Hey guys! True to my promise, I updated within two weeks, but I'm afraid that this chapter might be a bit boring. Still, I hope you enjoy, and please review! They do make me happy xD
~Hanieya Okudashu
Chapter 17: To Face the Masses
The next day, I woke up with dread in my soul and fear in my heart. Good Lord, by now, Daniel must have told everybody about what had happened between the two of us, what I had done. Even now, when I was still lying in my bed with fear coating my throat, I could just think of the death-glares I'd receive from every single person in school. Frickin hell; Daniel really had played all the people in school extraordinarily well. It was built so carefully that even if someone claimed that he was actually a vampire, nobody would believe him, and not just because he had the blond god looks, but because he was so essentially good. Ah hell, this was going to suck like crap.
That was when the doorbell rung. I stayed in bed, thinking it might be one of my mom's friends to carpool with her to work or something, but that was when I heard a distinctly smooth voice. "Good morning Mr. Sky," the female voice said with a slight lilt. What is she…? Oh yeah! "Is Elena home? I have a fieldtrip at school today, and I've been to the aquarium so many times that I figured I might as well just do the project without going there. I figured I'd go to see what your daughter's school was like, since all my friends are in class, if that's okay?" I swear, Winsey really knows how to talk to people; that girl can charm her way into anything.
"Of course, of course; come in! Will you join us for breakfast? We do have a guest here though, if it's alright." A guest? I wasn't aware of any guest. Alright, three guesses who it could be and the first two don't count.
I heard a muffled answer as I closed the door and started to get changed into a pink tank top, black leather jacket and white, ripped skinny jeans. Looking in the mirror, I smiled at my reflection; damn, I looked hot.
Someone knocked on my door, and next thing I knew, a small Chinese girl was sitting on my bed. "You should really learn to lock your doors," Winsey drawled, smiling.
I rolled my eyes, "Good morning to you too, sunshine."
"You look nice," she said lightly. Huh, that was strange; Winsey never gave out compliments when we were younger.
Taking out a hairbrush, I proceeded to brushing back my long black hair as I glanced in the mirror at her. "So do you," I replied. And she really did. Winsey had grown up quite a bit since we were in elementary school, and she'd lost all signs of childhood awkwardness, and now, I could see in the very way she posed that she knew who she was, and she was content with it. She was finally who she wanted to be.
Winsey had always been strong, had always loved to fight for as long as I'd known her, but the muscles only truly caught on now, giving her lean arms and legs, the fat she'd had there previously completely gone. She'd exchanged the glasses she used to wear for contacts, making her face look infinitely leaner and younger. She wore easy-going clothes: comfortable looking jeans, black converse, a gray v-necked tee shirt with a heart and a picture of London on it, and black leather jacket over all of it. Her dark hair was longer than it was in elementary school, reaching almost the small of her back, and time spent in the sun had burnt it to a nice dark chocolate brown shade. It was the first time I'd noticed it, but Winsey was beautiful.
"Are you done staring at me? Or should I just take a picture for you?" she finally drawled. Huh, had I been staring that long? The look on her face told me I had.
"Nah, it's good," I grinned, "Come on, let's go. You wanna go out for breaky?"
She raised an eyebrow at me knowingly. "I know who's at the table," she said quietly, a small smirk on her face, "It's a good time to meet him, when there's a less chance of him attacking me or me him."
"You two would attack each other?" I asked, astonished. What? She just told me yesterday that she wouldn't hurt either them!
Winsey shrugged indifferently, "Vampires just have this way about them and can see who is hunter and who isn't; I think it has to do with the way we walk, how our footsteps are trained to be silent and our faces are perpetually blank." It bothered me how she said 'we' instead of they; she was a hunter, and their jobs were to kill vampires. But the two men I loved were vampires, and I'm asking for a hunter's help? There are just so many things wrong with that. I shook my head; I had to stop thinking of Winsey as just a hunter! She was my best friend, the friend who I could count on above anyone else; there was no way she'd kill a guy I'd admitted to loving!
"Alright then," I said, pasting a smile on my face, well, forcing a smile on my face, "Let's go out and meet the almighty Arsenio Rivera then!"
"What's his real name?" Winsey asked me curiously as we walked out of the room. I couldn't help but smile triumphantly at the height difference between us. Back when we were in elementary school, she was always taller than me if we weren't the same height, but now, I was like, fives inches taller than her! Damn if that didn't make me feel just a bit smug!
"Emil something, I think," I replied, frowning, "I heard him and Daniel yelling at each other in names I didn't know, and they were Emil and Davide."
