“Oh, stop,” Moonflower replied. “Why would anyone want to hurt us, we haven’t done anything to anyone.”
“It’s not because of what you’ve done… but for what your father has done. You have no idea about his past, Moonflower, but we’ve both heard the rumors. And, I’ve seen visions of blood and death, far beyond anyone’s wildest dreams… the visions haunt my dreams.”
“You make no sense sometimes, Whisper,” Moonflower said, slurring her speech a little. “Drink a beer and forget about all that vision stuff, girly. Enough with the gloom and doom. Let’s have some fun!”
“You really need to listen to me… I know you think you’re smarter and stronger than me.”
“I am.”
“Well, you’re not. Prettier, maybe, but definitely not smarter.” “That’s your opinion, but thanks,” Moonflower argued. “Alright then, what’s the square root of pie?”
“What kind? Blueberry or Strawberry?”
“Thank you, for making my point,” Whisper said, raising her eyebrows.
“I knew what you meant,” Moonflower said, reaching back into her bag of chips with her orange fingers. “But, you’re starting to bug me, so stop it. No more crystal ball crap for the rest of the night, please? You should really start thinking about other kinds of balls.”
Whisper was shocked for a second and then laughed at what she’d said.
“I meant basketballs,” Moonflower suddenly said, laughing at herself.
Whisper decided to give up for the moment, as Moonflower began scanning the party to see where Sebastian had walked off.
Sebastian looked up and noticed she was looking for him. “Over here, Moonflower!”
“Damn, Sebastian, your girlfriend is smokin’,” Jasper said to him. “You’re one lucky dude, let me tell you. I would hit that, in a second… if you weren’t my friend!”
“And, if I wasn’t your best friend,” Mitch said in addition, smiling. “I’d steal her from you! You can bet your ass on that!”
“Alright, all of you guys, just shut the hell up. I mean, it is flattering and all, but I’m about ready to start kicking your asses.”
“Relax, dude,” said Mitch, as they all laughed. “You know we’re just busting your balls. Don’t get your fur all ruffled.”
Moonflower pushed her way through them and jumped into Sebastian’s arms, laying a big, wet kiss on his lips.
“Yummy,” Sebastian said, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. “Doritos?”
Moonflower was laughing along with the rest of the guys, not noticing that a black van had pulled up, with the guys from the Black Wings. They weren’t drawing any attention to themselves and they just blended in with the others at the party; the fire was the only light, so it was easy to mesh into the crowd.
Tanya came running and she grabbed Moonflower’s arm. “Hey, come over here… let those boys be boys, all by themselves. They don’t deserve us.”
Moonflower, Whisper and Tanya strutted away, giving the guys plenty of space to make fart jokes and belch.
“They think they’re so cool, but by the end of the night, they’ll be looking for us,” Tanya sneered. “They take us for granted. We need to play hard.”
“I already got my man,” Moonflower boasted. “You can do what you like. Besides, Whisper says we have other things that we should be worrying about. Ain’t that right, Whisper?”
“That’s right,” Whisper said, with surprise in her voice. She didn’t expect to hear Moonflower bring it back up, until the next day. “Something’s coming and I don’t know what it is. It may have something to do with Moonflower’s family and her father’s past.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tanya replied with a laugh. “Just get me another beer… then maybe I’ll be able to see into the future, too.”
Whisper didn’t say anything else. It made her mad when people teased her about her love for Wicca and she couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for them to believe that she really did have a special gift, considering the town was already full of supernatural life. It especially bothered her when her own friends gave her a hard time and Tanya was always good for that.
Moonflower was busy filling a couple cups of beer at the keg, when Edward Taylor, the team captain of the Black Wings, walked up, in an attempt to start a conversation with her.
“Hold on, there, I need a beer, too,” Edward said with a smile. “Here, I’ll pump the keg… I’m good at pumping things.”
He was hoping to make good eye contact, in hopes of glamouring her, offering the sweetest smile, he could work up.
