Chapter Six

Echoes

AIMEE STANDER

I stared at the dance studio, it was completely destroyed. A slight pang of happiness echoed throughout my body. I looked into the mirror. My cracked reflection stared back. My heart dropped, I realised that I would never completely overcome this, it would forever burn in my head. My body collapsed onto the floor and removed my ballet shoes, I had overcome as much as possible and that was good enough for now.

My shoes slipped back on my now aching feet. The sunlight warmed the room. I left it behind me. The house held other things now, not as much pain, but more love. I saw the days when my Dad would greet me and Simon when we came home. The way I was his perfect princess. I smiled at these memories and walked away from the house. I skipped happily down the path, I felt a new me emerging.

I span around the trees and saw something that would definitely destroy my mood. On the trees where scorch marks, the floor was damp and the ground broken. I saw bodies littered around the area. Adam stood in front of me with a solemn face. Only his motorcycle remained.

“What happened?” I gasped.

“There was a fight, don’t worry no one was hurt. They left, I said that I would wait for you to come back. They are going to meet us in the old deserted town two miles from here,” he answered. I felt relief, no one was hurt. I climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and tied my arms around Adam. We sped away, leaving the bodies on the floor. The fields disappeared and we arrived at the town.

Simon was still bound to Katie. Everyone was just sat on the ground. It hadn’t rained in days. We joined them. It was just normal conversations, nothing out of the ordinary. Ellie came and sat beside me. Her blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail, her blue eyes smiled. She leant her head on my shoulder, I wondered what she was doing.

“Aimee, I know your secret,” she whispered, I opened my eyes in horror, “I hear your thoughts remember? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. I understand what you are trying to do, and it means a lot. It also makes sense why you and Liam have so much to talk about,” she glanced at me, “I’m good at keeping secrets.”

My eyes locked on Liam’s. He shrugged. I shook my head. She would have to careful, no one could know. No one.

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KATIE BILLING

I was tired. I had slept once we arrived here last night. Simon was supporting me, he was still my stone and I was the Ivy. I yawned. Aimee looked slightly shocked, slowly her mask reformed on her 

face. She was in a much better state than she was in before. Her hair was still a mess on her head and her clothes torn, but I was just glad she wasn’t crying anymore. When Simon and I had got back to where everyone else was. Ellie was on the floor, tears were pouring down her face. It was clear that she was feeling what Aimee was. For some reason Ellie and Aimee have some kind of very strong connection, I don’t know what it is, but they do. The pain was gone from Ellie’s face.

I held Simon close to me. He held me closer, crushing me into him. The wind blew. There was going to be a storm soon, but hopefully we wouldn’t be here when it strikes. Simon was thinking, I could tell. His face was as hard as stone. The day continued, we were all hungry/ thirsty. The midday sun glowed over head and Simon broke his silence.

“I think we need to go into hiding,” Simon announced, everyone looked at him in shock (everyone apart from Ellie of course). “We can’t all stay together it is too dangerous.”

“Ok, then we will go in two’s,” whispered Aimee, “I think it is pretty obvious what they are,” I saw all the two’s attached to each other, Ellie and James, Lydia and Liam, Tanya and Henry . . .

“Pass out the keys,” Simon said, passing the keys to James, each was a set, there was about twelve sets in there, they all had a small piece of paper attached, with the addresses of all the home where and which keys were which, “Once in hiding, you should get a high a profile job as possible, then it is hard for them to make you disappear,” he continued, “We should really leave tomorrow.” We all nodded. The keys were cold in my hands. I couldn’t think about not being with the people surrounding me, but if that is what we have to do to keep us safe, I’ll do it.

The sun started to set and we laughed and joked. The storm brewed above us. I heard a crack of thunder and with it a rumble of feet, travelling faster and faster, getting closer and closer.

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AIMEE STANDER

My head snapped to face where the sound was coming from. Behind me was a herd of vampires and in the centre was her. The people behind me were slowly standing, they couldn’t handle this many vampires, especially not trained to this level. My mouth opened.

