Chapter 4

The girl sighed in her slumber, unaware of anything or anyone around her.

Kale Redfern watched her intently, carelessly, as her pupils flickered underneath the soft veil of her eyelids. Her body was still full of life and colour that his mind -or rather his body- just longed to drain away.

Before he had bitten her, he had heard the loud steady rhythm of her heart, and how it pushed her blood around in circles, inside her. It had produced a dull ache in the pit of his stomach, that he had managed to suppress so far: hunger.

He smelt her blood before he saw her.

He felt the way her pace quickened when his teeth bit in to her soft, tender skin. He felt her fear shivering against him. And he felt the power that shimmered around him like an invisible veil, covering him entirely.

He could sense life, her life, walking on tightropes- the rope made out of fragile but precious thread. He imagined the snap, the followed fall and the glorious sensation of power.

The decision over life was a thrum of electricity inside him, sparkling and electrifying. Dangerous.

He laughed softly at his fortunes, at his god given nature. The cruel, predatory nature that devoured him and any one else in sight. The one that made him a monster.

That was what blood thirst to the minimum was like. Something you could not ignore, did not want to ignore because even in its terrible rule over your body, it was beautiful.

He sighed, and ran a finger down her arm. He could still feel her pulse, hear the soft rhythm it played in his senses. So much he could do and yet so little he did.

He walked away from the body leaving it lying where she had fallen, not sparing a glance backwards. He had already forgotten her face- but never the sweet taste of her blood.

He walked and whistled softly to himself, enjoying the smell and sound of night that prickled his inhuman senses. He had another life to decide over and he would enjoy not having to decide.

"…the first lesson we have today is English," Chia said cheerfully to Athena- and if words could have been colours, hers would have been vibrant and bright; an accurate resemblance of their mistress. She was a pretty, lively bubble of water that even when pricked with a needle refused to burst and die out.

Athena didn't say anything. Paige didn't say anything. Chia carried on talking anyway.

"….Greek mythology, which is quite a coincidence you know with you being a Greek and everything." She stopped frowning thoughtfully at what she had just said, and peered at Athena. "Are you a Greek?"

Athena smiled- the first sign she had shown all morning as to whether she was actually even half listening to Chia's ongoing, friendly chatter- not that Chia would have noticed if she wasn't.

"Just about a quarter, I think."

"A quarter?" was the puzzled reply.

Athena smiled again, something which was very rare for her these days but easily come upon when with Chia.

"One of my grandparents were Greek. She wanted my mum to name me and my brother with Greek names so we wouldn't forget part of our heritage," Athena explained, making a record of speaking for the longest time ever since her arrival in this new town. Maybe things were looking up.

"Oh." Chia said, and if she noticed that Athena was finally speaking she didn't mention anything. Her face brightened up again when she thought of something new. "You have a brother? I've always wanted an older brother, you know…"

Athena turned away and was silent. Paige noticed her grim silence.

"…so what Greek name does your brother have?" Chia's inquiring voice floated about again.

There was a silence in which no one spoke and the surrounding noise of the school corridor seemed to dim down to nothing. At least one out of the three girls noticed the clouds of tension floating about.

Finally, Athena turned and smiled sadly, regretfully. "His name was Theo."

Paige noticed how her voice seemed to quiver on the word was- as if it was threatening to break away from her and break her. She also notice the quizzical look Chia gave her.

This time it was Paige who spoke, with a bitter sound to her words that surprised even her. "He's dead, isn't he?" It was formed like a question, but with no doubt or real question behind the harsh, unweighed words.

And this time the silence seemed to stretch on for longer, completely blocking out the rest of the world as if awaiting the moment Athena's mouth let loose her next words.

She on the other hand, seemed to have a mental battle within herself. Within her head; one voice urging her to do something, the other the complete opposite. Finally composing her thoughts coherently and clearing her head, she turned back to the two girls.

"Come on let's go to English…I du-don't want to be late on my first day." Her voice faltered slightly, betraying her look of secure ness and the way she wanted to feel. Her weak smile was not a smile but a ghost of a smile that had once been.

