I don't know where this story is going, I'm letting the characters write it themselves. It may be five chapters long, it may be fifty. I'm rating this story R just in case. If I feel the rating should change I'll change it. Reviews are welcome by all, especially if your name happens to be Xanthos...You got me into this mess, babe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now or Never

I stood silently in the crowd, my gaze darting from person to person, taking in every detail but never resting too long on one face. The breeze of the city air hit my face hot and bitter as the average passerby jostled passed me. I kept a close watch on everything, making sure that these people were indeed as average as they appeared to be.

Rule Number One: Never trust your senses.

The speed of the passing crowds surged forward, trailing me along in it's current like a piece of driftwood caught in a riptide. I allowed my pace to be set by the mass, attempting to stay as inconspicuous as I could. I hadn't stayed alive this long by standing out in a crowd.

The people around me had their overwhelming concerns floating through their heads: what do eat for dinner, how to get the boss off their back, how would they pick up their kids from practice and still make it home in time for the seven o'clock news? They were lost in their own little worlds, oblivious to the fact that so much was happening right under their noses if they only dared look closer. I'm not even talking about the world where vampires and werewolves exist. I'm talking about the chase. The one that has my life at stake.

I blended with the undulating throng, weaving in and out of various paths and all the while keeping my guard up for a tall man with deep red hair. Deep red hair and gold eyes. Eyes filled with maliciousness, the stuff that causes nightmares in the mind of a nineteen year old girl barely a woman...

I stopped mid thought. I could feel eyes on me tracking my every move and following close. Close, but not close enough. How long had I let my mind wander? Not even a moment. Damn.

Rule Number Two: Never let your guard down.

I wasn't ready. There were too many people around, too many innocents for this shit to go down now. The very thing that I thought would keep me safe hindered my actions. He was following me, closing in, and I was helpless to stop him. Well, maybe not helpless...but I sure didn't have a shit load of options.

I turned the corner and entered an alley. Don't believe what you read, alleys aren't always dark. This one happened to be very well lit in fact. The sunlight played on the pavement and made the brick-enclosed space seem almost comfortable. A cat was curled up in the patch of sun as content as if it were on the softest rug in a warm suburban house with 2.3 kids and a pool out back. I would have preferred a dark, sketchy alley. I might have been able to hide. Well...maybe not, but a girl can dream, can't she?

I moved a little further down the alley. The cat glanced up at me with eyes heavy with sleep and contentment. It's meow was higher pitched than I would have thought. It quickly got up and ran down the alley. Smart cat. I heard movement behind me, more of a feeling of movement than an actual sound and I knew I couldn't run any longer. I turned slowly, attempting a casual air and a brilliant smile. Hey, don't mock it till you've tried it, you'd be amazed how disarming a smile and a nice attitude can be when you're fighting for your life. If nothing else at least I'd make my mom proud with my good manners.

My gaze found the figure at the edge of the alley, still halfway in the busy street. It was now or never.