The Darkest Hours

A Story by MyDarkestHours (Tory Mogolis)

My biggest project that I am working on. Hope you like it!

Prologue

“LET GO OF ME!!!” Kami screamed as she was being dragged over to a metal table with straps. She felt her body slam down on the table, and was restrained by the two men that dragged her in here.

A tall figure stood over her, tightening straps over her ankles, wrists, and waist. Kambrea was thrashing, trying to get away from the man that was certainly her doom.

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DON’T DESERVE THIS! I’M NOT THE ONE YOU WANT!” Kami screamed out, her throat aching with the effort.

The figure checked her straps, and then turned away, facing a metal table. She saw his hands move faster than she could keep track of. From what she could see, he was prepping a needle. Kambrea’s eyes widened, and a scream caught in her throat. Kami was deathly afraid of needles, and she was frozen with terror. Her eyes locked on the huge syringe that the figure was filling with what looked like an

Anesthetic, but she couldn’t be sure. Kami looked around for a means of escape; there was none. The room had no windows, and one door, which happened to be guarded by two men.

“DAVID! EVEN YOU KNOW THAT I’M NOT THE ONE! YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE CONTROL OVER ME! THE PROPHECY IS WRONG, DAVID!!!” She screamed once again, trying to convince the tall figure to stop this madness.

The man stayed silent. Then, he was next to her, wiping a swab over her arm; prepping for the needle. Kami felt her body stiffen as the needle slipped into her arm. She was choking back a scream, and attempting to not let the drug take effect. But it was no use. She felt her eyes droop, and saw the black eyes of the tall man who did this to her. Then, she fell limp.

Chapter 1

The dark of the night engulfed the beautiful scenery before her. The sway of the trees, the rustle of the leaves, even the small skitter-scatter of the nocturnal beasts was silenced. And she was left. To meet the one who had murdered her entire family.

“David.” She spoke his name like it was a curse.

“Oh, my beautiful Kami. Have you come to finally accept my offer?” The vampire slid out of the darkness, his fangs slipping out of his mouth as he grinned.

“You evil b*****d. Why would you ever think I would accept to marry a monster like you?”

He laughed, his pure white fangs flashing in the moonlight. “My dear, you know you will accept sooner rather than later.”

“F**k you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to marry me?” He said with an evil smirk on his face.

Her face flushed, she really didn’t want to deal with his sexual remarks right now. All she wanted was to get this business out of the way.

“You f*****g know what I mean. Let’s get this done and over with.”

“As you wish, my dear.”

“You have no right calling me that.”

“But you don’t attempt to stop me, so why should I?”

“Because you love me and should do what I say.”

“You don’t love me back.”

“So?”

“So, we don’t have equal feelings for one another. You have no right to boss me around.”

“Just shut the hell up.”

“As you wish my...”

“Don’t,”

“As you wish.” He stalked over to a tall tree and launched himself up the leafy branches. When he landed a few seconds later he had a small, pure silver dagger in his hand. Even through the dark, she could clearly see the crimson stain of blood on the blade. He slowly slit his wrist, letting loose a stream of blood. He handed her the knife and she did the same.

“The bond of man and woman, mortal and immortal, light and dark. This bond shall bind us together. Linking us to the one lord above all. Shall he spread our power into one to fight against the evil that has tainted this innocent world.“ He whispered to the night.

They pressed their wrists together, and a rush of power flowed through both of them and nearly pulled them apart.

“Shall the blood of us strengthen the earth, sacred land of the lord, and help against the evil. In the name of the lord, this bond is forever held.” She whispered back.

Their eyes glowed with a fiery light. He stabbed the dagger into the fertile land, bonding the two together.

“As it shall be.” They said together, finishing the ritual.

David looked into her eyes, his big, brown eyes gaping into her soul. She turned away from his intense gaze.

“Why won’t you look at me?” He whispered.

“It hurts too much.” She replied.

“Just try.”

“I can’t.”

“Please?”

“No.”

He grabbed her chin and turned her face toward his. The brown daggers stabbed into her soul.

“STOP!” She screamed. “PLEASE, please, please…” She repeated over and over.

She collapsed to the ground as he looked away. She lay there writhing in the pain he had caused her. He reached out to touch her and she flinched away from his hand. Her shoulders shook with sobs.

