Chapter 7: Foretold Meeting

The week went by without incident.

After serving her detention, Shine kept her focus strictly on her studies, going as far as cutting back during practice so she wouldn't be at school longer than she needed to be.

Hour after hour, for the past seven days, she hurried home on foot, locked herself in her room and worked on homework and went over consistent study materials for her upcoming tests.

The winter air was still on her bones when she closed her room door that friday. She dropped her bag on the bed, unzipping and looking through its contents. Her room door opened slightly, yet she didn't turn to address her mother.

"Yeah, Mom?"

Claire sucked in a small breath of air, before closing the door behind her and leaning against the unpainted wood. Her voice was a bit unnerved, as it had been the past week each time Shine saw her. She wasn't sure why, but assumed it was a very bad shark week for her. "How have your studies been? You… Lock yourself in here for hours now."

"Well," Shine began, unsure of what she could really say, or even give a reason, "I've got a bunch on my mind and a lot of energy to burn off every day. I figured getting smarter was the best option."

Claire laughed, genuinely. "You've always been smart." She walked next to her daughter, placing hands on her shoulders. "Is everything okay? Truly?"

"Huh," Shine replied, looking at Claire finally. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"Just… I don't know, it seems like you're avoiding us now. Orion goes back to training in a little under a month." She paused, watching her reaction. When Shine shrugged, Claire cleared her throat. "You shouldn't coup yourself up so much here. It's not good."

Shine grabbed her history textbook from her bag, placing it on the bed sheets and sitting down in a chair. She opened her notebook, eyes skimming over neatly written notes until she came to a blank page. "Mom, I'm okay, really. I'll come down tonight and we can all stay up late and watch a movie or something. What time is Dad getting home?"

"Around six," Claire replied dryly. "You promise you'll come down?"

Shine nodded. "You sound so worried."

"I honestly am. I don't want you.. Ya know, doing anything I wouldn't be." Her voice faded into a false distance. It was obvious she was thinking about something. Her body language, the way she was worrying, and the slight paleness in her skin. Claire usually took very good care of herself, but lately she looks as if she'd been falling apart.

Shine grabbed a pencil, tapping it against her temple lightly. "I promise you don't have to worry, Mom. I'm not cutting myself, I'm not suicidal, and I'm not stressed out."

"That was very specific.. Are there any boys that broke your heart?"

"Mom," Shine said, her tone slightly irritated. "No. I'm fine."

"Well," She began, patting her hands against her leggings. "Fine. I'll be in the basement if you need me."

Shine waved bye to Claire, eyes still locked in her notes. Once Claire left, Shine felt a chill run down her spine. There was a creepy air in the house lately. It was probably nothing, but Shine couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her mother.

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"What's going on?!" Shine's voice echoed.

Darkness. A dream. Pain lingered through her body. A splitting headache, hot white pain in her bones, and bruises and cuts along her legs. Two figures were in front of her. A dark pile of what looked like ash lay scattered around. Her eyes fell on one of the people. The boy with the white hair and violet eyes.

He looked beaten and bruised. Sweat dripped from his forehead, thin white fire dancing along his limbs. His fists were raised, ready to fight the other. The other person was dimmed out, covered in a thick fog, impossible to really see clearly. All she saw was a gold locket around his right wrist.

The boy looked back, eyes wide. The wind picked up, a green pillar of light erupting from the trees and soil further in the distance. Something rose from it. A person. He looked huge, around eight or so feet tall. His body was bulked up, outlined in a green aura, eyes rolled into a white void as he screamed in rage.

The soil shook, shattered, and Shine fell.

Deep, deep into darkness, but she welcomed it. It was cold at first, but became warm. Hands brushed against her, soft and gentle, like a mother's touch. She slowly turned, heart practically ripping from her sore ribs as she gazed at the face. The face was old and wrinkled up. Her ears were sharp, fangs elongated from her mouth, and violet eyes piercing with a strong power. She bit into Shine's shoulder, sucking the blood from her.

Shine cried out, but no voice left her throat. No pain followed the bite, as well as no numbness came from the creature's injection. Her arms reached up, and she broke free.

The creature was no longer old. She had unaged so quickly, young, and beautiful with luscious black hair and beautifully erotic eyes. Any man, or woman, would fall for a look like that.

There was blood. Trails that reached for miles, of blood and broken bodies. Kids crying, holding their heads in denial of something so horrific. Said kids quickly aging, blades in their hands and blood on their face.

They killed. They turned into killers, hunting down innocent after innocent, and this creature, woman, laughed at it all as if it were a game. The woman looked back at Shine, and spoke soft words. Her voice sounded familiar, but Shine couldn't place a finger on where.

"We're coming for you, my dear daughter." She ran a finger under Shine's chin. "Sit tight. Mommy will be home soon."

"Who… What are you!" Shine finally exclaimed. She pushed the woman back, watching her simply float away into the deep darkness. "Due time, my child. Due time."

The darkness gripped Shine. It burned her skin, killing the nerves, her body unable to break free of the pain. All of the pain in her limbs began to shift to her torso, then move downwards between her legs. She closed them, biting her lip, feeling her heartbeat pick up and cries escape her. A hint of pleasure, but masked by disgust, hate, rage and other negative feelings.

The darkness consumed her, her breathing shallow, until she felt a sudden jolt.

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Shine's eyes shot open and she pushed with all her strength. A body crashed into the wall across from her bed, slinking down onto the rugged floor. Shine held a hand to her chest, feeling her heart ram against her ribs.

"Oh shit," She muttered, looking at her hands. She used her strength. Her true strength.

To her horror, she found herself questioning against who instead of what.

Her blanket was tossed on the floor, pajama blouse undone and her breasts exposed to the world. She felt wet, noting the markings trailing down her body until she got to her exposed legs. There was a faint wetness down there as well. Her eyes moved up from her body, to the figure standing on the floor. She flipped on the light, air leaving her lungs and heart shattering.

He raised his palm, as if that would stop her from doing anything. "Now wait… I can explain this…"

No explaining. No possible misunderstanding. Not a single way, or thing, or anything that would justify or explain what the reality was.

Orion was in her room right now.

Right now, she fought off the urge to shut herself down completely, pretending it was a dream. This was no dream.

Orion was in her room, and the reality was that he was having sex with Shine in her sleep.