She nodded, a pondering hoop on her face. I realized then that she knew a lot more of the vampires then I did; had she perhaps heard of Emil or Davide before this? Before she knew that they were here? Did she know their history, what they'd done? I wanted to ask her if she had a record of them, when they'd been born, how long they'd lived, but somehow I understood that even if she did know, she wouldn't tell me; this wasn't something to be gotten from a secondary source.
When we got to the doorway before entering the kitchen, I paused; was I sure about this? I had no reason to distrust Winsey, but what would happen if she discovered that he was the source of terrible things, that he'd done things that would have sent me running for the hills in seconds in his past? What if she decided to kill him? The answer came to me a moment after I asked myself that: I would stop her, even if my life was at stake. And I'd do the exact same for Daniel.
Winsey glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Here we go," I thought grimly as we stepped into the brightly lit room.
The first thing I saw was Arsenio sitting there, calmly drinking a cup of coffee like it was the most normal thing in the world. He looked up at me cautiously, like he was wary I was going to kick him out. Why would he…? Oh yeah, right, Daniel. Bloody hell, this would not turn out well. Throwing me a smirk when I didn't say a word, he relaxed in his seat. That Italian, as arrogant as he ever was. Next, his eyes landed on Winsey. That was when all hell broke free.
Instantly, Arsenio was in his feet before I could even blink, but Winsey stood there, with a calm, hell, even bored look on her face, her hands stuffed in her pockets. "Good morning to you too," she said casually, eyes trained on the tense vampire.
Arsenio glanced between Winsey and I, his eyes narrowing, before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room. Even though my parents were staring, I couldn't help but admire the way his tight black shirt showed me how his muscles bunched together as he walked. It was sexy. We followed him, Winsey taking the time to say a casual, "Forgive his manners; I met him about three years ago on a trip to Italy to visit my cousin, and we ended on rather unfriendly terms, which would explain his reaction upon seeing me." I swear, put that girl in any situation, and she could have all the surrounding people eating out of her palm within the hour.
Arsenio was just in the living room when we left the kitchen. He turned piercing green eyes on me, and I sucked in a breath; those eyes stole me away every single time, no matter how long I'd already known him for. Now that I think about it, I've known him what, two weeks tops? Man, it seems like so much longer, doesn't it? The thing was, this time, his eyes weren't friendly at all; they were furious.
"So this was your plan?" he asked quietly, furious, "I kiss you and cause Davide to be furious at you, and you decide to hire a hunter to murder me? I honestly believed you were better than that, Elena; even Alana would never have done such a thing. You-." Ouch, that wasn't very nice. I didn't bring Winsey along with me to do that at all, hell, that was the last thought in my mind!
Well, apparently Winsey didn't like it either, because she crossed the room, faster than I thought she could ever move, and the next thing I knew, there was a knife at his throat. "You will shut. Up," she commanded mildly. How the hell did she do that? She sounded calm, but so damn menacing at the same time! That doesn't make any sense in Elena world!
"Now then," Winsey commanded, "I will remove the knife, if you stop talking and let me explain, capiche?"
Arsenio narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Options? I don't think he has options. What will he do if he doesn't agree? What can he do? If he didn't agree to listen to her, would they start fighting? Would he keep accusing me of trying to kill him? Damn, that wasn't very appealing; maybe I could ask Winsey to punch him for me if he does that! Aw man, but that might ruin his face… damn! Elena! In a crisis here! Don't think of his face, or perfect abs, or that cute ass… Elena!
After a moment, Arsenio agreed, and Winsey smiled lightly, removing the blade from his throat. "Care to walk us to school, Emil?" she asked smoothly, a friendly smile on her face, "We have much to speak of, and I would much rather Mr. and Mrs. Sky not coming in here and disturb us, or your 'father' either, for that matter."
Damn, that girl really thought of everything, didn't she? I shook my head, a small smile on my face. Arsenio nodded warily, watching her closely. "Arsenio," I said softly, my voice breaking the tense silence, "Trust her; she's my best friend."
Arsenio raised an eyebrow at me, "Chloe is your best friend."
"So is Winsey," I replied quietly, "She was the only one I could go to."
"This isn't a conversation in which any of us can stay in one spot," Winsey said quietly, moving towards the door. "If we walk, we release energy, and that act itself will do at least something to relieve the agitation all of us are sure to feel."
