Janice No More

After we cleaned up the lobby of the remains of vampires and those things, we all went to the den a few rooms away to relax. Now, I know why we are in a hotel, so everyone has a room to sleep in. All of Nathaniel's men were forced to bed for rest after they talked with me and the others for a few hours. I was more willing to talk to them then the others. They were all sweet. Eric and Nathaniel stayed with Joanna and I. Eric and Nathaniel eyed us very protectively. Are they our body guards or something? I walked over to ask her some of my questions.

"Joanna?" I said as I sat next to her on the old loveseatin front of the fireplace."Are Eric and Nathaniel our bodyguards or something? Why are they still here?"

"They are here to protect us. They are a part of Roland's army and guard." She leaned her head back on the loveseat taking deep breaths as her chest slowly moved up and down.

The next question I needed to know,"How did this start? Was it them or us?"

"It was them," She said simply as she brought her head up looking at the fire."They were killing humans and not avoiding the public eye like they are supposed to. We had to bribe a lot of people or kill them to get the surveillance tapes and burn them. It wasn't my favorite thing to do. When it got so bad they wouldn't stop when we, their allies, asked for them to stop we headed to our leader Roland on the council in Northern England. He is the leader of the entire race and the most powerful. He summoned us to bring them to him, but they would not budge. He gave up hope after years of trying to persuade them. He told us if they want to start a war then they can have one. He really did not enjoy waging war against old friends of his."

"I wouldn't want to either," I said as I brushed my fingers against the stray strand of hair in my face.

"It's getting late. Both of us should get to bed." She slightly raised her arms faking a yawn.

"Vampires sleep, too?" I said sarcastically.

"Yeah, they do, smart ass." She giggled after I started."God, I have missed you."

"I have a feeling the real me missed you too." I took her into my arms and place my head on her shoulder as I pressed her against me. It's good having a sister.

I let go of her with a yawn. I covered my mouth and laughed at how tired I actually was. We both got off the loveseat and walked slowly past the two men.

"Can I sleep in with you in your room? My room is infested with insects and... um... skeletons."

"That is not your room. I will show you your room." She replied over her shoulder.

"Before you do, I have two more questions."

"What is it?" She turned to me after she stopped at a pale white door brimmed with gold flowers.

"When will I want blood?" I asked nervously.

"Not for a while, so don't worry. And your other question?"

"When will I see my friends again?" I started thinking of Skylar.

"After you are completely safe from those things. Not until the war is over." She turned to the door and slowly turned the golden knob of both doors and pushed the doors wide open.

Inside was a redecorated hotel room. The old red carpet was replaced with an pure white carpet and the once red flocked wallpaper was gone and traded with smooth wood. The bed was in the middle of the room and it was the most beautiful thing there. The bed was rimmed with black metal that had roses twriling around the canopy bars and around the foot of the bed. The white comfortor was overtop a thin black silk cover like the one I have at home.

"Whoa." Was all I said for a moment.

"You like it? I tried to make it based on what you like now. I guess I was right." She smiled and laughed briefly."Eric will be staying with you to watch over you personaly. Do not be afraid. He can be trusted."

"Where does he sleep?" I asked as I did not see another bed.

"He is not aloud to sleep." She was so serious sometimes.

"Why not?" I said slightly worried.

"Because he is to watch over you at all times."

"Well, if he doesn't sleep he won't be able to protect me if he doesn't have any energy." She would have to admit I made a point.

"Well, when you put it that way," She said slightly defeated."Eric, grab that leather sofa from my room and you can sleep on it in here." He ran off into nothingness and appeared with a sofa under his arm. He moved the dresser over in front of the bathroom door and put it there. He grabbed the dresser then placed on the other side of the sofa.

Joanna and Nathaniel disappeared and Eric and I were left alone.

"I'll be right back. I need to go to the bathroom." I said as he eyed me. I kept looking into his eyes and ran into the door."Ow!" I put my hand on my forehead.

"Are you okay?" Eric said as he raced to my side brushing his cold fingers across the bruise.

"Yeah," I whispered as I looked up at his unmoving face."Just being clumsy."

"You should be more careful." He whispered and let his cold breath brush against my face. I wanted to have that scent. I wanted to kiss him, but I knew better. I backed away nervously and slid by his body to the bathroom.

I looked at myself in the mirror and saw how much I've changed. My face was clear as glass and smooth as silk. My blonde hair seemed perfect with the way it was. I looked and felt perfect, but I'm not. I am flawed. The scars that caused an itching sensation under my skin were gone and so were the scars of my past. I no longer felt the urge to watch blood come from these pale white skinned wrist and the veins underneath. I leaned my arms against the sink marble countertop and looked down. I decided to take a shower, so I coud loosen the tense parts of my back and let the water sooth every part of my body.