“Kambrea…” He whispered.

“Just go. Leave me alone, David.” She choked out between sobs.

“I cannot leave you here.”

“Yes you can. Leave me alone. I don’t want to see you right now.”

His footsteps faded away into the night. Kami sat up, cradling her face in her hands. She barely had the strength to stand. The crimson moon shone an amber light on her body. She felt eyes on her back as she struggled back to her car.

He didn’t leave.

She spoke. “David, I know your still here. I can feel your presence. Leave.”

She felt a small breeze, and he was gone. Her hands were shaking, and the key to her car chimed with the movement. The keyhole suddenly seemed too small. It took her five minutes just to get in her car. Why did she have to get involved with the vampires? Why did she have to take that oath to the one she hated the most?

She knew. She just didn’t want to, have to, admit it.

The dragur was loose in the world again. And for some odd reason, the vampires believe that only David and her could save the world.

“Damn! Why did it have to be him?” She mumbled to herself as she drove down the gravel road.

He has haunted her memories ever since the attack. She could see the memory flash before her eyes even as clearly as if it was yesterday.

It was darkening outside, and the wind seemed to pick up with each passing minute. She was young, around the age of nine. Her parents were fighting again, and she knew that this time, somebody was going to get hurt. A vase flew across the hallway and a shard of glass flung in her direction. It stabbed into her arm, but she felt no pain. It happened so often, she didn’t even notice as the blood streamed down her arm.

“You f*****g w***e! I know you slept with him! Don’t lie!” She heard her father scream at her mother.

“So what if I did? He’s definitely better at it than the likes of you!” Her mother yelled back.

Another shard of glass flew her way and sliced over her eye. She bet they didn’t even know she was here, watching them argue over something she didn’t even understand. She snuck away, and wandered outside. There was a dark stranger staring at her.

“Kami, I have been waiting.” His voice spoke like silk through the air.

“H-how did you know my name?” She stuttered.

“I know about your family, and that will soon be taken care of. You will come with me and one day soon you will understand why I am doing this.”

“W-what?”

He picked the small child up, and just as he shot up into the air, she saw the house go up in flames. Her parent’s screams echoed through her ears.

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! I LIKE MY LIFE! PUT ME DOWN!” She screamed at the stranger.

“It is too dangerous for a child of your descent to be in a life like that. You are now one of us now. Weather you like it or not.” He spoke back.

“And what exactly might ‘us’ be? What descent am I from? WHY ME?!”

“You will find out soon.”

“Why did the house catch on fire? Are my parents okay?”

“You need to forget this night. Your parents are gone. They don’t matter anymore.”

“YES THEY DO! I LOVE THEM!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!”

“They don’t love you though. We have been watching you. You are the child that will fulfill the prophecy. If you stayed in that environment, the future would end in a horrible massacre. The world needs you, Kambrea.”

She looked down at her burning home. Her life was burning down before her. “What about my cat?” She thought to herself. “What about my stuff… and my parents?”

“Your cat is already at your new home, as well as your belongings. You must forget your parents. They are out of your life now.”

“I-I didn’t say anything… H-how did you…?”

“We are an exceptional race. I read your mind.”

“H-how?”

“You will learn.”

The house was just a distant glow now. They were heading west, toward the mountains. She looked up at the stars, beautifully twinkling in the night. It gave the appearance that everything would be okay. She wasn’t so sure.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“Don’t worry about that now. You should sleep.” He replied

Her eyelids fluttered.

“Sleep.” He whispered.

She fell limp in his arms. They flew over the city, leaving her past life behind.

Kambrea snapped back into reality, the vivid memory still flashing before her eyes. The scenery was a blur across her vision and she had to stop the car to avoid an accident. The tears wouldn’t stop pouring down her face.

“Get a hold of your self!” She said to herself. “You are strong and can do this.”

She grabbed a Kleenex from the backseat of her car. She had been needing those more often. The tears subsided for now. Letting her drive home before it started all over again. The stupid vampires just had to destroy her life, kill her parents, and make her into one of them! Now, to top it all off, the council pared her up with David! That made her want to go get a stake out and commit suicide.

“But then the stupid vampire world would be overcome with millions of Dragur and life would end as we know it. “ She muttered to herself.

