Spawn - Gosh... i absolutely love the many possible outcomes that you had come out with over at the forum! I have to say, some of them were even more impressive than mine! About the long sentences, yep! I'll definitely keep that in mind!
Jiaz - Indeed, i felt that this sequel is better written mainly because the characters were sort of developed and I learnt from my mistakes! Lately i've been paying attention to details, an important part which i overlooked in the source. Directions were definitely clearer too. Haha! Glad to see that you like it. Same thing for the big words. I'll try to lessen them.
Angel - Well, glad to hear that you read the Source in one sitting. Really, these people are admirable!! haha! Your email doesn't work, i tried emailing you but they said that the email didn't exist. Well, hope that you will keep in touch here. Btw, i didn't stop writing in chapter 3. I'm already down to chapter 5 already :)
"Wake up."
A pillow landed right on Russell's face. Grunting unhappily, he pulled the pillow away and opened his eyes - only to be assaulted by the bright morning sunlight streaming in through the window. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again, this time squinting.
Kyle was standing at the foot of the bed, his hands on his hips. It did not take Russell long to figure that his friend was not in a good mood. With the sunlight behind him, Kyle's face was in the shadows, his expressions undecipherable.
"Wha?" Russell asked amidst a yawn.
"We have to go to Aria's house, remember?" From his tone, Kyle did not sound very happy about it. Russell groaned aloud and dragged himself out of the bed. As he washed up, he recollected yesterday's events while Kyle just stared out of the window.
After the attack by Aria, they managed to calm the witch down. She had previously thought Kyle and Russell were sent by the Night World Council to get her, hence the act of self defense. Apparently, in contrary to what they had been briefed about the mission by Skye, things did not just end there.
"What are you doing?" Aria asked in alarm as Russell and Kyle began to pack her belongings into a suitcase swiftly.
"We're leaving." Kyle answered while stuffing some of Aria's clothes into the suitcase.
"What? No, no! We can't leave yet!"
"What now, lady?" Russell was getting impatient with the woman.
"My... my son! My son isn't home yet!" she said, her voice getting higher.
Pressing his lips together, Kyle said with a note of finality, "Fine. We'll leave the moment your son returns." With that, the two vampires returned to their task at hand. They did not notice Aria sinking to her knees, not until a sob escaped her throat.
Kyle exchanged a look with Russell, who shrugged and motioned Kyle to go over and talk to her.
Me, again? Kyle was exasperated.
Who else? I'm as sick of this woman's nonsense as you are. Moreover, I'd probably just make her cry harder. You know how my temper is like. Russell replied.
Sighing as softly as he could, Kyle walked over to the door of the bedroom and sat down beside Aria. "What do we need to know about your son?"
Aria shook her head and dabbed at her eyes, "He... I don't know when he's coming back."
"How old is he?" Kyle figured if her son was old enough to take care of himself, he would just leave the address of the Daybreak Center in the house.
"Seven."
"Seven? You mean kids learn to leave homes as young as seven these days?" Russell asked incredulously. Aria, in turn, cried harder, making Russell's prediction come true. Kyle gave Russell a glare that made him shut up.
"So, what happened?" Kyle asked.
"I don't know. I was in the supermarket. When I turned around, he was gone! Just like that! I ..." Aria took a gulp of air in between her sobs, making her words hardly audible. "I tried to look for him, but I couldn't find him. Gone... Tommy wouldn't leave me like this..."
"Where's his father?" Russell could not help himself. True to his words, Aria cried so hard that she choked.
It ain't me! She's simply an emotional basket! Russell was close to throwing his hands up in frustration as he defended himself. Kyle's expression grew darker. This was going to be harder than expected. Among all the trainings they had in Daybreak Center, they sure did not teach them one thing - how to deal with such women.
"He... that bastard left me when I was five months pregnant!" Aria cried. A soft rumble drew the vampires' attention to the weather outside.
"Um... Aria, you have to keep your... your emotions in check." Kyle said gently. He suspected that the weather was Aria's element. As indicated in the profile, she had yet to learn to control and use her powers properly. And that meant that if Aria did not control herself, a huge thunderstorm could be brought about by her emotions.
"How about this," Kyle worked out a plan, "Russell bring you back to the Daybreak Center first while I set out to look for your son?"
Aria shook her head again. "No. I want to wait here for Tommy. I know Tommy is a smart boy. He..." she grabbed Kyle's hands and stared at him with her clear violet eyes, "...he could probably find his way home!"
After several attempts to persuade Aria to leave for Daybreak Center first, Kyle and Russell were at their wits' ends. The stubborn woman had made it clear that she would not leave without her son.
I say, we knock her out flat and drag her back to the Daybreak Center. Russell suggested. Kyle ignored him.
As such, they had to look for lodging. Settling for a small hotel just five minutes away from Aria's house, the two returned to the house day after day, trying to get her to leave. Their mission objective was clear : they were to return to Daybreak Center with Aria.
