Bloodlines

Chapter One

I was running. Running fast, hard, and for my life. I was in the woods, for what I wasn't sure but I knew I had to run. I was pretty fast, faster than I thought I could ever get my body to go. My legs started to burn; my throat tightening up. I felt like I was running the pacer and let me tell you, that test sucked. I didn't know how much longer I could last. They were nearing, I could hear them.

Keep going, just a little further and I will reach... well... what would I reach? Civilization? More trees? It didn't really matter, I suppose, I had to keep going or they would attack me.

Crap, a tree is in my way, I have to jump over it and hope I don't fall flat on my face. I can do this... I hope. My life depends on it. My body, however, doesn't feel like it normally does. I've been training since I was young and should be able to jump this tree no problem, but this body feels less disciplined and more anxious.

As I approach the tree I jump over it, my right foot landing on the top of it giving me some leverage. I didn't fall, yes! Phew, I'm in the clear. Keep running and everything will be fine this new body says over and over again.

All of a sudden someone tackles me. Yup... I'm screwed. We tumble on the ground, branches and leaves crunching and getting in my hair and on my clothes. All this dirt too, like things couldn't get worse.

The guy covers my mouth with his left hand while holding me down with his legs and left arm. His right hand holds my left wrist to my side. He shushes me. What in the hell? He just tackled me and wants me to be quiet? He was chasing me! He could be some kind of serial killer. God this was a nightmare.

I tried to break free, moving my body around, trying to get my arms free, but alas, he was too strong and was using his body's weight to hold me down, just perfect. When I finally looked into his eyes, they were like staring at, well, it felt like home. His eyes were hazel, the gold sticking out in his eyes and catching my attention.

Next thing I know he's pulled from me and I'm being dragged by my hair. A searing pain shoots through my head and my body. I scream out calling for help. I try to dig the heels of my shoes to the ground and reach out to grab onto something to make this person stop. I just get kicked in the stomach for my efforts of escaping, wonderful.

I feel someone grab onto the front of my shirt, I look up but I can't see the person, just a blurry figure in front of me. I hope the person is a man and I kick up right into their groin area. It does the trick because I hear him yell out in pain and I don't feel hands grabbing on my shirt anymore. I try to crawl back, still in pain, barely able to breathe. I get up and try to run again but I can't seem to keep my footing and fall back down. "You fucking bitch!" I hear the man yell and he's back on me.

I scream at him and all of a sudden I feel my hair floating around me and the noise around me stops. Everything around me starts to move in slow motion. My vision isn't blurry anymore but all I see are rings going around the guy, in the shape of my mouth, my screams. He covers his ears and when I finish screaming he gets thrown back, far, so far I don't even hear his body land on the ground.

Next thing I know the man with gold in his eyes is lifting me up bridal style and runs. Then I jolt awake.

Annabel is looking at me like I was just about to die or someone was after me. "Isabella, what's wrong?" I yawn and look at her, puzzled. I scrunch my eyebrows "what's wrong? You're the one barging in here and shaking me awake, what's wrong with you?"

She gives me a quizzical look, scratches her head and says "Bella, you were screaming. You don't remember what you were dreaming about?" I did remember what I dreamt about, at least parts of it, but I didn't want to say anything about it because I didn't even understand it myself. "No, I don't." I turn to my left to check the clock on my nightstand and it's five minutes until four in the morning, I groan. "Why couldn't you leave it alone and let me sleep?" I roll on my back and throw my pillow over my head.

Annabel puts her hand on my thigh "Did you have a hard time falling asleep again?" I always do. My mind will never stop turning when it's time to go to sleep. "It's no big deal. Now, get out. I want to go back to sleep." She laughs and jumps off my bed heading towards the door.

Once she closed it I sprang out of bed wide awake, there was no way I'd be getting back to sleep. I take my dream journal out and jot down everything I remember from the dream and quickly stash it back to its hiding spot. I then walk to my window, pull the curtains open, and slide the glass open. I stick my head out feeling the wind and take a deep breath. I grab a pair of socks and shoes, slip them on, and climb out of the window. I sit down and stretch my legs and arms out, taking in the fresh air.

I get up and walk to the right, climbing as high as I could get without falling off the roof. I lay on my back and stare at the stars, they're so beautiful. There's a crescent moon out, my favorite. I've always been drawn to it, it's been marked on my skin since I was born.

When we're born we are marked if we are not humans. We're usually marked on the back of our necks, then our marks will travel down to our backs or arms. You're marked with what you're destined to become or marked with your lineage.

Annabel is marked with a full moon on the back of her neck on the right side. A hand with magic coming out of it is on the left side marking her as a witch. A wolf is on the right upper corner of her back, howling, marking her as a wolf. Only problem is that her wolf is the only form to show in our twenty one years of life. She's had no sign of her witch showing up, showing its part of her heritage instead of who she's destined to be, but maybe one day her witch side will show up.

We aren't one thing or another, we've evolved into a much more significant race. The creatures get passed down by parents, whatever your parents are is what you'll be, and you'll become one creature or two if you take it from both sides. If your parents are a mixture of creatures you could have three creatures you're meant to be as, but three is the max anyone ever is. Mostly everyone is either one or two creatures, three isn't as common.

Powers get passed down through anyone in the family, doesn't have to be directly from your parents. Once your powers emerge, your skin gets marked with your abilities. If you join a pack, clan, or coven, you're marked with their symbol. There's no secrets with us, everyone knows what everyone is or could be capable of.

I open my eyes when I hear an owl making noise next to me. I don't know how I managed to do it but it's three hours later and I stayed safely on the roof without falling off. I look towards the owl and notice its eyes are hazel with gold in them. I furrow my brows and try to figure out where I've seen them before. I reach out to the owl but it flies away, then I hear my name being called from outside.

"Isabella! Isabella!! Where are you!!?" I look over the edge and see Annabel outside looking around for me. "Up here!" She looks towards the roof with wide eyes. "Are you nuts?! How long have you been there?" I rub my eyes and stand up. "Since you left my room" I yawn out to her.

"What! You could've fell off! Look how high you are! Let me get my mom to help you down, don't move" I roll my eyes, but she can't see that, "no need Bel, I got up here by myself, I can get down by myself perfectly fine." She crosses her arms and glares at me. "Don't come crawling to me when you fall off and break something then." She walks back into the house.

I sigh as I climb through the window into my room once I maneuvered my way down from where I was. I left my window open all night, just wonderful. I start picking up the leaves that blew into the room. I head to the window to toss everything out when I see the owl perched on the window seal, watching me. I stand still, what does it want from me? It nods its head then takes off.