up against a tree, her knees pulled up to her body. Her head was nodding off to the side, her dark eyes dropping down towards the Earth, but she remembered why she was staying awake. She automatically sat back up and shook her head, trying to reason with herself.

She knew that if she fell asleep, Darren and Vancha would already be gone. They would leave her and not even give her a chance to explain why she wanted to go with them.

But it took her a few moments to remember Addison. He would be going with them and if he did, she would have to too. She was a part of the plan; actually, she was the most valuable part of it. The focal point if you will.

Alexandria decided she didn't want to go anymore because of that.

Then she remembered that Steve might not come out of that fight alive… which made her change her mind again. She wanted to see him, she needed to see him. If he wasn't there for her in the future, she would never feel that sharp ache in her heart. She wanted to feel it… she wanted the butterflies.

Maybe it was for the best if she didn't. She already had told herself that she shouldn't be in love with him, but she just couldn't help herself. You know how you know that there is just one thing that you are dying for but know you can't have because it's just something bad for you? Yeah, that's how Alexandria felt.

A light sigh vibrated off of her pale lips as she stood up. She turned around and looked at her back, which was covered in dirt. She just shrugged and pushed her hands into her deep pockets.

Alex started to walk towards the middle of the stadium, staring down at the ground. She was deep in thought… wondering if she should or shouldn't go. If she did go she would see Steve but might have to take part in that damn plan, but if she didn't she would be left just wondering, questioning what happened.

She quickly made the decision to go. She wasn't going to be the old woman sitting in her rocker thinking about what might have happened if she went with one guy or the other… although it would be with a different situation.

When Alex nodded, a lock of brunette hair brushed up against her skin. She was just about to move it when she felt a hand brush it away. A ray of sunshine ran up against her face as the hand moved away slowly… it was taking its time, going over each of her features.

Her cheek was burning with a bright flame when it moved away. Once it touched a single, dark eyelash on her right eye, she shivered. Alex was feeling colder than usual on the outside, but on the inside, she felt like a warm spark was lighting her up.

She found herself closing her eyes in a fluid motion once the hand reached her throat. It seemed to be curling around her, trying to be a comfort and not something that made her emotions run towards the finish line. But, it only made things worse when the hand picked up her necklace.

It was something that she had hidden through her whole life because it meant so much to her. Her parents, or rather parent, would have probably yelled at her. She didn't want that so she just kept it secret.

Everything that meant a lot to her was a secret. Steve… her feelings for Mr. Crepsley… the necklace… the fact that she still loved her best friend. All things that should have been public by then were still secretive. Dignified in the darkness, not being shown to the outsiders of Alex's mind.

Alexandria tightened her eyes when her heartbeat sped up and the person's hand was still on the key. She was afraid that they were going to take it, steal away one of the few things she had to her name, but it wasn't even that valuable in money value.

It was in sentimental though.

All it was was a brass colored key rimmed with a rosy patch of color. It was something that seemed to be from a more chivalrous time and that's why Alex loved it so much. She was fascinated with things like that.

After a few more seconds, the person dropped the key. Two pangs could be heard; one from Alex's heart and the other from the necklace.

She was satisfied that they had found no value in it but insulted from the same thing.

Shaking that thought away, her right eye opened a tad bit out of curiosity and her heart stopped once she saw a sliver of silver hair. She almost forgot how to breathe at that moment but was reminded when her heart started ramming across her supposedly dead chest.

Time seemed to stop when the person got closer… their breath coming out slowly on Alex's cheek. She refused to open her eyes out of disbelief and maybe the want for them to stay.

The warm breath stopped going for a second and Alex froze. She didn't know what to do at that moment. The stranger wasn't breathing anymore, but he had gotten closer.

He was just inches away from Alex's lips when he murmured, "Be safe when I'm gone."

Her eyes automatically opened up but he was gone.

Just like a billowy mystery in the wind… disappearing and leaving a deep yearning. Such a complexity liven secretly through true love.

Alex's throat tightened as she spun around, looking. She was desperate to know if that was Steve or just a random stranger. She thought it was more likely to be the former than the latter.

Her whole body was twisted out of a pure anger and want that made her want to scream. He was gone, or maybe he was never there. She thought she was going insane again, but she felt him. She really did.

She felt his fingers, his hand, his lips… he was there.

But a part of her didn't want to accept that or what he had said.

Be safe when I'm gone.

He was damn wrong if he thought he was going to be gone. He was strong, but also vile. He could protect himself while others couldn't… maybe he wouldn't die and someone else would. Who knows at this point?

Anything is possible.