Destined for Darkness

by Cassie Pierce

“Who in the hell does this asshole think he is?”

  I try to wiggle free but he only tightens his grip on my already sore hips. I can feel tears start to build, but I be damned if I am going to cry. My fingers are hot, like they are on fire now. I just assume it is from the adrenaline, but something feels off. I look out into the sea of people, waiting for someone to come to my defense. No one seems to notice my distress and I start to panic. I knew that this place was bad news but I just had to ignore my instincts. I have a very bad feeling that I am about to pay for my poor judgment.

  Well, I am not going down without a fight. If this jerk wants some action, then who am I not to give it to him. Too bad for him that it is not going to be the kind that he is after. I close my eyes and call upon the strength of my inner ninja. As hard as I can, I pull my knee back and plant it right in his crotch. He lets out a stream of profanities, and thankfully releases me from his grasp. I smile to myself, suddenly glad for all those self –defense classes that mom made me take. I turn to run, but he grabs me by the arm and pulls me back against his massive body before I even have a chance to make it two steps. I swear loudly because I am pretty sure that my shoulder is now dislocated. Guess he doesn’t take rejection well.

  “You like it rough baby?” he asks. “Well, I can play rough. Let’s see how you like this.”

  I turn my head, knowing that I am about to get hit. What a jerk. Why is no one helping me? They all just continue to dance like they are in some kind of trance. The heat from my fingertips has now spread over my entire body like a manic electric blanket. Anger boils through my veins, so intense I feel like I am melting from the inside out. I close my eyes and brace myself for the blow.

  ~~***~~

  Tristan

  I see the moment when the wolf decides to attack and I react without thinking. He raises his hand to hit her, but he never gets the chance. I knock him flat on his face the second he moves. He is stunned and gasping for air before he even has time to register what is happening. I take extreme pleasure from his pain when I twist his arm around his back. The sound of his bone snapping is music to my ears.

  It takes every ounce of my control not to kill him right here in front of everyone, but I am no fool. To a normal person it might seem like no one is paying attention to what is going on, but I am far from normal. They are all watching, waiting for me to release my powers before they attack. I fight with every fiber of my being to keep my powers in check, but I still cannot stop my eyes from glowing with their intensity. Her loud gasp brings me back to reality, and I snap my head around to look at her. It is not her beauty that I notice this time though. It is her fear. She looks terrified. Her angelic face is frozen in shock. Is it possible that she has no idea what she is? I wait for her to move, to run, but she stays rooted to her spot. I can sense the others in the room the moment they taste my power. They are coming. I need to get out of here, but I must make sure she is safe.

  “Run!” I shout at the beautiful girl.

  She snaps out of her fear induced state at the sound of my voice. I wait until I see her turn to run before I whisper a chant and disappear.

  ~~***~~

  Ridley

  “What the hell?” I gasp as I stand frozen in shock. I am expecting a hit but instead the jerk is now pinned to the floor by another man. It all happens so fast that I am starting to seriously question my sanity. Especially when I watch in awe as the man’s broken arm starts to heal right in front of me. I let out a loud gasp as the bone disappears back into his flesh like it never happened. My mystery hero turns his head and I am transfixed by the site of his eyes. I still can’t make out his face, but his bright, cobalt blue eyes seem to be glowing. Actually… literally… glowing.

  “Run!” he shouts before disappearing into thin air.

  I stumble backwards, crashing into to a dancing couple. They never even look at me, they just continue dancing. Weird! The brute from earlier is starting to get to his feet so I waste no time. I run. I push through the crowd, frantically searching for Ali. I have to find the exit! I have to find her! We need to get out of here! I want to leave, but I can’t go without her. There is something very wrong and unnatural about this bar. My body is in sensory overload and it is getting hard to draw oxygen into my lungs. I really need some fresh air. The fear coursing through my veins is causing me to shake like a leaf. My skin still feels strange, like it has been dipped in boiling water. Sweat, salty and sticky, now drips into my eyes. My heart beats so hard that I fear it might burst. I know that I need to get out of here, Ali or no Ali. I just need a second to think. I see the exit sign up ahead and decide that getting some air and clearing my mind is as good as it is going to get for now.

