True Darkness

I awoke in a very clean, very white room. I was surrounded by white walls, a white floor, a white ceiling, all white, all clean. I was laid on a very uncomfortable bed with no recollection as to how I got here. It was too clean for my liking. Too clean and too bright. I squinted my eyes against the white light hanging just a few inches above my head. UV lights. Natural light. To make sure while their patients are in their care they didn't miss out on any of the essential minerals. In my opinion it was pointless.

I sighed quietly, not wanting anyone to realise I was awake yet. I racked my brain for an answer as to how I could have gotten here. I knew where I was but there was still no reason as to why. But the harder I concentrated the more little details started to come back to me. The voice telling me to run. The corridor. Tripping. Falling. Sliding in something sticky. Blood. Puddles of blood coming from the blonde girl lying dead in front of me. Her perfectly curled hair stained in her own life. The look of horror on her face.

Then there was Julian. The strange boy who I had only spoken to once and who was extremely nice. Too nice. He was there. He had enemies. He was some how connected to that girls death. He wore her blood like a medal, staining his shirt with pride and victory. As if screaming out "Look at me! Look at what I have become! " to the ears of those unfortunate enough to hear it's cries. Because blood hates humans. Blood has to stay inside. Blood never sees the outside world and when it gets chance to the adventure is quickly cut short as the wound is covered and the evidence wiped away. But not this time. This time it got to explore a while. Got to see the world from a new point of view. And it liked it.

I suddenly felt very sick and sat up in bed quickly. I didn't have chance to look for something to contain the contents of my stomach before they were thrown out of my body. But somehow a bucket was held in front of my face before they could hit the floor, catching, with the rhythmic thud, the liquid I couldn't bear to see. When I had finished I looked up to see the holder of the bucket to find Ashton smiling up at me from his place, kneeling on the floor.

"Hi." he smiled and moved to sit on the bed beside me, not moving the bucket in case of another escape mission.

"Ugh. I can't believe you saw that." I groaned and put my head in my hands.

To my surprise he just laughed. "Believe me I've seen worse."

And I did believe him for some strange reason. There was no reason for me to but by the look of his face he had seen things I never could in my lifetime. His eyes hinting at the beginning of many tales of murder, loss, love and mystery but never going further than the first word.

I blinked and sighed, taking the momentary release from my sickness to take a look around my room. We were alone which I was grateful for and my Father wasn't here, another thing I was grateful for, although he had probably been informed. Unfortunately he was probably too drunk to even remember who I was. So here I was, stuck at school with a boy I had only met less than, I glanced at the clock, two hours ago. Great.

"Are you okay?" Ashton asked me.

"Do I look okay?" I remarked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Good point. Do you want some pain killers?"

"What for?"

"You hit your head pretty hard when you went down. Thought you might have a headache."

I frowned and took a moment to test all parts of my brain for any sign of a protest or complaint. There was non. So I smiled and shook my head.

"Nope. I'm all good. Care to explain what exactly happened out there?"

Now it was Ashton's turn to frown and he did so with great concentration. I could almost here his brain cells coming up with a million different excuses as to why he couldn't explain what I had seen, as to why he couldn't go into detail about the, quite frankly, obvious murder I had just tripped up over.

"I think you should rest. We can discuss this later."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh yeah. Like I could rest now after all that's happened."

"You managed to a few moments ago." he smirked.

"I was unconscious. That doesn't count."

"It depends on who's point of view you-"

"Ashton." I warned and folded my arms across my chest.

He sighed and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

We both turned our head slightly to the door as it swung open slowly to reveal a very awkward looking Julian holding a bouquet of deep red roses. He cocked his head to the side at the sight of us and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Erm. Hi." he said and waved slightly.

"Hello." I replied but the words had barely left my mouth before Ashton was on his feet, in front of Julian. He looked angry.

"She doesn't want you here. Get out." he growled at Julian.

"I brought you these." Julian said to me, looking around Ashton.

This made Ashton even more angry and he looked just about ready to explode. He shoved Julian back when he tried to step around to get to me.

"I said she doesn't want to see you. Get out. Now !" he yelled.

Julian's gaze snapped to Ashton and he grabbed Ashton by the collar of the shirt.

"You listen to me boy . I will leave when she says I leave. I don't do anything until she says okay?!" he snarled into Ashton's face.

I winced at the scene unfurling in front of me. There wasn't much I could do to diffuse the tension between the two permanently but I knew what I could do for now.

"Ashton. It's okay. He's okay." I said calmly. I felt like his Mother.

Ashton turned to face me, frowning. He opened his mouth probably to protest on my choice of company but I shook my head.

"It's okay. I know what I'm doing. You can leave." I reassured.

"Fine. But I'm staying right outside that door. If I even hear one raised voice or one complaint I'm coming in and I wont hesitate to rip you limb from limb Shadow." Ashton said into Julian's face.

"I'd expect nothing less Noire." he said simply and walked past him to me.

I watched as Ashton left the room, slamming the door behind him, and then switched my gaze to Julian who was holding out the flowers to me.

"I brought these for you. Thought they might cheer you up." he stated simply.

I took them from him and smiled. "They're lovely. My favourite colour too. Lucky guess."

"It wasn't a guess." I heard him murmur.

"What was that?" I asked him thinking I had misheard as there was no way he could have known that my favourite flowers were deep red roses.

"I asked if you were feeling well." he smiled at me quickly.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. He was lying to me. Something wasn't right. "No. Not particularly. But that could have something to do with the dead girl who's blood you were covered in." I stated bluntly.

Julian flinched slightly and looked at me. "You think I killed her?" he asked sounding mildly hurt.

