Happiness Was Short-lived

I screamed for help as soon as I reached the lighthouse- Hello, Anyone there? Please help. I kept frantically pacing around.

The place was deserted. All I could hear was the sound of waves hitting the shores. I noticed the door to the lighthouse was open. I slowly opened the door and stepped inside. To my luck, there was no one. However, it was a home to someone. They had an iron bed set up, a small fuel lamp kept on a small table beside the bed, and a dim electric bulb hanging from the ceiling. To my surprise, there was a landline connection kept in the corner near to the foot of the bed.

I ran over. Picked up the phone and dialed Nana immediately.

Nana's phone rang..

Please pick up Nana please please…. I kept saying this over and over in my mind as my heart raced…

Hello… I heard her deep sorrowful voice..

Nana… I said.

Oh My baby, Rain- where are you.. She cried over the phone...

I cried so hard that I couldn't speak another word.. I never thought I could hear Nana's voice ever again.. My emotions just overflowed..

Nana kept asking me where I was, but I didn't know.. I kept her call on hold and rushed in to search the room to find any clue on where I was.

I came across an old iron trunk that was kept under the bed. As I opened the trunk, I found a lot of random papers and some maps, which showed that I was at the Springpoint Lighthouse.. Grim highlands valley..

I ran over to the phone and told her where I was..

Nana told me that she was coming to get me..

I agreed and waited anxiously… The rest of it was pretty uneventful.. I slipped down under the bed and stayed hidden..

I waited for about an hour when uncle joe and Nana finally parked the car in the driveway. As soon as I heard their car, I rushed out to them.. Jumped on, hugged Nana and cried..

I felt like all my pains just washed away.. I was so happy to finally see her.. But apparently; she was not.

She was a little jumpy and constantly looking around. She shoved me up in the back seat along with her and locked the door.

Uncle Joey started driving.....

Nana caressed my hair. " Rain, my little girl, Whatever happened, it's not your fault. I promise, we will move far away from this place. I'll never let you go through this ever again."

I looked up and said 'Nana, two men took me. They looked like humans, but had yellow eyes. I was scared for my life,' I said fearfully..

"Wh-What?".. Her eyes popped out hearing this.. her voice stammered. Uncle Joey's hand slid from the steering, making the car lose its balance... but he re-gained the control soon..

"Ok, Let's not discuss any of that here Honey, we need to reach home fast.. I guess we are making the trip sooner than we thought," Nana said to me.

What's going on? I asked sacredly.

Nana couldn't even bring herself to look into my eyes. She answered nothing. I was tired enough to argue, so I turned my face and leaned to the car door, looking outside.

The road we took back to our house had the ocean to one side and dense forest to the other. I looked at the deep dark ocean reflecting moonlights and remembered the handsome Mr. Stranger I met for a short time.

I suppose I left a piece of me with him, leaving that place hollowed me out. The farther I go, the deeper it gets.. I was taken to that place forcefully, I was captivated. So, why did it feel like I belonged there?

There were a lot of things that I needed answers to, I was very weak and I wanted to take a long nap. But Nana and Uncle Joe had made the whole drive back suspicious enough.

As we reached our driveway, I got down and slammed the car door and ran inside the house. I know there was something she was hiding from me in the car. She has secrets, and she treats me like a 5-year-old. We were supposed to care for each other.

I sat on the couch, meanwhile I heard uncle joe said to Nana 'Mrs. Stevens, you and Rain need to pack up first. I'll drive you to the airport. Please hurry'. I could see my Nana nodded and walked in hurriedly.

It sure confirmed my suspicion of Nana being discreet. Why else would I need to pack? Couldn't we just contact the police and get our answers?

Sweetie, I am sorry. Please listen to me. Let's pack up first. Nana Pleaded.

I lied on the couch stubbornly and pretended not to hear her.

Rain, our lives are in danger. Your life is in danger. Please understand. Nana pleaded again.

'Where are we going? What is it you are not telling me?' I screamed at Nana in annoyance..

Nana looked at uncle joy with fear and confusion in her eyes...

'Nana....' I screamed when my eyes were filling up.....

Nana's voice was brittle. I could see that she was deeply troubled "Honey... I'll tell you all about it.. But We need to leave this place right away.'' It sounded like she was terrified of something.

'Please Don't honey me, I need to know right now..' I could not care less about her fears right now, because I deserved to know.

'You need to understand we don't have time'... Nana tried to make me understand with more pleading.

But I was adamant. I didn't respond to her and lay on the couch motionless...

'Oh Dear. Joe, could you help us pack up?' Nana said to uncle.

Sure... Mrs Stevens... Replied uncle joey.. Rain Please listen to Mrs Stevens.

I'm not moving from here if I don't get my answers.... my eyes filled up..

but I stood my ground..

Nana finally gave up.. came to me... sat on the couch… Wiped my tears.. Come, sit down… She held me in her arms and caressed my hair..

After a brief pause she said..

'Rain hunny, when I say we have little time.. It means we really don't, you understand that. Don't you? said Nana in a sorrowful voice.

'Then why don't you start first.. As soon as I know what is happening, we will pack up and leave.. I had to leave everything to come settle here with you, my friends, my school, my future. If we stayed there, maybe Dad would be alive too. It's not fair that I have to leave my home again. This is our home, Nana. We don't leave our home, we don't leave our own behind. You taught me that. But yes, I promise I would understand if something has happened that is beyond my comprehension. I just need to know what is that before we leave our life behind. I said in a tearful voice.

'And I promise I'll tell you everything in the car. They could already watch us. Please, just trust me once." Nana worriedly said to me.

'Who? I replied.

Shifters.....' Nana said with a deep breath

"What? Shifters aren't," I protested. protested. "Are we leaving our home just for some made up stories?"

No Rain, they are real. Their eyes glow Amber. That is why we both panicked when you said the kidnappers' eyes were glowing amber. We are so lucky to have you back with us, my baby girl.. We still can not comprehend how that happened? But right now we just need to leave before it's too late.- Said uncle Joey.

My eyes popped out… I nodded….

"But How do you know this?" I asked uncle Joey

'They have been taking up girls from our community for generations... They took Uncle Joe's aunt too.. Nana said in a pained voice,

Uncle Joe's expression changed. It filled his eyes up with pain.

'Why? I looked at uncle joey and asked.

'Because they are beasts.. Murderous villains.. But don't worry, I Won't let them take you away from us until I am alive... so we need to hurry... I lost my aunt. I won't lose a daughter; Uncle Joey said determinedly.

Ok, I think I heard enough. Let's get out of here. I assured Nana.

'You listen to me now.. They have picked up your scent' Doesn't matter where we go, they will find us.. But before we plan how to keep our distance from them, for now I have a plan. She opened her purse and took out a gun.

A gun? I asked.

Not just any gun. It has silver bullets. It is enough to kill a shifter. But we have to be careful about their alpha. It won't kill him. Nana said.

None of them are humans but their Alpha is w..w.. w -..... Nana stopped abruptly, immediately shoving the gun under the couch blanket and slowly stood up looking at the main door behind me.... She looked so pale I thought she might have seen a ghost…

'Worst? Was that the word you were looking for.. Mrs Flora Stevens?' I heard someone chuckled behind me. I guess I knew who it could be. I stood up immediately and turned around.