The water was refreshing. The water released me from the stress and pressure I will be faced with in the future. But it could not get rid of the now remembered memories of the past. All day I felt like I was covered in blood just like how I felt in Russia so many years ago. I closed my eyes dreaming of happier time of the recent past. My first kiss with Skylar and the times I've had with him. I smiled. I turned the knobs in the shower off and grabbed the white towel on the sink and wrapped it around my small body. This towel wrapped all the way around and then some. I saw all of my bathroom nesscities were here. I grabbed my hair dryer immeiately and started to comb as I dried my hair with the quiet hot air being blown from the small machine. In fifteen minutes my hair was dry. I grabbed a scrunchie from my bag and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I knocked on the bathroom door with my towel still on.

"Yes?" Eric asked like he was a servant.

"Eric, could you grab that duffle bag? I need to get some clothes. Joanna said she packed my clothes into the bag."

"Yes, Miss Sinclair." He grabbed the bag in a blink of an eye and handed it to me.

"You don't have to call me Miss Sinclair. You can call me Ja- I mean Katherine." I started to say Janice, but I am no longer Janice. I know that. I grabbed the bag and closed the door.

"Still having trouble getting used to the new name?" He finally asked like a normal human being. I mean, vampire. It is a little hard getting used to the fact I'm not human. I let my towel drop as I slipped on my underwear and bra.

"Yeah. But other than that and almost being killed 24/7 by something, I love it here." I said sarcastically. I slipped into a pair of long black silk pajama pants and a skin-clinging purple tank top.

I brushed my teeth fiercely before I left the bathroom. I put my toothbrush back into my bag and came out. After I walked out of the bathroom I put my bag on top of the dresser and raised my arms yawning. I saw Eric was on the couch snoozing. He didn't look like he was having a good night's rest. He was shivering and looked like he was having a nightmare.

I turned toward the foot of the bed and grabbed my quilt. I picked it up and threw it around Eric gently. He stopped shivering and shaking, now he was mumbling. I bent down to my knees to his face and he was smiling. I caressed his face with the back of my right hand moving the hair out of his face. I smiled at his peaceful face and turned for the silk cover on my bed. I drifted to sleep easily on the soft matress amd I felt like I was floating on clouds.

* * *

POV Skylar

I sit in my room looking at a picture of Alice and me when we first became friends. We took this picture under the bleachers outside the track, skipping class. I was trying not to imagine that what happened to her parents was happening to her. Are you okay? I kept thinking. Tell me where you are. Let me find you.

Rachel has called me over twenty times. I never answered. I didn't leave my room or eat or sleep. I couldn't unless I could see her and know she is alive and hold her in my arms like the first time we kissed in Hot Topic. I really liked Alice and I want to know she is alive.

She is my best friend after all. I should be worried, but not as worried as I am now. I'm worried enough is all I know. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed a duffle bag and put a couple outfits inside with two of my parents credit cards. I shoved my smooth pillow into the full bag and swung the black strap over my shoulder filling the weight of everything inside. I don't know where I'm going or what I might find, but I have to find you. I will die slowly if I never see your face again in person, Alice. I pulled the rusty window pane with all of my strength and jumped down. I landed on a giant pile of snow that eased the pain of the fall.

I got up quickly wiping the snow off of me ignoring the vibration of the phone in my pocket. I trudged through the snow dragging my feet under the three inches of snow continuously growing higher from the heavy snowflakes. I had to think. Where would be a good place of hiding? Downtown alleyways? No. Too easy. I know! The old hotel! I smiled at the thought I would see her there. Alice and I sometimes snuck into the hotel and hung out there pretending to run away. Just to see what it was like. It was pretty relaxing since it is technically a historic landmark that no one can tear down or visit.

I kept walking silently through the near abandoned streets of old Chicago, a place where it was prosperous during the twenties now a place for drug dealers to hang out.

I stopped in front of the old hotel, Golden Stars. The exterior was fading with age. The weathering of the once bright red brick walls, now dull pink. The windows were broken when it first went out of business, now they are boarded up with large wooden boards. A perfect place for any abduter and abductee to hide.

I walked cautiously to the entrance with an assumption of what would happen. The doors were unlocked. Were they expecting me? I walked in to a dark empty lobby. The walls were nearly knocked down, slightly covered in blood, and the floor was covered in remains of broken glass, pieces of wood from the lobby desk, and the fireplace was lit. Someone was in here and I was unarmed. I was doomed to death. I felt a knife on my throat.

"Who are you and why are you here?" The man's low tone was very mysterious and I could feel his hot breath against my neck.

I took a deep breath as he placed it harder to my throat.

"I'm Skylar and I am looking for the woman I love. Janice." I said her name slowly with a bit of happiness in my face even though I could die.

He froze with the knife. Something hard and deadly hit my head. I blacked out with a groan slipping out my lips. I fell face first to the carpet.

What will happen now? I thought as I fell deeper into the darkness.