"I don't have any better explanation." I countered.

"So it never occurred to you that I could have just found her like that and tried to help her?" he asked raising an eyebrow at me.

I frowned. "Yes it did. But the evidence is against you. Especially Ashton's reaction to you. It was almost as if he had seen you do something like this before." I replied smoothly.

"Ha! So you're going to take that over-reactive, pompous fools insult over my honest word?" he spat. This was a whole new side of him that I didn't like. No more nice Julian. Hello possibly murderer Julian. I suddenly didn't feel safe and longed for Ashton's protection but I needed to truth.

"You haven't told me your "honest word"." I pointed out.

"Trust me, if I could I would." he said looking towards the door.

"And why should I trust someone who was covered in blood and wont even clarify how he got into that situation?"

"Has Ashton given you any answers?"

"No."

"Then what reason do you have to trust him over me. I'm not the only one not giving you the full story. He knows as much as I do." he stated.

He had a point. No-one was being very truthful towards me at the moment. Even Lamia had a secret she wasn't telling. But I couldn't blame them. I was the new girl. The stranger. The one who no-one knew if she could be trusted or not just quite yet but was willing to talk to her just incase she turns out to be a normal person. Maybe even their new trouble carrier. Who knew. She could have use.

I frowned and looked to the floor.

"I think you should go. I need to go home. I need to think things out. And someone needs to ring the Police." I said quietly.

"Libby...." he trailed off.

"I said go!" I said louder and true to his word Ashton swung open the door looking furious.

"You heard her. She doesn't want you here. I suggest you leave now." he growled at the boy I thought I could be friends with.

Julian sighed and gave me one last look, accompanied by a weak smile.

"It was nice to see you again Libby. I apologise for how today's events have unravelled and I hope we can be friends in the future if you can ever bring yourself to forgive me." he said, inclined his head slightly towards me and rose, leaving the room without even a look to Ashton.

"I want to go home." I said simply suddenly very aware of what I have probably just lost.

"Come on. I'll drive you." Ashton said and helped me up.

* * *

When I got home my Dad was laying on the couch which his eyes shut and a bottle of whiskey cradled in the crook of his right arm. He wasn't asleep. This was proved by his grip on the whiskey bottle. He was merely taking a slight pause from his drinking, allowing his liver to rebuild it's defences for him to smash down in a few moments.

It was only 12:30. I had been at school for 3 and a half hours. Two lessons with a 15 minute break in the middle and then an hour and 25 minutes in the infirmary. I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't allowed back to that school not that I can say I would be sad to see it go. I closed the door behind me, waking my pathetic excuse for a Father, who groaned and complained at the sudden intrusion to his rest

"What are you doing home?" he slurred.

"There was an accident at school. My friend drove me home. I'm not well. I need rest." I stated not wanting to go into details about my gruesome first day.

"Good. Now that you're home you can make me dinner. And fetch me another bottle of whiskey. Now." he snapped, standing up shakily, obviously not hearing a word of what I had just said.

"I need rest Dad. I'm not well. I have a concussion. You'll have to sort yourself out for now." I said and turned to go upstairs, realising this would be the first time I actually saw my room.

The whole house looked dark although I was only in the front room. My Father was obviously against turning the lights on. Probably afraid of the light illuminating his issues and problems which would possibly mean he would have to work on them which everyone knew was practically impossible with this much of a hang over. He disgusted me.

He grabbed my arm and spun me around. "I said fetch me another bottle of whiskey you brat!" he yelled into my face.

The smell of alcohol was over bearing and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.

"No Dad. I need to sleep. I'll get you one later. I think you've had enough for now."

"You cheeky bitch! I'll make you wish you were never born!" he yelled and raised his hand to slap me.

" STOP !" I screamed and suddenly he was thrown through the air, slamming into the wall and slumping to the ground.

I was stunned. I have no idea how I just did that but it was definitely new. That wasn't supposed to happen. There was a sudden burning sensation around my eyes and I rushed to the mirror. But I wish I hadn't because as I watched a very intricate tattoo swirl and twist itself around my eyes and down my cheek showing sapphire, emerald and amethyst colours outlined in black I knew that my life was going to change completely. I knew that I wasn't what I should be. That I was one of them .

I heard my dad stand and I knew, as I turned to face him, that he knew all along that something wasn't right about me. But now, as he saw what had happened to me, his face turned stone cold and he grabbed the whiskey bottle. I eyed him carefully, the previous sensation from my newly formed tattoo's lessened to a mild throb, as he brought the bottle close the the corner of a table. Something wasn't right and as he smashed the bottle, leaving sharp ends around the edge, I knew I had to run. So I did. But I didn't get far because apparently the front door sticks when shut properly.

I turned to run down the corridor to the back door but it was no use. He was already there standing between me and my escape holding the bottle in front of him. He didn't smile, he didn't wobble, he didn't blink. He just stared.

"It's okay Libby. This wont hurt at all. It'll all be over soon." he said and he stepped towards me holding the bottle in a position ready to strike.

But he didn't get to me. He didn't even get close. Because in the time it took me to blink Ashton had materialised behind him, grabbed either side of his head and twisted breaking his neck and turning his head to face the other way. He let him slump to the floor dead. I looked at Ashton, my mouth hanging open, before looking back to my pathetic excuse for a Father and closing it again. When I looked back to Ashton there were tears in my eyes and that familiar cramp at the back of my throat had returned.

"Hey. No. It's okay. He's gone now. It's okay. You're safe." Ashton said and stepped over my dead Dad's body to pull me into a hug as I sobbed against his chest.