The hotel, though small, was not lacking in shops. As the two of them passed by a jewellery shop, Kyle stopped and looked at a necklace with a locket in the display window. The necklace was rather fine, and it glinted off the spotlights.
"Sir, may I help you?" A shop assistant asked Kyle.
"Yeah. I'd like to have a look at that." Kyle pointed. The assistant took the necklace out of the display window and handed it to Kyle. The locket was shaped like a pocket watch, with intricate designs on its cover, making it look antiquated yet modern.
"I'll take this." Kyle handed it back to the assistant and she went back into the shop. Kyle followed her in, made the payment and came back out with a small box.
"For Aria?" Russell teased.
Kyle gave Russell a look, and then he turned into a tourist's shop. Russell had absolutely no idea what his friend was going to do, hence he could only trail along behind Kyle cluelessly. He watched Kyle stepped into a photo booth. After a minute or so, a roll of photos came out from the collection area. Russell grabbed the photos, took a look and burst out laughing.
"Kyle," Russell laughed, slinging an arm around Kyle's neck, "You look more like you're taking a picture for your orbituary!" Kyle snatched the pictures out of Russell's hand and took a look. Indeed, there was not a single trace of happiness in his sullen face as he stared solemnly out of the photo. Without another word, he headed back into the photo booth. This time, Russell squeezed in and grinned into the camera. The screen in front showed their faces, Russell's dazzling smile was picture-perfect while Kyle tried hard to conjure up a smile. The timer was up and with a bright flash, their picture was taken.
This time, Kyle had a slight smile.
"See, dude? You need a guidance of a master to teach you to smile." Russell boasted, holding the photos at an arm's length, no doubt admiring himself. Then, he slapped the photos on Kyle's chest and the latter caught it in an instant.
"Yeah yeah." Kyle muttered. He approached the shopkeeper and bought a small card, an envelope and stamp. Borrowing a pair of scissors, he went to a corner of the counter.
"Hey!" Russell was offended. Kyle was cutting away Russell's face in the picture. Once he had reduced the photograph - which was already small to begin with - to the correct size, he took out the necklace from the box. Slipping the picture into the locket, he grabbed a pen from the counter and scribbled on the card.
Within a few minutes, he was done. Now, the necklace was sealed in the envelope, along with the card.
"How long will it take to reach Clainesville?" Kyle held up the envelope and asked the shopkeeper.
The man scratched his bald head before answering, "A few days. Hardly anyone post anything here, so the postman comes only once a week."
Kyle shrugged in answer to Russell's questioning look. He dropped the envelopeinto the postbox and they left for Aria's house.
Ugh. Russell groaned upon seeing the dark clouds in the sky. Without doubt, the two vampires knew that it meant that it was going to be another hard day with Aria.
Their suspicion was confirmed as they let themselves into Aria's house. They had been given the spare keys by Aria. Seated on her battered sofa, Aria was sobbing quietly with a package in hand.
Kyle went over and took the package from Aria. His face registered nothing as he took a look at its contents. Russell peeked over Kyle's shoulder and whispered, "Woah."
At first glance, it was hard to make out what was in the box stained blood red. But with their supernatural sights, it would not take any of the three Night People more than one second to see what was inside.
Slicked red with blood, it was a bluntly severed finger. From its length, it was an index finger...
... that belonged to a child.
"They've got him!" Aria sobbed, nearly hysterical. "I should have known! Now they've got him..."
Kyle felt anger rising within himself. No child deserved to suffer like this. However, it was not an unknown fact that the Night World Council was a brutal organisation which would not hesitate to resort to such underhand means.
"I... I should go." Aria stood up impulsively. "If I hand myself over right now... Tommy, Tommy would be saved!"
"No," Kyle reasoned, "No, Aria. If you do that, you'll just be playing right into their hands."
"Then what should I do now?" Aria wailed.
Kyle took a deep breath, "Aria, you have to calm down first."
"But Tommy can't wait!"
"Yeah." Kyle answered absent-mindedly.
"Shouldn't we do something?" Aria looked up at the two of them pleadingly, tears in her eyes.
"No," Kyle pointed to himself and Russell, "We, are going to get Tommy. You stay here."
"Wait wait wait. Wait a minute," Russell cut in, "Please excuse us for a minute." With that, he pulled Kyle into the kitchen.
"What do you mean, 'we'? This is a whole damn big organisation we're talking about. If it's just the two of us busting in for the kid, then we're definitely gonna get fried!" Russell said, his blue eyes round and wide in seriousness.
Kyle nodded, "I know. That's why we're going to ask Daybreak Council to assemble us a team."
And hence the plot thickens. How sweet and thoughtful of Kyle, right? I love that guy... I simply love him. glares at Jade
In strict filanvampire's tradition...
"Now that Kyle is going to ask for a team from the Daybreak Council, what kind of team would they get? And what had been going on with Jade and Skye? Well, I am simply as clueless as you are! Stay tuned to find out!!!
As always, nothing's fixed until it's posted up here!"
Review!!!!