She looked out her car window to her small modern house. It was white, but the color has faded from nature. There were red brick accents, and bright, forest green vines trailed up the house. It seemed like the perfect, neighborly home. But, once you stepped through that door, it was like you had stepped into a gothic never world. The living room was a dark purple. All the accents were black and silver. The furniture was a deep blood red. She stumbled into the bathroom, and saw the blood from her wrist drip onto the pure white floor. Suddenly, she felt nauseated, like the whole world had turned upside down. “God,” She thought to herself. “I’m a freaking vampire and I still get sick at the sight of blood.” She felt the bile come up her throat, and barely got her head over the toilet before her small dinner came back up. She grabbed a towel off of the rack and wiped her mouth off. She crawled over to her first aid drawer and pulled out a long bandage. She quickly put it on, over her cut, and the nausea slowly slipped away. She only drank blood once a week. And, even then, she has to force it down. The other vampires drink the stuff everyday. She probably is weaker than the others because of that, but she has more paranormal power over them. And she always would. They know they cannot win over her. Most vampires can only fly, read minds, and have super human strength. But she has many, many more. They wanted her to be their leader, but she declined, not wanting to get too involved with the creatures. She glanced at the small wall clock on her bathroom wall. It said 1:34 AM. “Story of my life,” She muttered to herself.

Here recently she hadn’t been getting to bed until dawn, then waking up an hour later to go to work. She was seriously thinking about calling in sick again. She knew that Sara wouldn’t mind. Sara had been her best friend ever since the change. She understood how hard it was to go from human to vampire. Her sister had changed, but the body had rejected the donor blood. She died during the transformation. Kami had been the one to tell her the news, and after many tears and heart-felt hugs, they realized they had a lot in common. Sara offered her a position at the animal shelter, until she got a full time position at the police station, which was actually in process now. Kambrea crawled through the hallway to her bedroom. Her bed felt as if it were made of feathers. She drifted into sleep, setting her alarm to remind her to call Sara.

A loud buzzing noise woke Kami from her blissful sleep. “Sara,” She thought. She grabbed her phone and saw that she had two missed messages. “CRAP!” She had been asleep for twelve hours! She called Sara, hoping she would forgive her.

“WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU!?!?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE FOREVER AGO!!! MITZY THREW UP ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND KIRA WON’T EAT!!!!” Sara screamed in her ear.

“Sara, I’m so sorry! I meant to call you this morning, but I was so tired, I didn’t hear my alarm. I had a bad night last night,” Kambrea calmly told her.

“Oh, Honey, I’m sorry, want to talk about it?”

“I don’t care. I just want to forget it.”

“Was it him again?”

“Yeah.”

“What was it this time?”

“We had to bond.”

“WHAT?!?! WHY?!?!”

“The prophesy.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. The council voted on me.”
“That sucks. Whoops! Unintended pun.”

“Ha-ha. Very, funny.”

“MITZY!!!! Not again! Kami, I’m going to have to go, Mitzy just threw up again.”

“It’s okay. I promise I’ll be in tomorrow.”

“Okay. See you later.”

“Bye.”

Kambrea hung up, a heavy feeling on her shoulders. She felt so bad for Sara, having to care for those animals, while she was at home, sleeping the day away.

“Maybe I should blame it on David…” She thought to herself. “I know Sara would!”

She smiled, maybe for the first time today. She got up out of bed, and started towards the kitchen. She didn’t normally drink coffee, but right now, it seemed pretty damn good. Soon enough, the kitchen was filled with the sweet scent of vanilla espresso. She grabbed her favorite mug, it was lavender, with a poem about the Indians’ land before the migration, and filled it up with the liquid happiness she had come to drink. She breathed in its addicting aroma, and took a sip. It instantly warmed her throat, and her body tingled with its amazing affect. A knock rapped at her door. She walked to her living room and over to her door, and peered through the peephole.

“Chad!” She thought to herself. She felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth. “Who is it?” She called sweetly.

“Death, to come and kill your sadness. Now let me in!” She looked out the peephole again and saw him smiling at her. “I know your looking at me…”

She opened the door and rushed out to hug him.

“Whoa there, tiger. What happened?” He asked.

“David.” She replied. It was barely a whisper.