Moonflower’s powers were beyond Edward’s and his attempt was a failure. She felt the supernatural force hit her, more of a tingle really and she began to wonder if this human didn’t just somehow try to glamour her. But, how?
Moonflower looked Edward straight in his eyes and said, “Nice try, but that doesn’t work on me. Now get lost, before my boyfriend kicks your ass.”
“What do you mean?” Edward replied. “I was just trying to be friendly. Besides, I’m not afraid of your boyfriend.”
“Well, you should be. Go run your game on someone else. Beat it!”
“Maybe I will go run my game somewhere else,” Edward snapped back. “Your friends are pretty hot, maybe I can score with one of them. They all seem to like me.”
“Stay the fuck away from me and my friends, or I promise you’ll be sorry. So, don’t push your luck and you just might live to enjoy a happy life. Now, SCRAM! Your face is really starting to bother me!”
“It’s a small world,” Edward said, as he walked away. “I’m sure our paths will cross again. If fact, I know they will… I’m sure of that.”
Edward was almost out of her view, when he turned, one last time and blew her a kiss. She returned his kiss with her middle finger in the air. She decided, right then, not to run and tell Sebastian, as to avoid any bloodshed that evening. But, the word had already reached, that Edward was talking to Moonflower and Sebastian was rushing past her, running to catch up with the leader of the Black Wings; Edward was stopped, dead in his tracks.
“I thought I told you to stay away from my girlfriend! Do you have a death wish, or something?” Sebastian growled. “Or, are you just plain fucking stupid?”
“Or, something,” Edward answered. “I was only getting a beer and she just happened to be there at the same time. But, I can tell you this, she definitely has a thing for me and that’s not my fault. I guess you’re just not man enough for her.”
“Dude,” Sebastian replied, “I would stop while you’re still ahead. Another word and it could be your last, I’m done playing. Just one more word and….”
“Stop? Hell, I’m just getting started,” Edward said, taking a step towards him. “So far, I’ve been a perfect gentleman, but you just wait until the game next week. I’m going to jam the basketball down your throat, every chance I get.”
He crossed his arms and looked Sebastian in the face. “I’m every bit as good as you and you know it.”
“We’ll just see about that,” Sebastian said, stepping forward. “I’m going to wipe the court with you and your boys… I’m not holding anything back. You only wished you were half as good as me. I’ll fucking destroy you!”
“Why wait, powder puff?” Edward taunted. “What’s stopping you right now? I’m standing right here… take your best shot.”
Sebastian stepped forward and pushed Edward back a few feet and the shove was returned with equal force. Sebastian was surprised by his strength; he seemed much stronger than most humans he’s ever encountered.
Chumlee stepped between the two, as friends from both sides began to close in, encircling Sebastian and Edward.
“Sebastian,” Mitch warned his friend. “Don’t let him get to you… he’s just trying to throw you off of your game. Don’t let that punk get inside your head. We’ll take care of these assholes at the game.”
“I got it, Mitch… he’s not gonna get the best of me, he’s not that good. He
’s just a temporary pain in my ass.”
Edward spoke up. “You guys both know your team is going down next week. So, get used to being losers… losers. And, we’ll just see who Moonflower wants, after I show her what I got,” he said, looking back to where she was standing with the cups in her hands. “See you pussies later… we are the fuck out of here!”
“Yeah… pussies,” replied Trent Rucker, not being able to think of anything on his own.
“That’s perfect, guys,” Sebastian remarked. “Hey, Trent, you’re really one, to be calling us pussies, you purple-headed faggot. Why don’t you go ask your mom for some singles she earned stripping last night and go get that fucking Mohawk shaved off?”
Everyone laughed, as the guys moved towards their van and a few people started throwing some bottles and cups after them, while they scurried like mice to avoid being hit. The van peeled out, spitting dirt and gravel and everyone went back to enjoy the rest of the party.
