CHAPTER 10
A few hours or so pass as Jason manages to get his strength back and drag his way to his car. We left Jason to deal with his situation, Ben and I rushes quickly upstairs seizing what we need for the long-lasting trip that we are going to go on. I grab almost all of my clothes from the wardrobe. Little by little off going around the room crazily packing nearly everything On-site I find myself looking under my bed pulling out an old witchcraft box which I used to hide the box under my bed when my friends would come round. Even with magic, I have never been too simple in hiding things. I catch myself sitting on the edge of the bed looking around the room like for the last time. I think of all the times we had here; The times when we were a happy family, living without Melinda, times with friends, and the little arguments that now you just realize to be stupid and now our final moment of whether or not we be coming back home."Hey, you got everything?" Ben asked as he leaned against the doorway of my bedroom dropping his bag beside his legs.
" i..er think I do, yeah" I nodded. I squeeze down the last few bits into my bag. I quickly try to zip it up when suddenly a hand comes in place over mine
"Let me do it for you" Ben smiled as he took over and zips the bag all the way up with no problems. I pick up my bag and walk away to the door when…
"Iris, I'm sorry about earlier. I really am, I just don't know what came over me" I stop and turn back to Ben
"It's fine Ben honestly," I said as I unhurriedly walked to him, standing in front of him as I listen to every word.
"No, it isn't iris. What if you got hurt or worst killed? Or Jason dead?"
" But I didn't. I'd…"
" yeah, I know you didn't but it was still a high possibility. I got Jason hurt"
"There's always high possibility Ben. Especially when a beast is attacking you." I nervously laughed
"I just don't want to lose anyone else. These past few years, I've been feeling weaker than before and I don't know why. Each day it's been getting worse. That's why I didn't help you or Jason out. I was afraid I would fuck it all up even more"
"Oh, Ben. I'm afraid that I would mess up and there's always been a time that I have, but each time I have learned a lot. It's part of life we all learn from our mistakes" I pulled Ben into a big tight hug and let him go slowly. " Nothing is going to happen. We're family and family stays together no matter what" Ben moves from me, pulling out the almost luminous green amulet from his top and over his head.
"Iris I want you to have this" he move the necklace gently into my hand "If someone going to protect it, I think it should be you"
"No Ben. I can't…"
"Yes, you can. I Don't want it to be a burden if I lose it or even break it." I put the necklace casually over my head laying it upon my chest
"Plus the green is so your colour. It brings the puffiness out of your eyes" Ben laughed " don't worry sis we are back here one day. As soon as we find Nathan. We will all be back home once again."
"Sure" I smiled. I look at the necklace playing with it with the top of my fingertips
"Anyway, I'm going to head to the car. I need to give Jason a couple of those unforgiven apologies plus I'm liking the back seat at the moment. Want me to take your bag down?"
"Yeah sure. If you want to. I just want to have a last quick look round. See if there's anything else we may need and that" I fling my bag at Ben. He clutches the bag with both his hands nearly knocking him backwards. he swings the bag over to his shoulder and recovers his bag too. Heading straight downstairs into Jason's car. I give myself a quick brief moment in my bedroom, double checking I have everything- clothes, books, underwear, and… the iPod charger. Of course, I can't forget that beauty. I take a slow pace out of my bedroom door walking past Nathan's bedroom when I notice a bright light in the shape of an orb above Nathan's wardrobe. I head in over to his room, with everything still intact as he left it this morning. I snatch out a chair from his computer desk where he always left his morning clothes at the end of his bed near his wardrobe. I gradually climbed the chair. Carefully and quickly I grab onto the bright light into my hand. I slowly bring it closer to myself. I notice it is a small smooth round ball with one small problem. A small deep dent in the middle of the ball. I thought about putting it back where I found it, but I have a strange feeling haunting over me: why was it hidden above his wardrobe? What the hell is it? What do I have this urge to bring with me? Without even thinking I place the orb briefly into my front pocket and jump down from the chair. I continue walking back down the stairs. Reaching the hallway as quick as I can I rush to open the door. Slamming it behind me as I walked over to Jason's car. Opening the car door, I sit in the front seat shutting the door after me.
"You guys finished with your chick flick moments?"
"Yeah, we good." Ben nodded
"So where are we off to?" Jason asked as he turned toward me in his seat.
"Ben, why don't you do the honours?" I zip open the bag that was put in the front seat with me. I reached through the bag grabbing onto the little black book and passing it to Ben. He quickly slips the small black book
"Well, there's Dean and Natalie in New York?"
