Bloodlust (The Blood Series #1)

Chapter 13

  I feel like I'm losing my mind. Nathan is not in school so I can't talk to him about the psycho's threat. Therefore every time I close my eyes, I see another person meeting their maker. I can't do anything and that drives me crazy. In the last week I have slept maybe ten hours, in total. I feel like a living corpse, I'm alive but not really.

Mom is starting to worry about me. She has noticed that I can't sleep. Well, she'd have to be deaf not to hear my screams at night. She thinks I'm reacting to the divorce late and talks about taking me to see a therapist. One thing is certain: my problems can't be solved by a therapist. The only person I do want to talk about all this doesn't want to talk to me. And now we have come a full circle.

Andrea, Callum and I have been hanging out all week. I do like Callum but I feel like a third wheel although they both try their best to include me in everything. At first I figured that they wanted some alone time and tried to pull back a little but Andrea wouldn't have it. She didn't want me to feel alone. She even said that Callum didn't mind me being around them all the time; in fact, he asked about me when I wasn't around. I know she was just making that last part up but to ease her mind I stuck close to them.

It's Friday and we have P.E. I'm at death's door, slowly dying of insomnia. I now totally get why the school nurse is always lecturing us how important it is to get a good night sleep. And she's right. Due to my lack of sleeping I find myself to be cold all the time, my coordination has worsened drastically and my train of thought is easily interrupted. Not to mention the images in my head from my nightmares make me constantly nauseous so no, life is not exactly smiling right now.

For today's lesson we are going to the woods for orienteering. Our teacher has put up flags or something in there and gives us maps to find those thingies. It's like a treasure hunt, really. Usually I love it but today I'm not in the mood. I don't feel like being around anyone but for safety reasons we are always paired up like preschoolers when leaving school grounds. Admittedly, the forest isn't that far from our school but it's pretty big so there's no way our teacher would let me go alone. I sigh and yield myself to my fate.

I'm paired with Meagan McConnelly. I wasn't aware that I have a beef with her but the second we are announced as partners she gives me a hard look. Geesh. Who peed in her cereal? I wonder as my eyes search the crowd that is gathered around Mr T, our P.E. teacher. Without meaning to I gaze at Nathan who has surprisingly come to school today. He as usual couldn't care less about the world revolving him. He's really starting to piss me off and not just because it's his fault that I have to watch people die whenever I make the mistake of sleeping. It frustrates me that he's shutting me out.

Meagan doesn't utter a word to me while we jog to our first flag. My head feels dizzy and running gets harder by every step but when I try to ask Meagan to slow down, she only runs faster. I can't help but stay behind. I do my best to track her but in the end I lose her from my sight. There are tall menacing looking trees all around me and the path has long since disappeared from under my feet. I'm lost in the woods with no clue of which way to go.

"Good going, Haley", I mutter to myself. I'm dead tired, can barely walk and am lost in the woods. Awesome.

It is so quiet here. That's how I know that I'm screwed. I can't hear any of the other students. While attempting to follow Meagan I must have strayed further away from the path than I had thought. None of the scenery seems even slightly familiar. I spin around trying to figure out which route to take but it's all the same. Endless rows of bright green trees and beds of moss and lichen as far as the eye can see. In the vicinity I see rocks and figure I'll see further if I climb up there.

I make my way up there very carefully and balance myself on the rocks, slippery from the rain that has been putting my mood even more down all week long. Today the weather is a little brighter but there's still no sunshine.

I suddenly get a strong feeling of being watched. I turn my head around but there's no one to be found. Or at least that's what I think before I turn back and nearly collide with a stranger's chest. I look up and it's him again. The psycho, as I've grown used to call him. I try to scream but he clamps a hand over my mouth.

He makes a chiding sound. "Haley, you're not playing the game. Tell Nathan."

With that he disappears again. I force myself to run away from where I last saw him but it's no good. Soon he's standing in front of me again. As I run past him, I hear him say: "Come on, Haley. I can torture you every night and every day. Is that what you really want? Just tell Nathan."

All of a sudden he's everywhere. His laugh is in the wind, his eyes watch me from the far and his fingers graze my skin. No matter where I turn, he's there first. "You can't run from me, beautiful Haley", he sing-songs. "Why kill yourself by denying me? Just tell him. Tell Nathan what I'm doing, it'll be fun."

"I won't tell him! I don't care what you do, Nathan has made it clear that he's not interested in your game so just stop! You lost. Get over it", I shriek as he continues to haunt me. I stop dead in my tracks and cover my ears, trying to block him out but it's no use. He's already inside my head.

"I don't lose, sweetheart. Never have, never will. Why won't you tell him? Do you like seeing those poor innocent people die? Are you a monster too, Haley? Do you enjoy having their blood on your hands?"

"Just leave me alone", I cry as the pressure in my head gets too much to handle. I'm so exhausted that I can't even stand anymore. I drop to my knees and on from there to my side. I curl up in a ball and scream as he taunts my mind.

"Who do you want me to kill next? Is there a special someone in your life? I can become very unpleasant if I don't get what I want. I guess it's a little childish but I like things to go my way. And when they don't I find myself to get very, very angry. You don't want to see me angry, Haley. It's not pretty. All you have to do to stop me is TELL NATHAN."

"No!" I scream. My voice lowers to a whisper, I keep repeating the same sentence over and over again."I won't tell him. I won't tell Nathan, I won't tell Nathan..."

I'm losing my consciousness, I know it. Black spots that covered my vision are no longer just spots, they are more like monstrous hurricanes that are swallowing me up and pulling me under. I'm drowning, drowning in my head, the water keeps me down and takes away all of my air. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't...

Then suddenly I'm brought back to the surface when two muscular arms wrap around me and drive away the darkness. "Haley! It's okay, it's not real. You're okay. Baby, breathe. Just breathe."