Arsenio and I followed her out of the door obediently, but not before I threw a 'going to school, see you later!' to my parents. For a couple of minutes, we walked in silence, Winsey loping along gracefully while Arsenio and I waited in tense silence, waiting for her to speak.
Arsenio broke first; I'd been around him long enough to understand that his temper really didn't last all that long, especially in conditions he wasn't comfortable in. "Who are you?" Arsenio asked tersely.
"My name is Winsey," said person replied smoothly, "and I am Elena's best friend from elementary school. I am a hunter from the Xi-Liang division, but I hunt only when a vampire, such as yourself, poses a serious threat to this world. Should you prove not to mean any true harm to mortals, you have no need to fear me. Do you know the story of the vampire Kydan?" Who? I'd never heard of such a person… but then again, I hadn't known vampires existed until a week or so ago, so…
Arsenio studied her, then his eyes widened in understanding. "You're the human Kydan fell in love with and who eventually led him to his death."
Winsey laughed, a hoarse, tormented sound. Ouch, I hadn't even known she was still suffering! I thought she was over it! "I am, and I can't even deny the fact that I led him to his death, because if he hadn't known me, had tried harder to set him free, had been more careful during our last meeting to make sure no one had followed us, he would still be in this world now. And yet, I hadn't done any of that, and now he is nothing more than a pile of ashes. I couldn't even save him from being burned to death."
Arsenio froze, "He burned?"
"He did, and I was forced to stay there and watch him scream," she replied quietly, "I was forced to watch the man I loved die in agony." Her eyes were anguished, tormented, and guilt-ridden. Had she been suffering from this pain all these years? Had I truly missed the fact that the person I called my best friend was suffering this much? Man, I was a horrible friend!
Arsenio looked at her closely, and I figured it would be best not to do anything, to let them talk it out between themselves. For a couple minutes – thank heavens the walk to school is long! – he studied her intensely, and she let him, even though I knew full well that if she desired it otherwise, he would only have seen her mask. Finally, "I believe you," he said so quietly I wasn't sure I'd heard him, "I sense nothing but truth and regret in your mind."
Winsey nodded once, then resumed their previous conversation as if they hadn't just spoke about her heart-wrenching pain. "Now then, I'm sure you're curious as to why I'm here now, when you haven't seen, or probably even heard, of me previously, and then thing is, well, Elena needs moral support for school. We both know that in the ways things have turned out, there is little chance that Elena and Daniel are still going out now. I know that if Daniel had not been popular, Elena would have gone to Chloe or Nicole first, but considering that her eyes were still puffy from when I met with her, I'll have to assume she didn't" – is this girl bright or what?! – "and that is why I am here now."
Arsenio nodded, "I see. Will you make me a promise?"
Winsey and I both turned to him, but while I was surprised, Winsey was studying him, a pondering look on her face. "It much depends on what that favor is."
Arsenio took a deep breath, and said, "Don't hurt Davide."
Winsey's eyebrows, and my own, shot straight up; now that was something I hadn't been expecting at all. Turning, I looked at Winsey to see her eyes narrowed, much like what she'd always done when she was deep in thought. For some reason, my agitation was quelled just a bit by this familiar action; I still knew my best friend.
"I can make no promises," she said quietly, after a few moments of silence. "All I can say is what I said to you before: if he poses no threat to the mortal populace or anyone I give a damn about, he will be safe. More than that, I cannot swear to you." Winsey was so odd, with her old-timey speech. Was that a result of the hunting? Or was she just like that?
Arsenio nodded and was quiet. "That is all I ask. However, if he gets out of hand, you need not worry yourself."
Winsey glanced at him sharply, but for me, well, I was staring at him to begin with, so… "Of what do you speak? Surely you don't mean…" What were they talking about? Why wouldn't Winsey need to worry if Daniel started committing murders?
Arsenio raised his hand and gazed at it. "If Davide has become so twisted in the five hundred seventy six years we have been thus, with this hand, I will kill him." A wry smile touched his lips, "Well, I'll kill him again." What?!
No way, he did not just say that! Surely he couldn't? I mean, come on, sure they were fighting over Alana, but they were best friends once upon a time! He can't kill Daniel! Winsey voiced my thoughts, "Impossible," she said in a low, furious voice. Damn that's creepy. I felt goose bumps raise on my skin just at the coldness in her voice; it was that scary. "Can you kill a man who was your best friend? Even if he is after the one you love? I know that if I were you, I would not be able to kill either Kavita or Elena, ever." I glanced at Winsey, who was looking at me, a gentle smile on her face. I smiled back at her; I knew I wouldn't be able to kill her either, even if she was doing horrible things to people, not to mention that if I even tried, I'd be dead in a second. I'm not joking, that girl is a friggin' beast at martial arts.