“What about him?”

“I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because you will take it the wrong way.”

“No I won’t. Tell me what happened.”

“Promise not to get mad?”

“I promise.”

“I had to bond with him. The council voted on me.”

“Oh, Kami,”

She started sobbing on his shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go in.” He whispered in her ear. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to her couch. He sat down and held her in his lap, letting her get all the tears out.

“Its okay, honey, I’m here. Don’t worry.” He whispered.

“N-no, no its not. I-I tried to get them to p-pick someone else. B-but they d-didn’t listen. I-I tried…” She choked out between sobs.

“Listen to me.” He pulled her chin up so her eyes met his. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. You did what you had to do. It wasn’t your choice to make. You know I love you and I would never hate you for something that you didn’t even want to do.”

“Thanks,” She whispered.

Chad wrapped his arms around her still shaking body. She leaned into his body, smelling sandalwood, pine, and lavender. She looked forward to that scent everyday, sometimes getting out one of his shirts that she borrowed and putting it on, just to have that feeling of him there. She looked up at his big brown eyes.

“I just ruined another shirt.” She said.

“No, its fine. Cry all you need to. I’m here.” He replied.

“But…”

“No buts.”

She nestled in closer, and he kissed her forehead.

“Love you.” He whispered.

“Love you too.” She whispered back.

She glanced up at the clock. 6:19 PM.

“We better get going. We’ve got that dinner to make!” Chad said.

“I’ve got to go change, I’m still in my pajamas. And I bet I look horrible.” Kambrea replied.

“I think you look beautiful just the way you are.”

“I bet some people would like to differ.”

“That’s their opinion.”

“I’m still changing.”

“Fine.”

“Ha-ha. Let me get up.”

“No!” He tickled her, and she screamed.

“Stop!”

“No!”

“Chad! Let me up!”

He stopped for a split second and she used that pause to leap out of his reach.

“Damn your fast!”

“Vampire, remember?” She smiled at him, her fangs glinting in the sunlight. “You can never catch a vampire.”

“You want to bet?”

“You seriously want to try?”

“Well, why not?”

“Ok… Catch me if you can!”

She took off, and he went after her. They chased each other through the living room, into the kitchen. Kami leaped over the kitchen island. Then he hopped over and landed on top of her.

“Gotcha.” He said.

“Well, your pretty damn fast yourself, Chad! Have you been going to the gym?”

“Maybe…”

“Ha-ha.”

She walked away from him, heading for the bathroom where her clothes were hanging. A few minutes later, she was fixing her hair and makeup. She glanced at herself in the mirror, her light blonde hair waving down her shoulders. The deep red dress was hugging her hips, and she knew that she would be looked upon many times that night, weather or not the guys wanted to admit it. She was going to be the newest addition to the police department. She will be the only girl in the department, but she knows that the guys are just like her big brothers, even though she knows some of them like her. She had a formal dinner at the Police Department, celebrating the new sponsors of the department, and the new additions. She was wearing a short crimson dress that hugged her in all the right places, with gold accents and accessories to compliment her hair. “Are you ready Kami? We’re going to be late if you preen any longer!” Chad yelled from outside the bathroom. “I’m coming!” Kambrea yelled back. She rushed out of the bathroom and shot out the door, well, as fast as she could in four-inch heels. She leaped in the car, and they drove down to the Police Department. Once they pulled into the drive, she saw most the guys standing outside, waiting for her and Chad to get out.

She stepped out of the passenger seat, and could almost hear the intake of breath as she stepped around the car, facing the rest of the group. She walked towards them holding Chad’s hand, and her heels clicking on the concrete. The guys standing there were just James, Damien, and Matt. There are at least two other guys that were going to show up, but they were already inside. “Kami!” Exclaimed Matt. “What?” She said, with a smile on her face, even though on the inside she was nervous, because he was one of those guys that couldn’t stop staring at her. He looked her up and down, obviously thinking she wasn’t paying attention. “Hey, hey, hey! Why are you looking at me like that? You want me to b***h slap you?” She said to him in an angry tone. He really got on her nerves sometimes. “Hey, technically it’s your fault. If you didn’t want people looking at you, you shouldn’t have worn something so…” Started Damien. “So what?” She retorted back. “Sexy.” He finished. She blushed and turned away. “Don’t lie to me!” She said, her cheeks flushing red. “He’s not lying,” Said James, smiling. He was dating someone, but she knew his comments were just as a friend. She blushed even harder, and excused her self to the restroom.