The psycho is gone and the only person here is Nathan Blood. He is crouching next to me, pressing me against him as if he could shield me from the world. With him here it gets a little easier to breathe again. But I can't rely on him, who knows when he decides to ditch me again.

"Let go of me", I order quietly and try to get up on my own but my knees buckle. Nathan holds me by the waist and doesn't even seem to notice that I'm trying to break free. Well, to be honest my attempts at freedom are so weak and pathetic that it's no wonder he doesn't notice. I have got to get some sleep.

Nathan's eyes follow my every move. "What's wrong with you?" he asks face painted with concern. Oh sure, now he cares? Please.

I snort. "Like you care."

"Actually I do."

He's so infuriating. You can't just ignore someone for a week, then out of nowhere come to their rescue and afterwards act like it's not weird. It is weird. Either you care about someone or you don't. Simple as that. "Oh so you are talking to me now?" I snap.

Nathan's response is dry, arrogant. "It would appear so."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't play coy with me. You don't get to ignore me for a week and then swoop right in like some ridiculous hero. Let go", I snap and yank my myself of his grip. I stumble but manage to start walking again.

"What won't you tell me?" he calls out after me.

My feet stop moving. Oh crap. So he heard me. Okay. Just be cool. "A lot of things. Like how stupid your hair looks today", I snap. That's a lie of course. Nathan's hair, like the rest of him, looks always good. "And how annoyed I am that you think you can order me around. But other than that I have nothing to talk to you about."

"Don't lie to me, Haley."

I spin around. "Why not? You lie to me all the time. You even said so yourself."

"Because your secrets are killing you, mine are keeping you safe."

I put defiantly my chin up. "I'm fine."

He lets out a humorless laugh. "Are you kidding? You think I can't see how lifeless you've become? What is it? Why are you like that?"

I don't even answer anymore, I just walk away and hope he doesn't follow. It's his turn to feel left out like I have been, all week long. I try to shake him off my trail but of course it has no effect on him. Nathan graciously ignores my glares and every now and then tries to help me cross rocks or watch out for branches or something. I only reply with another glare and brush his hand off of me.

"You're going the wrong way", he says after awhile. And how on Earth can he know which way to go? It's all green, green and then a little more green. Second, Nathan Blood doesn't exactly strike me as a camper so there's no way he has a compass or some kind of radar inside his head. He doesn't have a map either. I wonder where his partner is. He was partnered with Callum who is nowhere to be seen.

"I'll get there."

Nathan sounds incredulous. "Will you?" he mutters. He's suddenly right in front of me. I groan and try to pass him but he won't budge. "Let me help you."

"No way José. I don't want nor need your help."

"And I don't want nor need your permission", he shrugs and suddenly the ground is no longer under my feet. He has picked me up, his arms under my knees and back. He's carrying me like it's nothing, he doesn't even slow down. He more like speeds up and I can't help but wonder if he has been holding himself back for me and if he picked me up so he could go faster.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Put me down!" I command but he's turning me a deaf ear.

"No way José", he murmurs as he freaking runs through the forest. If he's trying to impress me, it's working. How the hell is he able to move so fast and with me in his arms?

"Okay, you're putting me down before we get anywhere near other people", I try to bargain when it becomes clear that he's not going to put me down anytime soon.

"Nah. It'll be easier to get Mr T to let us leave if you look sick enough. So you know, just look like you do right now and I'll take care of the rest."

"Very funny", I grumble. I don't look that bad, do I? I know I have kind of totally horribly dark circles around my eyes and my skin is pale like an albino's but I've put on makeup to cover up both of those things. And sure my hair is a mess and I don't even remember what clothes I picked out in the morning but it's not that bad, right? Right?

"What happened?" Mr T exclaims worriedly as soon as we come to his field of view.

"She fainted. I'm guessing she hasn't eaten all day or something like that. I think I should just take her home", Nathan, that slimy bastard, explains suavely. I'm too tired to argue and to be honest, I can't wait to be in my bed again so I close my eyes and pretend to be sick. It's not that hard. I already feel like I'm dying.

Mr T looks pensive. "Well, she doesn't look too good so it would probably be best but I think she should still see a doctor."

"No!" I refuse too fast. Mr T's eyebrows nearly hit his receding hairline. "It's not necessary, really I'm fine. I just haven't eaten and didn't sleep very well." Understatement of the year.

Nathan surprises me by saying: "Don't be silly, Haley. I'll take you to the doctor's. A family friend owns a clinic, I'll take her there."

Mr T is still hesitating. "Maybe I should take her."

Nathan gives him a hard look. "You have a class. I'll take her", he says slowly, making sure every word sinks in. Mr T nods. After all, Nathan is a Blood and you do not want to mess with a Blood. It's better to just let them do what they want. My mom is a kindergarten teacher and she's always juggling with frogs when dealing with mini Bloods and their parents. They are not easy people to be around.

I'm pissed that Mr T just lets Nathan carry me off to the sunset. Coward, I think but I know it'd be no use if Mr T tried to argue. I haven't seen much of Nathan's "Blood side" but I know that it's there. All Bloods think they can do whatever they want. You want to know what the worst part is? They usually can. Welcome to my city where the police is controlled and city officials bribed.

"Put me down", I mumble at Nathan who surprisingly obliges. My joy is short-lived because he sits me down in his car. He puts on my seat belt like I'm two years old and then appears on the driver's seat in a flash.

"Take me home, country roads", I mutter and try my hardest not to fall asleep but I feel safe and protected when I'm with him which is weird. Usually around a Blood I feel cold and under a threat. But after that weekend I've only felt safe around him. Before I know it, the blackness sweeps over me and pulls me under its wicked spell.