A/N: yay! Up to chapter three!! Thanks to everyone who has been
reviewing!
Chapter Three: Meetings by the Moonlight
Remus had lost count of the minutes that had passed by since he had creep out of his window and secretly waited in Pine Cove Park for Saphir. The endless seconds became minutes and minutes drifted into hours but still Remus waited anxiously.
Far in the distance, he could hear the chiming of bells from the church that was located in the center of town. He counted twelve tolls of the bell. The sound was quiet but it added a strange vibration to the air that was thick with a heavy mist.
Remus began to pace numerous times back and forth at the edge of the playground where a swing set stood tall and dark. It had three rusty swings that creaked loudly in the breeze that was sweeping through the park.
On one of the swings, he had set a small bouquet of flowers. Remus had plucked them from the small garden in his backyard that his mother had neglected over the years and had become overgrown with wildflowers and weeds. The flowers had been tied with some old Christmas ribbon Remus had found in the basement. The bright red color had reminded him of Saphir's hair.
As he gazed as his sad bouquet of weeds, Remus had lost track of time. His mind began to wander about what Saphir's reaction would be to his gift.
Would she like it or hate it? Would she laugh at him and run away? Was he being to forward? They had only met that morning but for some reason, Remus could not stop thinking about her.
He was curious more then anything to learn more about her. Her appearance was strange and her manner was even more so. Most of all he wanted to be with her and talk. He really wanted a friend to confide in and this was his chance.
Suddenly, Remus was violently shaken from his thoughts as a howl pierced his ears and rang through the night. It was such a loud and starling noise that he tumbled backward right into the playground's sandpit. He felt the cold sand quickly seep into his socks and shoes has he let out an annoyed sigh.
A second howl made him jump to his feet and anxiously look about. The sound felt so close that he could tell what direction it came from. A short distance to his left, the forest took over the rest of the park and loomed darkly in the fog. The noise had come from just beyond those trees.
Curiosity and dread filled his heart as he inched toward the trees as quietly as he could. Instantly the sound of voices hit his ears. There were two, no, three voices. The loudest one sounded rough and cruel, the second was softer but cold. The final voice, who ever it belonged to, was in great agony. Remus moved still closer, straining his ear to make out what they were saying.
Failing to see in the dark, Remus's foot caught on a large tree root that stuck up from the ground. With a loud crash through a group of tall bushes, Remus fell forward onto the cold earth and froze to the spot in horror.
The voices had stopped and nothing could be heard except the soft hooting of an owl that was out on the night's hunt. Remus lay still under the bush for what seemed like endless seconds. Finally, he mustered up some courage and just as he was about to stand and return to the swing set, a huge foot stepped heavily into the thicket inches from his head. Remus did not dare look up to see whom the foot belonged. The dark form of a large man loomed over the spot where Remus lay shaking with terror.
In a deep growl, the man called to the others.
"The noise came from around here. Stay there while I check it out."
He finished with another low growl and then it sounded to Remus as if the man was sniffing the air. Suddenly, the dark form bent down low to the ground. Remus held his breath and closed his eyes tightly. He was so afraid he just wanted to scream but he did his best to keep his teeth clenched and his mouth silent.
"Tiburon!" A voice hissed. "Stop playing around. It was probably just a squirrel. We have more important business to tend to."
"Don't say my name. There could be someone here." Tiburon said moving back into the forest, away from the playground.
"I don't think so. Stop worrying so much, dear. Let us focus on why we are here and get it over with." The voice called back. After a moment of silence, it spoke once more. "You wouldn't happen to know what time it is would you?"
"It's probably half past midnight." Tiburon answered as he disappeared into the darkness.
Remus gasped in alarm. What if Saphir had come and left already? Or if she showed up while these people where in the woods, she could be hurt if they found her. As soon as the man was gone, Remus ran towards the playground. He grabbed his bouquet from the swing he had set it on and was about to take off when a voice called to him from the trees.
"Remus? Is that you?" A little girl wrapped in a black cloak smiled.
"Saphir! Shh!!" Remus waved frantically for her to be quiet and come over to him.
