Chapter 3: Helpless
For most of the day, Amber spent it in her room with Aliea working on their essay for science. Aliea absolutely hated science and was easily distracted throughout the entire time they worked. Amber, on the other hand, was just the opposite of Aliea. She loved science as well as math. However there was one thing Aliea loved more than anything. She loved to draw. Whether it was charcoal, pencil, or pastels, Aliea would use any media to express herself through art.
When 9:00 in the evening rolled around and the sky was dark and starless, Amber decided to take her evening walk with Honey. She left Aliea to her sketch pad, closing the door behind her, and made her way to the elevator. As she rounded the corner to the waiting room she paused and glanced over her shoulder. The feeling of being watched crowded her senses and pushed her to vacate the room quickly. After a few seconds, she laughed to herself, thinking she was being silly, before getting on the elevator and riding it down to the lobby floor.
Downstairs in the lobby, a few students sat in front of the huge flat screen TV playing Xbox 360. From the sound of the guns firing and things being blow to bits as well as alien words being shouted angrily, she guessed they were playing their latest game, Halo 3, again. They never seemed to get bored of that game.
Shaking her head, she walked across the lobby and out the rear sliding glass door. She looked across the lawn to a small kennel where a large yellow lab stood on its hind legs against the fence, tail wagging visibly, tongue lolling, and letting small whimpers escape from uncontrollable glee.
"Honey! Hey Girl. How are you doing?"
The dog barked happily.
Amber opened the gate and snapped on Honey's leash before she could run off.
The fairly large Labrador rose up to Amber's thighs when standing on all fours but when she stood on two legs, she matched Amber's 5'4 height easily.
Honey had been found by Amber two days after she had arrived at the school. The dog had been lying on the beach below the cliffs south of the school. Amber assumed the dog had been thrown over a fishing boat during a rough storm and had been lucky enough to wash up on the shore of the island. Amber had helped the dog recover and the two became friends quickly.
Now every night the two go out for a walk and sometimes run in the morning together.
"You ready to go for a walk Honey?"
Mako sat on the edge of the stadium roof looking over the parking lot. A boy about the age of seventeen stepped out of the portal which took a final flash and disappeared.
Mako smiled and jumped off the stadium.
Travis looked around the parking lot. The only source of light came from the numerous light poles scattered around the lot and from the windows of a three-story building behind him. Confused as to where he was, he headed toward the structure.
As he neared the edge of the lot, a slim figure formed in front of him, inches away from his face.
Startled, he took a quick step back and assumed a fighting stance. He soon realized though that it was just a small girl with dark black hair and bright green eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light. A haunting smile rested on her soft face.
"Hey there," her voice teased his ears as she greeted him.
"Uh, hey," Regardless of her beauty, Travis sensed something dangerous about her which convinced him not to let his guard down. Instead, he stood straight and took another step back.
"You're new here, yes?"
"Ya, do you know where i can check in with the principle?"
"As a matter of fact i do."
"Really? Even at this late hour?"
"Of course, he is always working. Never really sleeps much anymore."
Travis noticed a strange haunting glow to her eyes and when she smiled, he thought he saw fangs. 'However, she was a girl, and therefore no match for me,' Travis thought.
Suddenly, she vanished into the shadows. Her giggles echoed around him. Travis frantically looked around him.
His body tensed when he felt hands sliding up his broad back and around under his arms then finally resting on his chest. He felt the girl press against him from behind and her lips brushed against the back of his neck.
"You are cute, and so full of life and energy." Mako whispered into his ear, causing the hairs on his arms to stand on end. But for some reason when he tried to pull away from her, his body wouldn't respond to his command. Instead it relaxed into her embrace against his will.
"You know who would love your energy and power? The Professor." Her hands moved slowly down his chest and over his flat stomach. Travis held his breath even when they stopped after reaching his jean pockets.
Fear gripped his mind as his body continued to disobey him. He felt his arms move against his will and place his hands on hers then pulled her tight to him.
She laughed softly then slipped her right hand out of his grip. Travis tried to turn around but couldn't.
"What the hell are you doing?"
He felt the back of her hand pressed lightly against his throat and glided up under his jaw, pushing his head up at an angle.
"Why nothing, just want a little taste that's all."
At first he was unsure of what she really meant, but as she moved his head to expose his neck, realization struck him. But his body still refused to obey his mind, even when he felt the fangs pierce his slim neck and sink deep into the muscles.
"Hey what the hell is going on?" Amber shouted from next to the stadium fence. She had watched in amazement as a boy had exited a blue lightning vortex and was now being seduced by Mako, an upperclassman. But soon her look of amazement turned to a star of horror when Mako had bit into the boy's neck.
"Hey, Mako!"
She saw Mako jump at the sound of her name being called and released the boy as if he had shocked her. Amber could see the blood dripping from her mouth and down onto her own neck.
Mako stepped quickly away from the dazed boy then smiled when she saw Amber. She snapped her fingers and the boy instantly went limp and quietly fell to the pavement.
Anger seeped into Amber at the sight of the boy just being thrown aside. She hated how Mako treated people so poorly. Wind rushed around her in a wild dance as she walked toward Mako. Her vision blurred then everything went dark, but she wasn't afraid of being blind, for it allowed her to become stronger.
Mako snickered as Amber approached. "I know all about you now Amber. This time I am prepared." She back flipped away from the boy and disappeared into the shadows. Her voice echoed through the parking lot as she spoke. "I know now that when you release your powers you lose your sight, a curse for such strength. But you are not weakened in anyway in this transformation, for you have grown accustom to the dark which makes you fearless. However, I am afraid I can not play any longer but am not allowed to let you go on knowing what you know now."
Amber stood protectively next to the fallen boy and listened to the footsteps circle around her. Then the footsteps stopped and everything went silent.
Amber listened carefully, waiting to feel any change in air currents or hear any movement of clothing.
Without warning, white hot pain filled her head and scorched her body. She collapsed to her knees with her hands clutching at her head, trying to block out the pain. A voice reached her ears.
"Sweet dreams princess."
After a few seconds the pain resided and she opened her eyes, greatly confused.
Where the hell was she?
She took in her surroundings while trying to remember how she got here. She recalled having put Honey away and realizing she had forgotten Honey's ball out by the field. But when she had found the ball next to the stadium fence, she remembered no more.
She looked down next to her at the boy who lied on his side facing away from her. His brown hair blanketed his forehead slightly and fell over his closed eyes, adding to the beauty of his face.