The Dead Town

On our way back home I couldn’t keep my mind off of Leader, how he wasn’t dead and how I was almost sure I was his next target. I didn’t like feeling like a target and I almost pitied the vampires and how they knew they were being targeted. Almost.

The next few days went by slowly, yet fast, because I couldn’t remember a thing about them. Nothing except for that feeling, I felt like I was being watched.

I know it’s probably just paranoia, but that didn’t make it go away. Sometimes I felt fine but sometimes, like a pair of eyes were following me around. So maybe it wasn’t just me being paranoid, maybe I was being followed.

Remembering what Leader, and yes I am still calling him that, said about playing with his food, made it all worse. I was his new target I could just feel it.

I was laying on my bed when Zack ran into the room and jumped onto my bed tackling me. He was crying and I instantly sat up and held him to me.

“What’s the matter?” I asked trying to keep the worry and urgent tone from my voice. Zack only shook his head and held me tighter. He had run through the open doorway with enough force to close the door so now I was watching anxiously as it slowly crept open. I didn’t know who scared the poor little guy, but I didn’t like him too much.

No one was in the now open doorway and I felt shivers run up and down my spine.

What if it was Leader again and he had disappeared before I could see him. I didn’t know, but my whole body practically ached with wanting to.

“Zack, no one’s there. What’s the matter?” I asked quietly leaning over and finally taking my eyes away from the door way. I set my chin lightly on top of his head and he said something into my chest that I didn’t understand. “Can you repeat that please?” I asked with a slight laugh.

He pulled himself away from me and moved over so he was sitting on his knees next to me.

“A big man wanted to know where you were.” My eyes widened as I put my hands on his shoulders.

“What did you tell him?” I asked trying to keep how scared I was out of my voice. I’m sure that he could probably see it anyway.

“I told him to go away.” He said smiling proudly. Why would he answer the door anyway?

“Did you answer the door?” I asked quietly.

“No, I was watching cartoons. He came in there.” I closed my eyes and tried to think of anyone who would do that. It could still possibly be Leader.

“Uh… Stay close okay. Is he still here?” I asked quickly. I didn’t want him to be lurking around the house.

“No he disappeared!” Zack said his tears drying up. His eyes were wide with what I think was amazement, but you could never be sure. The I gulped realizing that it in fact had been Leader. Great.

So four random facts about Leader:

One. He knows where we live
Two. He wants to kill me, but not before playing with me.
Three. He has weird powers and is the leader to a nice sized coven of vampires.
Four. He knows about Zack.

Well, isn’t that just dandy? Not only did he have to want me dead, but now he has a second target the next one will be Bree and then…

Then he’ll want Aidan.

I pulled Zack up and went downstairs being quick and quiet just incase. I turned the corner to the Living Room just as Aidan and RJ came around the other. I screamed.

Why did I always have to scream? It was becoming a very annoying habit. Zack hid behind my legs and I could feel him trembling, I must have scared him.

“Sorry! Zack it’s okay.” I said turning around and pulling the small boy into my arms. I walked farther into the room and sat down on the couch. The two guys were still standing in the other doorway confused.

“Rose! ROSE! What’s wrong? Is someone…” I heard Bree yell thundering up the steps from the basement. She must have heard me scream and thought we were in trouble. Just as Zack had.

I was rocking back and forth slowly, but not only to soothe Zack, it was also to keep me from doing something irrational –another thing that was quickly becoming a habit of mine.

Everybody was frozen except for Bree who had left moments ago fuming and ranting under her breath. I was still rocking back and forth as Zack pulled himself out of my arms. Why was he leaving me?

I looked up to see that Aidan was pulling a sleeping Zack away from me. I could only watch as he set him down on the recliner only a few yards away. Closer to the window, yet also close enough for me to snatch away.

Just in case.

Aidan came back over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, weighing me down. In a sense that thought scared me more than anything. I wouldn’t want Leader to see him actually caring, me actually caring. It would ruin me if any of my friends would become his prey.
It was hard enough to stomach the fact that I was his prey, thinking of them, him… it was so much worse.

Aidan looked at me and I could sense another pair of eyes not too far away. The rational half said it was only RJ, the paranoid part said that we had company of the unwanted sort.

I shook the thought from my head and Aidan moved his hands from my shoulders to my face. He looked so worried and I could only imagine why. I hadn’t thought I had screamed that loud.