She took a deep breath in front of the mirror. “God, Kami. What are you doing to yourself! You’ve been around them for months now! Get a hold of yourself!” She looked in the mirror, not seeing what the guys saw in her. Her hands swept over her dress, straightening out the wrinkles.

They were standing inside now, waiting for her again. “Why do you guys all wait for me?” She asked them. “It’s what any gentleman would do!” Replied Chad. He put out his arm, knowing that she didn’t want anyone else leading her in, not with the way they were treating her already. She took Chad’s arm, and watched the other guys look of jealousy. She took steps in time with his, and they strode down the hallway toward the meeting room, where we were gathering for the night. They walked into the meeting room, where the other guys were sitting and waiting for the sponsors and advisors to arrive. Their eyes widened when she walked in, shimming her hips as she walked. “Damn,” Whispered Matt to Damien. “She got an a*s!” “I Heard that.” She said to them, looking over her shoulder at their shocked faces. “She’s going to kick both your Asses, and I’m going to be rolling on the floor laughing.” Said Chad, turning around to talk to them. “She couldn’t kick my a*s if she tried!” Said Matt, as arrogant as ever. “Want to bet?” She said, taking a step towards him. He stepped away, a quick look of fear flashing through his face. Using his step back, she shoved him off balance, making him tumble to the ground. She barely put her heel on his neck, and said, “Now honey, do you really want to mess with me?” with venom in her voice. “Kami, let him up. He’s going to look up your dress if you hold him there any longer.” James intervened, trying to lighten the mood. She looked at him with daggers in her eyes, and pushed her heel down a little on Matt’s neck, making him squeak. “He needs to stop being a pervert. He’s pissing me off and won’t stop staring at me! Every time I see him, he’s either staring at my a*s or my b***s. I’m tired of it! I hate being the center of attention.” She could feel the tears pricking her eyes. “What’s your problem, Kami? You’ve never acted this way before. Why are you being such a…” “What? Why do I have to be such a b***h? Well, do you have to deal with…?” She stopped, seeing David sitting in the corner, shooting beams of warning from his eyes. “Kambrea, take a deep breath and chill. You’re freaking everyone out and the advisors are going to be here soon. Come here.” Said Chad, holding out his arms. She shot into them, trying to hold back tears. No one had ever seen them hug like that, and they didn’t know what kind of relationship they had, well, tried to have anyways. Kambrea was almost bawling now, but she pulled away from Chad, rushing out the door. “Kami! James shouted after her, but Chad held him back. “Just let her go. I’ll go get her.” The rest of the guys behind them were watching with confusion. Chad walked out the door, heading outside, where he knew he would find Kambrea.

She ran, her blonde hair flying out behind her. Her vision was blurred from the tears crashing down her face. She burst outside, and collapsed right outside the door, bawling her eyes out. “Why can’t they see? First David turns me into one of his kind, then he cheats on me, and he hurts me, hurts me so much… he won’t admit that I broke up with him and he knows that I’m in love with Chad, But he won’t let me go... He won’t stop hurting me… I can’t handle their remarks and smart-a*s comments. He abuses me. He cheats on me. He broke my heart… And no one knows, no one cares…” She cried even harder at the thought of him, curling up in a ball on the ground. All of a sudden she felt strong arms pick her up, and she leaned into the figure, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Shhh… It will be okay.” Chad whispered into her ear, holding her close. She felt the brush of his lips on hers, and she clung to him, trying to wipe the memories away. She felt herself calm down at the sound of his voice, and closed her eyes, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. He carried her inside, back down the hallway, and into the meeting room where all of the guys were still waiting. She flinched when she heard the guy’s voices around her. “What happened?” “Is she okay?” “Why are you carrying her?” But one stood out over all, and when she heard it, the tears came pouring down all over again. “What the f**k, Chad? You know that I’m dating her. Put her down. She doesn’t need you.” Said David, standing up and glaring at the two of them standing there. “Don’t, please don’t let him take me. You know what he’s been doing to me. Please, Chad, I’m begging you.” She whimpered, her voice cracking through the tears. Kami clung to him, her nails almost digging in his back, all from the effort of getting away from David. “Kami, get the f**k away from him. What in the hell are you doing?” David said to her, holding out his arms for Chad to put her in. “David, I know what you have been doing. I want you to get the hell away from me. We’re over; we’ve been over for a long while. I love Chad, NOT YOU. Just because the freaking council says that we had to bond and freaking be partners in this prophesy, doesn’t mean I have to love you, or even be within 2 feet of you.” She choked out, barely speaking. She had stood up to him before, but he had always reacted with anger and abuse. He stepped toward them in anger. Chad had set her down, even though she was still clinging to him, and now he stepped in front of her, blocking him. “I just want to talk to her. You can just step back.” Said David. David looked at her, and she nodded her head, stepping outside the door, David following close behind. “We will be right back.” She said to Chad. Matt, Damien, and James were in their own conservation now, thinking that everything is under control.

