The Black Limousine

I woke up, up on the roof top, with Keith holding onto me, smiling at me. I noticed I was moving, as Keith sat up, soon standing with me in his arms. I close my eyes, too tired to keep them open.

“Kristina?”

“Keith?”, I mumble, leaning my head back. Then I felt the two punctures in my neck, and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Let her go!!!”, I hear Keith snarls, feeling myself be yanked from the previous person, and into Keith’s chest. But I was too tired to stand, so I sat down on the rooftop, soon lying down on it, even as my neck continued bleeding on it. I soon felt someone grab my ankle, pulling me down the roof, and through the window.

“Kristina?”

“Luke?”, I ask tiredly, trying to open my eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just … tired,” I say, leaning on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I can tell,” Luke mutters, rolling his eyes at me. “C’mon, lets get you to Drake.”

He pulls me beside him, and I fought to stay awake, as we walked outside with the giant dragon at the edge of the forrests. Luke rolls his eyes, pulling me toward the hammock, and setting me there.

“Drake!!! There’s a demon fighting with Keith on the roof!!! And he frickin’ bit Kristina!!!”, Luke yells.

“Kristina?!!! Are you okay?!!!!”, Drake asks, hovering over me.

“I’m just … tired …”, I mumble, trying to roll over. “Leave me alone,” I grumble tiredly.

“Is she okay?”, Keith asks.

“She says she’s tired …”, Luke says.

“She’s always tired in the morning.”

“I don’t wanna know how you know that!”, Drake says, glaring. “Kristina? How do you feel?”

“Tired.”

“Well, she’s no help in the morning.”

“No, but she’s completely honest.”, Keith says, smirking at me. “Watch,” and he looks over me. “What’d you do last night?”

“Fell off the roof.”, I mumble, irritated. “Then Luke caught me. Then I had a nightmare and I went back out on the roof with my guitar and sang a little.”

“You frickin’ fell off the roof?!!!”, Keith growls.

“Ohmyfinggod!!! I am never gonna get any sleep!”, I growl, standing up. I walk inside, straight toward the spiral staircase, when a vampire appears. I roll my eyes, throwing a single ball of fire before heading up the stairs quickly, and screaming as vampire fangs pierce my flesh.

“An entire frickin’ army?!!!!”, Keith growls, pulling me away from the slimmy vampire, but not before I set him on fire. I pull on my gloves, grabbing my gun and gear belt from under the bed and clipping it around my waist.

“Kristina, c’mon!!”, Luke growls.

“No!! I started this!!”, I growl, heading for the window.

“This isn’t the time to be playing hero, Kristina!!”, Keith and Luke growl together.

“Then too bad,” I say, smirking as I jump straight out the window, onto the muddy ground, running straight into the forests and hearing the vampires and demons follow. I pull out my sword, cutting off a demon’s head.

“Kristina!!”, Drake growls, just as I set three vampires on fire, soon cutting off another demon’s head. “Kristina!!! There’s an entire army of them!! You have to get out of here!!”

“You don’t just run away from a problem, Drake!”, I growl, jumping straight up into a tree, letting the vampire that was trying to attack me from behind burn. “Direct sunlight,” I mutter, already jumping from tree to tree, through the forests and out into the open, where Keith and Luke stood furiously.

“Kristina!! Get out of that tree!!”, Keith growls.

“What are you? My dad?”, I say, rolling my eyes as I cut off another’s head. “C’mon demons,” I say, watching as they all run at me at once, while I flip out of the trees, just as the sun came out. They yell in agony, soon turning to ashes as I hear the ghosts of their souls exit their bodies, when they turn to ashes.

“That’s great and all, but what about the vampires?”, Drake asks, staring at me oddly.

“Back up,” and I set the forests on fire, hearing the screams as the vampires burn. I smirk, snapping my fingers, and the forests had no traces of burning. I walk into the forests, or try to.

“No! You’re coming inside!”, Keith growls.