Chia nodded in sincere understanding, although what she understood could not be said, and led the way through a crowd of bodies to their class, not noticing that her ever so silent cousin didn't follow her lead.

Paige watched the two girls walk in to the midst of the crowd of students and disappear.

She breathed regret; because now, the dead feeling once inside her was growing larger and larger, swamping her very existence; it's bitter tendrils of nothing wrapping around her insides until it was suffocating her from within.

"Theo," she said in a lifeless whisper to herself and half listened as the name was carried away from her, forever. The reason of not knowing the reasons for her thoughts and actions was making her mad with utter madness.

She clenched her fists tightly, subconsciously- her own nails digging fiercely, brutally in to her innocent skin. She shut her eyes with force, hoping that the water that was forming in the inside would not spill forth.

Outside the heavens cried.

Matthew stared at the photo he had just developed freshly in the library's dingy dark room. It was the photo he had took of her on that fateful rainy day. She was so beautiful and just so….

Matthew sighed at himself. He loved a picture, for god's sake! Who knew where the hell she was now. God, he hoped he would see her again, sometime soon. Anytime soon?

A huge drop of water splattered on the face of the glossy photo. Hurriedly, Matthew put it in with the others and stared up at the sky. Grey clouds had formed out of nowhere and it was slowly raining, again.

"Interesting, isn't she?"

Matthew turned, startled. A guy about his age was standing in front of him, hands in his tattered jeans pocket, looking very relaxed. He had very light hair. Matt had never seen blonde hair so light, it was almost white- a shocking flash of white if you turned quickly to look at him. It was slightly and naturally slicked back from his pale face but there was a white, stray lock of hair on his eyes. He was handsome- and Matt, the ever straight guy thought this with some amount of disdain.

The guy's eyebrow was raised and Matt figured he was probably waiting for a reply or something. An acknowledgment maybe? Did Matt know him? Was he someone from sixth form? He didn't look particularly familiar.

Matthew looked around and behind him just incase, checking to see if there could be anyone else the guy was speaking to. There wasn't.

"Erm…" Matt started and finished off, unsure of what any normal person was supposed to say.

"Do you know her?" He came a step closer. Matt saw a flash of yellow. He could swear the guy's eye had just flashed.

"N-no," Matt squinted, why was it getting so blurry? He felt slightly wobbly on his feet too. "Do you?" Matt's voice sounded slurred together and there was a pain in his head. A huge headache. Was it the weather?

"In time."

Matt found himself looking right at the face of the stranger. He could not break the gaze. Matt raised his hand, in an useless attempt to ward some unseen thing off.

"Do…I know…you?"

The stranger flashed his teeth in a slightly malicious grin. "Not anymore."

Later, when Matt tried to recall what happened after he got out of the dark room, he found he could not remember how he found himself sitting on a wet bench. And when he looked through her photographs again, he found that there was one missing.

"Do you want to go to the canteen?" Chia asked, her cheery voice as cheery as ever.

Athena shook her head, aware that Paige was standing nearby as silent and invisible as a shadow.

Athena looked back at Chia who seemed to be staring round about the direction of a dark haired guy. She seemed preoccupied with something- this was the first time Athena had seen her not following or leading the conversation. Well, everything was new to her. Athena waved her hand in front of Chia's face with light humor, and Chia turned and grinned cheekily. She had been staring at the guy.

"Well, I'm off. Keep each other entertained," she said as she went the direction she had pointed out as the canteen.

Athena, smiling turned to Paige- someone who she had not seen be anything but preoccupied.

Surely, the smile did not linger on her face for long as she sensed a considerable change in the upcoming conversation- if there was to be any.

They started walking through the corridor in what was an awkward silence. Absolutely wonderful.

Paige for one hardly noticed the silence. She was too busy sorting out the voices in her head.

Ever since she had heard the gods cursed stupid name (that was also so utterly beautiful to her ears…or rather mind), it had whispered it self in to the furthest corners of her mind. Each time the name bouncing off one wall of her mind to repeat itself in an endless echo of echoes.

The name Theo was beginning to torture her, twisting itself into each and every one of her thoughts- but that same name made her taste the honey when she pronounced it carefully, savouring it in her mind.