The black van sped down the back roads of Wolf Creek, carrying the Black Wings back to their hometown, about a hundred miles north. Trent was sitting in the passenger’s seat, rolling up a doobie on the dashboard, while the guys in the back were laughing and passing around bottles of beer they’d snatched from the back seat of someone’s car before leaving the party. Edward and Trent looked ahead and noticed two young girls walking down the country road smoking cigarettes; they began slowing down as they got closer. The girls both turned their heads, as the van crept up and both parties came to a stop; the girls smiled.
“Good evening, ladies,” Edward said, in his friendliest voice. “What are you doing walking down this dark and dangerous road, all alone? Don’t you know there are all kinds of weirdo’s driving around, this time of night? You should be more careful… let us give you a ride to a place where it’s safe,” he persuaded. “You cuties got names?”
Both girls were wearing way too much makeup and both puffing away on cigarettes, trying to look older than they really were.
The blonde one decided that she liked Edward. “I’m Christa and this is Beth… and, actually, we snuck out and we’re looking for some beer. You guys got any?”
“Well, hot damn! I guess it’s your lucky night!” Edward said back, making them giggle. “We got beer and plenty of other stuff too, just hop on in!”
Christa whispered to her friend, “C’mon, let’s go with these guys. That guy is hot.”
Beth was a little unsure about the idea of riding off with complete strangers. She didn’t want to get stuck somewhere and not be able to make it home before her parents woke up for work in the morning.
“So, what’s it gonna to be?” Edward asked, giving the engine a rev. “I know what I would do, if I was you. It’ll be your loss, if you don’t. And, I know I wouldn’t want to be out here all alone at night,” he said, looking around out the windows.
The girls finally agreed and they both crawled into the van, sliding the side door shut. As soon as they got in, they could both sense that something was wrong, but they played it off, pretending not to notice.
“So, where’s the beer you promised?” Christa asked. “You better not be lying to us… I hate liars. If you don’t have any beer, then you’re not getting anything from us, if you know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry,” said Edward with a laugh. “I wouldn’t lie to you.” He looked in the rearview mirror at the other guys in the van and grinned. “There’s plenty to drink… for us.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Christa asked, sitting up on the edge of her seat. “Pull over and let us out, right now!”
“You want me to pull over?” Edward asked her. “Alright.”
He slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel, stopping the van in its tracks. The girls never stood a chance against the team of Vampires, as they attacked, all at once, ripping and biting at the two helpless girls. The screams only lasted for a moment, but the sounds of slurping and gulping carried on, as the Vampires licked and sucked themselves in a bloody frenzy.
After a few minutes had passed, the van stopped rocking and it slowly rolled back onto the roadway. It continued down a few miles, before pulling up and stopping at a sign that read, ‘You Are Now Leaving Wolf Creek.’ The side door slid open and the two drained bodies of the young girls were thrown into the water at the bottom of a steep embankment, with their heads soon rolling behind them. The door slid shut and the van carried on down the dark road, with the rear license plate following behind with the letters, ‘DRAINED.’
___________________________________________________
Chapter Fifty-One
“Hey, Sarah!” JD yelled from his office at the Wolf Creek Police Station. “Did you ever get those pictures of the missing basketball players, like I asked? What the hell is taking so damn long?”
“The pictures came last week… I put them on your desk!” Sarah hollered back. “They must’ve gotten buried under all that paperwork that you keep filed so well!”
“You have got to be kidding me,” JD muttered under his breath, before yelling back. “I’ve been waiting for those, damn it!”
He dug through the stack of paperwork sitting on his desk and he found the faxes and pictures, at the very bottom of the pile. “Damn it!” yelled JD, who was obviously having a bad day. “I needed these last week!”
“Well, get over it!” Sarah yelled in return. “You didn’t mention that to me before! What’s the big deal, anyway?”
JD looked over the pictures of the five missing Midwestern basketball players and the faces staring back from the photos confirmed what his sixth sense had been telling him. He called Nate into his office and motioned for him to shut the door. After he’d grabbed a seat, JD threw the pictures across the desk for him to see.