  I keep pushing my way through the bodies to the front of the bar. I see the exit sign as my salvation and I push harder. I will be safe outside. The bouncer is out front. He can help. My head is spinning like a tilt-a- wheel and my legs feel weak. I can’t see two feet in front of me. The door is now in my view. I might not die tonight after all.

  “Thank God!” I exclaim as I pull the heavy metal door open and drink in gulp after gulp of the warm August air. I kick off my shoes, silently cursing my beloved black stilettos. Whoever said fashion doesn’t hurt is full of shit. I stumble to the curve and fall to my knees. I bend at the waist and cradle my head in my hands.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I repeat over and over again.

  This cannot be real. People do not just break bones and then spontaneously heal. Normal people do not have eyes that glow! Normal people do not disappear into thin air in a room full of crowded people without anyone noticing. I am dreaming. This has to be a dream. I pinch myself for dramatic effect but all it does is confirm what I already know. This is no dream.

  “Ok, Ridley,” I say to myself out loud. “Just calm down and think.”

  I close my eyes and slow my breathing. My head is starting to feel less foggy and the still summer night air brings much needed quietness. I can hear the soft rumble of cars in the distance. The melody of crickets makes me think of home. I am starting to miss Casper Cove a little, at least no one ever tried to kill me when I lived there. I sit up and try to regain my composure. It is unusually quite outside tonight, too quite. I finally take the time to scan my surroundings.

  “No! No! No!”

  I went out the wrong door. I am not safe and secure out front, but isolated and alone in the back alley. “This is so bad!” I need to get back inside. I jump to my feet and turn toward the door that I thought of as my sweet salvation only moments ago. I freeze when my eyes lock on the massive figure blocking my path back to safety. He is looking at me like I am dinner. An evil grin stretches across his face and I cringe.

  “Oh, no!” I whisper.

  “Oh yes!” he laughs.

  I quickly scan my eyes to the left as another shadow flashes in the darkness. Fear rattles my body like I have never known and I realize that I have to do something if I want to live. I take a deep breath and do the only thing that comes to mind.

  I run.

  ~ CHAPTER 3~

  The Incineration

  “Oh God. I really don’t want to die. Please help me run faster.”

  That is my only thought as I literally run for my life. I can hear them closing in on me, two sets of feet pounding as loudly as my heart. I know that one set belongs to the brute from the club, but the other set remains a mystery. I can only guess that they belong to the figure that emerged from the shadows right before I started to run. I know that the brute wants to hurt me, but I have no clue what the dark stranger wants. I only pray that he is here to help me, but I am not about to stop to find out. I see a glimpse of light up ahead, and I know that my only hope of survival is to reach it. I push myself harder as I silently pray that my life will not end in this dark alley. I want to live. I have to live.

  I smother a scream as my bare feet hit the pavement. I feel every rock on the ground as they slice my flesh with a thousand tiny cuts. My heart beats so fast that I fe
el like my chest is going to explode. I push my feet to match the pace of my heart. My lungs are burning like someone poured liquid nitrogen down my throat and tossed in a match. I’m on fire from the inside, every breath fanning the invisible flame. My head is pounding, but I don’t know if it is from the alcohol I have consumed or the adrenaline and fear that have consumed me. I am exhausted and in pain but I keep running. If I stop…I die. Death is not an option that I am willing to consider. I hear them behind me, and they are closer now. So much closer.

