Moonlit Shadows

Destiny

Jaci was enthralled with the drastic weather difference that she experienced the further she went up the mountain. Of course the air would get cooler on any other mountain, but to see snow so deep, not that far from the bottom, just amazed her.

Blood Mountain was just as the legends had said, and Jaci was living for it. Just knowing the place was real and she was on the right track put a spring in her step.

She pressed on and soon a small house had entered her view. It was still a good walk away, but she felt her heart begin to race and pound in her chest.

It was darkened, no lights to be seen in the windows. A good sized porch was at the top of a small group of stairs and a chair was on the porch.

It was hardly a house worth noting from an architectural standpoint, but it was the fact that it was all alone, nothing and no one nearby, that stood out the most to Jaci.

She snapped a few photos with her camera and moved closer. She kept her eyes and ears open for any movement around her, but all she could hear was the crunch of her own boots in the snow.

The end goal was that house. She needed to see if anyone was there who could tell her something about this mountain. Better yet, she would find the exact thing she was looking for.

"Who are you?"

Jaci froze. She glanced around and saw no one nearby that the low voice could belong to, and fear quickly settled into her veins.

"I'll ask one more time. Who are you?"

The voice was sounding more impatient, and Jaci forced herself to turn and find out where it was coming from.

As she turned, her heart practically dropped into her stomach. Her eyes grew wide and her hands gripped her camera tighter. Behind her, about an arm length away, stood an angry looking man with red eyes. Her mind went crazy with all the thoughts she was having. Could this be a real vampire? Should she talk to him? Explain her mission and who she was? Should she-

"You hesitated too long," said the red-eyed man. His arm raised and with a swift backhand blow, Jaci was knocked out cold.

***

"Tae! Who are you talking..." Sunny ran up to her husband, having heard him from where she was taking photos of frozen branches. She had arrived just as Taehyung had backhanded a girl, causing her to drop to the snowy forest floor.

Sunny dropped to her knees beside the girl and looked at her face. She had no need to check for a pulse as she could hear it slowing. "Did she tell you her name at least before you slapped her into oblivion?"

Taehyung huffed and crossed his arms. "She's an intruder. I don't have time to get specifics from intruders. Now, let's go haul her to the foot of the mountain and call someone to come get her."

Sunny rolled her eyes and stood up, facing her grumpy husband. "No, we will take her home and find out what she's doing here."

"So she can run back to wherever she came from and blab about us? You don't understand how dangerous this can be!"

"And the last time you didn't let someone explain, I lost my best friend," snapped Sunny.

Taehyung threw out his arms in frustration. "Why do you think I said we would just take her back towards the town? I didn't kill her, Sunny!"

Sunny shook her head. "Pick her up and bring her to the house. We need to warm her up."

Sunny walked towards the house and left Taehyung behind to do as she demanded.