Eventide

Chapter IV

It was a drag finishing my homework that night since I didn't do the homework yesterday, so I had almost double work to do, but with my brains and shutting the whole world out, it worked out quite nicely. The sound of the monster pacing back and forth outside of my window proved to be some kind of a timer. He would walk back and forth about four times before he would stop and look up at my window, staring at me for a few minutes before he would repeat the process.

Then something happened.

I lay in the comfort of my bed with a warm blanket and a comfortable pillow, hearing the soft tick-tock from my alarm-clock the wind blowing through the trees. The monster walks back and forth, dragging its claws as always.

My eyes snap open when I heard the monster gurgle on it saliva before it roars.

This is bad.

Quickly I throw my sheets off my body and leaps for my window, pressing my face and hands against the glass so hard it almost breaks. The monster doesn't look at the window anymore, it looks toward the road and while its claws clatter and the saliva watering the grass.

I have seen all of these signs before, these are the monsters hunting instincts. It is preparing for the kill. I can't let my monster go and kill someone, I have to prevent it as well as I can.

Quickly I push myself from the window and grab my trusty baseball bat in my hurry. I almost trip over my own feet as I run down the stairs. Ripping open the front door and hurrying out of my house, I find myself running toward the streets, totally forgetting about closing the front door behind me. To my utter surprise, the monster is gone. I don't hear its growls, stomps or its claws. The sound of the crickets fills the air and some cars in the distant, nothing out of the ordinary.

Something is wrong, very terribly wrong. I should be able to hear something from the monster. It can't have disappeared already, the sun is still gone and the monster isn't this fast.

"Kill…"

I gasp and turn around, the monster blocking my path to my house. It gurgles on its saliva while it cracks its head in an odd angel.

"Kill human… More souls."

It had tricked me! Since when did the monster start talking and grow enough brain to trick me out of my house! This shouldn't even have happened! The monster was supposed to stupidly be pacing by my window.

The monster leap toward me and I gasp loudly. It swings its massive claws at me. It was just a hairs breath away from the monster's claw digging into my side. The monster used his power from the swing my keep turning and his leg digs into my stomach, kicking me further away from the front door. The air leaves my lungs and I hit my head hard on the ground. Fortunate for me, it didn't cause me to get dizzy or pass out. Nothing too bad then.

"Soul!" It hollers loudly and jumps up in the air, raising its claws to dig into me.

I gaps loudly and roll out of the way. The claw digs into my short and breaks the fabric. Quickly I get up on my feet and dashes toward the front door. This is my last shot. My breath hitches as I push myself to run as fast as I can.

"Kill!" The monster gurgles loudly.

I gasp loudly as its claws dig into my thigh and I fall inside of my house. I cry out in pain but quickly covers my mouth with my hand. My father is still asleep. I can't wake him up. The monster rushes toward the open door but then bounces away, like he ran into a glass wall. The monster grows loudly while he tackles against the invisible wall, always failing at getting pass it.

Carefully not to hurt my already wounded leg, I get up on my feet and close the door behind me, locking it.

I clench my hand, fisting the damages fabric of my shorts while I squeeze shut my eyes. The pain from the three large gashes throbs painfully. It was a pain to clean it out with the left over alcohol my father had on the floor since he didn't have any rubbing alcohol. The wounds were deep and I would need stitches, but how could I explain these wounds? Animal attack? No, then I would have to admit of being out in the middle of the night and I wasn't.

Instead I used ordinary silver tape in an attempt of closing the wound. With the amount of silver tape I had to use in order to close up the wounds, my whole thigh including the top of my knee were covered with tape. This would make it hard for me to walk normally.

Limping back to my bedroom, I looked out of my window and there the monster once again stands, looking up at my window. Its right claws were covered with my blood. It smirked wide while its long tongue licked the blood away from its claws.

It's a disturbing imagine, instead of seeing the monster feed on someone else's blood, it was my blood on its claws. For the first time in years, he actually got a taste of my blood and from the looks of it, he really does enjoy it since it grunts happily while he eagerly licks the blood from its claws. It cut his tongue on the claws, but it didn't let it stop him from devouring every drop of my blood.

I couldn't sleep that night. The throbbing from the wound was killing me. I got up from the bed to take some painkillers, but they didn't reduce the pain at all. The few hours of sleep I got was plagued with nightmares, which left me grumpy and my temper was reduced even further.

I didn't go on a jog that morning, instead I had to fight myself into a pair of jeans since the skirt wouldn't cover the tape. Limping out of the house with my school bag on my back, I grab my baseball bat and get it inside of my house before I cover all the traces of last night's fight.

When the school bus came, Hiro greet me happily and instantly, I feel annoyed and ticked off.

"What's up with you?" Hiro asks concern. "You look like a zombie."

He must be talking about the purple bags underneath my eyes. How gentlemanly of him to point it out like that.