Once they were out the door, David slammed her against the wall and whispered in her ear. “You f*****g b***h. You know I only have eyes for you, but I guess you don’t love me anymore to even hear me out. Oh, you’ll have to pay, just like you always do, Kami. And you better stop whatever you’re doing with that Chad. He’s YOUR EX. I should be the only one you think of anymore. What the council says is law. You know one day we will be together… forever.” His hand was across her throat now, choking her. She knew that he would leave bruises there. “I’ve got to leave now, and you better not tell anyone about this little encounter. You know I can just make it worse.” He said to her, taking her hand off of her throat. She collapsed to the ground, holding where his hand had strangled, coughing, trying to breathe again. He left, walking down the hallway, and she lay there, trying to catch her breath.

Chad walked out to check on them and shut the door behind him. Then he looked down and saw her lying on the cold tile floor. She was crying again, both from the mental pain, and the physical. “S**t… He did it again, didn’t he?” He asked, sitting down on the ground, pulling her into his lap, and wrapping his arms around her. She cried on his shoulder, and he laid little kisses on her temple and cheeks. “I should have never left you…” She whispered to him. “Shhh… It’s okay love. Just relax. We’ll get him. I promise.” He whispered back. She looked up into his eyes, and kissed him on the lips. “I love you,” She whispered between sobs. “And I’m really sorry.” “I love you too. And it’s fine, as long as you are happy, I’m happy.” He replied, kissing her back. “Ooh! Get some, Chad!” Yelled Matt and Damien, standing in the doorway. Kambrea shrieked and buried her head in his shoulder, a flash of red heat seeping in her cheeks. “Get the hell away from us!” Chad jokingly yelled, smiling at them. “What happened between Kami and David?” Matt asked. “It’s nothing,” Whispered Kambrea, speaking only loud enough for them to hear. Matt and Damien looked at her skeptically, but shrugged and went back into the room. She kept her head hidden in his shoulder, tears slowly slipping down her cheeks.

“Honey, you need to come out to the range with us all. We didn’t invite Damien, but I think you would like the practice. You’ve shot a gun before right?” Asked Chad, trying to change the subject.

“Well, duh. Vampire’s have to protect themselves while looking normal…”

“Oh, yeah. Well, tomorrow, meet us here about noon, and we will head out. Want me to pick you up?”

“Sure. I’ll be ready.” She replied, smiling up into his eyes.

Chapter 2

She held the gun at arms length, pointing at the black silhouette. The shot rang out as her finger twitches, just enough to pull the trigger back. A spray of black paper shudders to the ground as the bullet shreds right through the targets heart. Not even a flinch darts across her face as the bang reverberates through the air. All of a sudden, the sound of clapping shakes her out of the trance that shooting sets her in. “Damn, Kami. You got aim!” Said James, looking at her in shock, just like all the other guys in the room.

“It’s called practice, James. Maybe you should try it.” Kambrea answered back, holstering her Glock 22 and shaking her light blonde locks out from the bun she had it up in. This was the first time she had gone shooting at the range with the guys, and she didn’t want to brag too much about her skills. They had been staring at her anyways, considering the short, Daisy-Dukes she was wearing, and the low-cut tank top. She really didn’t need any more attention.