“Holy shit,” Nate said, as he was checking them out. “These guys are the Black Wings basketball team.”
“Right… but, they’re humans,” JD said to him. “I’ve personally heard their heartbeats and felt the warmth coming off their bodies. Maybe they’ve all been glamoured?”
“Or, maybe the Vampires have learned of another way to throw us off,” Nate offered, thinking outside of the box. “Those bastards are always trying something sneaky.”
“Anything’s possible,” JD replied, looking over one of the photos. “I knew there was something wrong, the first time I laid eyes on them. I just knew it.”
“Let’s go check out their school,” Nate said, getting up from his chair. “It’s less than a hundred miles from here. We can make it in two hours, well-before the sun goes down,” he said, taking a peek at his watch.
“Let’s hit it, then,” said JD, grabbing his gloves off the desk. “You go ahead I’ll be right out.”
Nate was out the door and JD decided to make a pit-stop by Sarah’s desk. “Sorry, I’m an asshole sometimes,” he said, putting his arm around her. “You know I love ya, right?”
“I’m sorry you’re an asshole sometimes, too,” Sarah said back with a smile. “Go take care of business, Sheriff.”
Smiling, JD put his hat on and disappeared from the station, Nanook at his heels.
JD and Nate turned off the main highway, heading down a gravel road that led to the address of the Black Wings’ private school. They followed the GPS, even though it seemed to lead them out into the middle of nowhere. After a few more turns, JD assumed that the tracking system was wrong again and he ripped it from the windshield, throwing it to the floorboards.
“Wait a minute, JD,” Nate said, pointing out the window. “Is that it, right there?
The two officers pulled up to an abandon building that looked like it hadn’t seen human life in years. The truck stopped and they jumped out to take a closer look, stepping through the overgrown weeds that were sticking out from between the broken chunks of pavement. Nanook followed close behind, as JD and Nate walked up the path, approaching the mature, brick building that clearly used to be a schoolhouse… but the last bell at this school had rung out decades ago.
“What the hell?” JD wondered aloud.
“It looks like no one’s been here for years,” Nate said, inspecting the boarded-up windows and spray-painted walls.
“I knew something was up. I’m so sick of dealing with these fucking Vampires. I swear they’re worse than Republicans, Mormons and Scientologists, combined.”
“Well, let’s have a look around,” said Nate, tugging on one of the boarded windows. “Maybe we can find a clue as to what’s actually going on… maybe they really are here.”
“Well, let’s check it out then.”
Both men had their weapons drawn, while walking around the outside of the school, until they reached a set of double-doors that were locked together with a set of rusty chains. They looked through the small, shattered windows and JD and Nate could see, that the inside of the place was in shambles and it looked like no one had set foot in there for decades. After looking over the set of chains that were in place to hold out any intruders JD grabbed the handle and with one quick pull, he ripped the metal door off its frame and tossed it to the side. Both men entered the school, finding themselves standing in two inches of dust, before they walked down the hallway of lockers and classrooms, leaving fresh footprints behind. They moved towards the end of the hallway, guns at the ready, until they reached the school gymnasium. It appeared that it was the only part of the school that was still being used and the basketball hoops were still intact.
Nate noticed a couple of mice scurrying around and a few bats suddenly flapped overhead, as JD’s voice echoed up in the rafters.
“Just what I expected… sort of.”
“What the hell is going on?” Nate asked, bemused. “How can a closed school have a winning basketball team? None of this makes any sense.”
“Yes, it does, actually,” JD said to his deputy. “I checked their schedule and they’ve never played a home game. Every single one has been away at another school.”
“How can they get away with that?”
“I called the sports league and apparently the school reported repairs going on until next year,” JD explained. “So, I figure, whatever they’re up to, is going down next weekend, because I don’t think they plan on having a second season.”
The Lycan Chronicles Page 35