Theo. Theo. Theo. Theo. Theo.

Paige could not handle it.

Why? Why was her mind playing this cruel game on her poor self? She wished she could talk to this Theo and give him a piece of her mind for torturing her with his name. But she knew that if she did see him, her mind would be on other things.

How did she know that? Why did she think thoughts that she had nothing to do with? Who was Theo? God, she all she knew was the guy's first name! But that was good, she didn't want a whole name after her.

Theo.

Paige.

She heard it then. The small sound formed like a whisper, whispering all the shanty syllables of her name. Her heart quivered with disbelief.

Someone had just whispered her name back, and it wasn't her. It was an almost answer to her endless rattle of his name.

Had he- No. That was utterly impossible. She took a deep, even breath- searching for a new possible answer as to what she had assumingly heard.

Had her subconscious mind replied to herself? That was weird even to think about.

Paige felt so close to tears again. This really hurt her; tore her whole insides out and the worst thing was she had no idea why. She felt like there was a storm inside her, the wind thrashing her soul into pieces, ripping her up completely into nothing. She wanted it to stop!

A loud rumbling sound rippled through the atmosphere. Thunder. Paige glanced through a window and saw the trees waving their branches madly as students struggled to hurry inside.

Theo. Who are you? What is it that you want from me?

The ground rocked violently beneath Paige's feet, swaying her in its own rhythm. Paige had the odd sense of power filling the atmosphere, with her caught smack bang in the middle of it. It was swallowing her…or was she swallowing it? She felt like laughing at that, but she knew if she did let loose a syllable of laughter it would not be a sane one.

Was this an unpredicted earthquake?

Too quickly, her vision betrayed her. Gravity betrayed her. She betrayed herself and clutched someone's arm in a last desperate attempt to claw back to the real, normal world she had known just a few days ago. Because whatever was happening, was by no means normal. It was abnormal. Not natural. Supernatural. But it was absurd to think about it that way.

God, she was killing herself with her thoughts and mind that did not make any sense at all. There was a huge shudder.

Oh god. Help her.

Paige felt herself being sucked in, her mind betraying her yet again by following whatever was leading them into this whole mess. She felt herself getting distant.

The last thing she heard before she collapsed was the storm and her own lifeless, drowned voice.

"Theo…"

And then she was gone.

Outside, the sky was in a storm with itself. Battling with the sound of thunder and the loud falling of rain. Lightning flashed dangerously- gone as soon as it had come. The wind howled her haunting voice into the air, blowing everything into mini tornadoes, and biting the skins of all those still foolish enough to wander outside.

Somewhere, in the distant place only half known to living things, something was happening.

Author's Note: Hello beautiful people, I know it took me more than a long while to get this out. A bit of a disgrace really, considering I was aiming for a monthly update. :( Anyway, I'm glad this chapter is out, because I'm going to love writing the next one!

Thankyou to my wonderful, wonderful reviewers who are actually great people. :D (Just incase you haven't noticed, I'm in a good mood!):

Doggy: sniff A bit short the review was don't you think?I want...counting off on fingersmore comments and constructive criticism- you understand. And if there is just ramblings this time, there will be hell to pay! evil glare

Shiegra- Thanks for the compliments and thankyou for taking your time to review my unworthy story. PS. What is going on with Elfling?

Twilight-Staruby- It's not an obligation to review my story, but thankyou very much for doing so- especially with your wonderful synonyms:D

Mantal: And this time I purposely did that. sticks tongue out You are one to talk about too many characters, I had no idea who Pasha was...and then I remembered. The whole point of the first part was that you didn't know whos POV it was, darling. And how could all the girls be related and Paige be Theo's soulmate(according to your theories)? think about it.

untilhellfreezesover- Thanx for the review. Tragedy, darling- its got to be doom and gloom. And you won't be hoping for too long. :) PS. Love your name.

Chronic Sarcasm- Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou so much. I really appreciste you reviewing. Hope you like this chapter too! (Intrigued :D)

So you guys, here's the next chapter, enjoy it:) And ofcorse do not hesistate to tell me what you think of it so far- and the new characters too; what you think of them. Cheerios!