“You don’t tell me what to do,” I growl, yanking my arm free as I jump through the trees, setting walls of fire and ice, so that only a hybrid could survive. Maybe. “They’re gone.”

And I headed back toward Keith and Luke, staring indifferently as I walked straight past them, into the house and up the steps, plopping down on the bed and falling asleep after that.

• • •

“Kristina?”

“What?”, I grumble, sitting upright.

“You’ve been sleeping for a week,” Luke says, rolling his eyes.

“Ahuh, okay. Whatever,” I say dismissively, throwing my belt and gloves under the bed, and walking downstairs.

“Are you feeling okay?”, Keith asks, gripping my shoulders as I reach the bottom.

“Yeah,” I say tiredly, walking out the door.

“Where are you going?”, Keith says, walking beside me.

“To Starbucks  and then to Kroger. I want cereal.”

“Why not take the limo?”

“Because I’m too lazy.”

“And you’re not too lazy to walk?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” I say, shrugging.

“Okay, we need to get you back in bed so you make some sense.”

“Nah, I’m good. Look there’s the Kroger!”, I say, skipping into it, as Keith slowly follows. I grab some Fruit-Loops and Frosted-Flakes, paying for them and skipping out toward Starbucks. I wasn’t going for the caffine. Just for their chocolate milkshakes. I wasn’t actually sure what they were called.

“What? No caffine?”

“Nope,” I say, skipping out, Keith right behind me. I skip happily into the kitchen, setting down the cereals on the counter, and sitting on a stool and drinking my Starbucks. Aren’t I exciting in the mornings?

“You are aware of what day it is, right?”

“Nope,” I say, shrugging.

“Today’s the Halloween dance.”

“Oh.”

“Aren’t you nervous or   worried?”

“If you’re expecting me to be running around the house working on my hair and makeup, and then running through town trying to find a dress, then you might wanna dig your second grave,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I don’t do dances.”

“What? But Kristina, dances are tradition. Whether it be balls or galas, prom or homecoming, dances are tradition.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not the kind of girl who wants to be on stage another, Keith.”, I say, standing up.

“Kristina, just let Anna and Carol —”

“Please, as if I’d let them help me.”

“Fine, then Trevor and them can help you!”

“Keith, this is my plan: jeans, t-shirt, and my favorite pair of sneakers!”, I say smugly, smirking at him.

“Kristina, c’mon! You have to be a girl!”

“Doesn’t mean I have to dress up for some stupid dance, Keith.”

“Yes, but this is Halloween, Kristina. You celebrate it as a  witch. And that includes dressing up. Since you’re the only witch, you’ll be spending it with the demon, vampire, fiary, dragons, werewolves, and those hybrids.”, Drake says, smirking.

“I hate you. I hate you so much.”, I say, glaring at him.

“And that’s how I know I’m doing my job right,” Drake says, ruffling my hair.

“Don’t touch me!”, I growl, running upstairs with the “vampire” speed. I pull out Rebecca’s journal, skipping through the pages.

“What are you doing?”, Luke asks, jumping in his chair.

“Awaking an old soul,” I say, running aroun the room as fast as I can. “Hey, are there any, umm, tigers here?”

“Tigers?!!!”

“Yeah, I need some tiger teeth.”

“There’s, umm, some at the zoo …”

“Great. I’ll be back late.”, I say, pull my amethyst necklace over my head. “Don’t wait up.”

“And not so fast! Whatever you need, Drake can get you!”, Keith says, staring at me sternly.

“Sir, no, sir!”, I say, saluting him. “I’ll do it myself,” and I take a step toward the window, where Keith ran to, and run out the door, grabbing my gear-belt, and running before Keith caught up.

• • •

My shirt was torn to shreads, along with my jean-shorts. My face was bruises and bloody, and my arms and legs were not only muddy, but had cuts all along them. I limped back into the house, preparing for the yelling of a lifetime. But, thankfully, Drake got to me first, pulling me into the bathroom, as Keith and Luke began walking down the stairs.