"What's wrong?" She asked walking over slowly.
Remus thought quickly. He did not want scare Saphir but he wanted to get out of there quickly. "I thought I heard something. Some people might be here."
"Really? Did you hear people talking? What did they say?" Saphir asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure. It might not have even been anyone at all."
"Well I just came from the woods. I didn't see anyone. But let's get out of here. It's creepy."
She grabbed hold of Remus's arm and they took off in a run towards the streets of the nearby neighborhood. They stopped at the small brick wall that separated the park from the houses. A bright street light hung over them and glowed with the mist that still lingered in the empty streets. Remus helped Saphir onto the wall and then took a seat next to her.
"Um...here." Remus fumbled with the withering flowers and handed them to Saphir.
"You brought me flowers? Wow! That is so nice." She smiled with her sparkling red eyes.
Remus felt his face tingle as he blushed.
Quickly, the smile faded from Saphir's face. Her face was a sudden look of concern. "Your face is all red!" She said as she put her hand on his forehead and moved her face in close to him, almost letting her nose touch his. "Are you sick?"
"N...no." He stuttered.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come out here so late."
"I'm fine, really." Remus insisted as he shook his head so vigorously that he almost fell off the wall.
Saphir giggled and took a sniff of her flowers. "This was fun."
"Yeah..." was all Remus could answer as he stared dumbly at her beautifully pale face.
"Well, see you later." She said hopping off the wall.
"You're leaving already?" He asked jumping off the wall quickly. "Do you think we can meet again another night?"
"Oh yes, we can meet right here, the same time."
"Great. Then I'll see you on the bus tomorrow." Said Remus.
"I won't be going on the bus anymore."
"Why not?" Remus asked but she just stared at him like she had not heard a word.
"Remus?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for the flowers, I've never gotten any before."
"Your welcome. So I'll see you around school?"
"Maybe. But if not, we'll meet here in three days." She smiled before turning and running into the park. She turned and waved good bye before disappearing into the trees.
"Wait!" Remus yelled but it was too late. Saphir was gone.
* * *
"Saphir! You haven't forgotten about why we're here, have you?" Growled Tiburon.
"Will you stop worrying?" Saphir laughed nervously, her white fangs glistened in the soft moonlight.
"You shouldn't have made that a date like that, you should have discussed it with me first. Especially since we have other more important matters to attend to tonight." He said motioning in the direction of a man crouched in the dirt, sputtering and gasping for air.
"Must I discuss all my meals with you?" She hissed at him.
"Just feed and get rid of him quickly, like the rest."
"I can't do that." She said quickly.
"You haven't actually developed feelings for this human boy. That's disgusting."
"No, no." She said quietly. "Use that lump you call a brain and think for a change. I have to be patient when I feed or else people might get suspicious if all their children start coming down with anemia. They'll be on to me and I'll be dead before our mission is complete."
"Do you even remember what our mission is?" Tiburon asked angrily. "Or is your human side beginning to over power your true self." He said punching the nearest tree. "I'd be rather angry if I found out I was being two timed by the likes of a half-vampire."
"Oh Tiburon." Saphir laughed loudly but it was a cold, dangerous laughter that escaped her lips. "You always look so silly when you try to scare me. Good thing it doesn't work. I seriously hope that not all the werewolves are as ridiculously unthreatening as you. Your race would be a laughing stock." She yawned loudly and blinked her ruby red eyes lazily as her demeanor changed. "Has he given you an answer yet?" She asked coldly. Though she was only have his size, his massive frame seemed to shrink and cower in front of her.
"No. But give me five more minutes. I'll have him screaming for mercy at your feet."
"That won't be necessary. I'm tired and I've got school tomorrow. I'm going to bed." She yawned again. "Dump him at the entrance to the park and give him three days to decide and I do believe there will be a full moon on that night as well. If he doesn't give us the answer we want, do what you want to him...and his family." With that, she was gone.
* * *
Remus sat on the ground and leaned against the brick wall. He didn't know why but he had no desire to go back home. He wanted to go into the park and find Saphir so they could talk more.
