Robbin

6. Creep

Terra hadn't been asleep for that long before she woke to the sound of a crash from down in the kitchen. She didn't think much of it, (maybe it was Sarah coming back from her party) but it was more the fact that she couldn't get back to sleep afterward which bothered her. She decided to do what she always did when waking up in the middle of the night (usually from bad dreams): get a snack.

As soon as she had reached the kitchen, she made her way to the fridge in a beeline. She didn't even bother to look around.

She grabbed a carton of milk, and, taking the whole carton with her, made her way to the pantry. She knew those Twinkies were around here somewhere... aha! She reached for the box, pulling it back disappointed. Ugh, did Sarah really have to finish off the entire thing? She knew there had been at least five of them in the pantry that morning.

"Where the heck am I?" The voice came as a surprise, calm and intense behind her, sounding with the slight hint of what she thought was possible desperation.

Terra wheeled, dropping the carton on the floor. The lid popped off with the impact and milk lugged out onto the tan tile lazily.

And there he was, sitting on one of the clean black counter tops, quietly observing Terra with intent eyes.

How had she not noticed him there? Just sitting. Like he had happened to appear out of thin air. Well, surely he couldn't have.

The boy was a complete stranger to her. How long he had been watching her, she didn't know. He looked maybe to be thirteen or fourteen. He had short, blonde, slicked back hair and bright blue eyes. His skin was abnormally pale, and his clothes were dirty and worn, his face and arms covered in scratches. He looked so out of place in her parents' spotless kitchen.

Terra felt a panic rise in her chest and her heartbeat quicken, more from his desperation than her own. He must have just wandered into the wrong house, she convinced herself. It was okay; nothing to be scared about.

"Are you lost?" she asked, trying not to let the boy's infectious mood get to her.

He laughed. He just laughed hysterically at this question as if it were the funniest question he had ever heard. He grabbed the counter for support a few times from amusement. He truly looked insane.

Terra didn't know how to handle this sudden change in persona, so she just stood, Twinkie box in hand, and watched as the boy laughed himself hoarse.

Finally, his expression resumed its smirk and he said darkly, "don't pretend you didn't send me here on purpose, sweet cakes."

Terra was taken aback at being called sweet cakes by someone so young, and still utterly bewildered as to how this kid had happened upon her kitchen. "I... I don't think I know what you're talking about. Look, I don't know how you got in here, but do you have a way to get a hold of your parents?"

He looked utterly venomous now. He jumped from the counter, taking a step forward. He was a few inches shorter than her, but it didn't take away from his anger. "I'm not what you think l am." All traces of laughter were gone, replaced by an expression that seemed to Terra to imply murderous intentions. She stepped back, startled.

"Don't play with me," the boy said in his serious voice again. "I want to know what this is and why you came."

"Look," Terra said, more sternly this time, determined not to let him intimidate her, "I really don't know what you're talking about."

The kid smirked. "Oh really?" he said, reaching both his hands slowly backward to retrieve something from behind his back. Terra could feel her brows furrow and she stiffened, not daring look away from those small blue eyes, realizing for the first time that this small teenager could be more than just talk: that he could be a real threat to her. Was he carrying a weapon? How on Earth had he gotten into a locked house for that matter? Surely Sarah had locked up as she left... Or maybe not. Her sister wasn't exactly the image of responsibility.

"Whoa, easy there," Terra said wearily, feeling angry that her sister had inadvertently let this happen.

The boy just smirked again. She was done for. He laughed confidently and pulled his hand back out swiftly, thrusting it toward her. It dangled from his hand.

Terra dropped her shoulders in confusion. She reached up to her neck feeling the empty space there.

She looked back up into the kid's face. He held a wide proud grin as if the necklace was the most menacing thing he could have thrown at her.

Terra stared in shock and without a second's hesitation, she stepped toward him, her free hand reaching out to grab it. The only thought that came to mind was that the necklace was hers, and all fear went away.

The blonde boy yelled, "NO, stop!" but her hand was already touching the chain, and his warning did nothing to stop her. She could only briefly see the golden ember color the ring had taken on before ring and chain were being grasped in her palm.

Then she felt the heat.

It was a searing pain in her hand, as if the ring on the necklace had been smoldered over a white hot fire. Terra gasped in a wisp of breath as the boy started to yell out in fear.

She immediately tried to pull away, startled again by the sudden change in the boy's emotions, but her hand wouldn't move. Instead, it just grasped more firmly. She could feel the chain of the necklace burning through her skin, but her fingers wrapped still tighter, and still the boy held on too—though he was struggling desperately to unclench his fingers with his opposite hand.

Her mind struggled, her eyebrows furrowing to understand what was happening and why.

She looked into the boy's eyes. He was yelling something, but she could not hear him. Everything was muted. She got one last glimpse of the terror on his face before her vision blurred. She closed her eyes, feeling a numbness go over her whole body, feeling her stomach do somersaults until she could feel abruptly again solidity which came in the form of impact along a whole side of her body. She was lying on cold hard ground. She could see feet and a figure squatting in front of her. Then the world was gone to her, replaced by black once again.

a/n: Yeah... he's not really a trespasser... more like a world jumper... thanks to Terra's necklace!

Let me know what you think of Terra's SECOND meeting with a Carynthian!

Comments, Votes, and Reads always lovely;)

Chay