“Rose.” He said simply and I looked at him.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… it’s just…” He pulled away and placed a finger to my lips cutting off my next words.

“You can’t stay here. I see what it’s doing to you…” He was so… I don’t believe there was even a word to explain all of the emotions that were running through his mind and that were clearly seen, as though his eyes were portals into the iner-workings of a complex machine.

I was beginning to scare myself.

“Oh… oh hell no!” Bree yelled from down the hall. I heard heavy foot falls as she stomped into the room. “No!” She yelled finally right behind Aidan. She was angry and I almost laughed.

“She’s had a hard time. Maybe if you took it a little easier on her…” RJ said quietly from where he had been the entire time. Bree nodded slowly before cooling down a bit.

I could see her side though. She had finally gotten me back, but then Aidan stole me away and decided that he was going to send me back to the ‘sane’ part of the world. If I had any choice in the matter at all I wouldn’t take anything back. I would want to keep it this way.

I couldn’t imagine never remembering Bree and never meeting Aidan. I’ve never felt so high and I haven’t’ felt so loved. I’ve never ever felt so wanted or needed, yet I’ve not felt as fearful as now.

It didn’t matter. None of it did.

~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~

“Rose, please look at me?” Aidan asked quietly. They had left me alone as they went and decided whether I should stay or whether I ought to leave. I have been laying here on Zack’s bed next to his curled up and deeply sleeping form, just staring a whole through the door.

I hadn’t thought it would be opening so soon, but I didn’t jump as it did.

“So… what are you going to do with me?” I said a bit more bitterly then I had originally intended, but I didn’t really care. I didn’t feel like facing anybody today. If only I could just lie here with Zack for the rest of the night I would perfectly happy.

“Don’t…” He stopped himself. I looked up to see his saddened eyes. I looked down almost immediately.

“I’m sorry…” I started.

“No. I deserved that.” He mumbled before grabbing my hand. He gently pried me away from the sleeping boy and out of the bed completely. He led me down the hall to my own room, then sat me down on my bed.

“Thanks?” I didn’t know what to say.

“Yeah, no problem. You want to just… hang out?” I snorted before looking at him. He wanted to just…

“Okay.”

Woah, did I just say that. Wait! Was that a smile? Oh, no!

I had a sneaking suspicion that nothing good was to become of this. I didn’t want to like him. I didn’t want Leader to get to him. I didn’t want him to know.

Neither of them.

“Score!” He yelled. I looked at him. “I got you to smile!” He said in a sing-song voice and I couldn’t help, but to laugh. He sounded so horrible! “And again!” I couldn’t stop giggling. What’s wrong with me?

Inside I was screaming at myself yet rejoicing in the small bit of happiness that radiated from Aidan.

Well, as long as he’s happy…

We had a grand old time talking and laughing. Our conversation was so random, I had lost track of what we were even talking about in the first place.

“Yep, as colorful as black and white.” I murmured before laughing some more, quietly.

Aidan nodded before mumbling, “Yep…” I looked over to see if he knew I was joking.

“I was kidding you know?” I said a little loudly.

“Of course, wait… why?” He was clearly confused.

“Black isn’t a color and white isn’t either.” I said my gaze not wavering. I smiled.

“Of course they are.” He said looking at me again. I shook my head.

“No Aidan, they aren’t.” I mumbled, I wasn’t exactly in the mood to fight.

“Well why not?” He mused; I doubted he was even paying enough attention. I stood up and looked out the window, it was so dark out. I hadn’t thought we were talking for that long. It was already Midnight, or at least it was very close.

“It’s late Aidan. You should get to your room.” I mumbled, but he didn’t hear me. “Aidan, it’s late.” I said louder.

I watched as he slowly stood then gave me a hug. “That’s a very polite way of getting rid of someone.” He said only joking, but it made me feel bad anyway.

“I’m sorry. I’m just…”

“No it’s okay.” He smiled at me after pulling away, I could see conflict in his eyes, but after a sigh he let go of me completely and walked to the door murmuring a half silent ‘Good night’ before shutting the door behind him.

I frowned slightly before plopping myself onto the bed. Shaking my head I slowly fell asleep, completely ignoring the feeling in my gut. The feeling that said that something bad was going to happen. The feeling that someone was watching me. The feeling that I didn’t like.

I only slept.

Let that be my only downfall…

Please.