Get him back. Say something mean back.

"Speak of yourself, you look like a needle pillow with all the piercings you have. Have you ever considered of becoming one since you sure look hideous with them." My eyes widen. The words came so easily. It was never in my nature to make mean comments, but this one was so easy to say.

What is wrong with me?

Hiro's eyes are large in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. You just don't look in the best shape."

I sigh heavily, my eyelids feeling heavier than ever. "Nightmares. I couldn't sleep. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. It was the sleep deprivation talking."

The bus stops and Hiro and I get up from our seats. "Don't apologize. I know how frustrating it can be when you don't get enough sleep. Just make sure the teachers don't catch you sleeping or you will be spending the evening in detention instead of sleeping at home."

We walk up the stairs to the school and thankfully, Soul doesn't wait at the top like he had yesterday. Hiro and I parted ways when we both went to our separate lockers to then go to our classes. As I walk inside of my classroom, Tsubaki smiles lightly and waves friendly to me.

Give her the finger. Show her that you are still mad at her!

I give Tsubaki the most hateful look I can muster while I give her the middle finger.

Her face turns shocked and she covers her mouth with her hand.

I try to walk as casual as I can with my wounded leg, but it grows harder. It throbs harder than ever and I just want to curl into a ball and cry out in pain. The wounds were deep but it isn't supposed to hurt this bad. I cleaned the wound thoroughly so it couldn't be infected.

The classes were too long. When no one was watching, I would dig my nails into the desk and scratch the surface. My whole leg throbs in pain and I couldn't take it anymore. It hurt so badly.

Then why don't you just leave? Nobody is forcing you to be in class.

I could leave class. I don't need to be in here. I could take lunch earlier, I certainly do need it.

Gathering my stuff and putting it inside of my bag, I get up from my chair and start to head to the door.

"Maka Albarn, where are you going? The bell hasn't rung yet." Our teacher Miss Marie says while straightening her back from kneeling in front of a student's desk. "You have to have an excuse to leave the classroom you know."

Tell her off. Show her who is boss. You are Maka Albarn!

My eyes narrows and I feel my hands clench. "I don't give a fuck if you give me your permission or not."

That won't do. Do something dramatic and crazy!

Marie gasps loudly. "Maka! Control your language!" Her eyes are wide and she covers her mouth in shock. It almost looks like she has witnessed a murder.

The stash of paper catches my eyes and a large smirk slowly spreads on my face. Quickly I snatch it off her desk. It proves to be the attendance list and with a quick "ritch", I rip the papers in pieces before I throw them up in the air. "I don't fucking care about attendance." The papers gently fall down on the ground and I slam the door shut behind me. My nails dig into my head and I stop a few steps away from the classroom.

Why did I do all of that? It isn't like me at all. I'm not this kind of person to pull stunts like this. Miss Marie and Tsubaki didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Gently I run my fingers through my pigtail. This isn't who I am.

Rip the pigtails out. Be sexy and go wild!

The bands in my hair fall to the ground and my hair tumbles around my neck and shoulders. My fingers wander to my buttons on my shirt and I pop the first button, revealing my collarbones. My eyes widen when I'm about to unbutton the second button. My hands freeze while I look of into space.

Why did I just do this? I never wear clothes that show off my collarbones or any cleavage at all, not even when I was with Soul, I never wore anything that showed off skin. Not to be sexy or anything, this isn't like me.

I gasp loudly and I collapse on the floor, my right leg throbbing violently with pain. A sharp cry leaves my mouth before I bite down on my thumb. My whole leg is burning with pain, if I had a butcher knife, you bet I would cut off my leg without any hesitation.

The dismissal bell rings and my eyes grow wider. I can't let them find me like this.

Getting up on my injured leg, I grit my teeth in pain while I quickly limp away from the classrooms. As soon as I round the corner, I hear the classroom doors slam open. Quickly I limp to the balcony where Hiro and I had lunch and slam the door shut behind me. I breathe heavily and moan in pain. I'm not supposed to feel like this. This is too much pain for just cuts.

Go mad, let go of reasoning and the pain will go away.

We are very high up. The pain is just so bad. It is unbearable.

Then jump. The pain will go away then.

I should jump. The pain will finally go away and I will be free.

The doors to the balcony slams open and I can barely crack my eye open, but there is no need since I recognize the voice. "Maka!" Soul yells and I feel his hand on my cheek, forcing me to look at him even though I don't have the strength to open my eyes. "Shit! Where are you hurt? You need to tell me." Soul grips my shoulder and shakes me slightly. "Open your eyes, concentrate on me. I'm going to make the voices go away."

Voices? What voices?

Bite him. Bite him now!

A low growl escapes my mouth and I bare my teeth. Before I even have the chance, Soul's hand close my mouth and the next thing I know is an electric shock going through me and I find myself falling into restless sleep.