Whispers in the Dark (Being Rewritten)

Chapter 18

18

I have to find him! I mentally screamed at myself. Dammit, Gabriel, where are you?! I dashed up flight after flight of stairs the next morning, panting as sweat began to bead off my forehead. I raced down the hallway toward Mr. Lance and Gabriel's room hoping he'd be there. I turned the corner and ran smack into an unsuspecting bystander.

"Sorry," I panted trying to steady myself against the wall so that I didn't fall back on my butt.

"Christine?" Mr. Lance gave me an odd look. "What are you doing up here? You don't have any classes in this building so early in the day." His arm reached out patting my back gently as I choked on some air.

"I just have to see-" The school's warning bell cut off my words.

"You had better head off to class now." Mr. Lance began ushering me off back toward the stair case.

"I have to see Mr. Steele though!" I protested.

"You'll see him in class. Whatever it is you have to say you can say it then." He stopped ushering me forward once the stairs were in view. "Now, hurry up. You don't want to be late. I'll see you later." I expected him to turn and walk away but instead he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me to make sure I was leaving.

I sighed, my shoulders slumping, and walked depressingly back down the flights of stairs I had just came up. I would have to keep a close look out in case I saw Gabriel walking around campus.

If only I was so lucky.

I jogged to my class and took my assigned seat just before the tardy bell chimed. "Dammit, Gabriel," I quietly cursed. "I never thought I'd be saying this but I need your help."

My stomach clenched and growled as the girl on my right began running her hands through her hair so she could pull it up into a high pony tail. Her scent drifted over to my seat driving my senses wild. And I didn't mean the scent of her lilac perfume and lavender hand lotion. What I meant was the scent of her human blood. With every pulse it hit me like a tidal wave. Sweet and warm like freshly baked sugar cookies covered in thick icing. I tried breathing in deep as my hands clenched into fists so tight I was able to feel my nails begin to puncture skin. I opened my hands and looked down them, at the bloody grooves in my palms. I need to find Gabriel. And fast...

P.E. passed dreadfully slow and my hunger was increasing with every second. I was afraid I would actually hurt someone so I made an excuse to the instructor and sat down on the bleachers watching as everyone ran the mile. I could see them sweat despite the whipping wind around us, hear their hearts pounding against their rib cages.

Everyone ran and chatted with friends as I sat out, alone and isolated. It was my sixth week in Day Lightens and my only friend was my tormentor's little sister.

I sighed and leaned my cheek against my fist. I hated being the new kid in school. Everyone thinks you're either seriously cute or majorly weird. I'm guessing everyone thought of me as the latter option. I run out of class, had an episode in front of everyone, get taken to the ER, get into fights with the most popular girl in school. Yeah, I would rule myself as a freak. And that wasn't counting the vampire stuff.

Couch Buchannan's whistle chirped loudly though the air around us as she called for us all to get dressed and ready for our next classes. We all walked back to the locker rooms to change.

While everyone talked and stripped off their sweaty clothes I took refuge in one of the shower stalls. I had been doing so ever since I was bitten. Carefully I stripped off my clothes and turned on the shower. Cold water hit my body so suddenly it caused me to inhale a sharp breath in surprise. I ran my hands through my hair scrubbing gently so I got my whole head wet. Then I worked on the rest of my body. My shoulder was still sore but at least the wound was now beginning to close up. It didn't look so grotesque and fresh anymore. It would soon turn into a scar. A scar that said I survived a vampire attack all because Benjamin wanted to keep me as a pet and a big man- who I still had no idea who he was- killed Benjamin's sire.