Part 2
Something was wrong. Sydney wasn't exactly sure what. She drew her jacket closer around her. The moon was high in the sky, full, shining brightly, stars littered around it. A cool breeze blew. She glanced around, not liking the surrounding forest.
The road she had to walk down to get back to Runa's house was long and deserted, surrounded by tall, dark trees. In the day time it would have been less creepy. But when it was somewhere she didn't know, that was even creepier.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She tried to ignore them, thinking they had nothing to do with her.
Eventually, she couldn't take in anymore and glanced over her shoulders. Runa's friend Jesse was behind her, close behind...too close.
"Didn't you ever learn it's not nice to sneak up on people?" she snapped.
He grinned at her, showing large white teeth. "I don't do nice," he said.
"Figures," she snorted.
Sydney walked on, and he moved so he was standing beside her. She tried not to look at him. He was big and muscular, and rather scary. He scared her, and from his smugness, she guessed he knew he did, and he enjoyed her fear.
She glanced up at him uncomfortably, but was a little surprised to see him almost staring at her neck. Her neck? What the hell was this guy's problem?
"Why do you keep doing that?" she asked.
"Do what?" he asked, looking away.
"Looking at my neck?" she said, trying to move away. He reached out a strong arm, catching her.
He grinned unpleasantly. "How 'bout I show you?"
* * *
Runa sighed, getting impatient. She had been waiting for Sydney for the past half an hour. Everything was set up for a simple ritual. Falcon was glaring at her furiously, tapping her nails impatiently.
"This is ridiculous," Runa said, impatience rising.
"Where the hell is she?" Falcon snapped. "The sooner we get this over with the better?"
"She was just supposed to go to the store for some candles and matches," Runa said. "The store's a ten minute walk down the road."
"Down the long deserted road surrounded by woods on either side," Falcon pointed out.
Runa frowned, she had forgotten about those woods, full of Night People, and since the sun had gone down, and they would need to feed...
"Oh shit," she muttered. She grabbed her keys and ran out the house, hearing Falcon follow.
There was no sign of life outside. Everything was dark and deserted, the houses by the woods were sparse. Runa headed briefly into the surrounding forest, hearing faint footsteps.
She spotted Jesse, some poor girl in his arms, probably half dead anyway. "Jesse have you seen - "
Jesse's shoulders jerked in surprise and he turned around, his fangs covered in blood, silver eyes glaring at her. "Don't sneak up on me," he snapped.
Runa glared back. She opened her mouth to yell at him, then focused on the victim in his arms.
Sydney.
"You asshole!" she snapped.
"What? She's vermin."
"Found her?" Falcon came on the scene then, and stared at the half dead girl. "Oh."
"She's my cousin," Runa snapped. "You're an idiot," she ranted.
Jesse just shrugged, retracting his fangs. The silver faded from his eyes and his face went back to normal. "She's as good as dead anyway," he added snidely.
"You don't get it do you? My family will raise hell if they find out about this," Runa said. She didn't want to think about how much trouble she'd be in. She was supposed to make sure that this didn't happen. It was dangerous having human relatives, but she had been lectured to make sure nothing happened to Sydney during her visit. And now...
"Maybe Jesse should give her some of his blood," Falcon suggested.
"What good will that do?" Jesse snorted.
Runa opened her mouth to protest. But now she thought about it, she realised there was only one way to actually save Sydney...and that would mean. "Jesse's gonna have to change her," she said heavily.
"Does Jesse get a say in this?" Jesse snapped, clearly not happy. "You realise - "
"And do *you* realise how much trouble we're gonna be in if you don't?" Runa snapped. "We don't have any other choice."
"Fine," Jesse snapped.
Runa sighed heavily. This was a disaster. How was she going to explain it to Sydney if the change even worked? Would it work? It seemed there was only one way to find out...
* * *
Something was wrong. Sydney wasn't exactly sure what. She drew her jacket closer around her. The moon was high in the sky, full, shining brightly, stars littered around it. A cool breeze blew. She glanced around, not liking the surrounding forest.
The road she had to walk down to get back to Runa's house was long and deserted, surrounded by tall, dark trees. In the day time it would have been less creepy. But when it was somewhere she didn't know, that was even creepier.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She tried to ignore them, thinking they had nothing to do with her.
Eventually, she couldn't take in anymore and glanced over her shoulders. Runa's friend Jesse was behind her, close behind...too close.
"Didn't you ever learn it's not nice to sneak up on people?" she snapped.
He grinned at her, showing large white teeth. "I don't do nice," he said.
"Figures," she snorted.
Sydney walked on, and he moved so he was standing beside her. She tried not to look at him. He was big and muscular, and rather scary. He scared her, and from his smugness, she guessed he knew he did, and he enjoyed her fear.
She glanced up at him uncomfortably, but was a little surprised to see him almost staring at her neck. Her neck? What the hell was this guy's problem?
"Why do you keep doing that?" she asked.
"Do what?" he asked, looking away.
"Looking at my neck?" she said, trying to move away. He reached out a strong arm, catching her.
He grinned unpleasantly. "How 'bout I show you?"
* * *
Runa sighed, getting impatient. She had been waiting for Sydney for the past half an hour. Everything was set up for a simple ritual. Falcon was glaring at her furiously, tapping her nails impatiently.
"This is ridiculous," Runa said, impatience rising.
"Where the hell is she?" Falcon snapped. "The sooner we get this over with the better?"
"She was just supposed to go to the store for some candles and matches," Runa said. "The store's a ten minute walk down the road."
"Down the long deserted road surrounded by woods on either side," Falcon pointed out.
Runa frowned, she had forgotten about those woods, full of Night People, and since the sun had gone down, and they would need to feed...
"Oh shit," she muttered. She grabbed her keys and ran out the house, hearing Falcon follow.
There was no sign of life outside. Everything was dark and deserted, the houses by the woods were sparse. Runa headed briefly into the surrounding forest, hearing faint footsteps.
She spotted Jesse, some poor girl in his arms, probably half dead anyway. "Jesse have you seen - "
Jesse's shoulders jerked in surprise and he turned around, his fangs covered in blood, silver eyes glaring at her. "Don't sneak up on me," he snapped.
Runa glared back. She opened her mouth to yell at him, then focused on the victim in his arms.
Sydney.
"You asshole!" she snapped.
"What? She's vermin."
"Found her?" Falcon came on the scene then, and stared at the half dead girl. "Oh."
"She's my cousin," Runa snapped. "You're an idiot," she ranted.
Jesse just shrugged, retracting his fangs. The silver faded from his eyes and his face went back to normal. "She's as good as dead anyway," he added snidely.
"You don't get it do you? My family will raise hell if they find out about this," Runa said. She didn't want to think about how much trouble she'd be in. She was supposed to make sure that this didn't happen. It was dangerous having human relatives, but she had been lectured to make sure nothing happened to Sydney during her visit. And now...
"Maybe Jesse should give her some of his blood," Falcon suggested.
"What good will that do?" Jesse snorted.
Runa opened her mouth to protest. But now she thought about it, she realised there was only one way to actually save Sydney...and that would mean. "Jesse's gonna have to change her," she said heavily.
"Does Jesse get a say in this?" Jesse snapped, clearly not happy. "You realise - "
"And do *you* realise how much trouble we're gonna be in if you don't?" Runa snapped. "We don't have any other choice."
"Fine," Jesse snapped.
Runa sighed heavily. This was a disaster. How was she going to explain it to Sydney if the change even worked? Would it work? It seemed there was only one way to find out...
* * *