A loud rustling noise and a growl brought him back to reality. He had almost forgotten about the voices in the woods. Remus crawled quickly along the brick wall and hid behind a large tree just as a dark form emerged from the entrance to the park carrying something large. He watched in fear as the dark form from before finally was revealed in the light.
"Now get out of here and think over what we've discussed." Said a man with thick, messy hair whom was still very tall though his back was hunched. Remus recognized the voice from before and found that his terrible voice matched his looks perfectly.
Tiburon tossed a body easily to the ground and stood over it, waiting. The other man, beaten and bloody slowly stood and spit, what looked like blood, at the feet of the terrible man.
"I already told you my answer is 'no'." He mumbled.
Tiburon let out a horribly grotesque laugh before punching the man in the gut and letting him fall to the ground in a fit of coughing and gasping. He continued in a loud laughter that seemed more animal then man as he took a long, thin stick out of his pocket.
"Don't forget this." Said Tiburon waving it around slowly before breaking it in half.
"My wand..." The man on the ground gasped.
"You have one week. Tell me your answer then. I'll let you talk it over with your family first." He said before bursting into another fit of laughter before shoveling into the thick trees of Pine Cove Park and disappearing into the night.
Remus watched as the man was left in the shadows to gather his broken wand and slink off to his home. He couldn't help but feel pity for the man and his family. Remus couldn't help wondering what the man had done and what matter needed his answer. Most all, what did he man look like.
He knew he should have waited in the dark till the whole matter was done with and gone but a voice in his mind and a feeling in his heart made him stand and move from behind the tree. He inched his way along the wall, making sure to stay quiet. He just wanted to see the man's face and then he would be satisfied.
He watched as the man finally stood and pocketed the remains of his wand. Remus was only a few feet away. If he would just step into the light...without warning, the man tripped on his tattered robe and fell forward into the street light. He shielded his eyes from the light but it was no use. A loud gasp hit his ears as he turned quickly and looked up to see a small boy standing over him. For a moment, neither moved but then Remus stepped into the light and starred down at him.
"Father..."
Chapter Three: Meetings by the Moonlight
Remus had lost count of the minutes that had passed by since he had creep out of his window and secretly waited in Pine Cove Park for Saphir. The endless seconds became minutes and minutes drifted into hours but still Remus waited anxiously.
Far in the distance, he could hear the chiming of bells from the church that was located in the center of town. He counted twelve tolls of the bell. The sound was quiet but it added a strange vibration to the air that was thick with a heavy mist.
Remus began to pace numerous times back and forth at the edge of the playground where a swing set stood tall and dark. It had three rusty swings that creaked loudly in the breeze that was sweeping through the park.
On one of the swings, he had set a small bouquet of flowers. Remus had plucked them from the small garden in his backyard that his mother had neglected over the years and had become overgrown with wildflowers and weeds. The flowers had been tied with some old Christmas ribbon Remus had found in the basement. The bright red color had reminded him of Saphir's hair.
As he gazed as his sad bouquet of weeds, Remus had lost track of time. His mind began to wander about what Saphir's reaction would be to his gift.
Would she like it or hate it? Would she laugh at him and run away? Was he being to forward? They had only met that morning but for some reason, Remus could not stop thinking about her.
He was curious more then anything to learn more about her. Her appearance was strange and her manner was even more so. Most of all he wanted to be with her and talk. He really wanted a friend to confide in and this was his chance.
Suddenly, Remus was violently shaken from his thoughts as a howl pierced his ears and rang through the night. It was such a loud and starling noise that he tumbled backward right into the playground's sandpit. He felt the cold sand quickly seep into his socks and shoes has he let out an annoyed sigh.
A second howl made him jump to his feet and anxiously look about. The sound felt so close that he could tell what direction it came from. A short distance to his left, the forest took over the rest of the park and loomed darkly in the fog. The noise had come from just beyond those trees.
Curiosity and dread filled his heart as he inched toward the trees as quietly as he could. Instantly the sound of voices hit his ears. There were two, no, three voices. The loudest one sounded rough and cruel, the second was softer but cold. The final voice, who ever it belonged to, was in great agony. Remus moved still closer, straining his ear to make out what they were saying.