"I am not like you," Arsenio retorted shortly, "I can do it."
Winsey turned from him with narrowed eyes, clearly not believing his words. I didn't blame her; I didn't trust him either.
The rest of the walk to school was quiet, all of us lost in our own thoughts. As we got nearer the school thought, my heart picked up its beat; what was going to happen? Did Daniel tell everyone what I'd done? Was everyone going to hate me? Fear clenched my throat, caught a hold of me and refused to let go. What was going to happen? I didn't want to be scared, but was it inevitable? Aw man, what were Chloe and Nicole going to think? What about the rest of my friends?!
I felt a hand slip into my own, and I turned to Winsey, startled. She was smiling ahead, a smirk on her face, completely at peace with the world. Turning to me, she bestowed an arrogant smile on me. "Calm down," she admonished, even as the people part us began staring at the three of us, particularly at Winsey and Arsenio, "People are staring. Big deal. You've wasted enough sleep over this, and walking slower is only going to drag out your torment longer, not help you. Now come on; I need to grab a hot chocolate before school starts; I didn't get breakfast before I left today."
"Where are you going to get the hot chocolate?" I asked, dumbfounded as Arsenio muttered a quick goodbye before heading backwards towards home. Coward; he bloody left us!
Winsey grinned, "You have no idea what charming a secretary will do for you."
I laughed; ah man, Winsey had definitely changed! Back in elementary school, she'd only opened up to a few certain people, and now she was so relaxed with everything! It was amazing! "You've changed so much since grade seven," I grinned as we kept walking.
"You can blame Kavita for that," she replied casually, "You have no idea what an influence she can have on a person after just a few days; it's bloody crazy."
"Bloody? I don't remember you being English," I teased, laughing at her choice of words.
She just gave me a secret smile as we headed into the office. Office? What? How did we…? I looked Winsey, mouth open. She just winked, "The wonders of distraction, my friend." I laughed and led her to our secretary; that girl was just so sneaky!
"Good morning, Ms. Reena," I smiled at the secretary.
"Good morning, Elena; who is this?"
Winsey smiled at the secretary, a polite, goody-two-shoe smile on her face. "Good morning, Miss, my name is Arya Chan, and I'm a family friend of Elena's. I'm here for a couple of weeks, so Mr. and Mrs. Sky suggested that I accompany Elena here to school today to see what school is like in Canada."
"Where do you live, sweetie?" Ms. Reena asked, a beautiful smile on her face.
"I live in the States," Winsey replied smoothly. Damn that girl is smart!
The secretary and Winsey talked a bit more, just a bit more, and Winsey, being the sneak that she was, managed to convince the secretary to make us both a cup of hot chocolate, using a story about how everyone she'd met so far was so nice, and that Ms. Reena was so beautiful and stuff. I'll rephrase what I said earlier: that girl can have anybody eating out of her palm in ten minutes. Give her ten minutes, and she'll have anything she wants. Damn, why can't I have that skill?
We exited the office not long later, both of us nursing a cup of hot chocolate, and Winsey sporting a visitor's pass, which she immediately clipped to the hem of her leather jacket. It was strange; no one was looking at me like I was a leper. As strange looks went, they were all directed at Winsey, not me. But, didn't Daniel…? Surely he said something? He couldn't have let this slide!
We stopped at my locker first, Winsey already half finished her hot chocolate. I didn't understand that either; it was damning boiling when we got it, and she was already finished that much in the two minutes it took to get to my locker. "What do you think of my school so far?" I asked, tossing her a smile.
"It's a lot smaller than my own," she said absently as she scanned the hallways, "but it's a lot more colorful." I nodded, studying her. Now that I knew what she was, I could see the analyzing glint in her eyes, could detect the calculated way she watched all who passed by her. It kind of scared me, but at the same time, her cautiousness made me feel safe; I knew that if the situation ever came to it, Winsey would know what to do, and I would be all right.
The only hint I had was Winsey raising her an eyebrow before taking a sip of her hot chocolate, when a voice squealed in my ear. "Elena! You're here! Why did you want to walk to school by yourself today?"
Hearing a stifled laugh, I looked over at Winsey, who was smirking into her cup. Turning, I met the grins of Chloe, Nicole and Melody. They were grinning…? Daniel didn't tell everybody? I couldn't decide if I was relieved or scared out of my wits; what was he planning? I shook my head mentally; this was Daniel, the golden boy of Windemere; maybe he really was the amazing person I'd always thought him to be and he decided to forgive me? Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part.
