Rating- PG-13

Genre- Romance/general

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

Please Read and Review.

WARNING- THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MILD GORE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE SUCH THINGS, I ASK YOU PLEASE NOT TO READ THIS CHAPTER.

"Village secrets"

Midnight Raven 666

Chapter 7

"Of colors and creatures"

It was late that evening. Alice and Edward were trying to calm Ivy who had been in hysterics ever since Lucius had gone.

"Where is Lucius...!? Why has he left?!" She whimpered in pain, deliriously.

"Ivy, please settle down, you will make your injury worse..." Edward said nervously.

"He will return soon, do not worry... He went to fetch you medicines to help you heal..." Alice explained, stroking Ivy's hair in a motherly fashion, trying to relax her.

"Lucius..." she whined pathetically as her eyes soon fluttered to a close and she passed out.

"She sounds just as Lucius did when he realized she had left for the towns." Alice remarked after everything seemed settled.

Edward glanced at her and nodded. "I think... she has suffered great shock from all that has happened... It is making her condition worse... I just pray her love for Lucius will help her hold on for...just a bit longer..."

"You said once that the world moves for love... This is very true. Do not give up hope." Alice said as she gave him a smile.

Edward smiled weakly then looked, worriedly, to Ivy, who appeared even in sleep to be still tremendously disturbed. She could hear them talking as she slept when suddenly their speaking became distant and distorted while the darkness, which she always saw, then became a blur of red.

"...Those we do not speak of have come. They are real and they are waiting in the woods." came a voice sounding much like Edward's though it echoed eerily.

"They are blind as you know... They will be able to see Lucius' color... they will kill him...if his color is..." came another voice which suddenly stopped...

Ivy began to sob uncontrollably, waking up from her short dream, "Those we do not speak of!!! No, his color must not turn... Please let his color be safe!"

"Ivy... It's alright. Settle down..." Edward tried in vain to calm her once more.

"You told me the creatures were not real!? Now you say they are! Which is it papa?! I do not understand!?" Ivy quickly choked out through her tears as her pain became worse.

"What are you talking of Ivy? I said no such thing... Please calm down! There are no creatures. I explained this to you... There are no creatures in Covington woods, alright?" Edward said worried, taken back by her sudden outburst.

Ivy then fell silent, seemingly passed out once more, as Alice and Edward exchanged glances worriedly. She then mumbled softly and began to stir uncomfortably as the "bad color" clouded her dreams once more...

The woods were almost pitch black and a strange fog was covering the ground. Lucius sighed as he continued to walk, followed by his two escorts, Christop and Finton. The full moon gave a faint glow which allowed them to see, though only slightly.

"Should we really be traveling at night? What if they... see us?" Christop questioned, fear in his voice.

Finton looked back at Christop, "We will be safe...Right Lucius?"

Lucius nodded, becoming aware of how slow he was walking. He began to speed up his pace a bit feeling the muddy ground becoming slicker under his shoes.

"Wait for me..." Finton called behind him, running as Christop followed slowly.

Suddenly Finton felt something pull at his arm. It ripped into his flesh. He gave a slight cry of pain as he looked at his bloody arm, then behind him finding a tree branch with a piece of his shirt hanging from it's limb, dripping with blood. It hadn't hurt much just startled him, he had believed for a moment a creature... had grabbed him with it's long claws.

"...you fool, you are going to kill yourself..." Christop remarked, trembling a bit, hearing a howling cry which petrified him. "...What was that...?" he asked fear completely taking over his voice. There was silence for a moment until suddenly a shadowy red figure quickly pounced upon him.

Lucius looked at it almost fearfully as Finton gasped in fright; it looked as the creatures did but it ripped at Christop's chest sending blood spray everywhere with it's claws, like a wild animal. It growled at Christop spewing him with warm, gooey, saliva and breath that smelled of rotting flesh.

"HELP ME!!!" Christop screamed as the creature abruptly got off of him looking towards Finton who stood there shaking with fear. It opened it's mouth exposing it's large fangs which were yellowed and dripping with blood and tissue. It roared sending bits of bloody flesh everywhere.

Christop stumbled to his feet as the creature turned it's attention back to him, sensing his movement. Christop gave one final scream before it lunged it's claws deep into his chest. He immediately fell to the ground shaking and choking on his own blood. He then died abruptly.

Lucius looked at the creature as it looked at him. 'How can it be....? It doesn't make sense.... They are not real!!!' he thought frantically as the creature stepped away from him making strange sounds, seeing his color. It sniffed around; almost as if it were blind, finding Finton's scent once more or rather the scent of the blood which still oozed from the cut on his arm. It lunged at him, it's razor-like claws dug into him making a disgusting wet ripping sound. Fenton screamed as he tried to fight off the creature.

Lucius, realizing it did not like something about him, stepped near it. It immediately ceased attacking Finton and looked at him. Lucius got a good look at it as well, it defiantly was real and for some reason it had a sightless look in it's eyes much like Ivy's. It growled at him and backed away, running into the trees while dragging Christop's lifeless body.

"Thank you Lucius..." Finton said breathlessly.

"Are you alright?" Lucius asked, shaken.

"Yes, I am fine, I am just... terrified... It got Christop... It ripped him to shreds..." he said shakily still in shock. His eyes were wet with tears.