Failing to see in the dark, Remus's foot caught on a large tree root that stuck up from the ground. With a loud crash through a group of tall bushes, Remus fell forward onto the cold earth and froze to the spot in horror.
The voices had stopped and nothing could be heard except the soft hooting of an owl that was out on the night's hunt. Remus lay still under the bush for what seemed like endless seconds. Finally, he mustered up some courage and just as he was about to stand and return to the swing set, a huge foot stepped heavily into the thicket inches from his head. Remus did not dare look up to see whom the foot belonged. The dark form of a large man loomed over the spot where Remus lay shaking with terror.
In a deep growl, the man called to the others.
"The noise came from around here. Stay there while I check it out."
He finished with another low growl and then it sounded to Remus as if the man was sniffing the air. Suddenly, the dark form bent down low to the ground. Remus held his breath and closed his eyes tightly. He was so afraid he just wanted to scream but he did his best to keep his teeth clenched and his mouth silent.
"Tiburon!" A voice hissed. "Stop playing around. It was probably just a squirrel. We have more important business to tend to."
"Don't say my name. There could be someone here." Tiburon said moving back into the forest, away from the playground.
"I don't think so. Stop worrying so much, dear. Let us focus on why we are here and get it over with." The voice called back. After a moment of silence, it spoke once more. "You wouldn't happen to know what time it is would you?"
"It's probably half past midnight." Tiburon answered as he disappeared into the darkness.
Remus gasped in alarm. What if Saphir had come and left already? Or if she showed up while these people where in the woods, she could be hurt if they found her. As soon as the man was gone, Remus ran towards the playground. He grabbed his bouquet from the swing he had set it on and was about to take off when a voice called to him from the trees.
"Remus? Is that you?" A little girl wrapped in a black cloak smiled.
"Saphir! Shh!!" Remus waved frantically for her to be quiet and come over to him.
"What's wrong?" She asked walking over slowly.
Remus thought quickly. He did not want scare Saphir but he wanted to get out of there quickly. "I thought I heard something. Some people might be here."
"Really? Did you hear people talking? What did they say?" Saphir asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure. It might not have even been anyone at all."
"Well I just came from the woods. I didn't see anyone. But let's get out of here. It's creepy."
She grabbed hold of Remus's arm and they took off in a run towards the streets of the nearby neighborhood. They stopped at the small brick wall that separated the park from the houses. A bright street light hung over them and glowed with the mist that still lingered in the empty streets. Remus helped Saphir onto the wall and then took a seat next to her.
"Um...here." Remus fumbled with the withering flowers and handed them to Saphir.
"You brought me flowers? Wow! That is so nice." She smiled with her sparkling red eyes.
Remus felt his face tingle as he blushed.
Quickly, the smile faded from Saphir's face. Her face was a sudden look of concern. "Your face is all red!" She said as she put her hand on his forehead and moved her face in close to him, almost letting her nose touch his. "Are you sick?"
"N...no." He stuttered.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come out here so late."
"I'm fine, really." Remus insisted as he shook his head so vigorously that he almost fell off the wall.
Saphir giggled and took a sniff of her flowers. "This was fun."
"Yeah..." was all Remus could answer as he stared dumbly at her beautifully pale face.
"Well, see you later." She said hopping off the wall.
"You're leaving already?" He asked jumping off the wall quickly. "Do you think we can meet again another night?"
"Oh yes, we can meet right here, the same time."
"Great. Then I'll see you on the bus tomorrow." Said Remus.
"I won't be going on the bus anymore."
"Why not?" Remus asked but she just stared at him like she had not heard a word.
"Remus?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for the flowers, I've never gotten any before."
"Your welcome. So I'll see you around school?"
"Maybe. But if not, we'll meet here in three days." She smiled before turning and running into the park. She turned and waved good bye before disappearing into the trees.
"Wait!" Remus yelled but it was too late. Saphir was gone.