"Good morning guys, and I was meeting up with somebody," I smiled, trying to hide my inner turmoil.
"Who? Is it Daniel? Did he come walk you to school this morning?" Hearing it come out of Chloe's mouth was like a punch to my chest; I couldn't help but remember what I'd done to him yesterday. I was such a bitch.
"Actually, I was walking with a family friend," I replied smoothly. Without beckoning, Winsey sauntered up to my side, an expression of mild curiosity placed on her face. "This is Wi-, Arya; she's here for a bit, so our parents figured it'd be good for her to see how schools in Canada worked."
Winsey stuffed her hands inside the pockets of her jeans and gave them a cool smile, "A pleasure to meet you; you're rather squealy, aren't you?" That they were, that they were; maybe I should have warned her before she was exposed to the lot of them.
My friends inspected Winsey curiously, starting from the top of her short self all the way down to her slightly battered converse and back up again. I could tell from their very expressions that they found Winsey odd; she really wasn't anything like the openness I shared with my high school friends; Winsey was so much more closed off and posed an intimidating character. Ha! I have a hit man up for hire if anyone pisses me off again!
"It's nice to meet you," Nicole said finally, smiling at Winsey.
I beckoned my three friends closer, "Her name isn't actually Arya; this is my best friend from elementary school, Winsey, but she wanted to check out our school, so we're pretending she's a family friend."
All three of their eyes widened in comprehension. "Wait, isn't Winsey the goody-two-shoes you told us about? From what we heard, we thought there'd be no way she'd skip school," Melody said, confused.
Winsey just shrugged, leaning against my locker, looking in all the world like she belonged there, "My class went on a fieldtrip today, and I've been to the aquarium one too many times; I figured I might as well spend the day here and actually entertain myself."
I shot a look at Winsey; what was she doing? These were my friends, and I trusted them; hwy was she lying to them? In response, she just gave me a look that told me she'd tell me later, maybe. I grudgingly held back my retort and went with it, but I really didn't see why it mattered if they knew who she was. Clearly though, Winsey wanted to keep her privacy; I just didn't know why.
Another shadow fell over us, and a low masculine voice entered my ears, "Good morning beautiful; I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get here."
I turned quickly, giving Winsey a mouthful of hair, to which she cursed softly and spit my hair out of her mouth – I'd have to wash that later. "Daniel," I breathed softly. Almost imperceptibly, I saw Winsey stiffen from the corner of my eye, but she relaxed just as quickly, making me think that maybe I had imagined it…
"You look so surprised to see me, Elena; why is that?" Daniel looked genuinely confused, but what was that? I could detect a dark glint in his eyes, but for just a second, just for a second. What was that? Maybe I imagined it…
"What about yesterday?" I asked dumbly. I could almost hear Winsey cursing under her breath; alright, maybe that was more than a bit stupid. She had come here to give me moral support in case my friends hated me, and it turned out that I hadn't needed her at all with the way everyone was treating me, but now I had to go along and tell everybody? Man, I wish some of that girl's smarts would rub off on me.
Daniel's face darkened for a moment, but then he drew me close. "I am so sorry about what I said yesterday, and I get how my actions might have drove you into the arms of another man, but I forgive you for that; it was my fault you felt the need to find someone else in the first place." I was dumbfounded; surely he couldn't mean it? Oh my goodness, that would be wonderful! If he could just forgive me, I could forget it all, and I could be happy with just him. I tried to tell myself that it was what I wanted, but there was a nagging in the back of my mind, that this was wrong, and that there was still someone else… A hint of black flashed through my mind, but I pushed it away; Daniel was here, and he had forgiven me; there was no need to think of any other man. After all, Daniel was everything I wanted.
"I hate to interrupt your love fest, but we really should be getting to class," a voice drawled, breaking me out of my thoughts.
My head snapped up, hitting Daniel in the chin, and I turned to Winsey, who was looking at us through narrowed eyes.
I could feel it when Daniel saw Winsey, because his entire body stiffened. "Who are you?" he asked softly. His voice was scary calm, and it sounded almost… predatory.
"I am Arya," Winsey replied smoothly, "I'm a family friend of the Sky family, and our parents figured it would be beneficial if I accompanied Elena to school today. I assume you are the boyfriend Elena has told me all about? Da, Davide? Darian? Forgive me, I don't really remember your name."