“All, damn, Kristina! What’d you do? Get cut in half by a tiger?”, Drake asks sarcastically, studying my face.

“Basically,” I say sheepishly, feeling the sting as the alcohol rubs against my cheek,  which was basically nothing but bone anymore. “But I got what I needed.”

“Damn it, Kristina! You’re completely torn!!”, Keith growls, glaring at me.

“Yeah, but, I’m breathing,” I say sheepishly, forcing a smile. “And look, they’re all healing.”

“Yeah, but … they aren’t,” Luke says, glaring at me.

“That’s because she was attack by a tiger. It felt threatened by her presence, so it attacks, but won’t kill you because you’re one of them.”, Drake says, grimacing as he turns my head, getting a better view of my bloody-bone cheek. “But he was pretty close.”

“How’d you know it was a he? Darren’s grouchy whenver you try pulling out one of his teeth.”

“Yeah, sort of like you,” Drake chuckles. “Let me see your birthmark.”

I roll my eyes, turning around and lifting my hair, showing my shoulder completely.

“Still healed,” Drake sighs, touching it. I  wince, whimpering. “Animals are idiots, and geniuses.”

And I open my mouth to argue that — for some strange reason — but all that came out was a roar. I put a hand over my mouth quickly, shocked.

“It’s the Eve of Hollow’s Eve,” Drake chuckles. “Celebration of all things good. When the line between normal and supernatural is thinnest. It’s an Irish holiday.”

“Yeah, I know. They left candy out for the ghosts of their ancestors.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “I wouldn’t go out and buy candy if I hadn’t found out I’m dating a demon, friends with a vampire, and am currently being raised by a dragon.”, I say sarcastically. “And I’m still not dressing up, though.”

“What? Why not?”, Keith whines.

“Because I’m not the kind of girl who goes crazy over dances. I’m not the kind of girl you’ll find wearing a dress. And, I’m most definately not the kind of girl who’s going to be dressing up. Sorry ‘bout your luck.”

“Okay, well you don’t have to, this year. You can go as the girl nearly dieing because of a tiger attack.”, Drake says teasingly, smirking as me, as he studies my bare-cheek. “Damn that tiger.”

“His name was Darren!”, I whine.

“Yeah, and let me guess, he wanted a mate?”, Keith asks sarcastically.

“Umm.”

“Don’t be so surprised, demon. Kristina’s a natural tiger.”, Drake says, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, and tigers fight dirty.”, I say, wincing once Drake touches my bare-jawbone. “Ouch!”

“Well, hold still and shut up!”, Drake says, grimacing. I cross my arms over my chest stubbornly, glaring at him.

“So you won’t sleep with me, but you’ll sleep with a frickin’ tiger?!!!”, Keith growls.

“No— Ouch!”, I say, wincing. “I didn’t sleep with the tiger. I fought with the tiger. That just so happened to be trying to rape me …”, I say, gesturing to my torn clothes.

“Did you shoot h—Darren?”, Drake asks, raising an eyebrow, grimacing as he studies my wounds.

“Nope. That would’ve— ouch!”, I say, glaring at Drake. “Drake! I hate you!”, I say through my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut as Drake begins sewing my wounds together.

“Just hold still, and this wouldn’t take so long!”, Drake says, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I would if I could frickin’ heal from a tiger attack!”, I growl, glaring at him.

“Why don’t you heal? You heal from demon and vampire attacks, but you can’t heal from a tiger?”, Luke says, staring at me oddly.

“It’s really her only weakness,” Drake says, rolling his eyes.

“You mean, other than demons taking the form of Keith?”

“Yeah, and from now on, you’re staying outside with me.”

I wince. Not because of what he said. Because he’s sewing up my leg. Which hurts.

“Ohmyfinggod!! Now I know why dragons aren’t doctors! Give me that!”, I say, grabbing the string and needles, and beginning to sew up my leg.

“Hey, why weren’t you doing this last time?”, Drake asks, glaring at me.