  My mind flashes through a million things as I run. What happened to Ali? Why did she disappear from the dance floor? Why did no one in the club care about or even seem to notice the way the blond giant was treating me? How did his arm heal itself like some scene out of Twilight, my favorite movie? I swear to all things holy, if the man chasing me pops out fangs I am going to commit myself to the nut house. That is…. if I survive. Who saved me in the club and why did he disappear before I was safe? I wonder what the brute’s problem is and how someone could be so evil, so callous to someone they don’t even know. I wonder if the stranger from the shadows is here to help me or my pursuer. Who is he? What is he chasing me for? Will they simply kill me or do they have other things in mind? God, I hope not. Dying is bad enough without having to be tortured first. I have never considered myself afraid of death, but then again I have never come face to face with it either. It is amazing how your perspective changes when a situation is no longer hypothetical.

  “Stop it Ridley! You are not going to die. They are not going to catch you! You will fight. You will live.” I repeat this to myself as the light gets closer, and for a moment I dare to hope.

  His cold hand grips my shoulder just as my feet approach the light, harshly jerking me back to reality. His large fingers rip into my flesh, causing streams of crimson warmth to run down my arm.

  “NO!” I scream as he tosses me backwards like I weigh nothing. The sudden change in momentum throws me off balance, and before I can stop it I am falling. It is through tear filled eyes that I see the ground rapidly approaching. I push my arms out in front of me, hoping to break my fall with any body part other than my face. That’s a mistake. A big mistake. A sharp, crippling pain rips through me with so much force that I feel nauseated as my right arm makes contact with the ground, producing a grotesque crunch. Unfortunately for me, I do not possess super human healing powers like my opponent. Several things happen in the next moment. My face smashes into the pavement with a loud smack, causing stars to fill my vision. Pain explodes in my skull with such intensity that I almost black out. I hear a scream, but not my own, followed by a thud. I try to focus on what is going on around me, but everything is starting to fade. The world is fuzzy and spinning, and I know that I am seconds from losing consciousness. Oh no! This is so not good! If I pass out now there is no telling what they will do to me. My muscles ache from the run, and the pounding in my head could rival that of any celebrity drummer. I fight with every ounce of my strength to stay awake. I try to push back the darkness that clouds my vision, but it is no use. I cannot win this battle for consciousness. I am too far gone. I am being pulled into a black abyss, helpless to stop it. I see a shadow approach me moments before everything goes black.

  ~~***~~

  Tristan

  The only feeling that I register as I race after the wolf, that is racing after the girl who has stolen my heart with one look is rage; pure, raw, all-consuming rage. He is so focused on hurting her that he doesn’t even notice me closing in on him. The smell of her blood fills my nostrils as he throws her to the ground like she is trash. The crunch of her head against the solid ground is my undoing.

  I snap.

  Any control that I thought I had is forgotten. I no longer care about anything except for feeding my rage. I want to draw out his death. I want to make him suffer, but more importantly I want to make sure that she is safe. So even though he deserves to die slowly for making her bleed, for making her afraid; I make it quick. One rapid turn of my wrist and he is dead. I toss his limp body to the side and slowly approach the girl on the ground.

  It doesn’t take me long to realize that she is unconscious. I call upon my powers to asses for any fatal injuries, but find none. Relieved that she is going to be alright, I take a moment to study her. She truly defines perfection. This is the moment that I should walk away, but I can’t. Whatever it is about this girl that calls to me isn’t willing to let me go. I have to know her. She feels like Lamont, but without touching her I cannot be sure. I do not want to touch her while she is unconscious, in fear that she will wake up and be afraid. The last feeling I ever want to cause her is fear. I have never wanted to heal a human before, but it is taking everything in me not to do just that. Unfortunately, I can only heal her with my blood and that is forbidden. I tell myself that she is okay. I have seen that her injuries aren’t fatal, but that does not take away the pain I feel knowing she is hurt. What is this girl doing to me? I am connected to her somehow. I can sense it. My magic is screaming at me to wrap her in my light and fly her away from this awful place. I want to. God, I want to, but I know that waking up in a strange place will only frighten her more. So, I step away from the brunette beauty and wait for her to wake up.

