Valerie skipped out the open window. The night was cloudy and overcast. The darkness pressed in all around her. She didn't risk using the flashlight until she was far away from her house. It would be a couple of hours before her 'mother' realized she was gone. She pulled out the card with a groan of guilt. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she said, stiffly. "I thought I was a good person!" She looked around. She reached the main street out of her neighborhood. "Okay...Alexa Avenue is just....three streets down." She looked around cautiously. A shifty part of town to say the least.
Nat had offered to come with her. Her insides squirmed at the thought. She had no idea what was going to happen here, and she wasn't sure weither her decision to put her foot down and go alone was the right one. And wherever he was, she was sure, he was thinking of her. She shivered just thinking about it. He was possibly coming to find her. But stop her? Unlikely.
She had let her thoughts carry her to the street in question. She looked up and down the street. The lot for 62442 Alexa Avenue was empty. A streetlamp glared, elongating the shadows of dumpsters and litter. The thing that scared her the most about 62442 Alexa Ave was the fact that it opened up to the dark forest. She gluped.
"Hello, Valerie." Val jumped about a foot in the air, turning to see the tuxed teen that had dressed her earlier. "Oh...h-hello." Valerie said, with a scared smile. "I assume you want to know the truth." He said, smiling that vexing smile that he had worn earlier. "The whole, unclouded truth. It won't be pretty." Valerie looked aprehensive. "Is the a red pill, blue pill thing?" She asked, refering to the Matrix. He smiled, "Yes, it is." He said. Valerie sighed, saying "If you tell me your name, then I'll go along with whatever you tell me." His smile faltered for a second, and then said, "You will adress me as Ethan."
"Ethan." Valerie repeated. "We're going in there, right?" She said, pointed, not at any of the buildings, but the forest. "Yes," Ethan said, glancing towards the forest casually, as if he looked upon nothing more than a normal peice of lanscape, not the murder capitol of Blue Valley Cove. He took her hand. A chill went up Valeries spine. His hands were cold, nothing like Nat's. "You said you would go along with it," He said, sensing her reluctance. She nodded, resigned. He led her into the forest, brusquely. She stumbled to catch up with his pace. He led her through trees, and Val heard a bublling brook somewhere and shivered, reminded vivdly of her dream.
Finally, they reached a clearing that was their destination. "What's this?" Valerie asked. It was, after all, empty. Ethan glared back at her. "Silence. You will speak only when adressed from now on." Valerie looked taken aback. She suddenly wished Nat was there. He wouldn't have tolerated this kind of treatment of her. But she bit her lip and fell silent, her heart racing.
Shadows appeared out of the darkness. People, ranging in age from adult, to some that were younger than she. They were all extravagantly dressed, the girls all wearing fur coats and scarves. One thing they all had in common was the gloves that did not expose any of thier hands to anything they touched. A woman stepped forward. Respendent in an evening gown of sparkling navy, with a fur shawl and gloves of silk that extended past her elbow, she looked in her late twenties. "good evening, Valerie." Valerie seized her chance. She had been spoken to. "Who are you?" She demanded.
"That is not for you to know until later." Her voice frieghtened Valerie more than anything she had experienced all evening. Although her looks were beautiful, her voice was raspy, drak, and made one think of a drowning woman. Valerie stepped back from her. "We are a secret society, and you have recieved and invitation to join our ranks. We did not know you were one of us until you commited your first kill last night - " Valerie screamed. "I what!?" The woman remained relaxed, as if she had done this many times before. The onlookers sniggered, as if her shock was amusing. Ethan was in shadow, unmoving.
Valerie felt the tears begin to fall. She felt unclean, as if she didn't deserve to live. She wanted someone to end her life, her unworthy existance that there could be no repentance for. She wanted to die, like Jessica had died. Unworthy, unfair, and cruel. She did not have to stifle a sob, bearly breathing, the tears fell silently. She repeated the same thing she had said earlier, except this time, in her mind. I thought I was a good person...!
"You weren't in control of yourself, but we can teach you to be." The woman said. "Live on the only side that will accept you for what you are. Join us." Valerie drew breath, suddenly and sharply, and screamed at the woman, whom she had no fear for anymore, only rage, hatred, contempt. "And I am what, exactly?" She screamed, her voice tearing her throat, desperation in ever syllable.
"A werewolf, naturally."
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