“How in the hell did you get that good? You said this was your first time at the range.” Asked Matt and Damien at the exact same time, both staring lower than they probably should be. They were twins, and it was creepy at how alike they are.

“This is my first time… at this range. I’ve been to others. I was the daughter that my dad never wanted, so he treated me as a son, teaching me how to hunt, camp, shoot, stuff like that.” “Wow…” Said James, still in shock from her perfect shot.

She laughed, a tinkle of bells singing from her throat. Matt and Damien were still staring at her, but she paid them no attention. Chad would kick their a*s if they touched her, unless she got to them first. It was a beautiful day anyways, why shouldn’t she enjoy it? The sky was clear, and only a slight breeze waved through the air. It was an ideal day for shooting at the range out here in western Kansas. She was NOT going to let anyone ruin this day for her. This was one of those days that she wishes for every week, but most of the time, she ended up working overtime, trying to earn as much money as she can. She walked over to where Chad was standing, his mouth hanging open at her. “You are really that surprised? Come on, Chad. Close your jaw.” She said jokingly, laughing at him. “Sorry, you never told me how good you were.” He replied. “You never asked, and I don’t like to gloat about it.” “Pft. With skills like that, you should. “ “No, it would be weird… they would try to make me go into competitions, and compete against other guys, which I REALLY don’t want to do.” “Why not?” “I’m a female. Most guys don’t like being beat by a girl. Violence might break out, and that won’t end well.” “Okay…”

She laughed again, and sat down next to him, grabbing his hand to hold. Chad put his arm around her, and she leaned into him, smelling the deep cologne that he wore.

“Love you,” She whispered. “Love you too.” He whispered back.

Shots were ringing out again, and Kami could see little black shreds of paper floating in the wind. Matt and Damien were up shooting, and their fingers pulled at the exact same time. Their shots weren’t exactly “hitting” the target. The bullets were slicing along the white edges of the target, and you could hear the quiet cusses of the guys as they kept missing.

“You know, I bet they are horrible at video games too. I could probably kick their a*s in Call Of Duty…” Kami said, thinking to herself.

There was a burst of laughter fro the guys around her and she looked at them in shock. “Did I say that out loud?” She asked. “Do you really play Call Of Duty?” Asked James. “Yeah… I play a lot of video games in my spare time. I just haven’t had much time here recently or I would have already beat it.” “Didn’t it just come out about a week ago?” “Yeah, last Thursday.” “And you say you would have already beaten it?” “Yeah.” “It took me a month to beat the last one… How long did it take you?” “Um…. I think it was about three days or so. Why?” His eyes widened. “Three DAYS?!” “Yeah…” “Oh my god!” “What? I get bored for days straight on my days off. What else am I supposed to do?” “Get a manicure, go shopping, do whatever normal girls do! How am I supposed to know?” “I’m not normal.” “We know this, Kami. We found this out, a LONG time ago.”

Kambrea smiled, she always felt at home with the guys. It was like having big brothers, keeping you safe, joking with you, even annoying you at times. “Wait, you guys. Listen.” She said, stopping all previous conservation.

A scream rang out from outside the range, slicing the air in two. Kami grabbed her Glock and badge, and was sprinting towards the sound before the guys had a chance to react. “Kami!” She heard one of the guys yell. Like that was going to stop her. She knew what kind of scream that was, and it wasn’t caused by something mortal. If the guys knew what they would be facing, they would be wise to stand down. But she knew that they were right on her heels, not knowing what danger that they would be facing.

She stopped, her eyes darkening at the scene before her. “DAVID!” She screamed, her voice filled with supernatural powers. She could felt the air whip around her, the elements responding to her commands. The guys behind her stepped back, never actually have seen what she could do. Kami could tell that their emotions were filled with fear. Not at David, but at her.

David held a limp woman in his arms, two deep gashes in her neck, and blood seeping from his mouth. “Well, hello my dear. I see you have caught me in the act.” He said, lacking the power behind his words that she had.

“What have you done?! You know that’s against council law! They could kill you! Do you WANT the world to end?!” She yelled, sending shock waves of energy towards him. She could see David cringe, and struggle against the potency of her mental commands. The air darkened with deep ripples of force, sending David to the ground, holding his hands over his ears. “Kami, please, stop!” David managed to squeak out. But she only increased the pain, walking slowly towards the now shaking man. “Kambrea…” David whispered. The wind whipped around her, sending dust flying. “Now maybe you know how I feel, David. Maybe now, you will learn not to take life, to not undermine me, TO NOT GO AGAINST THE RULES!” She said, the force of the words making him black out. The power still hung in the air, and it took everything she had to try to control it.