  ~~***~~

  Ridley

  Somewhere in my mind I realize that I am now positioned face first on the ground. Something warm is running down my forehead into my mouth, and I quickly register the metallic taste as blood. My Blood.

  I may be frozen in place by my fear but I refuse to let it overcome me. If I have to die, then I am doing it on my own terms. If this monster is going to kill me then I at least want him to look at me first. I want to know why. I need to know why. So, with shaky arms and a new found determination I push myself off of the ground and turn to face my executioner. I squint my eyes, forcing them to focus on what will probably be the last face I will ever see. I tell myself to be brave, that there is still hope; always hope. I force my tears to stop because even though I am terrified I will not give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Anger floods my emotions as I replay this situation and how unfair it is. I am eighteen years old. I have my whole life in front of me and now all that is being ripped away and for what? All because I refused some jerks advances? I have never known true love, never given myself to a man, and now I am never going to get the chance. I always thought that I had time. The funny thing about death is that it makes you realize just how little time you actually have.

  “I will not die this way,” I shout to the heavens. A heat like I’ve never imagined starts to build somewhere deep within my soul. My body has reached a breaking point. This fire that I can only describe as raw energy mixed with flame has ignited my soul. At any moment my rage is going to break free, destroying anyone within its grasp. My skin is no longer simply tingly, it is rippling with energy that dances across my skin in a pale blue light. The fire roars deep in my core. I should be frightened by this, but instead I feel like a part of me is just coming to life. I squeeze my eyes shut and will myself to face this hell, no matter the outcome. I slowly open my eyes to the scene that will change my life forever, just not in the way that I thought.

  When my vision finally comes into focus I can’t believe what I see. The monster from the club is on the ground with his neck twisted at an awkward angle. His eyes, once so full of evil and hate, are now glassy and empty. He is still… so still. He is dead. I once would have pitied the man no matter what he had done, but tonight as I look upon his limp form, I find only satisfaction. The fire in me responds to this thought and seems to intensify to a level that I can barely endure. The pounding in my head increases and breathing becomes a struggle.

  “What is happening to me?” I scream. I am unable to keep the fear from my voice. A man steps from the shadows, and I realize from his build that it is the stranger that saved me in the club. This should comfort me but instead my mind races with fear. If he can kill someone the size of my attacker, what can he do to me?
/>
  “What do you want with me?” I shout. My voice is laced with fear and I hope that he doesn’t notice. I wait for him to answer me but he never says a word. He remains in the shadows, studying my every feature. Fear starts to creep its way back in as I try to be brave. Very slowly, almost as if he doesn’t want to frighten me, the dark stranger emerges from the shadows. When his face comes into focus my heart stops and my fear is replaced with a strange sense of comfort. I am certain that I have never seen him before, but as I look at his perfect face I can’t help but be drawn to him for some reason. It’s like I have known him forever. He looks like an angel. A very dark, super sexy angel.

  He stands at around six feet tall with a lean and muscular build. He is wearing a black T-shirt that hugs his frame in all the right ways, and god help me if I am not jealous of that T-shirt. He tops off his look with simple pair of faded blue jeans and black combat boots. His hair is so dark that it almost out shines the night. It falls around his face in loose waves, stopping mid-neck. It is the perfect accent to the most beautiful set of eyes I have ever seen. His eyes are the most magnificent shade of blue. They remind me of watching the first rays of sun hit the ocean. The reflection of the moonlight seems to shine behind the blue, making them appear otherworldly. His skin is the color of honey and appears perfectly smooth. Something about him calls to me, drawing me in like the oceans tide. I am frozen in time, transfixed by his spell. My soul recognizes him, even though I don’t. The place in my heart that normally aches is now singing. He is the single most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It is like looking at all the wonders of the world rolled into one and placed in human skin. I blink, pulling myself out of his hotness and back to the real world. He may be beautiful, but not beautiful enough to make me forget everything that has just happened. I regain my senses and repeat my question.