“Because I can’t see my neck,” I say, glaring back at him. “And because I only know first-aid. And whatever nonsense my mom taught me. I don’t know how to handle a vampire bite.”, I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I start humming, pulling out the string Drake had sewed.

“What are you doing?!!”

“Umm, pulling out the string. I’m missing skin. Duh,” I say, rolling my eyes. I limp toward the staircase, snapping my fingers so that Rebecca’s spell book flew down.

“Hey! I was reading that!”, Matt yells, glaring a me, as his eyes run me over. “Wow, what happened to you?”

“Wrestled with a tiger. What’s your excuse?”, I say, smirking.

“Ha ha. You’re so funny.”

“I know I am,” I say smugly, sitting down on the steps. “Guarire questa anima, la riparazione le ferite. Dallo spirito animale, nei quali essa possiede.”, I say, feeling my cheek grow back the skin that I had lost, along with the other parts of my body. “Now, excuse me as I go change,” I say, glaring around at everyone before speeding up the steps and speed-changing into a grey tank-top, white jeans, my favorite pair of sneakers, and some black fingerless fishnet gloves. I walk out, smirking as I slide down the steps.

“Aww, but I liked those clothes,” Keith whines, recieving a glare from Drake.

“Yeah? Well they’re going in the dumpster.”, I say, kissing him quickly before skipping out the door.

“Out to wrestle another tiger!”, Matt yells after me.

“No! I’m going shopping.”, I say, grabbing Rebecca’s spellbook. I start humming a random melody, glancing at Drake.

“Oh no.”

“Drake, can I borrow a scale?”, I ask sweetly.

“Will you ever —”

“LA LA LA LA LA!!!! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!!”, I say, covering my ears. “And not until I’m in college, idiot!!!”, I say, glaring.

“Then I’ll be right back,” Drake says smugly, walking out the back door. “Here. Now mind explaining what requires dragon scales and tiger teeth?”

“Umm, a little spell that I’m calling ‘return of the dead.’”, I say, smirking.

“Return of the what?”, Matt asks, sliding down the steps.

“Return of the dead. I’m bringing Rebecca back to life. And if I hadn’t needed two tiger’s teeth, then it wouldn’t hav taken so long with that damn Darren.”

“Darren?”

“The tiger that I wrestled with.”

“Wow,” Matt says, rolling his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but why are you even asking me this?”

“Because he’s nosy,” Trevor says, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, I got that. Well, I’m off hunting for wolves!”, I say sarcastically, as I walk out the door.

“Wolves?!!”

“Nope. Rabbits. Gosh, you all are idiots,” I say, climbing up a tree. “Anybody know where I can find a weeping willow?”

“Down the road a little ways. When you smell far, you’ve gone too far.”, Drake says, pointing in the direction.

“Okay, anyone know where I can find some red roses?”, I ask, staying up in the tree.

“There’s a spell,” Drake says, hoping up next to me. “Just way this.”

“Reviens, mon ancêtre de la mort. La sorcière Rebecca, j'ai besoin de vos conseils. Ainsi, passer de la tombe, dans tout le corps dans la chair, tout comme la façon dont vous avez regardé quand vous étiez quartorze ans.”, I say, reading each line, which was obviously French. I look up, jumping straight out of the tree. “Ohmyfinggod!!!”

“Ah, Kristina, are you okay?”, Rebecca says, helping me up.

“Wow,” I breathe. She looked exactly like me. Everything but the eyes. Hers were a silver with golden and bronze specks.

“Alright, child, what do you need?”

“What ones Kristina?”, Keith asks. We both turn to look at him, Rebecca sighs. “Well, that was an idiotic question.”

“Keith, you’ve grown,” Rebecca says, blinking. “And your eyes aren’t blue anymore …”

“Your eyes were blue?”, I ask, looking at him, as he stares at Rebecca oddly.

“Oh, I nearly forgot! You died! You’re a demon?”, Rebecca says, smiling. “And John!! Get down here!!!”