“Run,” I yelled. They were all frozen in fear. I nodded at Simon and Adam. We took two people not caring who and placed them on a motorcycle. We turned on the engine and sent them away. The vampires didn’t flinch. Then Ellie and Lydia jumped on one themselves and set off. Only Simon, Adam, Katie and I remained. They all watched me. They seemed to view me as the weak one, even though Katie was injured, at least everyone else was safe, hiding.

I walked forward as did my mother. She smiled sweetly at me and held out her arms.

“Come to me my darling little girl,” she smiled. I growled. My body pounced on her. She brushed me off like a fly. “Don’t do that it is not graceful,” she growled back.

“I hate you, you made my life miserable,” I spat, “You crushed me, forcing me to hate myself. Now I only hate you.” She snarled at me. The rain started to pitter patter on the floor. All eyes were on us. She raised her arm and hurled me to the ground. My head crack against the hard floor. Her foot shot 

into my stomach. She glided over me and headed toward the others. A fear set into my body. I waited until they were all past me. I carefully regained my composure and limped to the wall of the shops. I hid around the corner. I was a coward. She was still in control of me. I slid down the wall. The rain dropped on me. The rain slipped through my fingers. I felt useless and weak. I couldn’t do this. I had to completely let go, there was only one way I could do that. The thunder rumbled over my head. I was good enough, I could do this.

I walked out from behind the wall. Katie was gone. Simon and Adam were trying to fight them all off. Vampire after vampire fell to the ground. The venom leaked into the street. I glided forward. I was soon running. I couldn’t see my mother. I was dancing around each vampire. My legs cracked against their skulls. My body slipped though their fingers. I jumped over their heads. More were arriving. Simon’s hand pulled me back.

“Aimee come with me to Katie and run,” he whispered breathlessly, “We will be alright, save her, protect her please,” his eyes begged me. I nodded. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

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KATIE BILLING

Aimee and Simon appeared in front of me. They dragged me to my feet.

“Katie, go with Aimee, you’ll be safe,” he begged. His hands held my face. They forced me to look into his eyes.

“I’m not leaving you,” I protested. The Ivy was being ripped from the stone, leaf by leaf.

“Please Katie, I can’t watch you die,” he continued, tugging at the stem.

“You can’t fight them alone,” I cried. It started to come out of the cracks, slicing the leaves.

“There are only a few left,” he begged, tears started to roll down his face. The stone started to crumble. I gulped back the tears.

“But I need you,” I screamed. The Ivy collapsed onto the floor. I gasped for the air I didn’t have, I reached for the support that wasn’t there.

“I love you,” he whispered. His cold lips kissed my forehead. His hands slipped away. Aimee’s hands held me. The tears streamed down my face.

“This is for the best Katie,” she whispered. She didn’t know, she didn’t understand. The stone, the ivy.

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AIMEE STANDER

Katie’s tears dripped onto my arms. She was in so much pain. I held her in my arms. She was like a small child. The wind whipped my face as I ran out of the town. I could hear Katie’s sobs. She was broken. A figure appeared in front of me. I halted.

“Why are you running, my little girl,” she sneered. I slowly placed Katie on the ground behind me. Her porcelain features had never seemed so evil. I hated her so much. The pain I had once felt echoed in my head, it pulsed through my body. I knew there was only one way I could have closure. I had to get rid of all the bad memories, destroy them like the dance studio.

“There is only one way I can stop the pain completely,” I whispered. Her face replied with an evil smile.

“Don’t make me kill you,” she chuckled. I felt the anger bubble up within me. I shot at her. She dodged me with ease. I thought carefully studying her stance, grace, grace. I was more graceful. I danced around her. Our arms met with such force that it sounded as if the thunder was from us. The rain pelted us. I felt as my foot hit her head so much force that it almost hurt me too. Her body span and hit the ground. I took the chance. I placed my feet on her torso. Her eyes were contaminated with fear.

“You can’t kill me I’m your mother,” she breathed. I shook my head.

“You are not my mother,” I answered. My small body crouched down. I tilted my head to her neck and bit her. I forced my teeth in as far as they would go. I pulled back her face was distant she was smiling at me.

“Don’t worry Aimee Marie Stander, you will always be my little girl,” she whispered. He eyes closed and I walked back. She was right I would always be her little girl.

I will be posting the next story soon, I just have to finish editing it . . .