I saw Winsey's eyes trained on Daniel while she said the name 'Davide', and Daniel stiffened even more, his grip almost vise-like. "Daniel," he replied smoothly, his politeness equal to Winsey's arrogance and aloofness, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Arya; I look forward to making your acquaintance."
Only I, who had known Winsey as long as I did, could see the flash of amusement that passed through my best friends' eyes, and then it was back to cool indifference. "Likewise." Turning away from Daniel, she smiled at me, a kind smile, "Come on; class awaits. What's first on the schedule for today, Sky?"
I grinned as I stepped away from Daniel, having to tug once before he let me go. "English class," I told her. Her face brightened up; that girl really did love her writing more than anything else.
"I'll see you at lunch," I said to Daniel before heading off with Winsey.
The day passed by easily, all the teachers accepting Winsey's presence without comment, and then it was lunchtime. Daniel was waiting for me outside my classroom, much to my pleasant surprise. "Come on, I thought we'd go out for lunch today," he said casually, taking my hand in his. "Does Arya here want to join us?"
"I'd love to," said person replied breezily. If you looked at her stance, at first glance, she would appear casual, completely unperturbed by what was happening around her and all the stares she got from the boys. Awkward much? But if you looked carefully, you'd be able to see the tension in her muscles, the way she walked like she was prepared to be attacked at any possible second. I'd always thought that it was something that Winsey just did because of her love of fighting, but now I understood that it was in her hunter nature. It explained so much.
The moment we got outside, Daniel dropped my hand and turned to me, his stance suddenly tense, like he was preparing to fight. "Elena, you do realize that your friend here is a hunter, yes?"
"I do," I replied quietly. Oh dear, was he going to blow up like Arsenio did this morning?
Daniel raised an eyebrow, "So you planned to get rid of me?"
"No!" I gasped. What the hell was it with these boys and thinking that I was going to have Winsey go all hunter on them?! Sure, she actually was a hunter, but the thought had never even crossed my mind! "She was here anyways, and I figured you were furious at me, so I brought her along for moral support! Did you really think I would hire someone to kill you?!"
"She's a hunter," Daniel replied flatly, "Hunters hunt vampires; it's in their very being to do it."
"I only hunt when my hand is forced," Winsey said quietly from behind me, speaking up for the first time since Daniel had invited us out for lunch, "I only kill those who pose a harm to the populace, but no one else." Her voice was flat, dispassionate; she clearly didn't like Daniel very much. Why was that?
"Hey!" a voice called. Spinning around, I met eyes the color of the forest shining in the sun. Holy crap that was hot. Arsenio? What's he doing here? And why is he holding paper bags? "Afternoon, Elena, Winsey; you guys forgot your lunches, so I took the liberty of bringing them to you," Arsenio said, tossing a bag to Winsey, which she caught one handed.
"It's Arya," she said absently as she peered at the contents of the bag.
Arsenio was confused for a second, but then understanding flashed over his face, and he nodded, "Forgive me; I forgot."
"Emil," Daniel said stiffly, making his presence known.
Arsenio turned towards the noise, and his eyes hardened, "Davide."
"Two will fight for one, but only one can be the true winner of this everlasting war," a voice whispered in my head, "They will fight, and one of them will fall, but who it is, only the ones at the end shall know." What was that voice? What the hell was it saying to me? Only one shall live? What the hell was up with that crap? It was just freaky… From whence had that voice come from? Oh dear… what is wrong with my speech? Why am I speaking such?!
All too soon, I felt the consuming pressure that I learned to recognize was a sign of the being that sought to possess me. I tried to push against it, tried to force myself to pay attention to what the two men were arguing about! Why wasn't Winsey doing anything?! She was just standing there on the side studying them! Why wasn't she stopping them?!
The pressure in my brain, mixed with my rampant emotions really weren't helping my situation! 'Stop!' I wanted to shout. I wanted them to stop arguing and help me damn it! Was that so wrong?! I didn't want this pain in my head! Why couldn't anyone see that I was in agony?! I held on to my head and fell to my knees, trying to get rid of the burning pressure behind my eyes.
All of a sudden, I felt lithe arms wrap around me. Who? Forcing my eyes open, I saw Winsey there; what was she doing at my school? Who was she shouting too? But I couldn't handle in anymore! Finally, I couldn't do it. I surrendered, and my soul fell.
Closing my eyes, I dropped, too tired to hold my own. When next I opened my eyes, it was not I who commanded my body. Alana had returned.