The clouds that had gathered slipped out of the sky, and the dust and wind slowly settled to the slight breeze that it once was. She called the elements back, giving the earth back its power. It took everything she had not to kill the man laying at her feet. She could feel a presence behind her, a familiar one.

“Kami?” She heard Chad hesitantly say, reaching out towards her. She turned, and she saw him flinch away, his eyes filled with shock, and fear. “Your eyes…” He whispered. She knew that they were pure black, no pupil or whites left to see. It was like looking into the depths of hell. “Don’t touch me, please. I don’t want to hurt you.” She spoke, trying to control the beast inside her. Kambrea collapsed, falling to her knees, feeling the power slowly slip away. Her breathing was erratic, not even getting a full breath into her lungs. “Leave me alone, just for a little bit.” She whispered, clutching her arms around her waist. “Okay, love.” Chad replied, ushering the guys away from the scene.

“What have I done?” She whispered to her self, finally feeling the dark strength leave her soul. She huddled on the ground, rocking back and forth, tears slipping down her face. “They saw, they know… They were terrified of me….” She choked out, bawling. She closed her eyes, laying on the hard ground, trying to catch her breath and crying out her pain. After about five minutes, she felt someone pick her up, and hold her close, kissing her on her forehead. “It’s okay, love, I’ve got you. Everything will be okay.” Chad whispered in her ear, stroking her hair. She wrapped her arms around him, nestling in closer, not wanting to leave his hold. “I’m so sorry, I-I should have made you all stay. I shouldn’t have let you see me like that.” She whispered, trying not to cry again. “Shhhh, don’t worry about it, it’s okay, love.” Chad replied, kissing her on the lips. “Come on, let’s get you home.” “What about the others? I probably made them hate me.” “No, they don’t hate you. They could never do that.” “You didn’t see their faces. I’m surprised you even want to touch me. I’m a monster…” “Kami, I love you, and nothing is going to change that. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. And I refuse to leave you again.” A single tear slipped from her eye, and Chad kissed it away. “Well, at least Matt knows I can kick his a*s...” Chad laughed, and lifted her up off the ground, carrying her to the car. “Kami, what about David?” He asked. “ He will wake up in a few days. Don’t worry about him.” She replied. “Okay.” Chad replied, sounding a little skeptical, but set her in the passenger seat, and got in the car.

The car ride flew by, and soon they found themselves back at her house, laying together on the couch. She burrowed in closer, and he wrapped his arms around her, clinging to her. “Kami, I love you.” He whispered, sweetly kissing her. She kissed him back, feeling a rush of heat through her veins. “I love you too.” Kami whispered back, her mouth still brushing over his. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, finally succumbing to exhaustion.

The bright light of dawn shined in through Kami’s sheer curtains. She opened her eyes, looking at Chad’s still, sleeping face. Kami realized that they were tangled together, their legs intertwined, and his arms wrapped around her. “Chad…” She whispered sweetly. “Love, wake up…” She whispered again in his ear. There was no response. “Chad?” She spoke, louder now. “Chad?!” She put her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat flutter dangerously. There was no breath escaping his lips.

Sirens wailed, the flash of red and blue blinding Kami’s sensitive eyes. Chad’s still body laid beside her, tubes and an oxygen mask covering his body. She laid her hand on his, and she felt the slightest of responses, his hand curving around hers. “It will be okay,” She whispered through the sobs. “You’ll get through this. I’ll get you through this.” The tears fell harder, making her shake with the effort. The paramedic that was riding with them in the back suddenly stood, rushing over to his body, reacting to the loud beeping coming from one of the machines. All of a sudden, His body convulsed, his back arching off of the table. She felt his hand clench hers, cutting off the circulation. A scream erupted from his throat, crying out his pain. “Can’t you do something?!” She screamed at the paramedic, who was frantically trying to sedate him, so he wouldn’t harm himself, or others. Another howl escaped his lips, causing Kami to cringe in fear.