And there fell a boy, who wasn’t very old. Only sixteen. Dark brown hair, auburn eyes with golden-silvery specks.

“Umm, top of the day, Kristina. You look just like Rebecca told me.”, John says sheepishly.

“Yeah, and she made me wrestle a tiger for nothing.”, I grumble.

“Drake!!!!”, I yell, watching as he falls out of the tree. “Idiot,” I mutter.

“Ah, Drake. You’re still around, I see.”, John says, glaring at him.

“Awkward,” I mumble, walking over to Keith, as he wraps an arm around my waist.

“Well, lets all get inside. It’s about to rain.”, Rebecca and I say together. We both blush in unison, as we all walk inside.

“So, Kristina, we’ll have to get you a dress. And don’t sass me, girl. You are a witch. And you are celebrating Hollow’s Eve.”, Rebecca says firmly.

“Mom and dad would disagree,” I say, sitting down on the countertop. “They’d say this was a bunch of nonsense and that if I didn’t wanna dress up for Holloween, then I didn’t have to.”

“Yes, but your mother isn’t a witch, Kristina Helen Vane.”

“Damn you’re smart,” and I got whacked in the back of the head. “Ouch, what?!!”

“Don’t cuss in front of your grandmama!!!”, Rebecca scowls.

“I’ll cuss if I want,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Because watch,” and I felt myself aging, stopping once I was eighteen. “Now I’m eighteen,” and I switched back to fourteen.

“Don’t back talk! Now stand up!”, and she pulled me off the counter.

“Ohmyfinggod!”, I groan, standing up off the floor. “This is so frickin’ annoying!”

“Oh, you’ll get used to it,” Rebecca says, smiling sweetly at me. I glare at her, recieving a whack in the head.

“Ugh, would you quit that?”, I growl, annoyed as she measures me.

“I like Rebecca,” Keith says, smirking.

“Yeah, sure you do,” we say together.

“She’s like your twin,” Luke says, staring at us oddly.

“Kristina brought me back when I was fourteen.”, Rebecca says, smiling at me. “You should really cut your hair, Kristina.”

“Oh, just show me the dress already,” I grumble, squeezing my eyes shut as I hop back onto the counter.

“Open your eyes!”, Rebecca squeals.

“No! I’m scared,” and I recieve laughs. I peek at the pale blue gown, gasping as I stand up. “I seriously hate you for this,” I say, snapping my fingers, and my outfit goes back to normal.

“Well, what would you like wearing?”, Rebecca asks, snapping her fingers, where a runway of me’s started walking down.

“Hmm … something like this,” I say, snapping my fingers, and all the girls wore jeans and t-shirts.

“Alright, then if we add this —”

“As long as I can wear this —”

“Fine, but you are definately wearing this —”

“Hmm …”, I say, studying the dress.

It was simple and pale-blue, definately supposed to bring out my eyes. It had a silver ribbon wrapping around the waist in a bow, heart-collar, no longer than my knees. It was loose-fitting, and beautiful. My auburn hair would be curled into waves, down to my waist, with a flower clipping some of it to the side. The flower was a combination of pale blue petals — toward the outside — and lime green in the center. It was absolutely beautiful.

“I love it!”, I say, smiling at Rebecca. The only thing I didn’t like about the dress would have to have been the strappy lime-green high heels.

“Good! Now go get some rest! We’ll add on that lime-green eyeshadow with white sparkles, and clear lip-gloss. We’ll just get you ready tomorrow.”, Rebecca says, smiling at me.

“’Kay! ’Night, grandmama!”, I say, kissing her cheek before heading up the stairs.

“And tell that Keith fellow that John and I will hurt him if he breaks your heart, Kristina!”, Rebecca says, smiling teasingly as I walk up the stairs.

“Will do!”

“And why would I?”, Keith asks, wrapping an arm around my waist as I head up the steps. “Your family scares me.”

“That’s a good thing in some cases,” I say, rolling my eyes as I plop down on the bed, immediately falling asleep.