* * *
"Saphir! You haven't forgotten about why we're here, have you?" Growled Tiburon.
"Will you stop worrying?" Saphir laughed nervously, her white fangs glistened in the soft moonlight.
"You shouldn't have made that a date like that, you should have discussed it with me first. Especially since we have other more important matters to attend to tonight." He said motioning in the direction of a man crouched in the dirt, sputtering and gasping for air.
"Must I discuss all my meals with you?" She hissed at him.
"Just feed and get rid of him quickly, like the rest."
"I can't do that." She said quickly.
"You haven't actually developed feelings for this human boy. That's disgusting."
"No, no." She said quietly. "Use that lump you call a brain and think for a change. I have to be patient when I feed or else people might get suspicious if all their children start coming down with anemia. They'll be on to me and I'll be dead before our mission is complete."
"Do you even remember what our mission is?" Tiburon asked angrily. "Or is your human side beginning to over power your true self." He said punching the nearest tree. "I'd be rather angry if I found out I was being two timed by the likes of a half-vampire."
"Oh Tiburon." Saphir laughed loudly but it was a cold, dangerous laughter that escaped her lips. "You always look so silly when you try to scare me. Good thing it doesn't work. I seriously hope that not all the werewolves are as ridiculously unthreatening as you. Your race would be a laughing stock." She yawned loudly and blinked her ruby red eyes lazily as her demeanor changed. "Has he given you an answer yet?" She asked coldly. Though she was only have his size, his massive frame seemed to shrink and cower in front of her.
"No. But give me five more minutes. I'll have him screaming for mercy at your feet."
"That won't be necessary. I'm tired and I've got school tomorrow. I'm going to bed." She yawned again. "Dump him at the entrance to the park and give him three days to decide and I do believe there will be a full moon on that night as well. If he doesn't give us the answer we want, do what you want to him...and his family." With that, she was gone.
* * *
Remus sat on the ground and leaned against the brick wall. He didn't know why but he had no desire to go back home. He wanted to go into the park and find Saphir so they could talk more.
A loud rustling noise and a growl brought him back to reality. He had almost forgotten about the voices in the woods. Remus crawled quickly along the brick wall and hid behind a large tree just as a dark form emerged from the entrance to the park carrying something large. He watched in fear as the dark form from before finally was revealed in the light.
"Now get out of here and think over what we've discussed." Said a man with thick, messy hair whom was still very tall though his back was hunched. Remus recognized the voice from before and found that his terrible voice matched his looks perfectly.
Tiburon tossed a body easily to the ground and stood over it, waiting. The other man, beaten and bloody slowly stood and spit, what looked like blood, at the feet of the terrible man.
"I already told you my answer is 'no'." He mumbled.
Tiburon let out a horribly grotesque laugh before punching the man in the gut and letting him fall to the ground in a fit of coughing and gasping. He continued in a loud laughter that seemed more animal then man as he took a long, thin stick out of his pocket.
"Don't forget this." Said Tiburon waving it around slowly before breaking it in half.
"My wand..." The man on the ground gasped.
"You have one week. Tell me your answer then. I'll let you talk it over with your family first." He said before bursting into another fit of laughter before shoveling into the thick trees of Pine Cove Park and disappearing into the night.
Remus watched as the man was left in the shadows to gather his broken wand and slink off to his home. He couldn't help but feel pity for the man and his family. Remus couldn't help wondering what the man had done and what matter needed his answer. Most all, what did he man look like.
He knew he should have waited in the dark till the whole matter was done with and gone but a voice in his mind and a feeling in his heart made him stand and move from behind the tree. He inched his way along the wall, making sure to stay quiet. He just wanted to see the man's face and then he would be satisfied.
He watched as the man finally stood and pocketed the remains of his wand. Remus was only a few feet away. If he would just step into the light...without warning, the man tripped on his tattered robe and fell forward into the street light. He shielded his eyes from the light but it was no use. A loud gasp hit his ears as he turned quickly and looked up to see a small boy standing over him. For a moment, neither moved but then Remus stepped into the light and starred down at him.
"Father..."