" No, it's too far. I think there might be retired plus I doubt there's anything to hunt down in the big city" Dean and Natalie are friends that Nathan met a few years after moving here. They did try to kill Nathan and Melinda but I would too if random people start using magic everyone would freak.
"How about Cassie and Sam?" Ah, Cassie and Sam. Nice enough couple Sam even taught me more Latin after Melinda died. You could say I had a little crush on him especially if you saw my diary 'Miss Sam' pathetic as a child as I am now
"You could try them at least" Ben whips out his phone calling Cassie and Sam number but yet has no luck in reaching them.
"That didn't work, anyone else we can try?"
"Hold on, what about Jayden, kai, and Mckenzie Phoenix. Weren't they hunters?"
"Nope…" I shake my head
"Oh, come on iris. They can help us. I think we can truly trust them"
The phoenix family, humans, and hunters of anything that's not natural. Killing and protecting. The year my sister died, Nathan contacted them to help with the case of her and a bunch of other cases that were simply brutally murdered all the same way. You see our family got close with them. So close in fact that I started a relationship with kai until of course, they suddenly left. I got a quick goodbye and that's it. No calls or texts from him… since then I haven't seen or spoken to any of them,
"So we found someone that we could work with?" Jason asked
"Probably"
"Great. so where exactly does this family live then?"
"Well, the address says Padstow valley" Ben moves toward us showing us the small back. I suddenly noticed a small marking next to their name. A circle with what seems to look like spears pointing out from it. What the hell does this symbol mean?
" I think I know where this is" Jason pulls out a map from the glove box where ten CD's laid across against the chewing gum wrappers, parking fines, and id card. He opens up the map. "It's about a good six to eight hours drive. We should make it by tomorrow evening or so."
"How do you know where this place is?"
"I heard some stories about it being some kind of place where hunters felt welcome. Most packs have been seen darting away from the place. The best thing to do is to keep distance from people like them"
"Iris there's a number here. Do you think we should call them?"
"What do I say to them, exactly?"
Yeah, what do I say? Hey, I know it been a long while and none of us has decided to keep in touch with each other but my brother been kidnapped by something that I have no idea who exactly who it was and I need you to help me find him plus there was a huge demonic mutt in our house and a strange blue orb in my brother's bedroom but apart from all that I'm fine and I'm still doing well in school.
"Okay I guess I could just leave a quick message or something but can we get the car moving at least" I smiled at Jason.
"Yeah, sure thing. You ready, Ben?" Jason asked as he pulls the seatbelt across his body clicking into place and started the engine slowly.
"Yeah come on. let's go!" Ben shouted as he slowly smiled. He leaned back putting his seatbelt on. I follow and do the same, clicking my belt into place and adjusting it slightly. I look behind me to capture Ben sadly staring at the house as Jason zooms off down the road, leaving our home in the distance. The only true place we know and we leave it just like for college which I only got a year until I was supposed to start but instead got myself into late-night partying and awful romances. Now it all down to find my brother. "Hey, Jason would it be okay to charge my phone up?"
"Yeah, sure thing" he clips a charger into his lighter port. I pulled my phone from my jean pocket and plugged the charger in. The phone starts to charge when I suddenly switch on my phone. I slowly waited for it to load and to sort itself out. Immediately the phone starts dinging out of control. Two, three, four and five unread messages. I tap at the screen, showing a list:
Eight unread messages from Alec
Two unread messages from Ruby
Five unread messages from Jessica
Friends. You got to love them or hate them. I don't have time to explain each one of them. I skimmed through the fifteen unread messages one after another, all mostly asking about what happened with me and Ben, how hot the guy is and how worried they are of us. I set up opening a new message, adding Alec, Jessica and Ruby into it.
To ALEC, JESSICA, RUBY.
Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to get back to you. It's just been one of those days. I and Ben will be out of town for a while, I'm not sure when we will be back. We had some family problems come up and it was going to take some time to get sorted. I try not to be away too long so don't miss me too much!
I directly hit send.
"Now it's time to call the ex," I thought as I grabbed the book out of Ben's hand and quickly bash in the number and passed the black book back to ben. I tap onto the green button.
RRRING! RRRING! RRRING!
RRRING! RRRING! RRRING!
Immediately the phone answers. A brief deep Brisky voice answers.
"Hello kai speaking"
"oh great. Kai super!" I thought.