Lucius nodded being in shock himself, not knowing quite how to respond as he thought over what had just happened. How could they be real...? Did the elders deceive Ivy and himself? Had the creatures always been real? And if it was real why did it attack his friends and run from him in fear? It just didn't add up. Nothing made sense...

"Lucius? Lucius...?" Finton asked.

"...Yes Finton?" Lucius asked being torn from his thoughts.

"...For some reason... They fear you. You are safe but it is clear they mean to kill me." His voice was still shaky with fear and shock.

"I understand you may leave, please be careful."

"I will, you take care and come back alive, do you hear me?"

"Yes..."

With that Finton nodded and headed back towards the village.

Lucius watched him go as he then heard a strange sound behind him and heard Finton scream in the distance. "Finton..." Lucius began to say, fear in his voice as he then felt hot pain surge through him. He screamed in agony as warm blood ran down his back. He fell to the ground and lay there limp and lifeless, a creature stood over his body looking at it hungrily. Everything then faded from the red blur to the familiar darkness...

"No...! Lucius...! NO! NO!! NO!!!" Ivy shouted hysterically as Edward shook her a bit.

"Ivy dear, please wake up... It was only a bad dream, nothing more..." He said frantically as Alice watched from the background, Ivy had been doing this for a while now and they were beginning to worry.

"They're dead... and Lucius he is dead... no..." Ivy continued to sob, still unaware that all of it had just been a dream.

"It's alright dear... Do not cry. Lucius is not dead I promise you. It was only a dream..." Edward said, feeling helpless and saddened as he held her hand tightly in his.

Ivy turned her head to face her father, who now had tears in his eyes as well. "Papa...?" she whispered softly, calming down a bit.

Edward looked at her and smiled wiping away his tears. "Are you alright now?" He asked touching her forehead gently.

Ivy just sighed and nodded, still slightly upset from the dream she had believed to be real.

'I pray Lucius returns soon... She needs him at her side...' Alice thought to herself sadly as she stepped next to Edward and put a hand on his shoulder.

In the woods, the sun had begun to arise and spread some light in the darkness. Lucius finally came to the wall which separated the village from the towns. Suddenly there came a strange, loud, noise from the other side of the huge wall. Lucius looked towards it curiously, wondering what it had been then realized he didn't have time to stand there and think about it. He quickly grabbed hold of the vines which covered the wall and hoisted himself upward, grunting slightly.

He climbed over the wall, losing his balance and falling to the ground with a thud. "oof...." he grunted as he hit the ground feeling pain serge through his weak body. He did not let it faze him though; he hurriedly got to his feet and dusted himself off a bit.

Lucius looked around dumbfounded. He had always had a yearning deep inside to see what the towns were like. He looked outward in amazement, this place seemed endless. There were no boundaries and there were many new things he had never laid eyes on before which tugged at his curiosity... but he knew he did not have time to look around he needed to find the medicines and quickly. He began to walk alongside the strange black ground, having a feeling that he should not step upon it. As he walked something very huge approached him making the strange noise he had heard before. Written upon the strange moving object was "Walker wildlife preserve". He continued to stare at it as a young man about his age stepped out from inside of it.

The man, who was dressed rather oddly, approached Lucius slowly. "I'm sorry sir but you can't go in there." He said forcefully.

"What is that...and why does it...scream?" Lucius asked ignoring his statement and pointing to the vehicle behind the man.

The man just looked at him as if he were crazy. "...Where are you from...?" he asked, curiosity in his voice, realizing that this conversation was beginning to sound a lot like the one he had had a while ago with a young lady.

"....um... the woods..." Lucius answered, not really sure of what to say.

This was too strange he thought to himself. "You're serious?" he questioned.

"...Why would I not be?" Lucius asked puzzlement in his voice as he then laid eyes upon a glimmering silver name tag on the man's shirt, which read "Kevin".

Lucius stared at it in amazement remembering his conversation with Ivy... "I spoke only to one. He was named Kevin. He was...kind, I was not expecting that."

He could think of so many questions he wanted to ask this strange man but only one would come out, "Ivy said you were...kind ....Can you help me? I must find medicines, they are written here..." he said taking out the paper from his pocket and extending it to Kevin.

"...Wait a minute. Ivy...? You... know her?" Kevin looked to Lucius.

"...I do sir...please, can you tell me where to find these things? Please I must make haste." Lucius replied urgently.

Kevin took the paper from him and looked upon it, realizing that these medicines were for more serious illnesses than the others had been. "...What's your name?" he asked, not sure of what to say.

"Lucius.... Lucius Hunt..." He answered, "Will you help me?" he pleaded.

Kevin looked at Lucius then back to the paper. He sighed "You aren't trickin' me are ya?" he asked already aware of what the answer would be.

Lucius looked at him in bewilderment "I... do not understand..."

Kevin smiled and replied, "Stay here, I'll help you out, don't worry about a thing."

Lucius looked at him gratefully as his worried expression eased up. "I thank you deeply... as does Ivy, and please take these as payment." Lucius handed him some old coins from a small pouch, they looked as if they were made of gold.

Kevin took them and stared at them in bewilderment. "...Hey, no problem. I'll be back in a little while." Kevin smiled as he got into his car and drove off to gather the medicines for the strange young man called Lucius, who lived in the woods...

This is by far my longest chapter... I know this is a bit weird but I am reading deep into horror novels presently... That explains my use of gore, sorry if that offended any of you... well anyway please leave me a review.

Thanks,

Midnight Raven 666