"Hi Kai, it's me"
"Hi me, what's up?"
"No I mean it's iris… I need your family help" my voice trembles as I spoke asking for help.
"Ooh, iris? Wow... it's so good to hear from you. What's wrong?"
"Oh my god. Is that iris on the phone?" said a soft voice over the phone.
"Yes, now go away. I'm talking to her.." kai said to the soft voice away from the phone. "Sorry about that you know family. Jayden says hi by the way."
"Tell him I said hi back. I don't want to discuss it over the phone. It just is much better if we could come to you and talk face to face. Would that be okay to do that?"
"Yeah, sure thing. You still got our address?"
"Yeah, Padstow valley right?"
"Yeah, that's right. As you hit the Padstow valley sign take a few miles down the road and then take a right by a dusty road. Take it all the way down until you see the house and we should see you there."
"Okay, I got it. We see you sometime tomorrow or so"
"Sure thing, bye iris"
"Bye kai" I tap on the red call button and swiftly place the top edge of the phone to my lips and breath out slowly. See iris quick and easy. No bullshit. I quickly chuck my phone down by my feet still connected to the charger.
"Everything alright?" Jason asks as he glances at me with a quick look from the road.
"Yeah, everything peachy. Kai told me that once we reach a big sign, go down a few miles and turn at a dusty road. Follow it until we reach the house"
"Sounds good to me. You guys should get some rest. We got some hours to kill and truthfully you both have been through a lot today. You need your energy."
" Yeah, I guess you got a point," Ben said as he yawned. "Hey, iris would you mind if I borrow your iPod to help me get some sleep?"
"Yeah sure" pulling up my bag for the fiftieth time, I swiftly grab the iPod and a pair of black earphones "there you go!" I smiled as I passed them behind me. And throwing the bad off my lap.
"Thanks, good night guys″ Ben quickly placed the earphones in his and put his head back lying awkwardly on the seats.
"Night" Jason and I quickly said.
"I should get some rest too"
"Yeah, you should. Night iris" Jason smirked.
"Night Jason," I said as I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and rushed back to my seat. I rest my head against the window trying to slowly drift off to sleep.
A rush of howl's bashes through my eardrums. My surroundings become very dark as anything. Then suddenly the trees start growing rapidly and wither throughout the forest around me. My quiet journey in the car is now my recurring nightmare. Everything is the same as always. All the details are the same but one thing is different. I suddenly start running on my own, the calm boy who would normally be running beside me is gone and now… so is the howling. Instead, I hear footsteps and panting behind me. They don't sound like they used to be, now just sounding more human-like.
For some reason, my instinct is to carry on running and that is what I do, run for my life. Bit by bit, my body seems to get slower and the person, whoever they are; get faster. I take a quick look behind me to try and see if I know the person but his face is blank, as I try to regain my speed again. The guy tries to swing his arms about at me. Nearly grabbing onto me. Out of the blue, I trip landing face-first against the wet sloppy mud. I Try to quickly get up when he suddenly attacks me, pushing me more on the ground. He swiftly turns me over and there… I see his face as clear as anything… It... Nathan, his once sweet face now covered in deep dark bloody claw marks. I can see parts of his skull, that how deep the marks are.
"Look, what have you done? You did this to me" he shouted, crying at me, "it's all your fault, you'll be the death of us. You'll be the death of all of us." he swings his arms at me and I move mine against my face protecting it from his hits. Leaving marks all over my arms.
"Nathan, stop this. This isn't you. What got into you?" Suddenly he stops swinging at me and I slowly move my arms from my face. He quickly snatches at my top, pulling me closer to his face.
"With you. Everything ends with you… my dear sister" he grinned as he pulled away, looking away toward the night sky. Immediately a long deep bloody fang form from his mouth. He placed his hand against my arms and swung his head down toward my neck. As quickly as I tried to be, I was too late. His fangs rip the skin off my neck. I could hear the blood rushes down his throat. I try to break free, pushing him away but he simply takes no notice and bites harder each time I struggle. Slowly I start to feel weaker and weaker. He pulls me up more still with his teeth around my throat. I try again to push him away but my arms begin to flop down. I attempt to form words out of my mouth but nothing comes out. Each agonizing moment, I drift deeper and deeper into a dark deep sleep as my eyes start to flatter. I capture the dark figures again but this time there is more than one. It seems to fill the entire woods. I closed my eyes for the last time. I'm unable to move or talk...